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Main Page Introduction to the Book Reviews and Comments Jeffrey's Bio Jeffrey in the News |
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Purchase Through a Screen Darkly. Visit the Regal Books site.
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What are readers, filmmakers, Publishers Weekly, filmmakers Scott Derrickson and Darren Aronofsky, magazines like Christianity Today, Relevant, CCM, and Aspiring Retail... the book is receiving quite an ovation! "If viewing a film is to be a spiritual exercise, one must be open to conversion. Overstreet ... leads readers through his own cinematic conversion in this compelling volume. Overstreet's greatest gift is the masterful way he brings a spirit of discernment to the world of film. ... Two thumbs up!
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Publishers Weekly,
"If you propose in academic or professional film circles the notion of
'Christian film criticism' as a serious discipline ... you will probably be
laughed off. Thankfully, we are taking steps to change that.
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Brett McCracken,
""Like a machete-wielding soldier facing a jungle, Overstreet . . . cuts through the glamour of the silver screen to reveal deeper truths behind films both famous and little-known. He explores such themes as wonder, loneliness, humor, and abuse — and how movies can give us God's perspective on subjects we would normally avoid. . . . Overstreet brings readers beyond gut-level reaction to deeper understanding of movies and why some things rejected out-of-hand by most Christian reviewers shouldn't be. Overstreet's grand tour of the entertainment industry is thoroughly enchanting, enlightening, absorbing. For many readers who were previously unfamiliar with him, the book will make him the reviewer of choice, the best source for what movies to see, what to avoid — and how to watch a movie." - Aspiring Retail Magazine "Jeffrey Overstreet is a spiritual bloodhound, rabidly tracking the voice of God through his own experience of the history of cinema. In Through a Screen Darkly, he leads the way for all of us, demonstrating how we can look closer and experience the divine invasion of film for ourselves.
-Scott
Derrickson, "Inspirational.... Sometimes all of us forget that love for movies, that internal spark inside us that movies lit, and your book is going to remind many of us about it."
- Darren Aronofsky, "[Overstreet] doesn’t just tell you whether or not he liked a movie. He offers you a seat next to him as the movie unfolds and he points out and reflects on the things that thrill, fascinate or trouble him. It’s an invitation not only to look more closely, but to ponder more deeply and appreciate more fully." - Steven D. Greydanus, film critic, ChristianityTodayMovies.com, DecentFilms.com
"Overstreet's memoirist-as-mentor tack
serves the 'invitation'
part of the book well, enabling him to address contentious issues from
an intimate, personal vantage. Nudity, sex, violence, profanity,
anti-Christian storylines: He approaches each in a seasoned, sometimes
battle-weary way, still smarting from the e-mail shellackings he's
received from hostile readers over the years. So in the form of a
story — his own story — he responds, seeking to deepen the reader's
notion of what art is and fashion a new framework for considering the
vexing questions art invariably raises.
- Eric Miller, "Scarcely a few decades ago, the phrase 'Christian movie reviewer' might have seemed an oxymoron: entire denominations and churches shunned the theatre, believing it to be evil per se. Overstreet is a much-needed voice that helps postmodern Christians and others be fully engaged with their culture, yet move beyond its limitations to produce high-quality films."
- Dr. David Frisbie, at the award-winning "Jeffrey Overstreet has taught me a great deal not just about how to watch movies, but also how to glean truth, beauty and redemption from films of all types — even those that aren’t necessarily comfortable to watch. I am learning the art of looking closer, and this book takes that art — and that education — to even deeper, and thus more rewarding, levels."
- Mark
Moring, "Jeffrey Overstreet is a witness. While habituating the dark caves of movie theaters, he gives articulate witness to what I too often miss in those caves — the contours of God’s creation and the language of Christ’s salvation. In these theaters, assumed by many to be unholy temples in a wasteland of secularism, he writes what he sees and hears. I find him a delightful and most percipient companion — a faithful Christian witness."
- Eugene H.
Peterson, "God the Maker made us to be makers as well. That is why, as Chesterton said, 'Art is the signature of man.' Filmmaking is an art form that is the unique invention of the twentieth century. Nothing quite like it had ever existed before, and through it, millions have had powerful, even profoundly spiritual, experiences. Jeffrey Overstreet is a guide eminently qualified to show us how to see the way in which films both illumine the terrain of the human spirit and probe the eternal mysteries of God. - Mark Shea, "Jeffrey Overstreet
understands the art of understanding art and
believes it is too important a task to leave to
the experts. Through a Screen Darkly
- Dick
Staub, "Through a Screen Darkly constitutes a milestone in Christian reflection about contemporary film. This is not simply because it is full of insightful analysis and a generous, open spirit, but because its vision grows out of a passionate, personal journey. This is film criticism with a soul and a sense of urgency growing out of the conviction that faith and the imagination need one another — the better to open our eyes to the flickerings of God’s grace."
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Greg Wolfe.
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