For Bright Wall / Dark Room's Issue 70, "Going Long," I wrote about Martin Scorsese's 2016 masterpiece of religious cinema, Silence. The long-form essay was also chosen to be published at RogerEbert.com. Here's an excerpt: In the beginning, there is only darkness. Crickets … [Read more...] about Bright Wall / Dark Room – Religious Cinema for Non-Believers: Martin Scorsese’s ‘Silence’
A Film Critic Pastor-Theologian On The 2019 Oscars
I wrote a blog post for Portland Seminary (I'm an alumnus, 2017 MATS grad) on being both a film critic and a pastor-theologian, as well as my predictions and recommendations for the 2019 Oscars. People often ask me if being a film critic doing a PhD on cinema and theology … [Read more...] about A Film Critic Pastor-Theologian On The 2019 Oscars
The 2019 Cinemayward Oscars
The Oscar nominees for 2019 will be announced today, which prompts this confession: I have a love/hate relationship with film awards. On the one hand, art shouldn't be a popularity contest or a game to win; on the other hand, I *love* cinema, so anything highlighting film … [Read more...] about The 2019 Cinemayward Oscars
Top 25 Films of 2018
I confess, I love end-of-year movie lists. It's an opportunity to see others' tastes, personalities, and experiences in a succinct form, as well as an opportunity for me to highlight the true, the good, and the beautiful I've found in cinema from the previous 365 days. I'm not a … [Read more...] about Top 25 Films of 2018
Top 18 Movie Scenes of 2018
While I will post my top films of 2018 on the last day of the year, here are 18 of my favorite scenes from cinema in 2018, listed in alphabetical order by title. I've included film clips when available, so there may be spoilers: A Star Is Born - Ally's first moment on stage … [Read more...] about Top 18 Movie Scenes of 2018