POST PUBLISHED INAugust, 2009
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  • Cinema in Focus: TAKING WOODSTOCK - 2 Stars

    August 31st, 200912:51 PM ET
    By Denny Wayman
    Denny Wayman and Hal Conklin Woodstock, the infamous music festival that symbolized the youth culture of the 1960's, has taken on an iconic history of mythical proportions. Elliot Tiber's autobiographical story "Taking Woodstock" gives us a partial glimpse into its evolution from just a concert to a statement about the life and times of the ...

  • Cinema in Focus - ADAM - 3 Stars

    August 27th, 200912:51 AM ET
    By Denny Wayman
    Denny Wayman and Hal Conklin What does it mean to be normal? Does it mean that you act the same way everyone else does? Can it mean that you have the ability to love and be loved? Must it include the ability to express your feelings? These questions are explored in Max Mayer's story of "Adam," a handsome but awkward young man coping with Asper...

  • Cinema in Focus - DISTRICT 9 - 3 Stars

    August 26th, 200901:18 AM ET
    By Denny Wayman
    Denny Wayman and Hal Conklin The message of Neill Blomkamp's "District 9" is obvious. He sets the film in the city of Johannesburg, South Africa, where the decision is made to create an apartheid separation of a race of aliens who helplessly arrive on a spaceship. This decision develops over two decades into creating a slum area of poverty, cr...

  • CINEMA IN FOCUS: THE TIME TRAVELER'S WIFE - 3 Stars

    August 20th, 200912:41 PM ET
    By Denny Wayman
    Denny Wayman and Hal Conklin Our inability to control time is the driving concept of an unusual romantic tale in Robert Schwentke's film "The Time Traveler's Wife." Based on the novel by Audrey Niffenegger and adapted for the screen by Bruce Joel Rubin (Brainstorm and The Last Mimzy), time is not experienced as a relentless tyrant which cann...

  • Cinema in Focus: GI JOE - The Rise of Cobra - 2 Stars

    August 13th, 200911:56 PM ET
    By Denny Wayman
    Denny Wayman and Hal Conklin The "GI Joe" toys were created to honor the normal American soldier of our armed forces. Rather than looking to super heroes who can save us with out-of-this-world strength, Hasbro gave us toys that honored the brave soldiers who protected and fought for our freedom. However, this simple premise seems to have chang...

  • Cinema in Focus: JULIE and JULIA - 4 Stars

    August 10th, 200905:47 PM ET
    By Denny Wayman
    Denny Wayman and Hal Conklin The joy of life is found in the simple pleasures: a loving relationship, a delicious meal, a shared life. Though we all know this intellectually, it is wonderful to see our artists portray why this is true in a film like "Julie and Julia." Based on the true story of two persons who had far more in common than their...

  • Cinema in Focus: (500) DAYS OF SUMMER - 3 Stars

    August 06th, 200902:09 AM ET
    By Denny Wayman
    Denny Wayman and Hal Conklin Believing in love is difficult in these days of relationship confusion. Growing up in families where divorce has torn the fabric of hearts and lives, young adults today struggle to know if love is even possible. This struggle is the theme of Marc Webb's romantic comedy "(500) Days of Summer." Using a cinematic t...

  • Cinema in Focus: FUNNY PEOPLE - 2 Stars

    August 02nd, 200909:33 PM ET
    By Denny Wayman
    Denny Wayman and Hal Conklin Using humor to deal with life is a common defense. The problem is that hiding behind a humorous remark can be isolating and if done often enough will hamper the person's emotional growth. Breaking through such a defense can be difficult, but in George Simmon's (Adam Sandler) life, a rare form of leukemia provides s...
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About this blog
Reviews, discussions, articles, and opinions on films and faith.
Contributors
  • Cinema In Focus is a social and spiritual movie commentary. Hal Conklin is former mayor of Santa Barbara and Denny Wayman leads the Santa Barbara Free Methodist Church.
  • Dr. Marc T. Newman, president of MovieMinistry.com, helps Christians use film to reach others with the Gospel. He also teaches in the School of Communication and the Arts at Regent University.