Peter Jackson in Perspective: The Power Behind Cinema's The Lord of the Rings brings under one cover the dozens of essays and lectures that first began appearing on the website Hollywood Jesus in December of 2001. Since then, author Greg Wright (Tolkien in Perspective: Sifting the Gold from the Glitter, VMI 2003) has analyzed and anticipated the cinematic choices of director Peter Jackson with almost prophetic critical insight. He rightly attributes the success of The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers and The Return of the King to the power of film itself, the power of Jackson's artistry and the original power of J.R.R. Tolkien's literary masterwork-and in so doing provides an educational, entertaining and respectful look at the process of bringing a much-loved novel to the screen. Like a sculptor of words and ideas, Jackson has pared away pieces of Tolkien's fanstastic epic to reveal both the essence of Tolkien and something entirely new, something uniquely his own. The essays in this volume are an invaluable guide to understanding both Jackson and Tolkien.

Peter Jackson in Perspective: The Power Behind Cinema's the Lord of the Rings. a Look at Hollywood's Take on Tolkien's Epic Tale.

Wright, Greg

Religion & Spirituality

Hollywood Jesus Books

Hollywood Jesus Reviews 2003-2004

Humor & Entertainment

Movies

Boxoffice figures dropped dramatically between the summers of 2004 and 2005.  From August through July, more and more audiences were taking their dollars elsewhere.  Gone were the grand metaphyspectacles of the previous year.  Where was Harry?  Where was Frodo?  Where was Spidey, man?  Not even George Lucas or The Incredibles seemed able to save the day.  But was all lost?  Did twelve months of film have nothing worthwhile to say? Hardly.  Spirituality still rocks Hollywood’s world. This year’s collection of reviews covers 90 top films, every one of them reviewed from HollywoodJesus.com’s spiritual perspective.  The ideas that move the world infuse the cinema, and audiences are still paying attention.  Into the darkness of the theatre comes a great light.  God is behind the screen, and Jesus is in the seats.  Take a close look the next time you’re there. The 2004-2005 collection features the writing of Hollywood Jesus host David Bruce and over twenty of his reviewers: Benn Becker, Kathy Bledsoe, Maurice Broaddus, Peter Cruikshank, Mike Furches, Matthew Hill, Melinda Ledman, Elisabeth Leitch, Darrel Manson, Kevin Miller, Tom Price, Ken Priebe, Michael Ray, Jacob Sahms, Michael Smith, Johann Snyder, Mark Ezra Stokes, Ed Travis, Chris Utley, Annette Wierstra, Greg Wright and Jenn Wright. Reviews are grouped by categories of popularity, and arranged alphabetically within those categories. Fans of a particular reviewer can find a short bio and list of reviews in the Index of Reviewers.

Hollywood Jesus Reviews 2004-2005

Furches, Mike

Fifty years ago, celebrated author and Christian apologist C. S. Lewis completed what would eventually become a classic of children's literature: The Chronicles of Narnia. Originally conceived as a trilogy of novellas, the series began with the publication of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and apocalyptically culminated, after a total of seven volumes had been published, in The Last Battle. Now, after countless dramatic adaptations, radio plays, musicals and television productions of the Chronicles, Walden Media and Disney are bringing Narnia to the big screen in what has already proven to be the most aggressive promotional campaign in history. What's all the fuss about? Most champions of the Chronicles laud the series for its allegorical retelling of the Gospel. The protector of Narnia, that Great Lion Aslan, is a clear parallel to the Christ we find in Scripture. But the success of the Chronicles of Narnia is not only due to its spiritual appeal. If the tales did not work first as literature, they would have remained only a footnote to publishing history. Two Roads through Narnia makes the case that the Chronicles are best appreciated by understanding the books from both literary and spiritual standpoints. But rather than muddy the waters by trying to do both at the same time-or by trying to synthesize seven individual stories into a single comprehensive thesis-the essays in this volume analyze each individual story first as literature, then for spiritual symbolism. Seven books. Each appreciated as art should be: for the significance of its craft, and for the value of its meaning. Hollywood Jesus Senior Editor Greg Wright has also assembled a team of essayists-Kathy Bledsoe, George Rosok and Jenn Wright-who are not afraid to point out weaknesses in the Chronicles where they exist. This introduction to the seven tales of Narnia will both challenge and satisfy those on the journey through Narnia.

Two Roads Through Narnia

While North America struggles to retain some vestiges of independence from the World Empire, local governments utilize indigenous religious authorities to control the populace. "IU Central" is one such agency, friendly to government policy. Investigations of unorthodox Jewish sects is their business, and their primary target is so-called "Christianity," named after a religious leader martyred in 1963. The dominant culture in North America is Jewish. April 11, 1963: Amidst a backdrop of civil unrest, Jewish leaders provoke the government, based in Philadelphia, into sentencing a troublesome young rabbi to death. The dynamic teacher is subjected to a public execution, common in the Empire. Summer, 1969: "Christianity" emerges as an official cult in Hartford, Connecticut; unofficial gatherings of "believers" have been reported in other cities for years. December, 1986: IU Central sends Nico and Perez to infiltrate the Kansas City "dunkers." The investigation ends in failure. Perez is lost. August, 1994: Ana joins IU Central under an assumed name, in search of sister Perez. Nico, now Director of Training for IU, assigns "Tira" to find Perez. Today: Philadelphia is falling. All the faithful are coming home. The Chi-Rho Files hold the secrets of a vital, fledgling faith that brings dynamic change and hope to a dying nation. They also tell the tale of an older, and equally stubborn, faith. Homecoming brings it all to a head.

Homecoming

Literature & Fiction

Dramas & Plays

Booth Tarkington wrote two of the first four novels to win a Pulitzer Prize: Alice Adams in 1919 and The Magnificent Ambersons in 1922. "Tarkington has the true touch," said Mark Twain. "His work always satisfies me." In 1909, Booth Tarkington published the stirring novelette Beasley's Christmas Party, the romantic tale of an honest bachelor politician, a terminally ill orphan who enters his life, and the Christmas party that reunites him with his lost love. "I seldom read Christmas stories," Twain remarked, "but this is very beautiful. It has made me cry. I want you to read it." Dramatist Greg Wright gently and reverently adapts this story for the stage, updating the setting to the eve of the Second World War and fleshing out the plot and cast with characters borrowed from Tarkington's Ramsey Milholland (1918). The result is a fresh alternative to the usual holiday fare, and a timely examination of the reasons we go to war-and the reasons we wish we didn't have to. December 7, 1941 was indeed a "day that will live in infamy," as was September 11, 2001. And the way that we thought the day prior irrevocably shaped what we did the day after.

Beasley's Christmas Party

"Producer: Someone who finds financing for and supervises the making and presentation of a show (play or film or program or similar work)." Sometimes a dictionary definition just isn't very helpful. And what does it mean to produce drama in the context of the Church, anyway? For nearly twenty years, author and Drama Minister Greg Wright has produced and directed theatrical productions in churches and community theatre. He has hung lights, built sets, sewn costumes, doctored scripts and bandaged wounded psyches. Whatever dirty job there may be, he's been there and done it. Through it all, Greg has learned that the best definition for the word "producer" is "servant." The Producer's Handbook puts all of that experience into one handy volume, a companion for the journey toward becoming a seasoned veteran-including references to additional online resources.

Producer's Handbook: A Guide for Drama in the Church

"You do not receive because you do not ask." On July 4, 2000, in Virginia Beach, Cris Krusen watched his son Daniel run down the street like an Olympic sprinter. Unfortunately, the local police were in pursuit. Daniel's mind had come apart and he would spend the holiday weekend in the city's psychiatric unit. By his 18th birthday in 2001, Daniel had been civilly committed to Eastern State Hospital on Ironbound Road in Williamsburg, Virginia. But the journey had just begun. The letters that Cristóbal Krusen wrote over the next six years urging prayer for his son's deliverance are a stirring testimony to faith in God's power to move mountains. "The poignant and powerful cry of a father who refuses to abandon hope when all hope is gone. Krusen inspires with honest transparency." -Robert Whitlow

Let Me Have My Son

Krusen, Cristóbal

Worship & Devotion

The summer of 2007 was the centerpiece of a record boxoffice year for Hollywood, with sales rebounding from near-disastrous levels in previous seasons.  The summer of three-quels played the major role, but there were major surprises that Captain Jack, Spidey, Shrek, and Jason Bourne could not deliver. Surprises like                              Facing the Giants, the follow-up to the Sherwood Pictures indie hit Flywheel. But that wasn't all.  Spirituality played special roles in films like Children of Men and Pan's Labyrinth, too. This year's collection of reviews covers 160 top films, every one of them reviewed from HollywoodJesus.com's spiritual perspective.  The ideas that move the world infuse the cinema, and audiences are paying attention more than ever.  Into the darkness of the theatre comes a great light.  God is behind the screen and Jesus is in the seats. Take a close look when you're there.

Hollywood Jesus Reviews 2006-2007

Christian Books & Bibles

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