Culture
For book on Pope Francis, author retraces pope’s life in Argentina, Rome
Over two and one-half years, Mark Shriver extensively researched the pope's life, his writings and speeches, interviewed close to a hundred people who knew Jorge Mario Bergoglio before he became pope, and retraced the pope's life, from his childhood in Argentina to his papacy in Rome.
Video games now have a classic genre with retro Nintendo console
The hottest video game console on the market is 30 years old. Nintendo recently released the NES Classic Edition, a mini-version of the Nintendo Entertainment System that enjoyed wide popularity in the 1980s.
Canadian author hides message of hope in bleak landscape
Canadian author David Adams Richards seems unafraid to include issues like the existence of evil, sin and redemption in his extensive body of work.
Yes, there are more Christmas traditions to trash in ‘Bad Santa 2’
As soul-deadening as its squalid urban setting, this sequel attempts to mine laughs out of human degradation. The creators go far beyond the tropes of dark comedy to proffer not peace, but hell, on earth.
Movie review: Rules Don’t Apply
Warren Beatty wrote, directed and stars in "Rules Don't Apply" (Fox), a loosely fact-based tale set within the secretive world of eccentric industrialist Howard Hughes (1905-1976).
Books show importance of moms’ faith, health on faith, health of world
Two new books show that if mothers take care of their health and faith, the world can be a better place.
Teen heroine’s big adventure makes ‘Moana’ a new Disney classic
There's no mistaking the entertainment value of the film which is gloriously rendered in 3-D, with delightful characters and toe-tapping songs. But the non-biblical creation account may confuse young children.
Crisp, elegant and chic, ‘Allied’ holds few surprises
It's all Hollywood glamour until suspicion of espionage enters a World War II marriage, and the story finally gains traction as stiff-upper-lip style military duty competes with lush romantic pathos.
‘Bleed for This’ gets boxing’s brutality right, and its language
While the film's visuals are kept within the bounds of taste, the dialogue is another matter. The preponderance of offensive language disqualifies this aesthetically impressive movie from a general thumbs up.
‘The Edge of Seventeen’ goes over the edge of exploitation
This coming-of-age comedy aimed at teen girls has an R rating, so those target teens can't see it. The creepy, foul-mouthed sexual obsession of the film makes one wonder who the target audience really is.