FiatFilm

The Fall of Man lives rent-free in the mind of the 19th century French author. Two big-budget adaptations of epic French novels lay bare the hateful condition of humanity and the need for God's mercy while telling action-packed stories.

13 Movies—Christ and the Christian #8: The Count of Monte Cristo (2002) and Les Misérables (2012) – FiatFilm 12Jul 13 Movies—Christ and the Christian #8: The Count of Monte Cristo (2002) and Les Misérables (2012) Posted by: mark Categories: 13 Movies: Christ and the Christian Movies No comments I wrote the Holy Ghost haunts no one like the 20th century English writer. If that’s the case, then it’s a...

Who is Henry Hathaway? Just another journeyman director with a studio salary who made Kiss of Death, Call Northside 777, The Sons of Katie Elder, and True Grit.

The Journeymen—13 Directors #7: Henry Hathaway – FiatFilm 12Jul The Journeymen—13 Directors #7: Henry Hathaway Posted by: mark Categories: Moviemakers Movies The Journeymen No comments I haven’t seen many of Henry Hathaway’s movies, but I’m including him because he directed one of my favorite noir films ever: Kiss of Death (the 1947 original, not t...

Jesus makes an appearance in an Oliver Stone movie. And it's a good one.

13 Movies—Christ and the Christian #7: World Trade Center – FiatFilm 27Jun 13 Movies—Christ and the Christian #7: World Trade Center Posted by: mark Categories: 13 Movies: Christ and the Christian Moviemakers Movies No comments Oliver Stone is a filmmaker who pours a lot of himself into his movies. Platoon described his experience as an infantry soldier in Vietnam....

The writer-director-cinematographer who brought you Capricorn One, 2010, Outland, and Timecop is one of my favorites.

The Journeymen—13 Directors #6: Peter Hyams – FiatFilm 3Jun The Journeymen—13 Directors #6: Peter Hyams Posted by: mark Categories: Moviemakers Movies The Journeymen No comments One of the reasons serious cinema lovers dismiss “journeyman” filmmakers is they often make fun, widely-seen crowd-pleasers. Rob Reiner, Robert Wise, and Penny Marshall ma...

Once upon a time, movie audiences knew how to laugh. Comedienne-turned-director Marshall made sure there was always something serious to grab on to.

The Journeymen—13 Directors #5: Penny Marshall – FiatFilm 21May The Journeymen—13 Directors #5: Penny Marshall Posted by: mark Categories: Moviemakers Movies The Journeymen No comments Gen X nostalgia is at its peak now, and as an Xer myself, let me apologize to all of you Millennials and Zoomers right now. The callbacks, parodies, and reminiscings out t...

Halfway through my series on "Christian" movies finds us at the center of the maze. How will we find our way out?

13 Movies—Christ and the Christian #6: Prisoners – FiatFilm 2May 13 Movies—Christ and the Christian #6: Prisoners Posted by: mark Categories: 13 Movies: Christ and the Christian Movies No comments Everyone knows a story without conflict is no story. No one wants to watch a movie about a simple person’s happy and untroubled day. Why is that? Why is misery...

Ida is about the Christian, the Jew, and the Communist. It's about the search for identity and the weight of history. But first and foremost, it's about a young woman named Ida. A gorgeous, small film from 2013 that feels big.

13 Movies—Christ and the Christian #5: Ida – FiatFilm 10Apr 13 Movies—Christ and the Christian #5: Ida Posted by: mark Categories: 13 Movies: Christ and the Christian Moviemakers Movies No comments Anna is a puzzle, her emotions held close to her chest. And there must be a lot of emotion boiling under her simple novice’s habit. On the eve of taking...

Some of my film school classmates called Robert Wise a hack. Let's see your two Oscars.

The Journeymen—13 Directors #4: Robert Wise – FiatFilm 4Apr The Journeymen—13 Directors #4: Robert Wise Posted by: mark Categories: Moviemakers Movies The Journeymen Uncategorized No comments I met Robert Wise at Syracuse University, when he spoke to our small film production class and ran an editing workshop. What did this award-winning director have...

What is our vocation? What are each of us called to do? With great questions comes great confusion, doubt, and maturity.

13 Movies—Christ and the Christian #4: Spider-Man 2 – FiatFilm 25Mar 13 Movies—Christ and the Christian #4: Spider-Man 2 Posted by: mark Categories: 13 Movies: Christ and the Christian Moviemakers Movies No comments (This essay contains spoilers) Spider-Man 2 is the best superhero film ever made. I’m willing to entertain other challengers, but if I were on ...