On Movies & Media

Film Critic Pet Peeves: "Stranger Than Fiction" Edition

From a Christian film review of Stranger Than Fiction: It is a shame that a film based around such a clever idea couldn’t have been slightly altered to make an otherwise interesting story more palatable for families. Hollywood continues to add in offensive elements that serve no real purpose

On Movies & Media

Film Critic Pet Peeves: "The Fountain" Edition

Just ranting about another film criticism pet peeve... Don't you hate it when a critic makes a statement that says, "If you don't agree with me, well, you're just not enlightened like I am"...? When I was a much younger reviewer, I

On Movies & Media

Publishers Weekly on "Through a Screen Darkly"

It's not often I steal a line from Darth Vader, but here goes: "This will be a day long remembered." Publishers Weekly has given Through a Screen Darkly a starred review! You can read it here. They give it two thumbs up. Really. See for yourself!

On Movies & Media

Dan Brown's "Da Vinci Code" sequel earns Goldman highest screenplay paycheck ever

Nikke Finke at Deadline: Hollywood reports, Da Vinci Code Meanwhile, the Da Vinci Code pre-quel, Angels and Demons, is coming to the big screen. Finke says: In A&D, Goldsman must make sense of a plot crammed with Vatican intrigue and high-tech drama: it thrusts Langdon together

On Movies & Media

Robert Altman, Remembered by Friends and Colleagues

A few words about Robert Altman from his friends and colleagues... “I have always admired Robert Altman's films and it was an honor to work with him on A Prairie Home Compasnion. We had so much fun working on that project over the past year and I know

On Movies & Media

Opus on "Ikiru"

I was going to just surrender blogging for the rest of the day, due to the loss of Altman, but then I discovered that Opus, one of my daily blog stops, has just published a review of Kurosawa's Ikiru, another one of my favorites, and a film that

On Movies & Media

Rest in Peace, Robert Altman

This is a devastating day for anyone who loves great moviemaking. A giant, an innovator, one of the few truly visionary American directors, Robert Altman, director of one of my all-time favorites -- Gosford Park -- has died. No. No no no no no. There aren't enough visionaries like

On Movies & Media

UPDATED: Jeffrey Wells on New Line's decision against Peter Jackson

Wells has a forceful opinion of the fate of Peter Jackson's The Hobbit. (Earlier story here, and further thoughts here.) In short, he thinks New Line has done the right thing, and he's glad that Jackson's out. You may remember I expressed my preference

Darren Aronofsky

My Conversation(s) with Darren Aronofsky ("The Fountain," "Requiem for a Dream")

Earlier this month, I had a long conversation with director Darren Aronofsky, the man responsible for this year's most ambitious sci-fi film The Fountain, and who has also given us Requiem for a Dream and Pi. We talked by telephone about The Fountain, and about how it

On Movies & Media

An Appeal to MGM: Get Alfonzo Cuaron to Direct "The Hobbit"

Since Peter Jackson has just made it offical... he's not going to direct The Hobbit... the biggest guaranteed blockbuster on the "Coming Soon" list is now in need of a director. MGM is probably going to have directors lined up begging for the job. And I

On Movies & Media

Peter Jackson on Why He Won't Direct "The Hobbit"

Here's TheOneRing.net's big breaking news on The Hobbit... So, since Peter Jackson will not be directing The Hobbit, but MGM is planning to find another director who will... NAME YOUR CHOICE! Who should direct The Hobbit?

Overstreet's Books

Today, I Wrap It Up!

Today is the last day of editing for me on Through a Screen Darkly. I'll get to check the final proof in a few weeks, but this is my last day to make any changes. What a week it has been. I can't go into details,

On Movies & Media

Sight and Sound Celebrates "Pan's Labyrinth"

I've seen Pan's Labyrinth, and it is a harrowing, beautiful film. It leaves me with as many questions about the artist as it does about the story, and so, reading Sight and Sound's coverage of the film, I'm happy to learn a

On Movies & Media

"Akeelah and the Bee" and "Half Nelson"

I was recently surprised at just how good Akeelah and the Bee really is. I'd seen it promoted as a "Starbucks movie," and that didn't exactly make me want to rush out and see it. Neither did the DVD cover, which makes it look

On Movies & Media

Todd Field and I Live in a Small World After All

Todd Field, director of In the Bedroom and Little Children, is one of my favorite American directors. Today as we talked, we were surprised to make these connections: * He lived in Northeast Portland while I lived in Northeast Portland. * His mom taught at a Baptist kindergarten. My mom taught at

On Movies & Media

Questions for the Director of "Little Children" and "In the Bedroom"?

I'll be interviewing Todd Field, director of In the Bedroom and Little Children, this afternoon (right before I head off to the screening of Alfonso Cuarón's Children of Men). You may have seen his work... and you may have seen him, too. He played the jazz

On Movies & Media

One of the Greatest Christian Heroes the Big Screen's Ever Seen...

... is here on DVD at last. Sophie Scholl: The Final Days is not only one of the best films to play on American screens this year, but it also boasts one of the greatest performances by an actress in the last several years. Julia Jentsch is riveting in this film.

Christianity Today

Christianity Today on Wendell Berry

One of my favorite writers, Wendell Berry, is getting some well-deserved attention today from Christianity Today.

U2

U2's New (Completely Unnecessary) Compilation

U218, which arrives in stores Nov. 21, is a waste of time for anybody who already has the best-of collections that they released a few years ago. There's nothing in these 15 singles that you don't already know by heart, except... * the recent U2/Green

On Movies & Media

Two "Hobbit" Movies?

Chattaway has the scoop. Looks like we might get two Hobbit movies... one adapting the novel, and the other introducing us to a new story between The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, based on Tolkien's notes about those years.

On Movies & Media

First Things Reviews "Babel"

At First Things, Anthony Sacramone has turned in an insightful review of Babel... and what it could have been.

Sam Phillips

Blast From the Past: 1988 and "The Indescribable Wow"

I was delighted to discover a brand new review of one of my all-time favorite albums this morning. And it's a thoughtful one, too. Remember The Indescribable Wow?

On Movies & Media

Warning: There's "Pushing and Shoving" in "The Nativity Story"

A prominent Christian media personality has disregarded the professional standard of waiting until opening day to publish a review of The Nativity Story, and he offers some rather, um, arresting observations: Having spent some time in Israel researching other movies, I can attest to the authenticity of even the smallest

On Movies & Media

"Stranger Than Fiction": Better Than Expected

Has anyone else ever noticed how Will Ferrell looks a lot like Ron Perlman sometimes? I pretty much agree with Peter T. Chattaway's review of Stranger Than Fiction. It's worth seeing for good performances, a clever and whimsical script, attractive and creative cinematography, and some scenes

On Songs & Albums

Today's Shuffle: What do these songs mean to you?

Well, now that I've transferred my entire rock/pop/folk/country library to my iPod, I'm enjoying the circus show better-known as "Shuffle Songs." The machine tends to deliver a rather bumpy road of randomly selected tracks from the 6,600 songs I&