On Movies & Media

1:01 AM and I've Seen a Lot of Movies

I'm still here at the City of Angels Film Festival, held that the Directors Guild in L.A. I've had a marvelous time so far. It began with a reception for the festival's special guests, where I was deeply moved and flattered to receive

On Movies & Media

Thanks to "God and Culture" Show Host Paul Edwards

Many, many thanks to Paul Edwards for being a gracious host, generous with his time, and thoughtful with his questions on the God and Culture radio program in Detroit. You can listen in on our conversations... * here, on Tuesday's show, where I come on around the 1-hour 45-minute

On Movies & Media

Prequel to Boring: Yawn Howard and Dan Brown, Together Again

You probably remember how, after all of the hype, The Da Vinci Code opened to enthusiastic cries of "Underwhelming!" and "Boring!" Yes, after all of the fright and hubbub amongst Christians who thought the movie might lay waste to the Christian church internationally, it turned out

On Songs & Albums

A New Interview with Bill Mallonee

I haven't read anything about the lead singer for Vigilantes of Love for a while. I met him at Cornerstone in 2003, and recorded an extensive interview. But my opportunity to publish it fell through, and it remains the best interview I've never published. Someday, I&

Speaking engagements

Many, many thanks to my three audiences during yesterday's talk-a-thon!

I am dizzy and exhausted after yesterday's triathalon of speaking engagements... Many, many thanks to the hundreds of students, staff, faculty, and other guests who packed the Otto Miller lecture hall at Seattle Pacific University... twice... yesterday afternoon. I had a fantastic time passing along the lessons I&

On Movies & Media

Frederica Matthewes-Green on "Idiocracy"

Here's Frederica Matthewes-Green on one of those DVDs you might not want to miss. But then again, you might. Idiocracy And yet it lingers in the mind. The day after you see it, you'll see it everywhere. As the months go by, you'll be

Overstreet's Books

"Through a Screen Darkly" hits Australia

When I was a kid, I always liked the story about The Little Engine that Could. I'm reminded of that as I occasionally find mentions of Through a Screen Darkly on blogs. It just keeps chugging along, finding new readers everywhere. It's nice to see folks

Overstreet's Books

Next Sunday: Australia's having an Open House!

  I recently overheard someone referring to my new book as "Australia's Colors." Now, please... let me set this straight once and for all: Auralia's Colors has absolutely nothing to do with Australia. And speaking of Australia... I was welcomed to a radio program based

Overstreet's Books

A Moment, Yesterday...

So, there I was. Sitting at my desk, writing a movie review for Response magazine's website. Out the window in front of me, the courtyard was thrashing in October wind and rain. Leave of extraordinary colors were breaking free and forming a dance of intertwining cyclones. Students dashed

On Songs & Albums

St. Vincent - Marry Me

What have the women of Sufjan Stevens' band been smoking? Last year, Shara Worden burst onto the scene as My Brightest Diamond, with such fierce imagination and spirit that you wondered how she could have possibly been anybody's backup singer without blowing everybody else offstage. The debut,

On Songs & Albums

Bruce Springsteen with Arcade Fire

If you can ignore the dumbass psycho-fans shouting the most ridiculous things they can imagine into the camera's microphone... then you might get a bit of a thrill by watching Bruce Springsteen join The Arcade Fire for: Springsteen's "State Trooper": [youtube=http://www.youtube.

On Movies & Media

Looking Forward to "Where the Wild Things Are"

When I was a kid, one of my favorite storybooks was... Wait, let me start again. One of my favorite storybooks is Where the Wild Things Are. (Forget the part about "when I was a kid." It's still true. If a story is good, a reader

On Movies & Media

Jesse James, Stardust, Away from Her, Zodiac, The Lives of Others, Outsourced, Into Great Silence... a roundtable discussion.

In the latest discussion at The Kindlings Muse, Dick Staub stirs up discussion of new releases, DVDs and "films everybody should see." I had the privilege of being at that round table, along with Jennie Spohr, film producer and producer of The Kindlings Muse, and Stefan Ulstein, professor

"Christian" is a Bad Adjective

"Christian Fiction" and the Faith of J.K. Rowling and Sara Zarr

I know that many of my fellow Christians are so convinced that J.K. Rowling is a servant of Satan that they won't be persuaded by anything as insignificant as... oh... the author's own words about her faith. But I'm encouraged that the conversation

On Movies & Media

Don't Underestimate the Rat in the Kitchen

Before Pixar's Ratatouille opened, the grumbling began in the industry, saying that it was too smart for kids, too sophisticated to be another Pixar smash-hit. And when it failed to break records immediately, it was quickly a subject of scandal. Was Pixar slipping? Was their focus on storytelling

On Movies & Media

The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007)

A while back, maybe a year or two, I saw some photographs in the newspaper that revealed a new wax likeness of Brad Pitt for the famous Madame Tussaud's museum. My how far he's come. It seems like only yesterday that a feisty actor with a

Overstreet's Books

Two Weeks From Today: "Auralia's Colors" at the Seattle Public Library

On Wednesday, Oct. 24, 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., at the Fremont Branch of the Seattle Public Library, I'll be reading from Auralia's Colors, and paying tribute to writers like Madeleine L'Engle, J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Richard

On Books & Writing

Congratulations Sara Zarr!

My friend Sara Zarr has been such a great encouragement to me with Auralia's Colors. She's like my sister in writing endeavors... a Glen Workshopper, got her first book deal the same year I did, learning about the world of publishing right along with me (if

A Momentary Pause to Say Thank-You

As you can see, people are finding any which way they can to join me at Seattle's Santa Fe Cafe tonight for a beverage and some dessert to celebrate the fact that I've survived another year of blogging, reviewing, writing, and marketing. And some are on

Overstreet's Books

Paste Magazine's Josh Jackson Interprets "Auralia's Colors"

It's exciting for me when folks who blog about fantasy literature discover Auralia's Colors. It's rather startling when the editor of your favorite music magazine blogs about it. Thanks for the kind words, Josh. What a nice birthday (or birthday-eve) surprise...

On Movies & Media

I'm coming to L.A. ...

... for the City of Angels Film Festival, October 26-28. Anybody else going to be there? If so, send me a note!

On Movies & Media

John Carter from Pixar

Looks like another Pixar project is moving forward. Check out the news at this Edgar Rice Burroughs site. Looks like Andrew Stanton, the genius who helmed Finding Nemo, is involved. [UPDATE: Peter T. Chattaway considers what a trailblazing effort this would be for Pixar.]

Overstreet's Books

Looking Closer in the Foursquare Church

Notes on Through a Screen Darkly in a Foursquare Church publication: Overstreet must go far beyond the obvious and the traditional to show how spiritual issues are raised or that God can be seen in some of Hollywood's most unlikely films. And he contends that we can learn

On Movies & Media

Do We Really Need Another "Wizard of Oz"?

Well... if Zooey Deschanel is Dorothy... why not?! [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Sjnie-aqYw] I'm sure this trailer is going to inspire some moaning and groaning among Oz enthusiasts. After all, there are quite a few adaptations out there already, and few have been built to

Overstreet's Books

Gosh Golly... a Facebook Group!

A fine fellow named Karl Weston Magnuson has gone and started a Through a Screen Darkly Facebook group! Thanks, Karl! Good to meet you!