Journal A conversation with Frederick Buechner in my quiet, snowbound house Wondrous things can happen at Christmastime. And so it was that I found myself in deep conversation with the late Frederick Buechner just before Christmas. I wrote it down, and as it's probably relevant for many of us, I'm sharing it.
On Books & Writing All-Stars: Steven D. Greydanus and 20+ years of extraordinary writing on film Star-gazing again, I'm pointing to one of the brightest in the cosmos of criticism: Steven D. Greydanus. I'd be hard-pressed to think of a critic who has had a more consistently inspiring influence on me over the last 20 years of my engagement with film and with film essays.
On Movies & Media Looking Closer All-Stars: Sarah Welch-Larson on The Rings of Power Star-gazing, I'm highlighting Sarah Welch-Larson as the first Looking Closer "all-star" — a writer whose wisdom and wit set her apart as exceptional in guiding us to the best in art and culture. Here, she finds her way to insight about why Amazon's The Rings of Power is such a fascinating and frustr
On Books & Writing Two new essays in one week: The Enlightened Replicant and the Liberated Marionette New writing is heating up my laptop these days. I have two new essays — my first ever contribution to my favorite film-essay website, Bright Wall Dark Room, and the second in my new series on faith and fantasy at The Rabbit Room, a reflection on Disney's 1940 feature Pinocchio.
On Movies & Media Twenty years ago this weekend, a fellowship formed in Rivendell... Twenty years ago this weekend, I joined a fellowship at the local cineplex to witness an event that would change the art of movies — for better and for worse — for decades to come.
On Movies & Media If you had to pick five movies that were "formational," what would they be? If you were asked to name five films that have been influential in shaping your faith in some way, what five films would you choose? I found this question extremely challenging. I am thrilled to share this video of my conversation with film scholar Catherine Barsotti, Renovaré president Chris Hall,
Podcast Animator and author Ken Priebe talks about his three fantastic children's books in the latest Looking Closer podcast episode In this "Master Shot" episode of the Looking Closer podcast, Overstreet interviews animator, illustrator, and children's storybook author Ken Priebe about his three wild and whimsical books of wild, wacky, and scary characters.
Podcast The secrets of Cartoon Saloon's success: a talk with Tomm Moore and Nora Twomey In the latest episode of Looking Closer with Jeffrey Overstreet: The Podcast, Dr. Lindsay Marshall and I talk with the world-class animators and storytellers Tomm Moore and Nora Twomey, makers of The Secret of Kells, Song of the Sea, The Breadwinner, and Wolfwalkers. You can listen to it here: This
On Books & Writing Whale Writer: Peter Wayne Moe on his passion for whales, writing, and teaching If you are on the hunt for great books about writing, great books about teaching, great books about faith, or great books about whales — yes, whales — have I got a recommendation for you!
Podcast So Much Love: a conversation with Lowland Hum about their reinvention of a Peter Gabriel album In which I talk with Daniel and Lauren Goans of the band Lowland Hum about how and why they made the most of their pandemic lockdown by re-recording a classic Peter Gabriel album.
Give Me Some Light This Is Chad Hartigan: a conversation with the director of "Little Fish" In this episode of the Looking Closer podcast, filmmaker Chad Hartigan talks about his new sci-fi love story "Little Fish," its focus on the power of memory, and what it was like to make a pandemic-focused movie just in time for a real pandemic.
Journal November 7, 2020: Relief, Elation, and Gratitude I share this as the first in a series of more personal posts, in hopes of expanding the range of subjects I explore at Looking Closer. I hope you enjoy this glimpse of the glory that played out in front of me at the close of this beautiful day.
Journal SPU Voices: Overstreet on meeting movie stars, storytelling, teaching, and faith This week on the Seattle Pacific University podcast Voices, host Amanda Stubbert interviews me about my experiences in film criticism, my encounters with movie stars, my life of storytelling, and my new adventures in teaching. We had a great conversation, and I'm happy that I can now share
Journal New adventures in hi-fi: Check out the new Looking Closer podcast! It seems inevitable: a Looking Closer podcast!
Journal Hard times are good times for Auralia's Colors The people of House Abascar have been betrayed by false promises and robbed of colors, robbed of hope. But there are rumors of a girl in the woods who gathers colors that no one else has ever seen. And now, you can hear those colors. During these stay-at-home days, you're invited to a reading of Aur
Journal In the midst of trouble and grief... a joyous day! Celebrate with people from 40 countries, in 25 language, as we announce the Good News to the world.
Journal My #1 Christmas gift recommendation — and five reasons why I've been asked to recommend five highlights from my many years of reading Image, my favorite literary arts journal. I had difficulty limiting my answer.
On Books & Writing In the Cosmos of the Arts, a Christian Cosmonaut Is Born Again “NASA Twins Study Confirms Astronaut’s DNA Actually Changed in Space.” That’s the headline that makes you choke, then narrow your eyes, and forget what you were searching for.Come on. This isn’t The Twilight Zone. A man left earth and came back as somebody else? If you
On Movies & Media Three professors profess their love for The Secret of Kells Listen as Jeffrey Overstreet welcomes Dr. Christine Chaney and Dr. Brian Bantum from Seattle Pacific University to a conversation about the many wonders of the movie The Secret of Kells.
Journal A tale of two podcasts: my visits to Forma and Libromania In which I find myself as a special guest on two separate podcasts, both of them hosted by David Kern, for conversations about Madeleine L'Engle and the best movies of 2018.
On Movies & Media Dead Poets Society and the Legacy of Dr. Luke Reinsma Four years ago this week, I wrote about how I had changed my mind about "Dead Poets Society." This week, I re-post it as a tribute to my favorite professor.
Journal Three qualities of beauty I think I might just scrap all of my syllabus explanations regarding how I grade essays and short stories in my writing classes. I'll just replace those with this passage from Umberto Eco's The Name of the Rose: For three things concur in creating beauty: first
Interviews The Theology of the Coen Brothers? A Conversation Between Matt Zoller Seitz and Jeffrey Overstreet Originally titled "O Coen Brothers, Where Art God?", this is my conversation with Matt Zoller Seitz about theology, Raising Arizona, morality, Fargo, good and evil, The Big Lebowski, and so much more.
