Category: Entertainment
-
Harry Potter & Literature Conference at St Andrews: A Brand of Fictional Magic
Read more: Harry Potter & Literature Conference at St Andrews: A Brand of Fictional MagicThis Thursday and Friday (May 17 and 18) the School of English at the University of St Andrews will be hosting an international conference on Harry Potter called, “A Brand of Fictional Magic: Reading Harry Potter as Literature.” Today I am leaving Las Vegas to return to Scotland for this event. I’ve been excited for…
-
The Empty Ecstasy of Entertainment Escapism
Read more: The Empty Ecstasy of Entertainment EscapismLast weekend, numerous people throughout the country collectively invested $200.3 M into 2 hours and 23 minutes of their time. This investment was the purchase of a movie ticket to escape the world of reality to play in the super-hero fantasy world of The Avengers. I’ll confess: I tossed a few bucks into the pot…
-
Bread, Circuses, and The Hunger Games (Guest Post)
Read more: Bread, Circuses, and The Hunger Games (Guest Post)NO SPOILERS AHEAD Twenty-three children must die. This is all I knew about the “Hunger Games” before walking into the dark theater to watch the very popular film with my little sisters. If you know me at all then you might be shocked to hear that I would endorse such a movie being not only…
-
Video: Best Bible Movies Ever! (Guest Post)
Read more: Video: Best Bible Movies Ever! (Guest Post)Near the top of my New Earth wish list is that God will set up a 3D IMAX theater where we can watch the real-life Bible movie. Wouldn’t it be amazing to see Moses part the actual Red Sea instead of Charlton Heston part a tray of jello? I want to see Adam formed from…
-
God, Art & The Oscars (Guest Post)
Read more: God, Art & The Oscars (Guest Post)Imagine the vast nothingness of a formless and void universe spread out before the Triune Godhead like a blank canvas on which to create the greatest work of art in all of eternity. It would be a work of art that was visual, tactile, auditory, and alive. This work of art is known as the…
-
The Life of The Artist
Read more: The Life of The ArtistThe prohibitive favorite for Best Picture at this Sunday’s 84th annual Academy Awards is Michel Hazanavicius’ black and white silent film The Artist. The film, which is nominated for a total of ten Oscars, is about a silent era movie star struggling to cope in an industry changing with the advent of “talkies.” George Valentin,…
-
Thinking Inside The Box: Theodicy & The Tree of Life
Read more: Thinking Inside The Box: Theodicy & The Tree of LifeThis upcoming Sunday is Oscar Sunday. The 84th annual Academy Awards ceremony will announce the best efforts in the film industry from 2011. Perhaps the most coveted award, Best Picture, will be decided among 9 nominees. The only film from 2011 to be nominated that I saw was The Tree of Life (I should have been able to include…
-
Whitney: The Good, The Bad & The Gospel
Read more: Whitney: The Good, The Bad & The GospelOn Saturday, celebrated singer Whitney Houston was found dead in her Beverly Hilton hotel room—her body submerged in bathwater, bottles of prescription pills close by. The story is still developing, and like many celebrity death tales, will probably remain steeped in scandal and speculation. In the meantime, there are some theological takeaways. Death has a…
-
Of Halloween & Horror Movies: What the Hell?
Read more: Of Halloween & Horror Movies: What the Hell?On Halloween it’s good to ask, why are people drawn to what horrifies and terrifies them? Robert California, played by James Spader, has this sobering nugget to say from the most recent episode of The Office (Episode 5 of Season 8: Spooked): Fear plays an interesting role in our lives. How dare we let it…
-
Harry Potter & Pagan Issues
Read more: Harry Potter & Pagan IssuesIn light of Nathaniel Warne’s recent post on Harry Potter, I thought I’d supplement his excellent post with additional issues related to Harry Potter’s much needed vindication among conservative Christians. Growing up everyone told me that Harry Potter was evil so I never read the books. Although to be honest, even if people had told…