Four Great Films for Your Lenten Journey
Lenten film recommendations for visual learners: Films that illuminate Christ’s Passion and help unite our sacrifices to His on the Cross.
The Tenebrae of Maximilian Kolbe
Seize the opportunity to bring a brilliant new look into the life of St. Maximilian Kolbe to your city.
Nosferatu: Old-World Devils and New-World Victims
Nosferatu is a hauntingly beautiful film about horrifically ugly things and, in so doing, makes a compelling case to retain a spiritual center in a world where the spiritual has been relegated to a place of unimportance.
The Unrecognizable Netflix Mary
The Mary presented in the Netflix film is not the Mary I have studied and written about over the years as a Marian theologian.
“Pope Joan” Smear Returns with a Vengeance: Conclave’s Hermaphroditic Pope
The contrived “shocker” ending of “Conclave” hearkens back to the legend of Pope Joan, which has always been a favorite of the disaffected and rabidly anti-Catholic Protestants.
The Unappreciated Parallels Between Am I Racist? and The Screwtape Letters
One aspect of “Am I Racist?” that has yet to receive any attention is how closely it aligns with the apologetic style of The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis.
Jesus Thirsts, As Do We All
Where catechism and preaching may have failed in the past, “Jesus Thirsts” captivates with Eucharistic beauty, prods the heart, intrigues the senses, gives the audience a path to falling in love with the Eucharist.
Wildcat: Flannery for Rookies
Flannery O’Connor is considered one of the greatest Catholic writers of all time, but most people, when asked about her, make a face. The new movie Wildcat is provocative enough to drive a new audience to her strangely redemptive stories.
Mother Cabrini’s Empire of Hope: The Movie
Cabrini is basically an action movie, a David and Goliath tale. You can’t help but cheer for the underdog who feels God’s call so intensely. It will capture young viewers with the risk and excitement of the Christian life.
Letter to the American Church
The movie “Letter to the American Church” is a ringing call to Christian pastors and bishops to speak up before the window closes, as it did in Germany in the 1930s.
The Protestant Mary Isn’t the True Mary
The new movie “Journey to Bethlehem” reveals the dramatic difference in worldview between Catholics and Protestants.
The Triumph of Sentimentality: An Argentinian Film, Tom Wolfe, and Marriage
Appalling, sloppy sentimentality pervades Hollywood, best-selling books, soap operas, women’s magazines, and popular culture generally.
Sound of Freedom: See the Children
We have a duty to oppose child trafficking, but one imagines that looking too closely might deliver a blow to our psyches from which we couldn’t recover. We need to go see “Sound of Freedom” anyway.
Thinking About Catching the new Padre Pio Film? Don’t
The new Padre Pio film isn’t really about Padre Pio, and its neither entertaining, edifying, nor evangelistic.
Truths Unlooked For
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is a return to the good action/adventure/sci-fi romp, with excellent story and spectacle and no wokeness. More surprisingly, it’s also profound thanks to its shocking religious themes.
Nefarious Is…
Nefarious is not a horror movie along the lines of Texas Chainsaw Massacre or Nightmare on Elm Street. It was basically a conversation between an unbeliever and a demon. And the demon had all the muscle.
The Jesus Revolution Remembered
The Jesus Revolution had all the elements of something I’d love: Jesus; the marvelously gifted Jonathan Roumie; the beautiful beaches of southern California; and redemption. Recipe for success; but it left me strangely unaffected.
