Idol Chatter

The folks who bring you the Saturday morning Christian cartoon series VeggieTales make movies that appeal not just kids but, as the old Hebrew National kosher hotdog commercials used to say, “a higher authority.” They offer themselves as an alternative to the usual Hollywood fare, to the unending gratitude of parents and youthful fans, who…

In theaters on Friday, January 11, “The Pirates Who Don’t Do Anything: A VeggieTales Movie” tells the story of three pirate wannabes who go back in time to fight real pirates and becomes heroes in the process. It will be the second feature length VeggieTales movie. We’ve got a clip from the movie below, and…

Our friends at Grace Hill Media are running an awesome promotion to celebrate the release of “Thou Shalt Laugh 2: The Deuce” which features stand up from Christian comedians. Just click on the graphic below and follow the instructions. You’ll be asked to watch a clip from the movie and answer three questions. One grand…

“Vanaja” is a groundbreaking film about caste, culture, class and most importantly the feelings and emotions of a young mother, and a must-see for movie lovers and those who appreciate art and culture. Vanaja, the titular heroine, is a young 14 year-old daughter of a poor, low-caste fisherman, struggling with dwindling catches and mounting debt,…

Originally released in Arabic in 2005, the novel Girls of Riyadh or Banat al-Riyadh, was immediately banned in Saudi Arabia due to controversial and inflammatory content. Black-market copies of the novel circulated and the daring originality of Girls of Riyadh continues to create a firestorm all over the Arab world and has been a bestseller…

It’s part heritage, part occupational hazard–but I have seen more than my fair share of documentaries about Jews. Many of them center on the Holocaust, or the post-Holocaust triumph and redemption earned through the creation of the state of Israel. Others focus on “Jews and showbiz” or “Jews in comedy.” I live in New York,…

It’s no wonder the Writers Guild brokered a deal with actor Tom Cruise recently to make him the only studio head who can cross the picket line. According to Andrew Morton’s new book (Morton is best known for his Princess Di tell all) Tom Cruise has become the second most powerful Scientologist. This is actually…

Young, bright-eyed, handsome and charismatic to the core; an optimist and a visionary with a profound ability to evoke a deeply rooted, and perhaps dormant, sense of populism in the hearts and minds of Americans. Yes, it has hardly gone unnoticed that presidential hopeful Barack Obama shares more than just a few characteristics, particularly when…

The Holidays are over, but there’s still time to see one of the better holiday movies. And, it’s actually more relevant now (at the start of the new year) than it was over the holidays. The plot of “The Bucket List” doesn’t sound all that inspirational: two guys from different sides of the tracks end…

Several days ago, when I asked if Britney Spears would be “saved” by Oprah, I was being facetious. But, as it turns out, I was being prescient. Over the weekend, Spears’ parents asked Oprah protégé, Dr. Phil McGraw to speak with their troubled daughter at Cedars Sinai Medical Center; apparently without Britney’s knowledge. As fellow…

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