Movie … Sunday: Sequels Sink Pacific Rim
Our Plugged In blog will be undergoing a bit o’ work on Monday morning. Our intrepid blog experts tell me that everything should be back to normal sometime Tuesday morning. Or, at least, that’s what I think they told me. They’re bespectacled yellow creatures that mumble quite a bit, so they’re a little difficult to […]
I Want My Boring TV
Earlier this year, I wrote a story about how Norwegians flocked by the millions to their television sets for “National Firewood Night”—a 12-hour special devoted to the cutting, igniting and watching of firewood. The show’s last several hours featured, simply, an active fireplace. The most gripping moments of the telecast were those rare instances when […]
Movie Monday: Despicable Me 2
Disney may Gru the day it tried to take on a certain animated antihero and his horde of yellow minions. Universal’s Despicable Me 2 had a very un-despicable run at the multiplex, transforming into a veritable box office monster. The animated sequel filched an estimated $82.5 million during the traditional three-day weekend. Counting its Wednesday-Thursday […]
From Film Star to Faithful Servant
Dolores Hicks never wanted to be a nun. From the time she was 7, Dolores had Hollywood in her sights. She wanted to become a big-time film actress and—unlike so many of her star-struck contemporaries—that’s exactly what she became. In the 1950s and ’60s, Hicks (changing her name to Dolores Hart) appeared in such movies […]
Movie Monday: Monsters Win (But Feel the Heat)
It was a tag-team battle royale this weekend at the box office, with odd couples in every corner. But when the defending champs are a pair of Pixar monsters, chances of getting tossed out of the ring are pretty high. Mike and Sulley pushed Monsters University to an estimated $46.2 million for its second box […]
A Rock Star Talks Faith, Family and Philanthropy with Focus
My first real exposure to U2 was when I was about 15. The band had just released The Unforgettable Fire, and “Pride (In the Name of Love)” became the first U2 single to land on the United States’ Top 40. Not that I knew that in Colorado Springs; I didn’t get MTV, our Top 40 […]
Movie Monday: Monsters University
A horde of zombies may have invaded theaters across the country this weekend. But when it comes to scaring up money, those running dead can’t hold a decayed finger to a few well-animated monsters. Monsters University, Pixar’s prequel to Monsters, Inc., made its alma mater proud this weekend, collecting an estimated $82 million en route […]
Guess What? There’s Some Inspirational TV Too!
Last week, Steven Isaac lamented the disappointing coarsening of television, particularly broadcast television. Then Bob Hoose poked fun at reality TV (though I’d definitely tune into watch the version of Knitting Wars crafted by our intrepid commenters). But what if I told you that television can be (gasp) inspiring? And reality television especially so? Yeah, […]
Movie Monday: Man of Steel
Leave it to Superman to carry the box office up, up and away. Man of Steel, the latest retelling of ol’ Supes’ origin story, hit $100 million faster than a speeding bullet, earning an estimated $113.1 million over the weekend—a record for a June opening. Add in some Thursday group screenings, and Man of Steel […]
Man of Steel: A Tale of Two Fathers
You may not believe this, but I do more than just review movies and write eccentric “Movie Monday” blogs. No, I’m also a father and, as such, I blog for Focus on the Family’s Dad Matters blog fairly regularly. And sometimes, my friend and fellow Dad Matters blogger Sam Hoover get to talk about movies […]