Lynch, God, Termites
I just had to chuckle over this abrupt shift from one question to the next in The Stranger's interview with David Lynch...
The ideas of good and evil as portrayed in your movies lead me to ask if you believe in God.
For sure. But… I do, but it’s probably not a man on a throne.
My 9-year-old read me this from a magazine yesterday, and I thought of you—the fact that the weight of all the termites in the world is heavier than all the humans. But you never see them, they’re under the surface.
That’s Blue Velvet, right there. Wow, a good fact to know!
Death of an Angel
I've just learned that Solveig Dommartin, the otherworldly beauty who brought an angel down to earth, and who found wings of her own, in Wim Wenders' Wings of Desire (my favorite film), died of a heart attack on January 11.
She was 45 years old.Read more
"Through a Screen Darkly" - An Evening of Celebration and Gratitude
Last night, Linda Wagner (right) and her husband Larry (taking the picture) joined Anne and me for a late, celebratory dinner at Saltoro in Shoreline, Washington. We were celebrating, as you can see, the arrival of several big boxes of books... copies of Through a Screen Darkly.
It was Linda who first approached me at Seattle Pacific University in 1995 to invite me to join a writer's group, and who co-edited an arts magazine with me called The Crossing for several years after that. For all of the years we've spent discussing that mysterious territory where faith and art intersect, this was the completion of a journey that we've shared.
And the evening also belonged to Anne (left), who has provided so many forms of support through the development and publication of this book -- reading, editing, making sure I had everything I needed while I worked. I can't imagine how I would have completed this project without her.Read more
Tsotsi (2005)
Question: What happens when a newborn baby ends up in the care of a lawless, gun-toting gangster?
Answer: That really depends on the gangster.
If Gavin Hood's directorial debut, Tsotsi, is going to make a lasting impression on moviegoers, it will have to succeed on word-of-mouth reviews. It just doesn't have the stuff that makes a flashy marketing campaign. Let's skip the fact that most American moviegoers will have trouble pronouncing the title... Tsotsi is a tough, violent film about trash-talking thugs and hoodums in Johannesburg. And thus it’s probably not the kind of movie you'd go see expecting to be inspired. It includes no recognizable movie stars. And most American moviegoers will probably pass by a film set in a South African slum, especially if they have to read subtitles. (The characters speak Tsotsitaal.)
Take note: It's time to turn over a new leaf. Tsotsi is one of the must-see movies of 2006. You’ll need a strong stomach, as the crooks who think they rule these shantytown streets are reckless, foul-mouthed, and willing to shed blood in order to get what they want. But don't miss it. It's the starkness of that darkness that makes Hood’s big screen adaptation of Athol Fugard’s novel such a satisfying story of redemption, the kind of thing to stir compassion in viewers’ hearts, and to remind us that sometimes God can reach even the most prodigal of his children.Read more
Here they come! Copies of Through a Screen Darkly are On Their Way!
I'm told that the box full of books should arrive on my doorstep this week.
Some copies have already been delivered to book reviewers.
Almost as long as I've been able to write my name on paper, I've wondered what this moment would be like... to hold my first copy of my own published book. I'm so weary from all of the writing and editing I've done recently, I hope I can stand up straight and appreciate it. It's been a long strange trip.Read more
"New World" Dialogue
There's a wonderful, insightful conversation here between two thoughtful moviegoers about The New World, and why it's such a special film. This podcast is almost a year old, but I really enjoyed it. Worth the time... especially for the section about who they'd like to watch interact with Terrence Malick in a bowling alley.Read more
My Top 25 Favorite Films of 2006, with Special Guests
This year I decided to do something different to celebrate my top 25 films.
You can check it out here.
Conversations with Critics About Favorite Films of 2006
It was the year of the endangered baby.
Tsotsi, L'Enfant, The Nativity Story, Pan's Labyrinth,Children of Men... all of these films were focused on either infants or unborn children who are carried through terrible danger.
But that was a subset of films characterized by a larger similarity....
It was the year of the nightmare.Read more
What? You Can Pre-Order "Auralia's Colors"?
I'm rather startled to discover that, although the book won't be available until September, you can already pre-order Auralia's Colors!!
"Auralia's Colors" ... pre-order!
Imagine my surprise when someone alerted me to the fact that you can pre-order my novel, Auralia's Colors, at this Random House website!
What a week. The first box of copies of Through a Screen Darkly will arrive mid-week on my doorstep, and in bookstores on February 5th. I've just seen a draft of the cover art for Auralia's Colors. And now, we have a definite release date and a pre-order page for that book as well. My head is spinning.