May2017
No true picture of God
by Mark Hadley
Reel life columnist Mark Hadley reviews the upcoming movie interpretation of The Shack, one of the century’s most successful and controversial Christian books.
Jan2017
Suffering in silence
by Mark Hadley
There are many comforting forms of silence – the cool silence of dawn; the warm silence between friends. There is one silence, though – one absence – that scares some and elicits anger in others. It is the silence attributed to God: specifically, the absence of comfort in the face of suffering. Christians have written… Read more
Nov2016
A battle of faith
by Mark Hadley
Hacksaw Ridge DISTRIBUTOR: Icon RELEASE DATE: 3 November 2016 RATING: MA15+ There are times in life when we discover whether or not our faith in God is real. Hacksaw Ridge is built on a series of realisations like that. It is the true story of a Christian man who had to test his faith in… Read more
Oct2016
The big picture
by Mark Hadley
Miss Peregrine’s Home For Peculiar Children DISTRIBUTOR: Fox RELEASE DATE: 29 September 2016 RATING: PG Another best-selling children’s book has been mined for the movie screen, and parents might be thinking has become an occurrence as regular as springtime. But the arrival of Miss Peregrine’s Home For Peculiar Children holds the key to a spiritual… Read more
Sep2016
Saddled with mediocrity
by Mark Hadley
Ben Hur DISTRIBUTOR: Paramount RELEASE DATE: 23 August 2016 RATING: M The saddles first caught my eye. Ben Hur opens with a spirited race between the protagonist Judah and the antagonist Messala, two happy brothers destined to become determined enemies. However, as they raced gleefully around what passed for the 1st century Judean outback, I… Read more
Aug2016
Heart shows true beauty
by Mark Hadley
Love & Friendship DISTRIBUTOR: Transmission RELEASE DATE: 21 July 2016 RATING: M Jane Austen fans are unlikely to be throwing their bonnets at the screen when Love & Friendship opens at their local cinema. The production not only showcases the author’s considerable wit, but reveals a welcome contrast between the worldly woman and the Bible’s… Read more
Jul2016
Acceptance the main mission
by Mark Hadley
Finding Dory RELEASE DATE: 16 June 201 RATING: G The BFG RELEASE DATE: 30 June 2016 RATING: Yet to be classified at press time Finding Dory is set in the Pacific Ocean, one year after the events of Finding Nemo. Dory, the forgetful blue tang, has taken up residence with Marlin and Nemo, the clownfish… Read more
Jun2016
Misfits forge family ties
by Mark Hadley
Hunt for the Wilderpeople DISTRIBUTOR: Madman RELEASE DATE: 26 May 2016 RATING: PG for mild themes & coarse language The Hunt for the Wilderpeople is a wry New Zealand adventure that well reflects the laconic sense of humour thriving on both sides of the Tasman ‘ditch’. This story about a troubled boy and a misfit… Read more
May2016
Resolving regrets
by Mark Hadley
A Month of Sundays DISTRIBUTOR: Nix Co. RELEASE DATE: 28 April 2016 RATING: PG ‘You’ll never see anything like it in a month of Sundays’ was a favourite expression in the farming community I grew up in, and it serves as a suitable title for a new Australian drama starring Anthony LaPaglia. It’s an endearing… Read more
Apr2016
Law of the jungle
by Mark Hadley
The Jungle Book DISTRIBUTOR: Disney RELEASE DATE: 7 April 2016 (Vic, Qld, Tas, NT); 14 April 2016 (NSW, WA, ACT, SA) RATING: PG A new imagining of Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book will attempt to entertain young audiences by combining the best elements of past productions – the playful joys of the classic 1967 Disney… Read more
