The world of local TV news reporting provides the backdrop for the strikingly creepy character study “Nightcrawler” (Open Road). Though it showcases a memorable performance by Jake Gyllenhaal, the drama also features a gritty urban atmosphere pervaded by an air of moral nihilism.
Billed as a dramatic comedy, “This Is Where I Leave You” (Warner Bros.) tries, unsuccessfully, to wring laughs and sentiment from one suburban family’s dysfunction.
Father Robert Lauder and the Office of Faith Formation will present the 47th annual Friday Film Festival at the Immaculate Conception Center, Douglaston, starting March 21 with the film “The Mortal Storm.” There is a suggested donation of $25 for the series or $6 per film. For tickets and full details, send a self-addressed stamped […]
by Mark Pattison WASHINGTON (CNS) – The upcoming movie “Son of God” should be seen as “a love story,” according to two of its executive producers, the husband-and-wife team of Mark Burnett and Roma Downey. “This really is a love story – the greatest love story ever told,” Downey said. The couple brought the 10-hour […]
by John Mulderig NEW YORK (CNS) – For much of 2013, Hollywood seemed to be in the doldrums, turning out a good deal of product but very little of quality. With the approach of year’s end and the looming awards season however, things improved remarkably. That seasonal shift is reflected in the lists below, the […]
by Veronica Ambuul COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (CNS) – Preparing for the title role in “Mary of Nazareth” helped German actress Alissa Jung to realize that Mary was not only the mother of God but a real person. “Before doing this film, Mary was always the mother of Jesus, but I didn’t think of her as […]
DENVER (CNS) – The Fellowship of Catholic University Students (FOCUS) is sponsoring a video contest that features $10,000 in cash prizes. The contest, called “Imagine + Nation,” is aimed at filmmakers ages 18-30 and strives to raise up the next generation of storytellers to give them a platform to share “their unique voice and creativity,” […]
ORLANDO, Fla. (CNS) – Sister Ann Kendrick doesn’t think of herself as a celebrity, but her role in the documentary, “Women & Spirit: Catholic Sisters in America,” may change that. Sister of Notre Dame de Namur, she and two other religious sisters arrived in Apopka, Fla., more than 40 years ago to serve farmworkers and […]
by Joseph McAleer There’s both good news and bad for viewers with the advent of the fall television season. The upside mainly concerns hourlong dramas: Some networks have bucked the occult-happy trend of recent years that seemed to fill the small screen with dark tales of demons and goblins. They’ve also gotten away from the […]
by Joseph McAleer “Teen Alcoholics in Love” would be a more accurate title for “The Spectacular Now” (A24), a coming-of-age saga that paints a disturbing picture of high-school life in small-town America. Based on the novel by Tim Tharp and directed by James Ponsoldt (who tackled another drinking theme in 2012’s “Smashed”), the film – […]
