Culture
Wisecracking polar bear goes south on a mission in ‘Norm of the North’
North Pole housing settlements stand in for corporate greed and environmental degradation, which causes the titular bear to try talking sense to New Yorkers. Young movie goers will laugh, and listen.
New six-part video series on creation now available on disc and online
God may have needed just six days to make all of creation, but for the new video series "Creation," well, it took a bit longer.
If reading 1,400 pages is too much, try ‘War and Peace’ on TV
Russian author Leo Tolstoy's "War and Peace" is considered one of the greatest novels in history. The A&E, Lifetime, and History cable TV channels tackle the novel's epic themes over four nights starting Jan. 18.
For a horror movie, ‘The Forest’ isn’t very scary
Only an occasional zombie leaping out amidst the trees can break up the tedium of talking, hiking and talking some more in this film that fails to give a reason to care about its characters or their sylvan setting.
Exorcist films should teach how God always conquers evil, exorcist says
A priest who performs exorcisms says demons react -- often violently -- as they are forced to submit to the power of God every single time, and movies often downplay his divine power.
Comedian, cardinal, inmate present Pope Francis book on mercy
Arms flailing, the exuberant and perhaps hyperactive Italian actor and comedian Roberto Benigni described Pope Francis as a masterful minister of God's mercy, which is always active and always on the move.
‘The Masked Saint’ tells tale of pastor, wrestler, vigilante
What's a small-town pastor to do when his crumbling church in a crime-ridden neighborhood is desperately strapped for cash? Why, become a pro wrestler by day and moonlight as a crime fighter, of course!
Book shows heartbreaking legacy of least-known Kennedy
What if Rosemary Kennedy, diagnosed with an intellectual disability, had not been subjected to a botched lobotomy by her father who was convinced that it would help her live a more "normal" life?
Not much to love in ‘The Hateful Eight’
Long stretches of tedium are broken up by misogy, racism, violence and (thankfully) an intermission in this sprawling western by director Quentin Tarantino. Only the horses maintain their dignity.
History of religious-themed books a tough read but worth the effort
A professor looks at books that prove religious works have always been big sellers in American history, even if they were looked down upon by scholars and theologians. They tell a lot about the hungers of the book-buying Christian audience.