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Movies

Why The Day the Earth Stood Still Makes a Great Pentecost Movie

Critics and viewers often refer to Klaatu in “The Day the Earth Stood Still” as a Christ figure. But might the move be more appropriately a story for Pentecost?

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Movies

3 Takeaways from Garrett Brown, Steadicam Inventor

Garret Brown, inventor of the Steadicam, fielded questions about his career in the movies for nearly an hour tonight at the Bryn Mawr Film Institute. He spoke following a sold-out screening of Blow Out (1981), director Brian De Palma’s political crime thriller.  After narrating a brief reel of Steadicam work from a variety of films, […]

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Movies

3 Reasons to Watch Woman on the Run

Even if you’re not a film noir fan, Woman on the Run (1950) deserves your attention. Yes, director Norman Foster’s movie is a mystery played out in a shadowy world of hardened crooks, hard-nosed detectives, and some eccentric characters. And it has an existential concern, as film noir movies often do. But Woman on the […]

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Movies

3 Reasons to Watch The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms 70 Years Later

Although Godzilla is more famous and still stars in the occasional movie, another prehistoric peril beat him to the punch.

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Movies

5 Key Moments from Crossfire (1947)

“Crossfire,” the 1947 film noir starring Robert Young as a detective investigating a hate crime, is engrossing and all too timely.

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Liturgical Year Movies

Advent Antiphons in a Sci-Fi Key: Emmanuel (December 23)

The end of “2001: A Space Odyssey” speaks to our desire for transcedence. Christ promises to help us not transcend but fully realize our humanity.

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Liturgical Year Movies Star Wars

Advent Antiphons in a Sci-Fi Key: Ruler of the Nations (December 22)

Where did all the aliens from the Star Wars prequels go by the time of the original trilogy? The answer has ramifications for us this Advent.

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Liturgical Year Movies

Advent Antiphons in a Sci-Fi Key: Radiant Dawn (December 21)

The Lady Galadriel is a moving and meaningful image of divine grace, an image we need as we continue to walk in darkness today.

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Books Liturgical Year Movies

Advent Antiphons in a Sci-Fi Key: Flower of Jesse (December 19)

The Fremen longed for their Kwisatz Haderach. God’s people longed, and long, for a Savior. Will we welcome the unexpected Savior we receive?

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Movies Star Trek

Star Trek II Minutes 4-7

I remember reading, in one of those old Best of Trek paperback volumes, a fan expressing his or her displeasure with the martial atmosphere of Star Trek II. “What terrible disasters must have happened,” this fan asked, “to have caused Starfleet to become so militaristic overnight?” I’m paraphrasing the question (my Best of Trek books […]