Movie: Breakthrough

In 2015, a 14-year-old high school basketball star named John Smith was running atop the ice of a lake near St. Louis when he fell through and disappeared underwater for 15 minutes.  It was already surprising when a paramedic was able to locate and pull his freezing body out of the water, but he was… Continue Reading Movie: Breakthrough

Dumbo Movie

Movie Reviews: March/April

There’s been some dry spells for genuinely good movies so far this year, but this week isn’t one of them. In fact, I’m taking a look at three this week – two in theaters, and one that you can enjoy at home on Netflix. First, I’d like to spotlight the film “Unplanned,” a film that… Continue Reading Movie Reviews: March/April

Captain Marvel movie review.

“Captain Marvel” – Movie Review

Nearly 20 films into the superhero movie madness that is collectively known as the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), Marvel Studios and its parent company Disney feel the need to keep topping themselves in terms of action, spectacle and noise.  “Captain Marvel” opens this weekend, and the big difference this time is that this marks the… Continue Reading “Captain Marvel” – Movie Review

Green Book

Movie Round-Up: Award Edition

Since the Oscar nominations were announced recently, this time we’re taking a look at the Best Picture nominations and what makes them stand out through a Catholic lens. We normally avoid R rated films in this column but most of these films are worth seeing if you’re not put off by an R rating. There… Continue Reading Movie Round-Up: Award Edition

The Mule starring Clint Eastwood

“Second Act” and “The Mule”

Jennifer Lopez has been leading an eclectic career as an actress, singer and dancer for nearly a quarter-century, and has managed to carve out a distinct brand for her persona as the impossibly pretty, vastly wealthy woman who can still make you believe she knows what it’s like to be an average working-class woman. Clint… Continue Reading “Second Act” and “The Mule”

Mary Poppins Returns

“Mary Poppins Returns” – Movies

Anyone with a decent childhood has seen the original “Mary Poppins,” the 1964 cinematic gem that won Julie Andrews an Oscar for playing one of the greatest characters in cinema history: a magical nanny who could fly, bring real-world kids into a cartoon world and generally turn a bleak world cheery. In a world dominated… Continue Reading “Mary Poppins Returns” – Movies

Green Book

Movies – Green Book

In a nation that might be more divided than ever, a true-life tale about bringing people together might just be the kind of movie we need most right now. Thankfully, the new film  “Green Book” has arrived, taking viewers on a journey through the 1960s South that features great performances, snappy dialogue,  terrific music and… Continue Reading Movies – Green Book

Bohemian Rhapsody

Movie Review – BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY

There have been few rock stars in the annals of pop history who were as colorful as Freddie Mercury. As the lead singer of Queen, he used his four-octave vocal range to weave opera and rock together in ways that had never been heard before or since. His theatrical stage presence also drew a huge… Continue Reading Movie Review – BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY

cool kids the Movie

FALL ’18 TV REVIEWS

The current fall TV season has some high-profile shows featuring stars who are longtime favorites for the over-50 audience, with the return of two canceled shows in “Murphy Brown” and “Last Man Standing,” the reinvention of “Roseanne” without its controversial star as “The Conners,” and a brand-new show with what might turn out to be… Continue Reading FALL ’18 TV REVIEWS

God Friended Me on CBS

God friended me – TV Review

The world is a confusing place these days for many millennials – the current generation of teens and twentysomethings who, according to polls, have been largely raised without any traditional religion or concept of God. Yet many studies also show that there is a yearning for a spiritual life, purpose and meaning among many of… Continue Reading God friended me – TV Review