Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Looking Closer

Home
Religious Music & Entertainment
Q&O = Question & Overstreet! On Muppets, Korean Cinema, U2, God’s Not Dead!, and more.

Q&O = Question & Overstreet! On Muppets, Korean Cinema, U2, God’s Not Dead!, and more.

Last updated on: September 2, 2014 at 10:01 pm by Jeffrey Overstreet

Q&O = Question & Overstreet! On Muppets, Korean Cinema, U2, God’s Not Dead!, and more. 2014-09-02T22:01:59-06:00 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.

Q & O = Question and Overstreet.

Some of these questions came to me via email, Facebook, Twitter, or some other internet source. And some of them came to me as answers first… suggesting unspoken questions.

So, if you’re interested in MFA programs, Korean cinema, Muppets, God’s Not Dead, U2, or my dubious opinions… here we go!

A real question from a reader:

Why did you decide to pursue an MFA?

Overstreet:

Lots of reasons.

Here are a few:

Seattle Pacific University MFA in Creative Writing students on Whidbey Island in March 2014.

I want to grow as a writer, especially in nonfiction.

Seattle Pacific University’s program is amazing — I know because I’ve attended every MFA graduation ceremony that has taken place in Santa Fe at the Glen Workshop over the last several years. I’ve kept in touch with students and graduates of the program. I’ve read their writing. The program has obviously had a powerful influence on them.

The SPU MFA faculty has included some of my favorite writers: Robert Clark, Gina Ochsner, Lauren Winner, Paula Huston, Jeanine Hathaway, Jeanne Murray Walker, Bret Lott, and others. They also bring in amazing guest lecturers who spend time with the students. I recently had breakfast with Pinckney Benedict and lunch with Richard Rodriguez!

And since I work at SPU, I’m constantly aware of the enthusiasm within and around the program. I had to take the plunge. I’m grateful they accepted me.

Also, I’ve had many fantastic teaching experiences over the last several years. Serving as Writer-in-Residence at Covenant College this fall was a thrill and an honor, and the responses of the students were very inspiring. Teaching fiction writing at the Laity Lodge Writers Retreat in the company of Lauren Winner (nonfiction), Stephen Lawhead (fantasy), Over the Rhine (songwriting), Scott Cairns (poetry) and others… those were similarly inspiring times. The idea of pursuing more teaching work someday is appealing to me. Maybe someday I’ll do that. If I do, an MFA would be a good thing to have.

A headline that I took as a serious question:

Cannes Film Festival — Could this year’s Croisette lineup of big names and academy favorites lead all the way to Oscar? (via)

Overstreet:

Who cares?

Oscar is not a destination. Oscar is a rigged game show. Cannes remains a film festival of some integrity. The films selected for inclusion must demonstrate some substantial integrity. Why not celebrate Cannes, instead of pretending it only matters as a possible qualifying round for a commercial extravaganza deeply contaminated by money and celebrity? If I were a filmmaker, I would consider it a much greater honor to be selected for a screening at Cannes than to win an Oscar.

A real question from a reader:

What are your top five Korean films?

Overstreet:

Korean cinema is not my strong category. I’m not sure I can offer a solid list of favorites.

Korean cinema tends to be a little too fiercely melodramatic for me. I need to read more to gain a greater understanding of “how to read” Korean cinema.

But a few memorable titles that come to mind are Bong Joon-ho’s hilarious The Host, Lee Chang-dong’s Poetry, Park Chan-wook’s Thirst, and Kim Ki-duk’s visually enchanting Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter . . . and Spring.

I tried to enjoy Secret Sunshine, because its treatment of Korean Christianity was interesting, but the movie seemed more interested in going to extremes than going in-depth on anything.

I can’t get excited about Park Chan-wook’s obsession with revenge stories: Oldboy was skillfully made, but it turned my stomach.

I’m curious about Bong Joon-ho’s upcoming Snowpiercer.

Question suggested by an extra on The Muppet Movie blu-ray:

Is Fozzie Bear a real bear?

Overstreet:

Kermit and Fozzie pondered this question during a screen test. It remains their most candid discussion on record.

Question from Facebook:

Are you going to review God’s Not Dead*?*

Overstreet:

Absolutely not.

I’m not interested in “Christian entertainment” that breaks the world into false “us versus them” conflicts. Nor am I interested in films that portray Christians as people without character flaws, or unbelievers as monsters doomed to destruction or dramatic conversion scenes or both. I don’t accept as “Christian” any storytelling that conveys a condescending or contemptuous attitude toward our neighbors.

I stand with Madeleine L’Engle, who said,

“We do not draw people to Christ

by loudly discrediting what they believe,

by telling them how wrong they are

and how right we are,

but by showing them a light that is so lovely

that they want with all their hearts to know the source of it.”

Several of the critics I trust most have lined up to find the film severely lacking in those terms, and severely lacking in most aspects of cinematic art as well. I’m grateful that I can choose to spend my time on more promising cinema.

But if you want to read opinions from reviewers I highly recommend, check this out.

Question from Facebook:

What are your thoughts on Noah*?*

Overstreet:

I posted a two-part reflection on the film — and the controversy surrounding it — earlier this week. Here’s Part One, and here’s Part Two. And if that’s not enough, here’s a huge list of stuff to read.

Question I asked myself while listening to new releases:

Since there is no new U2 album this year, what’s your favorite U2 Postponement Album this year?

Overstreet:

Elbow’s The Take Off and Landing of Everything. This is the best 2014 music for scratching a U2 itch.

A question from Twitter:

What are some of your all-time favorite TV shows? And do you ever plan to write about them?

Overstreet:

The Muppet Show. Twin Peaks. Firefly. The Wire. SportsNight. Spaced. Monty Python’s Flying Circus. Mid- to late-80s Late Night with David Letterman.

And I have no plans to write about them anytime soon. I want to write well, and to write well about television would take practice. I’m still learning to write well about cinema, the intersection of art and faith, and my own life, as well as learning to write fiction. I may have to leave the writing on television to others who have the time and energy to do it well.

But thanks for asking!

A question from Twitter:

Is there a film genre you enjoy more than others?

Overstreet:

Is “beautiful” a genre? “Sacred”?

I love films that persuasively capture the rare and wonderful sight of human beings deep in thought.

I love great films for children. I think that is the most difficult genre to do well.

Here is a list of my favorite films. Browse, and you’ll see why I’m having trouble with this question.

I do notice, however, that the top 10 almost all deal with a sense of a grand and benevolent mystery that calls out to the human spirit. It calls out to humans and angels in Wings of Desire, to a grieving widow in Blue, to John Smith and Rebecca in The New World, to a banjo-playing frog in The Muppet Movie, to a master chef in Babette’s Feast, to Indiana Jones in Raiders of the Lost Ark, to Luke Skywalker in The Empire Strikes Back, to H.I. Mcdonagh in Raising Arizona, to Roy Batty and Deckard in Blade Runner… and to the people of Paris, who seem to be dying for the lack of it in Code Unknown.

ASK A QUESTION FOR THE NEXT ROUND OF Q&A. I JUST MIGHT ANSWER IT.

Email me at [email protected], or post it in the Comments below.

Blog

Q&O

Question and Overstreet

Previous Post

April 12, 2014

An Ugly, Arrogant Gospel: God's Not Dead, But Is He Shaking His Head?

Next Post

April 23, 2014 Scarlett Johansson is a Monster: Under the Skin

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

How many days after resurrection did Jesus ascend?

Select your answer to see how you score.

30 days 40 days 50 days 60 days