Writer/Director Paul Schrader Delivers Something Equally Bleak And Unforgettable With First Reformed

If you were to do a film festival dedicated solely to films that serve as morose meditations on man's relationship with God, you'd have plenty of high-quality options to choose from. Ordet would certainly be an option, ditto for Au Hasard Balthazar. If you're looking for modern-day examples, well, let's totally throw Noah and Silence in the line-up too, those two movies never get enough love. Another recent movie that totally should be included in this theoretical film festival hails from director Paul Schrader and is entitled First Reformed. If you're wondering if First Reformed is bleak enough to join the likes of Au Hasard Balthazar, trust me, it most certainly is.

This Is Gonna Sound So Weird, I Know, But I Wish Black Swan Was Much Freakier Than It Is

Remember how Black Swan was an actual box office phenomenon? This thing grossed well over $100 million domestically despite being such a crazy horror film that frequently relies on the kind of stylized atmosphere that audiences have rejected in many other motion pictures. It's odd, it's crazy, it gives ya a little hope for the world that something this strange can find such an audience. It's also a movie that obviously resonated with plenty of people too given its sheer ubiquity in pop culture since its initial release, though I must say I'm the Grumpy Gus of this scenario because I found Black Swan to be among director Darren Aronofsky's weaker movies, though it's still got plenty of virtues to extol.

The New Trailer For Ben-Hur "Bens" Over Backwards To Appeal To Christian Moviegoers

Cinema strictly revolving around Christian themes had existed for decades prior to 2014 (just ask the likes of Reverent Herbert Jump and the various directors who worked for World Wide Pictures), they became a big business in modern day Hollywood when God's Not Dead, Noah and Heaven Is For Real made big bucks in quick succession. As both a Christian and cinema devotee, I wish more of the movies made in the wake of such financial success to more cues from one of 2014's most underrated features, Noah, by sparing no expense on interesting characters, darker themes and glorious production values.

Calvary Review

Separation of Church And Fate

The topic of religion is one many movies face, including 2014s excellent feature Noah. Calvary is just the latest movie to tackle a topic that is extremely relevant to many people on the planet. The particular religious aspect focused on in this tale is that of the Catholic Church and a man heavily involved in his local church Father James, played by Brendan Gleeson. Gleeson is absolutely the perfect person to play someone of heavy authority in the religious community, as he has the kind of likable personality that can attract people to sermons on Sunday morning but also come across wise enough to be someone to turn to in times of crisis.

The List!!!: Five Of 2014's Most Underrated Movies So Far

In The List!!!, I do a list that just reeks of being click-bait, analyzing a particular topic or subject that pertains to something major occurring in pop-culture. This week, in honor of Noah hitting Blu-Ray, I take a look at five films from the first seven months of 2014 that deserve more recognition.