Gilmore Girls Helps Viewers Get a Better Education. What Else Can It Do?
It looks like Netflix wants more Gilmore Girls. According to Deadline Hollywood a few days ago, Netflix Chief Content Officer Ted Sarandos said they’ve had “preliminary” talks with the show’s creators for another installation of the Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life revival. I know that fans of Gilmore Girls would love for the […]
Why Do Christian Films Bomb? (No, Really?)
Much to the surprise of Hollywood, The Passion of the Christ took in an earth-shattering $370.8 million domestically back in 2004 when it was released, cueing Hollywood into the huge, economic power of Christian moviegoers. The Passion was the fifth top-grossing film globally that year ($612 million), beating out the likes of Troy, Shark Tale […]
Disrespect Invites Disrespect, Even in Hollywood
The morning after Sunday night’s Golden Globes Awards, the Plugged In team was talking about two subjects—the powerful wind that was at that time gusting to nearly 100 mph in Colorado Springs and the aforementioned award ceremony. Regarding the latter, I told the team that I planned to write about actress Meryl Streep’s anti-Trump speech, […]
Could You Make It a Week Without Your Phone?
I had a conversation with my mom the other day that went something like this: Mom: Please send me an email with Trevor’s (our son’s) new address. Me: I texted you that address two weeks ago. Mom: I don’t read my texts; I don’t know how. In fact, I don’t think my cell phone even […]
Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door with Poetry
On any given Sunday, it’s highly likely that some of the 320,000 pastors across the U.S. will step into their pulpit and preach on original sin and God’s plan for atonement. To underscore the idea that the human condition has us coming out of our mother’s womb steeped in iniquity as a result of Adam’s […]
Graceful Extremism
I have a good friend who’s raising his four kids without a TV in the home. We all had dinner a while back and I was most impressed with his children, especially his oldest, who’s about 18. It’s obvious she loves the Lord and wants to grow in her faith. For this family, “extremism” (at […]
Films Inspire in the Face of Cancer
In the past couple of weeks, I’ve screened no less than three movies dealing with the subject of cancer. These are, as you might imagine, difficult movies to “enjoy.” Cancer is a terrible disease, and probably most of us have felt its touch in one way or another. And yet I can honestly say, despite […]
Shining a Light on Ebola and Those Who Serve Its Victims
People often say that, maybe besides someone who samples restaurant food for a living, I have the best job on the planet. When analyzing my position here in Plugged In, these folks are convinced all I do is watch movies and get paid for it. Then when they learn that I, on occasion, get invitations […]
Mark Burnett and Roma Downey Talk Faith, Film and Ben-Hur
The story of Judah Ben-Hur has been one of the culture’s most popular, most powerful stories for more than a century now, and Jesus has always been at the center of it. Earlier this summer, I wrote a blog about the 1880 book Ben-Hur: The Tale of the Christ, discussing the faith journey of author […]
Caviezel on the Cross
When I first saw The Passion of the Christ I had mixed emotions. I was greatly moved by what I had just seen, but it unnerved me at the same time. Back in the fall of 2003, I was privileged to view the film about six months before it hit theaters. Mel Gibson sat behind […]