Hitchens Debates Conservative Evangelical: Nothing Happens
A new documentary called <i>Collision</i> follows the collegial debate between new atheist Christopher Hitchens and conservative evangelical Doug Wilson. Spoiler alert: Neither budges and both gloat to the respective choirs they’d been preaching to. Is this the best we can do?
Afghan Idol: Can a Talent Competition Save a Nation?
An interview with the director of Afghan Star, a documentary that follows a tense but cathartic talent competition.
What does it mean when a movie series infiltrates our daily lives, and infuses our summer nights with “magic”?
Pop-Eye: Blind Faith and the Invisible Font
Simply put: Font matters. Is it possible that the most pervasive typeface of late capitalism—Helvetica—is telling us what the gods wish: Do not worry. Trust in me. Put your value here, and you will be rewarded?
Star Trek: Politics Anti-Matters
The Star Trek franchise was famous for its utopian social vision, going boldly where no popular entertainment had gone before. But the new movie takes us back in time, to an age when political divisions were in stark black and white.
God Makes an Independent Film
When an inexperienced Pentecostal pastor gets called by God to make a $50 million epic science-fiction film, is he a visionary, a prophet, or just another box office grifter? A new documentary tells the tale.
Milk: Hollywood Does Gay History
While Milk does much to revive the history of the gay liberation movement, it misses a few big opportunities.
Pop-Eye: Meat The Wrestler
How did reviewers from the New York Times to Christianity Today miss the obvious religious references in this Oscar-nominated hit? Did they blink and reach for popcorn at the images of a tattooed Jesus Christ on Randy’s back, or was it more about the myth of modern individualism and body-soul dualism?
The Santa Killer: Death Imitating Art
When Bruce Pardo, dressed as Santa Claus, murdered friends and family on Christmas eve he was acting out a tragic bit of ceremonial violence, and borrowing an ironic and horrifying role from film and comics.
A new documentary about the lives of gay muslims avoids the easy route and explores the reconciliation of faith and sexuality...
The US Conference of Bishops gets into the business of rating Hollywood; unfortunately it appears that racism is excusable, so long as the language is clean and the body covered.
Missionaries should be careful about whose wagon they hitch themselves to...