Culture
‘Smallfoot’ makes strides with humor, questions about belief
The animated musical comedy about the mythical Yeti tickles the funny bone, while raising issues about faith and science that teens will appreciate.
‘Night School’ leaves viewers skipping class
Despite a few good barbs, Kevin Hart's latest comedy earns low marks for its predictable plot and crude humor.
Free app reveals the wonders of Lebanon’s variety of religions
From its high majestic mountains, picturesque villages and coastal towns to its bustling cities, Lebanon is rich in breathtaking scenery, cultural diversity and religious sites.
Book on Ignatian pilgrimage offers much for travelers, stay-at-homes
If you've ever made a pilgrimage, or you wish to, then this book will interest you. It answers the question: What can a pilgrimage do for me?
Needless profanity mars magical ‘The House With a Clock in Its Walls’
The film adaptation of the first in a series of books written by John Bellairs in the 1970s, long preceding the Harry Potter juggernaut, lacks the latter's sense of adventure even as its jokes work.
‘A Simple Favor’ breaks taboos just to lure jaded viewers
While the film's plot is ingenious, it treats incest, patricide and fratricide like attractions at a sideshow, as though there were entertainment value in witnessing despicable acts.
‘The Predator’ loses both its prey and its way
The latest film in the worn-out franchise features explosions, gore and profanity, along with a cartoonish, predictable plot.
Troubled family ties, shaky ethics paint a gritty ‘White Boy Rick’
Set in 1980s working-class Detroit, the fact-based film critiques hypocritical police and excessively harsh sentencing, while the main character fails to face the moral consequences of his criminal actions.
‘Unbroken’ sequel charts hero’s hard path to redemption
The story of Louis Zamperini continues after his return from a POW camp to forgiveness of his captors and a newfound Christian faith, in "Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption."
History of papacy needs to be read with critical eye
The abundance of scholarship and detail in this work gives the reader an education that should move them to do further study.