Wim Wenders - Jeffrey Overstreet

The 25 best films about "waking up"

What do the movies Spirited Away, Joe Versus the Volcano, Arrival, and The Truman Show have in common? They appear on a new list of films that are... specifically about characters who “wake up,” who learn not to be one-sided, who cast aside busy habits of inattention, or who

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First Take: Salt of the Earth, Clouds of Sils Maria, Predestination

I've seen three memorable movies in the last three weeks. Two of them come from world-renowned directors, and one of them is as crazy and strange as time-travel stories get.

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Wings of Desire's Cassiel Takes Flight: Otto Sander Dies at 72

The German actor Otto Sander died today. But he will live on in the movies he made, like the legendary submarine thriller Das Boot, and my all-time favorite film, Wim Wenders' poetic and glorious Wings of Desire.

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Looking Elsewhere: November 21, 2012

Look! These links caught my attention today, for one reason or another. Check back later. I may add more look-worthy links as the day goes on.

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Pina (2011)

My review of Wim Wenders' 3D tribute to Pina Bausch was originally published at Good Letters, the blog belonging to Image. A woman wearing little more than an accordion stands on stage and shouts, “Soon it will be spring again!” What an inspiring announcement. The world’s dark stage

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Criterion's Wings of Desire: My Favorite Movie Gets Its Ideal Treatment

The best way to see Wings of Desire is on a very big screen. But it's also important to see a print that delivers its extravagant imagery without distortion or damage. Thanks to The Criterion Collection, a pristine version is now available on DVD and Blu-ray. My

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Through the Eyes of Angels, Cowboys, and Christians: A tribute to Wim Wenders, and an appreciation of his films.

This interview was originally published at Looking Closer in 2006. An abridged version of this feature and interview was previously published at Christianity Today Movies. - A movie star is sitting on an old couch in the middle of the street in Butte, Montana. His name is Howard Spence, and he’

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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

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Wings of Desire (1987)

When the child was a child, it was the time of these questions. Why am I me, and why not you? Why am I here, and why not there? When did time begin, and where does space end? ... Isn't what I see, hear, and smell just the mirage

Faith

Donata Wenders: How I came to Christ.

I read this today, and it made a good day much, much better. God bless Donata Wenders.

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Wim Wenders' Better Half?

Donata Wenders has a new book. Who? Donata Wenders is the wife of director Wim Wenders (whose work I celebrate in Through a Screen Darkly). And she Wenders has a new book of photography, arriving under the banner of a rave from that great photography critic we all know and

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Death of an Angel

I've just learned that Solveig Dommartin, the otherworldly beauty who brought an angel down to earth, and who found wings of her own, in Wim Wenders' Wings of Desire (my favorite film), died of a heart attack on January 11. She was 45 years old. I will

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My conversation with Wim Wenders about his career, "Don't Come Knocking," "Wings of Desire," and faith.

(This is not an April Fool's joke. It's a greatly expanded version of the article published earlier this week at Christianity Today Movies.) Last week, I had the tremendous privilege of interviewing Wim Wenders, the director of my favorite film: Wings of Desire. We talked about

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"Don't Come Knocking" - full of "Christian content"?

By the way, one of the films I recently really enjoyed -- Don't Come Knocking -- contains the following content, listed for your convenience by the "Christian reviewer" * at Movieguide: Content: * Very strong humanist, anti-biblical worldview with immoral characters who are driven by their broken souls to

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One thing Wim Wenders said...

My interview with Wim Wenders will be up at Christianity Today Movies in a few days, but I will tell you this now: He praises Terrence Malick's The New World as perhaps the most powerful big screen experience he's enjoyed since 2001: A Space Odyssey. What&

Looking Elsewhere

Specials: DaVinci suit. V's prophetic. Wenders tips.

Let me just say that I have never been afraid of clowns. Until the Olympic closing ceremonies. Was that creepy, or what? LAWSUIT GUARANTEES LITTLE DAVINCI FILM WILL GET SOME ATTENTIONIt's not enough that Dan Brown is full of crap. Apparently, he stole that crap!V FOR VENDETTA.

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Writer/Director Scott Derrickson's pick for "Most Disappointing Movie of 2005"

Look who showed up in the comments on the Disappointing Movies thread! Jeffrey, I've been reading your blog pretty regularly -- it's great. Because of you I've been listening to "Ohio" by Over the Rhine for the last six weeks. Wim Wenders stayed

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Wenders on "the loud and the lurid"

Thanks so much to GreenCine Daily for posting this link to Naked Punch: Wim Wenders: Wings of Desire And here's my favorite part... There are films MADE to exist as box office results first, or as reviews first, or as expression of the author first. My films are

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Don’t Come Knockin’: Wenders and Shepard together again.

Wish I was at Cannes. Here’s FilmStew’s J Sperling Reich: Over 20 years after the German filmmaker collaborated with renowned playwright Sam Shepard on Paris, Texas, the two reunite for Don’t Come Knocking. This time, though, Shepard actually stars in the film as well. “To have Sam