On Movies & Media

Tonight, the World has Lost a Great Artist

For the last few years, I have been hoping and hoping for another film by Edward Yang, who directed what has become one of the greatest treasures in my film library: Yi-Yi (A One and a Two). But tonight, Edward Yang passed away. Cancer. The news breaks my heart.

On Movies & Media

Tarkovsky's Top Ten

At Soul Food Movies, Ron Reed rediscovers Andrei Tarkovsky's top ten movies. Wow. That's a must-see list for all serious cinephiles. Having just seen The Sacrifice, the prominence of Bergman doesn't surprise me. If I hadn't known that The Sacrifice was

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An English Professor Reports on Using "Through a Screen Darkly" in the Classroom

Many thanks to Christine Chaney, Ph.D., in the Department of English at Seattle Pacific University, for sharing these kind words... Through A Screen Darkly Through A Screen Darkly

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ChristianCinema.com interview: "Through a Screen Darkly"

Angela Walker at ChristianCinema.com has just posted what may be the most substantial interview yet about Through a Screen Darkly.

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Tina Forkner on "Through a Screen Darkly"

At a writers' retreat several weeks ago, I met Tina Forkner, a novelist who was still dizzy with the excitement of just getting her first book contract. Tina's a storyteller with a poet's eye for detail, and it was a pleasure to get to know

Overstreet's Books

Where's Auralia Today? Report #2: Joel Clarkson

Joel Clarkson writes: Just read a bit of the Auralia's Colors chapter in an internet cafe in Oxford this morning. Can't wait until it comes out. Really great stuff! Reading your chapter in the shadow of Lewis and Tolkien's old haunts was an experience

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"Prince Caspian" Update

My least favorite part of Andrew Adamson's The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe... the unimaginative, excessive battle scene. So imagine how I felt today as I read this news in Variety: "Helmer Andrew Adamson delivered a taped message saying that, unlike the original, Prince Caspian will

On Songs & Albums

Andy Whitman: Music Blogger

When Andy blogs, I end up spending money on new music. Here's his latest batch of discoveries. Beware.

Overstreet's Books

Read Chapter One of "Auralia's Colors"!

Auralia lay still as death, like a discarded doll, in a burgundy tangle of rushes and spineweed on the bank of a bend in the River Throanscall, when she was discovered by an old man who did not know her name.... Starting today, you can download and read Chapter One!

On Movies & Media

The Reaping (2007)

This review was originally published at Christianity Today. • In the book of Exodus, we read about how Moses confronted Pharaoh, who was persecuting the Israelite slaves, and demanded, "Let my people go!" But Pharaoh stubbornly refused, even as the wrath of God brought ten plagues to ravage his

On Books & Writing

"Breath for the Bones" - Luci Shaw's Memoir

Luci Shaw and John Hoyte are two of my favorite human beings. They are generous, full of astonishing stories from their own experiences, and revellers in great art. I greatly enjoyed Luci's last book of insightful storytelling from her own life, The Crime of Living Cautiously. And now,

On Movies & Media

Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (2007)

This review was originally published at Christianity Today. • Would you book passage on a doomed ship if you knew Johnny Depp, Keira Knightley, and Orlando Bloom would be along for the ride? Millions of moviegoers will say "yes" and climb aboard for Pirates of the Caribbean: At World&

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For book clubs, for film-discussion groups, or just for some summer reading...

I've been fairly quiet lately about the progress of Through a Screen Darkly. But, having just started taking notes for my next book about film, I suppose it wouldn't hurt to share a couple of recent highlights. I just delivered some copies of Darkly to a

On Movies & Media

Evan All-Mushy?

  Yikes. The hype for Evan Almighty is so big, you can hardly visit a Christian media website these days without the banner-ads knocking you senseless. Well, sure, the charities that may gain from the movie are probably quite honorable. But wouldn't it be nice if all of

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The Funniest Movies Ever Made?

This Observer article finds several comedy experts reminiscing about their laugh-out-loud favorites. And the collection gets four cheers from me for giving credit to four both of my all-time favorite comedies: Midnight Run and Raising Arizona (both in my all-time Top Ten movies, period) and Fletch

Family

Thanks, Dad.

Dad, Happy Father's Day! But before you settle in with a good book, let me say a few words of thanks... Here you are in your dorm room at Seattle Pacific, back in your university days. What a journey it must have been, from a childhood in Mossyrock,

On Movies & Media

"Wall-E" has a Trailer

And here it is. Wow. What a powerful little teaser. Gives me flashbacks to the '80s... Short Circuit and E.T., specifically. And this one's directed by Andrew Stanton, who gave us Finding Nemo. I can't wait. As I work on stories in The Auralia

On Movies & Media

Frederica Matthewes-Green on "Through a Screen Darkly"

"What books were to previous generations, movies are to the present one; their ability to teach and shape our view of reality is unparalled by any other medium. Christians can't afford to be ignorant of the content and power here, and Through a Screen Darkly provides and

Overstreet's Books

Wonderosity

Leif Hansen is a curious fellow. Curious in that he asks a lot of questions. So it's a good thing that he's got a podcast, and special guests to field his questions. Wonderosity is Hansen's podcast, where he wonders as he wanders out under

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O'Hehir on "Unborn in the U.S.A."

Here's Andrew O'Hehir on "the abortion movie nobody wants to see (but everyone probably should)." Unborn in the USA [The filmmakers] just want to depict the pro-life movement in its own terms, as it stands on the cusp (probably) of its greatest victory.

On Movies & Media

Knocked Up (2007) - two guest reviews

No, I haven't seen Knocked Up yet. I'll probably wait for the DVD, due to my all-consuming, deadline-driven book project right now. But some Looking Closer readers have seen it, and lo... two of them have submitted their own reviews: Carissa Turner Smith and

On Movies & Media

A Brush with Seattle Greatness

Late last night, after a long day of work on Cyndere's Midnight, the sequel to Auralia's Colors, I wearily wandered over to the three-dollar-a-ticket discount theater several blocks from my house and caught the 9:30 show of Away from Her. Which was

On Movies & Media

Coming to Save the Summer: Remy the Rat

I saw Ratatouille today. Finally... a summer movie that delivers. That enchants. That makes you glad to be a moviegoer. And how could you have expected anything less? It's a movie from the mind of Brad Bird and the animation wizards at Pixar. Of course it's

On Movies & Media

Nappaland Reviews "Through a Screen Darkly"

Nappaland has published the latest recommendation for Through a Screen Darkly. Much to my delight and surprise, the good responses just keep coming in.

On Movies & Media

Stranger than "Stranger Than Fiction"

My favorite thing about Marc Forster's vividly romantic comedy Stranger Than Fiction was the romance that never actually caught fire... the combustible pairing of Dustin Hoffman and Emma Thompson. Ever since that movie, and both times I've seen it on DVD, I've become distracted