interview with God

I know this screensaver has been around for a while. Perhaps you've seen it before. In any case, it's lovely and thought-provoking.

Click on the photo to go to the movie "In Interview With God"

controverisal "Expelled" not in Canada - yet

Ben Stein's movie "Expelled" is doing well and making waves in the U.S. since it opened on April 18th.

The NY Times movie list from last week, where it's number 11, describes it as: "One of the sleaziest documentaries to arrive in a very long time, 'Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed' is a conspiracy-theory rant masquerading as investigative inquiry."

Richard Dawkins (The God Delusion) writes this tirade on Richard Dawkins.net (you'd almost think the movie had hit a nerve).

Viewing this 7-minute trailer may give you some idea why it's controversial.



Here are a few bits from a review by Matt Barber:

This is not your father's documentary. “Expelled” rocks the house both literally and figuratively. It's gripping, music-packed, comically wry and always entertaining. But its entertainment value is yet surpassed by its educational merit.

...there are those who won't like it, not one little bit...

As the movie masterfully illustrates, we live in a cultural climate where secular elitists in academia, the media and the courts chew up and spit out anyone who dares to question the gospel according to Charles Darwin. They're absolutely terrified to follow the scientific evidence wherever it may lead.

Consequently, it's no wonder “Expelled” has Darwin's disciples scurrying for the shadows. Those secular humanist one-trick-ponies in the media, throughout academia, on the blogosphere and elsewhere are in full damage control. They're doing everything possible to discredit the film before it even opens. It's even been reported that two major networks are refusing to cover the movie. (Gotta love that journalistic objectivity.)

“Expelled” is a must-see. If you're already a person of faith, prepare to have your faith strengthened. And even if you're not, you can't possibly walk away without at least admitting that the debate over who we are and how we got here is far from over.

from Matt Barber's review on Townhall.com

Lorna Dueck and Patricia Paddey did a feature on the movie in a recent "Seeking Truth" segment of Listen-Up TV (about 30 minutes).

I am looking forward to "Expelled" being released in Canada. The Theatre Locator on the movie's website says not till the summer though.

He shoots, he shoots ...

This story about an autistic boy and basketball will warm your heart.

life on the pond

Yesterday felt like spring with sunshine and cheery birdsong. So we went for a long walk in Rotary Park.

For most of the way the paved path follows Nikomekl Creek. But the pathway and the surrounding grassy marshes are low, with water spilling over the pathway in many places. In other spots the path has accumulations of rippled sand or mud where water has recently receded from covering it altogether. We also pass several largish ponds. One of these is home to half of Langley's winter mallard population I'm sure. Here is a glimpse of life on the duck pond in winter.

less than rave reviews

The Golden Compass opened in theaters this weekend. So far the reviews are less than rave.

"... is this sucker dull. Indeed, even the element of the novel most likely to make a movie adaptation interesting – the allegedly "anti-religious" subtext of Pullman's narrative – has been as efficiently nullified and purged..." Goeff Pevere - toronto.com 'Golden Compass': Wrong Directions

"An uneven, often frustrating and altogether incomprehensible beginning to an epic story, The Golden Compass will have to recalibrate its instruments in the second outing if it wants to realize its dream of becoming a timeless classic." Katherine Monk (CanWest News Service) Golden Compass doesn't point anywhere

"What can I say? The Golden Compass is a rushed film. It moves forward at warp speed, never slowing to give us any quieter character moments, motivations, or story points. Where did the Gobblers come from? How many kids were missing? Was this some sort of epidemic? We are never told; the facts are just there with no supporting evidence. Overall, the movie is a bit of a slog....Not Recommended." Chris Beaumont - Blogcritics review

Peter Chattaway (a Vancouver film reviewer who reviews films for B.C. Christian News): Golden Compass bombs in North America

Chattaway also does an every-which-way number crunch to show how films that cater to religious audiences fare as opposed to films that take a skeptical view of religion in "The Golden Compass doesn't bomb overseas".

more Golden Compass

The controversial children's film The Golden Compass releases tomorrow.

Read Peter Chattaway's email interview of Philip Pullman (September '07). He interviewed Pullman in preparation for writing Christianity Today review "The Chronicles of Atheism."

Albert Mohler (president of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary) reviews the film in "The Golden Compass -- A Briefing for Concerned Christians."