The Ultimate What If…

Films are the great hypothetical (forgive the Shaquille O’Neal analogy). We can easily ask of any character in a film, “What if I was in that situation?” Thus, one of the many benefits of a more inquisitive filmwatching is a greater sense of empathy for “the Other.”  Such filmwatching also leads us to examine our own lives further and can potentially help us for future difficulties. A new film, Right at Your Door, directed by Chris Gorak (who worked on Minority Report, Lords of Dogtown, and Fight Club and makes his first directorial effort here), fulfills this latter role. [Read more]

Better Late Than Never…

I am speaking here of both my review of God’s Warriors and the program itself.  I did not finish the series until tonight, having been out of town over the weekend and the DVR failing to record the Muslim episode until Saturday night.  Despite Christiane Amanpour’s assertions to the contrary, this series seems to be more of the sensational journalism that already fills our news channels.  However, this is not to say that some good did not come from these programs, specifically the fact that such a significant amount of prime-time programming was focused (albeit narrowly) on the role of religion in contemporary society. [Read more]

The Religions Will Be Televised…

This week, CNN is devoting 6 hours of its prime-time programming to a discussion of three major world religions, Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. On Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday nights from 9-11 pm ET, CNN corespondent Christiane Amanpour will host a series of documentaries called God’s Warriors which focuses on God, politics, and the global fight over religion and power. Tonight, Amanpour appeared on Larry King Live to introduce the program and discussed religion with King and leaders from these various faith communities. I certainly hope that the series is not more of the same. By that, I mean more media focus on the negative aspects of religion. Thankfully, some of Amanpour’s comments give me hope and will definitely have me tuning in for more. Read on for a review of tonight’s discussion. [Read more]

$40 Million: Take Two

WARNING: DO NOT READ THIS POST UNTIL YOU HAVE READ THE PREVIOUS ARTICLE, $40 MILLION AND TWO MOVIES.

It seems like the NFL knows no end to controversy with the Michael Vick dogfighting case being the latest in a long first year for commissioner Roger Goodell. As we wait for Vick’s decision of whether to go to trial or enter into a plea bargain, I have been thinking about this case, especially in light of William C. Rhoden’s book, $40 Million Slaves. Far from justifying Vick et al’s heinous behavior, I think, given Rhoden’s discussions of inclusion without power and wealth without control, we might be able to approach an answer as to why Vick got involved with dogfighting. [Read more]

$40 Million and Two Movies

Lately, I have been putting together a syllabus for a course I want to teach on sports and theology, religion, spirituality, ethics…. I have not figured out an appropriate title just yet, but the essence of it will speak to the reality of sports as a field ripe for the discussion of justice, race, gender, etc. Recent scandals in all levels of sport will provide interesting case studies, and the sports sections of both cable television and newspapers will provide primary source material. Furthermore, several books and films deal with these issues as well. One book that will be required reading is William C. Rhoden’s $40 Million Slaves: The Rise, Fall, and Redemption of the Black Athlete. Two films, Hoop Dreams and Blue Chips, serve as illustrations of this controversial text. [Read more]

Life on Pause…

Last fall I eagerly awaited the release of Michel Gondry’s The Science of Sleep. I was intrigued by the artistic creations shown in the film’s trailer. However, upon seeing the film, I felt as if all these cardboard cutouts ran their course rather quickly in the film. In the end, they seemed to serve as filler for a poorly made film. Recently, however, I came across another romance/drama/comedy that promised a venture outside the ordinary. Where The Science of Sleep overflowed with imaginative elements, thus distracting from the story, Cashback uses its leap into fantasy to drive the story forward and thus encourages greater audience participation and imagination.

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The Threat of Nonbeing

How can a filmmaker visualize scent? How does a director convey odor? The senses of taste, touch, and smell escape the filmmaker when sight and sound are so powerfully effective. The director of Perfume: The Story of a Murderer, Tom Tykwer, faced this challenge in telling the story of a young frenchman with an extraordinary sense of smell. While the film falls flat in many respects, and quite frankly stinks, we can detect a faint theological aroma.

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All About the Music?

A couple of months ago, Alan Ackridge, a friend and youth minister in North Carolina, shared a brief post on spirituality and contemporary popular music. He gave a list of his favorite spiritual songs, only a few of which were actually performed by specifically Christian artists. I have long been suspect of “Christian music” and the “Christian music industry,” often wanting to like them more than I do. For me, the tension lies in the idea of the separation between “Christian” and “secular” especially when there often seems to be no discernable difference between the lyrics of the two. Swithc out God for baby or vice versa and you have an apropriate lyric for each camp. Other times, I simply do not enjoy the music, just as I don’t enjoy every “secular” group or performance. I recently watched an interesting film entitled Danielson: A Family Movie (or, Make a Joyful Noise Here) that, at its heart, focuses on this tension between “Christian” and “secular” music. [Read more]