Why Hollywood’s self-sabotage may have just gotten worse

Will new Best Picture criteria bring big change to Hollywood? Two months from now, The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will present its 96th annual Oscar Awards with, according to Business Insider, a new twist on Best Picture nominations: At least one of the lead actors or significant supporting actors is from an …

Now for something completely different: Three movies that deserve a lot more love.

Star Wars: Episode 1––The Phantom Menace I’m not going to pretend that this is not one of the most disappointing movies of all time. Fans had waited 16 years for George Lucas to revive his wonderful Star Wars saga. And here, he had the opportunity to give us what we had been hoping for and …

CCM Artists compete in bake-off (a satire)

Announcer: Goooood morning! (audience applauds profusely) And welcome to another edition of Celebrity Chefs. Last week, we brought you the best in Christian entertain....I mean.... Christian nonfiction authors. Today, we bring you the best in Christian minist....I mean....Christian entertainment (looks away) is that right? Can I say that? Ahem. (looks back at camera) Contemporary Christian …

Flashback Friday Album Review: Rock in a Hard Place

My introduction to Bloodgood was their 1987 effort, Detonation. I remember hanging out on the steps of my brother's church--of which he was the youth leader--hearing some of the older and way-cooler, long-haired youth groupers talking to him about Detonation and its chilling, "Alone in Suicide." That, plus it's awesome cover art, and the fact …

Flashback Friday Album Review: Welcome to the Freakshow

Electrifying. That might be the best way to describe DC Talk's live performance captured for their 1996 release, Welcome to the Freak Show. It was easy to see that the band gave all they got on this tour, and then some. The youthful energy of the group (or seemingly youthful--the boys were in their 30s …

Flashback Friday Album Review: Going Public

  Not long ago, we looked at Newsboys' Not Ashamed, and here, we take a stab at their following album, Going Public, released July 26, 1994--25 years to the day of this post (I didn't plan that. It just happend. Honest!). I remember seeing the cassette at the Creation Festival that year, held about one month …

Flashback Friday Album Review: Back to the Rock–Live

Though the release of this particular album back in 2011 is newer than what this reviewer prefers to include (20th Century) on his blog, this release is worthy of review simply because--well, it's an epic 80s reunion. Last week, we looked at Petra's Farewell live CD/DVD, released in 2005, which featured Greg X. Volz and …

Flashback Friday Album Review: Farewell

We wished it would never come to an end. But we knew that someday in the future, maybe 15 years later, it would have to. And now, that future is nearly 15 years in the past. And with that, in 2005, Petra released a CD and accompanying DVD of their final tour after 33 years …

Flashback Friday Album Review: Crimson and Blue

Though I don't have 'red, white and blue' for the Fourth of July weekend, I do have something 'Crimson and Blue' instead. For Phil Keaggy fans, this was a must-have album when it was released a little more than 25 years ago, and probably the one with the most promotional push behind it. Not only …

Flashback Friday Album Review: Thunder Beach

Like last week's look at Dakota Motor Co., it seems like a good time to look at another summery CD. Thunder Beach is the perfect title for something summery, dontcha think? This 1987 release is from a band that, like last week's, was from California and stayed there. Crumbacher produced the 80s Christian music's best …