Crossroads Podcast: Where Does Colbert Go Next?

Channeling the rage on the Bluesky social-media platform, Sunny Hostin at “The View” claimed that the decision by CBS executives to cancel Stephen Colbert's “Late Show” could be the start of dangerous people "dismantling of our Constitution.” This raised questions for me, several of which were discussed during this week’s “Crossroads” podcast. For starters, who — other than President Donald Trump & Co. — were these dangerous people? Did this include millions of Americans who used to watch late-night TV and are now watching whatever they choose to watch on YouTube?

‘What If …’ Re-Released 15 Years Later: Why It’s Still A Great Faith-Based Film

The film, a standout in early faith-based cinema, returns for its 15th anniversary amid a revitalized genre led by hits like “The Chosen.” Directed by Dallas Jenkins and starring Kevin Sorbo, the film explores an alternate reality where a businessman sees the life he could have had by following God’s path. Strong writing and emotional depth elevate it above genre clichés.

How Hulk Hogan’s Final Years Brought Christianity To Hulkamania

Terry Bollea — better known as Hulk Hogan — carried an oversized presence during a career that spanned nearly a half-century and included countless ripped shirts, bandannas and leg drops. His biggest splash came in December 2023, though, as Hogan and his wife, Sky, were baptized at Indian Rocks Baptist Church, a Southern Baptist congregation in Largo, Fla.

Faith And Conflict: How ‘Eddington’ Hits (And Misses) Its Pandemic-Era Satire Of America

(REVIEW) Stories help us sift through random events of our lives into something coherent. COVID was a seminal time in American life, and it’s more than right that we should tell stories about it. But without something coherent to say, those stories stop being useful ways to interpret the noise, and instead just add to it.

Heavenly Heroes: The Surprising Revival Of Superman And Christian Faith

(ANALYSIS) Are Superman and Jesus headed for an American revival? For better or worse, people’s love of Superman and devotion to God have always been tightly fused. Whether this will lead to a long-term revival for both or just a short-term connection remains to be seen. For now, a lot more people are looking up to the heavens than were before.

More Parable Than Sermon: The Biblical Imagery Behind Netflix’s ‘Squid Game’ Season 3

(REVIEW) “Squid Game” is a series that’s no stranger when it comes to weaving religious imagery into its narrative. Season 3 culminates that thread with both subtle and striking references, particularly when it comes to Christian symbolism. The season, it turns out, is more parable than sermon. The six episodes that form the final season are bloodier than ever.

‘28 Years Later’ Argues A Secular Death Better Than A Christian One

(REVIEW) Zombies resemble humans without retaining anything about our distinct personalities or relationships also have a visceral ability to articulate our fear of the end. Death is an ever-present fact of life, so symbols of death, like skulls or the Grim Reaper, are natural. This is particularly true during times when religious symbols of death and what comes after (like the Christian cross) appear to be out of style.

When Jesus Goes Prime Time: Wrestling With ‘The Chosen’

(ANALYSIS) If we agree that on-screen depictions of Jesus that add things to Scripture aren’t automatically evil, then “The Chosen” actually comes out seeming like something of a miracle. It sticks pretty darn close to Scripture when it comes to Jesus’ own words and actions, mostly developing other characters. And what it does add to Jesus’ words is within the realm of typical Christian orthodoxy.

More Than ‘Sunday Bloody Sunday’: U2, Faith and the Fight Against Sectarianism

(REVIEW) When it comes to U2, perhaps the only thing harder to find than a nuanced opinion of them is an accurate portrayal of their faith. It was a shock to some that the Dublin-based band — who became big in the 1980s — refused to be pigeonholed as apologists for Irish nationalism. Anyone who looks at their religious makeup shouldn’t have been surprised.

Darcy, Lizzy And The Moral Vision Of Jane Austen

(ANALYSIS) Once again, I need to apologize to the unknown — and search-engine invisible — person who created a quote that I want to share. I admit that there is some chance that I created the quote, but it sounds way too literate to have been created by yours truly.

‘The Life of Chuck’ Beautifully Shows The Meaning Of Life – But With No Afterlife

(REVIEW) Benjamin Franklin famously once said, “In life, nothing is certain but death and taxes.” Death is one of those things that the religious and non-religious have in common. It forces both to contemplate how to find meaning in life. Religious people have had the advantage in this regard, as the idea of eternal life is more appealing for people than the alternative.

‘The Ritual’ A Refreshingly Earnest (If Unoriginal) Return To The Exorcism Genre

(REVIEW) “The Ritual” is a movie you’ve seen many times before. But the story is clearly powerful enough that it is worth retelling. Hopefully, filmmakers will start figuring out how to tell these stories in new and different ways. In the meantime, we have movies like “The Ritual” and can always rewatch a classic such as “The Exorcist” again.

The Good, The Bad And The Meshuggeneh: Jews In Hollywood’s Wild West

When you think about Jewish contributions to the world of entertainment, your mind probably immediately goes to comedies, sci-fi and musicals. But there’s another genre rich with Jewish history: Westerns. In the new book “Chai Noon: Jews and the Cinematic Wild West,” scholar Jonathan Friedmann examines Jewish figures and themes in Western film, dating back to Hollywood’s first feature-length film. “The Squaw Man,” released in 1914.

How ‘The Last Rodeo’ Perfects Angel Studios’ Faith-Based Formula

(REVIEW) The film does fall into some contrived tropes. It’s never really adequately explained why they don’t initially try to get donations for the surgery (or help from Joe’s super-rich friend). But it doesn’t lean as far into these as most do, and the authenticity of how the characters behave in these situations makes up for it. “The Last Rodeo” is the best Angel Studios movie to date and one of the better faith-based industry films ever made.

‘Duck Dynasty’ Star And Longtime Church Elder Phil Robertson Dies At 79

Phil Robertson, who gained national fame as the bearded, camouflage-clad Duck Commander, “has gone to be with Jesus,” his Louisiana church family confirmed. The reality TV star and Bible teacher — known for leading hundreds, if not thousands, of souls to Christ — died this past Sunday at age 79. His family had revealed last year that Robertson faced early-stage Alzheimer’s and other health problems.

‘Bad Shabbos’ A Funny Movie That Covers Familiar Territory For Jewish Comedies

(REVIEW) While “Bad Shabbos” is very funny, little about it really breaks new ground, as it primarily leans on the classic tropes and themes of a Jewish “meet the parents” comedy. The movie also has some tonal awkwardness between the relatively grounded characters and dialogue mixed with its rather unbelievable farcical premise and series of escalating decisions.

Future Leo XIV Offered Warnings On Screens Culture

(ANALYSIS) The global media storm surrounding the election of Pope Leo XIV will soon fade to some degree (until he wears a Chicago White Sox jersey or something like that). This post centers on the fact that the priest and bishop who is now pope has, in the past, offered some strong, insightful appeals for church leaders to face the realities of the digital age.

Greta Gerwig’s Aslan And The Coming Faith-Based ‘Gender Culture War’

Whether or not this gender swap happens in the film, this should not be a surprise. Hollywood is moving toward a full-scale change in how it treats faith. Instead of elevating secularism over faith, Hollywood is adopting it as good when driven by women, but bad whenspearheaded by men. This change is putting it on a collision course with a growing alternative media, setting the stage for a new gender-coded culture war.

Fallen Angels And Failed Adaptations: Why It Matters To Respect Faith Narratives

(REVIEW) “Fallen,” the love story of a girl loved by a fallen angel, has been adapted to the screen twice since the original book was released in 2009. Its most recent adaptation to television, an eight-episode season now streaming on AMC+, suggests a more negative view of religion that’s developed over the past decade — and it’s worse off narratively for not embracing the original story’s theology.

In Latest True Crime Fad, Thriller ‘Opus’ Presents A Shallow Portrait Of Cult Fascination

(REVIEW) If words like “radio silent,” “compound” and “too good to be true” didn’t give it away. In the cult setting, “Opus” explores celebrity worship, creativity, culture as a mouthpiece of movements and the public fascination with true crime. It explains all the reasons why we love consuming cult content — it’s just ultimately an unfulfilling watch on its own.

Film & TV, Society, Religion, Entertainment, ReviewJillian CheneyApril 30, 2025Jillian Cheney, opus, Opus, cult, cult movie, religion, cults, film and TVComment

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