UPDATED: Is Paul Newman battling lung cancer?
UPDATED:
Yesterday, many news sources were reporting that a close friend of the great actor Paul Newman had revealed that Newman was suffering from lung cancer.
Today, reports are spreading that Newman's friend is denying that report.
Still... it's easy to see why fans everywhere were stunned and dismayed by the questionable reports. Lung cancer is bad news wherever it appears.Read more
The Browser, 6/9: Nicolosi likes "Sex and the City"; Neil Jordan's "Ondine"; Brooks on leadership
The Browser:
News & links to raise your eyebrows & furrow your brow.
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"Sexcess"
Let's give her credit... it's a clever post title.
(I was rather proud of mine too: "Sex and the CT.")
Moviegoing superdelegate Barbara Nicolosi casts her vote in favor of Sex and the City:
I saw this film on its opening Friday a couple weeks ago, and have been wanting to blog about it ever since. I was going to post a mostly positive blog, but then I started reading a lot of what other Christians are writing about the movie and I chickened out.
...
Contrary to the bad rap the film is getting from a lot of conservatives, the real theme of SATC is not, "be shamelessly promiscuous and materialistic", but somewhat shockingly, "If you don't forgive, you will never have a happily ever after." All of the main story lines in the movie are about the need for mature relationships to move into forgiveness. And reaffirming that the film is really most about the female friendships, the most poignant moments in the film come around the falling out between Miranda and Carrie that comes towards the end of the third act. When Miranda demands that Carrie forgive her, and Carrie throws back at her friend her own refusal to forgive poor hapless Steve.
...
I liked it. So hit me.
Hey, I haven't seen the movie, so I won't judge it. Once in a while, Nicolosi and I actually agree on a movie. On issues of faith and creativity we almost always agree, and I admire her passion for inspiring Christian artists toward excellence.
And I'm inclined to be very nice to her right now, as my closest moviegoing friend, Danny Walter, is moving to LA in a couple of weeks to take classes at the house that Barbara built: ACT ONE.
Change We Can Believe In... At the Movies
The Passion of the Christ inspired speculation—in Christian and mainstream media—that things might be changing for Christians in Hollywood. Some used stronger language, declaring that the gate of Hollywood were swinging open wide for faith-focused filmmakers. Some Christians began to speak with an Obama-level fever for CHANGE in Hollywood.
So, here we are a few years later. What have we seen happen?
"You reviewed WHAT??"
Mark Moring responds to a chorus of angry readers regarding why Christianity Today Movies bothered to post a review of Sex and the City.
Mark's response is calm and thoughtful, which is the best way to respond to hysteria and outrage.
(And this isn't the first time CTMovies has printed an answer to mail of that sort.)
The New Quotes Page!
Inspired by my friend Jen Zug, I decided it was time for a Quotes page.
Submit your own favorite quotes in the comments there, and I'll consider posting it.
Paste reviews Don't Do Anything
Will I see you at the Borders bookstore in Redmond, Washington next Wednesday? Sam Phillips will be there, playing songs from her new album Don't Do Anything. And if you need any more persuading to pick up a copy, here's a review in Paste:
The Browser, 6/5: Tolkien tidbits; Ray LaMontagne; U2 anniversary; best animated films; Farina in trouble
The Browser: News & links to raise your eyebrows & furrow your brow.
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Christopher Tolkien wants to "terminate" Hobbit movie
It's not surprising that Christopher Tolkien isn't happy about New Line's plans for a movie of The Hobbit. He wasn't happy about Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy either. It will be interesting to see the judgment in his lawsuit against New Line; he claims that the master of Middle-earth's family is owed £80m under a deal for a 7.5% share of profits... a deal signed back in 1969.
Meanwhile, Saruman is trying to rise again.
Read more
Today: The Biggest Album Release Day on My 2008 Calendar
Sam Phillips's "Don't Do Anything" is here.
Order it from the Nonesuch website, and you'll receive the CD in the mail, and a downloadable mp3 version as well (not to mention three bonus tracks that you won't get if you buy it anywhere else).
Visit her new Nonesuch page, and select "Listen to the album."
My review will be in the next issue of Christianity Today, and so I must withhold posting it until then. (I'll be posting a much-expanded version of that review as soon as it's allowed.) But I can tell you this: I'm not likely to find anything this year that I play, or sing along with, more than Don't Do Anything.
Read about Sam Phillips here.
What a speech.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xxa0ihsoiYI
No, I have not decided on my vote yet. There is still a long way to go, a lot of debates. And I have a lot of questions that need answering, a lot of problems with both candidates that need resolving. (For example, this and this are giving me serious reservations about Obama.)
Furthermore... you can fire away at anything I say, because I'm an amateur in political discussion. It's a new subject to me, one that was sorely neglected in my education. And I've only begun to pay attention in recent years out of a sense of desperation, a growing weariness with seeing so much promised and so little done, and a yearning to see new leaders of integrity and vision. I'm more comfortable talking about art and faith than about policies, power-plays, and what will really bring about Change. These days, I have far more faith in the power of artists to change the world than politicians on either the Right or the Left.
But tonight, I was deeply moved by Barack Obama's speech. (Watch it here.) I agreed with him when he reprimanded Hillary Clinton several months ago and insisted that words *do* matter. Tonight, they certainly did. That was plain to see in the stark differences between the speeches given by McCain, Clinton, and Obama. It wasn't just charisma. It was content too. Sure, there was some pie-in-the-sky dreaming going on about what "this moment" really means. But I'm inspired by someone who's willing to dream in spite of all that is stacked against him. In a crisis, I'd rather our nation leaned forward and listened, in eager anticipation, when the President stepped to the microphone, rather than cringing in embarrassment.
Perhaps in a day or two, I'll come back down to earth and realize that it was only a speech. But for now, the fact that I feel even a twinge of hope is worth something. The idea that we might have a President whose speeches I would want to hear more than once... that's worth something.
In the rush of emotions following tonight's speech, I couldn't say it better than Sullivan does here... at least, not without some significant time and reflection.