‘I Can Only Imagine 2’ is a testament to the power of song
By Josh Ball
For the last 150 years, Christians have sung the words “whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say ‘it is well, it is well with my soul.’” Horatio Spafford’s words remain as one of the most beautifully poetic Christian hymns.
After the success of “I Can Only Imagine,” the band MercyMe was struggling to write a hit. Bart Millard (John Michael Finley) was on tour when his son collapsed. A decade later, Sam Millard (Sammy Dell) struggles to connect with his ...
‘How to Make a Killing’ violently addresses key themes of money, greed and the soul
By Gabriel Payne
What would you do for twenty-eight billion dollars? Or rather, what wouldn’t you do? Is there any length that is too far to go for a life-altering, generationally impacting amount of money? Some people would lie to achieve such wealth. Some would cheat. Some would steal. Some would even kill seven of their distant family members.
At least, Becket Redfellow would. Ever since he was a child, Becket was told of the famed Redfellow family fortune that he was in line ...
The Cedars 2025 awards of the century presented by Arts and Entertainment
By Danielle Cherry and the A&E writers
Everyone loves a good award. As the Oscars approach and TV-shows and movies get their chance to win recognition, Arts and Entertainment at Cedars was excited to highlight the top movies we reviewed this season.
While the categories we walked through are less drastic than the Oscars, our take was both fun and only slightly biased. Arts and Entertainment covers a wide variety of shows and movies - ranging from some of the worst ...
Season 2 of ‘The Artful Dodger’ brings out the duality of major characters
By Danielle Cherry
A medical professional and a wealthy socialite, seem like a pretty good fit. Both well educated, and high up in society. Except that’s not all Jack Dodger and Lady Belle are. Let’s try again.
A crook and a toff - that's better. Jack Dawkins (Thomas Brodie Sangster) finds himself in two worlds: his past as a crook and his present as a medical doctor in a small town British colony on the shores of Australia. Lady Belle (Maia Mitchell), while still being a ...
“The Pendragon Cycle: The Rise of the Merlin” is less than magical
By Molly Adkins
“This is to be Arthur’s story, but there’s more to Arthur than his birth.” So begins the Pendragon Cycle, a T.V. show produced by The Daily Wire and based on Stephen Lawhead’s 7-book historical fantasy series. The storyline is a retelling of the King Arthur legend, with the show largely focusing on Merlin.
However, despite the show’s title, we don’t actually meet Merlin (Tom Sharp) until the end of episode 2 (out of 7). Instead, we are instantly immersed in ...
‘Crime 101’ struggles to transition between storytelling mediums but is still a fun ride along the way
By Gabriel Payne
Los Angeles, California is a beautiful city, home to nearly 4 million people and every single one of them has a different story. Some are bankers, some are lawyers and some steal millions of dollars to make ends meet.
The storyline of “Crime 101” follows a highly successful, highly meticulous Los Angeles jewel thief and his plan for a diamond heist that, if he pulls it off, will set him up for the rest of his life. Throughout the journey, the thief and the other core ...
‘The Night Manager’ episodes 4-6 of season two leave viewers eager for another season
By Danielle Cherry
Coming off the ending of episode three, Pine is rightly shocked by the unexpected and horrid discovery of Roper (Hugh Laurie) being alive. Like Pine, I felt my heart jump out of my body as one of television's biggest bads walked across my screen.
From the beginning of this season, Roper has been haunting Pine (Tom Hiddleston), being seen in Teddy’s similar business model of fronting arms dealing as a philanthropist. Now Pine understands why. As Pine ...
‘Song Sung Blue’ is a surprisingly poignant tribute to two tribute performers
By Eva Tweeten
“They call me Lightning.”
So opens Focus Features’ newest film, “Song Sung Blue,” a moving biopic about Mike Sardina, a man who just wants to sing. But instead of standing on a stage, Sardina (Hugh Jackman) turns to face his fellow members of an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting.
“But when the songs are over and the applause stops, I’m not Lightning anymore. I’m just another drunk.”
Even though Sardina is now 20 years sober, his past still ...
‘Solo Mio’ is a reminder to find hope and joy in the midst of loss and doubt
By Josh Ball
How do you deal with heartbreak? Matt Taylor (Kevin James) must answer this question in Angel Studios’ new movie “Solo Mio.”
When he was left at the altar in Rome, Matt decided to go on his honeymoon alone, laying the groundwork for antics with the other couples enjoying their honeymoons with him. Over the course of 90 minutes, he learns to love again through the support of his new friends and a barista of particular interest.
The eccentricity of the characters was ...
Markiplier’s horror film, ‘Iron Lung,’ is a testament to indie filmmaking
By John Hiett
Have you ever wondered what film holds the record for the most fake blood used ever? Well, that record is 80,000 gallons and is held by the new horror movie, “Iron Lung.” The film is notably directed by Mark Fischbach, or more well known as the YouTuber Markiplier.
That’s right, Markiplier took it upon himself with a small production crew and a $3 million budget to prove that he could adapt a video game into a horror movie. Self-financing the movie himself, ...
