My Favorite Music Reviewer Speaks
Andy Whitman, my favorite writer at Paste Magazine, delivered a lecture at the Trinity Arts Conference last week.
I missed it. My work schedule prevented me from attending, and it hurt to miss out. Nobody writes about music with more passion than Andy. And few can draw from such a wealth of experience in listening closely. I've discovered a great deal of excellent music from following Andy's journeys. And it is a privilege to call him a friend.
God bless him, he just gave me permission to post his entire speech.
So sit back and enjoy the words of one of my favorite writers, Andy Whitman:
The Movie That Harry Can't Tell You About. Plus: Win a Wall-E poster!
Is this the year that an animated movie will win the Oscar for Best Picture?
Here's hoping...
Focus on the Family says "Christianity Today Relishes Sexual Perversion." Call That What It Is: A Lie.
Once a month, I talk with Kim Ketola about movies, faith, and culture on her "Along the Way" radio program. She runs a great show, and isn't afraid to ask tough questions.
This week, Kim and I talked about Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull and Bella. Then she asked me for my thoughts on the film Sex and the City. (Listen to the podcast here.) [2013 UPDATE: That podcast is currently offline. Well, it has been five years now.]
Since I haven't seen it, I didn't give Kim a review. (Unlike some of the other Christian film critics I know, I try to see a movie before I start talking about its strengths and weaknesses.) Frankly, from the clips I've seen of the popular television series that inspired the movie, I doubt that I would know how to appreciate it.
I did, however, feel compelled to offer a response to the preposterous accusations that Ted Slater, a Focus on the Family blogger, fired at a colleague of mine who reviewed Sex and the City last week.
Please note: In my comments on Ketola's program, and in this blog post, I am not speaking for Christianity Today. I'm not an employee of CT, after all — I'm a freelancer who contributes reviews from time to time. So this is my opinion, not the opinion of Christianity Today.
I'm writing this because I'm appalled at the rash judgmentalism and condemnation delivered by the many who ganged up on my colleague on that Focus website. It was like watching a bunch of professing Christians gather to stone one of their own in public. And the woman they targeted did nothing to deserve such condemnation. All she did was her job, and an honorable job at that...Read more
Tim Russert of NBC News Dead at 58
What sad, shocking news today...
Russert, NBC News' Washington bureau chief and the moderator of Meet the Press, has been as busy as anyone in offering thoughtful coverage of the campaign primary circus of 2008. I'm stunned and saddened by this.
Reader Mailstrom - 6/13
I'm starting a new column, chronicling stand-outs from the daily maelstrom of Looking Closer email.
Most of these letters are real. Some of them are amalgalms of a variety of messages. Some of them are what I read between the lines of the things readers really wrote.
Each installment of Reader Mail-strom will be updated over the course of the day, so check back to see if I've responded to you.
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WHERE'D GODAWA GO?
QUESTION:
"I was wondering if you could shed some light on something: I read the book Hollywood Worldviews and enjoyed it very much. I tried to contact Brian Godawa through his website, but it is not being updated apparently. Is he publishing anything online? Blogging anywhere?"
ANSWER:
I'll ask around. Can anybody help out? Know what the screenwriter of To End All Wars is up to these days?
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THIS IS WHY I BLOG ... SOME READERS ARE JUST SO FRIENDLY
QUESTION:
My beloved ,
My name is kate, I am a beautiful young black African woman from Africa. I saw your profile today and decided write to you. I hope to start a very cordial and lasting friendly relationship with you that will be beneficial to both of us in the nearest future. Feel free to contact me through my private mail box at: ([THAT PRIVATE MAILBOX ADDRESS HAS BEEN DELETED TO PROTECT THIS BEAUTIFUL YOUNG BLACK AFRICAN WOMAN]) I will tell you more about myself and also send my pictures to you after receiving your response. I am waiting to read from you the soonest possible.Yours sincerely,
konehkate.
ANSWER:
Tell you what, I'll make an exception to my own rule and I'll respond to you if you order copies of Auralia's Colors and Through a Screen Darkly. Deal?
U2's New Album Arrives Early
I'm listening to U2's new album right now!
It's called Viva La Vida. You can stream it for free right here. U2's collaborations with Brian Eno have always been fruitful, and I'll be enjoying this for the rest of the summer. Too bad they had to call in Coldplay to substitute for them at the last minute, but still.... Just listen to track 5 -- it's like a sequel to "City of Blinding Lights."
So when will the new U2 album performed by U2 arrive? Their manager says it might happen as soon as October. I think he's confused. The re-issue of their classic album October is arriving this summer, but there's no way they'll be done with another new album in time for fall.
Wednesday Night's Trip to Borders was Pretty Cool
I've waited 22 years for this fanboy photo.
Thanks to my friend Don for snapping this.
The Kindlings Muse Reviews "Prince Caspian," "Indiana Jones," "Mongol," and More
For all of those people who wrote to me asking, "What do you think of Bella? Isn't it great? Don't you love it? Isn't it the best movie of the year?" Well, I've finally delivered a review. It's here, in this podcast.Read more
The Browser, 6/12: Coldplay's Chris Martin on Obama; Spike Lee's next.
The Browser: News & links to raise your eyebrows & furrow your brow.
Chris Martin: The Rolling Stone Interview
As soon as Barack Obama becomes president, people will be a bit more optimistic. If Obama was to be president, it would immediately change the whole outside world's opinion of America overnight. America's public image at the moment is really bad. And it's a bummer, because over half of Americans are the coolest people on the planet. But they've been so misrepresented.
[Do you think he can win?]
I do. But I think that, really, the fair thing would be, in electing the American president, to let everyone in the world vote, because it affects all of us. If there was a world vote, there's no question who would win. No question. Of course, Barack Obama is human like the rest of us. He's going to ***k up. But I'm just trying to look on the bright side. What's the point of being negative? Where does that get us? It gets you your own radio chat show, but it doesn't really do anything for the world.
Thanks to David Buckna for the tip.
Tonight: Join me at Sam Phillips' free show!
7 p.m.
Borders Bookstore
Redmond Town Center
16549 NE 74th St
Redmond, WA 98052
Phone: 425.869.1907
I'll be there.