Last year, my wife and I got hooked on the HBO Sports series Hard Knocks that offered a behind-the-scenes look at the Kansas City Chiefs training camp. As a football junkie, the series helped fuel an addiction for me, but we also both enjoyed following the stories of NFL rookies and journeymen trying to make the team and secure a job for the season. (more…) Read more
I came across this interesting article in an issue of The New Zealand Herald last week on the enduring legacy of Monty Python’s Life of Brian, one of the funniest religious films of all time and John Dominic Crossan’s favorite Jesus film, at least according to Homebrewed Christianity. Check out the link after the jump. (more…) Read more
The 500th issue of the Uncanny X-Men finds the most famous superhero team moving to San Francisco. In today’s issue of the San Francisco Chronicle, pop culture critic Peter Hartlaub reflects on the connections between the X-Men and many residents of San Francisco and why this move is a perfect fit. Follow the link after the jump. (more…) Read more
So I know that a pop culture website should stay more up to date than this one has as of late. However, I have a good excuse as I have been away in rural Mississippi for a week and a half trying my hand at filmmaking. Now that I am back and recovering, putting up some new material is a number one priority. In the near future, look for a review of Craig Detweiler’s newest book, Into the Dark: Seeing... Read more
I do not claim to be a music critic. I know what I like and I like less and less new music these days, secure in the old alt country standbys and venturing into some occasional new rock and roll and even less frequently rap. I keep up with few bands and purchase even fewer new CDs. Bands like Wilco, Son Volt, U2…these bands require release day purchases and concert tickets. So too do Coldplay. I’ve held off on writing... Read more
As I mentioned in the previous post, I thought the recent Hellboy II was much better than its predecessor. As a friend of mine and I discussed, it’s like the producers tried too hard to make the comic book into a movie the first go round, and with the second, they finally realized that they had a great director in Guillermo del Toro and decided to let him run with it. Here’s a great article from USA Today about the... Read more
The past two weeks have been all about the sequel: Hellboy II trumped Hellboy and, if all the arly reviews are any indication, so will The Dark Knight, apparently the Godfather II of comic book movies, which would automatically place it in the running for the greatest action movie of all time. To get ready for The Dark Knight, I have been re-watching Batman Begins, a truly great film as well. I also checked out the newly-released collection of animated... Read more
Occasional pop theology contributor and Judd Apatow devotee, Wendy Arce, provides a review of the recent film, La Misma Luna (Under the Same Moon). Read on. (more…) Read more
This fall, I will be taking a course entitled “Nonviolence, Power, and Evil” in which we will discuss and apply theoretical responses to evil vis-a-vis The Sopranos. At the end of the semester, we will then choose one of these models and apply it to a real-world situation. I am intrigued by this course because I feel that the framework could easily apply to another great HBO series, The Wire, or nearly any television drama. For various reasons, I never... Read more
William H. Willimon’s newest book, Who Will Be Saved?, is an extended sermon in praise of the height, width, and depth of God’s love for the cosmos. As such, it is a staunch reaction to any concept of Christian salvation that would limit God’s loving reach for all by dictating “who’s in and who’s out.” As a recovering Southern Baptist accustomed to extended altar calls and evangelism training that stressed a personal relationship with Christ based on human faith, belief,... Read more
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