James Harleman – Founder, Editor-in-Chief
Jim Profit was a fictional character raised in a cardboard box with a hole cut out so he could see the television. He was weened on the boob tube and became an adult with no conscience, and yet an impeccable understanding of human fallibility that he manipulated to his own ends.
I wasn’t raised in a cardboard box, but the first quarter century of my life was marked by an immersion in film and television. I got my sarcasm and skepticism from Han Solo and Indiana Jones; I was taught how to be a man by the great thespians Shatner and Hasselhoff. G.I. Joe taught me the importance of teamwork, Optimus Prime was my surrogate father, a mopey Bill Bixby and a green Lou Ferigno embodied my teen angst, and Peter Venkman epitomized by bemused detachment from reality. Beyond these mediums, Marvel Comics taught me with great power comes great responsibility, while video games seemed to be telling me I could be the protagonist, center and hero of each story.
“Whenever I look back on the best days of my life, I think I saw them all on T.V.”
– Time Won’t Let Me Go, The Bravery
If life had continued without interruption, I would have worshipped at the altar of Tyler Durden and started my own Fight Club. However, a year before Norton was Pitted against his uberman, my reel world met the real world. Gasping like Neo using his lungs for the first time and vomiting embryonic gel, I found myself facing a world quite different from my chosen delusion, or the fabricated meaning and existence that grips so much of my culture and community. By the grace of a compassionate Creator, I got a taste of a much better story that was not only satisfying, but actual.
Over the years, I began to see where my unfiltered passions for story and particular characters reflected much stronger desires. not simply reflections of a true, triumphant protagonist, but also my own rebelliousness, and my desire to reject or replace that hero. It’s my dearest hope to illuminate these deep reflections, to engage film and popular culture with discernment, and to help others see what a good God has enabled me to perceive.
I have a wonderful wife, Kathryn (possibly the only woman I know who will watch sci-fi, horror movies, and even read comic books without cringing) who is my partner in this ministry. We live in North Seattle and are blessed with a great church, family and friends. With a Bachelors in Biblical Studies and continuing education through distance learning, I love studying English, Literature and Theology. I’ve published a book on the subject of film, story and the gospel, and am presently working on a horror fiction novel.
I’ve had the pleasure of writing for film review sites like Hollywood Jesus and interviewing directors including the founder of the Seattle International Film Festival. I’m available for speaking engagements upon request.
To contact me, email james@cinemagogue.com