(REVIEW) “Conclave,” the fictional thriller that outlines the Catholic process of selecting a new pope, does the audience the service of stating its intended message outright. In a controversial homily that begins the proceedings, Cardinal Thomas Lawrence declares that “certainty is the great enemy of unity.” The movie also goes on to demonstrate that lesson in a variety of ways, as conspiracy abounds and tension grows.
Read More(REVIEW) Hellboy is an odd character with a bumpy cinematic history. Based on a comic book series, Hellboy is the son of a demon and a witch who was brought from hell into the world by Nazis. He was rescued and raised by Professor Broom of the BPRD (Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense) who became his surrogate father and trained to help save the world from monsters.
Read More(REVIEW) Forgiveness is widely considered one of the most difficult things to do in life — particularly when it comes to the relationship between parents and children. This is probably why so many films deal with the idea of reconciling with one’s parents. “Exhibiting Forgiveness” does a great job of honestly wrestling with the hardest questions around forgiveness.
Read More(REVIEW) Unlike exorcism movies, which have largely gone unchanged since the 1973 film ‘The Exorcist,” vampire films have gone through interesting cycles of evolution. While vampires originally were portrayed as evil, alien creatures, franchises such as “Twilight” and “The Vampire Diaries” showed them as hot antiheroes and even — at times — as wholesome and misunderstood.
Read More(REVIEW) Presented as an offbeat rom-com, “Between the Temples” contains a depth of feeling and personal reflection that’s admirable. It’s a must-see for many reasons, and only one of them is its central romance. It’s also a hilarious misadventure, a reflection on life and relationships and the beautiful journey two people take to rediscovering faith.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Two recent events have made major headlines in the faith-based film industry. The first was the dominance of faith-based, politically right-wing films at the domestic box office. The second was Dallas Jenkins’ announcement that his “The Chosen” TV series about Jesus was expanding into a whole “The Chosen” universe of shows.
Read MoreThe new "Reagan" biopic focuses on Ronald Reagan's role in the Cold War and the fight against Soviet communism. But faith emerges as a major storyline in the 135-minute biopic.
Read More(ANALYSIS) When the second installment in the blockbuster “Dune” franchise came out, it was hard not to see it as a not-very-subtle metaphor for the Israel-Hamas war. It was starnge to watch scenes of guerilla warriors in headscarves when I saw the same images on the news. Lately, people have been finding those same parallels in other movies or TV series about conflict.
Read MoreThe new movie "You Gotta Believe," about a youth baseball team's improbable journey all the way to the Little League World Series, offers a fleeting glimpse of faith. But in real life, religion played a more crucial role.
Read More(REVIEW) While “The Forge” deserves credit for wanting to address the real problems of struggling men and boys, it fails to speak to the very people it says it wants to help. Christian parents of such boys would be better off passing on this movie and following other sources for their boys, and following the example of the movie’s Cynthia by praying for them instead.
Read MoreNot only are churchgoers watching Christian movies, but some find them useful as an evangelistic and discipleship tool. A recent study asked churchgoers if they agree with the statement, “Christian movies are effective evangelism tools.” The study by Lifeway Research finds 68 percent of American Protestant churchgoers have watched a Christian movie in the last year. Around four in five say Christian movies are effective evangelism tools.
Read More(REVIEW) What “white savior” and “white guilt” movies both do is create a fantasy about Christian history that makes us comfortable. In reality, Western Christian history is far more complicated. Filmmakers like Tamahori simply replace one fantasy with another. And, ironically, miss out on a much better movie. “The Convert” has enjoyable pacing and individual performances, but its shallow treatment of its well-worn cliches will make few believers.
Read More(REVIEW) “Sing Sing” — the latest film from celebrated independent film studio A24 — tells the story of Divine G, imprisoned at a maximum security prison (Sing Sing) for a crime he didn't commit. He finds purpose by acting in a theater group alongside other incarcerated men. The film is based on the book, “The Sing Sing Follies,” which tells the true story of Divine G and the theater program he founded while incarcerated.
Read More(ANALYSIS) This is the question that I have been thinking about ever since Memorial Day: What role do movie theaters play in God’s glorious and fallen creation? Yes, that’s a strange question. Let me explain. Back in my professor days when I taught Introduction to Mass Communication 101, I explained the whole “technology shapes culture” equation (again, think “the medium is the message”) by asking a series of questions.
Read More(REVIEW) “Unsung Hero” is a testament to how the Erwin brothers have truly made a studio that can replicate the quality they’ve been able to establish in the faith-based film industry without them in the director’s chair. For those who love the kinds of films they make, this film should be another hit. For those who don’t, there’s nothing in here to change your mind.
Read More“Immaculate” and “The First Omen” are two horror movies with pregnant nun protagonists in theaters at the same time. It’s admittedly an unusual event. They’re also a veiled response to the overturning of abortion nearly two years ago and the Catholic church’s stance on the issue.
Read MoreWith nearly a dozen releases timed strategically around the electoral period, Indian cinema is amplifying Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his party's Hindu nationalist political agenda. The slew of new films — ahead of the April 19 national elections — are helmed by major production houses that rely on storylines that overtly either promote Modi and his government’s policies or target rival politicians.
Read More(REVIEW) The average religious viewer will likely also find little offensively objectionable in the portrayal of the Biblical story. They take the story, with its miracles and supernatural elements, as if they all really happened. The flaws in Moses’s character are all ones that come from the Biblical accounts.
Read MoreA new version of the “Jesus Film,” performed in American Sign Language (ASL) by deaf actors and crew members, premiered on April 4 at the Deaf Missions Conference in Arlington, Texas. A broader release of the film portraying Jesus’ life is in the works, Deaf Missions has said, but details have not been announced.
Read More(ANALYSIS) The title, “1946: The Mistranslation that Shifted Culture,” summarizes well this feature documentary, which argues how the misuse of a single word forever changed the course of history. Two researchers trace the origins of a grave mistranslation of the Bible in 1946 when the Revised Standard Version committee that two poorly understood and rarely-used Greek words would be combined and translated as homosexual.
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