By Dr. Charlie W. Starr The surprise hit of the 2011-12 television season was Sunday night’s Once Upon a Time. It is literally half fantasy and half realistic mystery because it takes place in two worlds: a fantasyland where all our favorite storybook characters live and a town in Maine where those characters have […]
What we can learn from mythology
Dr. Charlie W. Starr Among our favorite stories are some we call “mythological.” Our culture is currently fascinated with new myths about werewolves and vampires (Twilight), and with classical myths about ancient Western gods (Clash of the Titans, Thor, Immortals). Five Percy Jackson and the Olympians books followed by two spinoff series are currently […]
A year of Christian-themed films
By Dr. Charlie W. Starr While spending last year writing a series on the purpose of art for The Lookout, I missed opportunities to talk about several movies, especially those featuring Christian themes. I’ve said before that the trend took off with The Passion of the Christ, and I’m happy to see that it […]
The purpose of art part 13: in retrospect
Christians and Culture by Dr. Charlie W. Starr In my previous 12 columns I’ve taken us through a solid primer on how Christians should approach the arts. If you missed an issue, you can find it at lookoutmag.com, or on my website (www.charliewstarr.com). I’m concluding the series with a review of some of the important […]
The purpose of art, part 11: movies and television
By Dr. Charlie W. Starr We’ve been discussing how to experience art: how to look at paintings, sculpture, and architecture and how to read literature. This month we look at how to watch movies and television. “But don’t we already know how to watch TV? Just grab the remote and press the ‘On’ button.” […]