Reviews by Mark Stokes

tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-111651732009-06-13T14:18:25.196-07:00Reviews by Mark StokesInteract! Post your comments, rants and raves.Reviews by Mark Stokeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12703110288420523912noreply@blogger.comBlogger26125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11165173.post-1158720907866040652006-09-19T19:45:00.000-07:002006-09-19T19:55:07.920-07:00Hollywoodland

What makes a super man?By Mark Ezra Stokes9-17-06Don’t get me wrong. Hollywoodland isn’t the worst film I’ve ever seen. It’s got a lot of good things going for it: a star-studded cast, a parallel story structure and a retro sepia-toned color scheme. Adrien Brody is believable as Louis Simo, the stereotypically-cool, vice-riddled gumshoe. He, along with most of the cast, seems to have the

Reviews by Mark Stokeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12703110288420523912noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11165173.post-1156029397821228372006-08-19T16:09:00.000-07:002006-08-24T08:05:37.663-07:00Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby

Revving Up the Engines to Barrel Over BlasphemyBy Mark Ezra Stokes8-18-06Movie controversies just ain’t what they used to be. Despite all the hoopla surrounding The Da Vinci Code, it still managed to gross more than 200 million dollars in the U.S. (even if it ended up being too boring to elicit any lasting arguments). Though Harry Potter remains a tried-and-true target for picketers, no one seems

Reviews by Mark Stokeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12703110288420523912noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11165173.post-1153290790873607142006-07-18T23:32:00.000-07:002006-07-18T23:45:30.040-07:00Summer Blockbusters of '06

His Eyes are on Jack Sparrow: Jesus Walks in the SummertimeBy Mark Ezra Stokes7-17-06Christ-figures seem more blatant in mainstream films these days—particularly in summer blockbusters. For that, we can thank both the commercial success of The Passion of the Christ and the critical success of The Writer’s Journey (Christopher Vogler’s book on mythic structure in screenplays). Though some

Reviews by Mark Stokeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12703110288420523912noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11165173.post-1147972129739612682006-05-18T10:04:00.000-07:002006-05-18T10:08:49.743-07:00Just My Luck

Luck be a giggly lady By Mark Ezra Stokes5-16-06 I was a child during the first Mary-Kate and Olsen craze. This was toward the end of their Full House career, and they were queens of the straight-to-video empire. I cringed whenever visiting my grandmother’s house with my younger cousin present, because I knew that, rather than spending some quality time with He-Man, the Smurfs or G.I

Reviews by Mark Stokeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12703110288420523912noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11165173.post-1145466028954676882006-04-19T09:52:00.000-07:002006-05-16T09:26:07.976-07:00V for Vendetta

—1. Overview—2. Cast and Crew—3. Photo Pages—4. Trailers, Clips, DVDs, Books, Soundtrack—5. Posters (Natalie Portman)—6. Production Notes (pdf)—7. Spiritual Connections—8. Presentation DownloadsV for Vexed by Vociferous VoicesBy Mark Ezra StokesWhat is it that intrigues me about a masked vigilante who tortures young girls and ignites national monuments, as if doing so were just as common as

Reviews by Mark Stokeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12703110288420523912noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11165173.post-1140461813308257912006-02-20T10:48:00.000-08:002006-02-20T14:19:11.480-08:00The Qatsi Trilogy

Breaking the Mold of Traditional Storytelling 2-17-06By Mark Ezra Stokes Director Steven Soderbergh (Ocean’s 12) may have marked a milestone on January 27, when his latest film, Bubble, was simultaneously released in theaters, on high-definition cable and on DVD. Though this may seem like an economic blunder, Soderbergh feels that, through the magic of digital distribution and the

Reviews by Mark Stokeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12703110288420523912noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11165173.post-1137640936758119092006-01-18T18:33:00.000-08:002006-01-27T15:10:25.623-08:00Hoodwinked

—1. Overview —2. Cast and Crew —3. Photo Pages —4. Trailers, Clips, DVDs, Books, Soundtrack —5. Posters (Anne Hathaway) —6. Production Notes (pdf) —7. Spiritual Connections —8. Presentation DownloadsIt could’ve been a contenderIt’s common for filmmakers to

Reviews by Mark Stokeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12703110288420523912noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11165173.post-1135358693212529892005-12-23T08:09:00.000-08:002006-01-14T19:36:10.970-08:00King Kong/The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

Links for Kong (Narnia links below)—1. Overview (multimedia)—2. Overview Basic (dial up speed)—3. Reviews and Blogs—4. Cast and Crew—5. Photo Pages—6. Trailers, Clips, DVDs, Books, Soundtrack—7. Posters—8. Production Notes—9. Spiritual Connections—10. Presentation DownloadsSacrificial Kings Two giant beasts rule the box office this holiday season: King Kong and The Lion, the Witch and the

Reviews by Mark Stokeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12703110288420523912noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11165173.post-1132545052879405282005-11-20T19:46:00.000-08:002005-11-24T09:46:49.910-08:00Chicken Little/Zathura

Links for Chicken Little (Zathura below)—1. Overview (multimedia)—2. Overview Basic (dial up speed)—3. Reviews and Blogs—4. Cast and Crew—5. Photo Pages—6. Trailers, Clips, DVDs, Books, Soundtrack—7. Posters (animated films)—8. Production Notes (pdf)—9. Spiritual Connections—10. Presentation DownloadsNothing new under the computerized sunBy Mark Ezra Stokes11-17-05 A common fault of children’s

Reviews by Mark Stokeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12703110288420523912noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11165173.post-1129655286239362852005-10-18T09:49:00.000-07:002005-11-22T13:33:27.163-08:00Crash/Serenity

Links for Crash (Serenity below) —Overview—Photos—About this Film pdf—Spiritual Connections And who is my neighbor? By Mark Stokes10-17-05 “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” (Luke 10:27) According to the previous biblical passage, these two things are essential for

Reviews by Mark Stokeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12703110288420523912noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11165173.post-1127155706525852842005-09-19T11:19:00.000-07:002005-10-12T05:48:05.630-07:00The Exorcism of Emily Rose

The Light magnified in darkness—1. Overview (multimedia)—2. Overview Basic (dial up speed)—3. Reviews and Blogs—4. Cast and Crew—5. Photo Pages—6. Trailers, Clips, DVDs, Soundtrack—7. Posters—8. Production Notes—9. Spiritual Connections Though the theatrical screening of The Exorcism of Emily Rose was prefaced with preview after preview of droll and unappealing horror films, it stands out as

Reviews by Mark Stokeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12703110288420523912noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11165173.post-1124907014586163132005-08-24T11:05:00.000-07:002006-07-05T22:02:22.260-07:00The Skeleton Key

—Overview —Photos —About this Film —Spiritual ConnectionsUnlocking the themes of The Skeleton Key Horror films, despite the dark exterior, have a tendency to portray spirituality and religious themes more vividly than most other genres. Because these films deal with the subject of fear, and because one of the greatest sources of fear is the unknown, they

Reviews by Mark Stokeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12703110288420523912noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11165173.post-1121806613544625702005-07-19T13:50:00.000-07:002005-08-25T05:45:56.516-07:00Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

—Overview—Photos—About this Film—Spiritual Connections Chocolate Factory produces modern fairy tale “It’s not as good as the original.”How many times have we heard this overused phrase in the past year alone? Not only is this a testament to Hollywood’s over-reliance on remakes, but in the case of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, it’s a reminder that we just don’t read as much as we used

Reviews by Mark Stokeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12703110288420523912noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11165173.post-1121806070004677802005-07-19T13:39:00.000-07:002005-08-25T06:19:37.883-07:00Mr. & Mrs. Smith / Batman Begins

Batman & Smiths explore dark secrets For years now, summer movies have been mindless action flicks aimed at bored high-school students with extra time on their hands and plenty of cash to spend. Though Mr. & Mrs. Smith and Batman Begins fall into this action-packed tradition, they seem to have raised the bar of what can now be expected. On the surface, Mr.

Reviews by Mark Stokeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12703110288420523912noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11165173.post-1118321341457531012005-06-09T05:45:00.000-07:002005-08-25T06:45:19.693-07:00Kingdom of Heaven

5-19-04 By Mark Stokes Whose kingdom come? Today’s Christian subculture seems to include an aversion toward popular culture—a movement that encourages intentional separation from those deemed impure or spiritually dangerous. In one sense, this is wise, as it allows Christians to avoid the temptation toward conformity in pursuit of godly transformation. In another sense, the movement can be

Reviews by Mark Stokeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12703110288420523912noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11165173.post-1117223657879340812005-05-27T12:36:00.000-07:002005-06-13T05:20:58.550-07:00Hotel Rwanda

4-17-05By Mark StokesHotel Rwanda transcends mere storytellingEvery now and then, a film comes along with the power to shake its viewer from complacency. It’s a film that so genuinely presents a previously ignored truth that its audience is left weak from weeping but invigorated with the desire to make some significant change.For many, that film was The Passion of the Christ. For me, it was Hotel

Reviews by Mark Stokeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12703110288420523912noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11165173.post-1111442691443176022005-03-21T14:01:00.000-08:002005-08-25T07:31:30.503-07:00Robots

Robots is well-oiled machine—Overview —Photos —About this Film pdf —Spiritual Connections It’s no secret that Disney is in a fragile state after its recent split with Miramax’s infamous Weinstein brothers and an impending break-up with Pixar, its partner in computer-generated success.Because of this fact, other sources of computer-generated

Reviews by Mark Stokeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12703110288420523912noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11165173.post-1111442477886968252005-03-21T13:58:00.000-08:002005-08-25T07:12:54.800-07:00Ray

Ray still shines on DVD —Overview —Review by David Bruce —Review by Chris Utley —Review by Kevin Miller —Trailers, Photos —About this Film pdf file —Spiritual Connections One thing I’ve never been able to understand is the idea of segregation–an idea practiced in my neck of the woods during

Reviews by Mark Stokeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12703110288420523912noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11165173.post-1111442229550495192005-03-21T13:50:00.000-08:002005-08-25T07:47:10.673-07:00Finding Neverland

The secret life of J.M. Barrie —Overview —Review by Darrel Manson —Review by Melinda Ledman —Review by Michael Ray —Review by Matt Hill —Trailers, Photos —About this Film —Spiritual Connections I've often wondered why many of the best films

Reviews by Mark Stokeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12703110288420523912noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11165173.post-1111441670626460032005-03-21T13:45:00.000-08:002005-03-21T13:47:50.633-08:00The Village

By Mark Stokes8-15-04We are The Village people Though M. Night Shyamalan claims not to embrace any particular religion, he increasingly incorporates spirituality into his films. In The Sixth Sense, he broaches the existence of a supernatural realm; in Unbreakable, it’s the diametrical relationship between good and evil; Signs is about belief in a greater power. In nearly

Reviews by Mark Stokeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12703110288420523912noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11165173.post-1111441528561815282005-03-21T13:43:00.000-08:002005-08-25T08:25:40.200-07:00Spider-man 2

—Overview —Review by Melinda Ledman —Review by Benn Becker —Review by Mike Furches —Best Posters —Trailers, Photos —About this Film —Spiritual Connections —Forum Then along came a

Reviews by Mark Stokeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12703110288420523912noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11165173.post-1111440942183107152005-03-21T13:32:00.000-08:002005-03-21T13:42:46.066-08:00Troy

Troy: It’s Greek to meBy Mark Stokes5-15-04Though this review’s title may reek of cheddar, it’s the best way I can describe my impression of Troy. The film’s strength and weakness is that it tries to interpret ancient Greek culture into a blockbuster film.It did a wonderful job of interpreting the Greeks’ war-lust, ideology and hedonism, but it failed miserably in the storytelling department.

Reviews by Mark Stokeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12703110288420523912noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11165173.post-1111440706562687252005-03-21T13:27:00.000-08:002005-03-21T13:31:46.570-08:00Spy Kids 3-D

8/15/03Mark StokesThree-Dimensional Fun, Two-Dimensional Plot It was the summer of 2001. I was on an airplane flying from Kenya to London. After spending the summer as a collegiate missionary in Mozambique, I was just ready to unwind and relax. Instead, what resulted was one of the most horrific, traumatic cases of retro-culture shock known to man. The cause: Spy Kids, the

Reviews by Mark Stokeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12703110288420523912noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11165173.post-1111440268867459632005-03-21T12:57:00.000-08:002005-03-21T13:24:28.873-08:00Whale Rider

2-15-04Whale Rider offersconviction vs. traditionBy Mark Stokes Though independent films have typically been plagued with limited distribution, controversial content and poor cinematic quality, Whale Rider seems to break the mold. The film has become uncharacteristically commonplace in video stores, even though it didn’t have the financial backing of a major

Reviews by Mark Stokeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12703110288420523912noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11165173.post-1111438370084547212005-03-21T12:45:00.000-08:002005-03-21T12:52:50.086-08:00If you haven't read it...

Hi folks. This is an authentic message for my loyal fans--all of whom are related to me by blood. Though I've been writing film reviews for His Voice, a Christian newspaper in Warner Robins, for several years now, I've only submitted a few to Hollywood Jesus. The main reason for this is that, after writing review for HV, I read those on HJ and saw that they got my main points across much

Reviews by Mark Stokeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12703110288420523912noreply@blogger.com0