The Rapture (1991)

Sharon (Mimi Rogers) is a 4-1-1 operator by day, a sex worker by night, until she has a conversation with Christians about Christ and Christianity, which makes her very Christian. Then she has conversations with others, Christians and non-Christians, about Christ and Christianity. She finds a good man (David Duchovny), converts him to Christianity, marries him, has a baby, and then her husband gets killed (“taken by God”), so Mary talks to the kid about Christ and Christianity. A lot.

Even counting Billy Graham-backed movies, I’ve never seen a flick talk so much about Christ and Christianity. It’s intelligently written (by Michael Tolkin, who wrote The Player), decently acted and staged and all, so as wingnutty as Mary and her Christian cohorts are, it’s never boring. You’re watching a big-time Hollywood movie, not listening to loony street preachers at the bus station. But Jesus, there’s a lot of Jesus here!

Eventually, Very Christian Sharon is pulled over by a kindhearted (but not Christian!) deputy for doing 100 mph in a 55 zone, and of course, she starts talking to him about Christ and Christianity. “God says, basically, that you have to love him no matter what, but [screaming] I don’t love him, [and then, no longer screaming] not any more. He has too many rules.” It’s a bizarrely dramatic moment.

The movie’s third act goes batshit crazy, which is always a danger when folks are talking about Christ and Christianity. See, religion is not a harmless help for coping with life’s many problems and challenges. Sometimes it seems benign, but only in comparison to people who get completely godsmacked and can’t go ten minutes without thinking and talking about Christ and Christianity.

God doesn’t exist, but Genesis 22 does, and the Godliest people will do whatever insane thing they imagine God tells them. It’s terrifying, but I knew that before watching this movie.

Verdict: YES, if you don’t already know.

♦ ♦ ♦

The Rover (2014)

Three men have stolen a car from a man who’d like the car back, please. Except he doesn’t say please. He is angry, a bit of an asshole, and he’s tracking the car thieves across Australia, “ten years after the collapse.”

Crucified corpses are left to rot at the side of the road, on a continent full of itchy-finger armed Aussies, including the guy who wants his car back. People keep asking him, “What’s your name?” He doesn’t answer.

Expect lots of pressure with frequent bursts of violence, but without the hyper-rowdy and insane vibe of a Mad Max movie. This is quieter, feels human and real. People are dirty, sweaty, gray, pudgy, scared, hard to figure, good, bad, smart, stupid, damaged, dead.

I thought it was a pretty good movie with no movie stars, maybe made by someone new, but — oops. The closing credits say it stars Guy Pearce and Robert Pattinson, but all through the movie I’d recognized neither. The story is by Joel Edgerton (Master Gardener) and the director, David Michôd (Hesher).

Verdict: BIG YES.

♦ ♦ ♦

Sleeping Dogs Lie. (2006)

Amy has a secret she’s never told anyone. It’s a funny secret, but not to her. Now her boyfriend has become her fiancé, and he wants to know, “What’s the weirdest thing you’ve ever done, something you wouldn’t tell anybody?” Should Amy tell him that … once, in college … she gave her dog a blowjob?

Bobcat Goldthwait wrote and directed, but doesn’t star. The movie doesn’t have many laughs, and I think that’s intentional. It’s more drama than comedy, and it’s rare to see a movie be so dang honest about truth and lies and judging others, and what to share and what shouldn’t be shared, and where to draw the line on honesty.

And it’s right. I mean, I wrote the zine on telling the truth, but there are a few stories I have never & will never tell.

Verdict: YES.

♦ ♦ ♦

Sziriusz (1942)

A present-day (well, 1942) Hungarian Count with an eye for the ladies goes time traveling back a couple of centuries, and finds himself in a duel to the death with his caddish great-grandfather.

More than sci-fi, it’s a costume drama, with bits of swashbuckling and songs and romantic comedy. Some of the jokes connect, even across the subtitled language barrier.

The 18th century settings are extravagant, with a ballroom big enough for Trump, a romantic boat ride, and opulent dance scenes, etc. Sziriusz is an interesting artifact that still works as entertainment.

Verdict: YES.

11/14/2026

Logo illustration by Jeff Meyer.
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