I’ve just published the Looking Closer “Favorite Films of 2005” list.
This list will very likely be revised in the next month, as I catch up to some of those hard-to-reach 2005 releases. But I’ll be required to turn in my list to various publications in the coming weeks, so I figured I’d better come up something.
I’m as surprised as anybody to see what has ended up as my #1 film of the year. A few months ago, I would never have guessed. But my love for it just keeps deepening…
Jeffrey, I don’t remember you mentioning White Diamond before?
Nope. Saw it the night before I wrote up my list. Just like last year, I saw “The Return” the night before I wrote my list, and it immediately became #1 for the year. And I haven’t changed my mind. This time, I saw “The White Diamond,” and I was really moved by it. It would have been #1, except that I learned how some of the scenes that seem spontaneous and unexpected were, in fact, scripted and staged… which lessens the impact of it. Still, though, it’s Top Five material… and I think it’s better than “Grizzly Man,” the film that earned Herzog much more attention this year.
I just saw the trailer for OTH. The mannerisms of the squirrel and even the giving him caffeine gag bears a striking resemblance to Twitchy from Hoodwinked. Hmmm?! I suppose, though, that they must have both been in production about the same time.
“Beyond the pale” refers to territory, not complexion. Too much Procol Harum…
1) Baehr has a theology of art? REALLY?? that’s hilarious? because i don’t know too many people who would honestly say that we are redeemed by not ‘sinning.’ maybe he’s a hardcore legalist. i guess that’s not much of a surprise.
2)Over the Hedge does look like fun. one of the few, if any, non-Pixar cgi films i may truly enjoy. i think that OtH and Hoodwink’d actually share a writer/director, right?
3) why doth Walter seem so disparaging of both Rice and Wright?
jasdye wrote: why doth Walter seem so disparaging of both Rice and Wright?
The scripture doth encourage us–yea verily–to evaluate religious figures according to their deeds. I happen to be very interested in both the horror genre and Wright’s apologetics (I’ve seen both of these authors in the flesh within the past 9 months). Are you suggesting I shouldn’t be skeptical about a novelist who is making money off both her book about Jesus and her erotica? It simply seems odd to me that Wright and his publisher would feel comfortable linking his new book with a known literary pornographer.
I thought I had read that she was done writing the erotica in an interview featured in Christianity Today…
Jeff,
You have misrepresented Mr. Baehr.
I think it is rather obvious that his opening comments, “It’s shocking to find out that reviewers don’t have a philosophy of art or knowledge of basic literary criticism. It’s even more shocking to find that Christian reviewers don’t have a theology of art,” are about himself, not Chattaway.
Mr. Baehr is arguing that while it is bad that he himself has no understanding of art, literary criticism or a theology of art, it is worse that Chattaway doesn’t have Baehr’s creative flair with math.
Just like you to not give Baehr credit when he admits his lack of credibility. You may owe him an apology.
-Sean
Walter,
I see your point on Rice. Yes, she is making a profit on residuals that she needs to leave behind (never having read her work, however, I guess I never considered her work primarily erotica). But I spent too much time in the separatist camp of Fundamentalism to feel comfortable on the “guilty by association” rap. They didn’t post a blurb from Pamela Anderson or some porn star. They got a recommendation from a newly converted Master of Vampire Novels author/star. It’s good publicity, sure, but not that great a deal. Nor, from what I see, a big deal.
Gaffney,
Give Jeffrey some credit. He constantly gives Behr space and a voice on his own blog, for our explicit gratification. We all need a good laugh every once in a while. Jeffrey provides that service via Uncle Ted.
Gaffney understands that, jasdye. His post was poking fun at Baehr. It was meant as a joke. Read it again.
actually, i was joking along.
thanks for ruining it, jeffrey!
My bad! Sorry!