There are many Christians who are arming themselves because they are fearful, terribly fearful. God’s people are in bondage to fear and I think we pastors, shepherds of souls should be concerned. I asked pastors where and they get their information on gun issues and most tell me Fox News or the NRA. Brothers and sisters, Fox News and the NRA are not spiritual authorities. I am concerned that the NRA promoting the idea that the best way to... Read more
(Back in 2013 I posted this on Reel Spirituality’s website and since there is always conversations about whether or not we should even watch horror movies, I think it’s a good time to post in on my blog. Enjoy! Right on time for Halloween….) The first horror film I ever saw at age eight, indeed the first film I ever saw in a theater, was the 1959 House on Haunted Hill. It starred Vincent Price, and I now know... Read more
It is Jack’s (Jacob Tremblay) 5th birthday and he wakes his mother, whom he calls “Ma” (Brie Larson), sleeping next to him. Ma has a present for him and they bake a cake together in a small one-room apartment where they live. Jack, however, is very unhappy that Ma doesn’t have any candles for the cake. The television, with fuzzy reception, plays in the background. Jack loves “Dora the Explorer.” There are a few books on a shelf that... Read more
“Wuxia” is the name of the Chinese dramatic martial arts genre and Taiwan’s legendary filmmaker Hou Hsiao-hsien’s latest film “The Assassin” is a stunningly beautiful example of the art form. The film won “Best Director” for Hou Hsiao-hsien at Cannes earlier this year and musician/composer Giong Lim’s soundtrack was also awarded at Cannes. “The Assassin” is Taiwan’s official entry for the 2016 Academy Awards. The film opens in ninth century China where treachery and corruption are rife. Nie Yinniang (Shu... Read more
First time Pakistan producer and director Afia Nathaniel tells a harrowing yet tender story of one woman’s journey to save her ten year-old daughter from marriage to an old man as part of a peace deal between opposing village leaders in Pakistan’s mountainous hinterland. Inspired by a true story “Dukhtar” illustrates primitive cultural practices of rigid patriarchy on the one hand and the growing empowerment of women who are willing to risk even life itself to become fully human and... Read more
There is a legend in Pakistan that goes something like this. During the Second Anglo-Afghan War (1878-80), a young woman named Malala (or Malalai) was tending to the injured when the Afghan army started to retreat. She called out to her husband to stand firm and, taking off her veil, she used it as a flag to rally the troops. They turned back and defeated the British that day, but the heroic Malala was killed. “He Named Me... Read more
I’ve been traveling so I am just now able to post my review of CAPTIVE as it appears in the October 2015 issue of St. Anthony Messenger. But I want to add that this is an inspiring film. And it is gritty and does not hide the violence. It’s a truthful film about something that really happened and the power of a book to make a huge difference in the choices the characters make. Inspiring films can be compelling –... Read more
“90 Minutes in Heaven” is based on Dan Piper’s 2004 New York Times best-selling real-life experience story. Director Michael Polish’s new film, simply put, is no match for the book and is proof that some books should never, ever be made into films. Don Piper (Hayden Christensen) is on his way home from a Christian conference in Texas in 1989 when he’s involved in a terrible accident on a bridge. He flatlines and by the time he is in the... Read more
VENICE, ITALY As most people know, Venice, Italy, is one of the most beautiful places on earth. The very first world cinema festival was held there in 1932, with Moscow, Cannes, Locarno and others following. The Venice “Biennale” missed the war years, reconvening in 1947. At that time, the very first of the now numerous independent juries was established: the International Catholic Organization for Cinema (O.C.I.C.), now called SIGNIS, the international Catholic organization for communication. This was my third... Read more
It’s been a busy time here on the Lido island of Venice, Italy! I am a member of the SIGNIS jury for the third time – an honor and a privilege. The first time was in 2000, then 2009 (we gave “The Hurt Locker” our award) and now this year. We have a few more films to see before voting on the film to receive the SIGNIS Award. So far we have seen films in competition and several outside of... Read more
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