Going to Comic Con International is like drinking from a fire hose. There is so much going on and you want to be part of all of it. But like drinking from that fire hose, you eventually end up being…
‘Inside Out’ asserts children are stronger than we think
There is a wonderful line in To Kill a Mockingbird. After Atticus and Jem return from a visit to the Robinson home, where Atticus is called an ugly name, Atticus looks at his son, Jem and says, “There’s a lot…
Does the world need a savior? ‘Avengers: The Age of Ultron’ prompts the question
On the surface, this is nothing more than another comic book movie. But if you pull back that surface you will find something more. There is something deeper. Joss Whedon returns to write and direct this second movie based on…
What is truth? ‘Merchants of Doubt’ grapples with the question
When Jesus encounters Pilate, John’s Gospel tells us that Jesus declares he came into the world to testify to the truth. Pilate replies, “What is truth?” Merchants of Doubt poses this question to us. On the surface it may look…
Like its name, ‘Calvary’ offers view of atonement
By Michael Parnell Calvary begins in a confessional in Ireland. Father James Lavelle (Brendan Gleeson) listens to a man describe how he was raped as child by a priest. The man then tells Father James that he will kill him…
Comic-Con International day four: Conversations
By Michael Parnell One of the things you find at Comic-Con is being in line or on a bus with a total stranger. As I mentioned in an earlier column, people here are generally very kind to each other. But…
Comic-Con International day three: ‘Be excellent to each other’
By Michael Parnell What happens when you gather over 120,000 people in one place? What kind of problems occur in putting that many people together? One is the logistics of moving that many people from one place to another, which…
Comic-Con International day two: ‘God is disappointed in you’
By Michael Parnell With a title like that, I had to be a part of this panel. Panels are the biggest part of Comic-Con. They allow companies to promote things like movies and television shows. The panel with this title…
Comic-Con International day one: The day of greed
By Michael Parnell Comic-Con International kicked off its 2014 convention on Wednesday evening with what is called the “Preview Night.” The doors opened at six to allow attendees to see the exhibits in the large hall at the San Diego…
‘Snowpiercer’ offers distorted image of how God works
By Michael Parnell There have been some great movies set on trains. Joining that list is Snowpiercer, a movie like Titanic without the love story. Set 17 years in the future, a compound called CW-7 has been set loose in…
REVIEW: ‘Twelve Years a Slave’ portrays human suffering, without the filter
There are some movies that you will only watch once. They are so intense and deal with subject matter that makes you not want to repeat the experience. Yet, when you finish viewing it you are grateful for the experience….
REVIEW: ‘Gravity’ opens doors to discuss the spiritual nature of grief
The story in Gravity appears to be about a space flight gone wrong. But there is much more going on here than just a movie with some exquisite special effects. The space flight becomes the stage for a much more…