English writer P.D. James died yesterday at the age of 94. She told the BBC as late as last year that she was working on a new book. “I think while I am alive, I shall write,” she said. “There will be a time to stop writing but that will probably be when I come to a stop, too.” James published 19 novels (and a handful of non-fiction works) and is mostly known as a mystery writer—a grittier, more literary... Read more
When you think about it, Thanksgiving is a very Hollywood-friendly holiday. The whole Thanksgiving story is like a screenplay for your typical inspirational blockbuster: A group of plucky outcasts hop on a ship and deal with incredible odds and impossible hardships to follow their dreams. It’s like a cross between The Goonies and Guardians of the Galaxy, maybe. Only with dowdier clothes and a lot more prayer. So perhaps it’s fitting that tomorrow, we mute the football game and put... Read more
The Capitol of Panem may look all sleek and modern. But when you really examine the place, it looks an awful lot like ancient Rome. Maybe you knew that already. It’s not any great secret. Suzanne Collins has said that she had Rome in mind when she wrote The Hunger Games, and the whole series is littered with names that come from Roman history and mythology (including Cinna, Portia, Castor, Pollux, Flavia, etc., etc.). Panem’s economy resembles that of Rome,... Read more
A bevy of movies were released on video yesterday: 22 Jump Street, Into the Storm, Sin City: A Dame to Kill For and others. But I wanted to draw your attention to a film you might not see at your local big-box store: The documentary Legends of the Knight. Why should you care? Well, let me give you three. 1. I’m in it. And if that’s not reason to watch, I don’t know what is. 2. It’s all about Batman.... Read more
First, let’s talk about the organ. It’s inescapable in Interstellar. At the movie’s most critical moments, the theater will shake with a massive, filling-bursting organ chord that sounds like Bach just dropped an ACME anvil on his favorite instrument. The chord is huge—so big that it’s causing a bit of a media buzz, too. It’s a fascinating use of sound by Director Christopher Nolan and Composer Hans Zimmer—at once a cacophony and an intricate, sprawling harmony of meaning, cascading over... Read more
The Little Mermaid opened in theaters 25 years ago Monday (Nov. 17). It proved to be a pretty significant day in the annals of animated filmdom, marking not just the beginning of Disney’s fabled renaissance (Beauty and the Best, Aladdin and The Lion King followed hot on the Mermaid’s scaly heels) but also an unrivaled run of animated excellence across the industry. Mermaid’s artistic and commercial success helped lead to Toy Story and How to Train Your Dragon, Despicable Me... Read more
I’m not exactly sure when Bill Murray went from being wackily eccentric to a national treasure. But he’s there now. Everyone loves Bill Murray. I love him. You love him. Your grandma probably loves him. Heck, your grandma’s probably met him, given Murray’s propensity to photobomb weddings and sing karaoke with complete strangers. He’s so beloved that Ford could probably sell Pintos again if they hired him as a pitchman. In a feature in Rolling Stone (“Being Bill Murray” by... Read more
There is something in the stars that stirs us. We see the infinite space crease and fold and stretch and twist, the sky both so empty and so full. We see its inky depth set with legions of light, and it turns our minds to higher thoughts—who we are and why we’re here and what’s out there—and if something in all that space might care for us. Even nonbelievers can feel a hint of the transcendent when stargazing. It’s in... Read more
Christian Bale, who plays Moses in the upcoming Ridley Scott epic Exodus: Gods and Kings, doesn’t seem to like his character very much. He recently told a group of reporters, “I think the man was likely schizophrenic and was one of the most barbaric individuals that I ever read about in my life.” Bale’s comments generated concern from some sectors of the Christian community. Faith Driven Consumer, pairing Bale’s comments with some remarks made by Scott on crafting a more... Read more
According to Augustine and a whole lot of subsequent theologians, evil isn’t really a “thing.” Only God can create things, and God didn’t create evil. It’s real enough, of course—but instead of a thing unto itself, it’s a corruption of something good that God made. In Sleeping Beauty, Maleficent is about as evil as evil comes. She even calls herself the “Mistress of all Evil,” so there’s no mistaking where she stands. And as I’ve said elsewhere, I kinda liked... Read more
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