This is a great look at hundreds of movies - some mainstream, some not. It discusses what we see on screen, what we hear, what we feel, and what we learn. Or don't.

The book is broken into five parts:
- How We Watch - taught me about the artistic side of movies
- Saving the World - discussed many of my faves
- Fools and Jokers - expanded my list of movies to be seen
- Art of Darkness - about some movies I loved; some I didn't
- Summoned by Music and Light - more future rentals

Be warned. Overstreet is a Christian moviegoer and reviewer who is no fan of the "simplistic, didactic, sentimental, and condescending qualities often found in contemporary Christian art and entertainment." He looks at everything.

This may be a must read if you are a movie buff. ( )

DNF at pg. 62.

Glad I only paid $.99 for this. While I can agree with the author that there are lessons that can be learned in the portrayal of real life issues when watching a film or tv show, his determination in issuing a license for Christians to watch everything and anything really bothered, and even angered me. His many excuses for watching films that try to normalize evil are in direct conflict with Scripture. Christians that are shielding their eyes from garbage entertainment are not "weaker" than their brothers and sisters. Their purpose is not to avoid sinful people; it is to keep their hearts pure. Avoiding evil in entertainment formats does not equate avoiding hurting and lost people in real life. We do not need to see someone in graphic and gratuitous detail murder or rape someone in a film to know what is going on. Using the example of Jesus "spending time in the homes of sinners and sin" (pg. 62) with modern day Christians watching depraved films as entertainment is ridiculous. Of course Jesus spent time with sinners... who else would He spend time with? We live in a fallen world and we are all sinners, but He was reaching out to us and teaching us, not condoning the sinful behavior, and He most certainly didn't have a desire to watch it. ( )

Overstreet accomplishes the surprising feat of fully convincing us that the earnest film-goer can't help but frequently have profound, even spiritual, interactions with this much abused, much misused art form. The cinematic insights here are fresh, unpredictable and spiced with material from Overstreet's interviews with some of the today's most thoughtful filmmakers. - Adam

Overstreet is a writer and movie reviewer for Christianity Today. His reviews are thoughtful and insightful so I looked forward to reading this book, which has reviews, thoughts on movies as a medium, and lots of recommendations. ( )