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SDG’s Top 10 Christmas movies list!

I do hope to get back to more regular movie writing in 2025. For now, I hope you enjoy my latest “quick win,” a tongue-in-cheek Christmas movies list I published at All Things SDG.

Two things I wish George Miller had done differently in <em>Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga</em>

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Two things I wish George Miller had done differently in Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga

The Fury Road prequel is a satisfying return to the world of the demented 2015 film—but there were two missed opportunities, relating to Immortan Joe’s Wives and Furiosa’s revenge.

Watch: <em>The Song of Bernadette</em> and <em>Lourdes</em> – An Arts & Faith Top 100 discussion with Kenneth R. Morefield

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Watch: The Song of Bernadette and Lourdes – An Arts & Faith Top 100 discussion with Kenneth R. Morefield

In which I chat with the editor of a collection of essays about the Arts & Faith Top 100 films about my contribution to the book

<em> Dune</em> and <em>The Lord of the Rings</em>

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Dune and The Lord of the Rings

In my reviews of Dune: Part One and now Dune: Part Two (filed and pending publication; stay tuned!) I’ve written a bit comparing and contrasting Dune with Star Wars. Here I’d like to consider Star Wars in relation to The Lord of the Rings and J.R.R. Tolkien’s larger legendarium.

<em>Vivo/Alive</em>: A documentary about Eucharistic adoration returns to theaters for one day only

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Vivo/Alive: A documentary about Eucharistic adoration returns to theaters for one day only

Vivo remains focused on the experiences of its subjects and their spirituality. It’s not a catechetical or apologetical presentation, but a portrait of five souls and a document, perhaps, of the workings of grace. Vivo is alive.

Why is there no religion in <em>The Lord of the Rings</em>?

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Why is there no religion in The Lord of the Rings?

If The Lord of the Rings is “fundamentally religious and Catholic,” why are there no religious institutions or rituals?

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Parasite [video] (2019)

Bong Joon-Ho’s brilliantly constructed art-house hit is the most powerful of this year’s many takes on the theme of haves and have-nots.

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Little Women [video] (2019)

Is there anything new to say about Louisa May Alcott’s beloved, much-adapted classic? Thrillingly, Greta Gerwig finds that there is.

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Marriage Story [video] (2019)

Noah Baumbach tells persuasive stories about unhappy families. This is one of his most insightful.

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The Irishman [video] (2019)

Robert De Niro, Al Pacino and Joe Pesci star in Martin Scorsese’s decade-spanning gangland opus, which turns out to be a very different movie than it seems … but you have to stick with it.

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Jojo Rabbit [video] (2019)

Taika Waititi has directed some cracking comedies, but can even he make Hitler funny?

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Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood [video]

Quentin Tarantino’s gifts are impossible to deny, but while I often find his set pieces mesmerizing, I have yet to fully buy into one of his films. This might be the closest one yet, though.

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Midsommar [video]

Why does Robin Hardy’s disquietingly cheery 1973 British folk-horror classic The Wicker Man work better than this sophomore film from the writer-director of Hereditary?

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The Farewell [video] (2019)

Fans of NPR’s This American Life already knew that Lulu Wang had an extraordinary story. What we now know is that she is also an extraordinary filmmaker.