Culture
‘Focus’ eyes up the underside of depravity, in a slick package
More than most heist movies, the flimsy crime drama starring Will Smith glamorizes wrongdoing. And there is plenty of that to go around, from lax sexual morals to a carpet-bombing of expletives.
Book looks candidly at Europe’s religious wars
Contrary to the belief that religion causes war, the author argues convincingly that the idea of Christendom became universal after Europe's wars of the mid-16th and 17th centuries.
Movie review: The Lazarus Effect
There's not much new explained about the hazards of tampering with nature in the second-rate horror exercise "The Lazarus Effect" (Relativity).
‘Bella’ star hopes new film will ‘inspire, heal’ a ‘world in darkness’
The creators of the 2006 movie "Bella" have teamed up again to produce what actor Eduardo Verastegui calls "a mainstream, family-friendly, faith-based film that welcomes everyone."
Cutting the cord: A la carte TV on the way, but not to cable
Someone has built a better mousetrap in a new service called Sling, which lets fed-up cable television customers cut out the cable middle man. They can watch TV on their computer, and choose from various package options.
Costner’s role molds ‘McFarland, USA’ into a winner
The movie about youthful underdogs pitted against the odds honors the main characters' strong marriage and the bonds uniting the other close-knit clans it portrays. The strong faith-and-family values make the film a winner.
Our top 10 + 10 movies of the year
Before they hand out the Oscars for best film performances, see our picks for the 10 best movies and 10 best family films. Then see how they stack up with the Academy's picks, and yours.
Descendants of Holocaust survivors offer moving spiritual reflections
Catholic readers will be taken into the collection "God, Faith & Identity From the Ashes" and deeply into themselves, finding spiritual nourishment in the continuing faith of descendants of Jewish survivors of the Shoah and their determination to affirm their Jewishness and to dedicate their lives to helping others.
Movie review: Hot Tub Time Machine 2
Heeding neither logic nor taste, "Hot Tub Time Machine 2" (Paramount) is as glaringly stupid as it is vile.
‘Timbuktu’ film provides models for withstanding oppression
"Timbuktu" (Cohen Media Group) offers one of the most gently lyrical and original portrayals of withstanding tyranny ever shown.