Culture
‘Despicable Me 3’ slides from predecessors, but it’s still fun
In the series' third film, villain-turned-good-guy Gru finds he has a twin brother, Dru, and together they battle a baddie from the 1980s. The weak plot is offset by amusing side stories and strong values.
Inaugural conference looks to re-energize Catholic literary imagination
An effort to re-energize a Catholic arts culture in this secular society attracted over 200 established and aspiring writers, artists, musicians and vocalists to the University of Notre Dame for a June 22-24 conference.
Gore aside, ‘Baby Driver’ is worth taking for a spin
Stylish and energetic, the high-octane crime drama blends pop music, dizzying car chases and some dark humor to impressive effect.
Beauty, poetry of classic hymns comes through in book, audio CD
Anthony Esolen, an accomplished literary scholar who is a faithful Catholic, turns his attention to the poetry of our beloved classic hymns in "Real Music." The book and accompanying audio CD captivate at every turn.
‘Transformers: The Last Knight’ morphs into boredom, confusion
The latest installment in the popular series delivers the expected action, special effects, and big stars. However, a confused plot and a lack of convincing character motives make for humdrum viewing.
Author says rosary ‘can help us achieve peace in the world’
Why do Catholics pray the rosary? The history of the rosary traces to the 13th century. It is believed that Mary gave St. Dominic the rosary to rescue the church from the Albigensian heresy.
Viewers of ‘All Eyez on Me’ might want to avert their ears
Radical politics and the wayward values of hip-hop culture take this profanity-laden, intense and rarely insightful biography of rapper Tupac Shakur (Demetrius Shipp Jr.), off course.
Wonder Woman rebooted in new comic book series
Iconic superhero Wonder Woman is having a good year as she celebrates her 75th birthday. In this richly illustrated DC Comics book, she is a powerful warrior who is both compassionate and naive.
‘Hell on Earth,’ various dates, National Geographic
Subtitled "The Fall of Syria and the Rise of ISIS," the commendable, informative, yet less than fully realized film debuted June 11 and is playing in reruns throughout the month on the National Geographic cable channel.
Old engines rev to new life in ‘Cars 3’
In this latest of the Cars series that began 11 years ago, young viewers learn how their elders still have much to do: "You can't turn back the clock, kid, but you can wind it up again."