On Movies & Media

More feedback at CT Movies - rant, rant, rant

Anybody else want to volunteer replies to these letters posted at CTMovies Feedback page? posted 06/28/05 I have not seen Bewitched, but I am very surprised at Christianity Today Movies seeming to approve of a film with such themes. Sex, profanity, full-frontal nudity (frankly, I find blurred-

On Movies & Media

War of the Worlds - first thoughts

My full review will be posted tonight. But for now: Effects: awe-inspiring Sound: awe-inspiring Cruise: impressive Fanning: awe-inspiring Robbins: like his Mystic River performance, only wackier Tripods: truly terrifying Urban chaos: chaotic to the point of exhausting 9/11 references and echoes: all over the place Variations

On Movies & Media

Tigger loses his voice.

One of the most familiar voices from my childhood is that of Paul Winchell, who has given life to Disney's version of A.A. Milne's classic character from Winnie the Pooh... the bouncy, trouncy, flouncy, pouncy Tigger. I am sad to learn thath is voice will

On Movies & Media

Another Award "The Passion" Might Win!

The horror!! From my friend Adam Walter: The International Horror Guild, a literary guild, has just nominated THE PASSION as one of 2004's best horror films! http://www.ihgonline.org/

Bill Clinton

Billy Graham's final rally, pop culture references

Billy Graham has been testifying to God's grace for decades. Now, the guy's dedication to preaching the gospel is bordering on Herculean. Here's an interesting clip from CNN's coverage of what looks to be his last rally. Despite his many ailments, he

On Songs & Albums

Worship Music: Something Tells Me It Shouldn't Be the Worst Music

Martin Stillion's blog — What You Will — features this entry relating to Steve Bell's piercing words on contemporary worship music. Bell did an interview with CT's Mark Moring. (I talk with Mark every day... how did I miss this interview?!) It gave him the opportunity

Ron Reed

Specials: Linford Detweiler! Radiohead! Balthazar!

Today's specials: * "We often end up writing the music that we need to hear at the time." My latest interview with Over the Rhine's Linford Detweiler is up! * Radiohead's OK Computer is the best album of the last 20 years, says Spin

Over the Rhine Featured

The Stuff of Staying Together: Over the Rhine’s Linford Detweiler on Drunkard's Prayer

Over the Rhine’s album Drunkard’s Prayer continues to dazzle and delight fans and newcomers. But the story behind it... of the near collapse of the marriage of Linford Detweiler and Karin Bergquist, and the remarkable salvation of their relationship and music, is a moving one, and a challenge

On Movies & Media

Specials: DVD vs. Big Screen, Kiarostami

Today's specials: Welcome to Looking Closer, where the only cell phone ringing is your own. * More people are staying home to watch movies. Are you? I've gotta admit that, unless the film has a notable cinematographer or an abundance of special effects, I'm more

On Movies & Media

The Perfect... What?

The Perfect Man opens today... to responses like these: "The Perfect Man takes its idiotic plot and uses it as the excuse for scenes of awesome stupidity." - Roger Ebert "...sticky, straight-to-video caliber." - Lou Lumenick "...nondescript piffle." - Jami Bernard "If you are

On Movies & Media

Peace Like a River... Starring Bad Santa?

Wow. Leif Enger's gorgeous novel Peace Like a River is going to be a movie starring Billy Bob Thornton. I am giddy about this news. Thornton will be great in this role. Now, let's all pray they find some equally talented young actors to play his

Over the Rhine

Anne and I are Coming to Santa Fe, NM.

Have you considered The Glen Workshop? Poetry - Andrew Hudgins, B.H. Fairchild Fiction - Erin McGraw Spiritual Writing - Paula Huston Playwriting/Screenwriting - Arlene Hutton Seminar - Elmer Yazzie Life Drawing - Barry Moser Mixed Media - Barry Krammes Watercolor - Laura Lasworth Musicians-in-Residence - Over the Rhine

On Books & Writing

More from David Brooks in Africa

Another stirring testimony from Brooks' Africa venture. This week in Africa, I've been impressed by the level of medical expertise and depressed by the lack of moral, sociological, psychological and cultural expertise. The most subtle analysis of human nature I heard came in that church made of

On Movies & Media

My Favorite Novel is Going to Be a Movie. Again.

Hmmm. From the director of Cube, Vincenzo Natali... Apparently it's going to be a television miniseries. For more information, click here. The original film adaptation of Watership Down severely abrdiges the story, but considering that it would be impossible to tell the whole story in a two hour

On Movies & Media

"Hard Goodbyes: My Father"

Hard Goodbyes: My Father, which is set in Greece in 1969, reminds me of several other current films, and yet, it is also unique and powerful in its own quiet way. Like The Return, my favorite film of 2004, Hard Goodbyes is about a family in which two young boys

Anne M. Doe Overstreet

Prayers for the Doe family

Let me call a brief intermission from the mad, mad world of the Looking Closer Journal to ask you to join me and my wife Anne in prayer. Anne's family is a large one: she has seven siblings, all of whom are married. Anne and I have twenty

Advertising

Google Ads - Keep 'Em or Dump 'Em?

A temporary post here regarding business. So... regarding the Google ads... I've had complaints. But ya know, in the past month and a half, they've brought me more monthly income to support Looking Closer's site costs and related fees than any pleas for donations

On Movies & Media

Doug Cummings on "Howl's Moving Castle"

from filmjourney... I find the mystery in Miyazaki's films to be one of their greatest pleasures, expanding their worlds with each viewer's imagination. When I was a kid, I loved to scratch my head. Not that Miyazaki crafts puzzling films; his cinema is highly accessible and

On Movies & Media

Are you a Narniac?

Today's Reel News is up, featuring your big opportunity to work for Disney for no pay, promoting a "masterpiece" that nobody's seen! P.S. Narniacs aren't the real problem. The real problem comes from nicknamaniacs who must put a label on everything

Spring cleaning

No, I haven't posted my full review of Howl's Moving Castle yet, nor have I posted any of the interviews I've been promising for so long. (The interview with producer Ralph Winter is finished, and it'll be posted at CT Movies soon.

On Movies & Media

The CT Movies mailbag: More of the same

Over on the Feedback page of Christianity Today Movies, Mark Moring has posted some more of the letters responding to the reviews there. There are some interesting reactions to Peter T. Chattaway's interview with Brian Flemming, the self-described "Christian atheist" and his claims that Jesus

On Movies & Media

Specials: Top 1000 Movies, Pathetic Pink Panther

Today's specials: * HALLIWELL'S TOP 1,000 MOVIES INCLUDES SURPRISES I'd like to see the full list, because I'm really quite impressed with the Top 100. There are some brave and smart choices here that differ from the usual Citizen Kane-happy lists.

On Movies & Media

Seattlites! Don't miss UPC's film festival!

I've been invited to participate in this, but, doggone it, it's happening during the same weekend as an out-of-town vacation I planned months ago. So I encourage YOU to go, watch, enjoy, discuss, and be glad that Seattle's the kind of town

On Books & Writing

Brooks on Africa

David Brooks finds his perspective on the African crisis changing. "I came here expecting despair, but now realize that we should be redoubling our efforts out of a sense of opportunity." Personally, I've been thrilled by the headlines this week about new aid for Africa. This

On Movies & Media

Specials: Critics on Cinderella Man & Batman, We3, Radiohead, "Narniacs"

Today's specials: * WHY ARE CHRISTIAN CRITICS SO FOND OF CINDERELLA MAN? I don't get it. The film is such a calculated crowdpleaser, and so focused on self-reliance, while Christian faith is only acknowledged... not affirmed. There's nothing truly challenging, revealing, or surprising about