Opposites attract...or do they? Lillies of the Field is a pretty significant movie. While it was low-budget, it doesn't look it, and it helped its male lead, Sidney Poitier, win a Best Actor Oscar, the first such achievement for a black man. It's also a pretty personal movie for a lot of people. I've grown … Continue reading Schmidt, You Build Us A Shapel
We’re All In This Together
I've heard things about Sunday School Musical, and when I found it on Tubi, curiousity got the better of me, not that there's much to ruin about the movie. Simply put, it is both a nostalgia hit and a train wreck, so averting the eyes is impossible, and anyway, it's an Asylum movie, so we … Continue reading We’re All In This Together
Go West, Young Canadian
Janette Oke is one of the premier contemporary authors of Christian literature, and as her novels are mostly set on the Canadian prairies Laura Ingalls Wilder would be her closest comparison. Oke's eight-book Love Comes Softly series has sold millions of copies and continues to be discovered and re-discovered by enthusiastic readers. Six of the … Continue reading Go West, Young Canadian
Bonjour, Par-ee
I'm doing a standalone book review for once--whaddaya know? I'd like to do more of these, so keep watching this space. Anyway, today's offering is Siri Mitchell's 2005 novel, Kissing Adrien. Go ahead and make Rocky Balboa jokes. You know you want to. Anyway, this Adrien is a guy, and he's been friends with Seattle accountant … Continue reading Bonjour, Par-ee
Reading Rarities: I Take My Religion Seriously
There was way more to Charles M. Schulz than Charlie Brown and Snoopy, and from the mid-1950s until early 1965 Schulz drew monthly or bi-weekly single-panel comics for Youth and Reach Magazines. It's been said that these characters are the Peanuts kids as teenagers, but Schulz tried to keep the two strips as separate as he could. He … Continue reading Reading Rarities: I Take My Religion Seriously
Reading Rarities: 100 Greatest Songs In Christian Music
At one time, contemporary Christian music was the fastest growing subgenre in the industry, and the years between 1969 and the year 2000 seem to be its golden period. Artists covered all genres and appealed to all age groups, making the secular side of the music business sit up and take notice. 2006's 100 Greatest … Continue reading Reading Rarities: 100 Greatest Songs In Christian Music
Page To Screen: The Song of Bernadette
1943's The Song Of Bernadette turned Jennifer Jones into an Oscar winner. She was twenty-five at the time and it was her first starring role. How this film came about is a story in and of itself, of course. A Czech Jew named Franz Werfel, who was fleeing the Nazis, sheltered for a time in … Continue reading Page To Screen: The Song of Bernadette
The Great Shakeup
2020 is one of those years when the entire world said, "What the heck?" We masked up, locked down, and tried to make sense of the craziness getting thrown at us week by week. It's been ugly. It's been enlightening. It's been scary. It's also been ludicrously comical. I don't know about anyone else, but … Continue reading The Great Shakeup
We Gather Together
What are you thankful for? OK, you all know one of my all-time favorite shows is Christy (read my earlier thoughts here). The show had a short life, but they did manage to make one feature-length holiday special, "The Sweetest Gift," which originally aired on November 24, 1994. As it leads up to Thanksgiving and … Continue reading We Gather Together
Into the Habit
One thing that's not often talked about when it comes to Audrey Hepburn's career is how varied her filmography really wasn't--she mostly played romantic leads or maybe women who were unconventional. There's nothing wrong with that, but as they say, variety is the spice of life, and like many actors, Hepburn enjoyed playing against type … Continue reading Into the Habit
Dude, Where’s My Ark?
The 1929 version of Noah's Ark is rather infamous. Directed by cinematic chameleon Michael Curtiz, its flood sequences are legendary, and there's a longstanding rumor that three extras drowned during shooting. I've been wanting to see this film for years, and when I finally got to take it in it was everything and nothing I was … Continue reading Dude, Where’s My Ark?
Taking Off the Mask
Time to rock out, all... It's always interesting when Christian artists (or any musicians) dabble in moviemaking, and 2008's The Imposter sports not one artist, but three: dc Talk alum Kevin Max, Kerry Livgren of Kansas, and Jeff Deyo, formerly of Sonicflood. Not to be confused with the Gary Sinise film, The Imposter follows Johnny … Continue reading Taking Off the Mask
Out of the Vault (At Last)
You guys. I'm going to see TobyMac tomorrow. My brother, sister-in-law, my nieces, my son, and my dad are going to be there too, because though a funny "Gift of the Magi"-ish coincidence, we all bought tickets. Oh. My. Word. Can we say, "LIT," or is that too last-decade? I've been a fan of TobyMac's … Continue reading Out of the Vault (At Last)
Entertaining Angels
When it comes to remakes, my longtime readers know I'm pretty ambivalent with a variable degree of distaste. Every once in a while, though, a remake will nail it, or turn out even better than the original. One of the good ones is The Preacher's Wife, the 1997 remake of The Bishop's Wife. Directed by Penny Marshall, … Continue reading Entertaining Angels
Fatima In Hollywood
Bom dia... The fifties are somewhere we've all been to in terms of Hollywood movies, and we know it was an interesting time in the film industry. Big bad television and blacklisting made the studios rather nervous, and subjects that were once avoided now seemed safe. Religion was one of those, and Christian-centered films of … Continue reading Fatima In Hollywood
Be God’s
On September 20, 1997, I was at home reading my e-mail and saw Danl Blackwood's name pop up. My mouse cursor jumped to open it. I was on Danl's Rich Mullins mailing list, where he kept fans up to date on Rich news, interviews, concert schedules, and so on. Danl always had something fun for … Continue reading Be God’s
Page To Screen: Christy
One of my favorite books in high school (and today) is Christy by Catherine Marshall, and when the series with Kellie Martin came on TV, I watched every episode. Who else can relate? For those who aren't familiar with the story, it takes place in 1912. The titular character is Christy Huddleston, a nineteen-year old woman from … Continue reading Page To Screen: Christy
Taking Up Room 