Unpop Culture

When I began blogging in 2006, the blog title I settled on, “Four Scores and Seven Films Ago,” captured my love of three elements: instrumental film scores, movies, and American history—with an obvious nod to Abraham Lincoln. Since Lincoln is one of my favorite American presidents, I ecstatically welcomed the rumors of an upcoming film about him. Harrison Ford searching for Lincoln’s assassin? Heck, yes! Of course, the movie that actually made it to theaters varied drastically from the initial rumors that got me excited. Nevertheless, a Spielberg-directed effort appeared worthy of attention. Using the review format I developed last year , here are my thoughts. CONTENT (C): 9 out of 10 Objectionable content is down to a bare minimum. The most violent aspects of the film are the opening battle sequence (which, while short, is still grisly) and a scene involving the disposal of several amputated limbs. Regrettably, a couple instances of brief and strong profanity litter the fil...

My friend Trillia Newbell recently and graciously invited me to contribute to her online magazine . I ended up writing about the cure that I had found for “the Mondays.” You can read the article here . Additional thanks to bloggers Tim Challies and David Murray for their kind endorsements.

Expectations can affect your mood, your perspective—even your outlook on life. Take officer Adam Mitchell in the film Courageous as an example. Shaken by tragedy, Adam is forced to grapple with what his expectations as a father should be—or, rather, what God’s expectations are for him. Adam’s growing awareness of God’s design for fatherhood creates ripple effects for his family, fellow officers, and his community. Expectations can also affect how much—or little—you enjoy a movie. Again, take Courageous as an example. The biggest production yet by Sherwood Pictures, Courageous is still far from a major production. They still have a lot to learn, but they have obviously improved a great deal since Facing the Giants . If you’re expecting the standard Hollywood-style action and adventure with this cop drama, you’ll probably be disappointed. This is of a different ilk—although it is not like much of the Christian-themed entertainment out there (i.e., embarrassingly bad). Here’s how ...

Sorry, the Motion Picture Associate of America (MPAA) is sticking with its flawed movie classifications. The rating system I refer to is an updated formula I will use on occasions when I write a movie review. I used to rate a film based on two criteria: its artistic merit and my own personal preferences—i.e., how much I enjoyed it. My desire was to provide a clear distinction between the objective and the subjective. A poorly made film might entertain me, whereas a high caliber film might leave me cold and unemotional. I wanted to separate what I liked from what I thought was good. This is still my desire, but I want to be a little more specific, and hopefully a little more helpful. So, I have revamped my system and come up with a three-tiered approach when reviewing a movie. Below I will give a brief description of each level of evaluation. Content (C) This section will deal with the thematic and moral elements in the film—those areas I would consider objectionable or problemat...

If you have not yet seen the “Swagger Wagon” music video (an excellent and hilarious piece of hip-hop marketing), check it out! If you like the song, you can download a free mp3 here .