Of The 1900s
“And therefore as a stranger give it welcome. There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, Than are dreamt of in your philosophy.” –Hamlet, Act I, Scene 5 Once the 1900s began, technological advances in cameras and projectors were…
Should Christians Watch Demonic Films?
Hereditary is proving both a critical and commercial success. It’s boasting over 90% on RottenTomatoes and the best opening weekend for studio A24 (and on track to be A24’s second-most successful film, after Ladybird). The film centers on a family…
#174 – Ocean’s 8 and The Importance of Representation
On this episode of the Reel World Theology Podcast: We talk about the next film in the Ocean’s Universe, Ocean’s 8. This time, the ladies get a chance to show what they can do as they have us rooting for…
Review| Superfly
The subgenre known as “blaxploitation film”–a term coined by the Los Angeles head of the NAACP, Junius Griffin–rose to prominence in the 1970’s as a direct response to the need for black actors on-screen. Representation mattered in the 1970’s, and blaxploitation…
Review| The Incredibles 2
Pixar’s The Incredibles has taken on whole new dimensions of meaning for me since I’ve been married and become a father. While it’s long been one of my favorite films, hearing Mr. Incredible tell his wife “I’m not strong enough”…
Review| Tag: A Game Worth Playing
As children we all played games and engaged in activities that for many of us have either passed into nostalgia or are no longer possibilities through time constraints or physical limitations. But what if you were so committed to a…
Keeping Watch on the Evil and the Good: Worshipping the State in Cool Hand Luke (1967) and Minority Report (2002)
For 13 years, my father was a corrections officer in a high security prison in Texas. Among his wards was the infamous Eyeball Killer, a man who murdered prostitutes and surgically removed their eyes. During routine searches of the man’s…
Reel World: Rewind #027 – The Incredibles
On this episode of Reel World: Rewind… With the upcoming release of Pixar’s Incredibles 2, it only made sense for us to look back at Brad Bird’s original superhero film from before there was the term “superhero movie fatigue”. This month, co-host…
Review| Hereditary
There is a significant distinction between a tragic hero and a foregone conclusion. While both retain the characteristic of giving the audience foreknowledge of their impending fate, only the tragic hero invites the will of the audience to push against…
Review| Ocean’s Eight
Ocean’s Eight makes you feel cooler for having seen it. Of course, it’s a heist film; and in a heist film, you first have to have a devious mastermind who came up with the whole thing. In the case of…