The Theme of Grief in Terrence Malick’s Tree of Life – An Essay in Catapult Magazine – The Book of Job and the Tree of Life

The still above is from one of my favorite shots from a movie packed with hundreds of stunning shots. In the most recent issue of Catapult Magazine entitled “The Dying of the Light,” I present a piece touching on the theme of grief in Terrence Malick’s movie The Tree of Life. It is more of [...]

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The Student and the Ustad – The Grand Tabla Tradition

“Ustad” is a word which essentially means “teacher,” but really is a term more specifically used for talented, well-respected musicians (tabla players or Qawwali singers) who take on students, or disciples, and pass their craft on. On my recent trip to Philly, I got to see Ustad Aqeel at work teaching my cousin-nephew (that is [...]

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singing word for word

singing word for word earnest eighties’ christian rock youtube time machine

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Viva La Vida: How I Would Have Done It

I just saw the bombastic video for “Vida La Vida” by Coldplay and must say I am a bit disappointed, because I like the song a great deal and thought it deserved better. In fact, for the past month or so I have been constructing my own video for the song in my head (something [...]

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Hobbit Forming

By the sound of this transcript of an Internet Q & A session with Peter Jackson and Guillermo del Toro, it looks like the Hobbit is in pretty good hands. It is not going to be a children’s movie, but that might have been a little much to expect. As for the bridge film planned [...]

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Hobbit Forming

By the sound of this transcript of an Internet Q & A session with Peter Jackson and Guillermo del Toro, it looks like the Hobbit is in pretty good hands. It is not going to be a children’s movie, but that might have been a little much to expect. As for the bridge film planned [...]

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A Creative Review and Roiling Discussion…

…of the new Prince Caspian movie is presented by Jeffrey Overstreet on his blog. I have posted a comment, which I also reproduce here. Very creative review, Jeffrey, and a very graciously moderated discussion. I agree that “subvert” and “sinister” are perhaps a little too strong words to employ, but, to be fair, you are [...]

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A Little Like Lars; Only a Little

I was talking with a freind tonight how blogs can be funny things, and how sometimes people can oscillate between unhelpful openess and unhelpful holding back from the sharing of thoughts that really may help or encourage someone else if only they were shared. This seems to be a perpetual conversation I have with both [...]

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A Little Like Lars; Only a Little

I was talking with a freind tonight how blogs can be funny things, and how sometimes people can oscillate between unhelpful openess and unhelpful holding back from the sharing of thoughts that really may help or encourage someone else if only they were shared. This seems to be a perpetual conversation I have with both [...]

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Reepicheep is on His Way

It might not really be Prince Caspian but it looks pretty cool. Reeicheep here. The Prince is here (a rather silly accent, I’m afraid). Creatures, sets, more Reepicheep, more Caspian, and a Narnian raid on Miraz His Castle? Sigh. And in all this footage, at first hearing, I have not heard one piece of dialog [...]

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