By Michael Houston
RENT "Jesus Camp," a film that documents important contemporary Evangelical Christians, including the infamous Ted Haggard, and culminates in a camp bearing the film's name in Minnesota. The film takes a hard look at the sometimes controversial beliefs and teachings of the Evangelical Church.
One evangelical believer questions the evidence of global warming and evolution, passing them off as political tactics. Eight- and nine-year-old children break down in front of the congregation at camp for sins they have made in the past or for times when they questioned the existence of God.
While informative and moving, the film makes a weak attempt at showing the other side of the argument. They only present one character who questions some of the Evangelical beliefs: a Christian talk radio host. The film should either present a thorough dialogue between the two sides, including others who aren't Christians, or leave it out entirely.
GO SEE "Filmed By Bike," a collection of 19 bicycle-themed shorts, at the Clinton Street Theatre this weekend. Screenings this year include showtimes through the entire weekend, as opposed to only Friday night showings that were offered in the past. Tickets are $6, and for those under 21 the only available time to go is Saturday at 5 p.m. The rest of the screenings are 21+ and listed at filmedbybike.org.
This annual event of bike shorts only takes place in Portland and features short films from across the country, but with an emphasis on Portland (10 of the 19 shorts are from Portlanders). None of the shorts are longer than eight minutes and a panel of judges determines the best ones to make the final cut.
This year's program promises to be an accurate representation of bike culture with animated shorts and a short film from New York about a group of cyclists who attempt to liberate bike lanes from cars. If you miss the screening, the DVD is available from their website for the special price of $10 until Friday.
LISTEN to Seattle band The Long Winters whose album "Eleven Songs" came out last summer. They are on Barsuk Records, which is based in Seattle and produces records for bands such as Death Cab for Cutie, sellout Rilo Kiley, Rocky Votolato and Mates of State.
The Long Winters are playing a show this Friday at the Doug Fir Lounge which, unfortunately, is 21+. However, if you are of the privileged age, check them out. The show promises to be good. They have an upbeat pop sound with lyrics that tell one story through the length of each song. Catchy with occasional harmonies, The Long Winters are worth seeing in concert or picking up the album from the record store.
Read "A Year of Magical Thinking" by Joan Didion. When her husband, author John Gregory Dunne, died from a fatal heart attack at the same time that their only child was in a coma and in intensive care for pneumonia complications, Didion had to find a way to grieve and make sense of these disastrous events that had befallen her.
In this novel, she chronicles her coping experiences in a cool, elegant manner. A reviewer from the New Yorker summed it up when it he wrote "this novel is about "getting a grip and getting on." It also pays tribute to an extraordinary marriage and is reflective of Didion, an extraordinary woman.
Plus, at the price of $8.37 (Amazon.com), how can you resist such an intriguing read?
Autum Dierking contributed to this article.
