Through a Screen Darkly

A collection of 117 posts

Through a Screen Darkly

Through a Screen Darkly - Bonus Chapter - The Whole Wide World

[A consideration of Crash, Gosford Park, and Yi-Yi] - Eight-year-old Yang-Yang, in the film Yi Yi (A One and a Two) - U2, "When I Look at the World" A Crash-Course in Cultural Prejudice When writer-director Paul Haggis's film Crash won Best Picture at the 75th

Reader Mail

Reader mailstrom, 10/16: Through a Screen Darkly; Prince Caspian; Lakeview Terrace; Vicky Cristina Barcelona

Welcome to Reader Mailstrom, a chronicle of stand-outs from the daily maelstrom of Looking Closer email. * DARKLY PLEASED From Chris: The part where you talked about being on a date and tearing up at the film you were seeing rang close to home. That happened to me at Atonement last

Reader Mail

Reader Mail: Ballast! Ghost Town! Ted Baehr!

BEHOLD... BALLAST!Ballast is an excellent film, and I want to thank you for putting it onto my radar.By the way, I've started reading Auralia's Colors and I'm really enjoying it so far. I'm trying to get caught up quickly to

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!

Christianity Today

Looking Closer Breaks New Ground in September

In September, I'm rearranging my weekly schedule to find a better balance. Friends have begun to point out that I'm wearing myself out. If I keep up this pace of office work, review writing, and book writing, I'm headed for serious trouble with my

On Movies & Media

WALL•E: Talking with Andrew Stanton, and the Film Forum Reviews

As I sat braced for my ten-minute conversation with Andrew Stanton, the writer and director of my favorite Pixar movie, Finding Nemo, I tried to imagine how I might make something useful out of such a short span of time. I was a bit anxious about meeting one of my

Reader Mail

Reader Mailstrom, 6/18: "Your reviews are no longer of value to the Christian community."

I'm starting a new column, chronicling stand-outs from the daily maelstrom of Looking Closer email. Most of these letters are real. Some of them are amalgalms of a variety of messages. Some of them are what I read between the lines of the things readers really wrote. Each

Overstreet's Books

Back Through a Screen Darkly...

As recent posts have raised some of the same questions that prompted me to write Through a Screen Darkly, I think I'll provide links to... The Introduction Chapter One: How a Camel Made a Grown Man Cry (PDF) Chapter Two: Viewer Discretion Advised I wrote this in order

On Movies & Media

"You reviewed WHAT??"

Mark Moring responds to a chorus of angry readers regarding why Christianity Today Movies bothered to post a review of Sex and the City. Mark's response is calm and thoughtful, which is the best way to respond to hysteria and outrage. (And this isn't the first

Looking Elsewhere

Looking Elsewhere: May 27, 2008

Remembering Sydney Pollack GreenCine Daily compiles the tributes. What's your favorite Pollack film? * Over-praising Coldplay What appears to be the first review of Coldplay's Viva la Vida has appeared in The Sun. It's a review by Gordon Smart. Now, I'm somewhat curious

Overstreet's Books

Steve Brown: A Wild and Crazy Guy

"Steve Brown Etc." is not your typical Christian radio program. And Steve Brown is not your typical host. (In fact, because I appeared on his program on my day off, he granted me "three free sins." Bonus!) I recently spoke with Steve about this little film

On Movies & Media

"... like tears in rain ..."

In today's mail, I received a note from a reader named Trace: ... I am reading Through a Screen Darkly and thought I'd share a short story with you. When I was about 20 years old I was watching the movie Blade Runner. Near the end of

On Movies & Media

Podcast: Sheridan Voysey talks with me about great movies that can change lives.

You can now download the podcast of Sheridan Voysey's radio program where I discussed the power of movies with him a couple of weeks ago. (I mentioned this broadcast a few days back.) Of the many on-air conversations about movies I've enjoyed, this was one of

Overstreet's Books

The Nick and Josh Show

Lo and behold, my conversation with Nick (of the Nick and Josh Show) is now available for download. We talked about movies, Through a Screen Darkly, and then he asked me to share my impressions of a movie that clearly impressed him: Darren Aronofsky's The Fountain. I really

On Movies & Media

Thanks to "God and Culture" Show Host Paul Edwards

Many, many thanks to Paul Edwards for being a gracious host, generous with his time, and thoughtful with his questions on the God and Culture radio program in Detroit. You can listen in on our conversations... * here, on Tuesday's show, where I come on around the 1-hour 45-minute

Overstreet's Books

"Through a Screen Darkly" hits Australia

When I was a kid, I always liked the story about The Little Engine that Could. I'm reminded of that as I occasionally find mentions of Through a Screen Darkly on blogs. It just keeps chugging along, finding new readers everywhere. It's nice to see folks

Overstreet's Books

Next Sunday: Australia's having an Open House!

  I recently overheard someone referring to my new book as "Australia's Colors." Now, please... let me set this straight once and for all: Auralia's Colors has absolutely nothing to do with Australia. And speaking of Australia... I was welcomed to a radio program based

Overstreet's Books

Looking Closer in the Foursquare Church

Notes on Through a Screen Darkly in a Foursquare Church publication: Overstreet must go far beyond the obvious and the traditional to show how spiritual issues are raised or that God can be seen in some of Hollywood's most unlikely films. And he contends that we can learn

Overstreet's Books

Gosh Golly... a Facebook Group!

A fine fellow named Karl Weston Magnuson has gone and started a Through a Screen Darkly Facebook group! Thanks, Karl! Good to meet you!

Speaking engagements

At the NWCSI-CTABC Convention

Today, I tried to sum up some of the ideas in Through a Screen Darkly to an overcrowded - and quickly overheated - room full of high school teachers at the NWCSI-CTABC convention in Lynden, Washington. The notes I'd prepared... well, I thought that they just might be

Reader Mail

Reading Letters and Blogs "Darkly"

Letters like this make my day. I hoped that the book would inspire people to meet together, watch great films, and discuss them. And it's happening. I continue to hear from people who are discovering the book and starting their own discussion groups. Here's one that

Overstreet's Books

"Through a Screen Darkly" at Fuller Theological Seminary

This just in: Through a Screen Darkly * Steve Rabey Adjunct faculty, Fuller Theological Seminary Editor, YouthWorker Journal

Overstreet's Books

Part 1 of a New Interview... at Culture.ish.

Jason Panella interviewed me for a website called culture.ish. Part One of our conversation was posted this week. Bookmark it so you can go back later, for Part Two. Here are Panella's questions: * When did you first realize the importance of taking a critical/thoughtful approach to

Overstreet's Books

Today at Noon at Seattle Pacific University...

Today at Noon at Seattle Pacific University, I'll be reading from Through a Screen Darkly, answering questions, and prodding people to share a movie or two that has been personally meaningful for them. It's free. You're welcome to join us on the second floor

Overstreet's Books

Steven D. Greydanus at Decent Films Notes "Through a Screen Darkly"

A big "Thank you!" to Steven Greydanus, one of my favorite film critics, for being so kind as to highlight Through a Screen Darkly in his latest batch of answers to inquiries at his Decent Films website. When someone asked for a recommendation of a book about Christian