On Books & Writing

David Foster Wallace, author of "Infinite Jest," dead at 46.

My thanks to Alissa Wilkinson for passing along the news... The L.A. Times has the story here. Jackie Morales, a records clerk at the department, said Wallace's wife called police at 9:30 p.m. Friday saying she had returned home to find that her husband had

Overstreet's Books

Countdown...

You're invited to the release party! I'll be reading from Auralia's Colors and Cyndere's Midnight, and talking about my favorite monsters, at Third Place Books, Lake Forest Park (Seattle), WA. 7 p.m. September 25, 2008 If you miss that, you can

On Movies & Media

Wendy and Lucy (2008) - A Guest Review by Kenneth R. Morefield

Once again, Ken Morefield has given you double the value for your money here at Looking Closer. He's turned in yet another impressive series of reviews from the Toronto International Film Festival. He'll be wrapping up this year's series with reviews of his three

On Movies & Media

Unwanted Witness and At the Edge of the World: guest reviews by Kenneth R. Morefield

Here is Kenneth R. Morefield's consideration of two more features from the Toronto International Film Festival. And my must-see list just keeps on growing... Unwanted Witness and At The Edge of the World One thing that I find interesting about being at a film festival, especially one

On Movies & Media

Through a Screen Darkly 2: Even Darklier

The curtain just went up on my new monthly column at Christianity Today Movies. It's named after my "memoir of dangerous moviegoing." Enjoy!

Overstreet's Books

A few secrets of "Cyndere's Midnight" revealed...

If you've read Auralia's Colors, you may have questions about the sequel, Cyndere's Midnight, which will be in stores on September 16. Over the next week, I'll be revealing some of the shocking secrets of Cyndere's Midnight. So read on,

Todd Fadel

I'm really going to miss my friend Tim.

These are snapshots of my friend Tim, taken over the last couple of years. (with his brother Todd, left.) Tim played in a spontaneous-comedy band with me, and he corresponded with me from Portland via email every week over the last couple of years. So most of my memories

On Movies & Media

Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist (2008) - A Guest Review by Kenneth R. Morefield

Thanks again to Dr. Morefield for taking the time to give us an early look at an upcoming film. This time, it's an American film by the director of Raising Victor Vargas. Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist It is supposed to be the world cinema and

Roger Ebert

Browser, 9/6: Aronofsky's Golden Lion!; Roger Ebert's Favorite Movie; What Richard Linklater, Orson Welles, and Zac Efron Have in Common?

ARONOFSKY'S WRESTLING PIC IS A VENICE FILM FEST CHAMP Darren Aronosfky, director of The Fountain and Requiem for a Dream, has just been given the Golden Lion award at the Venice Film Festival for his new film The Wrestler, which stars  Mickey Rourke.  Hopefully we'll hear

On Movies & Media

Mercy! I'm in The Washington Times today!

Wow. I make what may be my first-ever online comment about Bill Maher, and I end up in The Washington Times! These World Wide Webs... they're just full of surprises.

On Movies & Media

Image Artist of the Month: Wim Wenders

This month, Image Journal's Artist of the Month isfilmmaker Wim Wenders. As one who was formerly selected, I can promise Mr. Wenders that his fame will now skyrocket, and he'll never have to worry about paying bills again! All kidding aside... Wenders is one of my

Concerts

Over the Rhine's 20th Anniversary Brouhaha

I'm planning my first trip to Ohio. Are you? From the latest Over the Rhine newsletter: A Special 20th Anniversary Holiday Celebration of the Music of Over the Rhine: December 19, The Taft Theatre, Cincinnati, OH: An evening with Over the Rhine. featuring music from decade one. December

The X-Files: I Want to Believe (2008)

This review was originally published at Christianity Today. • Young women are disappearing in rural West Virginia. Something shocking is buried in the snow. A man is bleeding from the eyes and suffering horrible visions.< Who ya gonna call? Mulder and Scully, of course! It's a dirty job,

Sam Phillips

Sam Phillips - Don't Do Anything

[This is an expanded version of a review that was originally published at Christianity Today.] When Sam Phillips last toured, she sang a memorable refrain about heartbreak: “When you’re down / You find out what’s down there.” Phillips new “short-playing” album, Don’t Do Anything (Nonesuch Records), is

Overstreet's Books

This Doesn't Happen Every Day...

I had a remarkable encounter at my neighborhood's best coffee shop: Hotwire Online Coffeehouse. Hotwire sells copies of Auralia's Colors (God bless them!) And this morning, a woman who had purchased a copy asked me to sign her book for her as-yet-unborn daughter. Wow.

On Books & Writing

Introducing... The Curator!

Ladies and gentlemen... The Curator, an adventurous foray into examinations of art and culture, courtesy of the International Arts Movement, with my friend Alissa Wilkinson at the helm! The CuratorInternational Arts Movement In keeping with IAM’s belief that artistic excellence, as a model of “what ought to be”,

Roger Ebert

Browser, 8/24: Ebert on China; Stillman Still Winning Fans; A True Champion; Faith-Bashing on the Big-Screen

ROGER EBERT GIVES CHINA'S OLYMPICS A BIG THUMB'S UP This is the bottom line: Olympics were a triumph for China. I'm not talking about gold medals, and I'm not talking about politics. I'm talking about appreciation for a glorious world

Ratings

R-rated Question of the Day

Today, I was interviewed by Paul Asay of Focus on the Family's Plugged In. We had a delightful conversation about Christian discernment at the movies. I respect Plugged In's focus on helping us be discerning moviegoers and discerning parents. It was a very encouraging exchange*, and

On Books & Writing

Norris Returns With "Acedia and Me"

Kathleen Norris's new book, Acedia and Me, is coming in just a few weeks. A new book by Norris is always a reason to celebrate, and I can't wait to get my hands on a copy of this one. I ordered mine from Eighth Day Books.

On Movies & Media

Greydanus on "Brideshead Revisited"

I just realized that Steven Greydanus reviewed Brideshead Revisited, and somehow I missed it. He knows the book, and he gives the movie a lashing. Even the portrayal of the Flytes’ dysfunctional Catholicism isn’t without merit. Sebastian’s line “I’m not a heathen, I’m a sinner,

Overstreet's Books

Today's Favorite - Spooky Places, Memorable Pubs

This weekend, I discovered a journal that I kept in college. In those pages, I wrote brief descriptions of my favorite big-screen moments, much the way the critics who write for FilmComment have done in their annual year-end issue. It was inspiring to read back through pages of

On Movies & Media

Film Forum: Tropic Thunder, Transsiberian, Star Wars - The Clone Wars

This is collection of reviews that I found interesting and helpful. The collection will be revised as I find more notable assessments online. Feel free to submit more reviews, or even your own, in the comments below. TROPIC THUNDER Anthony Lane - New Yorker: Tropic ThunderTropic Thunderflailing and unfocussedThe PlayerHearts of

On Movies & Media

A Fantastic New Film Blog: Daily Plastic

What could be better than a blog by Paste's chief film critic Robert Davis? A blog co-written by Robert Davis and my friend J. Robert Parks! Daily Plastic is already humming, and it's quickly becoming one of the first sites I check every morning. Davis

Interviews

The Faith of the Author of "The Assassination of Jessie James by the Coward Robert Ford" (I love prepositional phrases!)

An interview with Ron Hansen, the acclaimed novelist who wrote Mariette in Ecstasy and The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, has just been posted at The Christian Century. Hansen's work has also been published in Image. (H/T to Darrel Manson for the link.

Reader Mail

Reader mailstrom, 8/15: "Learn to Think Critically" about "There Will Be Blood"

Welcome to Reader Mailstrom, a chronicle of stand-outs from the daily maelstrom of Looking Closer email. Most of these letters are real. Some of them are amalgams of a variety of messages. Some of them are what I read between the lines of the things readers really wrote. * In