In my Christianity in Mass Media class later this semester we have a session I’m calling “Christian Movies and the Menace of Mediocrity.” Nick Alexander, the Catholic weird Al, has a great new video that will NOT be part of that class session. It has everything that such projects from Catholics should have. It has quality production values. Quality sound, picture and visual ideas. In other words, it doesn’t “create a vacuum,” as my dad used to say.
It in fact suffers from only one defect: My daughter isn’t in it! It is, by coinicidence, filmed at the parish we used to attend in New Haven, Conn., and Nick — whom I have never met and was surprised to see in film at my old parish — recruited girls the age of one of my daughters to be featured in it. There they all are, my daughter’s dear friends, as sweet as could be. Well ALMOST as sweet as could be, because a Hoopes would have upped the sweetness quotient immeasurably.
Enjoy ... and forward it to anyone who needs a gentle reminder that Lent is just around the corner (Feb. 17 is Ash Wednesday).
And if you haven’t yet discovered Nick Alexander, do so. The whole family loves him, but the kids especially. They still stop in the grocery store if they hear a song (such as “Time After Time”) that he has redone, and sing along, using the “right” words (“Tithe After Tithe”).
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Thank you for viewing this video. Nick was a pleasure to work with!
Please visit www.papermonkeyproductions.com for your next video!
-Brandon Gorrell
Paper Monkey Productions
Very nice. Thanks!
Dear Mr. Hoopes:
I sent you a copy of my new book “Christians in the Movies: A Century of Saints and Sinners”, before you left The National Catholic Register (NCR) for Benedictine College. In it, I review the portrayal of Christians in about 200 films from 1905 through 2008. The book received a very favorable review by Stephen Greydanus in NCR and other publications. You mentioned to me that you were planning to give such a course at the College. Will you be using my book?
Best regards,
Peter E. Dans
Not exactly your garden variety approach to Lent ...but maybe this is the year Lent will be different. As the song says “we always need 40 days” to
get ready for the big 3: Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter! While weird Al continues to fulfill his name he makes good points here for all as we decide how to spend our 40 days!
I think this is great and the funniest thing I have seen done in good taste in a very long time. Great evangelism effort. Keep up the good work.
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