Culture
‘Diary of a Wimpy Kid’ sequel takes the long haul to the bathroom
Potty gags have long been a staple of kids' movies. But this family road-trip comedy, the fourth in the "Diary" series based on the popular books, carries this trend to excess.
Teen-love drama ‘Everything, Everything’ puts cynics to the test
The fairy tale theme of a dashing prince coming to the rescue of the imprisoned young maiden, with true love triumphing in the end, gets a modern reprise in this film that homes in on its target audience.
Jesuit’s book explores benefits, pitfalls of the internet universe
The internet's capacity to establish enriching connections among human beings is what fascinates Jesuit Father Antonio Spadaro in a new book titled "Friending God."
Aliens are bursting out all over in ‘Covenant’
Opportunities to explore underdeveloped religious themes become casualties of the gore fest, but also competent storytelling, of "Alien: Covenant," the latest sequel in the film series.
‘American Epic,’ 9 p.m.-10 p.m. EDT, Tuesday, May 23, PBS
Robert Redford narrates director Bernard MacMahon's exceptional documentary "American Epic," a chronicle of the lasting impact of American roots-music recordings made in the 1920s.
Beloved mom inspires Catholic composer
Catholic film and TV composer Stephen Edwards turned grief into art with his "Requiem for My Mother." A new documentary on the composition will air on Mother's Day evening on PBS.
Dim ‘King Arthur’ slugs its way through Dark Ages mayhem
Early on in "King Arthur: Legend of the Sword," the audience sees magically generated giant elephants swinging boulder-size wrecking balls at Camelot. It's an apt metaphor for this ponderous film.
Beneath the filthy exterior shines a positive tale, just barely
There's a kernel of goodness at the heart of this mother-daughter comedy but viewers will need to wade through a veritable cesspool of bad taste to approach it.
Study of saints, saint-making combines scholarly with popular
Simon Yarrow's book is an academically informed popular historical study of the phenomenon of saints. He guides the reader on a walk through the world of saints from the crucifixion of Jesus down to the present.
Entree of morality in ‘The Dinner’ proves too tough to cut through
This tale about the nature of evil and mankind's savage underpinnings, starring Richard Gere, may be infuriatingly dense and labyrinthine, but neither is it escapist or comfortable.