015: Looking Closer at Evangelicals and the Movies: Film Critic Jeffrey Overstreet

Roger Ebert said, "The movies are like a machine that generates empathy." Film critic and author Jeffrey Overstreet joins the pod to talk about how Evangelicals approach movies, cinematic art, transcendence, and empathy, as well as spiritually based themes in the films by the Coen Bros.  He also shares some of his favorite films from 2020.

-Jeffrey Overstreet's website:  lookingcloser.org

-"The Theology of the Coen Brothers? A Conversation Between Matt Zoller Seitz and Jeffrey Overstreet"

https://www.lookingcloser.org/blog/2018/04/20/the-theology-of-the-coen-brothers-a-conversation-between-matt-zoller-seitz-and-jeffrey-overstreet/

-Buy Jeffrey's memoir of moviegoing and faith, "Through a Screen Darkly": https://www.amazon.com/Through-Screen-Darkly-Looking-Closer/dp/0830743154/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1N4KTUBB4XHQO&dchild=1&keywords=through+a+screen+darkly&qid=1613176010&sprefix=through+a+screen+%2Caps%2C204&sr=8-1

-Buy Jeffrey's fantasy novel "Auralia's Colors":  https://www.thriftbooks.com/series/the-auralia-thread/42859/

Mentioned on the Pod:

Book:  "Amazing Grace:  A Vocabulary of Faith" by Kathleen Norris.   

Song:  "Street Hassle" by Lou Reed.  

Film:  Midnight Run (d. Martin Brest)

Film:  Extra Ordinary (d. Mike Ahern and Enda Loughman)

Film:  Lady Bird (d. Greta Gerwig)

Film:  Little Fish (d. Chad Hartigan)

Film:  Save Yourselves! (d. Alex Huston Fischer and Eleanor Wilson)

Overstreet's Top 5 Films of 2020:

5) Shirley (d. Josephine Decker)

4) Bloody Nose, Empty Pockets (d. Bill Ross IV, Turner Ross)

3) Lover's Rock (d. Steve McQueen)

2) Minari (d. Lee Isaac Chung)

1) Nomadland (d. Chloe Zhao)

-Check out Zach's music by going to:  https://muzach.bandcamp.com

-Read Dave's occasional blogging at:  www.dangeroushope.wordpress.com.

Twitter:

Zach- @muzach

Dave- @Davejlester

Jeffrey- @overstweet

Podcast music by Zach Malm

Logo by Zach Malm