Holy Hollywood!

Articles, Commentaries, and Other Musings from Preview Editor Phil Boatwright

NEW!!! Ramona and Beezus and Aslan and the Public School System Though Hollywood is a land of great creative opportunity, it is also one that can eat away at the soul. But, make no mistake, there are people, and companies, determined to enliven the heart, while also respecting the teachings of the Bible. One such multimedia entertainment company is Walden Media.		NEW!!! Film Critic Asks, "Should I Relate to Moviegoers?" "Like the industrial age before it, the information age has changed our lives in monumental new ways, including how a lot of us are learning about spirituality. Research suggests fifty million people will rely solely on the Internet—indeed the new Roman Road—for their faith-based experiences in 2010".
New Book Examines the Christian's Responsibility to Witness Via the Internet "Like the industrial age before it, the information age has changed our lives in monumental new ways, including how a lot of us are learning about spirituality. Research suggests fifty million people will rely solely on the Internet—indeed the new Roman Road—for their faith-based experiences in 2010".	Casablanca and the Christian Hopefully, after this full-out explanation of my love affair with this, the second best film ever made (IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE gets my vote for best film), those who have an affection for the film will see what I'm trying to do when I recommend it.	Movies - Are They Good or Evil? If you don't remember the time, your grandparents will. I'm speaking of an era when movies were a no-no. Like wearing makeup and playing pool, the good Christian wasn't supposed to go to motion pictures. Nowadays very few preach against movie-going. Maybe they should.	A Shark Attack Was "Part of God's Plan" Remember around six years ago when we heard of the surfer girl who lost her arm to a shark? Just about everybody I've spoken to can recount that news event. Her name is Bethany Hamilton and after hearing the details of her story, it sounds more like a Hollywood movie. Indeed, it soon will be.
Pearl Set in 1920s rural Oklahoma, PEARL is the true story of Pearl Carter Scott, the youngest licensed pilot in American history. Mentored by world-renowned aviator Wiley Post, Pearl first pilots a plane at age 12 and becomes a commercial pilot and local barnstorming celebrity before she reaches adulthood. As she finds love and becomes a wife and mother, her two greatest passions collide.	Teens and the Movies (Part 1) I'm often asked to suggest DVDs for teens. Here's the predicament; not only do I have to find quality films that might amuse those of a generation behind me (well, two generations behind me), I also have to search out movies that don't contain something that someone will find offensive. (Try doing that.)	Teens and the Movies (Part 2) Part two of my predicament: today's high schooler is courted by movie studios predominantly with two film genres – the teen comedy and the sci-fi adventure. Alas, the teen comedy is usually full of crudity and often wit found sophomoric to even sophomores.	Letters to God Offers Hope While dealing with a sad reality, the script does contain humor and uplifting themes. What's more, it addresses a subject seldom discussed – children's reaction to their lives ending so quickly.
Amish Grace coming to TV March 28th "Amish Grace" airs Sunday, March 28th, at 8pm ET/5pm PT on Lifetime Movie Network, Lifetime's sister network. Watch it. Even if I'm overly zealous in my praise, it ain't going to hurt ya. Going to church when it's on? Record it	What Has Become Acceptable to Christian Moviegoers? A Five-Part Series by Preview Editor Phil Boatwright PART ONE: "Franky, my dear, I don't give a damn..." PART TWO: What Hollywood Demands of You PART THREE: Pretty Girls in the Movies PART FOUR: Hollywood's Worst Offense - And Ours? PART FIVE: Where to write – What to write – Is writing enough?		My Take On The Oscar Nominations Many of the films listed have incorporated a moral or life lesson, while some seemed to fill out the list as representatives of genres often overlooked by the Academy (Sci-fi and action adventure). Two of the productions came as close to biblical parables as Tinseltown knows how to relate: "The Blind Side" and "Up."
A Note From Your Reviewer The wonder of movies is that one picture will reach one person, while completely mystifying another. A film critic is merely giving an opinion. But as my purpose is not to promote a movie, neither is it meant to condemn.	The Best and Worst Films of 2009 Allow your humble movie correspondent to spotlight a few films I believe uplifted the spirit as well as entertained. Before renting them, please read the reviews and the reasons for their ratings.	Troubles? You Think You've Got Troubles? Each of us seeks the cottage with the white picket fence, that restful abode by the shore where love is present and strife is beyond the sea...	Coming to TV - The Least of These Faith in Christ is slyly portrayed in this mystery/drama....
Christian Comic Reaches Out to Prisons and Missions I first became aware of Michael Jr. by viewing “Thou Shalt Laugh 4,” the most recent in a series of standup comedy DVDs featuring Christian performers...	Horror Films and Christians ... tales of conflicted wolfmen, alien space monsters, zombie flesh-eaters, and other vile things that go bump in the night have found a new following – women.	The ABCs of Movies - Films That Have Stood the Test of Time... Here’s a compilation of films that have stood the test of time and those I believe will.	Family Friendly Films Aren't Always Over the past several decades, the media has simmered society in a stew of moral ambiguity, excusing their offenses with “Hey, it’s only a movie.”
Genre Greats 2 More recommendations from Preview editor Phil Boatwright.	Genre Greats It’s a bewildering age, a time of posthaste change in our culture by those who think all reformation is progress. And for many people seeking solace at the movies, only to be blitzed by crudity or mediocrity, the frustration mounts...	Words Are What We Live By With the recent opening of director Judd Apatow’s Funny People, filmgoers are once again bombarded by raunchy situations and words that make the ears bleed. I amend that statement. Words that used to make the ears bleed.	New Movie Inspires Hope ...a picture that will build a bridge of hope between the faith-based community and the secular community, using prayer to provide hope to cancer victims and their families around the world.
DVD Parties Once a month, send out a note to friends telling them of a video, excuse me, DVD you have chosen to run the following Saturday evening. Pick out a favorite of yours, making sure it is one that both entertains and edifies. After all, you will be seeing many of the previous night’s guests seated on your church pew the following morning.	Angels and Demons: Angelic or Demonic? At a recent press junket held in Rome where a few exterior scenes were filmed (actual Vatican locales were meticulously reproduced in CA), I was able to interview the cast and director of Angels and Demons, as well as Dan Brown himself.	FAMOUS LINES FROM FAMOUS MOVIES…When Dialogue Was the Special Effect Often today's films abandon story and character for instant gratification designed to numb us for the moment. Indeed, with the onslaught of computer-generated effects and ear-piercing digital sounds, moviemakers sometimes pulverize rather than entertain.	Do You Need A TVGuardian? "It’s a filter that allows viewers to watch the programming they want… without having to hear the language they don’t want. That’s different from the V-chip, which just blocks out a program in its entirety if any one part of it is deemed unacceptable."
Movies Celebrating Jesus' Sacrifice Good Friday and Easter, along with Christmas, are the most blessed events to occur for mankind. I thought I might mention a few DVDs that portray the significance of Jesus coming to Earth, and His sacrifice for the whole world. You may have heard of most, perhaps seen some. All are worthy of an extra viewing.	New PBS Miniseries: Little Dorritt One of Charles Dickens' greatest love stories also has the timely theme of chronic debt and financial collapse.	Frank Sinatra I will remember Old Blue Eyes not as the archetypical saloon swinger, but as a man who faced life, tasted life and certainly enjoyed life. His victories were so innumerable, they overshadowed the defeats, but everyone, including the rich and famous, has life challenging moments.	Uplifting Films For Troubling Times Here are a few films featuring characters enduring and triumphing over hardships. I’ve also thrown a few that will make you laugh. In fact, those three listed contain the most laughs per frame I’ve found in the movies.
Jonas Brothers: The 3D Concert Experience The JONAS BROTHERS head to the big screen—in Disney Digital 3-D™—in a high-energy Walt Disney Pictures rockumentary feature film event from director Bruce Hendricks	Sci-Fi Book Contains Biblical Truths ’m not normally a Sci-fi book buff. I begrudgingly followed the search for Frodo’s ring, and like Narnia’s Pevensie kids, I needed to know what was on the other side of that mysterious closet.	Where Is She Now? Kathy Garver played elder sister Cissy after appearing in The Ten Commandments (1956) and The Bad Seed (1956)...	Oscar Recap EXCESS, according to Webster's New American Dictionary is "the amount by which one quantity exceeds another; an instance of intemperance." Well, nobody knows how to do intemperance quite like producers of the Oscar telecasts
A Fluffy Romantic Comedy With Firm Values Renee Zellweger and Harry Connick, Jr. star in the romantic comedy New In Town. And I’m pleased to report that there’s something more to this odd-couple coupling than found in the usual banal January fare.	Do You Love Movie Scores? Check This Out! I have gathered an eclectic list of movie scores over the years and am now offering them for sale. Even as a kid, I took very good care of my musical collection. No fingerprints, a special record dust cloth used each time the album was played, record needles were replaced frequently, etc. Hence, my record library is filled with very satisfying and still playable music.	And the nominees are... rated R The awards ceremony will be held on February 22nd, 2009. Hosted by Hugh Jackman, the live show will begin at 5:30pm (PT) on ABC	Movie Valentines for Guys to Give to Their Better Halves Right off, let me state, fellas, your lady should feel you’ve used a few more of the little gray cells than usual when looking for ways to acknowledge Valentine’s Day. Here’s a suggestion...
Best Films of 2008 At the end of the year, the studios bring out their big guns; the pictures they hope will garner prestige and award attention. Most of these are not on my list. The reason? Though that’s where you usually find the best acting, directing, etc., all too often these films dwell on negative aspects...	Worst Filmsof 2008...and Some Might-Have-Beens Going through the list of over 200 pictures I saw this year, I found that most received only two out of four stars. Most of my colleagues in criticism seem to agree with that assessment. While no one would admit to liking mediocrity, still it seems to dominate the motion picture art form.	Star-Struck Reviewer I was somewhat star stuck at the recent press junket for Brad Pitt’s new movie, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, a fantasy/drama about a man who ages backwards. No, not at meeting Brad Pitt. He wasn’t even there.	Little Kids and Big Subjects Marley & Me is being advertised with a poster containing nothing but a cute puppy. And the trailer gives the impression that the film is another slapstick comedy aimed at family. Furthermore, we’re led to believe, because of all the previous movies about frustrated folks and unruly dogs, that this will be merely holiday season escapism. And it is - mostly. But it’s far more.
Is This Day Better Than YesterDay? Great science fiction always has a prophetic parable at its core. With either satire or irony, good science fiction can cause audience members to leave the theater not just exuberated by roller coaster thrills, but uplifted by thought-provoking concepts.	Once Upon a Time Adam Sandler Made a Family-Friendly Movie While most film studios floundered around, trying to pawn off their mistakes during the first three months and then believing all anybody wanted to see during the summer were films from comic books, Disney Studios remained true to its founder.	Movies for the 12 Days of Christmas Compiled by Santa’s little helper, Phil Boatwright. Grab some popcorn balls and enjoy these fun, festive holiday features.	Where Do We Draw the Line? A respected friend of mine won’t support a film starring John Travolta due to his association with Scientology. And because of her stand, she’s perplexed as to what to say when her children are begging to see the new Disney animated movie, Bolt, which stars Travolta.
New Show Deals With Obesity and Faith Television gets knocked a lot for programming that does any and everything but uplift the spirit. There are, however, exceptions – you just have to do a little treasure hunting.	God On Trial to Air on PBS November 9th In this poignant drama, a group of prisoners at Auschwitz place God on trial for murder and collaboration.	Fluffy Movie Has The Right Stuff Make no mistake, it is fluff. Fluffy fluff. It is, however, the kind of fluff that entertains and teaches an often overlooked audience – the wee ones.	Are Movies Signalling the End Times? Ever since the Garden of Eden, the soul of man has been under attack. At no other time in mankind’s evolution, however, has God’s written direction been so disavowed by such powerful mediums - that of television and the motion picture.
Classic Horror Film Commentaries Give Insight The horror film has, however, undergone more transformations than Madonna’s musical career. In the ‘30s and ‘40s, horror films such as Dracula, Frankenstein and Cat People were actually morality plays, where good was triumphant over evil....	Art and Commerce Collide in Disney's Outer Space Wall•E is one of the best films I’ve seen this year, but it has a controversy attached. No, it’s not inappropriate language or furtive sexual innuendo.	American GIrl Phenomenon Comes to the Movies Amid today’s narcissistic iPod society, American Girl devotees stand out as supporters of the belief that a caring character is more important than material possessions. And at last one of their most admired heroines, Kit Kittredge, makes her cinematic debut on July 2.	Something Good This Way Cometh For a change, there’s some dynamic entertainment hitting the movie theaters and DVD shelves...
A Critic's Confession For the past twenty years I have been reviewing films from a Christian perspective - offering the synopsis and content so parents and concerned moviegoers could decide if the new releases were suitable for their viewing.	New Narnia Resource Aids Children The release of Believing In Narnia, a new paperback designed to help children 7 through 11 decipher the secret symbols of Christianity within C. S. Lewis’ The Chronicles of Narnia, is set to coincide with the opening of the second movie installment, The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian.	Actors Find God's Grace: Book Review of Grace is Enough It grieves, it angers, it frustrates. Indeed, several times I just wanted to put it down rather than read of the horrors people can inflict on one another. Don’t let that description keep you from examining their book, however. For I believe the remaining chapters will enrich your spiritual walk.	Great Animation Aims at Adults and Children Recently, a poll was taken on Yahoo spotlighting great animated features. While most were deserving of such regard, I found several missing from the list. So allow me to add several that Yahoo Users must have forgot.
Peter & the Wolf: Oscar Nominated Short Film This charming reworking of Prokofiev’s popular classic tale gives it some 21st century twists and an environmental theme, whilst staying true to the original story.	What Bugs a Christian Film Critic? Here are three things that spring to mind: overused technical gimmicks, feeble writing, and subversive attacks on our Christian faith. These irritations were well represented in movie fare this past year.	Darkness and Dysfunction Rule the Oscars (R) Throughout last year, the mavens of moviedom gave us a glut of crude comedies, comic-book action threequels, and special effects that overrode story and plausibility. But as if to repent of a year’s worth of mediocrity and senselessness, in the waning months studios released the works of filmmakers who attempted to examine the soul of man.	The Second Coming of The Passion Packed with several commentaries, including a first ever with director Mel Gibson, it also includes enlightening “making of” segments and the alternative version of the film, Passion: Re-Cut.
Film Highlights United Methodist College's Debate Team In 1935, debaters from United Methodist-related Wiley College, a small liberal arts school about three hours east of Dallas in Marshall, Texas, won a national championship match against the University of Southern California...	Christmas Movie Naughty or Nice List Well, it’s that time of the year, again. You know: When Hollywood celebrates our Savior’s birth with animated mice singing Baby, It’s Cold Outside, and the true meaning of Christmas is eclipsed by the obsession of owning an official Red Rider BB gun. Read on...	Happily Ever After - Does It Exist? This newest release from Disney Studios puts a delightful spin on the happily-ever-after story, with the mean old queen casting the lovely princess into a portal that takes her to a decidedly non-fairytale world – New York City.	The Best & Worst & the Could-Have-Beens of 2007 Though there are several films whose artistic and technical merits have captured the attention of critics and moviegoers, I wanted to choose a few Bests that uplifted the spirit.
Christ-phobia in the Movies The word “phobic” has crept into our vernacular, attaching itself to any perspective that seems intolerant to the lifestyles or agendas of others. And every group is now defended by watchdogs determined to retool America’s mindset. They want to make sure every group with a persuasion is portrayed justly in the movies...	Hallowed Be Thy Name I attended the press screening for the highly anticipated action adventure SPIDER-MAN. While it was extremely entertaining and replete with positive messages, it also threw away Jesus’ name on two occasions. For me, it was like hearing fingernails on a chalkboard.	Who Is Phil Boatwright? The "authorized biography" of Preview Editor and all-around good guy, Phil Boatwright.	Is Jesus A Myth? The public is bombarded by media fables – with today’s dream weavers using one allegorical figure after another to solve the riddles and frustrations of life. But have these countless humanist illustrations detracted from the legitimate Gospel? Do today’s movie wizards and superheroes trivialize mankind’s true Savior?
"Make Thee An Ark" An expanded review of Evan Almighty with comments from director Tom Shadyac and star Steve Carrell.	ArkALLMIGHTY Launches Across America Get On Board! Good Deeds Ministry inspired by summer blockbuster, Evan Almighty, kicks off May 1st	The Best and Worst Films of 2006 Please check their content in my reviews to make sure they are suitable for your family’s viewing. Here I would like to focus on films that especially moved me with spiritual or uplifting themes.	Secrets Of A Film Critic A tongue-in-cheek interview of Phil Boatwright, Editor of Preview OnLine. Not for the faint of heart.
New Distribution for Christian-Themed Films Whatever the reason, films with Christian themes are popping up sporadically at your nearby cineplexes. But it’s not just well-meaning Christians making these movies and struggling to get distributors.	Did Jesus Prefer Chicken or Beef? Although The Da Vinci Code is declared fiction by both author and filmmaker, the combined efforts of those artists have resulted in taking the spotlight off Christ’s divinity. Or at least that was a strategy attempted by forces beyond the writer and moviemaker.	Black History on Film In celebration of Black History Month, allow me to point out some films featuring African-Americans that have taught as well as entertained.	Spiritual Awakenings in the Movies Occasionally, a motion picture comes along that conveys a profound concept significant for Christians. Allow me to suggest a few films – young and old – that aided in my spiritual growth.
Manners, Respect, and Family Return to Movies Courtesy, civility and family togetherness are foreign to many due in part to a lifetime of media choices. Indeed, you’ll find very few movies or TV shows that cultivate these qualities.	Walden Media - A Beacon of Entertainment Hope Hollywood can be a dark place, a land of great creative opportunity, but also one that can eat away at the soul. But, make no mistake, there are people, and companies, determined to enliven the heart, while also respecting the entreaties of the Bible rather than ignoring them.	Film Rating System Creator Jack Valenti Dies Retired in 2004, Valenti headed the MPAA for 38 years, having faced both defenders and detractors caused by the rating system’s problematic nature.	Profanity in the Movies - What's the Big Deal? Most critics reward movies for their technical and artistic qualities, while at the same time ignoring the effect of movie content on the culture. This may be shortsighted, for words vocalize our foibles and frailties and nobilities. They articulate views of beauty, humor, and meaning.

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