Dec
19
Just in time for Christmas, let’s look at Christmas Angel, a holiday-themed movie directed by Brian Brough (Turn Around, Rescued, Beauty & The Beast) and released to video in 2009. Christmas Angel stars Bruce Davison as the title character, a rich retiree who spends his remaining years doing “Secret Santa” service for those around him.
Nov
15
Overcome, written by “Dani Franklin” and directed by “BJ Alexander”, stars “Jaycee Lynn” and was released to video in 2008. Yes, I’m using quotes deliberately here. “BJ Alexander”, “Dani Franklin”, and “Jaycee Lynn” do not, in fact, exist.
Oct
31
The short film Johnny Lingo was produced by BYU in 1969 and has long held a celebrated place in LDS culture over the past forty years, despite no real LDS content. (While largely “adopted” into LDS culture, it is based off of a Women’s Day article from Patricia McGerr, a Catholic, and references to the article and “eight cow …
Aug
22
Saul sits in chains and stares blankly at the sterile prison walls around him as the film opens. He is on death row and about to be executed. Ana stares blankly at the featureless desert outside her car as she travels across the state to witness his execution. She has a personal connection with Saul’s …
Jul
01
The usual criticism of sequels is that they have a less than noble reason for existing: namely, cashing in on the popularity of the original, rather than having a genuine artistic statement to make. Douglas Stewart wrote Saturday’s Warrior in 1973 and may have been surprised himself at how popular that play became within LDS …
Jun
05
17 Miracles (IMDB, official site) depicts the story of the Willie & Martin Handcart Companies, two Mormon pioneer groups making the trek on foot from Iowa to Utah in 1856 and who encountered trials, tragedies, and small miracles along the way. It is directed by T.C. Christensen, director of photography for The Work & The Glory series, and …
Jun
01
Smaller films with LDS connections don’t generally feature A-list movie stars, or even B-list for that matter. (After Anne Hathaway the next biggest name actor or actress to appear in an ‘LDS film’ is … Gary Coleman?)
May
13
Continuing from Part 1 and Part 2: if we admit that LDS film (like any artistic medium) needs “criticism” in principle, how do you do it in practice? What’s a fair point of criticism and what isn’t? Here’s how I approach it…
Apr
19
[Continued from Part 1] When I was in the Stake Sunday School Presidency some years ago, our primary responsibility was to consult with ward presidencies on the question: ‘How can we improve teaching in the Church?’.
Apr
03
In the classic movie Stand By Me, the narrator says, “I never had any friends later on like the ones I had when I was twelve…does anyone?” This is certainly true for Lisa and Andy, the two main characters of Once Upon A Summer (directed by Rob Diamond and written together with Andrea Curtis — …
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