Idol Chatter

How do you bring a little fun back into fundamentalism? By making a sitcom, as Zarqa Nawaz is fond of saying. Nawaz is the creator of the new Canadian TV series “Little Mosque on the Prairie.” The show debuted Jan. 9 on CBC TV–to unexpectedly strong ratings–and airs Mondays and Wednesdays at 9 p.m. and…

It’s hard to recall the last time the Sundance Film Festival made any real noise–buzz, yes, but nothing like the howl sent up this year about “Hounddog,” an independent film starring Dakota Fanning as an urchin who is raped by an older boy. Fanning, who will turn 13 next month, is also reportedly scantily clad…

This is how they touted “Color of the Cross”: a film that will completely change the way we view Jesus and the crucifixion. But, instead of changing my heart, it hardened it for every second of the movie’s hour-and-29-minute runtime. The filmmakers took one too many liberties with Jesus and his disciples, from allowing Peter…

A couple of years ago, Tyler Perry came out of nowhere–at least for white Americans–with the smashing success of his film “Diary of a Mad Black Woman.” A well-known playwright and actor among African Americans, Perry was suddenly one of the most in-demand filmmakers in Hollywood, and now every film he releases is big news.…

The season premiere of “American Idol’s” sixth season was the show’s most-watched opener ever, with nearly 15 percent of the country watching at one point in the evening. So, is it any coincidence then that the Minnesota auditions featured on the show were some of the most egregious, deafening tryouts of the contest’s history, being…

Edgy, independent, artsy. Over the past 25 years, the Sundance Film Festival has become the place to discover new talent and launch original films. From first-time filmmakers searching for their big break to established stars seeking “indie” credibility, thousands of filmgoers descend upon Park City, Utah, for 10 days of cinematic bliss. Sundance, an invigorating…

As the red carpet season officially started with Monday’s Golden Globe Awards, I have decided it is finally time to announce my personal picks for the best films of 2006. Granted, there are two films I have yet to see that I believe probably would have made my list (“Half Nelson” and “Little Children”), but…

On this week in which we honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., I am growing tired of the disrespect that is tolerated in our culture–and even promoted–toward an individual who has had a far greater effect on the spiritual lives of countless Americans since even before the foundation of our country. His name is Jesus…

My female friends and I often muse that if we were given a personal chef, a personal trainer, and a personal hair and makeup person, we too could look as good as any starlet out there. Apparently, though, another type of personal assistant is needed to attain the immaculately kept mien of Madonna: A personal…

Critics often throw around the term “feel-good movie” to describe a film that warms your heart to the very core, but “Stomp the Yard” was forgotten in that lot. The story follows DJ (Columbus Short), a troubled youth who witnesses the death of his brother, to the campus of Truth University, a historically black university.…

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