I do like me some Batman. Or, more fairly, I like me some Batmans. I like the Christopher Nolan/Christian Bale dark, growly version of the guy. I like the subtle, Gothic, Michael Keaton Batman. I like the campy, clever, Adam West Batman from the 1960s—especially when he’s fending off sharks with his special bat shark repellent. But in all these incarnations, Batman’s still supposed Batman is supposed to adhere to a certain set of rules. Rule No. 1: No killing.... Read more
Dolphin Tale 2 and No Good Deed, the weekend’s two big movie newcomers, don’t have a lot in common. The former is, of course, a cute, kid-centric story about dolphins and kids, about growing up and letting go. No Good Deed is about why you should never, ever let a stranger use your phone. But in a way, they’re both an examination of one basic theme: trust. In Dolphin Tale 2, Clearwater Marine Aquarium faces a crisis: Winter—the bottlenose dolphin with a... Read more
Richard Kiel , the man who played one of the most endearing James Bond villains ever, died yesterday in Fresno, Calif., at the age of 74. Cause of death for the 7-foot-2 genial giant was not given. I’m a huge James Bond fan. One month for a newspaper story I was working on, I watched every Bond movie ever made until that time. And the thing you notice right away about Bond villains is that they don’t come back. Oh,... Read more
It would’ve been nice to talk with Winter. But she wasn’t doing interviews. The other stars of Dolphin Tale 2 were more accommodating when I went down to Clearwater Marine Aquarium for a set visit last year. Some select Christian media outlets had the opportunity to talk with Harry Connick Jr., Nathan Gamble, Cozi Zuehlsdorff, Bethany Hamilton and several other performers. Winter, the famous aquatic mammal and the breakout star from the original Dolphin Tale, apparently wasn’t available. But that’s... Read more
Have you ever gone to a movie, seen a character on screen and said, “Hey! That person’s just like me”? It can be pretty special when that happens, especially when you don’t see a lot of people like you anywhere else. So it was great to hear (from Legends of the Knight director Brett Culp) about Tumblr’s merryweatherblue, who posted the following to his account: “I took my little brother (who falls on the autism spectrum) to see Guardians of... Read more
“Stupid is as stupid does.” That’s Forrest Gump’s snappiest comeback line. Whenever someone asks Forrest if he’s an idiot (which is often), he remembers what his Mamma always told him: Stupid is as stupid does. It’s not a denial. It’s simply a statement of fact, and a bit of a challenge. Don’t judge me by how I think. Judge me by what I do. Oh, and while you’re at it, judge yourself, too. Forrest Gump, originally released in 1994 and... Read more
When I was about 8 years old, my mom took me to Star Wars. I’ve never been the same since. It wasn’t the first movie I ever saw. It wasn’t even the first movie I ever loved. But it was the first that transported me to another time (long, long ago) and place (a galaxy far, far away) and sparked my imagination like nothing had before. I conned my parents into taking me to Star Wars another four times–a mighty... Read more
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