— By Carly Twehous — I say, “Star Trek”, and what’s your first thought? Maybe it’s, “Live long and prosper, Mr. Spock”, and the classic, split-finger hand-gesture. Maybe you think of those few reruns you saw in the 70’s-80’s-90’s, and get this odd zing of nostalgia for a time when there will still reruns on television. Or perhaps you’re fresh …
‘Mother!’: Darren Aronofsky’s Allegorical Wail for Humanity
(2017—Director: Darren Aronofsky) High ★★★½ (with strong moral reservations) (out of 5 stars) “Why does the sun go on shining? / Why does the sea rush to shore? / Don’t they know it’s the end of the world / If you don’t love me anymore?” — “The End of the World” by Arthur Kent & Sylvia Dee, performed by Skeeter …
IT: Seven Kids vs. One Malevolent Supernatural Clown
(2017—Director: Andy Muschietti) ★★★½ (out of 5 stars) “I know what I’m doing for my ‘summer experience’ essay.” — Richard “Richie” Tozier (Finn Wolfhard) Potential spoilers below (Also, to avoid confusion with the normal use of the word “it”, the film’s title and titular character will consist of all capital letters, i.e., IT.) 2017 has seen two translations of Stephen …
Game Review: ‘Thomas Was Alone’
– By David Sawczyn – It is not often when a game asks the deeper questions of life. Most video games fall into the easy trap of entertainment and spectacle for its own sake, without asking their players to understand what the game really means and why it is doing what it is doing. Why we should play games is …
How to Respond to Atheists
Fr. Andy answers a caller’s question on how to respond to atheists or others who don’t hold the same beliefs as you. Fr. Andy is a Chaldean Catholic priest and Professor of Philosophy at JPCatholic. This video was recorded as part of an interview Fr. Andy did with Catholic Answers which aired on August 11th, 2017. You can find the …
Upside Down: A ‘Riverdale’ Review
— By Carly Twehous — I’ll be honest. This one pretty much came out of left field. Given the sales pitch, the CW’s particular track record with this kind of lame teen dramas, and the charming, but overwhelmingly corny Archie comic source material, the bar was about as low as it could be. I was expecting an overpowering aroma of …
Game Review: ‘Jotun’
– By David Sawczyn – Since their inception, video games in general have had a hard time being accepted as a legitimate art form. Considered only toys and playthings, the emotions they were designed to invoke in their players were sensations of power, pleasure, and escapism. However, with the rise of independent game companies in these recent years, games have …
Robert Pattinson Electrifies the Screen in ‘Good Time’
(2017—Director: Benny Safdie & Josh Safdie) Low ★★★★ (out of 5 stars) “I think something very important is happening and it’s deeply connected to my purpose.” — Constantine “Connie” Nikas (Robert Pattinson) to Crystal (Taliah Lennice Webster) Potential spoilers below Few examples in Hollywood fit the phrase “slow but steady comeback” like actor Robert Pattinson. As with his former co-star …
A Determined Pastor Turns to Farming in ‘All Saints’
(2017—Director: Steve Gomer) High ★★ (out of 5 stars) “You’re just a huckster, ain’t ya? A con man in a collar.” — Forrest (Barry Corbin) to All Saints pastor Michael Spurlock (John Corbett) Potential spoilers below Earlier this year, I gave a positive notice to The Case for Christ for its period aesthetics and matter-of-fact treatment of researching the historical …