Culture
‘Planes’ fly again to rescue families from boredom at theaters
"Planes: Fire & Rescue" is that rare sequel that surpasses the original in action, adventure, and 3-D animation. Kids will love the characters and action, and adults will get the inside jokes.
Movie review: Begin Again
NEW YORK (CNS) -- Competent pop tunes are strung together by a hackneyed plot line in the romantic comedy "Begin Again" (Weinstein).
Demanding history of Roman empire could have filled three volumes
The long and winding "The Restoration of Rome" brings readers to the point -- if they ever finish it -- where they see how the bishop of Rome was the one to restore Rome's empire rather than the political rulers Theodoric, Justinian and Charlemagne, despite the great efforts of these three.
Marvel’s ‘Miracleman’ hard to believe
NEW YORK (CNS) -- "Miracleman," a 1980s British comic currently being reissued by Marvel, was an attempt at deconstructing superhero cliches. Violent and depressing, the series tells a story that's often as dated and hackneyed as the Superman tropes it seeks to dismantle.
Cooperation and conflict arise in ‘Planet of the Apes’ sequel
NEW YORK (CNS) -- Those super-sentient simians are back in "Dawn of the Planet of the Apes." As war between apes and humans looms, the wisest among both begin working together for peace.
‘Deliver Us From Evil’ dances gingerly with the devil
NEW YORK (CNS) -- As an exorcism movie, this one's better than most. It's also a conversion story and an exploration of the reality of superhuman malevolence in which only an active and trusting faith will suffice.
Director likes stories that ‘break open mysteries of life’ for people
WASHINGTON (CNS) -- Clergy are too often stereotyped in movies "because writers and directors don't know any pastors or priests," said director Scott Derrickson, who helmed the new crime-horror film "Deliver Us From Evil."
Alienated kids find friend from another world in ‘Earth to Echo’
NEW YORK (CNS) -- A mash-up of "E.T.," "Stand by Me" and "Goonies," this new movie about socially outcast middle-schoolers sharing an adventure to return an alien home is mildly diverting, with its wry observations on contemporary mores and a convincing subplot.
‘Tammy’ takes a road trip and learns nothing
NEW YORK (CNS) -- With Melissa McCarthy in the title role, the movie shows a down-and-out woman who thinks a fun road trip with a salty older woman will help her situation. But the botched comedy just gets bogged down in a moral morass.
Two books lead readers on two roads to Jesus
Jesuit Father James Martin takes readers on a pilgrimage through Scripture to find Jesus. Author Joseph Paprocki reflects on how to live after one finds the Lord.