Idol Chatter

In contemplating Brad Pitt, people often focus on the external; from his big screen debut in “Thelma and Louise” to some of his more current projects, we view him as a thing of beauty. Which he undoubtedly is, partly because he’s cultivated himself to be that way and partly because God made him that way.…

Faith in Hollywood? Yes, it does exist, and our Beliefnet Power List of the Most Powerful Christians in Hollywood proves that Christian faith can survive–and thrive–in the entertainment capital of the world. Click here to see who made the list (and here to see five up-and-comers to watch out for). Who’d we miss? Who’d we…

“Evan Almighty,” starring Morgan Freeman as God and Steve Carell as a modern-day Noah, is out on DVD, and we’ve got 10 copies to give away. But first, we want to know: What do you think God looks like? The best 10 answers–as judged by Idol Chatter editors– will win the DVDs. Posted your response…

The New York Times reported Sunday on the upstart Asylum Films, which has been churning out films it calls “mockbusters”—though schlockbusters might be a better word. Their low-budget movies imitate box-office hits, mostly in their titles. Their “Transmorphers” made a tidy profit, though it had none of the stars or production values of “Transformers.” Ditto…

Have you noticed? There’s an intake of fresh oxygen being sucked into the collective lungs of Christians who love music. It’s finally time, it seems, for genuine Christian engagement with pop music – any pop music, made by anybody, sold anywhere. Christians are abandoning the “Christian-Bookstore-sez-it’s-OK-to-buy-this” model and seeking out music that is worth listening…

When “Knocked Up” took America by storm, many people (Idol Chatterers among them) wondered, in a movie about a pregnancy which resulted from a one-night stand outside of marriage, where was the abortion discussion? Ellen, who blogged this originally, found a partial answer from Rogen in The Onion (though wish it was in a personal…

“Halo 3” debuted with as much buzz and fanfare as its predecessors, maybe more, but there’s no surprise there. Rated “M” for “Mature, it’s the top selling video game of all time. But perhaps what might stun readers is that this killing-game is apparently being used to save young men across America with Jesus–or at…

There are some things we just expect from certain musicians. We know Radiohead will give us postmodern technological alienation. We know Kanye West will give us pious braggadocio. And after five LP and EP releases, we’ve come to know that Sam Beam, the impressively-bearded gentleman behind the Americana/folk outfit Iron and Wine, will give us…

Occasional Idol Chatter contributor Nicole Symmonds has a great interview with Christian singer Israel Houghton. To prepare for the release of his new album, “A Deeper Level,” Houghton prayed, fasted, and connected with God. Click here for the interview.

Yes, it’s true. I am seeing the CW’s Smallville series to the very end. I can’t help it. I still love it. And if the season premiere says anything about what’s to come this year, I’m excited. A brief recap: the season finale in May left lives in the balance–just about everybody’s, actually, but most…

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