Note: “The Liturgical Year in Cinema” is an ongoing series, a personal exploration of the thematic connections between the Christian calendar and films. We celebrated Easter Sunday on March 27. This installment explores the connection between our personal Christologies and the … [Read more...] about The Year in Liturgical Cinema: Easter
Essays
Reviewing the Classics: Casablanca
If you asked me about my top 10 favorite films of all-time, Casablanca would be on the list. It’s romantic, witty, adventurous. It is both ahead of its time and incredibly timely. The doomed romance between Rick Blaine (Humphrey Bogart) and Ilsa Lund (Ingrid Bergman) is … [Read more...] about Reviewing the Classics: Casablanca
The Fixer: HAIL, CAESAR! and the Pastoral Vocation
Eddie Mannix is a good man. At least his priest thinks so when Eddie visits him only a day after his previous confession. "You're really not that bad," the priest mutters, a bit exasperated at the film producer's self-deprecation and religious fervor. There are two scenes in this … [Read more...] about The Fixer: HAIL, CAESAR! and the Pastoral Vocation
The Year in Liturgical Cinema: Ash Wednesday and Lent
The second essay in The Year in Liturgical Cinema was posted at Christianity Today. (You can read the first essay on Epiphany here). This is a series exploring the theological themes of the Christian liturgical calendar and finding those themes within films. I explored Ash … [Read more...] about The Year in Liturgical Cinema: Ash Wednesday and Lent
The Mayward Oscars 2016
The 2016 Oscar nominees have been announced, and it's all fairly predictable stuff. The only real surprises might be the snubs--no Best Picture or Best Director for Carol, no Best Screenplay for Aaron Sorkin or Quentin Tarantino, no acting nominations for non-white actors, … [Read more...] about The Mayward Oscars 2016