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Joseph Susanka

Columnist

Joseph has been doing development work for institutions of Catholic higher education since graduating from Thomas Aquinas College in 1999.

In early 2003, he decided to pursue his growing interest in film, attending night classes in screenwriting, cinematography, and film history at Los Angeles City College for two years. (It was during this time that he came to more fully appreciate how just patient, supportive, and saintly his wife is—a fact for which he fears he can never be suitably grateful.)

Fortified by just enough cinematic knowledge to be dangerous, he followed Greeley' advice to go West; a move, oddly enough, that involved heading East to Wyoming. Accompanied by his wife and sons, he came to rest in the town of Lander, "where Stetsons meet Birkenstocks."

A regular blogger and columnist for Crisis Magazine, he spends his free time exploring the beautiful Wind River Mountains, keeping track of his (for the moment) six sons, and thanking his lucky stars for Netflix. He can be reached at [email protected], and followed at www.facebook.com/JosephSusanka.

Works by Joseph Susanka

SSF: "The Snowman"

Joseph Susanka | December 20, 2015

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"The time has come," the Walrus said, "to step back for a...

Joseph Susanka | November 30, 2015

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Happy Thanksgiving, Y'All!

Joseph Susanka | November 25, 2015

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Now THIS Is What Coldness Sounds Like!

Joseph Susanka | November 24, 2015

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SSF: "Azarkant"

Joseph Susanka | November 23, 2015

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SVS: "Air Force One"

Joseph Susanka | November 20, 2015

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No Commentary Necessary — Théo Sanson, Walking On Air

Joseph Susanka | November 19, 2015

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WARNING: Dangerous Time Sink Ahead!

Joseph Susanka | November 18, 2015

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Celebrating Javier Navarrete's Patchwork Score for "The...

Joseph Susanka | November 17, 2015

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SSF: "The Monk and the Fish"

Joseph Susanka | November 16, 2015

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SVS: "Lawrence of Arabia"

Joseph Susanka | November 13, 2015

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Commendable in the Eyes of God, Country, and Family

Joseph Susanka | November 11, 2015

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Going To Space With xkcd (And Ten Hundred Easy Words)

Joseph Susanka | November 10, 2015

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SSF: "Ray's Big Idea"

Joseph Susanka | November 09, 2015

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SVS: "The Killer"

Joseph Susanka | November 06, 2015

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Ned Devine's Parting Glass

Joseph Susanka | November 04, 2015

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No Commentary Necessary — Sir David Attenborough Narrates...

Joseph Susanka | November 03, 2015

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SSF: "The Lighthouse Keeper"

Joseph Susanka | November 02, 2015

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SVS: "The Bourne Identity"

Joseph Susanka | October 30, 2015

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Exploring "The Illusion of Life" With Disney's Nine Old...

Joseph Susanka | October 29, 2015

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The Surprising Link Between Lucretius' "On the Nature of...

Joseph Susanka | October 28, 2015

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Some People Put A Microphone In My Face. You Won't Believe...

Joseph Susanka | October 27, 2015

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SSF: "Premier Automne"

Joseph Susanka | October 26, 2015

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SVS: "Blackthorn"

Joseph Susanka | October 23, 2015

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More (Inexplicably) Obscure French Baroque Music

Joseph Susanka | October 22, 2015

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This Week's Suggestion -- "Lilo & Stitch" -- And A Quick...

Joseph Susanka | October 16, 2015

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A Handful Of Mighty Musical Hunters

Joseph Susanka | October 13, 2015

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SSF: "Racines"

Joseph Susanka | October 12, 2015

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SVS: "Avatar: The Last Airbender"

Joseph Susanka | October 09, 2015

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Shedding A Little More Light On Mr. Rube Goldberg

Joseph Susanka | October 07, 2015

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Parked By the Jukebox with The Pennywhistlers and "Run...

Joseph Susanka | October 06, 2015

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SSF: "Floating In My Mind"

Joseph Susanka | October 05, 2015

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SVS: "Iris"

Joseph Susanka | October 02, 2015

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Looking For A Mid-Week Pick-Me-Up? Here's Bobby McFerrin...

Joseph Susanka | September 30, 2015

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SVS: "Mostly Martha"

Joseph Susanka | September 25, 2015

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A Quick (And Invaluable) Follow-Up To Last Week's...

Joseph Susanka | September 24, 2015

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Rube Goldberg Meets Red Bull

Joseph Susanka | September 23, 2015

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A Superabundant Splash of Scarlatti Sonatas. Domenico...

Joseph Susanka | September 22, 2015

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SSF: "Summer '78"

Joseph Susanka | September 21, 2015

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SVS: "Moonrise Kingdom"

Joseph Susanka | September 18, 2015

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Kids. They Teach You The Darndest Things.

Joseph Susanka | September 17, 2015

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A Couple Animated Beauties From The Brilliant Glen Keane

Joseph Susanka | September 16, 2015

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Leroy Anderson The (Underappreciatedly) Great

Joseph Susanka | September 15, 2015

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SSF: "The World's Most Relaxing Film"

Joseph Susanka | September 14, 2015

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Pay As Much Attention To The Man Behind The Curtain As...

Joseph Susanka | September 09, 2015

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Kite Fighting Is Cool. And Terrifying.

Joseph Susanka | September 08, 2015

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SSF: "Wire Cutters"

Joseph Susanka | September 07, 2015

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Today's "SVS?" My (Almost) Favorite Dean Jones Film

Joseph Susanka | September 04, 2015

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Because Blacksmiths Are Musicians, Too. Sort Of.

Joseph Susanka | September 01, 2015

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SSF: "Paraphernalia"

Joseph Susanka | August 31, 2015

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Reflecting the Truth: A Conversation with Dominic Iocco of...

Joseph Susanka | November 29, 2012

To run away from the culture is to surrender it; one Catholic university is teaching......

Hell on Wheels: The Grand Dangers of Tiny Sins

Joseph Susanka | September 21, 2012

If a little evil can work for good, why not a little more?...

The Dark Knight Before the Dawn

Joseph Susanka | July 26, 2012

A week after the shootings in Aurora, a young father returns to themes from The Dark......

The Unimpeachable Testimony of Dr. John Watson

Joseph Susanka | July 17, 2012

The BBC's latest imagining of Sherlock Holmes places him in modern-day London -- and......

The Blinding Glare of Our Idols

Joseph Susanka | June 13, 2012

God warns us against idols not because He is jealous of our misguided affections, but......

Out of Violence, Into First Grade

Joseph Susanka | May 22, 2012

There is no "use by" date on education, perseverance, and freedom....

No Insurance Policy for Love

Joseph Susanka | May 07, 2012

The scariest part of parenting is imagining a future in which we cannot make everything......

"Seven Chances" and Answered Prayers Unrecognized

Joseph Susanka | April 30, 2012

We humans are not just in the business of looking gift horses in the mouth -- we want to......

Embracing Martha While Pining for Mary: Win-Win?

Joseph Susanka | April 23, 2012

The longer I am a father, the more I am convinced that prayer and parenting are......

The Absurdity of God's Forgiveness

Joseph Susanka | April 02, 2012

The Son (Le Fils) is a cinematic expression of our own wondering at the mystery of God's......

King Lear in Lent

Joseph Susanka | March 26, 2012

Shakespeare's famous play warns us against flattery and encourages us to embrace our......

Obamacare Questions: Windmills or Giants?

Joseph Susanka | March 19, 2012

When policy is debated, it is absurd to create giants where there are none, but reducing......

Breaking the Promises We Make to Ourselves

Joseph Susanka | March 12, 2012

An anime that asks some timely and terrifying questions of Americans facing an election......

The Donkey as Lamb Led to the Slaughter: "Au Hasard...

Joseph Susanka | March 05, 2012

"Au Hasard Balthazar" offers one of cinema's most powerful Christological metaphors....

Waiting on Happiness

Joseph Susanka | February 07, 2012

The more we pursue happiness and contentment, the less we have....

The Romantic Reality of Ordinary Life

Joseph Susanka | January 31, 2012

Butch Cassidy was a hopeless romantic who didn't realize greatness comes in the daily......

Nakedness Is Next to Godliness

Joseph Susanka | January 24, 2012

A man without shame is a man blinded to the reality of his own imperfections. But how......

Election '12: Dumbing Democracy Down

Joseph Susanka | January 17, 2012

Our demand for perfectly polished, error-free politicians dooms us to exactly the sort......

The Importance of an Entourage

Joseph Susanka | January 10, 2012

If anyone could be expected to distance himself from fallen human beings, it would be......

Authenticity and Realism: Talking with Grassroots Films

Joseph Susanka | December 20, 2011

Grassroots Films' startlingly beautiful cinematic eye is born of the production......

"A Man for All Seasons" and the Call to Fanaticism

Joseph Susanka | December 02, 2011

Few things are as important to me as distancing myself from the fanatics. Yet does......

Extreme Times and Elfland

Joseph Susanka | November 18, 2011

Whether Hollywood is trying to apply a salve on tough economic times or simply......

Shadow-Warriors No More

Joseph Susanka | November 11, 2011

Akira Kurosawa's great film "Kagemusa," and what it takes to become who we truly are....

Losing for the Sake of Winning

Joseph Susanka | November 03, 2011

Sometimes being right can be a very empty and lonely thing....

No Justice; No Mercy!

Joseph Susanka | October 27, 2011

An entry in the "revisionist Western" trend in cinema, Seraphim Falls is a much-needed......

White Mane: A Lesson in Practical Nuance

Joseph Susanka | October 20, 2011

Political polarization has damaged our ability to see whole pictures, and to realize how......

Scoring "The Way": A Q and A with Tyler Bates

Joseph Susanka | October 13, 2011

In an exclusive interview for Patheos, composer and film-scorer Tyler Bates talks about......

Seeing the Faces Behind Facebook

Joseph Susanka | October 06, 2011

I'm more "dialed in" now than I've been at any other point in my life, but I am less......

Parents: Be Not (Entirely) Afraid

Joseph Susanka | September 22, 2011

An obscure 1951 film becomes on occasion for facing fears about parenting....

When Actions Don't Speak Louder

Joseph Susanka | September 15, 2011

Our actions profoundly affect our children's lives -- and too often their lack of......

9/11 and the Hero's Equation

Joseph Susanka | September 08, 2011

Chesterton said, "For the man of action, there is nothing but idealism." For the heroes......

The Testimony of Two Towers

Joseph Susanka | September 01, 2011

They left their mark on a generation of films, but the towers of Ground Zero are......

Self-Sacrifice in Miyazaki's Spirited Away

Joseph Susanka | August 25, 2011

We are all spoiled materialists, gorging on things that do not satisfy, insisting on our......

Shining Light on Our Obligation to the Poor

Joseph Susanka | August 18, 2011

Seen post debt-ceiling debate, "Shoeshine" is a look at the consequences of a society......

Why the Wild Things Are

Joseph Susanka | August 11, 2011

In the film version of Maurice Sendak's classic tale, Max comes to understand why the......

Searching for Meaning in Evil's Turbulent Wake

Joseph Susanka | July 28, 2011

An art-house film noir from 2007, Noise is a gritty, hard piece that examines the......

The Booth at the End and Our Faustian Selves

Joseph Susanka | July 21, 2011

How far will you go to get what you want? We are dared to confront our selfishness in......

Elmer Gantry and the Cult of Personality

Joseph Susanka | July 14, 2011

As popular "celebrity priests" endure spectacular flameouts, Sinclair Lewis' story gives......

Cloning and Outcasts: Where Angels Fear to Tread

Joseph Susanka | July 07, 2011

If scientists of our time succeed in their efforts to clone humans, we will find......

Thank God for Desire

Joseph Susanka | June 30, 2011

Peter Falk's impressive film work included a largely improvised turn as an unnamed but......

No Sunrises Without Sunsets

Joseph Susanka | June 23, 2011

"That Evening Sun" explores the problem and promise of growing old....

"Waste Land" is Filled with Riches

Joseph Susanka | June 16, 2011

They are not redeemed by his art. Rather, his art has been transformed by the......

Wanting, Not Knowing: Suffering and Resignation in "The...

Joseph Susanka | June 09, 2011

The brutality of Ingmar Bergman's "The Virgin Spring" often leads critics to dismiss it......

The Illusion of Self-Sufficiency

Joseph Susanka | May 26, 2011

In The Illusionist (L'illusionniste), Sylvain Chomet, the insane genius behind The......

"La Jetee": Signposts and Restless Memories

Joseph Susanka | May 12, 2011

The avant-garde film short La Jetee speaks to our age: Humanity's only chance, we are......

Saints Are People Too

Joseph Susanka | May 05, 2011

The beatification of John Paul II reminds us of the lessons we learn from saints,......

Suffer the Little Ones

Joseph Susanka | April 28, 2011

The suffering of children reveals deep truths about humanity and our hope....

Bruised for Our Iniquities: Dreyer's "The Passion of Joan...

Joseph Susanka | April 21, 2011

1400 years past the trial, passion and death of Christ, Jeanne d'Arc endured a similar......

Love's Little Ways and "The Road Home"

Joseph Susanka | April 14, 2011

Despite the unrealistic depictions of volcanic, all-consuming love that permeate our......

Standing Still at the Tipping Points

Joseph Susanka | April 07, 2011

The Day the Earth Stood Still is a Christ-imaged warning to humanity. The original was......

These Pricking Thorns of Guilt

Joseph Susanka | March 31, 2011

Death and Guilt have a great deal in common. In "I've Loved You So Long", fine......

Familiarity, Complacency, and "The Man in the White Suit"

Joseph Susanka | March 24, 2011

An indestructible fabric of dazzling whiteness, created with noble intentions, terrifies......

It Takes a Town to "Get Low"

Joseph Susanka | March 18, 2011

The catalysts for grace-filled repentance and retribution often come from the most......

Renoir's Rules Affirm Our Lenten Need for Sacrificial Love

Joseph Susanka | March 11, 2011

"The Rules of the Game"; there are no such things as merry flings, no "friends with......

Me, Myself, & GERTY: Wisdom is "Moon's" Harsh Mistress

Joseph Susanka | March 04, 2011

How many times must a man be a man before he is a better man, or a perfected one? Sci-Fi......

Scarlet Street: Film Noir Loves a Tell-Tale Heart

Joseph Susanka | February 25, 2011

The iconic and morally unambiguous endings typical of "films noirs" hint at the value......

The Road Less Traveled: Reconsidering the Easy Life

Joseph Susanka | February 18, 2011

The true "long con" is the one we work upon ourselves....

Divorce Granted

Joseph Susanka | February 11, 2011

Cary Grant's frothy delights leave us pondering the dramatic shift in our understanding......

Trust and Doubt: Our Endless Dichotomy

Joseph Susanka | February 04, 2011

The White Ribbon is a chilling tale of unexplained mishaps, distrust and evil in pre-war......

To Be Pickering in a Henry Higgins World

Joseph Susanka | January 28, 2011

Whether in the vinegar of Shaw's Pygmalion or the broth of My Fair Lady, the common gulp......

Jumpstarting Grown-Up Wonder: Tarsem Singh's "The Fall"

Joseph Susanka | January 21, 2011

Can otherworldly visual artistry jump-start the imaginings of adults who have forgotten......

Capes, Masks, and Ordinary Heroes

Joseph Susanka | January 14, 2011

It is the "ordinary" heroes among us that will always serve as our truest and greatest......

"Departures": Death, Where Is Thy Sting?

Joseph Susanka | January 07, 2011

May we all be granted the comforting grace of this understanding as we draw ever-nearer......

Bedford Falls: The Post-Clarence Years

Joseph Susanka | December 26, 2010

There is an intriguing ancillary question raised by Bailey's adventures that remains......

Wes Anderson: Themes on Broken Fatherhood

Joseph Susanka | December 16, 2010

There is something encouraging in his repeated efforts to grapple with the need for......

Bicycle Thieves and the Victory of our Fragility

Joseph Susanka | December 16, 2010

The moment of ruinous revelation that draws inexorably closer to all parents from the......

Seeing All the Colors of Paradise

Joseph Susanka | December 10, 2010

A devastating yet deeply hopeful story of a father's struggles against selfishness, and......

Paved-Over Grace: The Road to Perdition

Joseph Susanka | December 03, 2010

Though production values, acting, and cinematography are all top-notch, the film is not......

Searching Amidst the Bread and Circuses

Joseph Susanka | November 26, 2010

While it is sometimes difficult to look at the typical blockbuster offering as anything......

Beyond "Happily Ever After"

Joseph Susanka | November 16, 2010

While the film industry as a whole may focus on the silver linings at the expense of the......

The Brutality of Grace

Joseph Susanka | October 19, 2010

As one catches sight of the Divine even in the midst of this vale of tears, they are......

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