I spend a lot of my life thinking about stories. I teach stories, I read stories, and I write about stories. Welcome to the life of an English major, kids, there’s hope for you yet. One of the greatest gifts of Christmas (other than the birth of a Savior) is time. The first semester of […]
George Lucas is Darth Vader is Your Father
For children of the 70s and 80s, the phrase “cautiously optimistic” perfectly fits our feelings about the first teaser trailer for J.J. Abrams’s Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens. We love “the original trilogy” (Episodes IV through VI) almost as much as we regret having ever heard of the prequels (Episodes I through […]
The Odds Star Wars 7 Being Loved Are Approximately 3720:1
When the Apostle Paul defended his teachings of the gospel, there were occasions where he needed to flaunt a little bit of street cred- “A Hebrew of Hebrews” he called himself, while toting his education and family heritage. So before I begin writing about Star Wars, allow me to follow the Apostle Paul’s example. Do […]
Another Week Ends: Immortal Smartphones, Jefferson Bethke, Adolescent Rewards, Profound Comedy, Therapeutic Irony, more George Lucas, Pixar and Hunger Games
1. In last weekend’s NY Times Magazine, Carina Chocano explained “The Dilemma of Being a Cyborg” – AKA what our current obsession with “data” has to say about our humanity – dropping her usual allotment of insight bombs along the way. Not only does she point out the increasingly prevailing illusion that if something wasn’t […]
Another Week Ends: Indie Law, The New Marriage Killer, Futurizing Fear, Apatheism, Damsels in Distress, George Lucas and Downton Abbey
1. In his short article “The Pitfalls of Indie Fame” on Grantland, Chuck Klosterman captures something we have been trying to say on here forever. Don’t be put off by all the music jargon; he is using the critical success of the tUnE-yArDs debut record as an opportunity to reflect on the cruelty of the […]
Another Week Ends: Horton on Legalism, Atheist AAs, Oprah, Irene Relief, Star Wars, Beach Boys, John Luther & Teenage Wastelands
1. Hopefully you got a chance to read our recent e-newslettter. We made a number of announcements about upcoming events and projects, including our next Spring Conference in NYC, which will happen from April 19-21, 2012, and at which none other than Michael Horton has agreed to be our keynote speaker! Needless to say, we […]
Worst Christmas Special of All Time? (Or Best?)
George Lucas has been quoted as saying that he wishes he could destroy every single copy that exists (in the galaxy). Bad Idea Jeans!
I’ve also heard that the Fat Albert Christmas Special is particularly… special.
When Captain Eo Brought Freedom to the Countless Worlds of Despair
Maybe you know the story: Francis Ford Coppola followed up his troubled Apocalypse Now with the disastrous musical One From The Heart. With a budget of roughly $26 million, the film grossed $650,000, making it one of the worst flops in history. So began the 80s for what many consider the greatest American director of […]
