Wednesday specials: The Natvity! Chris Penn. Matthewes-Green on "Paradise Now." Da Vinci Decoded. Pixar. Amber Alert. X3 posers.

Last updated on: October 31, 2012 at 4:43 pm by Jeffrey Overstreet

Wednesday specials: The Natvity! Chris Penn. Matthewes-Green on "Paradise Now." Da Vinci Decoded. Pixar. Amber Alert. X3 posers. 2012-10-31T16:43:21-06:00 Jeffrey Overstreet

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Wednesday’s specials:

REMEMBER WHEN I ASKED WHO WILL MAKE A MOVIE OF THE NATIVITY?
This just popped up at Done Deal, the script sales site:

Title: Nativity
Log line: Centers on the two-year period of Mary and Joseph’s life, culminating in their leaving Nazareth and journeying 100 miles to Bethlehem for the birth of Jesus. Key characters and events such as King Herod, John the Baptist’s parents (Zachariah and Elizabeth), the shepherds who were witness to Jesus’ birth; and the arrival of the three kings from the Orient will be fleshed out.
Writer: Mike Rich
Agent: Charles Ferraro of UTA
Buyer: New Line Cinema
Price: n/a
Genre: Drama
Logged: 1/25/06
More: Spec. Pre-emptive purchase. No producers are attached as yet.

(Update: Mike Rich… that’s the name of the guy who wrote The Rookie, which I loved!) Keep in mind, this script was purchased soon after the script for Magnum P.I., from the producers of Dodge Ball, was purchased. Coincidence? I don’t think so. (Thanks, Danny Walter, for alerting me to this!)
YOU’VE PROBABLY HEARD… CHRIS PENN IS GONE
This news was, needless to say, a saddening surprise. Penn was a very different actor than his brother Sean, but the man could grab your attention and hold it. He had a volatile energy that was rarely employed to its full potential.

PARADISE NOW REVIEW: FREDERICA MATTHEWES-GREEN
I’ve had the privilege of meeting Frederica Matthewes-Green, and what an approachable and gracious character she is. Her reviews are unpredictable and interesting, and unfortunately they don’t appear frequently enough. I’m glad to see she’s offering perspective on the much-celebrated Paradise Now….

After I wrote the review I saw an interview with the director in which he commented on a scene before the day of the planned bombing, in which the conspirators have dinner. There’s a held frame in which the characters are posed like DaVinci’s Last Supper. I thought “that makes no sense at all” — what would it be referring to?

In the interview the director said that it was an intentional reference to Christ, and to the Cross: that Christian’s understand that you can win a victory through dying in such a way that you take your enemy with you. I thought that was the strangest misunderstanding of Christian doctrine I’d ever heard.

But as I thought about it I realized that…

To read about what she realized, you’ll just have to read the review.

DA VINCI NOT UP TO CODE
This is hardly news, but here’s a detailed accounting of the problems with The Da Vinci Code. And please don’t bother responding by saying “It’s just a work of fiction!” because such responses have become necessary due to the amount of people who are naively accepting this novel as truth.
(nod to Kathy Shaidle)
POLAND FRETS OVER PIXAR’S FUTURE
David Poland isn’t happy about the Disney purchase of Pixar. Hey, it’s exciting to imagine John Lasseter directing all of Disney Animation, but I too worry about the impact this will have on the quality of Pixar product. I hope they know what they’re doing…
AMBER ALERT
Amber Tamblyn of Joan of Arcadia is back in a Sundance-featured film that’s earning praise.
X-MEN 3: THE LAST STAND
That’s the title, even though rumor has it that other sequels are already in the works. For a portrait gallery of the over-sized cast of characters in this episode, click here.

Previous Post

January 24, 2006

Letter of the Day: Response to "Brokeback Mountain" Review

Next Post

January 26, 2006 Specials: Auralia. Superman and Che pics. Whit Stillman. A follow-up to "Atanarjuat: The Fast Runner." Michel Gondry + Dave Chappelle.

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Blog Bloggers on "Through a Screen Darkly" Browser Coming Soon Endorsements Fiction Books Film Forum Film Reviews Inspirations Interviews Journal Kindlings Muse Movie buzz Music Reviews Non-Fiction Books radio Reviewers on "Through a Screen Darkly" The Auralia Thread Through a Screen Darkly Through a Screen Darkly - Bonus Materials Top 10 (or 20 or 100) lists Uncategorized

Select a Month June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007 October 2007 September 2007 August 2007 July 2007 June 2007 May 2007 April 2007 March 2007 February 2007 January 2007 December 2006 November 2006 October 2006 September 2006 August 2006 July 2006 June 2006 May 2006 April 2006 March 2006 February 2006 January 2006 December 2005 November 2005 October 2005 September 2005 August 2005 July 2005 June 2005 May 2005 April 2005 March 2005 February 2005 January 2005 December 2004 November 2004 October 2004 September 2004 August 2004 July 2004 June 2004 May 2004 April 2004 July 2003 May 2003 March 2003 September 1999

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Who built the temple in Jerusalem?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Moses Solomon David Abraham