It’s the most wonderful time for a film!
Edited by Janie Walenda and Ben Konuch
How do you spending your December nights? For the Walenda family, we often bunk down after a long day of Christmas festivities and turn on a Christmas movie. I cherish this time with my family as we revisit old favorites and explore new festive films. Just as we did last year, several Arts and Entertainment writers have shared their favorite Christmas movies below to help you and your family find your next holiday watch.
Janie Walenda: ...
Cedarville University welcomes Christmas with this year’s heartwarming concert
By Mitchell DeBusk
Cedarville’s annual Community Christmas Celebration has dazzled attendees for over twenty years and this year’s musical extravaganza proved no exception. Featuring performances from the University Jazz Band, Women’s Choir, Concert Chorale, Orchestra and Harp Ensemble, every section had the opportunity to demonstrate their talents as well as their Christmas spirit.
Dixon Ministry Center’s Jeremiah Chapel was packed to the brim with eager families and ...
‘Leave the World Behind’ weaves existential dread into a new type of apocalyptic drama
By Ben Konuch
“Haven’t you been picking up on what’s going on out there? We’ve all been deserted.”
If you were to have a conversation with me about who I thought were the greatest visionaries in film from the last ten years, you would probably get annoyed with how often I would bring up Sam Esmail. The director and showrunner of the television series “Mr. Robot,” which I have absolutely adored since its first season twist, Esmail has time and time again demonstrated his ...
Sound of Freedom generates controversy and creates conversation around a call to action
By Esther Fultz
Human trafficking is not a topic many people want to discuss. Although the vast majority of people in both Christian and secular circles agree that human trafficking is a horrific atrocity, overwhelmingly few have actually done something to address the issue, and most of us remain undereducated on the magnitude of the problem.
“Sound of Freedom,” released in theaters on July 4, 2023, is a film that attempts to bring this issue to light. Jim Caviezel portrays Tim ...
‘The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes’ is a near-perfect book-to-film adaptation
By Janie Walenda
I would like to apologize to everyone who was in the theater with me during “The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes,” my brother most of all. I am a firm believer in the excited arm smack during movies, and my brother was the unlucky recipient of numerous such arm smacks as I freaked out watching one of my recent favorite books make its way to the big screen.
When I first heard about the “Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” book, I was not a fan. Why would I want ...
‘Shiny Happy People: Duggar Family Secrets’ might just expose your secrets too
By Maggie Fipps
“The Duggar family is not a bizarre fascination,” said pastor and writer Josh Pease. “It is a horrifying glimpse that was told over and over again in so many different families.”
A four-part documentary series, “Shiny Happy People: Duggar Family Secrets” digs into the Duggar family of “19 Kids and Counting” and “Counting On” fame, and ultimately the harmful teachings of Bill Gothard, leader of the Institute of Basic Life Principles, or IBLP.&nb...
‘Loki’ comes to a glorious end
By Janie Walenda
Perhaps I treated season two of “Loki” too harshly. While I won’t walk back my opinions on the first three episodes of season two having no clear direction, the second half bends time to consistently elevate the stakes far beyond anywhere I thought the show would go. While this could be a recipe for a deflated and disappointing finale, as so many MCU shows have demonstrated, “Loki” ends with a bittersweet culmination of Loki’s decade-long character ...
‘The Marvels’ is a comedic and fun addition to the Marvel universe
By Anna Harmon
I wasn’t sure what to expect from the new film “The Marvels.” It looked like it could be interesting, but the previews did not really spark my interest. Marvel hasn’t put out many good movies or TV shows lately, so I wasn’t expecting much from this film. Surprisingly, I really enjoyed it and thought it was hilarious and fun to watch.
In the film, Captain Marvel (Brie Larson), Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris) and Kamala Khan (Iman Vellani) all have powers ...
‘The Santa Clauses’ Season 2 is off to a Festive Start
By Anna Harman
The last season of “The Santa Clauses” was truly nostalgic and magical, especially since I adore “The Santa Clause” trilogy. I wasn’t sure what they would do with this season, but I was excited to find out.
The first two episodes of “The Santa Clauses” dropped on Disney+ on November 8th. Right away, I fell in love with the soundtrack choices. The show opened with a recap of what happened in the last season and the song “Last ...
‘Priscilla’ tells the story of Priscila Presley’s life with heartstring pulling emotion
By Anna Harman
When I first heard of Sophia Coppola’s new film “Priscilla” about the life of priscilla Presley, I was super excited to see this film. I watched Baz Luhrmann’s biopic “Elvis'' last year and that sparked an interest in learning more about the Presley family. However, this film was nothing like what I expected. Priscilla Presley herself helped to produce this film, so I knew that the story would be well done and respectful, but I couldn’t have expected the sheer ...
