Resident Theologian
About the Blog
Nolan’s Odyssey
Some twenty-four thoughts on Christopher Nolan’s adaptation of Homer’s epic.
2025: out of touch
On waking up to the realization that I am out of touch with pop culture.
“Another great year for movies”
On critics reassuring us every year how great the previous year was for cinema.
Catholic Jedi, Protestant Wizards
A half-baked theory about the spiritual and aesthetic visions of George Lucas and J. K. Rowling.
The Acolyte: mea culpa & apologia
I take it all back. The final two episodes of The Acolyte proved it knew where it was heading all along.
The Acolyte
Twelve thoughts on the new Star Wars TV show, focusing especially on the ideology of the Jedi and the politics of the Republic.
23 thoughts on The Phantom Menace
Thoughts on Star Wars: Episode I on its 25th anniversary re-release to theaters.
Klosterman, Rowling, and the NFL
A brief thought about J. K. Rowling prompted by an old Grantland essay on the NFL by Chuck Klosterman.
Ranking drama series finales
Ranking the top ten series finales of TV dramas since the turn of the century.
Slow Horses
A few comments on what the Apple TV adaptation of the Mick Herron novels gets right and what it gets wrong.
The Gray Man
Why is The Gray Man so bad? Chris Evans is in top form, while Ryan Gosling and Ana de Armas are always game. It could be the script; but then, dumb action scripts have the potential to be elevated by competent direction into quality entertainment, and occasionally even excellent art.
NOPE, BCS, TOM, MCU
Some pop culture odds and ends: on Nope, Better Call Saul, The Old Man, and Marvel movies.
Sometimes it’s simple
There is always much hand-wringing in Hollywood and among the writers who cover it when a film that “should have” been a hit is a flop, or at least underperforms. I find this phenomenon baffling. It seems to me that we should only wonder aloud why people didn’t go see a movie if all the following conditions are met…