Past the Popcorn film roundup—Quality if not Quantity, and a Veggie Tales movie interview
Each week, Past the Popcorn offers a thorough look at the latest round of films opening on big screens.
The film release slate right after the holidays is characteristically thin. But all three movies reviews this week at Past the Popcorn are strong entries. And an interview with Big Idea founder Phil Vischer sheds some light on the new Veggie Tales movie.
First, Mike Smith recommends the R-rated He Was A Quiet Man as a must-see for adults who want to understand what makes our odd neighbors tick—and how what we don’t do for our neighbors contributes to that. Christian Slater turns in a knockout performance, he says; but that’s not all. “The film is an expose on how we treat others. The dark comedy is biting, clever, and more than a little convicting.”
Second Kathy Bledsoe can’t say enough about the Spanish horror flick The Orphanage. It has everything you want from a film, she says: great cinematography, suspense, taut storytelling, and strong themes. “Don’t allow anyone to tell you the plot or where the ‘surprises’ come,” she warns. This is a treat best enjoyed for yourself.
Also reviewed by Jennie Spohr this week: There Will Be Blood.
In addition, several weeks ago, Past the Popcorn Managing Editor got a look at an early cut of Big Idea’s G-rated The Pirates Who Don’t Do Anything—due out in theaters next Friday, January 11th. Shortly after that, he was able to speak with Big Idea founder Phil Vischer over the phone for twenty minutes about the film, among other topics.
Vischer is not expecting next week’s Veggie Tales movie to restore the purity of his ministry. “You know, it’s a story I wrote before the meltdown,” he says, “that got picked up by the new owners and put into production. Am I happy that it’s being made? Yes. Do I think that it restores Veggie Tales in some way as a pure Christian ministry again? Well, no. It doesn’t actually change anything. But it’s a story that I like, so I hope the story gets out. I have no idea what kind of impact it will have on Veggie Tales as a property; I just hope that people enjoy the film.”
