On Movies & Media

"I suffered, and you should have to suffer too."

Steve Carell will inspire you... ... in this, his commencement speech at Princeton. Enjoy. httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zOVVYkeTJKo

Faith

Go ahead. Put out into the deep.

After a month of feeble-to-failed writing sessions, I made myself sit down to write yesterday morning. I was pretty sure nothing would happen; I was tired and my head was full of practical matters. But I've been taught to show up, so, somewhat begrudgingly, I did. The coffee

On Songs & Albums

Looking Closer's Listening Journal: 2012

It's been a long time since I've written music reviews. I started out writing more music reviews than movie reviews online, but the interest in movie reviews proved to be much more intense, and I adjusted, desiring to go where the lively discussion was happening. But

About Looking Closer

I'm moving!

Big news. Good Letters, the daily blog hosted by IMAGE journal, where many of my favorite bloggers (including Sara Zarr, Bradford Winters, A.G. Harmon, Allison Backous, and others) contribute inspiring work every month, and where my film reviews are posted twice a month, is moving! Good Letters will still

Twitter

Celebrating my Fourth Tweetiversary

Today is the fourth anniversary of the day I joined Twitter: my favorite social networking site. And, as if in celebration, Twitter is serving up one exciting link after another. Here are some of the highlights that I've discovered there today... A teaser for the new Paul Thomas

On Movies & Media

Damsels in Distress (2011) - A Looking Closer Film Forum

A Looking Closer Film Forum is an evolving "conversation" among critics... a "round-table" review of perspectives from critics I regularly consult as I revise my list of viewing priorities. In this case, I've seen the movie, but didn't emerge with much to

On Movies & Media

Bleepity bleep.

More than a decade ago, when I was writing for Christianity Today's movie-review website, I quickly grew weary of hearing from moviegoers who believe that we should condemn films in which characters cuss. So, I invited a variety of Christians who write film reviews to offer their opinions

On Books & Writing

"I want to be a writer." "How do I improve my chances of getting published?" "Should I get an agent?"

I get a lot of emails from aspiring writers. Some of them I feel equipped to answer. Some of them I don't... In Part Two of my conversation with Kirk Kraft, which is posted as a preface to my lectures at the Northwest Christian Writers Renewal event, I

On Movies & Media

31 years late: Some thoughts on Chariots of Fire

I've written a two-part reflection on the 1981 film Chariots of Fire, which is appearing at Good Letters, the blog hosted by IMAGE. * Part One * Part Two It's not really a film review. It's more of a personal consideration of the film: what I

Moonrise Kingdom

Wes Anderson's Moonrise Kingdom opens the Cannes Film Festival

Anderson’s cinema contains a peculiar mix that makes it an ideal opening night vehicle. There’s a kind of absolute auteurism, a hyper-aggressive formalism, an insistence on the camera’s view as a proscenium arch inside of which an entirely theatrical universe is created, alongside a lightness, a preference

On Movies & Media

More worthwhile reading on The Avengers and The Tree of Life

There are so many reviews and commentaries on The Avengers out there, it's kind of ridiculous. But that doesn't mean you won't find some sharp needles in the haystack. Here are a couple that I found particularly, um... sharp. Anthony Lane in The New

Speaking engagements

Two lectures on one Saturday afternoon

I'm giving two lectures at this weekend's Northwest Christian Writers Renewal event. As a preface to these events, Kirk Kraft asked me some questions. Part One of the interview has just been posted.

Overstreet's Books

Gratitude for Grace and Good Friends

I need to write this all down while the details are still vivid in my memory. And then I need to stop telling the story for a while. I've answered so many questions about it this weekend that I'm exhausted and I need to set my

On Movies & Media

Iron Man, Thor, The Hulk, Captain America, Black Widow, Hawkeye ... and Me.

On Monday night, April 31, Anne and I sat in the middle of a crowd of comic book superhero fans and film critics. And we had a fantastic time, as the crowd cheered and laughed and celebrated throughout The Avengers' 142-minute running time. But then, what you feel while

On Movies & Media

Take Shelter (2011) and Movies About the End of the World

In "At World's End: The Age of the Apocalypse Movie," an article published at Seattle Pacific University's Response magazine, I consider Take Shelter and other films that show an increasing obsession with the end of the world.

On Movies & Media

The Avengers (2012)

My review of The Avengers is published at Filmwell.

On Movies & Media

Lourdes (2009)

[This review was originally published at Good Letters, the blog hosted by Image.] • Caution: Lourdes is a movie that may complicate your prayers. And prayer is complicated enough already, isn’t it? You’re probably familiar with scriptures that advise us how to pray. I’m embarrassed to admit it,

On Songs & Albums

My Sixpence None the Richer wish is coming true...

Whenever I put on Sixpence None the Richer, my cat Jonathan Mardukas sings along. Sometimes, Zooey joins in, singing harmony. They're a regular She & Him, Zooey and the Duke. And speaking of Sixpence None the Richer... At the cafe this morning, a barista asked me, "What

On Movies & Media

Oscars, Schmoscars.

Look what Roger Ebert's adding to his Ten Greatest Films list. Someday, I should consolidate all of my various reviews of this film into one, since my thoughts about it change every time I see it. And isn't that what great art does? Isn't

On Movies & Media

Blue Like Jazz (2012): A Conversation with Steve Taylor

My review of Blue Like Jazz was published at Filmwell.org several days ago. But that was just the warm-up. My conversation with director Steve Taylor has just been published on the website of Seattle Pacific University's Response magazine. Enjoy. We talked about the movie, how the good

Roderick Heath

"It is competent and sufficient, and ... that’s what’s truly, dismayingly disappointing about it."

Here's an excerpt from a thorough, excellent review of Gary Ross's The Hunger Games by Roderick Heath: The Hunger Games Also, in case you missed it, here is my conversation with Hannah Faith Notess, poet and editor of Jesus Girls, about the book.

On Movies & Media

Hello, Moody Radio Midday Connection listeners!

It was a pleasure to be interviewed by Melinda Schmidt today on Moody Radio's "Midday Connection." If you've come here after listening to that, here are some things you might want to know: You can email me at joverstreet [at] gmail.com. You can

Anne M. Doe Overstreet

Journey into Poetry

Webster’s DictionaryI Capture the CastleWorld Book Encyclopedia Any guesses on who wrote that? I'm not sure why there's a photo of a cat attached to Anne's blog post about her journey into poetry. But never mind that: I love it when I read

On Movies & Media

Should we stomp Blue Like Jazz because it isn't some kind of timeless, poetic masterpiece?

It's been interesting, perusing the reviews and comments provoked by Steve Taylor's movie Blue Like Jazz. I posted my thoughts at Filmwell earlier. It inspired some interesting comments. After you see the movie, let me know what you thought. (Act fast. It probably won't

"Christian" Entertainment

Gregory Wolfe on the Art and Legacy of Thomas Kinkade

Today in The Wall Street Journal, Gregory Wolfe considers the work of Thomas Kinkade: Why it appeals to so many people, what it means, what it denies. This isn't Wolfe's first piece on the popular painter. His first great editorial on the subject was published in