audio reviews

Going UP?

April 26th, 2010

In Pixar’s UP, an undeniably delicious treat for the senses, Carl Frederickson is chafing against the age-old aging process lamented in Ecclesiastes 12, and sets out to recapture the “spirit of adventure” and honor his late wife Ellie. We find, however, that his motives are mixed, and his mission is missing the mark. This literally [...]

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DISTRICT 9 showcases (un?)likely hero

April 5th, 2010

As mentioned in my commentary on the Oscars and Cinemagogue’s Top 10 for 2010, the surprising gem District 9 ranked high on the list; although it didn’t make number 1, it DID boast the most unexpected story with the most intriguing character development I’ve seen in film for quite some time. The transformation of Wikus van [...]

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STAR TREK (part 2) BOLDLY goes back

January 26th, 2010

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has changed the Best Picture nomination section to include TEN nominees this year… but somehow I doubt my favorite film of 2009 will make the list… AGAIN (I still don’t forgive them for snubbing The Dark Knight, and neither should you). Get your geek on with me [...]

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Wall-E SPEAKS! Or at least WE do.

April 18th, 2009

Andrew Stanton wrote and directed the film WALL-E for Pixar and is a professing Christian. I found his quotes regarding the film and its symbolism intriguing and they featured largely in a recent Film and Theology event discussion with our friends at Mars Hill, now available for a listen. Some thought this movie had an [...]

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Religulous gets Expelled?

March 29th, 2009

God. War. Religion. Intelligent Design. Evolution. Just a few issues that everyone agrees on. Riiiiight… Two documentaries came out in 2008 grappling with these from differing perspectives on religion, evolution, atheism, and the source of human conflict. Comedian Bill Maher is so adamant about the views in his film Religulous that he had to continue [...]

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On this Dark Knight, the Jokes on Harvey Dent…

February 6th, 2009

There are many reasons why The Dark Knight was the best 2008 had to offer… and why I’m boycotting the Oscars for snubbing it save for a nod to Heath Ledger. There at so many things we could look at in this film, which is probably why it spawned written reviews and now this audio [...]

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The Fall in Winter

January 15th, 2009

On a snowy Seattle night in late December, “Pushing Daisies” fans braved the icy road warnings and packed into Mars Hill | Lake City to see actor Lee Pace in a film and theology event hosted by James Harleman. The audio examination of the film, which followed a viewing of the movie, has been captured [...]

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Iron Clad, Full-bodied Review…

January 7th, 2009

Comic fans are debating which film was the best of 2008… the wonderful whimsy of the invincible Iron Man, or the deep delving into human nature that was definitely The Dark Knight? Relax, comic book guy, they can both happily fall in the Top 10 films of the year at different ends of the entertainment spectrum. [...]

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Meat Pies and Mean Guys

November 7th, 2008

  Sweeney Todd was a fictional character first appearing in penny dreadfuls in 1846. The “Demon Barber of Fleet Street” has seen several incarnations since then, from Stephen Sondheim to most recently Tim Burton’s film adaptation of the musical. The character even transcended fiction and is now an urban legend; while there is no historical [...]

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Cooking up Hope with Chef Ratatouille

September 26th, 2008

A rat named Remy dreams of becoming a great French chef despite his family’s wishes and the obvious problem of being a rat in a decidedly rodent-phobic profession. When fate places Remy in the sewers of Paris, he finds himself ideally situated beneath a restaurant made famous by his culinary hero, Auguste Gusteau. As Remy enters, [...]

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