“Be yourself! Be who you are! You’re on the right track, baby; you were born that way!” Sound familiar? We hear these phrases (or some form of them) constantly. The idea is we can just find our real self and live it, all will be well. As compelling as that idea is in theory, it's often disastrous. I often think of Joss Whedon’s counter-commentary: “Remember to always be … [Read more...]
Batman: The Killing Joke
Zach Snyder's Batman v Superman offered a controversial dark knight that was truly beginning to fall into the darkness he claimed to fight (the extended addition makes that even more clear than the theatrical version). The Killing Joke, which is based on the 1988 story arc from Alan Moore and Brain Bolland, builds on this trajectory in a move that might rightly be called … [Read more...]
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice
I bet your parents taught you that you mean something, that you're here for a reason. My parents taught me a different lesson, dying in the gutter for no reason at all... They taught me the world only makes sense if you force it to. - Bruce Wayne Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice has given critics plenty of reason to rant. As far as the art of film goes, it leaves a lot to … [Read more...]
Heart Attacks and the Sovereignty of God
I recently had a heart attack - 100% blockage in left anterior descending (LAD) artery that runs down the front of the heart and supplies the front and main wall. That kind of heart attack is commonly called a Widowmaker, which is a nugget of information I am glad I didn’t know that at the time. Why did it happen? Plaque dislodged and moved; that is the only thing that is … [Read more...]
“America’s Blessings: How Religion Benefits Everyone, Including Atheists”
Christopher Hitchens claimed religion poisoned everything; Dawkins has compared a religious upbringing to child abuse. Are they right? Sociologist Rodney Stark draws from an impressive range of studies to make the case that the opposite is true. Religion – specifically evangelicalism – helps everything it touches to flourish. Stark, a sociologist of religion, began his … [Read more...]
Quentin Tarantino’s Hateful Eight
Quentin Tarantino's latest movie has already won or been nominated for awards centered around script, casting and the soundtrack. In Hateful Eight, he has assembled a stellar cast that delivers sharp dialogue in the midst of yet another homage to a classic genre of film - in this case, the Western. Tarantino has a knack for capturing the bleak depravities of the human heart - … [Read more...]
Neil Gaiman’s Interworld Trilogy: Heroes And Cautionary Tales
I was first introduced to the writings of Neil Gaiman through Neverwhere, a dark, moving, parallel universe fantasy that takes place beneath the streets of London. As I further explored his writing, I found him to be constantly creative, often profound, and entirely capable of writing books for both adult and youth audiences (American Gods and The Ocean at the End of the Lane, … [Read more...]
Six Flawed Claims in Buzzfeed’s “I’m Christian But I’m Not…”
Plenty has been written about Buzzfeed's viral video featuring people who address all the ways they believe Christians have been unfairly stereotyped. As much as I appreciate the spirit behind their attempt, I'm not as thrilled with every aspect of it. Though there are some solid observations, there are also a number of claims that reveal a fair amount of confusion about what … [Read more...]
It’s Not Just Entertainment
At this year's Traverse City Film Festival, anyone in downtown Traverse City inevitably saw a poster with this year’s slogan: “One Great Movie Can Change You.” I completely agree. This is not a new insight, of course. People have recognized the power of entertainment for thousands of years. However, the slogan has encouraged me to revisit how the arts and entertainment both … [Read more...]
Wayward Pines
“Before I built a wall I’d ask to know what I was walling in, or walling out." Blake Crouch’s Wayward Pines books, which have recently experienced a resurgence thanks to M. Night Shamylan's recent television show of the same name, have sold over 1 million copies in twenty-five countries. Shamylan diverged from the book series around Episode 5; this review will focus on the … [Read more...]