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 Year Eleven Under Way
10 Down, Unlimited To Go
Greg Wright, Managing Editor
"I'm very proud of Hollywood Jesus, which differs from most other
review sites by Christians," says HJ founder David Bruce. "It presents
the parallels between individual films and the gospel-without passing
judgment on a film's objectionable elements."
To mark the 10th Anniversary and the beginning of a new era, is launching a Where Are They Now? series which spotlights past contributors and what they're up to.
Additionally, expanded subscription services have launched this month, featuring specialized monthly newsletters for Music,
Books, TV, Comics and Games, plus the new monthly Culture Watch. Read more...
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 Getting Lost in Spiritual Connections
Are We Reading Too Much Narnia Into It?
Mark Sommer
The episode "Confirmed Dead" verifies that the name of the character Charlotte Staples Lewis is an intentional reference.
So where is Lost going? Will fauns and talking beavers help John Locke
decide what to do? Will Father Christmas offer Jack and Kate magic
objects to help them get home? Will we find a secret room with a
Magician who has found the secret Atlantis dust?Read more of Mark's analysis of this cultural phenomenon at HJ's Back Page...
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 Of Thrill... and Victory!
The Latest Observations on Sport in Film
Elisabeth Leitch, Associate Editor
Semi-Pro
Elisabeth Leitch | 02/29/08 | Movies
With a single insult traded for a
compliment, The Tropics' players start to believe in themselves. And in
the end, the greatest meaning in the victory they seek becomes not as
much the actual win, but instead the celebration and recognition of the
abilities and people who enable them to get there.Congress Asks Justice: Probe ClemensJesus, Steroids, and a Higher PathDavid Bruce | 02/27/08 | Sports, News
I met with Jim Larsen at our favorite place to hang, Louie's Bar, and we
talked about Roger Clemens' denial and how that might relate to Jesus
Christ. We recorded a video of our thoughts.
Eight Men Out
Darrel Manson | 02/25/08 | Movies, On DVD
Sports make wonderful metaphors for life
because they show life's trials in a distilled form. In Eight Men Out
we see a bit of the Garden of Eden. Baseball is an idyllic sport. But
in this film the forbidden fruit is offered up to those who are hungry
and they bite. They are then sent away from the Garden forever, but
nothing ever happens to the snake. |
The Week In Movies
Other Boleyn Girl, The (2008)
Where's the Loyalty?
Elisabeth Leitch
When asked why she still stands by her sister, Mary Boleyn replies,
"She is my sister and therefore one half of me." And when I think about
what God might say if asked the same question, I can't help but imagine
him saying almost the same thing. 
Counterfeiters, The (2008)
Making Money for the Enemy
Darrel Manson
At the center of the story is a battle between idealism and pragmatism.
The main character, Sally Sorowitsch, is a pragmatist. He will do what
it takes to survive. Another prisoner, Burger, is the idealist. Burger
wants to sabotage the effort. 
Semi-Pro (2008)
More Than Just A Lifestyle
Elisabeth Leitch
With a single insult traded for a compliment, The Tropics' players
start to believe in themselves. And in the end, the greatest meaning in
the victory they seek becomes not as much the actual win, but instead
the celebration and recognition of the abilities and people who enable
them to get there.
Penelope (2008)
What Are You Waiting For?
Elisabeth Leitch
In this life, there are things that keep us from being free and living
as we were fully meant to. But the good news is, like Penelope and
everyone in her story, we too can be set free by the power of love, by
recognizing how loved we are just as we are, and by loving every single
person around us just as they are.
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In DVDs, Music, Books, Comix, TV & Games
Across the Universe
Ken Priebe | 03/02/08 | On DVD
As we are all individual souls made in the
image of God, perhaps all songs are made in the image of the one song,
incarnating in infinite forms as we try to figure out who we are, where
we come from and where we're going. No wonder music is a "universal
language."
We Own the Night
Jacob Sahms | 02/26/08 | On DVD
We Own the Night is a gritty, fierce drama
that keeps the tension high, chockfull of excellent bits by actors I
love, heart-wracking decisions and redemption. Two brothers, or four,
the forces of darkness have been rebuffed, but not defeated.
No Reservations
Jacob Sahms | 02/26/08 | On DVD
Without the "comedy" part, the the romantic
drama moves slowly but surely toward a lesson, which begs us to live
life with no reservations, no apologies, certainly sacrificing for
others so that we may live life fully, hopefully, expectantly.
Across the Universe
Jacob Sahms | 02/26/08 | On DVD
Does what you do define who you are? Does
what you are define what you do? Or does the way that you do it define
who you are? Jude presents an example of the third option. It's not the
losing in life that marks us but how we respond to it.
Death At A Funeral
Ed Travis | 02/26/08 | On DVD
Through the insanity that is their father's
funeral, these two brothers reconcile and come to an important
realization that we all need to think about: life is about more than
just ourselves, and forgiveness really can bring about healing.
Martian Child
And so is Dennis
Mike Furches | 02/26/08 | On DVD
We are shown (as successfully as anything
portrayed on screen in recent years) the relevance and importance of a
father loving his son, dealing with the issues of single parenting,
schooling, and ultimately having that child receive love.
The Darjeeling Limited
Tim Berroth | 02/26/08 | On DVD
Emotional fragility and vulnerability are
not things we normally find humor in. Anderson digs deep to try and
find it. If we are willing to take that journey with him, we too might
find a way to laugh as well. We may also find ourselves inspired to
board the train, too.
More Than Rock
Jacob Sahms | 03/02/08 | Music
The sophomore outing by Leeland gets it
done, again. It is at least as good as the first, if not better. It's
worth buying, burning, replaying in your car, at work, wherever you
are, opposite ways and all.
Stadium Rock For Eternity
Jacob Sahms | 02/29/08 | Music
Pillar rocks hard, rocks often, and rocks
with eternity in mind. They call themselves a "festival band," ramped
up and ready to rock out a stadium, an arena or a wide-open field. And
having seen them live (one of my first Christian rock concerts,
actually), I can tell you they aren't kidding.
Hope Rocks!
Jacob Sahms | 02/27/08 | Music
The long-awaited follow-up to Wish We All Could Win, Never Going Back To Okay
shows how this EPIC band has grown from Starbucks baristas to grown-up
band. Matt Fuqua, Josh Havens, Marc Dodd and Brad Wigg bring hope and
thought-provoking forays into faith and doubt.
Living A Destiny
Jacob Sahms | 02/25/08 | Music
Inhabited, or Sara Acker, Marcus Acker and Charlie Parker, are back with their sophomore outing, Love, due February 26. Now with 7 Spin Music, the band follows up their 2005 release, Revolution, with a ten-track blend of rock, pop and spirit that begs for another go round.
The New Christians
Aaron Lee | 02/28/08 | Books, Previews
While leaders of the Emerging Church find
themselves answering to challengers from the outside, its adherents are
seeking to introduce themselves and the world to a form of Christianity
unseen in centuries.
The thing about life is that one day you'll be dead
Aaron Lee | 02/27/08 | Books, Reviews
In the first half of the book, Shields
writes as though the glass is half-full. The early years bring life,
hope and vitality. When he begins writing on adulthood, the glass
becomes half-empty. Life is no longer a wonderful gift; rather, it's a
curse that ends in death.Ultimate Iron Man II
Maurice Broaddus | 02/28/08 | Comix
As human beings, we are hard-wired for
relationships. We are relational creatures gifted with many of the ease
of lifestyle that technology affords. Yet we face the constant danger
of being isolated by that very same technology can become our armor
against the world.
John Constantine Hellblazer: All His Engines
Rob Rolfingsmeyer | 02/27/08 | Comix
John Constantine is Christ-like in the way
that we as followers of Jesus are called to be. He takes up the cause
of the weak and downtrodden. Even though he comes off as someone who is
solely self serving, almost everything he does is for the greater good.The New Adventures of Old Christine
Maurice Broaddus | 02/26/08 | TV
Let's face it, we have this void, this need
for intimacy that our culture has taught us to fill with all sorts of
things that fall short of truly filling it. Money. Marriage. Sex.
Parenthood. Success. Food. (Don't tell me you haven't tried to fill the
pain of a break-up with a cheeseburger or some ice cream. Or both.)Frontlines: Fuel of War
Yo | 03/01/08 | Games, Previews
While the single player portion of any game
is important, sometimes it's obvious that a game concept simply works
better as an online experience. That's certainly the case with
Frontlines: Fuel of War, a game that is a true gem when it comes to
online combat.
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Glad to be here,
The Staff
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