Not long after midnight on March 27, 1996 seven Trappist monks were kidnapped from the monastery of Our Lady of Atlas in Tibhirine, Algeria. After two months in captivity, they were beheaded; their bodies were never found. The monastery was begun in 1934 and located 272 miles south east of the capital of Algiers. The murders of these priests counted among the estimated 150,00-200,000 Algerian people who were killed during the Algerian Civil War 1991 – 2001, among them nuns,... Read more
2010 was not a particularly great year for mainstream film. Stories about men dominated the films up for Oscars and it is my guess that these will sweep the awards – and deservedly so in terms of art. Films are often in production for years so there is no real way to balance releases though we know that stories about men dominate – male experiences and points of view (wait until you see the upcoming “The Adjustment Bureau” with Matt... Read more
I am reposting my review … the DVD came out today. REally too bad it was not nominated for an Oscar. One of the most important films of the year – the decade. ‘Waiting for Superman’ by Sr. Rose Pacatte Davis Guggenheim got the idea for Waiting for “Superman” one day as he drove his kids to an expensive private school. He passed a downtrodden public school and wondered about kids who didn’t have a choice. The film’s concept was... Read more
The devil returns to the silver screen this week with the opening of director Mikael Hafstrom’s “The Rite”, based on journalist Matt Baglio’s 2009 book “The Rite: the Making of a Modern Exorcist.” Baglio’s book explores the current reality of Satanic activity in our day and follows the training of Father Gary Thomas of the Diocese of San Jose, CA, as an exorcist in 2007 during a course at the Regina Apostolorum University in Rome. Both witnessed exorcisms during this... Read more
I will add links later, but take a look at this story… take a listen. Homeless man captures nation’s ‘theater of mind’ | National Catholic Reporter. Read more
Although I slowed down on posting from October on (due to surgery and other issues), I was pleased to receive this information from WordPress.com. I hope to begin posting soon again! Blessings for 2011! The stats helper monkeys at WordPress.com mulled over how this blog did in 2010, and here’s a high level summary of its overall blog health: The Blog-Health-o-Meter™ reads Wow. Crunchy numbers The Louvre Museum has 8.5 million visitors per year. This blog was viewed about... Read more
“The Chronicles of Narnia: Voyage of the Dawn Treader”, based on the 1952 novel by C.S. Lewis, is the best film of this latest franchise interpreting the fantasy series — and the first in 3D. The cinematography is gorgeous and the fusion of CGI (computer generated images) and real characters seamless. Even more outstanding is the script that never stalls and blends characters, plot, and themes in ways that entertain and inspire. Directed by Michael Apted, “Dawn Treader” reflects a... Read more
I had the opportunity to see the latest installment of the Chronicles of Narnia yesterday and am happy to say that I liked it – quite a lot. The 3D fantasy film is visually stunning and the narrative very close to the original story. If I said something like the seven deadly sins and their opposites in virtue, would I be revealing too much? Faith, reconciliation, love, and family? Oceans, islands, and mists, ah ha! A lion, dragons, and mermaids,... Read more
Sibling love and sacrifice themes of new film “Conviction” is a new film, based on a true story about a brother and a sister, which opens today nationwide. In 1983 a young, good-natured tough named Kenny Waters (Sam Rockwell) was arrested and convicted for a crime he did not commit: the murder a woman in Ayers, MA in 1980. (This review is a spoiler, but readers can surmise how the film will end because otherwise there is no story.) Kenny... Read more
A delight for the eyes: Kings of Pastry review Read more
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