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## Posts

- [Disclosure Day = Disappointment Day](https://cinemagogue.com/2026/06/24/disclosure-day-disappointment-day/) - Full Disclosure? Some of us think this film should be renamed “Disappointment Day”, while others are more charitable. “Listen” to what we loved, hated or had mixed feelings about as James and Miles are joined by VERY special guest Dr. Paul Marchbanks, professor of literature and film at California Polytechnic State University. Check out his
- [SHREK @ 25](https://cinemagogue.com/2026/06/16/shrek-25/) - Have you seen Shrek’s face? Are you a believer? Shrek turned 25 this year and yet the humor – and deeper narrative threads – feel like they haven’t aged a day. James looks into this swamped franchise and sees the ugly truth of fairy tales and friendship, why we should probably listen when an ass
- [SPIDER-NOIR: Is Doing Right Black and White?](https://cinemagogue.com/2026/06/09/spider-noir-amazing-or-not/) - Listen up, youse mugs! James, Miles and Eric give the spiritual shakedown to this hard-boiled new Sony picture featurin’ one Cagey fella. Hear us patter about dames that’ll break your heart, mobsters with tommy guns, and one burned-out ex-superhero tryin’ to stay outta the spotlight. If youse a fan of capes, confessions, or a black
- [Close Your Eyes and Prey](https://cinemagogue.com/2002/07/28/close-your-eyes-and-prey/) - A review of "Hannibal" review by James Harleman Hannibal Lecter Anthony Hopkins Clarice Starling Julianne Moore Mason Verger Gary Oldman Paul Krendler Ray Liotta Giancarlo Giannini Rinaldo Pazzi Directed by Ridley Scott Based on the novel by Thomas Harris "You can look at my face. yet you shied away when I said the name of
- [Fight Makes Right...](https://cinemagogue.com/1999/12/18/talkin-bout-a-revolution/) - A review of "FIGHT CLUB" by James Harleman Starring Brad Pitt Edward Norton Helena Bonham Carter Directed by David Fincher Based on the book by Chuck Palahniuk 139 minutes, Rated R Tyler Durden is right... For those who've already seen "Fight Club", (the latest cinematic offering from the man who brought us the horrific mystery "Seven" and
- [Empty Welles](https://cinemagogue.com/2001/07/28/empty-welles/) - A review of "Citizen Kane" by James Harleman Starring Orson Welles, Directed by Orson Welles 2 hrs. 23 min. The film begins at the end. then proceeds to explore the life of a man in a series of vignettes, through the eyes of those who knew him. while this may not sound like a groundbreaking
- [25 years of CINEMAGOGUE...](https://cinemagogue.com/2026/05/28/25-years-of-cinemagogue/) - 25 years of Cinemagogue: it began the summer of '01 with a simple assignment: my church paid me to go to SIFF - Seattle International film festival and review a few indie film selections through a spiritual lens. In a few months I would start the “Film and Theology” Ministry that would eventually become known
- [“BEWARE K-Pop Demon Hunters” – DEBUNKED!](https://cinemagogue.com/2025/11/19/beware-k-pop-demon-hunters-debunked/) - Is Netflix’s K-Pop Demon Hunters EVIL? Does it teach kids to love DEMONS? Reviewers like Vlad Savchuk and others have frightened Christian parents with scathing reviews reminiscent of the 80s “satanic panic”. The Cinemaguy debunks these claims for Popcorn Theology and reminds us of the tools and mission God has given us to receive, reject,
- [A Review for SINNERS...](https://cinemagogue.com/2025/11/28/a-review-for-sinners/) - James and Eric explore Ryan Coogler’s “Sinners,” a Southern Gothic horror set in 1932 Mississippi. They delve into themes of faith, redemption, and the power of music, while discussing the film’s cultural and spiritual dynamics. Join them for a thought-provoking conversation on morality and community. Chapters:0:54 – Welcome & Summary3:00 – Popcorn Ratings5:50 – Theology
- [Daredevil: Born Again or DOA?](https://cinemagogue.com/2026/05/12/daredevil-born-again-or-doa/) - The Revolution will be televised! Season One was called “Born Again” but definitely had labor pains; join us as we take the pulse of Season Two and discuss the highs and lows of Season Two, where it recaptures the magic of the original series and where it blindly stumbles. Mercy and Grace are prominent themes,
- [The DEVIL's in the 1990's Details...](https://cinemagogue.com/2026/05/05/the-devils-in-the-1990s-details/) - Behold! We send James and Eric out as mindful sheep among mindless wolves. You’ve been summoned to consider the case of what many consider a film and theology classic – The Devil's Advocate! Is it the best depiction of the Devil ever put to film? Are the temptations in this cautionary tale worth the spot-on
- [Popcorn Theology MILESTONE!](https://cinemagogue.com/2026/04/07/popcorn-theology-milestone/) - Thank you for helping us hit 1,000 subscribers on our Popcorn Theology YouTube Channel!!! In this special episode we dive into the current state of film culture, discussing how overhyped franchises and unnecessary sequels are impacting the industry. We discuss the biggest disappointments of last year, like Gladiator 2 and Daredevil: Born Again, while highlighting
- [Seventh Scream's a Charm...](https://cinemagogue.com/2026/03/01/seventh-screams-a-charm/) - Do you like Scary Movies? Kat and James take a “Stab” at the box office busting seventh entry in this slashing series and its surprisingly refreshing themes to explore from parenting to marriage and the REAL horror in the franchise: sexual immorality? Join us as we unmask the wholesome side of the story behind the
- [Project Hail Mary, Full of Grace...](https://cinemagogue.com/2026/03/10/project-hail-mary-full-of-grace/) - Project Hail Mary is having a great run at the box office and for good reason. Both Miles and James really enjoyed it as they explored some of its spiritual themes and jumping off points. What begins as a story about scientific problem solving, will grip you with a message of connection, bravery, determination, and
- [Wake Up, Dead Man](https://cinemagogue.com/2026/01/28/wake-up-dead-man/) - Wake Up Dead Man is the type of movie that all but cries out to be discussed on Popcorn Theology. Its writing, directing, and even lighting all have much to reveal about faith, ministry, and the power of storytelling. On this episode Miles and James take on some of its big themes including a fascinating
- [A Few Good Movies](https://cinemagogue.com/2026/01/20/a-few-good-movies/) - You Can’t Handle the Truth of This Episode! Eric and James dive into the A Few Good Men, exploring its themes of truth, justice, and military honor. Discover how this iconic film challenges viewers to think critically about authority and morality. “You want us on this podcast. You need us on this Podcast!” Chapters:0:00 – Intro0:24 – Welcome &
- [Stranger Things have Ended...](https://cinemagogue.com/2026/01/07/stranger-things-have-ended/) - Did the last season of Stranger Things land right side up, or upside down? James comes out (wait, what?) to tackle the good, the bad, and the Demogorgon of the epic finale and controversial themes of division, acceptance, human nature and belief. Don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE and click the notification bell.Follow & connect: https://linktr.ee/popcorntheologySupport: https://www.patreon.com/popcorntheology Chapters:0:00 –
- [More AVATAR? You bet your (Fire and) ASH...](https://cinemagogue.com/2025/12/31/more-avatar-you-bet-your-ash/) - In our third visit to Pandora hosts James and Miles explore Avatar: Fire and Ash. This time the Sully family wrestles with the loss of their oldest son while running from the reincarnate Colonel Quaritch who has teamed up with a rival Navi clan known as the fire people. It’s refreshing to see a blockbuster
- [Zootopia 2](https://cinemagogue.com/2025/12/28/zootopia-2/) - Detectives Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde are back in this sequel to the modern day fable Zootopia. This time they’ll have to go outside the law in order to uncover a crime that reaches down to the foundations of Zootopia itself. On this podcast James and Miles unpack how Zootopia reminds us of the Cristian
- [A Frank(enstein) Discussion](https://cinemagogue.com/2025/11/30/a-frankenstein-discussion/) - Is Guillermo Del Toro’s new version of Shelley’s classic novel a wondrous creation, or a patchwork monster? It’s a monster-sized fight as James and Joe Thorn fight over this film’s merits like the titular Doctor and his angry creation. Join us for some cinematic and spiritual debate over whether this adaptation indeed has a soul.
- [Cutting to the Core: Finding the Meta-narrative](https://cinemagogue.com/2014/06/11/finding-the-meta-narrative/) - In 2008 I was asked to write an article for Collide Magazine. In a lot of ways this treatise on story served as a primer for what would eventually become my book (published in 2012), and after six years of hosting the article on the EchoHub website they're closing up shop… so I thought it would
- [Guardians of the Galaxy Review: Part 1](https://cinemagogue.com/2015/02/06/guardians-of-the-galaxy-review-part-1/) - It's rare that we have a guest reviewer for Cinemagogue, let alone one as insightful and discerning as this fella. He also has a unique insider's view on The Guardians of the Galaxy, and it's obvious he's well rooted in philosophy and meta-narrative. I'd say more, but I think this one speaks for itself. For the CinemaGuy's
- [Here's the Gospel, for PEANUTS](https://cinemagogue.com/2016/05/01/heres-the-gospel-for-peanuts/) - Good Grief! I was SO impressed with the Peanuts movie that came out last year, despite inital skepticism that it would stray from Charles Schultz's heart and vision. Thankfully I was worried for nothing, and even had the opportunity to address an audience after a showing of the film and map out the narrative parallels. Enjoy
- [AGE OF ULTRON: 2 Avengers 2 Reviews](https://cinemagogue.com/2016/04/28/age-of-ultron-2-avengers-2-reviews/) - With the Avengers about to fall into a CIVIL WAR, it felt timely to post some reviews of their last gathering, with reflections on the Marvel Cinematic Universe as a whole. I was blessed to hold a showing of the film and do a post-movie parallel exploration with a room full of "assembled" fans. If
- [Miss me? A review of THE CONJURING](https://cinemagogue.com/2013/08/14/miss-me-a-review-of-the-conjuring/) - They had me at the doll. The opening vignette about Annabelle plays like a campfire tale - and could be a scary short film in its own right - as we're ushered into the allegedly real-life world of Ed and Lorraine Warren. (Sorry Chucky, but this is the scariest doll since Talking Tina from the
- [CINEMAGOGUE: DIRECTOR'S CUT](https://cinemagogue.com/2023/10/24/cinemagogue-directors-cut/) - It's HERE! The Big Announcement we've been teasing over the last month... check out the Cinemaguy's short video announcement about the definitive edition of the Cinemagogue Book with 40 pages of additional content: updated quotes, references, new reviews and recommendations, new illustrations and a brand new cover! This labor of love means it's now available
- [The SUPER sequel to CINEMAGOGUE is here!](https://cinemagogue.com/2025/02/17/the-super-sequel-to-cinemagogue-is-here/) - After the success of the FIRST Cinemagogue Book, the Cinemaguy has delivered a timely, super-powered sequel! Love superheroes and cinema? This book is for you. Ever wondered WHY they're so beloved? Even better. “You’ve changed things!” In 2008’s The Dark Knight, the Joker confronts Batman with this fact,but he should have credited Iron Man as well, as both films
- [Sneak Peak at CINEMAGOGUE: Director's Cut](https://cinemagogue.com/2023/08/14/sneak-peak-at-cinemagogue-directors-cut/) - Read the first few (ALL-NEW!) pages of James' updated/expended edition of the book that started it all! Available in paperback, hardcover and Kindle 11-23-23! prologue: a director’s cut? really? or “isn’t this just a cash grab?” “Well, THAT’s just lazy writing.”– Wade Wilson, Deadpool 2 Go on, ask the question: wouldn’t it have been better
- [ENDGAME of an era: AVENGERS](https://cinemagogue.com/2024/11/05/endgame-of-an-era-avengers/) - Join us for this special, super-sized episode of Popcorn Theology! You really couldn’t expect us to cover a movie that is three hours long and caps off 22 films over more than a decade without running a little long, right? We had to take some time to discuss the entire MCU to this point, where it is
- [THE THING of it is...](https://cinemagogue.com/2024/08/05/the-thing-of-it-is/) - James and David… if they really ARE who they say they are… examine the John Carpenter classic THE THING in our continuing month of Monster MAYhem! Fear, paranoia and mistrust emerge as key themes, as well as the loss of our own identity. They are joined this week by Kathryn Harleman as Richard has inexplicably
- [A TIMELY Endorsement](https://cinemagogue.com/2023/11/22/a-timely-endorsement/) - Fresh from the hit Disney+ show LOKI, the mysterious Miss Minutes gives the new Cinemagogue Book a ringing endorsement in this parody put together by some friends (and family?) Check out the video below... then be sure to buy the book so you have a copy "for all time. ALWAYS!" Actually, anyone who's REALLY paying
- [Sound of Freedom](https://cinemagogue.com/2023/09/26/sound-of-freedom/) - Stop, children. What’s that sound? That’s the sound of James, Maddy and Kat weighing in on the little independent film that has rocked the Hollywood boat this year. Join us as we cut through some of the unnecessary controversy surrounding this film and look instead at its important themes, from God’s heart for children, slavery,
- [Cocaine Bear. Seriously.](https://cinemagogue.com/2023/11/08/cocaine-bear-seriously/) - As a challenge, the Popcorn Theology hosts sunk their teeth into Cocaine Bear – an outlandish story about an enormous bear that goes on a killing spree after consuming pounds of cocaine. On this episode, hosts David, Eric, and Miles get their paws around the narrative and demonstrate that a mindful approach to movies can
- [CHARADE](https://cinemagogue.com/2023/09/26/charade/) - Is this REALLY the movie we’re reviewing? Can you trust the episode title or description? What if it’s something else entirely? Join James with guest hosts Eric and Maddy (if that IS their real names) as they look at the twists and turns of this Grant/Hepburn classic with themes of lies, deception, and an unusual
- [A Haunting in Venice](https://cinemagogue.com/2023/09/26/a-haunting-in-venice/) - Navigate the creepy canals, dreary domiciles and superstitious scenarios of this latest Hercule Poirot film that moves from mystery to ponder the paranormal! Cinemaguy and guest host Rory look at the film’s themes of doubt, loss of faith, and the desire to debunk mysticism while hoping for transcendence. Click the logo below to LISTEN ON
- [In the Dark w/Spencer Keller](https://cinemagogue.com/2023/10/03/in-the-dark-w-spencer-keller/) - Do you like scary movies? Spencer Keller not only likes them, he MAKES them, and we get a chance to talk with this up-and-coming writer, cinematographer and director about his short film “In the Dark”, its thematic elements as well as what it’s like to craft a film: writing, casting, location shoots and more. We
- [KONG: SKULL ISLAND is King](https://cinemagogue.com/2019/08/05/kong-skull-island-is-king/) - Come along with us this month of May, or as we have dubbed it May-hem. We’re going to be covering several monster movies, including one chosen by our Patreon supporters, and then capping it off with the newest Godzilla film. This week, we kicked all this off by talking about Kong: Skull Island! CLICK THE
- [THE FLY in the ointment...](https://cinemagogue.com/2019/08/05/the-fly-in-the-ointment/) - Monster MAY-hem continues this week as we dive into The Fly (1986) – you know, the one starring Jeff Goldblum! How does such an older movie hold up today? Was this the role that sort of propelled Goldblum to stardom? The movie does provide us some ideas to kick around as well! What sets mankind apart
- [Now with 50% more Slusho: CLOVERFIELD](https://cinemagogue.com/2019/08/05/now-with-50-more-slusho-cloverfield/) - We recently discovered this recording of David and James talking about Cloverfield, the penultimate film of Monster MAY-hem. We aren’t sure what happened to them after discussing this 2008 found footage film picked by our Patreon supporters, but perhaps some clues exist within this audio file. You decide. CLICK THE POPCORN THEOLOGY BUTTON BELOW TO
- [GODZILLA: KING OF THE MONSTERS indeed](https://cinemagogue.com/2019/08/05/godzilla-king-of-the-monsters-indeed/) - It’s a monster mash of biblical proportions! Join James and Kathryn (and a couple crazy kaiju who crash the party) as they examine surprisingly deep ideas that hatch from Godzilla’s latest epic. From coping mechanisms in the wake of loss, to what the world looks like when we abandon faith and God, this movie’s themes
- [GOOD OMENS... or Bad Portentions?](https://cinemagogue.com/2019/08/05/good-omens-or-bad-ones/) - Richard and James are joined once again by Kat this week to discuss the new Amazon miniseries Good Omens! A theme of this discussion seems to be, ‘Insight mixed with nonsense’ as the show seamlessly continues to jump from insightful line or concept to outright nonsense or blasphemy.. So please, don’t be a mindless consumer
- [The BLACK MIRROR, Cracked](https://cinemagogue.com/2019/08/05/the-black-mirror-cracked/) - Richard and James explore the themes of all three episodes from the latest season of Netflix Exclusive Black Mirror. The show is known for showing us the dangers in technology.. so where does this season take us? CLICK THE POPCORN THEOLOGY BUTTON BELOW TO ACCESS THE SITE AND LISTEN ONLINE… …or RIGHT CLICK AND DOWNLOAD IT HERE. If
- [Something Wicked This Way Comes?](https://cinemagogue.com/2023/09/05/something-wicked-this-way-comes/) - No, this isn't a review of the Ray Bradbury story-turned-film... though we really SHOULD get to that some day. Great book, wonderfully fun movie... although we'd also be game for a new version. Are you listening Hollywood? Actually, some mysterious artwork has appeared on Cinemagogue's social media, although the "Cinemaguy" James Harleman has been collaborating
- [CINEMAGOGUE: Reclaiming Entertainment and Navigating Narrative for the Myths and Mirrors they were Meant to be](https://cinemagogue.com/2012/12/12/cinemagogue-the-book/) - Do you like movies? Are you a cinephile? Do your friends consult YOU instead of IMDB? Were you raised on television? Spend hours talking cinema? This book is DEFINITELY for you. OR... if you're a casual consumer who thinks Hollywood exists simply for diversion, this book may change your life. BUY THE LATEST EDITION NOW
- [3 Deep cuts & 3 fun slices of ELI](https://cinemagogue.com/2010/03/22/3-deep-cuts-3-fun-slices-of-eli/) - In our opening post on The Book of Eli (click here), I promised to carve out 3 points the film makes about man, religious power, and God, so let's continue: 1. The heat of life brings people's true nature to the surface... "When the chips are down, these 'civilized' people will eat each other. You'll
- [Faith & Sight in The BOOK OF ELI](https://cinemagogue.com/2010/03/30/faith-sight-in-the-book-of-eli/) - As we finish our 3-shot review on The Book of Eli (click here for part 1) this last part includes SPOILERS. Curiously enough, I'd read the screenplay prior to seeing the film, knew the twist ending, and still loved it. The "reveal", though intriguing, didn't make the movie for me. My final spoiler-laden thoughts are
- [Seen the movie? Now read the BOOK (of Eli)](https://cinemagogue.com/2010/03/15/seen-the-movie-now-read-the-book/) - "Dear Lord... Thank you for guiding me straight and true through the many obstacles in my path..." The Book of Eli was my favorite film in January 2010, though considering this is usually the month where movies go to die (save for the occasional horror film, so if a film is "undead" it's okay) Eli didn't
- [The holy, hellish, hodgepodge history of Halloween](https://cinemagogue.com/2012/10/31/the-holy-hellish-hodgepodge-history-of-halloween/) - It’s the time of year when leaves die and trees turn to skeletons. The garden stops providing. An evening stroll changes from bright sun and chirping birds to dark night and the howling wind. As Halloween approaches, the fact that we begin to consider death and ghost stories is not inherently pagan, it’s human. It’s
- [AVATAR Attacks!](https://cinemagogue.com/2010/02/12/avatar-attacks/) - A little film came out in 1977 called Star Wars and raised quite a controversy amongst Christian fundamentalists. I remember a couple kids I carpooled to Christian school with informed me that they were forbidden to watch Star Wars movies because “Yoda was a demon” (for the record, so was E.T. the Exorcist Terrestrial). Many
- [Brokenness & Sin in AVATAR](https://cinemagogue.com/2010/02/16/brokenness-sin-in-avatar/) - In James-Cameron’s groundbreaking, record-shattering, world-building film Avatar (see Cinemagogue’s introduction) we begin the fantastical journey en route to planet Pandora. Except for Jake Sully’s hyper-sleep flashbacks we never see the planet Earth, and even these are tight camera shots focused on his twin brother’s death and cremation. We know little about the state our world
- [Bourne Free](https://cinemagogue.com/2012/08/01/bourne-free/) - "There was never just one..." (Apparently these guys are like Pringles.) This Friday we have a Bourne movie without Jason Bourne. This is CRAZY, right? We couldn't possibly have a story where the central heroic character is not in plain view, but simply heard about. Isn't that bad storytelling? Instead, the titular protagonist seems to
- [On the 3rd Day of (The Nightmare Before) Christmas...](https://cinemagogue.com/2011/12/25/on-the-3rd-day-of-the-nightmare-before-christmas/) - ...my true love gave to me: EVANGELISM! "But you must believe when I tell you this, It's as real as my skull and it DOES exist!" Peeling back the skin to see the narrative bone structure of The Nightmare Before Christmas and it's skeletal character, Jack, our third narrative beat finds the once-sorrowful Pumpkin King speeding back to Halloweentown after his life-changing experience with Christmas. He's just had his nightmarish world spun topsy turvy with a divine revelation of a happy, colorful land beyond his own, a rejuvenation that fills his heart and warms his bones with a fresh sense of living that he's excited to share. Articulation of that newfound bliss, however, proves more difficult than our skinny protagonist anticipated.
- [First Class Should Not be Dismissed](https://cinemagogue.com/2011/09/18/first-class-should-not-be-dismissed/) - A revenge-fueled mutant man befriends an optimistic dreamer who can read and control minds. Their views of mankind's nature and possibilities for the future come under sharp scrutiny and stand polarized as they deal with a world of prejudice, mistrust, and ill-intentions. Is there an option that walks a tightrope between their opposing worldviews? Although
- [X-Men: The Last Stand](https://cinemagogue.com/2006/11/06/x-men-the-last-stand/) - When a cure is found to treat mutations, lines are drawn amongst the X-Men, led by Professor Charles Xavier, and the Brotherhood, a band of powerful mutants organized under Xavier's former ally, Magneto. While the final chapter of the X-Men trilogy met with mixed reviews, the overall arc makes for some interesting conversations and the choices made by characters - particularly Wolverine and Rogue - are revealing. In many ways, the trilogy is THEIR story. We had a chance to unpack the X-Men universe - the comics, the characters, their long history - and then zero in on the particulars of this incarnation at a Film and Theology event in North Seattle...
- [Redundancy, Rebellion, and Staplers](https://cinemagogue.com/2008/04/10/redundancy-rebellion-and-staplers-2/) - you cross decades or cross the pond, you can find shared shenanigans, duplicated drudgery, synchronized self-absorption, and facsimilied foolishness. Office politics and the cubicle life play themselves out in some amazing comedies which don't try to hide that they're dipping in the same office pool. From Peter to Tim to Jim, we feel a kinship
- [GRIZZLY MAN](https://cinemagogue.com/2008/11/06/grizzly-man/) - Love. Obsession. Delusion. A devastating and heartrending take on grizzly bear activists Timothy Treadwell and Amie Huguenard, who were killed in October of 2003 while living among grizzlies in Alaska. I had a chance to look at this documentary and discuss the idea that - while we might think Treadwell is very different from us - we are perhaps more alike than we might want to consider. The audio exploration of below contains spoilers and assumes you’ve seen the film as we look deeper into the timeless truths and applicability.
- [Star Wars: REVENGE OF THE SITH](https://cinemagogue.com/2005/07/06/star-wars-revenge-of-the-sith/) - three years of fighting in the Clone Wars, Anakin Skywalker falls prey to the Sith Lord's lies and makes an enemy of the Jedi and those he loves, concluding his journey to the Dark Side. < h3 >While not a big fan of the prequels (but a HUGE geek about the original trilogy) the third
- [CINDERELLA MAN](https://cinemagogue.com/2005/11/06/cinderella-man/) - The story of James Braddock, a supposedly washed up boxer who came back to become a champion and an inspiration in the 1930s, has important narrative themes that I was asked to speak on at a Film and Theology Event in North Seattle. The fact that it's based on a true story brings it even
- [SERENITY now!](https://cinemagogue.com/2005/12/06/serenity-now/) - is the amazing conclusion to Joss Whedon's cult classic (and short-lived) television series Firefly. Set in the year 2517, the story follows the adventures of the renegade crew of a "Firefly-class" spaceship as they struggle with both sides of the law, learning to live in this final frontier. In the film, a new and tenacious assassin is sent to
- [EIGHTH GRADE gets an A](https://cinemagogue.com/2019/08/05/eighth-grade-gets-an-a/) - This month, our Patreon Supporters, like, picked Eighth Grade for us to review, and – um – we’re so glad they did! David and James go back to middle school with Kayla Day and have a chance to talk about identity, fathers, social media’s impact on socialization, and how the heck this moving drama came
- [Picture if you will... THE TWILIGHT ZONE](https://cinemagogue.com/2019/08/05/picture-if-you-will-the-twilight-zone/) - Step through the door with David and James to another dimension as they cross the streams of CBS All-Access and enter The Twilight Zone, courtesy of new curator and narrator Jordan Peele. We explore the first two episodes, “The Comedian” and “Nightmare at 30,000 Feet”. Is the Twilight Zone relevant today? Is it timeless? From
- [Say His Name: SHAZAM](https://cinemagogue.com/2019/08/05/say-his-name-shazam/) - What strange providence that we’d get two ‘Captain Marvel’ movies in quick succession! Join us as we take some time to talk over the latest from DC in film, Shazam! The flick has a surprising amount of things to look at – from the seven deadly sins as a form of ‘villains’, to made family vs
- [A LITERAL April Fool: THE JERK](https://cinemagogue.com/2019/04/09/april-fool-the-jerk/) - As this week saw us all celebrating April Fool’s Day, the guys decided to take a look at one of the most ‘foolish’ characters in movie history – Navin Johnson! What exactly does it mean to be ‘The Jerk’? How does the movie portray a foolish person? How does the God describe a foolish person?
- [A REAL Marvel - ALITA: BATTLE ANGEL](https://cinemagogue.com/2019/04/09/a-real-marvel-alita-battle-angel/) - Join Richard and James this week as they discuss this month’s Patreon-supporter selected film, Alita: Battle Angel! This flick gets a lot of comparison and contrasting with last week’s film, Captain Marvel, as it is also recent, female-led, and covers many of the same narrative beats. But which one does it better? The film really gets us
- [CAPTAIN MARVEL: HERo or ZER0?](https://cinemagogue.com/2019/04/09/captain-marvel-hero-or-zer0/) - The three of us are joined by James’ wife Kathryn to discuss the newest offering in the MCU, Captain Marvel! This has been a pretty polarizing film, so what did we all think of it? While some are getting more upset about it than they should, others are importing their agendas into a film that
- [The Great Divide: GREEN BOOK](https://cinemagogue.com/2019/04/09/divided-green-book/) - Join us this week as we discuss what is (apparently!) the best picture of 2018, Green Book! Controversy and discussion have ensued, so we figured it was appropriate to get in the car and drive the conversation further. CLICK THE POPCORN THEOLOGY BUTTON BELOW TO ACCESS THE SITE AND LISTEN ONLINE… …or RIGHT CLICK AND DOWNLOAD
- [Choose: BANDERSNATCH](https://cinemagogue.com/2019/04/09/choose-bandersnatch/) - Join us as we try to tackle this incredibly unique special from the Black Mirror series, Bandersnatch! This is the Black Mirror episode (or is it a film?) where you get to basically ‘Choose Your Own Adventure’, and it definitely made for some good mind-blown moments. Bandersnatch really puts the viewer into mind of the ideas
- [Are we FIRST REFORMED?](https://cinemagogue.com/2019/04/09/first-reformed-is-it/) - Will God forgive us? Our Patreon supporters commissioned us to cover 2018’s First Reformed this week! The movie is at once beautiful and weird, and we had a good time chatting about it. Things considered: The church’s witness and how it can be compromised, the contrast of the ‘museum’ with the ‘megachurch’ – Also, David rants
- [Without Fear: DAREDEVIL Season 3](https://cinemagogue.com/2019/02/19/without-fear-daredevil-season-three/) - The Daredevil concludes! Faith vs Doubt, the importance of objective moral standards, and the idea of evil as a means toward good (both from God’s plan, or from human decisions) — This one really gives you some things to chew on! It's mind-blowing how much this comic-based series allows its characters (especially Matt Murdock) to
- [Popcorn Prequel: IRON MAN 3's Suit-ability](https://cinemagogue.com/2019/02/14/popcorn-prequel-iron-man-3s-suit-ability/) - It's time to reexamine why Shane Black’s third Iron Man film shouldn’t be dismissed, taking the themes of “heart” and “legacy” from prior films and concluding with “identity”. Tony Stark has to yield his obsessive desire for control to three helpers – representing his past, his present and his future – as the Iron Man
- [Into INTO THE SPIDER-VERSE](https://cinemagogue.com/2019/02/14/into-into-the-spider-verse/) - Join the team as we use this extraordinary film to jump into conversation about the importance of having good role models to look up to and imitate, the idea of a ‘multiverse’ and how that might present a mirror back on the content of our own hearts, and more! CLICK THE POPCORN THEOLOGY BUTTON BELOW
- [2 Demons + 1 Savior = IRON MAN 3](https://cinemagogue.com/2013/05/10/2-demons-1-savior-iron-man-3/) - “A famous man once said we create our own demons...” As mentioned in our first post about Iron Man 3, Tony Stark faces the existential question of "how then shall we live?" having had his life turned around and death averted in the previous, MARVELous entries. The anxiety-amplifying conflict in his present, however, comes from
- [3 aspects of IRON MAN’s trilogy](https://cinemagogue.com/2013/05/09/3-aspects-of-iron-mans-trilogy/) - "I have a lot of apologies to make... I can't sleep, and when I do I have nightmares. Honestly, there's a hundred people who want to kill me. I hope I can protect the one thing I can't live without..." Robert Downey Jr. expressed worry about movie franchises and how a character can get stale.
- [Walking On Broken GLASS](https://cinemagogue.com/2019/01/31/11378/) - Join us this week as Richard and James discuss the newest offering in the ‘Unbreakable’ trilogy (if it can be called that?), GLASS. While these co-hosts may go back and forth a bit in their opinion about just how good of a movie this turned out to be, there is no disagreement that this film gives
- [Breaking Down UNBREAKABLE](https://cinemagogue.com/2019/01/28/breaking-down-unbreakable/) - Join the guys this week as they prepare for upcoming the release of Glass by diving backwards into the original film in the trilogy, Unbreakable! This movie is considered by many to be one of Shyamalan’s classics, and even his critics tend to view this one favorably. It certainly provided us a lot to talk
- [Popcorn PREQUEL: Reassembling THE AVENGERS](https://cinemagogue.com/2019/01/28/popcorn-prequel-reassembling-the-avengers/) - This week, our time machine takes us back to the original Avengers film! Some fresh reflections with Richard and David of the Popcorn Theology podcast, assembled with a flashback to 2012 and Cinemagogue's disassembling of THE AVENGERS. If you're on the "road to Endgame" this might be a needed refresher. Enjoy! CLICK THE POPCORN THEOLOGY
- [Six Shooter: THE BALLAD OF BUSTER SCRUGGS](https://cinemagogue.com/2019/01/28/11364/) - This episode will probably feel like six-in-one… We apologize for how quickly we found ourselves moving through each chapter, but it sure was hard to talk about this film well in a reasonable length of time! Richard and James take the week (sans David) to chat about the Netflix original Coen Brothers film, The Ballad
- [Something Old, Something New: INCREDIBLE HULK](https://cinemagogue.com/2019/01/28/something-old-something-new-incredible-hulk/) - Introducing! A new series from Popcorn Theology called, ‘Popcorn Prequels’… We’ve decided to pull film files from the “Cinemagogue vault” periodically to look at both classic films and classic explorations of their spiritual themes, but coupling them with FRESH reflections featuring our co-hosts of the Popcorn Theology team. And for those on the "road to Endgame"
- [GREMLINS: Merry Christmas?](https://cinemagogue.com/2019/01/28/gremlins-merry-christmas/) - This year, we asked our Patron Saints (that is, our supporters on Patreon!) to decide what movie we should cover for the Christmas holiday. They didn’t disappoint. Why not take a listen as we discuss the arguably Christmas film, Gremlins? This movie actually proves to be pretty rich in things to chat about at this time of
- [Diving Deeper: AQUAMAN](https://cinemagogue.com/2019/01/28/diving-deeper-aquaman/) - Take a listen as Richard and David are joined by Aaron White of Feelin’ Film Podcast to discuss this latest entry in the DC Cinematic Universe! We all got to see the early showing of the film offered to Amazon Prime members, and spoiler alert… we were all pretty entertained by this one! The film spurs us
- [Wrecking Ralph? RALPH BREAKS THE INTERNET](https://cinemagogue.com/2019/01/28/wrecking-ralph-ralph-breaks-the-internet/) - This episode, Richard and James tackled Disney’s newest sequel, Ralph Breaks the Internet! How did this new film hold up to its quite excellent predecessor? The movie prompts us to discuss friendship, selfishness, insecurity, and more! CLICK THE POPCORN THEOLOGY BUTTON BELOW TO ACCESS THE SITE AND LISTEN ONLINE… …or RIGHT CLICK AND DOWNLOAD IT HERE. If you
- [This film may give you WHIPLASH](https://cinemagogue.com/2019/01/28/this-film-may-give-you-whiplash/) - Richard and David finish out our Rock Star Month (A little late, mind you) by covering a movie selected by our Patreon supporters – Whiplash! CLICK THE POPCORN THEOLOGY BUTTON BELOW TO ACCESS THE SITE AND LISTEN ONLINE… …or RIGHT CLICK AND DOWNLOAD IT HERE. If you like what you are hearing and want to help support
- [We are doing THAT THING YOU DO!](https://cinemagogue.com/2019/01/28/doing-that-thing-you-do/) - All three of the Popcorn Theology guys are back together this week to talk about Tom Hanks’ directorial debut film, That Thing You Do! A different look at fame, rise and fall, relationships and more with a levity and spirit-lifting feel and lots of talking points. CLICK THE POPCORN THEOLOGY BUTTON BELOW TO ACCESS THE SITE AND
- [Enjoy some BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY](https://cinemagogue.com/2019/01/28/11326/) - Are you ready, Freddie? Richard and James chat about the Oscar-nominated Freddie Mercury biopic, Bohemian Rhapsody (and their mutual love of Queen, AND Highlander). The film definitely went in some surprising directions for both of us in regard to sexuality and other issues, so we had a lot to chat about! CLICK THE POPCORN THEOLOGY BUTTON
- [Rock Me, AMADEUS](https://cinemagogue.com/2018/11/15/rock-me-amadeus/) - How should we we react and respond when God chooses to use others in a way we wish He would use us? What is worse, self righteous hypocrisy or blatant sin and rebellion? Why does the wicked prosper? Since contributing to (and then teaming up with) Popcorn Theology, we've reached James' milestone 50th EPISODE! It's
- [Real Life Horror: GOSNELL (& abortion)](https://cinemagogue.com/2018/10/30/real-life-horror-gosnell/) - Richard, David, and I were hugely honored as we got the opportunity to speak with Irish filmmaker Phelim McAleer, one of the producers from the new film Gosnell: The Trial of America’s Biggest Serial Killer. Not only that, we were also joined by filmmaker, author, and long-time friend of the podcast Brian Godawa for the discussion! We
- [You're IT](https://cinemagogue.com/2018/11/15/youre-it/) - Oh, look! Someone wants to join us for this episode... Richard and James are joined this episode by Pastor Joe Thorn (known for the incredible podcast Doctrine & Devotion) to chat about 2017’s remake of the Stephen King classic, It. You may be surprised just how much substance there is to chat about when it comes to
- [A Mixed Sack of VENOM...](https://cinemagogue.com/2018/10/30/a-mixed-sack-of-venom/) - Join Richard, David, and I as we try to bond with the newest Marvel superhero film, Venom! Fair warning folks... we are almost always positive about films, even to a fault – defending flicks others might not, but Venom provided a heck of a challenge for us! Despite its problems (which we probably chatted about
- [The EXORCISM of EMILY ROSE](https://cinemagogue.com/2018/10/30/the-exorcism-of-emily-rose/) - Richard and I got together to talk about the very unique horror/court room drama film The Exorcism of Emily Rose, by now-famous Doctor Strange director Scott Derrickson (who is a professing believer). This movie really provided us an opportunity to talk about some important ideas. Should believers enjoy films that deal with demonic plot elements
- [SCREAM and Scream Again...](https://cinemagogue.com/2018/10/13/scream-and-scream-again/) - This year, I teamed up with Popcorn Theology to devote the entire month of October to a genre of film they have historically (mostly) neglected: the Scary Movie! Scream felt like a fitting choice to jump in as it directly and explicitly deals with the genre in the film itself, providing us an excellent starting point
- [Revenge: THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO](https://cinemagogue.com/2018/10/13/counting-the-cost-the-count-of-monte-cristo/) - In continuing the theme of films based on classic literature, David and James are joined by actor Jamie Costa to discuss ope of Costa's favorite films, The Count of Monte Cristo (2002). We talk about why revenge stories are so compelling, the biblical view of vengeance and justice, and Edmond Dantes as a Christ figure. CLICK THE
- [On Accusations: TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD](https://cinemagogue.com/2018/10/13/on-accusations-to-kill-a-mockingbird/) - To wrap up our classic literature month, our Patron Saints voted for To Kill a Mockingbird (1962). James and David compare the film and the book(s), talk about their cultural impact, and explore the Christ-like character of Atticus Finch. Finch is oft-described as one of film’s greatest heroes, (and I have to agree) defending a
- [Lacking SENSE AND SENSIBILITY...](https://cinemagogue.com/2018/10/13/lacking-sense-and-sensibility/) - Increase your vocabulary and feel more historically cultured as we feature a month Reviewing classic literature films! David and James explore the difference between Sense and Sensibility with Emma Thompson‘s Academy award-winning adaptation of Jane Austen‘s classic novel (starring Kate Winslet, Alan Rickman, Hugh Grant, and more). What does this narrative teach us about keeping
- [SAVING MR. BANKS: Mary Me...](https://cinemagogue.com/2018/08/30/mary-me-saving-mr-banks/) - This week, James and David continue the theme of adulthood and forgotten childhood with Saving Mr. Banks, the 2013 story about the making of Mary Poppins. In this film, we explore love and loyalty for fictional characters, the sunny and rainy sides of life, as well as grief, forgiveness, and redemption. This film is a
- [Crossing The BRIDGE TO TERABITHIA](https://cinemagogue.com/2018/08/30/crossing-the-bridge-to-terabithia/) - To wrap up this theme month, our "Patron Saints" have voted for us to cover Bridge to Terabithia. This imaginative film led James and David to discuss childlike wonder, what it looks like to “overcome evil with good”, the importance of biblical theology, grief, and culpability in sin. Take the rope swing and join us!
- [CHRISTOPHER ROBIN: A Movie Full of Pooh](https://cinemagogue.com/2018/08/19/christopher-robin-this-movie-is-full-of-pooh/) - ...Winnie the Pooh, that is! Hoo-Hoo-Hoo-HOO! Grab your red balloon and bounce with David and James as they explore Disney’s return to the 100-acre wood with Christopher Robin. This film follows a familiar formula of an adult man caught up in the concerns of the world, desperately needing a childlike refresher on what’s truly important.
- [By HOOK or by crook...](https://cinemagogue.com/2018/08/11/by-hook-or-by-crook/) - In preparation for the release of “Christopher Robin”, James and David are thinking happy thoughts and flying back in time to the 1991 classic “Hook”. This magical film explores several topics, including regaining child-like wonder, abdicating adult responsibility, the Christography of Pan, and the battle for the hearts of Peter’s children. To record this podcast...
- [Twice as INCREDIBLES](https://cinemagogue.com/2018/08/06/twice-as-incredibles/) - Grab your super-suits and join us ASAP for this week’s episode, as we soar into adventure with a double-header of The Incredibles and long-awaited sequel, Incredibles 2! Our reviewing heroes “Movie-Man” David and James “The Pontificator” take off their masks and get candid on the films’ flexible views on family, what leads to villainous intent,
- [Making Music With COCO](https://cinemagogue.com/2018/08/01/making-music-with-coco/) - Bienvenidos! This week, the Patron Saints (our patreon supporters) voted and introduced James and David to Disney and Pixar’s Coco. This fun and vibrant film lent itself to a surprising amount of deep conversation, including the theology of Dia de los Muertos, “seizing your moment” at all costs, and the importance of family and remembrance.
- [ANT-MAN & THE WASP: Small Stories, Big Ideas](https://cinemagogue.com/2018/08/01/ant-man-the-wasp-small-stories-big-ideas/) - This week, James and David team up to take on Ant-Man and the Wasp. We took a Goliath level look at the MCU and its pattern of balancing weight with levity, then we shrink down for some (quantum) analysis of the finer themes, including pride, foolishness, pain, salvation, and loving your enemies. CLICK THE POPCORN
- [THE GREATEST SHOWMAN:](https://cinemagogue.com/2018/08/01/the-greatest-showman/) - So tell me do you wanna know… what James and David thought of The Greatest Showman? Besides the amazing production quality, the film explores the highs and lows of chasing your dreams and gives some great imagery for discipleship and taking ownership of mockery. When it comes to this movie, this podcast is everything you
- [Get a Kick out of THE KARATE KID](https://cinemagogue.com/2018/07/05/get-a-kick-out-of-the-karate-kid/) - What can The Karate Kid (the classic movie, not the forgettable remake) help us think through as it relates to mentoring and discipleship, committing to important projects/training/etc, and being able to trust the Lord even when we can’t see how His plan is working out for our good (as is promised)? Join the Cinemaguy with
- [Our World, A FALLEN KINGDOM?](https://cinemagogue.com/2018/06/27/our-world-a-fallen-kingdom/) - The Popcorn Theology team and I were joined once again by Dr. Marcus Ross, paleontologist and professor at Liberty University, to discuss the newest offering in the Jurassic franchise – Fallen Kingdom! This movie has been getting a lot of hate – but what did the guys at Popcorn Theology think of it? One of us
- [No Longer SOLO: Cinemagogue & Popcorn Theology](https://cinemagogue.com/2018/05/31/say-hello-to-popcorn-theology/) - A Long Time Ago, in a Century Far, Far Away... Prior to the turn of the century, I was mentored by a great guy who had a mind for film and theology, Mike Gunn, which ultimately led to the creation of Cinemagogue as a ministry in "the aughts", with a website, and ultimately my published
- [Great film? You Bet JURASSIC is!](https://cinemagogue.com/2018/06/07/great-film-you-bet-jurassic-is/) - Hey dinosaur lovers! We "spared no expense" for a podcast review of Jurassic Park. In fact, we brought in a bonafide (bone-afide?) dinosaur expert, paleontologist and professor at Liberty University Dr. Marcus Ross. It's really the first part of a two-part conversation, as we'll converge again for Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom and fill in the spiritual
- [Back in Time to THE TERMINATOR](https://cinemagogue.com/2018/06/21/back-in-time-to-the-terminator/) - He said "I'll be back"... and here we are! In our post on the 2018 film UPGRADE, we noted director Leigh Whannel's inspirations which included 80s classics Robocop and The Terminator. Particularly of note, Whannel considers many of these films "horror movies in a sci-fi skin". So we went back in time to look at
- [Cinemagogue Gets An UPGRADE](https://cinemagogue.com/2018/06/21/cinemagogue-gets-an-upgrade/) - A brutal mugging leaves Grey Trace paralyzed in the hospital grieving great losses. A billionaire inventor offers Trace a cure -- an artificial intelligence implant called STEM that will enhance his body. Now able to walk, Grey finds that he also has enhanced abilities -- skills he uses to seek revenge against the thugs who
- [Like Unto a Thing of IRON (Fist)](https://cinemagogue.com/2017/03/16/like-unto-a-thing-of-iron-fist/) - “I am as light as a feather, I am as happy as an angel, I am as merry as a schoolboy. I am as giddy as a drunken man." - Ebenezer Scrooge, A Christmas Carol Tonight at midnight, Netflix will drop the entire first season of IRON FIST, the final solo adventure of the street
- [CIVIL (podcast) WAR!](https://cinemagogue.com/2016/05/13/civil-podcast-war/) - I've been making the rounds of other faith-and-film podcasts, from Screenfish to Reel World Theology and Popcorn Theology. Sometimes it's just easier and more fun to talk film - and faith - with friends! Sometimes you find a unique synchronicity, other times friendly arguments ensue, but it's always fun. CROSSOVER episode hosted by Reel World
- [Steel v Knight: ideology clash on and off screen](https://cinemagogue.com/2016/04/30/steel-v-knight-ideology-clash-on-and-off-screen/) - So over the last year or so I've been making the rounds of other faith-and-film podcasts, from Screenfish to Reel World Theology and Popcorn Theology. Sometimes it's just easier and more fun to talk film - and faith - with friends! Sometimes you find a unique synchronicity, other times friendly arguments ensue, but it's always
- [ANT-MAN: big lessons in small packages](https://cinemagogue.com/2016/04/28/ant-man-big-lessons-in-small-packages/) - Tell me what kind of man will I be? This fun, "smaller" Marvel movie about a heist spotlights a man seeking to be an example, but often coming up... well, short. I had the opportunity to address an audience after a showing of the film and map out the narrative parallels. Enjoy the video exploration below, or the
- [Yippee ki-yay, Merry Christmas](https://cinemagogue.com/2016/04/26/a-christmas-story-die-hard/) - John McClane, officer of the NYPD, tries to save wife Holly and several others, taken hostage by German terrorist Hans Gruber during a Christmas party at the Nakatomi Plaza in Los Angeles. While it's not what some of you would immediately correlate with Yuletide cheer, Die Hard actually works quite well as a Christmas film... and
- [One Batch... Two Batch...](https://cinemagogue.com/2016/04/24/one-batch-two-batch/) - ...PENNY AND DIME. So over the last year or so I've been making the rounds of other faith-and-film podcasts, from Screenfish to Reel World Theology and Popcorn Theology. Sometimes it's just easier and more fun to talk film - and faith - with friends! Sometimes you find a unique synchronicity, other times friendly arguments ensue,
- [10 Reasons Superman's Dad was RIGHT.](https://cinemagogue.com/2016/03/11/10-reasons-supermans-dad-was-right/) - With Batman v Superman flying into theaters soon, and the MCU about to have a Civil War, the morality and ethics of "superheroing" is coming sharply into question. As we gear up for a super-review season, a conversation made me think back to a controversial moment in Man of Steel - no, not the final fight
- [THE WITCH: Agency for Eating Babies](https://cinemagogue.com/2016/02/28/the-witch-agency-for-eating-babies/) - While many Christians heard about the Satanic Temple's support of Robert Eggers' creepy 1630 horror flick "The Witch" and ran the other way, I had the alternate instinct: the devilish endorsement made me want to check it out and give an informed review. I'm glad I did...the absurdity of the Satanic Temple's pronouncement is as laughable as the notion that this film
- [The Gospel for Han Solo](https://cinemagogue.com/2015/12/21/the-gospel-for-han-solo/) - (this review only speaks to the old films and the trailer for The Force Awakens: no spoilers.) I've written quite a bit about Star Wars... on this site, and in my book. I've made many a comment about how I identified with Han Solo...but when I've talked about the spiritual parallels in the films, I've stuck
- [SPECTREs and Siblings Shaken on Screenfish](https://cinemagogue.com/2015/11/23/spectres-siblings-shaken-stirred/) - I had the opportunity to team up with my friends at Screenfish and weigh in on the latest entry in the Bond franchise, SPECTRE. I make a new friend in Steven Norton, but also find I now have an arch-nemesis... Check out the podcast review on Screenfish.net, or on their iTunes podcast. (You can also
- [Getting Personal with Popcorn Theology](https://cinemagogue.com/2015/11/17/getting-personal-with-popcorn/) - I hope it never ceases to feel weird when people say "you inspired me" or "you changed my life". After more than a decade of expressing myself in regard to film and theology, I've reached that point where people I barely know tell me that something I've said or done has had significant impact on their
- [CRIMSON PEAK & Reel World Theology](https://cinemagogue.com/2015/11/15/crimson-peak-reel-world-theology/) - I joined in with my friend Mikey and others at Reel World Theology for a joint review of Del Toro's Crimson Peak with commentary on the horror genre. We have some lively discussion about J.J. Abrams, Star Wars, the new influential directors in Hollywood, and what truly makes a film a horror film. I also find a
- [The Ins and Outs of INSIDE OUT](https://cinemagogue.com/2015/11/13/the-ins-and-outs-of-inside-out/) - Enjoy our video review or written review below: "After young Riley is uprooted from her Midwest life and moved to San Francisco, her emotions - Joy, Fear, Anger, Disgust and Sadness - conflict on how best to navigate a new city, house, and school." - Wikipedia Much has been said about the film Inside Out...
- [SKYFALL: Building a Better Bond](https://cinemagogue.com/2012/12/07/building-a-better-bond/) - We've always just known that Bond is Bond. James Bond. Curious then, that Skyfall is not only being hailed by some as the best Bond film ever made, but it also makes us realize we've been watching a trilogy of prequels that set up 007 to become the man we've always known. Throughout the last half of the twentieth
- [Going UP?](https://cinemagogue.com/2010/04/26/going-up/) - 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
- [The REAL Hero of BIG HERO 6](https://cinemagogue.com/2015/07/09/the-real-hero-of-big-hero-6/) - I must have been in the wrong mood when I saw Big Hero 6 in the theater. My recollection was "meh" but when I viewed it again for a Film and Theology event for a room full of junior high and high school students, it blew my mind...visually, narratively, and with all the obvious parallels
- [Illusion of Good Intentions](https://cinemagogue.com/2007/06/07/illusion-of-good-intentions/) - I keep expecting director Christopher Nolan to swing and miss. He gave us a stirring Memento, wrestled with Insomnia, ensured that Batman Begins, and capped things off with The Prestige, my pick for greatest film of 2006. (In 2008, he'll give us the next Bat-installment with The Dark Knight.) This 37 year old Brit not only seems to
- [Guardians of the Galaxy Review: part 2](https://cinemagogue.com/2015/02/10/guardians-of-the-galaxy-review-part-2/) - Life and death, frustration and loss..for a fun family film, Guardians of the Galaxy starts off with a a heavy tone that's quite the contrast to the otherwise rollicking soundtrack. Are the young Peter Quill's headphones and upbeat classic rock a metaphor for modern entertainment, as it medicates us and mutes some of the harsh realities of life?
- [14 movies for 2014: The Cinemagogue Lineup](https://cinemagogue.com/2015/01/23/14-movies-from-2014/) - Once again, it's that time of year when Hollywood's snobbery surfaces with Oscar-sized pats on the back for pretentious cinematic achievements that didn't make much money... Okay, that's harsh, but I have an annual sized cinematic migraine every time the Academy looks down their nose at movies that matter simply because they're blockbusters, or apparently have too
- [Learning to LEGO of toxic lordship](https://cinemagogue.com/2014/03/11/learning-to-lego-of-toxic-lordship/) - The LEGO Movie might wind up on my short list for movie of the year, despite all the tantalizing offerings from Godzilla to Dinobots and myriad Marvel movies on the horizon. A lot of children's films like Toy Story, Wreck-It Ralph and even Frozen tend to make solid points, but LEGO may be one of the more insightful all-ages films I've seen in
- [The Problem of (Deliver us From) EVIL](https://cinemagogue.com/2014/07/11/the-problem-of-deliver-us-from-evil/) - The latest horror entry from director Scott Derrickson, Deliver us from Evil, is not the strongest entry in the horror genre. However, as one part police procedural with the additional component of demonic activity, it's more accessible to moviegoers who might typically avoid the genre or watch from behind the sofa. Scarier than an episode
- [Redeeming the Screaming](https://cinemagogue.com/2012/10/23/7393/) - Being close to Halloween, with fright fests and Michael Myers marathons abounding, it seemed wise to drop an excerpt from my upcoming book - Cinemagogue - as it features a section dealing with the horror genre: "There are two equal and opposite errors into which our race can fall about the devils. One is to
- [Oh God... You're in my Fiction?](https://cinemagogue.com/2014/07/09/oh-god-youre-in-my-fiction/) - Nury Vittachi recently published an article on the Science 2.0 website entitled "Scientists Discover that atheists might not exist, and that’s not a joke" and, while the article talks more specifically about how "a metaphysical outlook may be so deeply ingrained in human thought processes that it cannot be expunged" the article makes the natural
- [X-Men: Reviews of Future Podcast](https://cinemagogue.com/2014/06/12/x-men-reviews-of-future-podcast/) - Sometimes you need to do things as a team. Wolverine learned this over the course of seven films, and now goes back to disciple the man who discipled him in X-Men: Days of Future Past. I decided, like Logan, to jump in and do a review as a team with Mikey Fissell and other cohorts
- [Never LEGO of hope for reconciliation](https://cinemagogue.com/2014/05/14/never-lego-of-hope-for-reconciliation/) - "Nobody ever said I was special!" - President Business In our last look at The LEGO Movie (soon to be on Blu-ray/DVD) there will be *a lot of spoilers* (you've been warned) because the ending was amazing and I - for one - didn't see it coming. When the film broke the fourth wall (literally, as LEGO
- [Addled Story of a Story Addict](https://cinemagogue.com/2012/12/20/wonderland/) - Last week, our book on engaging story, movies, image-bearing and our Creator published and is available here and on Amazon.com in print and Kindle editions. We'll be posting an excerpt from each chapter to give a little taste of what you can expect. Act 1: James in Wonderland or “the addled story of a story-addict”
- [Wrecked by WRECK-IT RALPH](https://cinemagogue.com/2012/11/09/wrecked-by-wreck-it-ralph/) - "Everything changes, NOW!" - Wreck-It Ralph A short video review on why I'm angry at Disney, and why I loved their new movie, Wreck-it Ralph. In this spoiler-free overview we get to look at themes of: how we try in vain to change ourselves, how self-seeking causes unforeseen harm, and what force REALLY effects change
- [LEGO and let God.](https://cinemagogue.com/2014/02/19/lego-and-let-god/) - by guest reviewer Andrew Thompson Does “the man upstairs” desire us to simply follow instructions, going about our days and routines, thinking “everything is awesome”? Or is he indeed a master-builder who has given us limitless creativity to create new and different narratives in life? The Lego Movie takes us into the stop-motion animated world of
- [Our Savior in AVATAR](https://cinemagogue.com/2010/03/05/our-savior-in-avatar/) - (this is the last post in a series, click here for the introduction to our series on James Cameron's AVATAR.) Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and with a loud voice he called to all the birds that fly directly overhead, “Come, gather for the great supper of God, to eat the flesh of kings, the
- [Let's bring up a THOR subject](https://cinemagogue.com/2011/05/25/lets-bring-up-a-thor-subject/) - Thor continues the string of connected MARVEL comics films that began with Iron Man. Although different in tone, it soars to similar heights thanks to director Kenneth Branagh and the cast. The film deals with some core issues of sin, (particularly arrogance and jealousy) and emphasizes the need for strong discipline from a loving father that
- [Frozen's Water Part 3: Where it MELTS](https://cinemagogue.com/2014/02/14/frozens-water-part-3-where-it-melts/) - In Batman Begins, Rutger Hauer's character leans over a young Bruce Wayne and tells the boy he'll keep the company safe until the lad is old enough to run it. It's a nice touch - a cameo - that establishes pivotal credibility to time between flashbacks in the life of a fictional character. It helps
- [Film and Apologetics? Or: What We're All About](https://cinemagogue.com/2014/01/19/film-and-apologetics-or-what-were-all-about/) - I was recently asked to speak at an apologetics conference in Alabama, and my first thought was "why"? I talk about movies and God as storyteller. After some thought, I realize that another way of looking at Cinemagogue is that, in many ways, how we examine cinema often takes a slice of the teleological argument
- [FROZEN's Water Part 1: Where it's a GAS!](https://cinemagogue.com/2014/02/11/frozens-water-part-1-its-a-gas/) - "Oh, look at that. I've been impaled." When the first previews came out for Frozen, I confess: it didn't impress me. It looked more like a silly Ice Age sort of movie, which may be funny in its own right but not on it's way to being the next Disney epic. I blame the marketing
- [LONE SURVIVOR's Best Kept Secret](https://cinemagogue.com/2014/01/21/lone-survivors-best-kept-secret/) - "If I die I need you to make sure that Cindy knows how much I love her... And that I died with my brothers - with a full f---ing heart." In Sleepless in Seattle, the guys have a humorous scene where they talk about how - unlike women and their tear-jerking romantic comedies - men
- [FROZEN's Water Part 2: Where it's SOLID.](https://cinemagogue.com/2014/02/13/frozens-water-part-2-where-its-solid/) - "Can I say something crazy?" Disney's Frozen isn't just funny (we lauded the humor in our first post) and while we can enjoy great moments (like an excited Anna meeting the regal Hans by the boat dock) there's something very important being set up in that scene... in fact, something is intentionally being set up
- [We ALL want Happily Ever After...](https://cinemagogue.com/2008/04/16/we-all-want-happily-ever-after/) - Fairy Tales: Folly or Faith? An audio exploration of Enchanted Enchanted intrigued me as it hit squarely on one of my favorite narrative dichotomies in Hollywood storytelling... what I affectionately call "Life Under the Sun" and "Life Beyond the Sun" films. These worlds collide in Enchanted in what I think is one of Disney’s strongest
- [Out of the heart comes CAPTAIN AMERICA](https://cinemagogue.com/2012/05/02/out-of-the-heart-comes-captain-america/) - While it's not my favorite Marvel movie, I believe it's the best-made of the Marvel movies thus far (we'll see what Avengers does this Friday). From pacing to editing, story to cinematography, Captain America capitalizes on all the lessons learned from Iron Man to Thor and provides us a smooth, consistent narrative from start to
- [On your knees for THE AVENGERS: big movie, puny god](https://cinemagogue.com/2012/05/07/the-avengers-big-movie-puny-god/) - "KNEEL!" "Is not this simpler? Is this not your natural state? It's the unspoken truth of humanity that you crave subjugation... You were made to be ruled. In the end, you will always kneel." While this quote might apply to the Avengers film itself, how it utterly conquered the Box Office record and made all
- [Watching the Watchers of The Cabin in the Woods](https://cinemagogue.com/2012/04/24/watching-the-watchers-of-the-cabin-in-the-woods/) - The Cabin in the Woods takes a step back from the stereotypical horror movie to look at those who watch this classic, recycling narrative, this movie's meta-commentary provides unique insights and conversation starters on why WE culturally create and watch scary movies, what it appeals to or appeases within us (and others) and what part "sacrifice" plays in dealing with humanity and atoning for our corporate transgression. Fans of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Firefly/Serenity and other endeavors involving Drew Goddard and Joss Whedon are sure to be pleased by this film, and I think it deserves three stars. Its content, however, is not for everyone. The video review dances around the details and avoids the big spoilers: we'll follow up with a spoiler-laden, written review later this week for those who want to go deeper. For more on why we engage scary movies and the horror movie in general, read this post. Watch the review of The Cabin in the Woods on Youtube or on Cinemagogue here...
- [The AVENGERS: where Loki is right?](https://cinemagogue.com/2012/05/08/the-avengers-where-loki-is-right/) - "Kneel before me. I said... KNEEL! Is not this simpler? Is this not your natural state? It's the unspoken truth of humanity that you crave subjugation. The bright lure of freedom diminishes your life's joy in a mad scramble for power. For identity. You were made to be ruled. In the end, you will always kneel." - Loki Were we made to kneel? Let's examine this, shall we? It's not a particularly American sentiment, certainly. Even Optimus Prime would argue that "Freedom is the right of all sentient beings". We don't generally think of bowing to an Emperor or pledging our subservience to be in line with freedom (whereas other cultures have and do). Our first response to Loki's statement is one that looks less like bended knee and more like a particularly raised finger. I suspect there will be rowdy cries of "hell, no!" in the theaters in response to Loki's assertion. The problem is, there's truth in his words...
- [What will THE AVENGERS teach us?](https://cinemagogue.com/2012/04/20/what-will-the-avengers-teach-us/) - There are so many places an Avengers movie could go, and so many "lessons" for each character to learn, it will be fascinating to see the narrative arc director Joss Whedon and his crew will focus on for the upcoming movie. Not only do we have the return of Loki and all the messages of fathers and sons, jealousy and pride inherent in the Thor film, we're bringing together characters who, as Robert Downey Junior's Tony Stark puts it delicately, "don't play well with others". That is, with the exception of Captain America's Steve Rogers (Chris Evans), who is accustomed to a team from World War II. Perhaps that's why the film's two taglines are: "Some Assembly Required" "Every team needs a Captain" If you're not familiar with the narrative arcs inherent in the various players, be sure to read up on the films that have come before...
- [Third Time's a DISMEMBERING Charm...](https://cinemagogue.com/2007/10/03/third-times-a-dismembering-charm/) - A Review of "Resident Evil: Extinction" (R) There is nothing new about the third installment in the Resident Evil series... though, for avid readers of Cinemagogue, you know that's not necessarily harsh criticism. Still, while the film is enjoyable for fans of the genre, even I was surprised how unabashedly it borrowed from the themes
- [The Underworld Awakens ](https://cinemagogue.com/2012/01/25/underworld-awakens-but-not-much-else/) - "This is a new war. And it’s only beginning." In a film that tonally hits closer to the first Resident Evil film than it's Underworld predecessors, Awakening serves up non-stop action and holds true to the quote above; it is undeniably fun to watch, but there isn't much plot to chew on as it merely establishes the landscape and effectively leaves us with a cliffhanger for more. We've covered the previous entries in our reviews for Underworld, Evolution, and Rise of the Lycans with the moody, provocative themes explored in the original trilogy. This fourth film introduces a new season for our protagonist, new storyline and locale in the same way a new creative team might take over a comic book or television series; it's the same character (Selene) operating in a new environment with a tweaked style. In comparison with the other films, it succeeds as an entry of equal caliber (unlike the fourth Resident Evil) but has so much action and establishing to do it doesn't offer much in the way of plot. Although video games now offer far more complex storylines, this one follows the classic first-person shooter scenario, even with a "boss fight" at the end, not unlike last year's Battle: Los Angeles.
- [ZOMBIE MOVIES RISE AGAIN](https://cinemagogue.com/2002/09/29/zombie-movies-rise-again/) - Nothing on film scares me quite like Zombies. Frankenstein, Dracula, werewolves and even stories about demons rarely tickle the hair on the back of my neck like those depicting the walking dead. My most chilling nightmares consist of those slow, shambling masses of decayed flesh, groping with vacant, hollow eyes, desperate for the warmth and
- [BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN's ponderous ponderosa](https://cinemagogue.com/2010/04/22/brokeback-mountains-ponderous-ponderosa/) - I saw it, and - SHOCK! - it didn't turn me gay. I know that a strange contingent of the conservative Christian community seems to think that by the mere watching of a film like Brokeback Mountain - with its "homosexual agenda" - a straight guy might develop a queer eye, but nothing could be further
- [No Man is a (SHUTTER) Island](https://cinemagogue.com/2010/04/30/no-man-is-a-shutter-island/) - When my friend and Redemption Group Pastor tweeted that this film was "EPIC," his high-praise proclamation was even more intriguing to me than Martin Scorsese's trailer. Though I'm still not a DiCaprio fan, Shutter Island is a stylish, gripping psychological thriller exposing not only how we suppress the truth in our unrighteousness, but also how
- [STAR TREK (part 1) Has Gone Before](https://cinemagogue.com/2009/10/14/star-trek-part-one-has-gone-before/) - It's about time I talked about the hottest ticket this summer. But first (as the film itself does) let's take a trip back in time... The Starship Enterprise had already been trekking for several years before I was born. My science-fiction loving dad would stun me with syndicated episodes during my impressionable youth, forever inflecting
- [The Story of Story...](https://cinemagogue.com/2007/04/14/the-story-of-story/) - "I wanted to believe, more than most I wanted to be like a child again." - Cleveland Heep Cleveland Heep discovers that beyond the veil of his mundane and humdrum life is a world of myth and fantasy, a true myth that overlies his own, a spiritual world with great consequence to our lives, to
- [A MAN OF STEEL (and his fathers' will)](https://cinemagogue.com/2013/06/18/a-man-of-steel-and-his-fathers-will/) - This is the written review: to listen or download our audio review, click here. Flying high at the box office, the Man of Steel has given us a fresh version of Superman that has everyone talking. What's interesting - and really exciting - is how redundant an examination from Cinemagogue seems this time around. We've
- [CATCHING FIRE Like Katniss Everdeen](https://cinemagogue.com/2014/01/14/catching-fire-like-katniss-everdeen/) - "He could have killed me, but instead he showed me mercy. That's a debt I'll never be able to repay." The Hunger Games trilogy is not the story of a hero. Katniss Everdeen mentions in the first act that Thresh's act of kindness was one of several things that enabled her to win in the
- [The AVENGERS: where Loki is wrong!](https://cinemagogue.com/2012/05/09/the-avengers-where-loki-is-wrong/) - Were we made to be ruled? In our last post, we looked at Loki's challenging assertion in The Avengers film: the idea that we were born to kneel, that we crave subjugation, and that we scramble madly for identity. We were made to bow before our God and Maker, yet we shackle ourselves to lesser
- [The AVENGERS: where we are Loki](https://cinemagogue.com/2012/05/10/the-avengers-where-we-are-loki/) - A friend of mine challenged my assertion that Loki was the best of the Marvel movie villains. As we debated (imagine the verbal equivalent of hammers, shields, and repulsor rays) it became clear he thought my comment of "best" meant I regarded Loki as the most formidable. Therein resided the misunderstanding. I enjoyed Loki as
- [The AVENGERS: Red in Your Ledger](https://cinemagogue.com/2012/05/14/the-avengers-red-in-your-ledger/) - "I've got red in my ledger; I'd like to wipe it out." We can't call our musing about The Avengers' narrative themes "fully assembled" without addressing the most obvious line stated by Natasha Romanoff, admitting that she's done some bad things in her past and wants to "settle her accounts". We've dealt primarily with Loki--how
- [Redeeming Entertainment: Film & Theology 102](https://cinemagogue.com/2012/06/14/6095/) - This is the 2nd in a series of WHY we do what we do here at Cinemagogue, examining stories and navigating narrative for the myths and metaphors they're meant to be. As a follow-up to Film & theology 101 - where we looked at God as the Master Storyteller - we now look at our consumption of
- [FEAR from Alien to Prometheus](https://cinemagogue.com/2012/06/05/fear-from-alien-to-prometheus/) - What do YOU fear? 33 years ago, ALIEN brought about an incredible combination of science fiction and horror that burned through multiple decks of our psyche and ultimately hatched a franchise and phenomenon that stands out as some of the most iconic images in regard to both monsters and the heroic female. Now we stand
- [From the Vault: AMADEUS will rock you](https://cinemagogue.com/2012/05/30/from-the-vault-amadeus-will-rock-you/) - As we're preparing a book based on the theory, application, challenges and practice of what we do here with Cinemagogue (hoping to inspire more replication, transformation, edification and even evangelism) I tried to choose some timeless sample reviews for a chapter on praxis. This led to inclusion of my wife Kathryn's favorite film, Amadeus. (My
- [A CHRONICLE of brokenness...](https://cinemagogue.com/2012/05/27/a-chronicle-of-brokenness/) - "There's something wrong with Andrew." Chronicle (now available on Blu-Ray and DVD) takes the best of found footage films like Cloverfield, the original heart of the quality-sagging series Heroes, and gives us a more intimate look at the superhero craze sweeping Americana with a more realistic view of what might happen if great powers happened to
- [Legacy and The MUPPETS](https://cinemagogue.com/2012/05/16/legacy-and-the-muppets/) - Muppets' creator Jim Henson passed away on May 15, 1990 but his legacy lives on. I think a lot of people were initially skeptical when The Muppets trailer debuted, uncertain if the franchise could - or should - be refreshed for a new generation. Thanks to the efforts of actor and Muppet aficionado Jason Segel
- [Prometheus, Panic, and Hubris](https://cinemagogue.com/2012/06/19/prometheus-panic-and-hubris/) - I must confess: I took up the flag and waved it like everyone else, criticizing several plot points of Prometheus. Sometimes we all watch a film and think we could have written it better. There are plenty of movies where this may indeed be true (I'm talking to you, Spider-man 3). While I'm not about
- [PROMETHEUS: Confronting the Creator](https://cinemagogue.com/2012/06/11/prometheus-confronting-the-creator/) - Taking the familiar backdrop of the ALIEN universe he helped create in 1979 and the themes of creature confronting creator in Blade Runner, director Ridley Scott stylishly revisits these basic human questions in the gripping film Prometheus. In our last post, we already looked at the host of fears covered by the 1979 film set in this same fictional universe, and
- [Looking Back at PITCH BLACK...](https://cinemagogue.com/2012/06/29/looking-back-at-pitch-black/) - Riddick: "Would you die for them?" Fry: "I would try for them!" Riddick: "You didn't answer me." Fry: "Yes, Riddick. I would. I would die for them." Riddick: "How interesting..." Since Vin Diesel can only make money doing things "Fast and Furious", or as a "Furyan" in The Riddick series, I thought it might be
- [Before Batman Rises, a MEMENTO from Nolan](https://cinemagogue.com/2012/06/25/before-batman-rises-a-memento-from-nolan/) - “I have to believe in a world outside my own mind. I have to believe that my actions still have meaning, even if I can't remember them. I have to believe that when my eyes are closed, the world's still there.“ I found this review in the vault (and plan to feature it in my
- [Exploring Guillermo Del Toro’s Labyrinth](https://cinemagogue.com/2008/07/25/exploring-guillermo-del-toro’s-labyrinth/) - Pan’s Labyrinth Audio Review by James Harleman (contains spoilers) “Is there real immortality and real magic? I believe there is… I believe they are a spiritual reality that is as tangible and as real as the material world… Only those that KNOW where to look - only those that have the right GAZE - can
- [Vanity & Lost Sleep, Demons & Fate, Cannibalism & Cross](https://cinemagogue.com/2007/07/28/vanity-lost-sleep-demons-fate-cannibalism-the-cross/) - Hey, didn't you teach or write about that one movie that one time...? Teaching Film and Theology for years, and contributing reviews to several websites, people have been asking if these reviews would ever find their way onto Cinemagogue. So, I'll periodically be slogging through the old hard drive and placing these in archival form
- [Wooden Jesus](https://cinemagogue.com/2005/07/28/wooden-jesus/) - A review of "Constantine" by James Harleman Starring Keanu Reeves, Rachel Weisz, Shia LaBeaouf, Djimon Hounsou Directed by Francis Lawrence Rated R Ah, Hollywood. While Hollywood often pillages books, television and comic books for film ideas, voraciously mauling the source material beyond recognition, the process never ceases to amaze me. Particularly in light of recent
- [Bourne Again... and Again... and Again](https://cinemagogue.com/2008/01/04/bourne-again/) - Review of The Bourne Ultimatum (with reflections on the Bourne Trilogy) - Audio version below, scroll to bottom - When The Bourne Identity came out, I thoroughly enjoyed its themes. Sure, to some it was nothing more than a brisk, tightly-paced action movie by Doug Liman; however, the redemptive aspects of the story truly shone
- [From Harryhausen to Handycam: Beast from 20,000 YouTube Views](https://cinemagogue.com/2008/01/18/from-harryhausen-to-the-handycam-the-beast-from-20000-youtube-views/) - A Review of CLOVERFIELD by Pastor James Harleman Rated PG-13 Released January 18, 2008 Directed by Matt Reeves Produced by J.J. Abrams Rob Hawkins is not having a great evening. His New Yorker friends throw him a surprise going away party as he's headed for a new job in Japan, but he's distracted; the girl
- [THE DARK KNIGHT RISES above ](https://cinemagogue.com/2012/07/25/the-dark-knight-rises-above-lies-false-philosophies/) - No Ewoks. A fair number of endings instead of LOTR. No Emo Peter Parker. Could it be... the perfect ending? "It is a far, far better thing that I do than I have ever done; it is a far, far better rest that I go to than I have ever known." - Jim Gordon, The
- [The Dark Knight Rises: with a clean slate](https://cinemagogue.com/2012/08/05/the-dark-knight-rises-with-a-clean-slate/) - "A girl's gotta eat." - Selina Kyle. She's good at what she does, one of the best, but her crimes are slowly and inevitably catching up with her. Insisting she's only doing what she has to survive, she speaks as though she's justified, and yet she wants a new life, a clean slate, a "fresh
- [Batman ENDS...](https://cinemagogue.com/2012/07/17/batman-ends/) - "I haven't given them everything. Not yet." I had just become an ordained pastor when Batman Begins took us all by surprise, not simply refreshing a franchise that had been Schumachered and Clooneyed to death several years earlier, but giving us a new vision, forsaking that notion that a movie based on a comic book
- [Film & Theology 104 | A Tale of Two Stories](https://cinemagogue.com/2012/07/16/film-theology-104-a-tale-of-two-stories/) - Essentially, it all comes down to Superman and Citizen Kane: Are you tired of enjoying movies merely on a surface level? Maybe you should be! If you want to get "under the skin" of narrative, like a forensic investigator, what is the first metaphorical incision we need to make, and what blade do we use?
- [Film & Theology 103 | Engaging Narrative](https://cinemagogue.com/2012/07/05/film-theology-103-engaging-narrative/) - From Joseph Campbell to John Stewart, Bertrand Russell to Pamela Anderson, we look deeper into the wellspring of narrative and why we enjoy the stories of our culture. As image-bearers of our Creator, can we begin to see the difference between leveraging storytelling as a form of tribute versus a proxy? What stories do you
- [Spider-man's Self-Awareness is AMAZING](https://cinemagogue.com/2012/07/09/spider-man-versus-the-plot/) - "It's said there are only 10 plots in all of fiction, but I believe there's only one: 'Who am I?'" This daring assertion crops up in The Amazing Spider-man, courtesy of one of Peter Parker's high school teachers at Midtown High. For everyone jonesing for a "new" story amidst the miasma of franchise-filled entertainment, this
- [The Dark Knight Rises: the REAL love story](https://cinemagogue.com/2012/07/27/the-dark-knight-rises-the-real-love-story/) - "Maybe it's time we stop trying to outsmart the Truth and let it have it's day!" Althought Alfred Pennyworth realizes this 8 years too late, he's the first one to voice it in the conclusion to Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight Trilogy. I hit this issue with a broad pass in our spoiler-free video review, but now
- [The Dark Knight Rises: out of cryostasis](https://cinemagogue.com/2012/07/29/the-dark-knight-rises-out-of-cryostasis/) - "You've got stuck in a moment and you can't get out of it." - U2 Walled up in Wayne Manor with scraggly facial hair, a cane, and endless depths of remorse, Bruce Wayne is a defeated man. He's stuck in a moment eight years ago, and even an energy project that might have given him
- [The Dark Knight Rises: and renews faith](https://cinemagogue.com/2012/07/31/the-dark-knight-rises-and-renews-faith/) - "I knew Harvey Dent. I was his friend. And it will be a very long time before someone... Inspires us the way he did. I believed in Harvey Dent." - Jim Gordon In Batman Begins, he stood against corruption when his fellow cops were corrupt. He did his best to clean up the system. However,
- [The Dark Knight Rises: and restarts](https://cinemagogue.com/2012/08/03/the-dark-knight-rises-and-restarts/) - John Blake: "Don't you want to know who he is?" Jim Gordon: "I know exactly who he is; he's The Batman." He's our point-of-view character for the film, not an "average Joe" but the most normal and baggage-free as you get in the now-mythical world of Gotham City. Young, idealistic, and looking with wonder at the Batman
- [I Wish You'd Never Been BOURNE](https://cinemagogue.com/2012/08/14/i-wish-youd-never-been-bourne/) - Spider-man 3 lacked a quality screenplay because they dropped some of the screenwriters and the director largely wrote the screenplay himself. While Sam Raimi is a tremendous director, he was found lacking when it came to a cohesive story. What, you ask, does this have to do with The Bourne Legacy? One of the reasons
- [Indiana Jones and the Truth Crusade](https://cinemagogue.com/2012/08/18/indiana-jones-and-the-truth-crusade/) - Some people think I'm biased toward blockbusters and certain genres, but I can honestly tell them: I love Indy films. With Raiders of the Lost Ark making an IMAX debut in a few weeks, it seemed timely to look back on this beloved, iconic character and see what Indiana Jones and his adventures had to
- [Indiana Jones and the Religion of Doom](https://cinemagogue.com/2012/08/20/indiana-jones-and-the-religion-of-doom/) - In our first post looking at the Indiana Jones trilogy, we focused on the first film in chronological order (Temple of Doom) and how a shady, compromised, self-serving Indy got a little religion, a heart for enslaved children and a mindset beyond his own "fortune and glory". As we dive into Raiders of the Lost
- [Raiders of the Lost Gospel](https://cinemagogue.com/2012/08/22/raiders-of-the-lost-gospel/) - "May he who illuminated this... illuminate me" - Henry Jones, Sr. Looking at the adventures of Indiana Jones chronologically, we've seen him find religion at the Temple of Doom as he gains a heart for helping others. We've seen his religion of archeology slip a bit as he demonstrates a respectful fear for the saving power
- [Finally, Man on Fire](https://cinemagogue.com/2012/09/04/man-on-fire/) - Creasy: "Do you think God'll forgive us for what we've done?" Rayburn: "No." This exchange happens near the beginning of director Tony Scott's moving Man on Fire, a heavy but incredible film I had been putting off seeing (glad some friends got me to slow down and finally watch it). We're introduced to Denzel Washington's character Creasy,
- [Cinemagogue needs you](https://cinemagogue.com/2012/09/05/cinemagogue-needs-you/) - Where in the World is Cinemagogue going? "Remember; no matter where you go, there you are." - Buckaroo Banzai, Across the 8th Dimension Life and circumstances have impacted Film & Theology events and this website over the last 10 years, as it's been juggled amidst various seasons of busyness and strife. However, this year afforded
- [Film and Theology... NO MORE?](https://cinemagogue.com/2012/09/08/film-and-theology-no-more/) - A few years ago I transitioned from using the term Film and Theology for the various live, written and podcast versions of what we do here, changing the name to Cinemagogue. It seems this may have been prescient since using the term "film" may soon go the way of the dodo, similar to old folks
- [Remembering Stone's reflective WORLD TRADE CENTER](https://cinemagogue.com/2012/09/11/remembering-911-and-stones-reflective-world-trade-center/) - I remember thinking it was too soon... ...when I saw the trailer for Oliver Stone's World Trade Center back in 2006. Five years didn't seem like enough time, but that was mixed with my fear the film would be overly sensational, fraught with special effects that made an odd, unnecessary spectacle of something so fresh and
- [Former Saviors Now Stumble](https://cinemagogue.com/2012/09/24/former-saviors-stumble/) - At first glance, you might think they've done a fine job... look at an illustration by John Buscema realized in the form of James Purefoy, or a vintage Frank Frazetta drawing fleshed out by Taylor Kitsch. On a surface level, it might look like Solomon Kane and John Carter have been translated from their literary
- [Another visit to The Cabin in the Woods](https://cinemagogue.com/2012/09/18/another-visit-to-the-cabin-in-the-woods/) - The talented Joss Whedon has a lesser-known hit this year, overshadowed by his colossal success with The Avengers. Whedon co-wrote The Cabin in the Woods, out today on DVD and Blu-ray, offering commentary on the formula of horror and our desire to watch it. Film critic Christopher Orr puts it best in his review, explaining "the movie is a delightful
- [This movie fills you with DREDD](https://cinemagogue.com/2012/09/26/this-movie-fills-you-with-dredd/) - "...anger. And control. But there’s something else. Something behind the control…” I had little desire to see Dredd, which might surprise those who know my long-standing love of comic book material. Between the lackluster 1995 film with Sylvester Stallone and a completely off-putting trailer for the new film starring Karl Urban, I doubted it had
- [STIR UP THE GIFT: Encouragement for Storytellers](https://cinemagogue.com/2013/11/05/stir-up-the-gift-encouragement-for-storytellers/) - "For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God..." - 2 Timothy 1:6 What is the gift YOU'VE been given, what does that mean, and what part do we play in stirring, fanning, or nurturing the gift God has given us? And what does this have to do with Cinemagogue? For the last several
- [Unwrapping The Nightmare Before Christmas...](https://cinemagogue.com/2011/12/22/twas-the-nightmare-before-christmas/) - 'Twas a long time ago, longer now than it seems in a place perhaps you've seen in your dreams. For the story you're about to be told began with the holiday worlds of auld. Now you've probably wondered where holidays come from. If you haven't I'd say it's time you begun... In addition to one of the endless versions of A Christmas Carol, and endless showings of A Christmas Story, a tradition I and many other freaks and geeks (and otherwise normal people) keep each year is watching Disney's enchantingly odd story, Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas. This quirky tale of Halloween characters trying to take over the Yuletide has built up quite a following since it first sang out in 1993, with everything from music boxes to pajamas to Jack Skellington action figures rolling out each year as decorations and presents, sparking that now-frequent debate: is this a Halloween or a Christmas movie? (hint: the answer is in the title).
- [HULK smash… puny preconceptions and manipulated memories](https://cinemagogue.com/2008/06/20/hulk-smash…-puny-preconceptions-and-manipulated-memories/) - by James Harleman, Cinemagogue Editor-in-Chief "The first Hulk movie was a failure!" "The first one bombed at the box office!" "The previous movie didn’t have enough Hulk!" "The Hulk effects looked like crap!" "Ang Lee’s movie was depressing!" And so on… and so on… and so on. As The Incredible Hulk smashed into theaters June
- [It Is As It Was?](https://cinemagogue.com/2004/01/28/“it-is-as-it-was”/) - THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST directed by Mel Gibson Evocative. There has already been so much said regarding the production of Mel Gibson's film, the subsequent controversy it has evoked, and the cross-denominational support it has engendered. One could talk endlessly about any one of these subjects. However, the flurry of emotions preceding and running
- [Introspection First, Invasion Second](https://cinemagogue.com/2002/09/18/introspection-first-invasion-second/) - "M. Night Shyamalan's SIGNS" Starring Mel Gibson, Joaquin Phoenix, Cherry Jones, Rory Culkin, and Abigail Breslin Directed by M. Night Shyamalan Running Time: 107 minutes Released August 2, 2002 Rated PG-13 A crop circle appears in a field near Bucks, Pennsylvania, and the owner must cope with the repercussions this has on his family, and
- [On the 7th Day of (The Nightmare Before) Christmas...](https://cinemagogue.com/2011/12/31/on-the-7th-day-of-the-nightmare-before-christmas/) - ...my true love gave to me: HOPE and a HELPER SUITABLE. "My dearest friend, if you don't mind... I'd like to join you by your side..." The Nightmare Before Christmas stands fully unwrapped as we discuss the finale in our last part of this review (just joining us? Start HERE). The Pumpkin King of Halloweentown has had his world turned upside down, falling in love with Christmastown and yearning for that bright world, but going too far, rushing to recreate it without the proper equipping and thinking he could be be the master of Christmas instead of simply enjoying it forever.
- [On the 6th Day of (The Nightmare Before) Christmas...](https://cinemagogue.com/2011/12/29/on-the-6th-day-of-the-nightmare-before-christmas/) - ...my true love gave to me: UNCHANGEABLE NATURE? "What have I done? What have I done? How could I be so blind? All is lost, where was I? Spoiled all... spoiled all; everything's gone all wrong." Edward Scissorhands can't adapt to sunny suburbia and is exiled to his grey castle. Catwoman can't reconcile her issues and live happily every after in Batman Returns (and the sewer-raised circus freak Penguin just doesn't fit in the world above either, let alone Keaton's tormented Bruce Wayne). Sweeney Todd's inflexible darkness inevitably consumes everything he loves, and himself. A familiar theme in several of Tim Burton's films seems to be: you cannot change who you are. It's no wonder he's aiming next at the melancholy Dark Shadows.
- [On the 4th Day of (The Nightmare Before) Christmas...](https://cinemagogue.com/2011/12/27/on-the-4th-day-of-the-nightmare-before-christmas/) - ...my true love gave to me: SYSTEMATICS? "I've read these Christmas books so many times... I know the stories and I know the rhymes. I know the Christmas carols all by heart, My skull's so full, it's tearing me apart! As often as I've read them, something's wrong... So hard to put my bony finger on..." Jack Skellington can't see the forest for the Christmas trees. We've been unwrapping the narrative tapestry of Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas, and our fourth day finds Jack trying to unravel the nature of Christmas. He's trying to become the master of it, rather than simply receiving it as the wondrous gift that it is. His intentions may not be entirely wrong - he wants to explain and share it with others - but he finds applying the scientific method falls short of full explanation.
- [On the 2nd Day of (The Nightmare Before) Christmas...](https://cinemagogue.com/2011/12/24/on-the-2nd-day-of-the-nightmare-before-christmas/) - ...my true love gave to me: DISCOVERY! What's this? What's this? There's something very wrong What's this? There's people singing songs As we continue unwrapping The Nightmare before Christmas, we find a hearty recipe for sad Jack Skellington. Mix one part aimless wandering, a dash of sehnsucht wondering, stir with a skeleton-snatching snow flurry and you've got the ingredients for Jack's journey through a doorway to a world of light and laughter, peace and love. Transported from the grey, mundane streets and cemeteries of Halloweentown, the story's unsatisfied protagonist finds himself in a miraculous and life-altering change of address. Jack sings ecstatically:
- [On the 1st Day of (The Nightmare Before) Christmas...](https://cinemagogue.com/2011/12/23/on-the-1st-day-of-the-nightmare-before-christmas/) - ...my true love gave to me: DISCONTENT? "Oh, somewhere deep inside of these bones An emptiness began to grow There's something out there, far from my home A longing that I've never known..." Jack Skellington is sad. So sad. In The Nightmare Before Christmas, our skeletal main character is found depressed and lamenting, and why wouldn't he be? He's only... uh... the best he is at what he does, loved by all his peers and co-workers, adored by patchwork women, and almost everybody recognizes him as the guy in charge. Wait a minute: he's the Pumpkin KING, he's a rock star, he's the king of the world, head-liner at what seems to have been their very best Halloween ever: so what's wrong with this picture?
- [Pass the SALT...](https://cinemagogue.com/2010/08/04/3517/) - SALT is an enjoyable film, and though not on par with recent Bourne and Bond entries, it is a tight - if not plausible - thriller on par with the equally plot-holed but gripping TAKEN, along with some of the flavor of Harrison Ford's FUGITIVE remake. It's also commendable for giving us a trailer which
- [Voices, CARRIE](https://cinemagogue.com/2013/12/17/voices-carrie/) - - a review by James Harleman "We have become a taunt to our neighbors, mocked and derided by those around us. How long, O Lord? Will you be angry forever? Will your jealousy burn like fire?" - Psalm 79:4-5 Reviewer Ben McEachen already shared some great thoughts in his review of the 2013 version of
- [CARRIE Over](https://cinemagogue.com/2013/12/08/9790/) - review by Australian extraordinaire Ben McEachen "Carrie had some sort of power. But she was just like me... like any of you, she had hopes, she had fears, but we pushed her. And you can only push someone so far before they break." Go ahead. Groan. Roll your eyes. Sneer. Feel better now? You've made
- [MAN of Struggles, Son of STEEL](https://cinemagogue.com/2013/12/06/man-of-struggles-son-of-steel/) - Albeit a polarizing film for many, Man of Steel remains one of my favorite blockbusters of 2013. No, I don't think the fight went on too long at the end... it's the length I wanted this Superman/Darkseid fight to go on for in the fantastic, classic series Justice League Unlimited. (seriously, this scene is similar in many
- [IRON MAN THREE - A Stark Christmas Carol](https://cinemagogue.com/2013/11/14/iron-man-three-a-stark-christmas-carol/) - An anxiety-ridden Stark must deal with control issues in the third Iron Man film, the third installment in shell-head's franchise spun into a pulpy throwback thriller. Following a showing of the film, I was able to present on the movie's themes, captured here in this audio podcast. What's fascinating to explore is what director Shane Black
- [Tigers, Elephants, & A Slice of PI](https://cinemagogue.com/2013/12/04/tigers-elephants-and-a-slice-of-pi/) - by guest reviewer Andrew Thompson The Life of Pi is a stunning tale that takes us into the story of a young man adrift at sea with a Bengal tiger. It's not only a tale of survival, but a deeply spiritual story of the narrator’s faith through troubled waters. It's easy to dismiss this film
- [THOR 2, Marvel Musings, and Moonlighting](https://cinemagogue.com/2013/12/03/thor-2-marvel-musings-and-moonlighting/) - I planned to do a review of Thor: The Dark World (and will) but was asked to be part of a podcast over at Reel World Theology with my friend Mikey Fissel. What ensues runs the gamut from Thor to Iron Man, views of adapting comic properties, to the changing views of father between films
- [Katniss' Hunger and Peeta's Bread](https://cinemagogue.com/2012/04/09/katniss-hunger-and-peetas-bread/) - I promised a *spoiler-filled follow-up to the video review for The Hunger Games, as the ideas of identity and substitution can't be fully discussed without wrestling key elements of the plot for the first film and entire trilogy. So, for those who are already fully vested (or those who don't mind knowing how things end up after things start Catching Fire and the Mockingjay sings) count down from 10 and enter the arena below. Someone noted on our Youtube post that I shouldn't take the idea of Katniss' substitution as completely paralleling Christ's ultimate proxy, since Jesus substituted himself for the unworthy. Prim is presented as weak, but rather innocent, not a stranger or a sinner. The question, "would Katniss have offered herself in her sister's place had her sister committed some crime worthy of death?" is thought provoking, but obviously not the focus of Suzanne Collin's narrative arc for Katniss. (Maybe if she'd substituted herself for the mangy cat, Buttercup...) However, someone else in the series does sacrifice quite a bit, for a character whose worthiness is questionable.
- [Identity & Substitution in THE HUNGER GAMES](https://cinemagogue.com/2012/04/05/identity-substitution-in-the-hunger-games/) - "Hope, it is the only thing stronger than fear." They didn't get everything right. I know, I know, we were ALL disappointed with what Katniss was wearing at the opening ceremonies in the film adaptation of Suzanne Collins' New York Times Bestseller, The Hunger Games. The CGI fire just didn't do it justice, and Jennifer Lawrence looked like she was wearing a leftover stillsuit from Dune. Still, since my wife Kat and I read the trilogy just a month before the film came out, I still stand by the fact that it's one of the faithful adaptations of a book done, period. From the great casting (most notably Donald Sutherland and Woody Harrelson) to the deft line of bloody-yet-PG-13 violence, everything save for the costumes was superb. Since Cinemagogue's focus isn't really playing fashion police, however, we'll move on. Like peasants of Pan Em clued to the arena telecast, this film is dominating the box office and the hearts and minds of viewers and critics, and likely will win out over Good Friday and Easter weekend. I think this is appropriate, since the pivotal ideas of identity and substitution - proxy, tribute, sacrifice - play such key roles in the film, a little glimmer of what this holiday weekend is all about as Jesus offered himself in our place. Whether you've seen the film or read the book, you can check out this Spoiler-free video review. We'll follow up with a written review addressing other elements that can only be addressed by revealing key plot points. Watch on Youtube or using the browser below.
- [A HUNGER for more GAMES](https://cinemagogue.com/2012/10/17/a-hunger-for-more-games/) - "The World will be Watching" indeed. Now that The Hunger Games has invaded homes, Blu-ray players and more, fueling the upcoming sequel that will be Catching Fire November of 2013, it seemed appropriate to give it a deeper look than we were able to do in our spoiler-free video review. We also had a written
- [Experiencing PARANOIA with Liam Hemsworth](https://cinemagogue.com/2013/11/21/experiencing-paranoia-with-liam-hemsworth/) - Paranoia debuted on Blu-ray and DVD this week, as well as a variety of other formats. While not the sharpest thriller tool in the cinematic toolshed, the rivalry between characters Goddard and Wyatt - played by veterans Harrison Ford and Gary Oldman - still make this movie worth a view now that it's moved beyond
- [Stuck in Neutral? CRACKED on movies](https://cinemagogue.com/2013/11/12/stuck-in-neutral-movies-medication/) - If you've never heard of CRACKED.com, you don't know what you're missing. If you frequent CRACKED.com, shame on you:) Seriously, I stumbled upon one of their "After Hours" videos and, while there may be potentially offensive language and crass jokes peppered throughout the following video, it's well worth it to see how amazingly close these
- [WARM BODIES adds new life to undead](https://cinemagogue.com/2013/02/04/warm-bodies-adds-new-life-to-undead/) - "I don't want to be this way. I am lonely, I am lost." - R I hated Warm Bodies. Hated it with a passion. Then I actually read the book. This weekend I saw the film, and finally repented of my biased position. See, for years I had an idea rattling around in the back of my
- [The Titans' WRATH is watching this movie](https://cinemagogue.com/2012/04/15/the-titans-wrath-is-watching-this-movie/) - Here's a thankfully brief look at Wrath of the Titans, considering the real wrath you'll feel is the almost unbearable price of watching this movie. If push comes to shove and you really want fantasy/action, watch the "Clash" again instead, with comparably better direction and actors. Still, if you find yourself really bored or at the cheap theater in your neighborhood, however, there are a few points to chew on as Sam Worthington limps and flits across the ancient Greek CGI landscape. The film isn't sure what to do with the concepts of prayer, hanging the film's major problem on our lack of it yet depicting "gods" that aren't worthy of it either. Better yet, we find a the god of the underworld in a scene lamenting that there isn't any life after death. Yes, I'm serious. Less Iliad and Odyssey than idiots and audacity, Wrath of the Titans still winds up revealing some of our own culture's confusion with prayer, and our collective fear that the material existence is all there is. Watch on Youtube or using the browser below.
- [Monotony, Singleness, & Dating in SHAUN OF THE DEAD](https://cinemagogue.com/2007/02/21/the-monotony-singleness-and-dating-of-shaun-of-the-dead/) - Shaun of the Dead is a tremendously romantic movie... ...with blood. And zombies (oops, don't use the Zed word). The movie also inspires a lot of laughter... provided you're a little bit twisted. It's interesting to examine the phenomenon of the zombie in modern culture, along with little things like the apocalypse, survivalist horror, walking
- [On the 5th Day of (The Nightmare Before) Christmas...](https://cinemagogue.com/2011/12/28/on-the-5th-day-of-the-nightmare-before-christmas/) - ...my true love gave to me: SYNCRETIZATION "Making Christmas, making Christmas, Is so fine... It's ours this time!" Imagine you've been languishing in a grey world of despair since you can remember. Suddenly, your world is turned upside down, your heart filled with a joy it's never known before! You start trying to tell everyone you know - you can't help yourself, you're so exhilarated! - but all you get are confused looks or misunderstanding. They haven't seen it or felt it. You do your best to itemize, bullet-point, and break it down but you find there is a mystery and wonder to it that ultimately transcends rationale. You're suddenly inspired: emulate it! That will show the world. But then... but then it all goes so terribly wrong.
- [Fast & Furryous, Film & Theology](https://cinemagogue.com/2012/02/29/fast-furryous-film-theology/) - I grew up on Looney Tunes, but my favorite - by far - were the ones featuring the Wile E. Coyote and the Road Runner. Now that several decades have passed, having witnessed the 575th anvil fall on the head of poor Carnivorous Vulgarus and the 963rd rock crush his emaciated canine body, I had to ask myself: why do we like these Looney Tunes - and particularly this one - so much? Why has he endured (particularly with so many concussions and bodily trauma)? If you've never seen an episode, you can check out the classic "Fast and Furryous" (NOT a film with Vin Diesel) HERE.
- [The Devil You Know](https://cinemagogue.com/2003/07/28/the-devil-you-know/) - A review of "The Exorcist" by James Harleman Director - William Friedkin Writer - William Peter Blatty Ellen Burstyn - Chris MacNeil Max von Sydow - Father Merrin Jason Miller - Father Damien Karras Linda Blair - Regan MacNeil From a filmmaking perspective, the power of "The Exorcist", directed by William Friedkin and based on
- [Batman Vs. Superman...](https://cinemagogue.com/2008/01/16/batman-vs-superman/) - Transcending pulpy paper and kiddie-comics, these global cultural icons have invaded nearly every entertainment medium since the 30s, from radio programs to billion dollar films. As a younger man, I resonated with Batman and the underlying angst of the character. I never really "got" Superman until I was nearly 30. After I became a Christian,
- [GRAVITY from down under](https://cinemagogue.com/2013/10/10/gravity-down-under/) - It seems the new film by Alfonso Cuaron orbited into Australia's view before I could feel the GRAVITY of the hit film starring Sandra Bullock and George Clooney. Guest reviewer Ben McEachen gets the first pass of this film, to be followed by my review next week. - James Harleman Ryan Stone is in quite
- [NOW YOU SEE ME, Now I Review](https://cinemagogue.com/2013/09/24/now-you-see-me-now-i-review/) - "First rule of magic: always be the smartest person in the room." On my recent Australian whirlwind tour, I shared a pint with Ben McEachen, who has written for Empire magazine and works at a radio station in Sydney. I thought we'd add some flavour from down under to the Cinemagogue site, so here's his take on
- [Stark Contrast in Seattle - IRON MAN 3 September 27](https://cinemagogue.com/2013/09/19/stark-contrast-in-seattle-iron-man-3-september-27/) - I may have been traveling abroad teaching on gospel and culture, God's story and pop culture, and doing film and theology events for Elysium, Wreck-it Ralph, and Paranoia, but ultimately my heart belongs to the Pacific Northwest. For those who've been hoping for another Film and Theology event in my hometown, I haven't forgotten you!
- [Australian Whirlwind Tour](https://cinemagogue.com/2013/09/05/australian-whirlwind/) - It's been a crazy couple of weeks for the CinemaGuy. When Mark Glenn - pastor of The Fields Church in Bowral, Australia - and I started dreaming about a Cinemagogue trip down under, I don't think I truly believed it would happen. Two weeks later I've had the chance to speak seven times in various
- [Our Ticket to ELYSIUM](https://cinemagogue.com/2013/08/28/our-ticket-to-elysium/) - "But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior..." - Philippians 3:20 My first thought sitting in the glow of credits following Elysium's gripping climax? Well, that'll preach. Neill Blomkamp's latest science fiction entry may not be as curious or fresh as 2009's District 9, but it offers intriguing themes to explore that aren't
- [Sharp Claws & Harm... an ode to THE WOLVERINE](https://cinemagogue.com/2013/08/19/sharp-claws-harm/) - NOTE: Wolverine stabs a LOT of people. Just go back and watch X2, or read any number of Wolverine comics. However, as the new film opens, The Wolverine has given up his life of howling and claw-popping. "That's not who I am anymore," he insists. Of course, by Act 2 of the new flick he's
- [THE WOLVERINE - There Can Be Only One](https://cinemagogue.com/2013/08/16/the-wolverine-there-can-be-only-one/) - "Nothing is without meaning." - Mariko Hugh Jackman and James Mangold have finally given us The Wolverine solo movie we wanted four years ago. Although not a perfect film, it's a far cry (or gutteral growl) from the Origins flick most fans merely endured, rolling their eyes and lamenting the muting of Deadpool. Working with
- [FAST friends, or FURIOUS Precision?](https://cinemagogue.com/2013/06/07/fast-friends-or-furious-precision/) - "Father, thank you for the gathering of friends..." - Roman, Furious 6 The fact that this movie ends with a prayer is kind of cute, but ultimately ridiculous. However, Fast and Furious 6 is pretty much all about ridiculous, from the raucous "tank chase with mid-air overpass rescue" and the "cars taking down a cargo
- [Classic Prejudices Coupled with Pride](https://cinemagogue.com/2007/11/07/classic-prejudices-and-pride/) - Sparks fly when spirited Elizabeth Bennet meets single, rich, and proud Mr. Darcy. But Mr. Darcy reluctantly finds himself falling in love with a woman beneath his class. Can each overcome their own pride and prejudice? Jane Austen's classic novel Pride and Prejudice comes alive in the film starring Kiera Knightley. This audio exploration of the
- [PRIDE & PREJUDICE transcends centuries](https://cinemagogue.com/2013/02/01/pride-prejudice-transcends-centuries/) - "I've been so blind..." The final days of January marked 200 years since the publishing of Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen, in 1813. Lots of websites, magazines, and even CNN made note of the 200th birthday of this enduring story some would call the mother of all rom-coms. However, although the surface formula has
- [New KIRKS Judged by Old KHANS](https://cinemagogue.com/2013/06/03/new-kirks-judged-by-old-khans/) - Star Trek Into Darkness has debuted to positive reviews, and while it may not have boldly gone where no domestic revenue markers have gone before, it's continuing to perform admirably. Set phasers on thoughtful for this SPOILER-HEAVY yet "fascinating" review by guest Jeremiah Lawson. It's practically impossible to keep from comparing this second film in
- [People that shape IRON MAN: three](https://cinemagogue.com/2013/05/11/people-that-shape-iron-man-three/) - As covered in our first two posts, Tony Stark is fraught with anxiety: he's worked to reconcile his past and toils on a legacy for the future, but can't rest in today. His misplaced identity is further confused by two ghosts from his past who come back to haunt him... but thankfully these are outnumbered
- [Add More IRON to Your Diet](https://cinemagogue.com/2013/04/30/add-more-iron-to-your-diet/) - "SUIT UP!" - Barney Stinson, How I Met Your Mother You can add ACDC's "Back in Black" to your playlist and get into a groove for the next rocking Iron Man film. Hopefully Iron Man 3 blows away our expectations even more than the trailer blows up Tony's palatial home. You can always pre-funk with
- [IRON MAN: well-suited for sequel](https://cinemagogue.com/2010/05/12/iron-man-well-suited-for-sequel/) - BIG plans for Tony Stark: this first video review of Iron Man 2 (below) is just a taste of what's to come at Cinemagogue. As an avid comic book reader since the 70s, it's been fascinating to watch a former second-stringer like Tony Stark rocket his way to pop culture Iron icon status. We owe thanks
- [Iron Clad, Full-bodied Review...](https://cinemagogue.com/2009/01/07/iron-clad-full-bodied-review/) - 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.
- [IRON MAN 2: The Legacy of Howard Stark](https://cinemagogue.com/2010/05/19/iron-man-2-the-legacy-of-howard-stark/) - All I can give you is my knowledge. – Howard Stark From the opening, smirking speech Tony delivers at the beginning of Iron Man 2 to old newsreel footage of the impetuous Stark's very 50s father, "legacy" is a key theme of the film (as mentioned in our inaugural video review). What kind of legacy are
- [Riddle me this, IRON MAN 2](https://cinemagogue.com/2010/05/31/riddle-me-this-iron-man-2/) - "You can solve the riddle of your heart." - Nick Fury We've discussed Iron Man 2's three major themes, and looked at the legacy of Howard Stark in previous posts, but I didn't want to miss this little nugget. It's not simply convenient that Iron Man's heart is a focal point of this enduring comic book
- [Iron Man's midlife crisis makes audiences cheer while fans soil themselves with glee](https://cinemagogue.com/2008/05/07/iron-mans-midlife-crisis-makes-audiences-cheer-while-fans-soil-themselves-with-glee/) - A review of IRON MAN (PG-13) by James Harleman (for an exploratory audio review of the film taught before a live audience, click HERE). I sat through Black Sabbath's classic "Iron Man" tune, watching the film's techno-credits dazzle until the familiar scroll kicked in. The friends who'd accompanied me and sat through the two-hour rocket
- [Removing the blinders from our OBLIVION](https://cinemagogue.com/2013/04/23/removing-the-blinders-from-our-oblivion/) - "Are you an effective team?" You get up, you brush your teeth, you do your job. You come home to a loving companion, have a good meal, and sleep well because you have a promising future in a brand new place right around the corner. And yet... something isn't right with the world. You can't
- [Why SUPERMAN still looks good at 75 years old...](https://cinemagogue.com/2013/04/18/why-superman-still-looks-good-at-75-years-old/) - (Honestly, I don't think Clark looks a day over 30.) Although there are a great number of combinant cultural factors why Superman has endured 75 years, celebrating his birthday today and waiting breathlessly for the upcoming Man of Steel film this summer, I think the deepest secret of his longevity is how obvious a parallel his story structure shares
- [WWE and Theology](https://cinemagogue.com/2013/04/13/wwe-and-theology/) - "Greatness is never given: it is earned. So you work harder, dream bigger... chase, capture, and conquer history." - John Cena, Wrestlemania 29 Legacy and redemption: these were the themes that emerged as catalyst and conflict for Wrestlemania 29, as Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson faced - and lost - to John Cena in the Pay-Per-View
- [Pacific Northwest Cinemagogue Conference](https://cinemagogue.com/2013/03/30/pacific-northwest-cinemagogue-conference/) - It's my hope that, eventually, you stop listening to me. Encouraging feedback from pastors, filmmakers, students and homemakers has provided some of the most potent fuel to keep the fires burning at Cinemagogue. What especially gets me thrilled is when I hear stories of replication: stories of others using story as a springboard to conversation
- [Goodbye to an inspiration](https://cinemagogue.com/2013/04/04/goodbye-to-an-inspiration/) - Roger Ebert understood the power of story. Before the internet had tubes, before Apple Trailers and Facebook, DVRs and XBox Live... before all the ways we can access movies and movie trailers... and before Metacritic and Rotten Tomatoes aggregated what reviewers and viewers were saying, the single best source I had growing up for a
- [On this Dark Knight, the Jokes on Harvey Dent...](https://cinemagogue.com/2009/02/06/the-jokes-on-harvey-dent/) - 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
- [LAW Miserables](https://cinemagogue.com/2013/01/14/law-miserables/) - And must I now begin to doubt, Who never doubted all those years? My heart is stone, and still it trembles. The world I have known is lost in shadow. It's been years since I revisited the story of Jean Valjean and Les Miserables, so whether you liked this particular version of the musical and
- [Les Miserables: a Life Worth Living](https://cinemagogue.com/2013/04/02/les-miserables-a-life-worth-living/) - In our first review of Les Miserables, we focused on the clash between Javert and Valjean, between law and grace. We didn't touch on Fantine's part in the tale, and now that Anne Hatheway took home a Best Supporting Oscar (and we all can take home the film on Blu-ray and DVD) it's time we
- [OZ: Chasing Greatness at the Expense of Goodness](https://cinemagogue.com/2013/03/28/chasing-greatness-lacking-goodness/) - "Aren't you the great man we've been waiting for?" There's very little violence in The Wizard of Oz. Colin Stokes pointed this out in an interesting Ted talk that's worth a watch. Instead of the typical "hero's quest" wherein a lone protagonist vanquishes all evil by himself (or with one sidekick) with violence and then gets a reward (and
- [Are you following THE FOLLOWING?](https://cinemagogue.com/2013/03/25/are-you-following-the-following/) - "My masterpiece will be finished soon. I can’t wait for you to read it." - Joe Carroll Over 20 million people turned out to watch The Following, the gritty drama where we discover a serial killer has used his potent powers of persuasion to produce a pervasive cult-like group that is carrying out his grand
- [The Truth About Being Fantastic  ](https://cinemagogue.com/2012/10/01/the-truth-about-being-fantastic/) - - by guest contributor John Michael Trowbridge “Who am I Kylie... Why a fox? Why not a horse, or a beetle, or a bald eagle? I'm saying this more as, like, existentialism, you know? Who am I?” A fantastically put question of a fantastic Fox in a fantastic movie. The Fantastic Mr. Fox is not just a
- [Starting, Sans Kick](https://cinemagogue.com/2012/10/06/starting-sans-kick/) - It's been a fun and exciting month with out Kickstarter initiative, seeing old and new faces coming along to support the book and continuance of Cinemagogue. We received well over 10K in pledges and some fantastic encouragement from those backers and others. Using the external platform allowed us to meet some new faces, have more
- [THE CROW: The Awfulness of Goodness](https://cinemagogue.com/2012/11/02/the-crow-the-awfulness-of-goodness/) - Every year my wife and I watch Alex Proyas' film adaptation of The Crow on October 30th, "Devil's Night", which also happens to be our anniversary. This year, however, the tragic supernatural revenge flick had something more profound to say to my heart. Anguish and loss It's not as if the film lacked resonance up
- [WRECKreation or REcreation?](https://cinemagogue.com/2012/12/22/wreckreation-or-recreation/) - Last week, our book on engaging story, movies, image-bearing and our Creator published and is available here and on Amazon.com in print and Kindle editions. We'll be posting an excerpt from each chapter to give a little taste of what you can expect (to start with the chapter one excerpt, click here). Act 3: WRECKreation… or REcreation? or “cracked clown mirrors reflecting His
- [Redefining Entertainment](https://cinemagogue.com/2012/12/21/redefining-entertainment/) - Last week, our book on engaging story, movies, image-bearing and our Creator published and is available here and on Amazon.com in print and Kindle editions. We'll be posting an excerpt from each chapter to give a little taste of what you can expect (to start with the chapter one excerpt, click here). Act 2: Redefining Entertainment or “how ‘mindless’ is just code for not
- [How I learned to stop worrying and love the redundancy...](https://cinemagogue.com/2012/12/23/redundancy/) - Last week, our book on engaging story, movies, image-bearing and our Creator published and is available here and on Amazon.com in print and Kindle editions. We'll be posting an excerpt from each chapter to give a little taste of what you can expect (to start with the chapter one excerpt, click here). Act 2: A Tale of Two Stories or “how I stopped learned to
- [Networking, Socially](https://cinemagogue.com/2012/12/24/networking-socially/) - Chapter 5 of our recently published book is titled The Proof is in the Praxis (or "a little less conversation, a little more action please"). This middle chapter features over a dozen examples of examining film from the Cinemagogue perspective, and this is one of them. The book is available here and on Amazon.com in print and Kindle editions. We're posting an excerpt
- [Soiling Yourself, part one](https://cinemagogue.com/2012/12/26/soiling-yourself-part-one/) - Last week, our book on engaging story, movies, image-bearing and our Creator published and is available here and on Amazon.com in print and Kindle editions. We'll be posting an excerpt from each chapter to give a little taste of what you can expect (to start with the chapter one excerpt, click here). Act VI: A Word on Soiling Yourself, Part One - getting your
- [Soiling Yourself, part two](https://cinemagogue.com/2012/12/27/soiling-yourself-part-two/) - Last week, our book on engaging story and movies, on image-bearing and our Creator, published! It's available here and on Amazon.com in print and Kindle editions. We'll be posting an excerpt from each chapter to give a little taste of what you can expect (to start with the chapter one excerpt, click here). Act VII: A Word on Soiling Yourself, part two: in flagrante on
- [Top 10 movies of 2012](https://cinemagogue.com/2012/12/31/top-10-movies-of-2012/) - Nobody's perfect, art involves subjectivity, and everybody has bias. That being said, Cinemagogue's primary reviewer has seen over 60 new releases in 2012 and we thought we'd end the year with James Harleman's top 10, as well as a few other notable mentions. Many of them have reviews attached. First we'll look at 10 that
- [Anticipation 2013: Thinking Forward](https://cinemagogue.com/2013/01/07/anticipation2013/) - Most days Cinemagogue is reviewing films that have come out. Today we wanted to look forward and get the mental gears turning for 2013. There are a host of films set to come out boasting incredible themes about our view of savior, the supernatural, our pride, and more. In fact, if you look from winter
- [WRECK-IT RALPH is a game-changer](https://cinemagogue.com/2012/11/12/wreck-it-ralph-is-a-game-changer/) - Some of the most interesting narrative notes in the movie Wreck-It Ralph aren't possible to discuss without racing into spoiler territory, which is why we left them out of our initial video review and focused on the themes of changing ourselves, self-seeking, and true transformation. However, if you're looking for a few more important facets to reflect
- [Breaking Bergman's THE SILENCE](https://cinemagogue.com/2012/11/14/breaking-bergmans-the-silence/) - (No, this isn't about alien villains from Doctor Who. It IS a great examination of the 1963 Bergman film by guest reviewer Rob Martin!) As she travels home by way of train, terminally ill Ester, along with her sister Anna and nephew Johan, takes a rest in imagined Timoka, a Central European town draped in
- [Breaking Down the BREAKING DAWN...](https://cinemagogue.com/2012/11/19/breaking-down-the-breaking-dawn/) - Edward. Stefan. Selene. Angel. Nicholas. Lestat. Barnabas. Dracula. Carmilla. LATHER (bite)... RINSE (suck)... REPEAT. The Oxford English Dictionary records the first idea of the vampire in 1734, although a similar concept shows up in Germany almost a decade earlier. Coming out of Balkan legends in Eastern Europe, the vampire is an old fiction, and even in
- [Life and Legacy in LOOPER](https://cinemagogue.com/2012/11/28/circle-and-cycle-in-looper/) - "We both know how this has got to go down..." In addition to great acting, effects, and story concepts, Looper provides some moral conundrums and mind-bending solutions that invite conversation. And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.”’ But God said
- [TED on arrival](https://cinemagogue.com/2012/11/21/ted-on-arrival/) - a review from across the pond by Mr. Gareth C. Evans (TED is available for purchase on Blu-ray and DVD). It was inevitable that Seth MacFarlane would eventually break into the movies. With Family Guy episodes currently at least one miss for every hit and rumours that the series is nearing the end of its tenure, MacFarlane’s
- [Happy Endings: Fantasy or Reality Check?](https://cinemagogue.com/2012/11/30/happy-endings-fantasy-or-reality-check/) - Does life itself have a resolve? Spielberg's assertions, accusations against Tolkien, Humpty Dumpty's fall and Bryan Mill chasing after his Taken daughter all turn up in this excerpt from my friend and colleague Tim Schaaf's teaching last week. I asked if I could post this excerpt as his point about fiction, our lives, the misconception
- [That Damned Protagonist: Hell Is For Raimi’s Heroes.  ](https://cinemagogue.com/2012/12/10/that-damned-protagonist-hell-is-for-raimis-heroes/) - Review by Gareth Evans Christine Brown has an opportunity. She lives a callow and unfulfilled life, stuck with a seemingly dead-end job in a bank and a successful boyfriend whose parents don’t want her in his life (lest she embarrass him at the next tennis social). Now, there's an assistant manager position available for someone
- [Upside down FLIGHT](https://cinemagogue.com/2012/12/19/upside-down-flight/) - It's always Act 3 when the misunderstood, flawed-but-redeemable protagonist saves the day, right? We think we know the formula backward and forward, whether it's Tony Stark or Indiana Jones, John McClane or John Creasy. Despite the vices and hubris, the lives they've damaged emotionally or physically, the mixed motivations they have throughout the story, we
- [The Flash-Sideways Oscars](https://cinemagogue.com/2010/03/11/the-flash-sideways-oscars/) - We all know that Avatar got stuffed into The Hurt Locker at the 2010 Academy Awards, a “David-beats-Goliath” victory, with the added spice of knowing that Avatar director James Cameron divorced Hurt Locker’s Director Kathryn Bigelow about the same time he decided he was the King of the World. She obviously gets custody of this
- [Horror, Gore, Fear & the Christian...](https://cinemagogue.com/2007/11/21/horror-gore-fear-and-the-christian/) - A lot of Christians I know love science fiction. Even more like tales of the heroic - comic book heroes or action figures fighting for justice on a big screen. That's not to suggest that a lot of Christians I know don't love drama, the low-budget indie, or comedy... though what's appropriate in comedy is
- [D is the only thing silent in DJANGO](https://cinemagogue.com/2013/01/15/d-is-the-only-thing-silent-in-django/) - Albeit controversial, I didn't find overall that Django Unchained glorified the wrong things. In fact, its rather honest portrayal of man's inhumanity to man may be a provocative way to fuel conversations about whether or not we are any "better" today. Furthermore, although the climax of the film might not be something we should hope
- [Dating the Dead pt. 3: DAY](https://cinemagogue.com/2013/02/08/dating-the-dead-pt-3-day/) - by guest reviewer Diana Taibi Continuing our look at Romero's genre-defining zombie films, we find ourselves sunny side up in 1985... (review includes spoilers) Day of the Dead In Day of the Dead, the zombie plague has reached its peak. The cities are deserted and the zombies are withering because there are no people left
- [Dating the Dead pt. 2: DAWN](https://cinemagogue.com/2013/02/07/dating-the-dead-pt-2-dawn/) - by guest reviewer Diana Taibi Continuing our look at Romero's genre-defining zombie films, we find ourselves shambling into the light with his second entry in 1978... (review includes spoilers) Dawn of the Dead As Romero's sequel begins, the zombie epidemic is at crisis levels, and cities are being overrun. A small group (a pilot, his reporter
- [Dating the Dead pt. 1: NIGHT](https://cinemagogue.com/2013/02/06/dating-the-dead-pt-1-night/) - By guest reviewer Diana Taibi January is the new October: that season when you can’t get away from horror films. Over the past few years, zombies have become particularly in style, which has thrilled me. Well, in many cases it has, while in others it has been disappointing. Oddly, two of the greatest disappointments were
- [ESCAPE FROM PLANET EARTH orbits familiar themes](https://cinemagogue.com/2013/02/15/escape-from-planet-earth-orbits-familiar-theme/) - "I'm the brains and you're the brawn." - Gary Supernova Two alien brothers - one glory-seeking and fairly oblivious, feeding on the adulation of his fans, the other a behind-the-scenes guy and family man (who really provides the brains for their operations) find themselves on "The Dark Planet". It's the most dangerous place in the
- [Dating the Dead pt. 4: LAND](https://cinemagogue.com/2013/02/09/dating-the-dead-pt-4-land/) - by guest reviewer Diana Taibi Continuing our look at Romero's genre-defining zombie films that began here , we find ourselves landing in the fourth installment...(review includes spoilers) Land of the Dead Society has reformed to resume a semblance of normal life despite the surrounding zombie threat. The wealthy live inside a safe haven called Fiddler’s Green with
- [Bringing THE WALKING DEAD to life](https://cinemagogue.com/2013/02/11/bringing-the-walking-dead-to-life/) - Live. Die. Keep going. Why? I'm biased. I've been into The Walking Dead for over a decade, having picked up the first issue of the comic book in 2003 and following the travels of Rick Grimes, his family, and various survivors in a zombie apocalypse. The first issue came out roughly the same time as
- [Redundancy, Rebellion, and Staplers...](https://cinemagogue.com/2008/04/09/redundancy-rebellion-and-staplers/) - Whether you cross decades or cross the pond, you can find shared shenanigans, duplicated drudgery, synchronized self-absorption, and facsimilied foolishness. Office politics and the cubicle life play themselves out in some amazing comedies which don't try to hide that they're dipping in the same office pool. From Peter to Tim to Jim, we feel a
- [You Can't Stop What's Coming...](https://cinemagogue.com/2008/05/20/you-cant-stop-whats-coming/) - The COEN BROTHERS adapted Cormac McCarthy’s novel into this film of the same name, After writing No Country in 2005, the 75 year old McCarthy has won a Pulitzer Prize for his novel “The Road” in 2006, once again exploring his familiar themes of extreme isolation, perversity, and violence to represent normal human experience. The
- [Caspian 2: Lewis Boogaloo](https://cinemagogue.com/2008/07/16/caspian-2-lewis-boogaloo/) - The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian review by Caitlyn Stark Rated PG How many times have we not been able to wait on the perfect timing of the One who loves us? Cinemagogue reviewer Aaron Webb had another perspective on Prince Caspian, but family film reviewer Caitlyn Stark provides her own thoughts: Prince Caspian is
- [Is the Prince REALLY on the Throne?](https://cinemagogue.com/2008/06/26/is-the-prince-on-the-throne/) - The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian Rated PG Reviewed by Aaron Webb The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian is the second in the motion picture fantasy franchise created from the books by C.S. Lewis. The story recounts the adventures of the four Pevensie children, Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy, as they re-enter Narnia to help
- [As You Wish: THE PRINCESS BRIDE](https://cinemagogue.com/2012/02/16/as-you-wish-the-princess-bride/) - I asked our readers what I should watch (and review) for Valentine's Day, and The Princess Bride was suggested. Some people in my college dorm watched the film back in 1991 ad nauseum and put a bad taste in my mouth for this 1987 Rob Reiner movie, but the reality remains that the fanciful film is an enduring classic for men and women, boys and girls of all ages in all ages. Examining the narrative, is it any wonder why? "It was the book my father used to read to me when I was sick, and I used to read it to your father. And today I'm gonna read it to you." As the story opens with a jaded, video-game playing grandson irritated by his grandpa's visit, the romantic notion that there is a story told by father to son, generation to generation, one being passed down that is about "true love" either makes us roll our eyes or warms our heart. Would that there might be a story worth teaching "diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise" - Deuteronomy 6. Maybe it might even be a story that, as the grandfather promises, contains "fighting, torture, revenge, giants, monsters, chases, escapes, true love, miracles..."
- [I predict... disappointment.](https://cinemagogue.com/2007/03/19/i-predict-disappointment/) - Premonition Director: Mennan Yapo Cast: Sandra Bullock, Julian McMahon TriStar Pictures, 2007 Rated: PG-13 According to Webster's Dictionary, a premonition is "previous notice or advance warning". If only Sandra Bullock had received such notice before signing on to star in this Jenga-like movie that crumples under its own internal logic. Better yet, if only I'd
- [Are you Lonely Tonight, Mister?](https://cinemagogue.com/2008/07/06/are-you-lonely-tonight-mister/) - MISTER LONELY review by Zach Malm Starring Diego Luna, Samantha Morton, Denis Lavant and Werner Herzog Directed by Harmony Korine It’s been at least a month since I saw Harmony Korine’s latest film, Mister Lonely, and I can’t get it out of my head. It’s an odd, poetic, surprising work, and yet it still manages
- [The Payne is in the Watching](https://cinemagogue.com/2008/10/26/the-payne-is-in-the-watching/) - Review of MAX PAYNE by Elliot Strong starring Mark Wahlberg, Mila Kunis directed by John Moore Rated PG-13 for violence, language, disturbing images First off, let me get one item of business out of the way: I have never played the titular Max Payne video game. While the advertisements made it look cool (albeit
- [Getting LOST & our hero Shepherd](https://cinemagogue.com/2010/05/26/getting-lost-our-hero-shepherd/) - People seem as polarized as Jack and Locke (or Jacob and Smokey) when it comes to the season finale of LOST... and perhaps that's appropriate. In this spoiler-laden video review, I'm happy to admit I fall on the satisfied side. From purgatory to redemption, the conclusion's supernatural summation leaves as many questions as it does
- [Last Exorcism Botches & Blairs (witch, not Linda)](https://cinemagogue.com/2010/09/17/last-exorcism-botches-blairs-witch-not-linda/) - Whether you’ve grown tired or more intrigued by the faux-documentaries of late (popularized and polarized by The Blair Witch Project and continuing with films like Cloverfield and [REC] or the American Quarantine) The Last Exorcism starts with a promising first act and I’d recommend the first half hour be required viewing for pastors. Sadly, the second
- [KNOWING is half the battle...](https://cinemagogue.com/2009/04/29/knowing-is-half-the-battle/) - Hello. My name is James Harleman, and I'm a Cage-aholic. I thought I'd given up on the Nicolas for good, but last week I fell off the wagon and watched his latest film, KNOWING. A friend invited me, and I couldn't resist... and you know what? I'm not sorry. I used to have it BAD.
- [Review of KNOWING part 3: CHOSEN](https://cinemagogue.com/2009/05/22/review-of-knowing-part-three-chosen/) - "Many are called, but few are chosen" - Jesus, Matthew 22 "He said only the chosen must go, those who have heard the call." - Caleb Koestler, KNOWING (For the introduction to our series on KNOWING, click here) A buried page of numbers reveals that the world is determined, plotted and planned and calculated and destined
- [Does this movie KICK-ASS?](https://cinemagogue.com/2010/04/23/does-this-movie-kick-ass/) - If someone told me it was possible to make a movie that was part Watchmen, part Superbad, and part Tarantino film, I'd have said they were more deranged than Rorschach. However, although the most tonally-eclectic film I have ever seen, Kick-Ass works artistically... and despite the controversial R-rated content, the film (written by Catholic comic
- [Marvel's Second Hulk Transformation is SMASHING...](https://cinemagogue.com/2008/06/14/marvels-second-hulk-transformation-is-smashing/) - A Review of The Incredible Hulk (audio featured after written review below) Starring Ed Norton, Liv Tyler, and William Hurt Directed by Louis Letterier I can remember my Dad racing home furiously in our Volkswagen Beetle, hoping to drop us in front of the television before the pilot for the 1970s Incredible Hulk began. We
- [A Sleeper Hit](https://cinemagogue.com/2002/07/28/a-sleeper-hit/) - A review of "INSOMNIA" by James Harleman - Starring Al Pacino and Robin Williams - Directed by Christopher Nolan - 1 hour 58 minutes, rated R The previews make it appear fairly simple; Al Pacino plays grizzled veteran L.A. cop, Frank Dormer, sent with his partner up to the frigid north of Alaska to assist local
- [INCEPTION, Reformed (for the last time)](https://cinemagogue.com/2010/10/21/inception-reformed-for-the-last-time/) - What do filmmaker Christopher Nolan and Puritan Preacher Jonathan Edwards have in common? I know we've been hammering on Inception for what seems like a lifetime (or we might be dreaming within a dream, and it's only been minutes!) and I'll have to go on and review some of the year's other offerings eventually... you
- [(INCEPTION) "This is the really REAL world..." ](https://cinemagogue.com/2010/09/21/inception-this-is-the-really-real-world/) - "... there ain't no comin' back!" - a babbling T-Bird, from The Crow (this is part of a series on Inception with increasing SPOILERS - start with the spoiler-free intro here.) Inception deals with the limitations of our subjective stance - as creatures, not Creator - and even as Cobb's team puts together dreams, architecting -
- [Waking from INCEPTION](https://cinemagogue.com/2010/08/24/waking-from-inception/) - "What's the most resilient parasite? An Idea. A single idea from the human mind can build cities. An idea can transform the world and rewrite all the rules." What is Christopher Nolan REALLY trying to tell us with his arguable masterpiece of cinema that made the box office wake up with a start this summer?
- ["True Inspiration" versus INCEPTION - does it exist?](https://cinemagogue.com/2010/10/08/true-inspiration-versus-inception-does-it-exist/) - "True inspiration is impossible to fake." In Christopher Nolan's incredible Inception, the notion is posited that planting an idea may not be possible because the mind will recognize it's "inception" as foreign. One might easily take away that inception is something external whereas "true" inspiration is internal. Some might miss the obvious question: what is
- [Subjecting yourself to INCEPTION...](https://cinemagogue.com/2010/09/10/subjecting-yourself-to-inception/) - "Our dreams, they feel real while we're in them right? Its only when we wake up then we realize that something was actually strange!" - Cobb, from Inception "...most recent philosophers, since the Critique of Pure Reason by Immanuel Kant, have concluded that scientific knowledge is systematic knowledge of the nature of existing things as
- [Re-enchantment with the World of Hellboy](https://cinemagogue.com/2008/11/16/re-enchantment-with-the-world-of-hellboy/) - HELLBOY II: THE GOLDEN ARMY by Diana Taibi starring Ron Perlman and Selma Blair directed by Guillermo del Toro Rated PG-13 "The movie's in theme is... in favor of saying, the most mundane things, the most mundane concerns, are destroying beauty, and they're destroying spirituality, and they're destroying ideas, and they're destroying magic... It's a
- [How to Train your Content](https://cinemagogue.com/2010/04/21/how-to-train-your-content/) - Things have really taken off with Cinemagogue, from increasing emails to a a few interviews culminating in articles to more connections with writers, pastors and filmmakers. The Mars Hill blog began promoting film and theology events where we capture the audio, and I started blogging for The Resurgence using video. The embedded review of How
- [Why I am afraid of HOUSE...](https://cinemagogue.com/2010/09/30/why-i-am-afraid-of-house/) - My wife and I knew Hugh Laurie as a gullible Prince Regent from Black Adder and the foppish man-boy from Jeeves and Wooster long before he embraced his inner curmudgeon and ditched his accent to play doctor as Gregory House, M.D. for six seasons of FOX's hit show. I'll probably break down and pull up
- [More than Meets the Eye... and Ear](https://cinemagogue.com/2008/02/13/more-than-meets-the-eye-and-ear/) - Anyone who's perused this site and added up the number of posts knows that I'm a Transformers fan. I mean come ON, I was an eleven year old boy when they debuted; it was inevitable. So... welcome to the gateway of all things Transformer. Whether it's commentary on the fatherly nature of Optimus Prime, musings about
- [The Knight is Darker, but Viewer will Endure](https://cinemagogue.com/2008/07/19/the-knight-is-darker-but-viewer-will-endure/) - If anyone still thought you could still say "comic book movie" and that the phrase implied a certain sensibility, style, or genre, The Dark Knight has driven the final nail into that cliche-coffin.
- [New Birth, Blue Birth in AVATAR](https://cinemagogue.com/2010/03/03/new-birth-blue-birth-in-avatar/) - "Every person is born twice. The second time is when you earn your place among the people forever." - Avatar (click here for the introduction to our series on Avatar) Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but
- [DeprAVATAR of man](https://cinemagogue.com/2010/02/25/depravatar-of-man/) - The human race sucks. Seriously, if there's one thing James Cameron and John Calvin might agree on, it's the depravity of man. The pivotal scene in Avatar, where Colonel Quaritch fiddles with his coffee while Hometree burns, best exemplifies this notion. In fact, the humans who aren't worthless sacks of flesh in Avatar can be counted on your
- [AVATAR: Creation, shortsighted pt 2](https://cinemagogue.com/2010/02/19/avatar-creation-shortsighted-pt-2/) - For the first part on AVATAR: Creation, click here or follow the link for the introduction to AVATAR.. But ask the beasts, and they will teach you; the birds of the heavens, and they will tell you; or the bushes of the earth, and they will teach you; and the fish of the sea will
- [The Great Divorce in AVATAR](https://cinemagogue.com/2010/02/23/avatar-the-great-divorce/) - For introduction to our Avatar review thread from the beginning, click here. “You’re not in Kansas anymore. You’re on Pandora, ladies and gentlemen. Respect that fact, every second of every day. If there is a hell — you might want to go there for some R & R, after a tour on Pandora. Out there
- [AVATAR: Creation, Shortsighted pt 1](https://cinemagogue.com/2010/02/19/avatar-creation-shortsighted-pt-1/) - In my introductory post on AVATAR, it was mentioned that some moviegoers are reportedly "suffering from “Avatar blues”, surrounded by the glorious 3-D world James Cameron and a team of visionaries designed as a feast for the senses and leaving with a reality-crashing sense of dissatisfaction and loss. One online forum administrator is quoted as
- [Whispers Through my GRAN TORINO](https://cinemagogue.com/2009/11/06/whispers-through-my-gran-torino/) - For an actor with many "defining" roles to his name, this is one of his greatest. Disgruntled Korean War vet Walt Kowalski finds himself working to reform his neighbor, a young Hmong teenager, who tries to steal his prized possession: a 1972 Gran Torino. What seems like a simple story deftly touches on many cultural issues and ends with a timeless, resonant conclusion. The audio exploration below contains spoilers and assumes you’ve seen the film as we look deeper into the timeless truths and applicability.
- [The Fall in Winter](https://cinemagogue.com/2009/01/15/the-fall-in-winter/) - 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
- [Religulous gets Expelled?](https://cinemagogue.com/2009/03/29/religulous-gets-expelled/) - 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
- [The Worldview of an ELF (via Will Ferrell)](https://cinemagogue.com/2010/12/17/the-worldview-of-an-elf-via-will-ferrell/) - A special son raised in a Christmas paradise is sent south to a much harsher world where he sees the darkness in the world and overcomes it with a light in his eyes that refuses to be extinguished... the story of Buddy the Elf is an atypical type of Christmas cheer that feels like modern-day
- [DISTRICT 9 showcases (un?)likely hero](https://cinemagogue.com/2010/04/05/district-9-showcases-unlikely-hero/) - 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
- [Is it fate or chance that haunts the Children of Men?](https://cinemagogue.com/2008/02/05/is-it-fate-or-chance-that-haunts-the-children-of-men/) - Alfonso Cuarón's film adaptation of the P.D. James' book Children of Men is an incredible work of art marked by some of the most amazing cinematography I have seen. Opening on Christmas day in 2006, critics compared the characters of Theo and Kee with Joseph and Mary, calling the film a "modern day nativity story".
- [It all keeps coming back to the BOOK (of Eli)](https://cinemagogue.com/2010/08/17/it-all-comes-back-to-the-book-of-eli/) - Right now, Inception and The Book of Eli are battling in my mind for best film of the year. We've already visited the post-apocalyptic vision by screenwriter Gary Whitta and the directors Hughes with a multi-part review on this site, and even got to comment on Denzel Washington's portrayal of biblical manhood (plus a few
- [Weak God, Limp Lucifer & Wooden Jesus](https://cinemagogue.com/2010/04/15/weak-god-limp-lucifer-wooden-jesus/) - Although we discussed imperfect Greek gods, and modern myths of a "more fallible Creator" in the last post, the new Clash of the Titans DOES stray from classic polytheism and polarizes the war between Zeus and Hades; save for a few scenes, the rest of the pantheon is scarce. It's a much more westernized, even
- [Adjusting our view of God](https://cinemagogue.com/2011/09/12/adjusting-your-view-of-god/) - "All I have are the choices I make." - David Norris, The Adjustment Bureau Really? Is this quote a truism about humanity, or a truth we really want to live with? I left this film with an acrid taste in my mouth, though not for the reasons one might expect. True, I was in the minority that
- [3:10 To Yuma... Runs out of Steam](https://cinemagogue.com/2007/09/09/310-to-yuma-runs-out-of-steam/) - I'm blessed to get into advance screenings and contribute movie reviews for Hollywood Jesus from time to time. This time it was precisely 3:10... the time a steam puffing train rolls into Yuma with actors Christian Bale and Russell Crowe in the newest release from Lion's Gate Pictures. Bale is one of my favorite actors, and Crowe typically
- [Audio Exploration of BEOWULF's Boasts...](https://cinemagogue.com/2008/03/14/audio-exploration-of-beowulfs-boasts/) - "The time of heroes is dead: the Christ god has killed it, leaving nothing but weeping martyrs and fear and shame." The tale of Beowulf in 2007 differs greatly from the epic, ancient Anglo-Saxon poem. What of Beowulf's claim in the film? What of Director Robert Zemekis' boast that his version of the tale has
- [Spider-man... AMAZING?](https://cinemagogue.com/2012/03/06/spider-man-amazing/) - In June, The Amazing Spider-man will swing into theaters, take us on a high rise ride over an IMAX-sized city and even kick us in the face straight through our 3D glasses. Personally, I'm excited for the fresh take on our friendly neighborhood wall-crawler, and don't even mind the gimmicky format. My 3 reasons? If any hero seemed suited for 3D, it's the web-swinging Peter Parker. (Classic artist John Romita practically drew him EXPLODING off the page into your face.) I'm happy just to have something to wash the taste of that third movie out of my mouth, something that ISN'T a musical with songs by Bono. In both cases, we know that Spider-man should swing, not dance. Finally, I can't deny I love Denis Leary, who has a prominent role as Gwen Stacy's father and the police captain chasing our misunderstood web-head. If you haven't seen the most recent trailer, check it out. What's so special about Spider-man anyway?
- [Juno What You Want to Hear...](https://cinemagogue.com/2008/07/11/juno-what-you-want-to-hear/) - Audio Review of JUNO by Pastor James Harleman "I need to know that it’s possible that two people can stay happy together forever…" Jason Reitman, the brilliant Director that gave us Thank You for Smoking, shot Juno in just 31 days. It was the highest-grossing film of all five Best Picture Oscar nominees (2008). Writer
- [A father's legacy in TRON](https://cinemagogue.com/2011/01/26/a-fathers-legacy-in-tron/) - Sam Flynn misses his daddy. Sure, the 27-year old boy plays it cool in the opening of TRON: Legacy, chills out in a swanky bachelor pad I confessedly covet (but he drinks Coors, so we KNOW something's amiss) and pretends he's cool rockin' the whole "aloof" thing, but the truth is he feels confused and
- [SWEENEY TODD: Meat Pies & Mean Guys](https://cinemagogue.com/2008/11/07/509/) - 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 account
- [Sometimes Truth...](https://cinemagogue.com/2007/06/21/sometimes-truth/) - "If you knew you were gonna die, possibly soon, what would you do?" - Harold Crick, Stranger than Fiction Is your life a comedy or a tragedy? When Harold Crick (Will Ferrell) hears the narrator of his life while brushing his teeth, he panics with the realization that his fate may not be his own. What
- [Fantastic Chore](https://cinemagogue.com/2007/06/17/fantastic-chore/) - In 2005, I subjected myself to the Fantastic Bore... watching Jessica Alba failing to act intelligent, while Ioan Gruffudd and Michael Chiklis looked around nervously, hoping no one would notice them as they collected a nice paycheck; the charming Julian McMahon smirked his way through a doomed role that was both poorly written and miscast, appearing
- [Out of Control](https://cinemagogue.com/2006/07/28/out-of-control/) - A review of "Final Destination 3" One of the first images that greets us in James Wong and Glen Morgan's third "Final" (?) installment is a merry-go-round. a three-fold metaphor for the franchise, the plot, and the very nature of scary movies. In a movie most will undoubtedly dismiss as vapid, I think that these
- [DONNIE DARKO: in God's channel (pt 2)](https://cinemagogue.com/2010/10/31/donnie-darko-in-gods-channel-pt-2/) - "It was as if the plan had been with him all his life..." - Karen Pomeroy, Donnie Darko Spoilers Ahead: for the first part of the Donnie Darko review, click here. By the end of this spectacularly crafted film, the young Donnie Darko understands what his death will avert, and it is clear that he (and everyone
- [Flashback to DONNIE DARKO](https://cinemagogue.com/2010/10/29/flashback-to-donnie-darko/) - "28 days... 6 hours... 42 minutes... 12 seconds. That is when the world will end." - Donnie Darko Writer/Director Richard Kelly uses various techniques to capture not only the spirit of the late 80s, but also the spirit of late 80s filmmaking in the eerie Donnie Darko. Co-produced by Drew Barrymore (who also plays a
- [Appropriacalypse Now](https://cinemagogue.com/2008/03/19/appropriacalypse-now/) - A Review of Doomsday (R) When a movie comes out called Doomsday, it invariably draws ones mind to many other end-of-world films that have graced (or smeared) the silver screen over the last several decades. There are so many creative ways the apocalypse might be ushered in, after all. It could be zombies, infections, decay
- [Klaatu Barada No-Remake!](https://cinemagogue.com/2008/09/29/klaatu-barada-noremake/) - A review by Elliot Strong The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951) Directed by Robert Wise Starring Michael Rennie, Patricia Neal The Day the Earth Stood Still (2008) Directed by Scott Derrickson Starring Keanu Reeves, Jennifer Connelly In theaters December 12, 2008 (not yet rated) Fifty-seven years ago a science fiction film called The Day the
- [Dear Diary, this movie sucked...](https://cinemagogue.com/2008/02/21/dear-diary-this-movie-sucked/) - What's that limping slowly in the distance? Wow, that guy looks half-dead... WAIT! He doesn't look half dead... he IS dead. So... like, why is he making a movie? In case you're wondering, I'm not talking about a character in George Romero's latest zombie flick, Diary of the Dead. I'm talking about Romero himself. Okay, I
- [World Weary Indiana Jones must choose... WISELY](https://cinemagogue.com/2008/06/01/indiana-jones-must-choose-but-choose-wisely/) - A review of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull “We’re in the season when life stops giving and starts taking away...” Preppy teenagers cruise along in a 50s roadster, urging the square-jawed men with serious faces next to them to loosen up and enjoy the ride. The latest Indiana Jones installment, with
- [The Counterfeitors](https://cinemagogue.com/2008/08/04/the-counterfeiters/) - A review of THE COUNTERFEITORS by Aaron Webb directed by Stefan Ruzowitzky, Rated R The Counterfeiters is an Austrian film which tells the story of Salomon Sorowitsch, a master counterfeiter who is forced to work for the Nazi’s in their attempt to destabilize the currencies of their wartime enemies. Directed by Stefan Ruzowitzky (All the Queen’s Men)
- [Bottle Rocket ain’t no trip to Cleveland](https://cinemagogue.com/2008/11/29/bottle-rocket-ain’t-no-trip-to-cleveland/) - review of BOTTLE ROCKET by Zach Malm starring Owen Wilson and Luke Wilson directed by Wes Anderson, Rated R Bottle Rocket, the first film from Wes Anderson, of Rushmore and The Royal Tenenbaums fame, is my favorite film of all-time. I’ve seen it close to 100 times, but still have a hard time putting my finger on
- [Rent The Apartment](https://cinemagogue.com/2008/08/08/review-of-the-apartment/) - A Review of The Apartment by guest contributor Zach Malm Directed by Billy Wilder Starring Jack Lemmon, Shirley MacLaine, and Fred MacMurray A writer-director before that hyphen became commonplace, Billy Wilder is responsible for some of the best and most well-loved American films in history, including Some Like it Hot, Double Indemnity, Sabrina, and my personal favorite,
- [Come and Get Them...](https://cinemagogue.com/2007/03/11/come-and-get-them/) - In 480 B.C., Leonidas and his 300 Spartans sacrificed themselves to buy time for the Greeks as an army of Persians beyond count sought to conquer the lands. Over time, the story has become legend; I actually passed through Thermopylae Pass on a trip through Greece, where the Spartans fell in battle for their families,
- [HURT LOCKER is the Bomb...](https://cinemagogue.com/2010/06/10/hurt-locker-is-the-bomb/) - “Sometimes you get to a point in life where you only love a few things, maybe even just one.” Those haunting words in The Hurt Locker sum up a spellbinding, seat-gripping drama of life that has far-reaching application beyond laborers in an Explosive Ordinance Disposal unit. Embedded Journalist Mark Boal, who spent time with real
- [Man in a Hole: Who Throws the Rope?](https://cinemagogue.com/2007/04/21/man-in-a-hole-–-who-throws-the-rope/) - CRACKING THE SECRET OF MOVIES AND NARRATIVE There's something that makes me laugh harder than watching Will Ferrell and Jon Heder ice skate, a ridiculous line that I hope isn't spoken while I'm drinking, lest the tasty beverage finds its way out my nostrils. The hilarious comment is often spoken by jaded movie critics or
- [Spider-man Versus the Opera](https://cinemagogue.com/2007/06/04/spider-man-versus-the-opera/) - Seattle Center offers diverse entertainment, if you're willing to pony up for the parking. I found myself trying to find a stall under the shadow of the Space Needle twice last month, holding tickets for two very distinct forms of entertainment. In black tie and shined shoes (and some clothing in between), with my lovely
- [Movie Bites that are Hopefully Sound...](https://cinemagogue.com/2012/03/29/movie-bites-that-are-hopefully-sound/) - What are you looking forward to this year? Personally, I see a particularly compelling slate of films that, from my perspective, create a fascinating landscape for exploration and conversation. We've already had Chronicle, The Grey, and The Hunger Games, all providing some intriguing looks at human nature, from depraved to animalistic and, finally, sacrificial. Coming up tomorrow is Wrath of the Titans, looking at relationships between flawed gods and their equally compromised and confused men. A Hunger Games review will hit the site this weekend, although I'll be in costume somewhere amidst rows of graphic novels at the Emerald City Comic Con. I thought it might be good to lay down a primer on the films coming up in the spring and summer. It's one thing to read a spiritual review with meganarrative comparisons after seeing the film, but the real question is are we all developing a hunger to walk into the theater and engaging the films in a deeper way that stimulates our growth and ability to see God's story? We'll look at some of my favorites coming up in the ensuing months (follow the links below for the film trailers):
- [Documentary "Holy Rollers" is a good gamble](https://cinemagogue.com/2012/03/11/5606/) - Should Christians gamble? Do we know what the Bible says about it, or do we simply carry unquestioned assumptions? While there are some areas of consensus that emerge from a sound theology and application of the Bible, the way the real-life Christians approach their interplay with Blackjack in Holy Rollers: The True Story of Card-Counting Christians pulls the rug out from some of the traditional arguments. Maybe what they're doing isn't even gambling! It also raises other intriguing questions. This video review takes a look at the film directed by Bryan Storkel as his crew as they follow this card-counting "church team" in a unique and captivating documentary.
- [Obsession & Guilt plague Spider-man Too](https://cinemagogue.com/2012/03/07/obsession-guilt-plague-spider-man-too/) - As mentioned in our last post, Hollywood is determined to keep Spider-man swinging strong in the new film out this summer. I uncovered an audio review for my favorite flick in the franchise, Spider-man 2 (and I'm far from alone in that assessment) and not just because my favorite Spidey villain was always Doctor Octopus. Part 1 dealt more generically with the comic book character, so here is part 2 (which assumes you've seen the 2004 film and contains spoilers). What the film tackles brilliantly is the primary characters and how ALL of them - protagonist and antagonist, and those inbetween - operate out of some form of obsession. We also pit Peter Parker's axiom and claim to "responsibility" against the fullness of his actions, and discuss the unstable foundation of guilt that actually spurs him on. Lastly, the poster campaign proclaimed this film would deal with three particular concepts...
- [Burned by GHOST RIDER: Spirit of Vengeance](https://cinemagogue.com/2012/02/27/burned-by-ghost-rider-spirit-of-vengeance/) - "It couldn't be any worse than the first one," I convinced myself... and am reminded sharply that I shouldn't always listen to that voice in my head. Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance was an artistic nightmare that fails on almost EVERY level... yet surprisingly hits three biblical truths...
- [8 reasons SUPER 8 was Super Gr8](https://cinemagogue.com/2012/02/24/8-reasons-super-8-was-super-gr8/) - One of my favorite films of 2011, J.J. Abrams' flashback/homage to the classic works of Spielberg taps into 4 essential components of his filmmaker's late 70s to early 80s films: panoramic, storybook skylines extraterrestrials disrupting suburban, middle-class life relational struggles between parent/child excessive use of lens flare You can just feel the entire film is a narrative expression of J.J. looking at Steven saying "I love you man!" However, the film isn't just your typical, monster/alien-incursion-forces-coming-of-age-story...
- [Radcliffe is Back in (The Woman in) BLACK](https://cinemagogue.com/2012/02/22/radcliffe-is-back-in-black/) - "You don't believe in ghosts, do you?" The Woman in Black has been a book, a play, and a 1989 film prior to the most recent incarnation in the 2012 film starring Daniel Radcliffe. Each time the query and frightening prospect remain the same: what if we linger after death, our unresolved issues lingering in our ghostly soul, creating ghastly results for those left behind? This notion, of the spectral spirit that brings death, is what Arthur Kipps (Radcliffe) encounters when he visits a remote village on business. Dealing with Loss A young man, in an understated yet appropriate performance for a post-Potter Radcliffe, Kipps is haunted already by the death of his wife and with mixed feelings for the son she left behind. Adding more loss, with a dead woman and endangered children, the situation makes him confront his own feelings and fears about death and coping with loss. People who have suffered the death of loved ones show the viewer the range of human emotions, from stoic to withdrawn, from irritable to irrational.
- [The DEVIL You Say...](https://cinemagogue.com/2012/02/13/the-devil-you-say/) - "You're never going to get these people to see themselves as they really are, 'cause it's the lies that we tell ourselves... they introduce us to him." Is a movie called Devil automatically evil? Can it actually provoke conversation about his existence, and God’s ultimate authority and triumph over his schemes? In our first post about this film, we featured a segment on scary movies more generally, and how they play an important part in storytelling. Now we dig in deeper to this particular film with the second segment, which is best listened to after you've seen the film and contains spoilers...
- [The DEVIL you know?](https://cinemagogue.com/2012/02/10/the-devil-you-know-2/) - Is the Devil real? Does he have power over us? A PG-13 film that captures the spirit of old stories like The Twilight Zone, Devil (directed by John Erick Dowdle) explores the terrifying possibilities of the world we don’t see. The film opens with 1 Peter 5:8 scrawled on the screen - “Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour” – and thus the movie's narrative begs for discussion. Why do we watch these movies??? The first leg of this 2-part audio podcast features less on the 2010 film and more on why you, me, or anyone goes in for scary movies at all and most particularly movies dealing with Old Nick, Old Scratch, Lucifer, the Accuser himself: the devil. Some would say even speaking about films like these, let alone watching them, let alone making them, is inherently evil. However, if we take an informed view of storytelling and the place of the horror story in an oft-horrific world, we might find we're missing something very important about both the genre and ourselves. Take a spin down scary storytelling 101 - if you dare. I promise no black cats will jump out of the cupboard, and there are no demons embedded in the mp3. I also have a little fun at M. Night Shyamalan's expense, so beware of bad puns...
- [It's Groundhog Day again (& again)](https://cinemagogue.com/2012/02/09/its-groundhog-day-again-again/) - "Winter, slumbering in the open air, wears on its smiling face a dream... of spring." What to do now that we've got six extra weeks of winter? We find ourselves in the shadow of Groundhog Day... Hard to believe a cute little 1993 feel-good film about Punxsatowney Phil and Gobbler's Knob, starring SNL alumnus Bill Murray, would be deemed by some “One of the best films of the last 40 years…” and “required viewing for the course ‘Religion, Ethics, and Film”. Still, when a spritely holiday comedy film by Harold Ramis finds itself being compared to the works of Nietzsche and Camus, you can't help but scratch your head. Is this the result of a great story, or people reading into things because they're holed up due to six extra weeks of winter? A Twilight Zone style event makes an irascible weatherman relive the same day over and over again, until he's forced to confront some important things about himself, the world around him, and what he's living for. A great article by Justin Taylor praising the film made me relive it all over again, and we hosted a film event where I got to sift the host of commentary on the film and sprinkle in some apt scripture as it applied. If you look deep enough into this film, might it look into you? Let's see who swerves first...
- [Message Isn't Black & White in THE GREY](https://cinemagogue.com/2012/02/06/message-isnt-black-white-in-the-grey/) - When thrust into a violent Alaskan landscape where death seems almost certain, a formerly despondent man suddenly manifests an incredible will to survive, to fight, to lead a group of men through the wilderness and combat the wolves at their heels. Less an action film and more an essay on naturalism, on what it looks like to truly build on Bertrand Russell's firm foundation of unyielding despair. It evokes Solomon's lament about the similarities and differences between man and beast in Ecclesiastes 3. The film is an incredible treatise on why we choose life and fight to survive that demands conversation with a mixed crowd. Does the ending satisfy? Why or why not? Like it's name, The Grey doesn't give a black and white answer and crashes that plane across the landscape of conversation. Go deeper in our short video review...
- [A Few Reasons Why Life Goes HAYWIRE](https://cinemagogue.com/2012/01/27/a-few-reasons-why-life-goes-haywire/) - It's no secret that Steven Soderbergh essentially just built a movie around MMA fighter Gina Carano because he caught one of her fights. While the backdrop of Haywire is seemingly a web of international intrigue, it's actually pretty simple, and the director seems less interested in making a film so much as toying with action movie conventions, improvising like a jazz musician. It's appropriate that the score employs various jazz tunes set during the non-fighting sequences (which have no music, and no enhanced fisticuff effects) and the music, like the movie, has moments that gel and moments that don't. While not a great film, it's intriguing to watch Soderbergh riff, see the surprisingly all-star cast that surrounds Carano (Ewan McGregor, Michael Fassbender, Antonio Banderas, Bill Paxton, Michael Douglas) and realize that she stands her own in screen presence and acting chops. I'm certain we'll see more from her. As a black ops soldier seeking payback after being betrayed and set up, Carano plays Mallory, a woman so enigmatic she's effectively a force of nature (albeit very human and fallible in Soderbergh's steady hands). It's hard to glean a lot from her stiff-lipped character in the narrative, but as we see a string of men get their comeuppance at the hands of this relentless woman, I realized there are very human reasons why they fall under her strong will, which make it intriguing as a character study less of Mallory and more of the men who misjudge her. "You shouldn't think of her as being a woman. That would be your first mistake."
- [This Week at Cinemagogue: Kate, Liam, & going Haywire](https://cinemagogue.com/2012/01/23/this-week-at-cinemagogue-kate-liam-going-haywire/) - You could choose between a leather-clad vampire or an MMA fighter to see women overturning evil government plots with guns, fists, teeth and plenty of action last weekend. This week, we'll feature reviews of both Underworld: Awakening (Tuesday) and Haywire (Thursday). This weekend, however, belongs entirely to Liam Neeson as he goes all Wolverine with travel-size bottles, taking on wolves and snow and, well, I guess nature itself in The Grey. Whether he’s wielding a lightsaber, ripping up Paris, training Batman or leading the A-Team, we just can’t seem to get enough of Liam Neeson kicking ass and taking names...
- [The Underworld EVOLVES ](https://cinemagogue.com/2012/01/18/the-underworld-evolves/) - "Viktor was not the savior I had been led to believe. He had betrayed us all... My only hope now is to awaken Markus, our last remaining elder, and expose the truth..." As we review the second film in the Underworld series, Evolution, it stands among the tightest of sequels in that, like Back to the Future II or The Two Towers, it doesn't just extend a franchise but picks up seconds after the first film's cliffhanger ending. It expands the theme of life, truth, and purpose being upended by stark revelations: that the leaders and fathers of this world have lied and manipulated our protagonists and pointed them in the wrong direction. Although Selene believes her "only hope" is that of another Vampire leader, it turns out Marcus holds his own deeper layers of deception and is an even worse kind of evil than Viktor. Sibling Rivalry & Consequences The biblical story of twins Jacob and Esau tells us of two sons jealous for birthright and dominance, one a slimmer boy who whispers deceit into his family's ears, and the other a hairy boy who is more rash and brusque. This true narrative finds an echo in the fictional narrative of Underworld: Evolution, as the deceptive Marcus and bestial William are revealed to be the immortal sons who became the first Vampire and first Lycan, their attitudes and behaviors have wreaking generational conflict and curse. Marcus now seeks to reunite with his brother, and his plan is to create "a new race created in the image of their maker. Their new God. Me."
- [Enter the UNDERWORLD (review)](https://cinemagogue.com/2012/01/17/enter-the-underworld-review/) - "I am a Death Dealer, sworn to destroy those known as the Lycans. Our war has waged for centuries, unseen by human eyes. But all that is about to change." The first Underworld film introduces us to Selene (Kate Beckinsale), a determined vampire warrior committed to her cause in light of the tragedy she understands took her family from her as a child. Her clan of vampires, however, has grown increasingly influenced by political machinations and decadence and she believes they've lost focus, sharp instincts and their sense of urgency. Like Worf on Star Trek who seemed to be the only real Klingon in his day, Selene seems to be one of the few who is actually dedicated to their mission. Her mentor, Viktor, resides in a century-long slumber so she has no one to turn to when she discovers a major werewolf pack and the potential return of the beasts' long-believed dead leader, Lucien. A human named Michael is drawn into the conflict, the ignorant character who realizes a war has been going on under his feet and is forced onto the Lycans' side with a seemingly decisive bite. Selene finds herself protecting Michael and, piece by piece, everything she believed in is turned on its head. She realizes vampires within her midst have sold out their own people, enemies she believed were animals were actually the originally wronged parties, and the now-wakened Viktor, her surrogate father, has kept the gravest of secrets from her...
- [The Underworld RISES](https://cinemagogue.com/2012/01/20/the-underworld-rises/) - Viktor: I gave you your life. Lucian: You gave me chains. Viktor: I thought you would have learned by now after all these years; you cannot have one without the other. Underworld: Rise of the Lycans may be the least liked installment of the series. Some cite the absence of Kate Beckinsale as Selene, while some might point to the change of director (first-time director Patrick Tatopoulos, best know for his F/X work on movies like Independence Day). Since the others aren't exactly high art, I disagree; they all reside on the same popcorn playing field. Michael Sheen reprising his role as Lucian, and Bill Nighy back as Viktor, make up for the absent Beckinsale, and Rhona Mitra adequately plays Sonja, Viktor's daughter... whose appearance would later inspire the vampire elder to sire Selene to fill the void of her loss. The two look enough alike to make this prequel work, bringing the Underworld story full circle in a medieval tale that echoes the most classic narratives of being set free by a miraculous hero. Resonance of biblical proportion abounds, from Moses to Jesus, as the enslaved Lucian rises up to liberate his people from slavery.
- [Underworld Tour 2012](https://cinemagogue.com/2012/01/16/underworld-tour-2012/) - In a post-Matrix 2003, characters in leather and longcoats shot and fought it out in a subway with slow-motion intensity. While these cinematic battles weren't uncommon after the Wachowski brothers had Neo set a visual trend in 1999, Underworld added a new wrinkle... as we found out the black-clad goth characters were actually vampires and werewolves caught in a centuries-old feud. (To be fair, Blade the vampire hunter actually preceded The Matrix by a year in setting some of this "leaping-leather" visual style, so although Keanu Reeves mainstreamed the action eye-candy, a vampire movie actually established the look and even bullet-time. The first Underworld film continued Wesley Snipes' toothy style (and expanded on it) by adding a gothic backdrop and a hairy love story. Also, 2003 positioned this story of Lycans versus Vamps--with a "forbidden romance" in the middle--two full years before a little-known book about Edward and Bella would rock the world, "eclipse" book sales and bore us with roll-eye cinema. Team Victor or Team Lucien, anyone? Now it's 2012, and vampires are everywhere in books, film and television. It's not surprising, then to see that the death-dealing Vampire Seline is back for Underworld: Awakening...
- [Star Wars & the Problem of Evil](https://cinemagogue.com/2012/01/12/star-wars-the-problem-of-evil/) - Darth Vader: God’s Tool? We've spent a week's worth of posts forcing the Star Wars narrative to reveal its secrets, and Redemption by the Son is perhaps Star Wars most powerful message (and will always be the climax to the trilogy, or sextet, whichever you prefer). It is curious, however, to see new elements emerging from the prequels. In Episode 1, we find out that Anakin Skywalker is created by mysterious, symbiotic organisms; he has a destiny, and Mace Windu mentions a prophecy of a “chosen one”, who will bring balance to the force. However, we know that in the following two prequels Anakin falls, embraces the dark side, becomes Darth Vader, and crushes the Jedi Council. He nearly destroys their order, while effectively only Ben and Yoda will survive. Without the original trilogy to shine some light on the story, these prequels will look pretty bleak.
- [A New Hope: You're All Clear Kid...](https://cinemagogue.com/2012/01/13/a-new-hope/) - Star Worship? So… after all this cinemusing on Star Wars and Theology, does this mean we should start worshipping Luke Skywalker? Of course not—no more than we should erect a lion statue and worship Aslan from C.S. Lewis’ Chronicles of Narnia. Certain images and circumstances cross-referenced in Star Wars are simply analogous to the truth found in Christ. Furthermore, Lucas may not deserve the same kudos for his work that, say, Lewis or Tolkein might—the latter two men were believers who either purposely or inherently (and both beautifully) entwined Christian theism into their work. Lucas didn’t set out to promote Christianity; he’s far more concerned with merchandising action figures and Jar Jar Binks (“Mee-sah muy-muy stupid”). However, no matter what their motivations are down at the Skywalker Ranch, God’s dabbling fingers are still evident in the Star Wars films; intentional or not, George’s narrative portrays the Jedi and Sith as flawed, and threads of true faith are manifest within the story’s context. This is the phantom message of Star Wars, and the Believer’s task is to use it as a springboard when dialoguing with other Star Wars junkies like me (still in recovery...)
- [Star Wars: The Skywalker Legacy](https://cinemagogue.com/2012/01/10/star-wars-the-skywalker-legacy/) - Fallen Man, Son of Man Continuing our series on the Star Wars Saga (just arrived? Start here). In Episode 1: The Phantom Menace, Anakin appears innocent enough-- not a bad bone in his body. We even discover that he is “divinely created”. Still, we know from subsequent movies that he will be tempted and fall from grace to embrace the dark side. Skywalker will serve the Emperor, his Lord and ruler,shackled to him like a dog. “I must obey my master”. The Emperor—perhaps better known to the discerning Christian as a representation of Sin Incarnate—takes Anakin under his wing. (Notice in The Phantom Menace, the first “Sith” apprentice we see is Darth Maul—who looks a lot like Satan, “sin’s” first apprentice.) Under “Sin’s” tutelage, Anakin, like the biblical Adam in the garden of Eden, becomes corrupt of mind, spirit, and body, literally masked by the face of death itself. By himself, Anakin is now helpless to reverse his condition. (All have sinned, and fallen short… if you will.) Little Anakin is now Darth Vader, his innocence lost. He has become much like you and I… trapped in bondage to a wrinkled, lecherous old master call the sin nature.
- [Wrong, Yoda Was](https://cinemagogue.com/2012/01/08/wrong-yoda-was/) - A Disturbance in the Force As we continue exploring the Star Wars Saga (see the first post), let us return to my personal favorite of the films, The Empire Strikes Back… Luke has his vision of Han and Leia in danger, but Yoda tells him to stay on Dagobah to train. “If you go now”, he insists, “help them you could… but you would destroy all for which they fought and suffered.” Forfeit his friends for the greater good—how utterly sensible. Luke loves them, however; he willingly puts his life on the line, (spoiler alerts) loses a hand, and discovers that Vader is his father. And guess what, ladies and gentlemen…(with a drum roll, please, and a dash of John William’s incredible music) Yoda’s prophecy is wrong!
- [Theology, FORCEd](https://cinemagogue.com/2012/01/07/theology-forced/) - The Force Unleashed Hold please. This review series was supposed to be about Star Wars, not me… well, it just so happened that about the time I got “thawed out” (1998) and began to retrain in the ways of our Lord—“unlearning what I had learned”, as Yoda would say—it was announced that a new Star Wars film would soon be unleashed on the world. Another seven year cycle, curiously… and now, at twenty-six, I both reconnected with my Savior and prepared to revisit my childhood love. Watching all three films with my newly-converted cadre, then attending the first midnight premiere of Episode 1: Phantom Menace (now, about to be re-released in 3D), I saw the movies with reshaped eyes. These movies were originally a point of controversy…
- [Solo Life Imitates LucasArts... ](https://cinemagogue.com/2012/01/06/solo-life-imitates-lucasarts/) - Will the “Real” Han Solo please stand up? I was so upset that Han Solo sold out... (see previous post, "Confessions of a Star Wars Junkie") MY hero would never let himself be saddled by a woman; he would never become an upstanding member of the Rebel Alliance. Fortunately, I remembered this was war, and realized that stress must have simply made Han suffer from temporary insanity. After Return of The Jedi, I knew he took off with Chewbacca to soar the spaceways—to find his own path—romancing a new girl on very planet (or very large asteroid) they encountered. Occasionally he would bump into Leia—courting and bickering in equal portions—or he would race to Luke’s side, when the young Jedi was in trouble. Han stayed one step ahead of the bounty hunter (Jabba had friends, after all) and two steps ahead of responsibility. What a cool guy… what a real man… After seven years, and with no promise of future episodes back in the 80s, my interest in Star Wars began to wane. I moved on to more adult pursuits (like comic books and transforming robots) but the spirit of Han Solo remained. My heroes were those which embodied his spirit (don’t kid yourself…. Indiana Jones and Han Solo are the same person). At nineteen, I determined to live like that “noble pirate”, to slide through life dodging duty; and, just as Han had no use for the Force, I had little use for religion. I believed in God and the Bible stories, yet overlooked the need for Christ; I would make it my way, and no one would stop me. God would have to let me into heaven, because I would be too damned cool to go to Hell.
- [Confessions of a Star Wars Junkie](https://cinemagogue.com/2012/01/05/confessions-of-a-star-wars-junkie/) - Entrenched in a galaxy far, far away... It’s the first film I remember seeing… vague recollections of peering between adult heads at a world-sized movie screen as X-Wings locked their S-foils in attack position. At the tender age of five, the wax cylinders in my brain were still soft, and these images carved deep impressions. Exposed to the concepts of war, death, desire, love, heroism, and victory of a raspy, breath-sucking evil, the next seven years of my life would be dominated by these images, with a message as powerful to a young, impressionable mind as the Bible itself. My parents would read Scripture to me at bedtime, and I would listen to the Star Wars story on my record player in the morning. My older brother and I spent most days creating new and exciting adventures for Luke Skywalker and Han Solo (there were, after all, three agonizing years between each movie installment) and non-Star Wars toys we received became casting extras. GI Joe’s were drafted into the Rebel Alliance, and Fisher Price racecar drivers became sleazy bounty hunters that consorted with Boba Fett and IG-88. We knew every intimate detail of the Star Wars Universe...
- [These aren't the 3D Droids you're looking for](https://cinemagogue.com/2012/01/03/these-arent-the-3d-droids-youre-looking-for/) - They must not have 3D in Switzerland, because nobody seems to be neutral about it. I will completely agree it's been overused, abused, shoddily applied to unnecessary films, but I also believe it has its place. Despite mixed opinions about its narrative and message, Avatar looked gorgeous in Cameron's 3D cameras. Even the converted Thor benefitted, adding a layer of wonder to the Asgard sequences. The concerns about converting classic films - "ruining" them - are understandable, but come on... Spielberg patterned Indiana Jones after the old cheesy pulp serials of the 30s and 40s: can you honestly tell me that giant boulder rolling at you in 3D wouldn't make for a fun cinema revisit with a bunch of friends? (Just make sure to follow Indy's advice and close your eyes when the ark is opened in 3D. I won't be held responsible.)
- [Before Breaking Dawn...](https://cinemagogue.com/2011/11/18/before-breaking-dawn/) - Let's check the list: Pouty lips (is it Blue steel, or Magnum?) Mouth Breathers. Elongated stares more torturous than a Hostel movie. Abs that send washboards back to the gym in shame. Teen Wolf's extended family (P.S. - we forgive you too, Jason Bateman) Sparkly vampires that make Count Chocula cry in his milk. These are just a few of the ideas that come to mind when thinking about the overextended Twilight series that adds "Breaking Dawn - Part 1" to it's cinematic entries in Potter-mimicking fashion.
- [A return trip to Earth X ](https://cinemagogue.com/2011/11/10/revisiting-earth-x/) - Joss Whedon has a heavy cross to bear... namely the bulk expectations of not just comics fans, but the increased fan base the recent years of interconnected Marvel movies has accrued. Those who've enjoyed the amazing solo entries of the upcoming Avengers surely have big, bombastic hopes and dreams for what the assembled film will provide, in sheer spectacle as well as character advancement for their favorite among the heroes. (I'm praying for you, Joss!) Along that Marvel mindset, I bumped into another writer for comics, theater and cinema, Jim Krueger, last week in Florida and shared engaging conversation over dinner regarding his own work with these superheroes. Revisiting a well-worn graphic novel of his in my possession, Earth X, I discovered the forward was by none other than Whedon himself. If Joss' words of high praise hold true I hope stories like Earth X inspire the Avengers director to go big and thought-provoking as he weaves these larger-than-life characters together.
- [Sibling Rivalry and Daddy issues in Thor](https://cinemagogue.com/2011/11/09/sibling-rivalry-and-daddy-issues-in-thor/) - Two archetypal sons are examined in this 2011 summer blockbuster, hammering home deep truths about jealousy and pride that have existed long before even Jacob and Esau in the Bible. Marvel's film adaptation of Thor examines how we relate to ourselves, others, and our father - both earthly and heavenly.
- [Spider-man 2 has legs (and arms)](https://cinemagogue.com/2007/01/01/spider-man-2-has-legs-and-arms/) - Peter Parker spins another web of comedy, drama and spandex as he wrestles with a tentacled villain and his own self-doubt, in what may be the most faithful adaptation of a comic book character to date... battling with Batman Begins for the best comic adapted film to date. The comic, the character, and his narrative
- ["If you ain't first, you're last" - Ricky Bobby](https://cinemagogue.com/2007/03/28/if-you-aint-first-youre-last-ricky-bobby/) - It was a joy and pleasure to discuss the deep spiritual implications of Talledega Nights: The Ballard of Ricky Bobby last month in North Seattle. Yes, I'm serious. This movie helps illustrate why we laugh along with comedy, how many of us pray to our own personal Jesus, and how so many of us listen
- [Bourne Three Takes Three, Targeting Audio Awards](https://cinemagogue.com/2008/03/06/bourne-three-takes-three-targeting-audio-awards/) - I was excited to see The Bourne Ultimatum get three Oscars, which I would say are well deserved. Of course, if you asked me what the differences are between "Best Achievement in Sound", "Best Achievement in Editing", and "Best Achievement in Sound Editing", I would be hard pressed to differentiate between them. Fortunately, Director Paul
- [Cooking up Hope with Chef Ratatouille](https://cinemagogue.com/2008/09/26/ratatouille-hope-for-the-future/) - 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,
- [Wall-E SPEAKS! Or at least WE do.](https://cinemagogue.com/2009/04/18/wall-e-is-vocal-at-last-or-at-least-we-are/) - 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
- [STAR TREK (part 2) BOLDLY goes back](https://cinemagogue.com/2010/01/26/star-trek-part-two-boldly-goes-back/) - 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
- [TRON proves '82 debut was not the "end of line"...](https://cinemagogue.com/2010/12/13/tron-proves-it-was-not-the-end-of-line/) - In 1982, TRON was passed over for an Academy Award nomination for Best Visual Effects because the Academy felt the movie “cheated” by using a computer (seven years later, The Abyss would win for it’s computer generated effects), showing how out of touch the Academy has ALWAYS been... Meanwhile, in the real world... 28 years later,
- [One last BIG kick from INCEPTION](https://cinemagogue.com/2011/02/02/one-last-big-kick-from-inception/) - Well, Christopher Nolan's film has received it's Oscar nod, and yet I have a feeling the Academy will wind up giving our "Best Picture" to something overinflated, overwrought, and overadulated like Black Swan. While I'm still not convinced the 10-movie nominations are for anything except ratings, I'm happy to see some of the movies get
- [A Final Bit about TRON: Legacy](https://cinemagogue.com/2011/06/07/a-final-bit-about-tron-legacy/) - Greetings, programs! As we're steeling ourselves for a summer of mind-bending blockbusters that will take us from Ohio to Oa, I took one last visit to The Grid with several hundred attendees at a viewing of TRON: Legacy where I was asked to provide an exploration of the film's narrative themes in greater detail than
- [Gritty Reality Hints at True Hope](https://cinemagogue.com/2011/08/21/4191/) - "You must pay for everything in this world, one way or another... there is nothing free except the grace of God." Following the murder of her father by hired hand Tom Chaney, a 14-year-old farm girl sets out to capture the killer and hires Reuben J. “Rooster” Cogburn, the toughest U.S. marshal she can find, known
- [Coming to a Cinemagogue Near YOU...](https://cinemagogue.com/2011/01/03/coming-to-a-cinemagogue-near-you/) - Last year, I expanded my work with Film and Theology, movies and metanarrative, beyond the boundaries of the interwebs and local events, crossing the country to speak at the Storytellers Media Conference in Florida. Like a program breaking out of the grid into the world of the Users, Cinemagogue is out to do more geographic
- [A "god's" legacy in TRON](https://cinemagogue.com/2011/01/08/a-gods-legacy-in-tron/) - "Your father was the creator." - Quorra, from Tron: Legacy Jeff Bridges doesn't play a divine trinity in Tron Legacy, but he does present a curious trifecta of world creator, absent father, and slightly Lebowski-channeling aging 80s hipster. While the last one provided vocal audience response with claps and laughter, the first two are what
- [TRON's Legacy isn't deep, but appropriately playful](https://cinemagogue.com/2011/01/05/trons-legacy-isnt-deep-but-is-playful/) - What were YOU expecting from TRON: Legacy? A cursory viewing of this sequel's 1982 film predecessor, sporting half-baked yet fun ideas stretched across a kaleidoscope of imagery and loosely scrambled religious plot-points (with cameo by Pac-Man), offers a cult classic that's cute but not innately thoughtful. I adore the first film, no doubt with a
- [INCEPTION: Dream a little Dreamscape of Me...](https://cinemagogue.com/2010/07/23/inception-dream-a-little-dreamscape-of-me/) - In 1984, a scary movie debuted called A Nightmare on Elm Street, birthing a scarred maniac who would lead a genre with a killer franchise for years to come. A lesser known thriller starring Dennis Quaid would make a relatively forgettable debut, though Dreamscape marked one of the first few films with a PG-13 rating
- [A SUPERNATURAL Affection](https://cinemagogue.com/2010/05/13/a-supernatural-affection/) - I'll confess, I'm more than a little excited about the season finale of Supernatural tonight, the culmination of a five-year escalation of biblical proportions for the Winchester boys, Sam and Dean. One miraculous byproduct of the show is that I'm still even watching it; my wife and I canned our viewing regimen in season one
- [Punxsatowney Phil Can't Keep Spirits Down...](https://cinemagogue.com/2010/02/02/punxsatowney-phil-cant-keep-spirits-down/) - Depending on your view, some "punx" may have just ruined your spring for 2010. Personally, I love winter - long coats, warm scarf, my wife in cute mittens and a cat-eared furry hat... so a little March snow brings fond memories and builds new ones. The assemblage at Gobbler's Knob is good news for me.
- [Film & Theology 101](https://cinemagogue.com/2010/09/05/film-theology-101/) - WHY do we do things like Cinemagogue? Why do we examine film, television, literature and theology against then narrative of Scripture? Lately, even more have not just been asking why, but HOW we approach it; the greatest joy is when people want to replicate what I truly believe our loving God has put on my
- [From Cliffhangers to TopSpinners via INCEPTION](https://cinemagogue.com/2010/08/27/from-cliffhangers-to-topspinners-via-inception/) - The term "cliffhanger" emerged between the early 1900s and 1937 in silent films, featuring (according to Wikipedia) "a main character in a precarious or difficult dilemma, or confronted with a shocking revelation at the end of an episode of serialized fiction... hoped to ensure the audience will return to see how the characters resolve the
- [Biblical Manhood/Womanhood in Pop Culture](https://cinemagogue.com/2010/09/08/biblical-men-women-in-pop-culture/) - Pop culture rarely yields a motherlode when it comes to examples of biblical manhood or womanhood, but occasionally you strike a narrative vein or sift metaphorical gold dust from the examples in media. Just as the apostle Paul stripped a few lines from Athenian poetry that were applicable to the true, triune God, we should keep
- [Friend of Appa reviews LAST AIRBENDER](https://cinemagogue.com/2010/08/05/must-see-review-of-the-last-airbender/) - Note to Appa: you may not really know our friend here, but I'm betting bison to buffaloes you agree with him. I didn't have the stomach to see The Last Airbender myself. It seems like sometime in the recent past, James Franco, Joaquin Phoenix and M. Night Shyamalan all conspired to see who could jack up
- [A SHINING Overlook with Stanley](https://cinemagogue.com/2010/07/13/a-shining-overlook-with-stanley/) - My wife and I took a road trip from Seattle to Colorado and up into Wyoming to attend a conference and see Yellowstone National Park. With a rented Mustang convertible and over 9 hours of classic rock inspired by the television show Supernatural courtesy of our friend Dean (not THAT Dean), we found a cinema
- [The APOCALYPSE of Film & Theology](https://cinemagogue.com/2010/07/12/the-apocalypse-of-film-theology/) - Are you anywhere near Seattle? You're welcome to join us Friday in NE Seattle for a viewing of The Book of Eli in its entirety, followed by exposition and discussion. In fact, no matter where you are, you can start walking "west" like Eli and make it a cross-country journey to join us for the
- [SEQUELS & FRANCHISES, berated & defended](https://cinemagogue.com/2010/06/22/sequels-franchises-berated-defended/) - My friend Elliot found a great article about blockbusters and summer sequelitis that's worthy of a read. While I'm a fan of summer blockbusters and film franchises, having been weaned on the movie that really kicked it into high gear (Star Wars: A New Hope - for sequels) I really like the sense of history
- [It's Always Darkest before the DAWN TREADER](https://cinemagogue.com/2010/06/17/its-always-darkest-before-the-dawn-treader/) - Narnia fans are getting a Christmas present this year... in 3D. The Chronicles of Narnia: Voyage of the Dawn Treader trailer shows us a glimpse of the upcoming return to C.S. Lewis' allegorical wonderland. After a lackluster showing for Prince Caspian and subsequent drop by Disney, die-hard fans of the allegorical series have been concerned
- [SUPERNATURAL meets the Fonz (with skis)](https://cinemagogue.com/2010/05/23/supernatural-meets-the-fonz-on-skis/) - In the middle of fourth season, CW's enduring Supernatural had a daring episode that they titled "Jump the Shark", dallying with a series-ruining concept but conveniently avoiding the idiom's teeth. It actually worked... until sadly, the last episode of fifth season - originally slated to be the series' finale - decided to try on Fonzie's awkward
- [Putting the HURT on someone...](https://cinemagogue.com/2010/05/17/putting-the-hurt-on-someone/) - Prepping for a lecture this Friday in Seattle following a showing of 2009's Best Picture winner The Hurt Locker, and thought I'd try something new for the blog with an advance request for thoughts and comments from our avid readers. What salient speaking points regarding the film should I include? Biblical concepts that came to mind? Particular
- [ELM STREET won't put you to sleep, but doesn't slice deep](https://cinemagogue.com/2010/05/09/elm-street-wont-put-you-to-sleep-but-doesnt-slice-deep/) - I wasn't allowed to watch "Freddy" or "Jason" movies growing up, and by the time I watched Krueger on television in the 90s he'd become less nightmarish and more of a self-parody. The 2010 remake promised to bring back the darker tone, and the material certainly provides great possibilities to provoke thoughts and conversations about
- [1... 2... Freddy's Coming for You...](https://cinemagogue.com/2010/04/29/1-2-freddys-coming-for-you/) - With the new Nightmare on Elm Street haunting cineplexes tomorrow, it seemed like a good idea to resurrect a controversial topic. While pagan philosophy on the circle of life in kids' movies, and the fact that a couple is having premarital sex in the latest romantic comedy, are often glossed over/justified by many religious types and
- [Writer of KICK-ASS promotes Bible & Jesus?](https://cinemagogue.com/2010/04/14/writer-of-kick-ass-promotes-bible-jesus/) - Well before Wanted packed out cinemas around the world, I was reading screenwriter Mark Millar's writing run on Swamp Thing. Though I haven't been religious in following this writer's work, I have quite a lot of Millar's comics and graphic novels in my home collection, including The Ultimates. He'd probably make the short list of
- [The Second Time, Its All for One!](https://cinemagogue.com/2008/10/12/the-second-time-its-all-for-one/) - High School Musical 2 Reviewed by Caitlyn Stark Directed by Kenny Ortega Rated G Here continues the phenomenon of High School Musical and review number two of my High School Musical trilogy. If the first movie was popular, High School Musical 2 was, to use the words of HSM2 character Sharpay Evans, “Fabulous!” The day
- [We're All in this Together](https://cinemagogue.com/2008/09/11/were-all-in-this-together/) - review of HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL Directed by Kenny Ortega Rated TV – G Review by Caitlyn Stark Over the next couple months, I will be reviewing the cultural phenomenon known as High School Musical. I have had a desire to write these reviews since the movies came out, mostly because it had such a big
- [Gonzo: The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson](https://cinemagogue.com/2008/08/11/gonzo-the-life-and-work-of-dr-hunter-s-thompson/) - A Review by Elliot Strong Starring: Hunter S. Thompson, Johnny Depp Written/Directed by: Alex Gibney Limited release in theaters, DVD release date TBD. Rated R Trailer: Who was Hunter S. Thompson? His alter-persona of Raoul Duke, the crazed and drugged-up journalist of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas fame, is probably the first image that
- [America's Captain Gives Birth to a Darker Disciple](https://cinemagogue.com/2008/02/02/americas-captain-gives-birth-to-a-darker-disciple/) - Almost a year ago, someone put a bullet in the symbol of our hope. The superheroic icon of Americana was fatally shot in early 2007 in the pages of Marvel Comics. Steve Rogers, the flag-waving, World War Two hero was put in the ground by a conspiracy involving old Nazis and Soviets, yet punctuated by
- [Perseus damns the gods (Thank God!)](https://cinemagogue.com/2010/04/13/perseus-damns-the-gods-thank-god/) - The gods need US! They need our prayers! - Cassiopeia, Clash of the Titans I mentioned in the first Clash of the Titans post that we'd address one of the film's taglines: "damn the gods". The queen of Argos speaks brazenly about the Greek pantheon of "gods" that rules over them in this remake of
- [Clash of the CLASH of the Titans...](https://cinemagogue.com/2010/04/09/clash-of-the-clash-of-the-titans/) - I was SO not impressed. Why did we need a remake of Clash of the Titans? And what about that inaugural tagline: "Titans will Clash"? Ugh, with a marketing team like that on other films we might have had taglines like "War in the Stars" or "Man will Iron 2". Besides, the ORIGINAL Clash of the
- [Wall-E Review](https://cinemagogue.com/2008/08/01/wall-e-review/) - by guest contributor Caitlyn Stark directed by Andrew Stanton Rated G Hundreds of years in the future, life on earth has ceased to exist as we know it. Humanity’s wastefulness has forced them off the planet entirely, leaving the clean-up in the capable hands of Wall-E’s, robots made by the Buy n Large Mega corporation
- [Putting Movies in the right FRAME...](https://cinemagogue.com/2009/05/28/putting-movies-in-the-right-frame/) - How do we redeem our understanding of entertainment so it is mindful instead of mindless? I have my own cinemaphile's ways of articulating it, but my buddy Matt turned me on to this post featuring some thought-provoking questions by John Frame. You might not find this guy on IMDB, but this American philosopher and Calvinist
- [Should I use the L-word?](https://cinemagogue.com/2007/08/22/should-i-use-the-l-word/) - I wonder... has lecture become a bad word? I confess, I can listen to hours of good teaching at a stretch, but use the "L-word" (lecture, not the other one) and even my autonomic yawn kicks in. Hopefully, that won't dissuade folks from enjoying the lec- um... "talk" I was privileged to deliver at our
- [Be Still, my Beating Inbox...](https://cinemagogue.com/2010/03/11/be-still-my-beating-inbox/) - I received an encouraging word from new friend Michael, who sent me a link on The Daddening of Video Games, but he also made me introspective. I work on Cinemagogue primarily as worship, which I define loosely as "to discover and declare the glory of God". Still, seeing fruit in people's lives from the endeavor
- [Who's your Daddy? In video games, YOU are...](https://cinemagogue.com/2010/03/09/whos-your-daddy-in-video-games-you-are/) - A friend linked me to this great article about "The Daddening of Video Games" by Stephen Totilo at kotaku.com, and it got me pondering the daddy issues (in the case of Bioshock 2, BIG Daddy issues) prevalent in culture. A while back I blogged on the emerging Daddy trend in movies and -- as if there was any
- [Review of KNOWING part 1: DETERMINISM](https://cinemagogue.com/2009/05/04/knowing-part-one-determinism/) - "Just step back. Have another look at it! Systems that find meaning in numbers are a dime in dozen. Why? Because people see what they want to see." (For the introduction to our series on KNOWING, click here) Astrophysicist and MIT Professor John Koestler is a man biased by a very personal loss. While not
- [Mirror, Mirror on the Wall...](https://cinemagogue.com/2008/12/03/mirror-mirror-on-the-wall/) - ... who's the greatest character of them all? Apparently, Tyler Durden is the greatest film character of all time, according to a recent poll. Durden, the enigmatic revolutionary figure played by Brad Pitt in the David Fincher directed Fight Club, beat out the Godfather, Han Solo and even Darth Vader for the top spot. Not
- [One CRAZY summer... no Cusack](https://cinemagogue.com/2009/10/03/one-crazy-summer-no-cusack/) - This has NOTHING to do with Demi Moore and John Cusack in the 1986 (classic?) film directed by Savage Steve Holland. It has EVERYTHING to do with me, however, and why the site has lay fallow for the last few months. The summer movies have come and go with a wash of explosions, CGI, mixed
- [Our Father, who art from Cybertron...](https://cinemagogue.com/2009/06/22/our-father-who-art-from-cybertron/) - NO, I don't worship Optimus Prime... anymore. With Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen coming out this week, it's time to revisit the legacy that The Transformers have wrought on our generation, particularly in the wake of Father's Day. Are YOU equipped with the cyber-skinny on these AUTO-matic stars? When Michael Bay's "live action" blockbuster transformed
- [Tyler Durden turns 10 (in film years)](https://cinemagogue.com/2009/06/09/tyler-durden-turns-10-in-film-years/) - "This is your life and it's ending one minute at a time." Ten YEARS later... Has it really been ten years since Edward Norton trembled with the taste of gun metal in his mouth? It's been a decade since Brad Pitt wore leather and fur and taught us what it meant to be a man?
- [J.J. Abrams gets new ALIAS...](https://cinemagogue.com/2009/06/08/jj-abrams-gets-new-alias/) - No, I'm sorry Alias fans, your beloved series isn't coming back, but I knew the headline would Garner your attention. With all of his success, however, the unstoppable J.J. Abrams machine has earned himself a nifty new monicker: Midas. Let's face it, like a box office rubbernecker, there is a small part of me just
- [Review of KNOWING part 2: APOCALYPSE](https://cinemagogue.com/2009/05/14/review-of-knowing-part-two-apocalypse/) - The dead rise from the grave. The sky turns red as blood. Straggling survivors seek shelter and struggle to survive. Since we've been telling stories around campfires to our latest modern cinematic marvels, it seems the end of the world just won't die. KNOWING Director Alex Proyas says "it touches on something in our psyche
- [Cinema GO-GO...](https://cinemagogue.com/2009/03/14/cinemago-go/) - Well, it's officially back. With a few glitches and some streamlining to do, Cinemagogue is back on the cinematic wagon, kicking off with a multi-part review of Taken, this writer's favorite film in January. There are a few new rules and things to expect... No longwinded synopses - between wikipedia, IMDB, and a billion websites
- [Prayers for Liam Neeson](https://cinemagogue.com/2009/03/25/prayers-for-liam-neeson/) - In light of recent events, I can't publish a multi-part review of Liam Neeson's latest movie Taken without asking our Christian readers to bow in for the man and extended family following the passing of Neeson's wife Natasha Richardson. Just the thought of losing my beloved bride is enough to drive me to my knees
- [We’ll Always Have Paris… DESTROYED](https://cinemagogue.com/2009/03/14/we’ll-always-have-paris…-destroyed/) - review by James Harleman Have we fallen in love with Paris, or have we decided to destroy it? As my wife and I were planning a romantic Valentine's getaway in January this year the trailer for Taken, Pierre Morel’s film debuted featuring Liam Neeson running amuck through Paris, made us think twice about going. Later
- [TAKEN pt. 3: Our Father’s Relentless Pursuit](https://cinemagogue.com/2009/03/26/taken-pt-3-our-fathers-relentless-pursuit/) - “Our fathers were our models for God. If our fathers failed, what does that tell you about God?” – Tyler Durden, Fight Club (For the introduction to our series on Taken, click here) More than redeeming the role of daddy and emphasizing a child’s folly, Taken truly transcends these archetypes and fills the viewer with
- [TAKEN pt. 2: Her Father’s Regulation](https://cinemagogue.com/2009/03/23/taken-pt-2-her-father’s-regulation/) - “A wise son (or daughter) heeds his father’s instruction, but a mocker does not listen to him.” - Proverbs (For the introduction to our series on Taken, click here) Kim knows what she’s doing; she can take care of herself. Dad worries too much. What could go wrong? The horrifying truth is revealed in Taken when her
- [TAKEN pt. 1: A Father’s Redemption](https://cinemagogue.com/2009/03/19/taken-pt-1-a-father’s-redemption/) - “Children’s children are a crown to the aged, and the parents are the pride of their children.” - Proverbs (For the introduction to our series on Taken, click here) Pierre Morel’s Taken focuses on a familiar scenario in our generation: absentee Dad. Statistics suggest 40% of kids in the United States go to bed with
- [Did anyone notice Frost was a werewolf?](https://cinemagogue.com/2009/01/30/did-anyone-notice-frost-was-a-werewolf/) - While the Academy snuggles up to Frost/Nixon, the REAL world (who knows The Dark Knight should have been nominated for Best Picture) can see Frost-y Michael Sheen in his role as Lucien in Underworld: Rise of the Lycans. A medieval werewolf, or that 70s newsman frock... which role do you suppose was hairier?
- [The Final Word on 2008](https://cinemagogue.com/2009/01/12/the-final-word-on-2008/) - Now that 2009 is well underway, the Cinemagogue reviewers are taking a moment to look back at our favorite films of 2008. To refresh your own memory of the past year in films, visit the Wikipedia page on 2008. Founder and Reviewer James Harleman’s picks 1. Dark Knight 2. Iron Man 3. Wanted 4. Quantum
- [Jesus gets an Agent?](https://cinemagogue.com/2007/01/27/jesus-gets-an-agent/) - In the span of one week, my church received two screener DVDs of recent releases, our Acts 29 Director was in a conference call with Sylvester Stallone, and I was on the phone with a representative from Paramount Pictures wondering if churches would be interested in a documentary they're considering. When God called me to
- [Why The Soup saved my life and why I want to kill Joel McHale](https://cinemagogue.com/2008/01/08/why-the-soup-saved-my-life-and-why-i-want-to-kill-joel-mchale/) - I gave a New Year's Eve lecture looking back at 2007, touching on the sheer inability for anyone to be a true cinema and television expert with the number of films and channels at play; this cinemagluttony isn't really producing more creative content, just creating more work sifting through the detritus (I confess to liking
- [Does Hollywood have a Sequel-ly Transmitted Disease?](https://cinemagogue.com/2007/10/27/does-hollywood-have-a-sequel-ly-transmitted-disease/) - Exploring the REAL Reasons for Sequel Madness and Episodic Film By Pastor James Harleman "The franchise rights alone will make us rich beyond our wildest dreams." - Peter Venkman, Ghostbusters In a previous post, my compatriot in cinematic critique commented on the franchise glut and corollary lack of creativity in Hollywood. Some of the blame
- [Bloated Budgets Plus Shrinking Creativity Equals... Success?](https://cinemagogue.com/2007/10/12/bloated-budgets-plus-shrinking-creativity-equals-success/) - Written by Cinemagogue contributor Elliot Strong My friend Elliot wrote an article for the Vox Pop and I wanted to post it here for commentary. While we don't see eye-to-eye, in true Ebert/Roeper form I wanted to present another view on the current state of Hollywood affairs. Look for more from this guy in the
- [Sci-Fi Season Premiere Scorecard](https://cinemagogue.com/2007/09/29/sci-fi-season-premiere-scorecard/) - The Invasion is over, everyone. and the science fiction occupation has begun. While "sci-fi" once remained relegated to the Area 51s of the FOX Network or the Sci-Fi Channel, it has now descended from the digital cable clouds and demanded that we take them to our major network. A quick look at the weekly listings
- [To Boldly Go Where Nimoy Has Gone Before](https://cinemagogue.com/2007/09/07/to-boldly-go-where-nimoy-has-gone-before/) - J.J. Abrams has gone where no one else dared. Not only is it officially announced that we'll be seeing another Star Trek feature next year (by the red-hot director who gave us Lost, Alias, Mission Impossible 3, and is producing 1-18-08), it's now on the record that this film will feature classic Star Trek characters Kirk
- [Rats, Robots, and Public Urination](https://cinemagogue.com/2007/09/01/rats-robots-and-public-urination/) - What exactly was the obsession with the Drive-In Movie? Was it really that much more economical than building a theater? Was it our 50s love affair with the car? You know, drive-in restaurants, drive-in movies, drive-in necking at make-out point. the list goes on, followed by a much needed trip to the gym to unload
- [An Inconvenient Oscar...](https://cinemagogue.com/2007/02/26/an-inconvenient-oscar/) - "Wow... I'd hate to have to follow THAT!" After a presumably moving moment of the 79th Annual Academy Awards, host Ellen Degeneres dropped that line, playing oblivious to the fact that she indeed WAS following said moment; quickly running out of anything resembling actual wit, Ellen actually fell back on that line a second time
- [CinemagOscars 2006](https://cinemagogue.com/2007/03/04/cinemagoscars-2006/) - It's March, it's Seattle, and it's snowing. it's like the winter weather doesn't want to admit that its season is over. Neither did the Academy this year, as they trotted out their tired old Oscars with cardboard host Ellen Degeneres, doing her impression of milk toast and inflating already over-inflated celebrity egos. A few of
- [CinemagOscars 2: Electric Boogaloo](https://cinemagogue.com/2007/03/07/cinemagoscars-2-electric-boogaloo/) - In my last post, I dropped Cinemagogue's Top 10 film of 2006, many of which toy with great themes of narrative, philosophy and spirituality. I also promised that I'd cover some honorable mentions for 2006, as well as the "guilty pleasures" and royal stinkers. The latter category won't be making the "film and theology" class
- [America, Dead on Arrival?](https://cinemagogue.com/2007/03/25/america-dead-on-arrival/) - Hollywood has recently green-lit a film based on chain-mail wearing, flag-wrapped, World War II super-soldier Steve Rogers, who many folks know as Marvel comics' literally flagship character Captain America. His fictional former friend, Iron Man, is set to fly on the silver screen played by Robert Downey Jr. and his web slinging associate, Spider-man, will
- [Passion Points](https://cinemagogue.com/2007/04/08/passion-points/) - My wife loves lists. Not just any lists, mind you, but particularly ones that boast the "Top" something or other; the "Top 10 Deadliest Animals" on Animal Planet, the "Top 25 videos that defined the 80s" on VH1, or the "Top 10 Worst films of 2004" (remember Catwoman? Halle Berry wishes you didn't). It hardly
- [Cinemagluttony...](https://cinemagogue.com/2007/04/29/cinemagluttony/) - After enjoying Hot Fuzz for a Friday morning matinee, my wife and I ran to the store to pick up some Danish for a party the next day. We managed to get from the multiplex to the store and back again before seeing our next movie, conveniently titled Next. As the movie started, with Nicolas Cage looking
- [Optimus Prime gets WIRED](https://cinemagogue.com/2007/06/24/optimus-prime-gets-wired…/) - I had a sermon to preach about Optimus Prime some day. For better or worse, WIRED magazine beat me to it. Pointing out that while geeks have Batmen and Star Trek toys in their cubicles, even the jocks have Transformers decorating their workspaces, WIRED writer Scott Brown explores the reasons why in the July print
- [Fight of the Bumblebee...](https://cinemagogue.com/2007/06/26/fight-of-the-bumblebee/) - I've already purchased my tickets for the Transformers movie. Although he's upgraded his vehicular style, I'm happy that Bumblebee is in the film. Believe it or not, he's the earnest robot I wanted to be when I was 10 years old. Even as a kid, identifying with "Spike" was too obvious; the "human kid who
- [Judas with Wings (and a Jet Engine)](https://cinemagogue.com/2007/07/02/judas-with-wings-and-a-jet-engine/) - In the stories we're drawn to, we gravitate toward characters we like, even when we don't want to admit it. I can't discuss the upcoming Transformers film without a confession about the other character I strangely identified with as a child: that nefarious backstabber, usurper, and generally inept fool that was "Starscream". "My time will come."
- [Revenge of the SIFF](https://cinemagogue.com/2007/07/18/revenge-of-the-siff/) - Tired of pillaging Pirates, swinging Spider-men, and revolting Robots? Scratching your head wondering if the "Silver Surfer" is rising because the "Surf's Up" on "Ocean's 13"? Just how many sequels, prequels, and comic book movies can the Hollywood meat grinder feed us in one summer anyway? Well, Seattle serves up even more film, arguably for
- [Mystery, Revelation, J.J. Abrams and January 18](https://cinemagogue.com/2007/08/05/mystery-revelation-jj-abrams-and-january-18/) - Like millions of other people in July, gathering around the world to stare at one of 4,050 movie screens, I waited breathlessly for Optimus Prime and his band of disguised robots to transform. However, something peculiar occurred as we sat through reminders about turning off cell phones and watching requisite trailers for other films. The
- [Film and Theology's Top Ten](https://cinemagogue.com/2007/08/18/film-and-theologys-top-ten/) - I often get asked to list ten of the more theologically provocative films. The first three are oft-referred to as the "Mars Hill Trilogy", frequently popping up on pastor's lists. Not all our pastors would heartily endorse all these films, mind you... and some are definitely not for everyone. (I have also added archived reviews
- [The MASS EFFECT of the Writer's Strike...](https://cinemagogue.com/2008/02/11/the-mass-effect-of-the-writers-strike/) - Unless you've been living in a cage, you know that the scribes are holding the entertainment world hostage. The Writer's Guild of America Strike that began on November 5th continues to this date, and all we've felt so far are the ripple impacts that precede the vacuum. Many television shows will likely have incomplete seasons.
- [Atonement forgotten by Oscars, but Jon Stewart Atones for Oscar's Sins](https://cinemagogue.com/2008/02/28/atonement-forgotten-by-oscars-but-jon-stewart-atones-for-oscars-sins/) - For the Oscars, the second time's the charm. If you don't remember, last year's Oscars were hosted by Ellen, following Hollywood's lack of appreciation for Jon Stewart's deprecating performance in 2006. One of her "gags" was juggling host duties with janitorial duties. Fortunately, if Ellen had anything to do with Oscars this year, it was
- [Domo Arigato, Stan Winston (1946 - 2008)](https://cinemagogue.com/2008/06/16/domo-arigato-stan-winston-1946-2008/) - by James Harleman One of my Top 10 films is John Carpenter's The Thing. One of my guilty pleasures as a ten-year old television viewer was the man-morphing "Manimal". The only film that made me cry in high school was Edward Scissorhands, and The Terminator will always be one of my favorite James Cameron movies,
- [Romantic Comedies are of the Devil?](https://cinemagogue.com/2008/12/17/romantic-comedies-are-of-the-devil/) - Part of Cinemagogue's vision is exposing the truth that we let film, like a video pulpit, preach through narrative and influence how we think, feel, and act. It's always fascinating when academia comes along and says what we've been exploring for some time. In BBC News, a report on a study in Edinburgh is corroborating
- [Narrative Dinosaurs Complain about Cinematic Evolution](https://cinemagogue.com/2008/11/21/narrative-dinosaurs-complain-about-evolution/) - by James Harleman Apparently David Kirkpatrick thinks that "the story" is in serious danger. I think he's glossing over the past and afraid of the future. A recent New York Times Article reports that M.I.T. is setting up a media lab to "examine whether the old way of telling stories — particularly those delivered to
- [CinemaGuinness...](https://cinemagogue.com/2008/10/09/cinemaguinness/) - I thought my friends and I were crazy when we had a Lord of the Rings day and watched all three EXTENDED editions, totaling some eleven and a half hours not counting disc changeovers, bathroom breaks, and some food. I've even known a few Star Wars fans who have done a six-movie marathon, which must
- [Ten Movie Blasts from the Past...](https://cinemagogue.com/2008/09/03/ten-movie-blasts-from-the-past/) - Offshore internet drilling struck a server pocket of buried mp3 audio reviews and explorations of film that haven't been listed or noted as part of the Cinemagogue site... until NOW. Since our friends at Mars Hill have excavated and tapped the depths of the previously mysterious and hard to navigate media library, we get to
- [X-Men: The Last Stand has legs](https://cinemagogue.com/2006/05/25/x-men-the-last-stand-has-legs/) - When a cure for the mutant gene is announced by a corporation working with the government, the militant Magneto rallies his mutant brotherhood for a decisive strike against Homo sapiens humanity. Charles Xavier and his school of X-Men prepare to respond in kind, but the return of a former teammate, thought to be dead, upsets
- [Sparkly Vampires and Another Cultural Phenomenon!](https://cinemagogue.com/2008/12/22/sparkly-vampires-and-another-cultural-phenomenon/) - review of TWILIGHT by Caitlyn Stark starring Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson directed by Catherine Hardwicke Rated PG-13 Hey everybody, I'm back and bringing you another cultural phenomenon. This time, there are no singing and dancing high school students! This time, there are sparkly vampires and a small rainy town on the Washington peninsula! This
- [“Heroes” Worship…](https://cinemagogue.com/2007/02/01/heroes-worship/) - With five days of hell tucked squarely in Jack Bauer's handbag, a sixth day (or, more accurately, sixth season) of Fox's "24" seemed pretty much. well, in the bag. However, Bauer's battle transitioned from "real-time" to real life, as a new enemy beat him in the ratings. NBC's critically acclaimed new action/drama "Heroes" captured nearly
- [More than Meets the Eye...](https://cinemagogue.com/2007/07/05/more-than-meets-the-eye/) - More than two decades after Hasbro, Takara, Sunbow and Marvel Comics combined forces, to unleash the most successful, holistic, cartoon/comic/vehicle/puzzle/robot marketing campaigns ever known to man, creating a towering titan of revenue that has ebbed and flowed for decades, Michael Bay and Steven Spielberg have taken the steel-reinforced franchise one step further with a crowd-pleasing, comedic
- [There's No Place Like D'OH!!!](https://cinemagogue.com/2007/08/14/theres-no-place-like-doh/) - The Simpsons Movie by James Harleman The funniest part of The Simpsons movie may be the opening, when frustrated father Homer Simpson groans over watching a movie that is essentially a big screen version of what you can see at home on TV. This self-awareness sets up the movie nicely, also setting the level of
- [Poetry in 3D - A review of BEOWULF](https://cinemagogue.com/2007/12/04/poetry-in-3d-a-review-of-beowulf/) - My cohort Aaron Webb penned this review of the recent computer-animated film... and as he knows the source material better than I, I'm posting his review first. I'll post my own thoughts on the film next... Changes to Poem Render Computer Animated Film Less Potent by Aaron Webb Robert Zemeckis' Beowulf is a computer generated
- [Fatboy runs from Abdication to Dedication](https://cinemagogue.com/2008/03/28/fatboy-runs-from-abdication-to-dedication/) - A review of RUN, FATBOY, RUN by James Harleman (Rated PG-13) "... let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us..." - Hebrews 12:1b Marathon becomes metaphor in this story of the everyman's desperate flight from role and
- [After THE FALL...](https://cinemagogue.com/2008/06/18/after-the-fall/) - A Review of The Fall by Claudine Elizabeth Miller Directed by Tarsem (Singh) Rated R Bandits! Smart Monkey! Oh My! But, being as how this review is supposed to be longer than 10 words, here are my reasons why you should see Tarsem’s The Fall: Reason #1: Sure, Tarsem (he has recently dropped his surname,
- [WANTED parties like it's 1999... again.](https://cinemagogue.com/2008/07/03/wanted-parties-like-its-1999-again/) - WANTED review by James Harleman starring James McAvoy, Angelina Jolie, and Morgan Freeman Directed by Timur Bekmambetov Rated R It's been the eternal question on no one's lips: what would happen if The Matrix and Fight Club had a baby? At least now, we know it would be Wanted... a high octane, man-up, power to
- [The Dude Abides: Cult Classic for Our Times](https://cinemagogue.com/2008/07/22/the-dude-abides-cult-classic-for-our-times/) - A review of THE BIG LEBOWSKI by Elliot Strong starring Jeff Bridges and John Goodman directed by Joel Coen Rated R His words are quoted, books have been written about him, gatherings are arranged in his honor, and the image of his long hair and flowing robes are legendary. Welcome to the modern cult of
- [Religulous Proves P.T. Barnum is right, but not much else](https://cinemagogue.com/2008/10/15/religulous-proves-pt-barnum-is-right-but-not-much-else/) - RELIGULOUS directed by Larry Charles written by Bill Maher review by James Harleman There's a sucker born every minute. It's not scripture, but fairly accurate. Unfortunately, when any wiseacre wants to make a modern day mockumentary to prove a point, this reality comes in very handy. This is what makes Religulous funny, but ultimately hollow.
- [Stop and Smell the Purple Rose of Cairo](https://cinemagogue.com/2008/09/15/stop-and-smell-the-purple-rose-of-cairo/) - review of THE PURPLE ROSE OF CAIRO by Zach Malm starring Mia Farrow and Jeff Daniels directed by Woody Allen Rated PG Trailer: [Youtube]guLFLWYlQxU[/Youtube] Woody Allen’s magical ode to the transporting power of cinema, The Purple Rose of Cairo has been called one of 100 greatest films ever made (according to Time Magazine). I call
- [Film in the Era of Daddy Issues](https://cinemagogue.com/2008/01/27/film-in-the-era-of-the-daddy-issues/) - Sixty-one years old, but looking as tough as a truck-stop steak, Sylvester Stallone shouts and shoots a fifty-caliber cannon, converting Christian-oppressing pirates and perverts into pulp, parts, and puddles, before they can mutilate and murder the missionaries and mercenaries trying to bring light to a lifeless land. Standing atop the mountainside of meat, bone and
- [Is This Review a Crime?](https://cinemagogue.com/2007/09/17/is-this-review-a-crime/) - There are some filmmakers that can sharply divide: some people love them, others hate them. Many times these controversial directors remain in the independent circuit... although occasionally a polarizing Oliver Stone or Michael Bay becomes notorious in the mainstream. One actor/director who makes this grade is Woody Allen, who has made headlines not only as

## Pages

- [Reviews](https://cinemagogue.com/cinemagogue-catalog/) - Movie Reviews: Alphabetized by Title NOTE: movies are text reviews unless noted: you can use "categories" links on the right to sort by text, audio or video reviews, blogs on culture, media, film, television & more. If you don't see the movie you want here, search our sister site Popcorn Theology! 300 3:10 to Yuma
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- [About](https://cinemagogue.com/about/) - cinema | cin-e-ma 1. a movie theatre, a building in which films are shown 2. film, motion pictures or movies 3. cinematography: the art of recording visual images synagogue | syn-a-gogue 1. a house of assembly 2. a place of worship 3. a Jewish congregation cinemagogue | cin-e-ma-gogue an exploration of how our culture lives,
- [Speaking](https://cinemagogue.com/cinemeeting/) - James Harleman is available for events, lectures, conferences, and preaching. James has been blessed to host events, lecture and preach for over two decades. He has also been able to contribute written, audio and video content for Mars Hill Church, Acts 29, SALT, The Resurgence, Collide Magazine, speak in Florida at the Create 2:10 Conference,
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- [The cinemaGuy](https://cinemagogue.com/cinemyself/) - 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
- [Feedback](https://cinemagogue.com/cinemail/) - What others are saying about Cinemagogue: “…really appreciate your witness with regards to movies and entertainment in general. I grew up on television in the 80's and can relate to the context you grew up in…. I thank God for you and your ability to glorify him in everything, no matter what - even cinema.”

## Categories

- [cinema reviews](https://cinemagogue.com/category/film-reviews/)
- [text reviews](https://cinemagogue.com/category/film-reviews/text-reviews/)
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- [reviews by genre](https://cinemagogue.com/category/reviews-by-genre/) - view all posts by selected genre
- [sci-fi](https://cinemagogue.com/category/reviews-by-genre/sci-fi/) - aliens, viruses, future wars, and genetic experiments gone awry…
- [horror](https://cinemagogue.com/category/reviews-by-genre/horror-reviews-by-genre/) - things that go bump in the night
- [action](https://cinemagogue.com/category/reviews-by-genre/action-reviews-by-genre/) - kicking lots of butt
- [comedy](https://cinemagogue.com/category/reviews-by-genre/comedy-reviews-by-genre/) - movies that make you laugh, or attempt to…
- [fantasy](https://cinemagogue.com/category/reviews-by-genre/fantasy-reviews-by-genre/) - swords and sorcery, danger and dragons, musclebound men and whimpering women…
- [drama](https://cinemagogue.com/category/reviews-by-genre/drama/) - movies that are nominated for Oscars that at least two of you have seen
- [documentary](https://cinemagogue.com/category/reviews-by-genre/documentary-reviews-by-genre/) - a slice of real life, or at least one filmmaker’s version of it
- [chick flick](https://cinemagogue.com/category/reviews-by-genre/chick-flick/) - guys eyes roll, girls melt mindlessly
- [musical](https://cinemagogue.com/category/reviews-by-genre/musical-reviews-by-genre/) - just like real life, except people sing
- [thriller](https://cinemagogue.com/category/reviews-by-genre/thriller/) - some action with mystery and edge-of-the seat thrills… who is Kyser Soze?
- [western](https://cinemagogue.com/category/reviews-by-genre/western/) - the good, the bad, and the ugly in cowboy hats
- [historical drama](https://cinemagogue.com/category/reviews-by-genre/historical_drama/) - period pieces that involve drama and action and even true historical events
- [CineMUSINGS](https://cinemagogue.com/category/rants-and-rambles/) - musing on media, facts on film, commentary on culture, and more
- [video reviews](https://cinemagogue.com/category/film-reviews/video-reviews/)

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