I don’t think I have ever bumped into a principle of sociology stated this way anywhere, but a subculture may be defined by its ability to mock itself. The defining characteristics of contemporary Evangelicalism are not dogmatic. This is surprising, given that Evangelicalism as a movement began as a set of theological distinctives packaged with […]
In 70s and early 80s, a small subculture of American kids shared a very odd and traumatic experience. This was the era of Hal Lindsey’s Late Great Planet Earth, which helped popularize the idea that a literal reading of Old and New Testament prophecy matched current events – all signs pointing to the imminent return of […]
All recent roads in crime drama lead to Forbrydelsen, the Danish series known to American audiences by its AMC then Netflix remake The Killing. For many, The Killing introduced a new vibe or set of possibilities for telling stories about crime that British TV critics had labeled Scandinavian or Nordic noir after shows like Wallander and The Bridge made their way across […]
Two of the show’s greatest Lindelofian mysteries have been resolved in the last few episodes of The Leftovers, but the now 3 1/2 year distance from the Departure itself indicates there is more to come. For those unfamiliar with classic Dispensationalism (see below for handy chart) – this is the span of time marked for peace during the seven […]
So far, The Leftovers has struggled to capitalize on the human scale of its Rapture narrative. The series has built up a few story arcs, spent a bit of time exploring the backstory of The Guilty Remnant, and nodded toward the big Holy Wayne plot. But I remain skeptical of the show in the […]
Grigris runs into a few issues in its third act, as the story seems to run out of steam. Also, its two leads remain pretty undeveloped throughout. But I want to get those criticisms out of the way so that I can share what really works well. The film opens on its greatest asset, which is […]
The youngest daughter in The Strange Little Cat is the nearest approximation to my seven year old daughter I have seen in cinema. Zürcher catalogs the little adult responsibilities she wants to experience, like pushing plastic bottles into the recycling machine. He pays attention to the thoughts percolating after she hears something very adult about the world, […]
Here is a mid-year report (drawing from D’Angelo’s definitive list). There is a lot yet on the horizon this year, but I really enjoyed the following films and could imagine them jostling for position on a year end list. I also note a few films that have me on the fence or worse. — Blue […]
Mubi has posted an excerpt from a translation of an unfilmed Pasolini script recently published by Verso Books. (Which, of great note, has a preface from Badiou and an introduction by Ward Blanton of all people. Blanton does a lot of interesting interdisciplinary work on NT Studies and continental philosophy.) Verso says in their blurb for the […]