What makes a good movie? It’s a hard question, and one I ask myself right about now every year. Certainly, the skill and artistry play a huge role, and we’ve seen plenty of films in 2022 showcasing top-notch craft. But it’s not enough. A film’s cinematography might be incredible. It might have rock-solid actors playing memorable characters. But for a film to stick with me, it must move me. Its narrative needs to resonate with where I am and what... Read more
For a guy who sometimes claims to be an atheist, Guillermo del Toro sure spends a lot of time talking about faith. Del Toro says he left the Catholic Church as soon as he could. And yet his breakout movie, Pan’s Labyrinth, could be read as something of a Catholic parable of sacrifice and redemption. He turns his back on faith, but his Hellboy movies presupposes heaven and hell, and its titular hero is the most unlikely Christian you can... Read more
Bah. Humbug. So I might’ve said a few weeks ago to Spirited, yet another revision of A Christmas Carol. More than 100 versions of Charles Dickens’ classic have been made, featuring everyone from Bill Murray to Mickey Mouse. Hey, I love Scrooge and Tiny Tim as much as anyone. But we’ve seen it. The possibility of finding something new there? Well, that seems deader than a coffin nail. And then I actually saw Spirited, Apple TV+’s clever, musical addendum to... Read more
In superhero stories, death is often more of a temporary setback. Spider-Man was gone for five years after the events of Avengers: Infinity War and returned, no worse for wear. Doctor Strange died literally countless times in his first movie. Sure, Loki was killed with some permanence in Infinity War. But according to Disney+’s Loki, there are plenty more gods of mischief to be had. That’s one thing that makes Black Panther: Wakanda Forever so unusual—and, in its own way,... Read more
Causeway, Apple TV+’s new awards-season hopeful, is not a particularly religious movie. The only overt nod to faith came through a single cross dangling from a rear-view mirror. But Jennifer Lawrence’s latest film is still filled with spiritual themes: sin and redemption; pain and hope; salvation and second chances. And in the midst of it all flows one potent symbol: water. The film’s use of water is especially interesting, given that its main protagonist, Lynsey (played by Lawrence), just returned... Read more
It was a simple prayer. It was offered with sincerity and conviction. Mamie Till just wanted God to protect her son while he’s down in Mississippi. She wanted him to come home. God is good, her friends assured her. God is merciful. He will protect the boy. So when her boy—14-year-old Emmett Till—comes back in a box, what is a mother to do? How can she reconcile a good God with her mangled son? How can she go on? That... Read more
Is Black Adam a good guy or a bad guy? The answer? Yes. And while that both/and answer manifests itself in a less-than-perfect movie, it comes with an interesting spiritual wrinkle. In the movie, Black Adam (played by perennial good guy Dwayne Johnson) hails from the ancient (and fictional) civilization of Kahndaq, which had its heyday around 5,000 years ago. He was known as Teth-Adam back then. And like the hero we know of as Shaza, he drew his powers... Read more
It’s a Sunday in September, and for lots of Americans, that means football. NBC’s Sunday Night Football has been the No. 1 show in primetime for the last 11 years, and tonight around 15 million of us will tune in tonight for a fairly ho-hum game between the Denver Broncos and San Francisco 49ers. Tens of millions more will watch at least one NFL game this week. Football is unquestioned king in the U.S., and the media knows it. About 5,000... Read more
Queen Elizabeth II died yesterday at the age of 96. She reigned for 70 years, beginning in 1953 when she was just 25. For most of us, she’d been the only British monarch we’d ever known. It’s hard to fathom how different the world was when her reign began—when an 18-year-old Elvis Presley cut his very first record, when Apple founder Steve Jobs was two years from being born. In a time sick with change, she was a constant. And... Read more
Amazon’s Prime Video is set to trot out its lavish series, Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power this Friday. Amazon reportedly spent $465 million on the eight-episode series (making it the most expensive television show ever), and it looks it. The show’s not entirely true to J.R.R. Tolkien, from what I gather. It takes place in Middle Earth’s 3,000-year-long Second Age (The Lord of the Rings trilogy takes place in the Third), and most characters the casual Tolkien... Read more
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