Recently in Film Category

Screenwriter Joe Eszterhas,  who chronicled his reversion to Catholicism in Crossbearer: A Memoir of Faith (#253 on my stack....), is setting his sights on Guadalupe:

The writer whose credits include the sexually explicit megabomb "Showgirls" plans an original screenplay on the Virgin of Guadalupe, an icon of the Virgin Mary that supposedly appeared to a Mexican peasant in the 16th century.

Once notorious as a heavy boozer and smoker in Hollywood, Eszterhas overcame his addictive habits and found God after he was diagnosed with throat cancer.

"This is a labor of love for me," Eszterhas said. "I have been hoping for some time to write a film that is both entertaining and inspiring."

Eszterhas' as-yet-untitled Guadalupe project is being written for Mpower Pictures, founded by producer Stephen McEveety, whose credits include Mel Gibson's religious blockbuster "The Passion of the Christ."

I'm hot and cold on the Coen Brothers. Well, mostly warm and cold. 'Hot" is too strong. I liked...(everyone ready with your list - it's a pastsime) Raising Arizona, Fargo and No Country for Old Men the best, although with the last, I was more intrigued with the differences between the film and book more than anything else. I'll put The Big Lebowski on there in honor of Michael, who was somewhat of a devotee. One of the most most memorable note I received in February was from David Scott, who knew Michael at OSV and wrote something very affecting in reference to the movie. No, it wasn't The Dude Abides - I can't find it right now.  But it was near-perfect, and Michael would have nodded in agreement. And laughed pretty loudly.

Anyway.

What I don't like about the Coens is pretty much what others don't like: the mannered artificiality that is pretty to look at, entertaining, but most of the time soulless. The in-jokes and regular cast of characters.

So. May I say that their next film features (it seems) neither George Clooney, John Goodman nor (even spouse) Frances McDermond?

And it looks...interesting?




A Serious Man  is a movie loosely based on the Coen brothers' childhood ....."Imaginatively exploring questions of faith, familial responsibility, delinquent behaviour, dental phenomena, academia, mortality and Judaism" via the protagonist's taking of his problems to three different rabbis.

Eh, I'll probably be disappointed. But one can always hope.

This film, based on a true story, will be released next week. The film's Facebook page is a good source of information and links.

Jim Caviezel, who has a role in the film, is interviewed here:

Is there anything else about the new movie you want to talk about?

Some [people] have walked out on the movie. I said, "Understand that it might be hard to watch this, but understand that that lady and many of those women that have gone

through this, suffered a little bit more than we did." It's good to bring attention to things that are highly immoral. In this case, I think it's more immoral not to do anything about it.

Weren't there similar responses to "Passion of the Christ"--where people couldn't bring themselves to finish watching it?

I think that people understand what the story is. It's about whether they see it or not. This one, they'll hear about it, and it's the same thing. We're all playing the story out of the Bible right now. Many of us are different characters. We always try to think of ourselves as the saints and the good characters, but many of us are playing the Pharisees, Pontius Pilate, Judas. There are good and there are bad in this world. But our job is not to figure that out. We just know who we are and try to take as many people we can to Heaven by how we live our life.

And I think stories like this, moral reminders, they're powerful. If we cower in the movie, we'll probably cower in life. If we cower in the movie, then we say, "I'm not ready. I've got to get ready." Something might come up where people are going to run from or walk away from, and I know I'm not there yet.

It's a humility thing. And eventually, that's when greatness happens [and] you're able to do courageous things. Movies like this help you see where you're at. Yes, it's very difficult to watch, but also, have you ever watched a move at times and you feel like you'd run? Well, you probably will in real life, too.

And so, playing it out is kind of a trial run--a practice for the real thing that might come to your doorstep one day. We all are going to have to make that, and it'll be different ways. It'll be different things. It'll be a trial like that and different ways to prove our love for God. Eventually, that will happen. I can promise you this much: It will take everything out of you, and it will demand nothing less than courage from God. If you won't have it within you--if you don't have it within you--we won't be able to do it when it really counts.

...and not Sally Field. No wait, she flew. Not Debbie Reynolds, I mean.

Anthony Sacramone at Strange Herring has the details on a new film which relates the sad reality behind the chipper little tune:

Jeanine Deckers, or Sister Luc Gabriell, was a Dominican nun who had taken the veil to find refuge from a troubled life in the world. Her musical talent caught the attention of Catholic TV in Belgium, and the next thing she knew, she was an international hit with the song "Dominique."

But life as the Singing Nun was not all champagne and rosaries. Deckers/Gabriell left the convent in 1967 to pursue an independent recording career, of primarily religious songs.  She had, or developed, a serious drinking and drug problem. She also ended up with a tax problem related to the royalties from "Dominique" -- which she had donated to her convent. Then there was that song praising, not her Lord, but the Pill. (Oopsie.) Plus she had a female [EUPHEMISM ALERT] "companion," with whom she eventually committed suicide.

Trailer after the jump.

On Friday, we'll begin the discussion of Karl Adam's The Spirit of Catholicism.

Check out the original post here.

I have so many books waiting to be read...I think I am almost to a point where I can do so. I actually read an entire short story the other night - "Japenese in Warsaw" by Shusaku Endo. It was in a short story collection, recently released, called The Final Martyrs.

Why am I the only person I know..or even "know" in the Internet sense of "knowing"  - who didn't hate it? I didn't love it, either. There was a lot wrong with it. Weak characterization. Miscasting. Anvil-wielding mentally ill prophets.But...

Pasolini's "Gospel According to St. Matthew>" It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for disinterested parties to see "The Passion," Mel Gibson's much talked about film on the death of Christ. But...

Now, even without seeing it, I'll dare to say that Passion is probably as excellent as people say it is. A lot of people have seen it, smart and fair-minded people, who are saying it's a fine film and not...