The Potential Inside: Not Your Father’s Christian Film
In the age of gratuitous Hollywood sex and violence it’s not surprising that people are starved for family-friendly entertainment. This is not just a matter of opinion. Movieguide, the world’s premier pro-family movie magazine, has established over and again with its annual Report to the Entertainment Industry that wholesome entertainment sells… big time. The report... Continue Reading
‘Soul Surfer’ Breaks Out in Top 5 at Box Office
The latest movie with a Christian message, “Soul Surfer” debuted over the weekend with $11.1 million, beating out the star-studded film “Your Highness.” Though fourth at the box office, the inspirational film based on the true story of Bethany Hamilton had a higher per screen average than the weekend’s number one movie, Warner Bros.’ “Arthur.”... Continue Reading
American men aren’t tough enough for Hollywood
If you’re looking for a man to be cast as the lead role in an action-packed Hollywood thriller don’t expect him to be an American, says Amanda Fortini. Because Americans raise weak and wimpy men Hollywood producers have no other choice than to look for Europeans or Australians. In a recent Details Magazine article titled,... Continue Reading
Movie Review – ‘Soul Surfer’ makes a splash as this year’s ‘The Blind Side’
Hollywood has been hamstrung over the years trying to figure out how to portray faith in film. They appear to be successful only when the movie is set in the past, as with “Amazing Grace,” “Chariots of Fire,” or “A Trip to Bountiful.” There have been a few exceptions. Bethany Hamilton has an extraordinary story... Continue Reading
What The Adjustment Bureau Could Learn from The Last Temptation (and from Christ Himself)
The Adjustment Bureau, the film starring Matt Damon and Emily Blunt, presents an image of a world with a curious religious perspective that will annoy many and presumably inspire some. The film presents a world that functions much as Deism would suggest: one in which the plan of a very distant and normally uninvolved god... Continue Reading
Movie Review of “KJB – The Book That Changed The World“ directed by Norman Stone
2011 marks the 400th anniversary of the King James Bible. The King James Bible has shaped the English language, inspired political and religious thought for generations and, arguably, changed the world. The story behind the King James Bible has been told before. And several new books this year will aim to tell it again. British... Continue Reading
‘Of Gods and Men’ – Divine Beauty, Terror, Faith; As monks, fine cast illuminates a tragedy
‘Of Gods and Men,” in French and Arabic, is one of the most beautiful movies I know, even though its subject matter and otherwordly pace set it apart from mainstream entertainment. They set it so far apart that the film made me recall, of all things, the most beautiful rendition I know of “I Got... Continue Reading
God At The Oscars – Academy Award-Nominated Films Explore Spiritual Themes
God makes appearances in a number of Oscar-nominated films, but the Almighty doesn’t play a leading role on screen or preach a theologically orthodox message from the clouds. Rather, spirituality plays a supporting role in those films that either focus on characters’ quest for redemption or provide a fresh take on the eternal battle between... Continue Reading
Free Will vs. Predestination: What’s Matt Damon Got to Do with It?
How much power exactly do the agents of fate hold over someone’s life? Can free will ever win over fate? And is it free will or fate that orchestrates action? Such are the questions that come to mind throughout George Nolfi’s newest film, “The Adjustment Bureau,” based on the short story by Phillip K. Dick.... Continue Reading
An Interview with Winston Riley on Walker Percy
In his new film, Walker Percy: A Documentary Film, Win Riley offers a touching, nuanced portrait of Percy, the great Catholic novelist and philosopher. “?…There may be times when the greatest service a novelist can do his fellow man is to follow General Patton’s injunction: Attack, attack, attack. Attack the fake in the name of... Continue Reading