What if I told you about a major motion picture that said God is a myth? That its main character, living in a world in which people are incapable of lying, soothes his dying mother by saying she’s about to leave this life for a better place, where she’ll have a mansion and see all of her friends and be happier than she’s ever been?

Mum isn’t the only comforted dupe of the falsehood in the story: When her caretakers hear of this wonderful afterlife, word spreads fast, and soon the accidental prophet is telling the masses about heaven and hell—though there are no such terms for them yet—and exactly how you need to behave to avoid eternal damnation. To complete the fib, he preaches about “the man in the sky,” who he says is responsible for good things! Such as saving someone from drowning. But he’s also to blame for bad things, such as cancer.

And the even more subversive cherry? The people who believe him are largely portrayed as idiots.
Read More “Why Can’t Ricky Gervais’ Pro-Atheism Film Attract Any Religious Protests?” »

Zombies, roller derby, schmaltz, and Michael Moore. Another avalanche of openings this weekend, and—shockingly—most of them are worth your while. Summer’s officially over!

Zombieland: Think there are no more zombie-related stories or jokes to tell? So did I. Which is why this very entertaining film is such a surprise. Fun fact: Remember Woody Harrelson’s tussle with that photographer? This is the movie he blamed it on, claiming he was still in character as a warrior against the undead.

Whip It: Drew Barrymore’s wobbly but sweet directorial debut about roller derby. Bonus: Ellen Page finally shakes off the Juno bug.

Capitalism: A Love Story: Michael Moore is still angry, this time about our country’s financial crisis in general and government bailouts in particular. Read More “This Week in Film” »