-
5 days ago | 
medium.com | John McDonald |John Mcdonald
“For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol, or let your holy one see corruption.” — Psalm 16:10The stone has been rolled into place. The body wrapped and laid to rest. The disciples have scattered — hiding behind locked doors, their hopes shattered like the temple veil. The women who followed Jesus have returned home to prepare spices and perfumes, their tears flowing as freely as the myrrh. And then… silence. Welcome to Easter Saturday — the forgotten day of Holy Week.
-
6 days ago | 
medium.com | John McDonald |John Mcdonald
“Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer, saying, ‘Thus far the Lord has helped us.’” — 1 Samuel 7:12Have you ever noticed how God seems to have a profound affinity for stones? Throughout Scripture, stones mark moments of divine intervention and human remembrance. Jacob placed a stone pillar at Bethel after his ladder-to-heaven dream. Joshua commanded twelve stones be taken from the Jordan River as a memorial.
-
2 months ago | 
filmfocusonline.com | John McDonald |John Mcdonald
By John McDonald - January 28, 2025Creating something new and unique in the sci-fi genre might be seen as an impossible task. It’s as broad a genre as it comes, and with a stellar imagination at your disposal, the possibilities are endless. George Nolfi’s latest film, Elevation results in disappointment though. It tries to be distinctive and fresh; it ultimately falls flat due to rehashed ideas and a lack of refinement with the rest.
-
Jan 15, 2025 | 
filmfocusonline.com | John McDonald |John Mcdonald
By John McDonald - January 15, 2024Never has the title of a film been more suitable when describing its protagonist than this one. Anthony Robles's (Jharrel Jerome) unstoppable nature is a wondrous thing to witness; with the odds stacked against this young man from birth, he had the determination not to let a disability define who he was.
-
Dec 2, 2024 | 
filmfocusonline.com | John McDonald |John Mcdonald
By John McDonald - December 2, 2024The term ‘Bread and Roses’ is a political slogan that originated from a speech given by American suffragette activist Helen Todd in 1910. The line simply said, “Bread for all, and roses too.” It has been associated with songs and poems, most notably James Oppenheim’s same-name poem.
-
Nov 13, 2024 | 
filmfocusonline.com | John McDonald |John Mcdonald
By John McDonald - November 13, 2024Animation is such a malleable art form that has the power to change the mundane into the extravagant. Brickfilm is one you might primarily associate with comedy, as The Lego Movie showcased. Is it gimmicky? Sure, it is, but it still produces magic when pieced together brick by brick.
-
Jun 10, 2024 | 
filmfocusonline.com | John McDonald |John Mcdonald
By John McDonald June 10, 2024We live in a time dominated by streaming services; entertainment platforms that have taken the film industry by storm (for better or worse is another discussion) with us being treated to a new film every other week it seems. Netflix, in particular, has become a serial distributor of films in recent years, with a varied degree of success that follows, but in Richard Linklater’s new film, Hit Man, we have a strong contender for the best Netflix film of the year.
-
May 27, 2024 | 
dmovies.org | John McDonald |John Mcdonald |Sarah Young |Coralie Fargeat |Payal Kapadia
John McDonald interviews Sarah Young, the director of the deceptive "perfectly married couple" movie Not Him; they talk about domestic violence, the paranormal as a horror device, her upcoming comedy horror series, and a lot more Sarah Young is an award-winning American filmmaker drawn by dirty and provocative themes.
-
Apr 15, 2024 | 
filmfocusonline.com | John McDonald |John Mcdonald
BY JOHN MCDONALD APRIL 15, 2024Wim Wenders is an auteur filmmaker of the highest order, with his mix of poignant landscapes and gorgeous visuals often surrounding lonely or tragic characters. His work as a photographer often spills into his films, with each one harnessing a variety of simplistic beauty while accompanied by carefully structured but transient scores.
-
Apr 11, 2024 | 
filmfocusonline.com | John McDonald |John Mcdonald
BY JOHN MCDONALD APRIL 11, 2024It’s a widely known secret that the history of adapting video games for the small or big screen has had a very inconsistent past over the years. Resident Evil is one that struggled (and yet, they keep churning films and TV shows out regardless); the less said about those Mortal Kombat films the better, and the recent Five Nights at Freddy’s was a complete bust as well.
