What can we learn from the ancient story of Exodus 1:1-7?
It was one of the default blockbusters of 2014, be that it wasn't offensive in some major way. It's salient feature is enjoyable sequences of the key character chatting in-depth with who would become the villain.
There is a gem of wisdom in the 2004 biographical picture of Aleander the Great, but mostly it is so bad that one is prompted to write a negative review.
There are many Arabian Nights movies based on One Thousand One Nights, but what was salient about the classic Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves?
One was not expecting some of the content of the final scene of "About A Boy" but it was a unique comedy drama up until then and deserves better. It is Nicholas Hoult's debut who went on to star in the X-Men franchise and the biopic of J.R.R. Tolkien in 2017.
One cannot deny that "Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore" is a female film and a situation and one must be empathetic. But from a Christian perspective one wonders what kind of message was being sent out there.
Billy Dee Williams, a star of Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back in 1980, named five films that were his favorites at a certain point in his career in his 2024 autobiography. Why were they his favourites and why did he feel he hadn't lived up to his full potential?
Barry Lyndon was writer/director Stanley Kubrick's follow-up to his very controversial A Clockwork Orange. It is a refined work in comparison, and a rich tapestry of cinema, story and theme about a social climber.
An older Doctor Watson says over voice that was his and Sherlock Holmes' first adventure. He's talking about the adventure in "Young Sherlock Holmes" which is not based on the Holme's stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, but written by Chris Columbus and executive produced by Steven Spielberg.
Looking for that right book is like looking for a needle in a haystack. Maybe this can be a metaphor for life, when one is looking for that something.
I describe the story, and review the film for what it was possibly worth, and maybe come to terms with the religion in the film. Then my personal response.
A reflection on a day, some day. We wish we all had days like this. The wind helped.
Darkest Hour proves to be a moral story in the face of imminent danger during World War II. British Prime Minister Winston Churchill faces the unthinkable, doing a deal with Adolf Hitler. Gary Oldman as Churchill provides a powerful performance as Churchill but the film does not hit the grave notes.
A poem about when one thinks more highly about oneself than one ought.
A sequel to the aurally and visually fascinating Dune of 2021 was promising, but had big shoes to fill and some would say it is inevitable it wouldn't deliver the goods the second time around.
Nominated for Best International Film of 2022, Argentina, 1985 was a worthy contender, an outstanding true life legal drama about justice for the victims of terrible crimes in Argentine history.
"Once saved, always saved" is challenged by Bible teacher David Pawson in his book, a book which is still relevant to the church today although was written in 1996.
Mad Max 1 and Mad Max 2 were violent films, but the third Mad Max film, Beyond Thunderdome, makes it more generally acceptable entertainment with an emphasis on action and summery blockbuster values set in a post-apocalyptic world.
Bible Teacher David Pawson tackled the controversial topic of end times from a common sense, plain sense Bible approach in his book When Jesus Returns, published in 1995. It also speculates on what may happen towards the end of time.
Legend is a modern fairy tale that brushes the cobwebs off. Pictorially lovely and thematically classical this good versus evil tale reflects somewhat the invisible realities of this world...
"Witness" earnt a respectability as a drama that fairly portrayed the Amish while simmered as a thriller that followed what happened when a boy from the isolated community witnesses a murder in the restroom of a train station...
An investigation into the New Zealand Anglican Church's investments by a local newspaper prompted the question of how the church can invest ethically, but any claims about unethical investing was quickly refuted by the church. Circa 2001.
It was surprising to find a theme spiritually true to life in this apparently innocuous family film. The Care Bears Movie has something to say while the care bears make for pleasant foils to the villains.
Quiz Show is a film about ethics, right and wrong, and telling the truth when it hurts, with a very human face, as contestants from the 1950s show "Twenty-One" are bribed with money to rig the show. A rare tale about honesty.
A well-filmed, well-scored and well performed film is The Untouchables, an almost perfect law and order crime thriller set in the time of Al Capone and prohibition.
Paris, Texas is a story about male identity--it takes you through a character arc coming right around to a chilling understanding of the character. We engage the character on his search through the wastelands.
The big film about Stephen Hawking came out in 2014, with "The Theory of Everything". I found the film less about theories, but about life as it was lived for the famous physicist and of the human-interest story. It was presented palatably.
Poem from the day, "Mighty Find", is an experience of a day, quite inspirational in nature, of leaving one's burdens behind.
One may write about, as I have, the ins and outs of Star Wars and compare it to faith, but what is the defining essence of the films, and does it matter to real life?
The film Amazing Grace was used amongst Christian groups and churches circa 2006/07 for its strong anti-slavery message and potential for evangelistic outreach. It was probably the most prominent film of the period used this way and the film was likely to be used in places like New Zealand.
Things went bad for the people of Israel, but God can be relied on.
Snuck away in the corner of the music world in 1973 was Quincy Jones' "You've Got It Bad Girl" a surprising treat of an album that's rolled up in cool jazz.
I find in conclusion that the themes of innocence and evil in Star Wars are fundamentally different to Christian understanding yet deal with similar problems and themes.
Becket is a literate historical drama that has things we can learn about faith even today. Thomas Becket, the King's Archbishop, did not compromise his faith in God, but stood with God in the face of incredible opposition. A compelling drama.
On the heels of "The 33" comes "6 Below: Miracle on the Mountain", a survival story set in the snow drenched mountains. It aims to be an inspirational survival story.
"Bride and Prejudice" is a decent romantic comedy and quite an amusing way to pass the time.
This Italian film, directed by an Englishman, is a tale of an exiled Chilean poet and his postman on an Italian island. The film washes one over with its lyrical poetry rather than make a strident political statement. Just wonderful.
The 1984 Tarzan film stood out for its qualities of faithfulness to the source material and a reverential treatment. I should have been more impressed.
How James M. Barie's "Peter Pan" came about is the general idea of "Finding Neverland". It is also more down to earth than that as the author struggles to maintain his domestic life. Yet despite the drama "Finding Neverland" is one of the generally acceptable films of 2004.
The Boxtrolls is an engaging movie with a sense of justice and right and wrong, all well put together to give audiences a sense of satisfaction.
"Big Eyes" is an extreme example of misusing someone else's creations, but the theme applies wide afield of how far is too far in eliciting someone's creations. Amy Adams shines in a movie that pushed the emotional buttons on these issues.
The classic drama "The Country Girl" dealt with the subject of alcoholism in a meaningful way which Hollywood had done before in 1945's "The Lost Weekend" but though this is important, the execution is dated.
An underrated gem is this 1984 adaptation of Charles Dickens "A Christmas Carol".
The British classic "A Canterbury Tale" is based on Geoffrey Chaucer's book, updated to World War II. It was slow, but I managed to see it through, and stands as something of worth and thematic resonance, but was not committed to fully embracing it, when something was this slow.
Writer/Director Andrei Tarkovsky's "Stalker" is not a film I am committed to, but I do see some things that may be of interest, pertaining to Russia, spirituality, and control. Well photographed as well, but a tad underwhelming.
Not exactly a riveting film, but that glides along and is surprisingly low-key, making for some pleasant leisurely viewing. This was the first Star Trek feature, released in 1979. And was it about reconnecting with the 'creator'?
"The Muppet Movie" was a lackluster experience, but was the film redeemed by the appealing muppets?
"The Phantom Menace" was an under-par Star Wars film, considering it came after the better ones and we had something to compare it to. But even on its own merits, it lacked energy and vitality. But it is what it is, where thematically speaking there are things lurking behind the surface.
"Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith" might not stack up to one's vision of how Anakin Skywalker's fall from grace should have been. But it does pack an emotional wallop.
How does one feel about "Star Wars" from an orthodox Christian perspective? Is it all good or all bad? What does Star Wars really mean when it comes down to it and how would an orthodox Christian feel about it?
Churches around the world have been holding 'Saints and Angels' parties during Halloween. My article takes us back to 2003 and the local Presbyterian church that held a Saints and Angels party for the neighborhood.
On New Year's Eve, 2001, I mused over Christmas and New Year with a showing of the perennial Christmas classic "It's A Wonderful Life". This was my article, written in 2002.
In a decade of darker films, the original Star Wars film, released in 1977, was a bright spot, one did get attached to its exotica, and I did personally get into the "Star Wars thing" for a while. Years later, where do I come down on?
The Greek myths are not huge movers of box office, but superheroes are. I was disappointed and underwhelmed by the Clash of the Titans myth put to screen in 1981, but also aware it was a rare look on screen at the myth, and a story which could be applied.
Supertramp were a British band from the 1970s and 1980s who made their most successful album in all respects in 1979. Their masterpiece, "Breakfast in America" said there must be more to the material world and daily living, and in presenting images of life brought the themes close to the bone.
Roxy Music's "Avalon" album quested for more from life, of pondering on more than naturalism, but what lies hidden, if one could grasp that. Though not explicitly stated, the shades of finding deeper meaning appear to be present and made for something distinctive in 1982 music.
"Citizen Kane" is one of the outstanding films of cinema and has been for over eighty years. Produced, written, directed, and starring American wunderkind Orson Welles, this 1941 film was technically far above the rest. Thematically, it was about how riches shape a life for better or worse.
"The Caine Mutiny" is about important subject matter but delivered it less than expected. But how would one respond to an unstable captain on a boat?
"The Breakfast Club" is amusing as teens behaving badly deliver their witty one-liners to each other at a school detention while their assignment waits. But it is not that amusing--it gets serious as they share their thoughts that no one has known.
I was up for a surreal film at the time I saw this, "The City of Lost Children" promised something more than the usual Hollywood and arthouse offerings. This French film was different, a science fantasy film, with arthouse sensibilities. So, what was it like?
I was caught between the values of its story, which seemed to have an element of truth, and a sense of the film really underwhelming as proceedings trod out, coupled with some unsavory moments. But the ending is harrowing.
The small drama film "Bitter Harvest" was a less noticed film in its year, but it did have at least one thing going for it, that is, its stand on a genocidal tragedy. Barry Pepper was the best of the actors.
The much-anticipated Marvel film "Eternals" promised something of a "divine spark" in its delivery, what with eternal in the title. But the Marvel universe isn't as bright as that. It is yet another Marvel conundrum.
"The Son" is a good drama and raises complex issues in a glossy presentation that may seem to undermine the issues but doesn't. The Son is about a normal affluent family facing problems which they are unprepared for.
A fresh film from the 1970s was "Superman: The Movie". After Star Wars it was another bright mythical tale to brush off the cobwebs. The fantastical tale also prompted us to think about the difference between reality and fantasy but was still exhilarating.
The controversial true story of Michael and Lindy Chamberlin is a gut-wrenching drama of the horror of contending with out-of-control events one after another. Sam Neil and Meryl Streep star in a harrowing real-life film from 1988.
Places in the Heart has a remarkable story though one which unfolds leisurely. It is about life in Texas during the Great Depression of the 1930s and involves the ideal of reconciliation between people on the other side of the tracks.
This 2021 film is a story seeming without end on the age-old theme about distribution of resources and wealth, were human greed plays a part. One also finds a spectacular film and cinema that stands out.
The biggest film of 1981 contained references to religion and the supernatural, but was an earthy, swashbuckling entertainment as well.
When first released, "The Boss Baby" was an original, with a neat idea. What if a CEO was a baby who happened to enter the lives of a normal everyday family, who happened to be part of the family? The sequel was more straightforward.
A Star Wars blockbuster was the most anticipated film of 1980. "The Empire Strikes Back", the sequel to "Star Wars", promised more and something different. What was it like, what was it saying, and did it deliver? And why did people want to tell others, who hadn't seen the film, about the ending?
"The Fly" remake, from 1986, is loaded with images, some call it simply "gross", but that is a matter of degree. The Fly is a fascinating process of transformation, transfiguration, and disintegration which I did not find macabre at all. It is just fascinating. And it is saying something.
On the one hand a good moral story, on the other violent and bogged under by the weight of its production zeal. "Dick Tracy" encourages the good old morality, amuses with its array of character faces, but also clunks out the violence.
Gregory Peck brought the first of his 'good guy' gentlemanly roles distinguished by their humanity in the religious drama "The Keys of the Kingdom". I was astonished by how well people got along in this film. It is not superficial.
I base this poem on the last five lines which I wrote separately thirty-five years ago. It occurred to me what the headline would be when I read those lines again. I was writing about indecision quite instinctively.
Everything in the summer blockbuster season pointed to the fifth Indiana Jones film--that's if you are a certain age. And those of a certain age took their kids. While it might have delivered for them, did I see it differently?
"2001: A Space Odyssey" was a work of art in the science fiction genre, but instead of giving a forthright appraisal, I am concerned about supporting a film that's obviously evolutionary. However, it is great art and is there a Christian perspective that one can bring?
Country singer Johnny Cash narrates and sings on an authentic gospel album of word and music. He is such a friendly and sincere narrator on this gospel journey.
Being There was a satirical comedy. It was about the simple truth catching on as people were sick of corruption in high places. It is a pertinent film.
A lost Leonardo Da Vinci painting that was rediscovered fetched $450 million in 2017. The independent documentary The Lost Leonardo is about how that painting went through different buyers making for compelling cinema. Is it also about religious marketing?
Initially intriguing, but Memoria becomes a struggle to follow. Yet the theme of memory transference and the film's obscurity goes towards understanding it as saying something about cinema.
Tradition versus the new ways of doing things takes up much of the themes of "Going My Way". It is also a positive view of religion as well as explores doing things differently.
While Man of Steel is nowhere near as good as the first Superman in 1978 “Man of Steel” does have its qualities, but share of lacks, too.
"Lost in Translation" has been called a 'romantic comedy' of two lost souls forming an unconventional friendship because both are from different generations. But I found it was about what's missing in the lives of two lost souls, more a drama.
Good taste and human qualities feature in 2003’s historical maritime drama “Master and Commander".
Jesus Christ Superstar was a surprise. An appreciation of this popular religious musical.
The King and I’s Yul Brynner put in a scary performance as a synthetic robot gunslinger in an amusement park for “real”. "Westworld" is classic science fiction and action from 1973.
The Song of Bernadette is a sublime film even if you don’t believe in the material on hand. Though the film was released years ago, it still touches on themes relevant from a Christian perspective: of one's 'song'. It was competing for top place in the highest echelons in cinema that year, 1943.
I interviewed Anglican Bishop David Moxon on the meaning behind "The Lord of the Rings". The bishop publicly lectured on The Lord of the Rings" when Peter Jackson's films were released in the new millennium.
Back then it was the movie to see. This big blockbuster film was head and shoulders above every other film at the box office in 1983. What is there to say?
1950s classic "I, Confess" is such an interesting subject I just wanted to see it, but I was disappointed by the execution overall, yet one still appreciates a theme that does come only every so often.
The Robe is set in Rome at the time of Christ, has Roman officials, emperors, regalia, architecture, and ways of doing things, but at heart has a strong Christian story that surprises.
The timeless classic "Casablanca" is seriously slick, but its subject does not conduce to slickness, but one still appreciates this movie. Thematically, it's about if one can stay completely neutral.
A good family movie to watch this Family Day (May 15th) is Up. Up is about a boy scout and an elderly widower who take off quite literally on an adventure. Not quite involving for this reviewer, though.
The Angry Birds Movie was a standout family comedy because it was a promising idea: birds behaving badly for laughs. But it didn't deliver a full experience.
Brother Sun, Sister Moon was a 1972 British-Italian coproduction that was nominated for technical awards at the big award ceremonies, namely costumes and art direction. But the movie, about the life of St Francis of Assisi is more than that.
Based on the book “The Elephant Man and Other Reminiscences” by Sir Frederick Treves and Ashley Montagu’s “The Elephant Man: A Study in Human Dignity". The Elephant Man is disturbing, strong, powerful, and well intentioned.
Chariots of Fire still resonates forty years after it was released. The film tells the stories of two of the finest runners competing in the 1924 Paris Olympics. It is about running, faith, ambition, English manners, and missionary work. Sublime film.
"Godspell" was a gospel musical with a difference. It asked about the relevance of Jesus in the modern world. Yes, Jesus wears the clothing of the day. There is dancing, singing, and parables, and plenty of spirit. But it felt less than the show it puts on.
Lilies of the Field is a simple film but layered in a wonderful discussion about faith. Sidney Poitier starred in his Oscar winning role from 1963.
The 1988 Classic "Beaches" was the sentimental favourite of the year and brought us the classic song "Wind Beneath My Wings" sung memorably by Bette Midler.
"Xanadu" is a mild film but is also a refresher of one the older films one had seen and wished to see again. I found myself caught between sentiment and nostalgia and a sense that the film wasn't that good. But was it inspiration for the daily grind?
One compensated for this overly dismal affair and arrived at some stunning observations. Could it be good? While thematically about deciphering the shadows that lurk.
Christian teacher and author David Pawson challenged the challenge to the traditional Christian view of hell and makes a convincing case. Keep the faith and don't lose it if you want to avoid hell. Published 1992.
Abraham Lincoln's life and presidency is presented in D.W. Griffith's 1930 film "Abraham Lincoln" a black and white "talkie", three years after sound came to the movies. It's down to earth Americana and Lincoln and just so well done.
Suffering is the theme of Richard Attenborough's 1993 film Shadowlands. He and writer William Nicholson attend to the subject so very well in an accomplished film.
The challenge of sleeping sickness in the 1920s presented problems and heads were scratched over a cure. Many patients lived into the 1960s without a remedy. The 1990 film Awakenings is this story, starring Robin Williams as the doctor who perseveres for a cure.
Bible films were aplenty in the 1950s and 1960s, but they petered out in the 1970s. The Bible...In The Beginning was one of the final few, but the second half drew me in less than the first half.
Post-impressionist artist Vincent Van Gogh was misunderstood and lived a life at odds for the general run of things. Though an 'outcast' he viewed the world and its beauty on canvas. He tried to capture something of the eternal. This was promising in "At Eternity's Gate".
The wonderful musical world of Frederic Chopin made his tutor and others in his circle want a piece of it. This 'human interest' story is where the music and soul win the day.
Has anything changed from 2006 when Christian film was hard pressed to find a cinema release in New Zealand? Now, streaming is providing for the tastes of Christian audiences in New Zealand, so no festival required.
This Netflix Oscar winning animated film was another Pinocchio adaptation. Guillermo del Toro’s production took the honours, it was a new personal vision of the famous children's story.
There was a lot of expectation on the shoulders of The Batman, a film which promised Batman bigger and better. There has been a long history of Batman movies. How the latest did not cut the grade and what it was saying.
"The 33" showed there was a big spirit behind the rescue effort of the thirty-three trapped Chilean miners. It made for an inspirational survival story.
Winner of best feature documentary at the BAFTA Awards this year and the Oscars, Navalny has been accepted as the must-see documentary of 2022. But is it as good as it appears and is the point of view of the documentary the default position that everyone's taking?
In a year of average to above average fantasy films, Krull stood out for its qualities of heroism, good versus evil, and imaginative power. It is the prime example of a wholesome film of its year. And it is a cult film as well. It was wonderful. Yet it was kind of a curiously intriguing experience.
Three pieces of The Empire Strikes Back media reviewed--words, audio, and music.
The instant classic "12 Years a Slave" is based on a true story in the American South. The film chooses to depict the depravity of slavery in the 1800s. It makes for powerful and sobering viewing. A review.
"84 Charing Cross Road" likes a good chat and a cuppa, but it depends on your threshold of tolerance for movies about this sort of thing--literary people conducting correspondence on literature and personal asides, all tastefully done. That's good, while it draws out proceedings a bit too long.
"The Black Hole" was a kind of blank experience in the day, but potentially fascinating. However, one is more satisfied with the film with age. Thematically, it may resonate: how far would one go to progress knowledge and is it out of one's depth?
Filmmakers and storytellers, I interviewed twenty years ago said accurate history is not the point of making a film. It has always been about story for an entertainment hungry public. Some disagreed.
Going by the title and cover, this book by the recently departed bible teacher David Pawson promised a fantastic supernatural battle in a world divided between God’s Kingdom and Satan’s Kingdom but is practical as well. How does one belong to God's Kingdom and not the other one? Published 1985.
The comic strip about little orphan Annie was made into a movie musical in 1982. "Annie" is for several reasons good entertainment and has its heart in the right place. Love it.
Reflecting on the best films of 1999, according to the Academy Awards. This article was written in 2000, from a thoughtful point of view.
The film Amadeus paints a picture of jealousy overcoming one of Vienna's gentlemanly court players, Salieri. He was jealous of the better musician and could not handle the reality that someone was better than him. The truth of Amadeus is in the human condition. That's the story. The film is great.
"A.I." addresses one of the most critical issues in technology today and in the future. What does artificial intelligence mean for humans, and would artificial intelligence have human needs that can be met? And what was the film "A.I." like?
Robert Stroud hit bottom as inmate of Alcatraz, but he was ready for redemption. The 1962 film Birdman of Alcatraz is his story. The title is a metaphor for the freedom he found in prison. It's a great story.