Saturday's Movie Night Decision

By TahlibWhich new movie should I go see tonight? I've already seen Transformers and Larry Crowne (liked both). Here's my shortlist for tonight. Pick one, and tell me why?

• "Harry Potter" but oh the lines! and this will be around for months!
• "Life Above All" a powerful drama that takes place in South Africa.
• "Salvation Boulevard" a drama-comedy which Rotten Tomato's loves.
• "The Ledge" an atheist film but featuring two of my favorite actors, Patrick Wilson and Terrence Howard.
• "Tree of Life" which I missed when the rest of the AOA crew went in Oklahoma City last week, and which stars Sean Penn and Brad Pitt.
• "The Undefeated" documentary about Sarah Palin could be fun too.

I'm likely missing something but please don't add Hang Over II or Brides Maids to the list. I ain't goin there!

Read More

Film Director Steps Out on a Ledge with New Atheist Movie

THE CHRISTIAN CENTURY
By Kimberly Winston
HOLLYWOOD - In the new film "The Ledge," a man perches high above the city, ready to jump to save the woman he loves. As storylines go, perhaps it's not the most original. But what is unusual about this film, said writer/director Matthew Chapman, is that its hero is an atheist, set aloft to illustrate two themes close to Chapman's heart. Chapman says the film is a work of both art and activism. He hopes it will entice atheists and other freethinkers "out of the closet" and into the mainstream. "I am hoping that people will watch this, both atheists and believers, and have a discussion about this," he said. The film has met with almost universally bad reviews from the media and mostly positive reviews from the freethought community. Greta Christina, an atheist, praised the film on Alternet and examined its potential to be the atheist version of "Brokeback Mountain," which was credited with broadening the acceptance of same-sex relationships. Whether "The Ledge" will advance freethought remains to be seen. There are no plans for a wider release. The film can viewed online through video-on-demand at iTunes and SundanceNow. [link]

Read More

"The Hangover ll" Movie Leads to Thailand's Ban on Religious Tattoos

FOX NEWS

Warner Bros.

THAILAND - Thailand's Culture Minister told reporters on Wednesday that he plans to ask the country's National Culture Commission to pass a law banning foreign tourists from getting Thai religious tattoos. The tattoos, which generally combine Buddhist images and Pali text and sometimes feature Hindu themes, are popular with backpackers and celebrities alike. According to the Thai national news service, Culture Minister Nipit Intarasombat expressed concern that the use of religious symbols as body art for non-Buddhists was inappropriate. [link]

Read More

Movie Review: "Children of God" (and Religious Homophobia)

THE NEW YORK TIMES
By Jeanette Catsoulis

Johnny Ferro, left, and Jason Elwood Hanna in "Children of God,"
Directed by Kareem Mortimer.

NEW YORK CITY - A skinny white boy from Nassau falls for a buff black islander in “Children of God,” a lush Bahamian romance stalked by homophobia and religious hatred.Expanding his 2007 short film, “Float,” the Bahamian writer and director Kareem Mortimer introduces Jonny (Johnny Ferro), an introverted art student, to the aptly named Romeo (Stephen T. Williams) on the balmy island of Eleuthera. Both are a little annoying: Romeo has a girlfriend, a history with drugs and a fondness for flashing his assets; Jonny’s inability to emote is threatening his painting scholarship. Opens on Friday in Manhattan. [link]

Read More