Culture
Books on catechesis have wide appeal for professionals, casual readers
Sharing stories of faith -- and inviting others to do the same -- is the goal of two new books on religious education. While the first presents a series of essays on catechetical content, the second shows the value of listening.
17 years later, ‘Blair Witch’ has gotten a lot more boring
Turning the 1999 ultra-low-budget "The Blair Witch Project" into a franchise has meant turning the saga into a conventional slasher film with little suspense and predictable setups. It's more parody than horror.
‘Robinson Crusoe’ goes 3D animated, to good effect, in ‘The Wild Life’
Silliness (and occasional sassiness) aside, the film's animation is first-rate and messages about friendship and courage are worthy. A few action scenes may frighten the littlest ones, but overall it's good, clean fun.
Movie review: When the Bough Breaks
If you recall the familiar nursery lullaby, you'll know that "When the Bough Breaks" (Screen Gems) foretells doom for both cradle and baby.
Movie review: The Disappointments Room
Mixing a psychological drama with the dependable haunted-house formula must have sounded appealing to the makers of "The Disappointments Room" (Rogue). Unfortunately, nothing in this morally bereft story works.
Authors offer tips for strengthening kids’ faith and knowing them better
One writer suggests four ways that parents are essential in handing on the faith -- influence, teaching through relationship, talking about faith and religious practices. Another book stresses a mother's perspective in raising teens.
In tale of heroic plane landing, ‘Sully’ soars high
Tom Hanks is in his element conveying the understated heroism of the aviator whose feat in landing his plane on the Hudson River ---saving all 155 souls on board -- gained him instant fame. The film adds suspense to a well-known story.
Film’s ‘synthetic human’ nothing more than an ’80s slasher
"Morgan" is both unoriginal and omits even an occasional reflection on what it means to have a human moral sense. Like all of cinema's man-made creatures, she's got anger issues. But she is loved by her creators.
A tear jerker with a deep secret: ‘The Light Between Oceans’
The beautifully shot melodrama looks toward the past and into the present, keeping viewers guessing as to whether the truth will win out and justice prevail. The film conveys powerful themes of forgiveness and conscience.
‘Don’t Breathe’ harkens to suspense thriller from another age
As in the 1967 Audrey Hepburn film, a new movie portrays a blind homeowner turning the tables on would-be thieves -- but this version is much more violent and disturbing for these times.