Sausage Party and the God-Hating Hedonism of Animated Food

Last updated on: August 12, 2016 at 11:50 am By Paul Asay

I’ve been accused of holding to an outdated, untenable belief system before, but rarely by an animated sausage. That was before Sausage Party, Seth Rogen’s slightly clever, outrageously foul and super offensive animated sex comedy. Sure, I was expecting it to be foul and offensive and really, really preoccupied with sex and drugs. We’re talking about Rogen, after all. But I wasn’t prepared for the spirit of the late Christopher Hitchens to be ironically reincarnated in a hot dog. Yet... Read more

The Little Prince is a Little Magical

Last updated on: August 5, 2016 at 12:41 pm By Paul Asay

We’re in the shaggiest stretch of the dog days of summer, and the theaters are full of tent poles. Suicide Squad has bounded into theaters, ready to make all the money. (I’ll be posting something about that movie come Monday.) Jason Bourne and Star Trek Beyond will mop up the leavings. If you’re still trying to catch up on your summertime blockbusters, Finding Dory, The Legend of Tarzan and Ghostbusters are still on plenty of screens. But if you’re looking for... Read more

Win a DVD of Last Days in the Desert!

Last updated on: August 1, 2016 at 11:05 am By Paul Asay

Last Days in the Desert, directed by Rodrigo Garcia and starring Ewan McGregor (as both Jesus and Satan), is one of the most interesting religiously themed films I’ve seen in the last few years. In fact, it’s everything that “Christian movies” are typically not: artistic, challenging, provocative. It’s a film for Christians who’d rather watch a Terrence Malick flick than God’s Not Dead; for Christians who don’t need to agree with a film to enjoy it and talk about it.... Read more

Gleason is the Best Documentary of 2016 So Far

Last updated on: July 28, 2016 at 11:39 am By Paul Asay

It’s 2011, and the faith healing service is in full swing. The auditorium is full of people singing—sick and hurting, desperate for help. “It’s the end of my pain as I know it,” they sing gently, turning an old R.E.M. song into a hopeful hymn. “It’s the end of my pain as I know it.” In the midst of the crowd, Steve Gleason—a former NFL player recently diagnosed with ALS, or Lou Gehrig’s disease—turns to his wife, Michel. “Should I... Read more

Sneak Peek for ‘Born This Way,’ A&E’s Inspirational Show on Down Syndrome

Last updated on: July 24, 2016 at 10:15 am By Paul Asay

God doesn’t make mistakes. It’s one of Christianity’s favorite clichés. We go to it when we’re struggling with our own self-esteem, when we’re discouraged because we don’t seem as smart or as attractive or as self-possessed as we’d like to be. We tell our kids that when they’re discouraged at work or home, when their friends turn their backs on them or they don’t make the soccer team. We may not be like everyone else, we’re saying. We may even... Read more

Captain Fantastic: The Anti-Christian Christian Movie

Last updated on: July 8, 2016 at 11:08 am By Paul Asay

Captain Fantastic, a little indie film out today, is a moving family parable about hippie dad Ben (Viggo Mortensen) and his eclectic family of six, leaving their near-isolation in the Pacific Northwest to attend a funeral. Did I say “attend?” I meant stop. The funeral is that of Leslie, Ben’s wife and the children’s mother. Though we learn she was raised in a fairly traditional, comfortable Christian home, she became a Buddhist when she and Ben got together. And the... Read more

Hacksaw Ridge: The Poster

Last updated on: July 2, 2016 at 11:31 am By Paul Asay

This fall is shaping up as a big one for fans of quality, challenging films with a faithful bent. Early awards darling A Birth of a Nation, based on Nat Turner’s bloody, biblically-inspired fight against slavery in the 1830s, hits theaters in October. Martin Scorsese’s Silence, which focuses on two Jesuit missionaries working in 17th Century Japan, is scheduled to be released this November. And then there’s Mel Gibson’s Hacksaw Ridge, which just released its first poster. From the press release:... Read more

Batman v Superman Has Issues: Daddy Issues

Last updated on: June 30, 2016 at 1:47 pm By Paul Asay

OK, most of us agree that Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice wasn’t a great movie. But it was, at times, a surprisingly thoughtful one. And with the Zack Snyder-helmed superhero flick now available on a variety of streaming services this week, it’s time to take a look at one thoughtful thread: The movie’s recurring thoughts about fatherhood—even when we’re talking about the heavenly Father. It’s no coincidence that Christians call God our “Father,” after all. The Bible has loads of... Read more

Matthew McConaughey Gets Spiritual in Free State of Jones

Last updated on: June 27, 2016 at 12:25 pm By Paul Asay

Free State of Jones is not technically a Christian movie, but it might as well be. In the film, Oscar-winner Matthew McConaughey plays Newton Knight, a Confederate deserter who leads a rebellion against the Confederate States of America in his home state of Mississippi. Based on a historical character, Knight’s motives for the rebellion are complex: He’s tired of soldiers stripping his and his neighbors’ farms clean, leaving families with nothing to eat over the winter. He’s disgusted by the... Read more

A Clip From Free (and Faithful) State of Jones

Last updated on: June 23, 2016 at 11:48 am By Paul Asay

Free State of Jones, opening tomorrow, June 24, is a far cry from the sequels and superhero movies that typically saturate theaters during the summer. Starring a very grizzled Matthew McConaughey, the movie tells the story of Newton Knight, who led a rebellion (based in Jones County, Miss.) against the Confederate States of America during the Civil War. It is, as its press suggests, a movie for adults—full of hefty themes, heavy moments and a significant level of spirituality. I’ll talk... Read more

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