Sister Ruth Strikes Again: FX Remakes ‘Black Narcissus’
The biggest question I had while watching the BBC/FX remake of Black Narcissus (Streaming on FX/Hulu) was, Who looked at the original 1947 film and thought, “We know what went wrong and we know how to fix it”?
Highlight of 2018: ‘Angels in America,’ an American Apocalypse
The cultural highlight of this year for me was witnessing live performances of Tony Kushner’s Angels in America, two plays that had high-profile revivals…
Notes on Nine Days of Watching Jesus Films
Two weeks ago, I found myself subbing in as backup quarterback when Rev. Jim Friedrich, hobbled by back pain, couldn’t make it to…
Blade Runner (1982): Do Androids Dream of Redemption?
The original Blade Runner is one of the most influential science fiction films of all time. Most noticeably, directors and artistic designers have…
The Maltese Falcon and the MacGuffin of the Spirit
As I revel in my return to the Bay Area, I continue to catch up on classics that have to do with San…
‘Hail, Caesar!’ The Coens’ Latest Study of Human Frailty
To watch a Coen Brothers movie is to take a meandering existential journey through red herring subplots, eccentric characters, and entertaining discursions into…
Popping Collars Part II: “Jesus becomes a monster for us and with us”
My book, Hollywood Biblical Epics: Camp Spectacle and Queer Style from the Silent Era to the Modern Day, dropped yesterday. Get it on…
‘The Silver Chalice’ and the Bible in our Minds
If one stores a collection of images of a particular literary figure, or setting, or style of costume, that collection is not stored…
