Idol Chatter: November 2007 Archives

Philip Pullman and 'The Golden Compass' movie, opening Dec. 7, are sparking sharp emotions from both friends and foes of his fantasy trilogy. To many Christians, the story is an anti-religious fable aimed at instilling atheism in children, while the book's many dedicated fans see a rich epic filled with spiritually meaningful themes.

But whether you love him or loathe him, we invite you to sound off on Pullman and the movie by joining this online group in the Beliefnet community. Join now to learn more about the movie and discuss your feelings about 'The Golden Compass.' Click here to join.

Congratulations to our friends at Religion News Service for launching a new religion news blog to suplement their superb news-wire offerings. Idol Chatter is particularly happy to see a healthy dose of pop-culture commentary on the blog, with entries on Philip Seymour Hoffman and, of course, "The Golden Compass." Check it out here.

To read a Timothy Freke and Peter Gandy book is to tease your intellect with the idea that all the literal religious history and dogma you have learned, believed and followed may be...well, how do I say this politely...does “a pile of mythological hooey” sound too harsh?

Their latest work, The Gospel of the Second Coming, “the fourth book in their trilogy,” is an intelligent, self-deprecating and decidedly post-modern poke at the idea of a literal, physical return of Jesus Christ. This (fictional) gospel takes the form of a Socratic dialogue between Jesus, Mary Magdalene and Peter who represent self-realization (or enlightenment), the human soul (ever torn between the physical and the spiritual) and the externally-fixated mind, respectively.

If my description sounds a bit dry, the reader need fear not for, as the subtitle foreshadows, “Jesus is back...and this time he’s funny.” And funny He is, since the King of Kings found within these pages is total mystical Monty Python, the antithesis to any pious Savior in the Mel Gibson “Thank you, Sir, may I have another?” sense.

When I ask Laura Linney if getting the green light for a movie set extensively in nursing homes was easy, she leans forward and lets out a loud, disbelieving “God no!” She’s meeting with journalists at the Ritz Carlton hotel in Boston, and she follows with a qualifier. “It’s the dreaded topic,” the actress says. “It instills dread in almost anyone. Thinking about it, having to face it, putting someone there, being in there. But guess what? If it’s a good place? I want to go.”

She does, in Tamara Jenkins’ new comic drama, “The Savages,” starring with Philip Seymour Hoffman as half of a brother-sister duo coping with putting their father Lenny (Philip Bosco) in a nursing home. The film is one of the first movies released by a major studio (Fox Searchlight) that deals with the topic – "Away from Her," Sarah Polley’s adaptation of Alice Munro’s story “The Bear Came Over the Mountain,” treaded similar territory. While that film focused on a man losing his wife to Alzheimer’s, the ailing Lenny Savage suffers from dementia. Both deal with the culture of elder care, portrayed as foreign and tragic to grown children and spouses faced with the prospect of turning their loved one over to a slew of anonymous nurses.

Bob Dylan is, for my money, the poet of our generation, although Allen Ginsberg is a close second. And both figure in the new film “I’m Not There” about his life, his music, and most of all his protean self.

Universally acknowledged as the pre-eminent poet/lyricist and songwriter of his time, he was prematurely elevated by the media--which he despised--to the role of spokesman, yet the reclusive Dylan wouldn’t admit to having any particular message nor to being a poet. “I don’t like the word,” he said. However, his biting, often cryptic lyrics served as a running commentary in capturing the mood of my generation.

Thanks to our friends at Grace Hill Media, you can celebrate the release of the new Disney movie "Enchanted" by entering to win an animated, "enchanted" picture of your child. Just click on the graphic below and follow the instructions...

How has music changed your life and helped you connect with other people? That's a question at the heart of the new movie "August Rush," and it's one we want to hear from you about. Post your stories below or...

For someone who isn’t an avid short film watcher, it was somewhat surprising that the documentary “Bootyful World” and comedy “Good Luck in Her Eye” could encapsulate their respective stories with the ultimate message of female empowerment in under 30...

A month before its theatrical release, "The Golden Compass"--the movie from the first book in Philip Pullman's "His Dark Materials" trilogy--is sparking controversy because of what many Christians see as its message of atheism. Here on Idol Chatter, blogger Donna...

“Gotraskhalana, is a term in Sanskrit poetics for calling a loved one by a wrong name, and means literally, ‘stumbling on the name.’ It’s a familiar occurrence in the Restoration-like fables of marital life and love affairs collected by the...

From last night's annual "Treehouse of Horror" episode, a segment on Ned Flanders turning the church into a "Heck House":...