Home Video Picks & Passes 11.25.18

A film about a superhero family is among the picks this week.

(photo: Pixar)

2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) — PICK

The BlacKkKlansman (2018) — PICK

Incredibles 2 (2018) — PICK


A 1995 Vatican film list honoree in the “Art” category, Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey is newly available on Blu-ray, digitally remastered in 4K from the original negative. Inspired by a short story by Arthur C. Clarke and co-written by Clarke and director Stanley Kubrick, it’s a paean to awe and wonder at the mystery of existence.

Also new on home video, Spike Lee’s BlacKkKlansman tells the astonishing true story of how Colorado Springs’ first black cop infiltrated the KKK by adopting the identity of a white racist via phone calls, with a Jewish partner playing the role in face-to-face encounters. With caveats regarding Lee’s last-act political provocateurship, it’s riveting filmmaking.

Finally, Incredibles 2 is a fine sequel to a great film, recalling without quite recapturing the crackling, incandescent brilliance of the original (see related story on page B6). Strengths include filmmaker Brad Bird’s flair for creative action set pieces and well-observed family dynamics.

 

Caveat Spectator: 2001: A Space Odyssey: Some deadly violence and menace; fleeting minor profanity. Teens and up. The BlacKkKlansman: Frequent racial slurs and overt expressions of racism and racial animus; violence and threats of violence; much strong and crude language. Mature viewing. Incredibles 2: Intense action violence; limited cursing and rude language. Older kids and up.

Cardinal Rainer Maria Woelki of Cologne attends a German Synodal Way assembly on March 9, 2023.

Four German Bishops Resist Push to Install Permanent ‘Synodal Council’

Given the Vatican’s repeated interventions against the German process, the bishops said they would instead look to the Synod of Bishops in Rome. Meanwhile, on Monday, German diocesan bishops approved the statutes for a synodal committee; and there are reports that the synodal committee will meet again in June.

Palestinian Christians celebrate Easter Sunday Mass at Holy Family Church in Gaza City on March 31, amid the ongoing battles Israel and the Hamas militant group.

People Explain ‘Why I Go to Mass’

‘Why go to Mass on Sundays? It is not enough to answer that it is a precept of the Church. … We Christians need to participate in Sunday Mass because only with the grace of Jesus, with his living presence in us and among us, can we put into practice his commandment, and thus be his credible witnesses.’ —Pope Francis