Category: Essay

  • Do Film Critics Matter?

    Do Film Critics Matter?

    “A man becomes a critic when he cannot be an artist, just as a man becomes an informer when he cannot be a soldier.” Edward Norton hurls this quote, by French author Gustave Flaubert, at a fictional theater critic in 2014’s Birdman. Michael Keaton confronts the same critic, accusing her of drowning everything in a…

  • The Summer Movie Season

    The Summer Movie Season

    As a Midwest native, I know a thing or two about seasons. Every year I witness the beauty of leaves changing in the fall, the plunge into winter with snow topped trees, the thaw of spring, and the hot, sandy beaches of summer. Seasons have become a part of my DNA. They’re a yearly display…

  • Calvary and the Christian Cinema Crisis

    Calvary and the Christian Cinema Crisis

    Last week, after a Good Friday service, I watched a Christian movie. Every good movie contains truth, but some go even further and explicitly proclaim the way of Jesus. I call these “Christian” movies. Unfortunately, most of them are terrible. This one wasn’t. This one was Calvary.  Calvary tells the story of a village priest…

  • Christian Pacifism and Big Hero 6

    Christian Pacifism and Big Hero 6

    What are we going to do about ISIS?  That’s the question on everyone’s mind.  We’ve seen the pictures.  We’ve read the articles.  They must be stopped.  But how?  Perhaps the the answer can be found in a children’s film called Big Hero 6. I may seem callous comparing a work of fiction to a problem…

  • Oscars 2015 – Who Should Win?

    Oscars 2015 – Who Should Win?

    What a great year for movies.  Will the creative well ever run dry?  Somehow, great films continue to come out every year, and 2014 had even more than usual.  Now comes the time to honor them. I’ve always been a fan of the Oscars.  I’ve loved the ceremony since I was a kid.  This is…