Guess Who's Writing a Book About Jesus
First, Isabelle Allende writes a Zorro novel...
... now guess who's writing a Jesus novel!Read more
The Narnia Trailer is Here!
The wardrobe awaits... 
My thoughts:
Looks like the big, Lord of the Rings-style treatment, alright.
And it'll make crowds happy. The crowd of fans who watched it with me at Biola a few weeks ago went berzerk and demanded an encore performance. So the fans are going to be happy, generally.Read more
U2 in Church!
U2 will NOT be playing live at GreenLake Presybterian Church on Sunday night.
But their history, art, and ministry will be the focus of my presentation there.
Tomorrow night, I'll be talking about the work and testimony of U2 at GreenLake Presbyterian Church.Read more
Peter Gabriel - "Play" = surround sound heaven
If you have a surround-sound DVD system, and if you have any interest in the music of Peter Gabriel, Play has just become THE ultimate Peter Gabriel experience.Read more
The new issue of Response and "Born Into Brothels"
Enjoy the new issue of Response, which features my review of Born into Brothels.Read more
Kingdom of Heaven: Reviews, Responses
My review of Ridley Scott's Kingdom of Heaven is developing, but I'll say this: I liked it better than Gladiator.
THUMBS' UP? What Christian critics say about "Hitchhikers"
One of the highlights, from my friend Annabelle, who never hesitates to speak her mind:Read more
REVISED: First (and Second) Thoughts on "Kingdom of Heaven"
I saw Ridley Scott's Kingdom of Heaven today. I'll write a review soon. But first, a few comments on how it fits into the trend of new "spiritual" films...
Better to call it Kingdom of Tolerance.Read more
Boxing Day
Warning: Late-afternoon rant ahead.
Watching one of those movie-trailer television commercials on Monday (I mean, a TV commercial projected on the big screen, not a movie trailer on television), I finally reached the breaking point.
The commercial was for The Apprentice and The Contender. I'm not fond of The Apprentice, because it seems to reward dog-eat-dog behavior. But I won't touch The Contender with a ten-foot pole.
I want boxing to go away.
Yes, I liked Million Dollar Baby, but not because it was about boxing. Boxing continues to get the glamour treatment in film and on television, and any questions about the ethics of it as a sport seem to get stifled.
I don't understand how we can defend allowing people to train themselves to get in a ring and beat the snot out of each other and call it "sports." To me, it's just glorified beastliness. It reduces us to sheer animal instinct and divorces us from conscience and care. Sure, Muhammed Ali had some admirable turns in his career, and yes, his comeback triumph was a sight to behold and a masterful flourish of strategy. But still, when it comes down to it, the goal is to beat the other guy into submission. Where's the humanity in that?
So, I don't see the appeal in Ron Howard's upcoming Cinderella Man. I don't see the appeal of a nation finding inspiration in the sight of one of their own, a father, a husband, getting in the ring and smashing somebody else to prove that he won't let the bastards get him down.
And yet, I can already smell the Oscar nominations.Read more
Just a Few More Days of Waiting Before the Circle Becomes Complete
I have my pass to the sneak preview of Star Wars 3: Revenge of the Sith.
I'm feeling a mix of excitement, dread, and at times a strange indifference. Somehow, I know it's not going to be all I want it to be. All I ask is that there are some memorably good surprises. And that they don't leave any confounding continuity errors. And that they let the actors act. And that the dialogue is free of any painfully bad lines. Okay, so now you can see why I'm not terribly optimistic.Read more