In 2022, I wrote that Dune takes the prompt of Luke 4:5-6 where the devil tempts Jesus and imagines a scenario in which a young prince might accept the devil’s temptation rather than reject it. This description is even more true of Dune: Part Two, Denis Villeneuve’s magnificent Read More …
I too am dreaming about the light and shadows on the wall, the ones that dance as the leaves sway in the wind. I am dreaming of them the way this film dreams of them. Not stopping there, I am also dreaming about the God Read More …
Ethan Hawke crafts a meditative look at the drive inside of Flannery O’Connor to spotlight the broken beauty of her Southern culture in all of its glorious hypocrisy. Mystics like O’Connor feel a fever to share their vision with those who come after. Call it Read More …
Serving as a prequel to Mad Max: Fury Road, Furiosa is a sprawling tale of vengeance and hope that brings something both familiar and new to George Miller’s famous post-apocalyptic world. The film frequently serves as a story of pain and suffering, beginning with Furiosa’s kidnapping, and taking Read More …
“What do you think this is? What did you ever think this was gonna be?” Writer and director Jeff Nichols’ film follows the Vandals motorcycle club (based on the real life Outlaws motorcycle club) from their early days in the 1960s through their drastic evolution Read More …
Between the crime and the punishment comes the judgment. In Ancient Egyptian mythology, Anubis weighed the heart of the deceased against a feather. Ancient China maintained an underworld bureaucracy overseen by the Ten Magistrates of Hell. In Christian theology, the quick and the dead assemble Read More …
“I guess they had it coming…”“We all got it coming…” In Christian circles, that exchange probably rivals “make my day” or “do you feel lucky, punk?” as the most iconic piece of Eastwood dialogue. The irony of its status is that the doctrine that it Read More …
The Coen Brothers often gravitate toward stories about folks that are in over theirheads in situations spiraling from one single decision. Actions have consequences, andwhat is intended as merely passive involvement ultimately results in very activeparticipation. In the case of Fargo (1996), Jerry Lundegaard’s (William Read More …
Pride. Greed. Wrath. Lust. Envy. Gluttony. Sloth. The Seven Deadly Sins. It has been almost thirty years since David Fincher’s Se7en was released in movie theatersaround the globe, and yet it is still reigns supreme as one of the greatest serial killer movies of all Read More …
The first thing that strikes you while watching Mass is the setup and location. A church staffmember named Judy arrives at a house of worship and sets right to the task of preparing aroom for a very important meeting. It’s clear she wants everything to Read More …