Category: Essay

  • Strength in Weakness: The Trials of Humphrey Bogart

    Strength in Weakness: The Trials of Humphrey Bogart

    Ever hear a story about someone famous that talks about their limitations or past failures and makes you feel better about being you? I remember hearing that Albert Einstein had failed math in school as a kid. That encouraged me to work hard academically and stop worrying about not making it. Too bad the story…

  • Through a Headset Darkly: The Advent of Virtual Reality Cinema

    Through a Headset Darkly: The Advent of Virtual Reality Cinema

    There’s no place I’d rather be than in a movie theater. Every room is a portal to another world. Go to England if you must. Round-trip tickets are on sale now for $1,500! Me? I’ll spend $10 for the glowing screen that takes me wherever the imagination can go. I like to get there early.…

  • Is Indiana Jones a Hero?

    Is Indiana Jones a Hero?

    There were three fictional characters I wanted to be when I was young: Fox Mulder, Han Solo, and Indiana Jones. They were everything I wasn’t — cool and confident, always up for adventure, and irresistible to the ladies. Mulder and Solo faded with time, but Jones stuck with me. He wasn’t an outcast like Mulder…

  • The Gospel According to Batman v Superman

    The Gospel According to Batman v Superman

    Liking Batman v Superman wasn’t part of the plan. I saw the film out of duty, not pleasure. The trailers were soulless, and the critics had already panned it as a debacle. Still, I couldn’t ignore the biggest release of the year so far, so I went to check it off my list. I spent…

  • The Machinery of Grading Movies

    The Machinery of Grading Movies

    “‘You don’t get the point,’ he wanted to explain; ‘the picture you see doesn’t consist of the things you see and say words about. There is something else, something you don’t see at all, something you aren’t intended to see. Look at this one over here, by the door here, where the light from the…

  • Netflix and Chill

    Netflix and Chill

    Several months ago Buzzfeed came out with a “literal video” of sorts, the topic Netflix and Chill — a synonym for fooling around. It is hard to say what the exact relationship is between streaming movies and/or television, relaxing (what else would you be doing?), and coitus (or lesser sexual acts). This sort of behavior…

  • Oscars 2016 – Who Should Win (Part Two)

    Oscars 2016 – Who Should Win (Part Two)

    Welcome to part two of our Oscar picks!  Here’s part one if you missed it: Oscars 2016 – Who Should Win? (Part One). Remember, these aren’t the movies that will win, these are the movies that should win. Here are our picks for the most coveted categories of the night…   Best Supporting Actress  …

  • Oscars 2016 – Who Should Win? (Part One)

    Oscars 2016 – Who Should Win? (Part One)

    Here we are again – another exciting Oscar race. While everyone else has moved on to a new year, we’re still living in the past. At Cinema Faith, the year isn’t over until the cream of the crop brings home the gold. This year’s Oscar season comes mired in controversy. Many prominent members of the…

  • The Gospel According to Top Gun

    The Gospel According to Top Gun

    I recently revisited the seminal 80’s movie Top Gun (which is still one of my all time favourites). The movie centres around Maverick, a young, talented fighter pilot, and his radar operator, code named Goose. Arrogantly aware of his exceptional skill, Maverick believes himself above the rules governing his peers and the navy at large. Maverick…

  • The Force and the Death of God

    The Force and the Death of God

    We are now six deep. In two months, it will be seven. In two months, the enchantment of the Star Wars Universe will expand and our intrigue will deepen. It’s no longer just a world of weird Wookies and speculative science fiction. Many of us, myself included, grew up with access to the Star Wars…