Every year, the Academy Awards get some things wonderfully right (La La Land! Moonlight!) and some things horribly wrong (La La Land? No, Moonlight!). Though Crash beating Brokeback Mountain in 2006 is often the most cited Worst Best Picture win of recent years, I am still … [Read more...] about The 2018 Cinemayward Oscars
Essays
Writing at Transpositions – Aronofsky’s mother! and Cinematic Parables
I recently wrote a piece for Transpositions on the genre of parable as it relates to Darren Aronofsky's recent horror allegory, mother!, as well as the Dardennes' The Unknown Girl: In film critic circles—particularly film critics of a religious persuasion—the term ‘parable’ … [Read more...] about Writing at Transpositions – Aronofsky’s mother! and Cinematic Parables
Book Review: Movies Are Prayers
Movies Are Prayers: How Films Voice Our Deepest Longings (IVP) achieves something rather remarkable: author Josh Larsen is open and sincere about his Christian faith and examines the films in this volume through an overtly religious lens, yet the book's tone and tenor are … [Read more...] about Book Review: Movies Are Prayers
The Cinemayward Oscars 2017
The Oscar nominees for 2017 were announced this morning, with little surprise (Meryl Streep was nominated again?) and plenty of snubs (sorry Cameraperson, The Fits, Sing Street, Tower, A Monster Calls, The Witch, and Silence). While I've yet to view all the Best Picture nominees … [Read more...] about The Cinemayward Oscars 2017
Reviewing the Classics: Make Way For Tomorrow
When Leo McCarey won an Academy Award for directing The Awful Truth, he began his acceptance speech with the following: “I want to thank the Academy for this wonderful award, but you gave it to me for the wrong picture.” That same year also saw the release of one McCarey’s … [Read more...] about Reviewing the Classics: Make Way For Tomorrow