John Tuttle is a freelance journalist, photographer, videographer, ebook writer, video editor, audio editor, and creative. He has a passion for clean media and the capabilities of mass communications.
How Marvel’s ‘Eternals’ illustrates the danger of abandoning truth
By the end of Eternals, I left the theater with a more or less bland and glazed impression. Here was another action/adventure superhero film that used special effects and brilliant, engaging colors as its aesthetic foundation and employed current cultural positions as regular points of reference.
"The Best Books I Read in 2021"
The past year was filled with fruitful reading, and I enjoyed exploring a number of works of fiction and non-fiction. A professor I had at my alma mater, Dr. Andrew Swafford, is – as I could detect from his plentiful references to the author in the classroom – a fan of C.S. Lewis. This past year, I’ve gone through several of Lewis’ books, two of which I’d particularly like to highlight.
A pithy guide to being critical and diligent in reading the news
In November 2021, Pope Francis honored reporters Phillip Puellella and Valentina Alazraki, further addressing the importance of journalism and its potential pitfalls. “The risk, as you well know,” said the Pontiff, “is to be overwhelmed by the news instead of being able to make sense of it.”
Those words speak of a stark reality staring the general public in the face and which is so common that we often hardly think of it. We stand aghast and agog at countless scandals, disputes, and power gra...
Will Guns Ultimately Be Banned on Sets?
Will Guns Ultimately Be Banned on Sets?
By Movieguide® Contributor
Last month, actor Alec Baldwin discharged a weapon on the New Mexico set of RUST, a Western which was in the midst of shooting. For cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, the shot was a fatal one, as Movieguide® previously reported.
Hutchins’ death sparked a good deal of conversation regarding the use of firearms in filmmaking.
One of the voices that’s contributed to this dialogue is California senator Dave Cortese, who wants “to in...
Facing our own humanity: A review of Sono Ayako’s Miracles
Maximilian Maria Kolbe has become a brilliant pillar and testament to Christian sacrifice in the decades following World War II. It was a war that dipped beyond the technological advances that contributed to all the horror witnessed in the late thirties and early forties. It was a war that saw the human intellect contrive ways of invading and denigrating the personhood of other human individuals, and ways to diminish their hope, that left the world a different place afterward.
St. Maximilian ...
How Smaug the Dragon reflects the Serpent in the Garden
“It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into hell, ‘where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched’” (Mark 9:47b-48).
Though intended for a juvenile audience, with an extra dollop of whimsy mingled with eucatastrophic reality, The Hobbit presents an adventure whose protagonist is motivated by moral reasoning, rather than by hubris.
Thrust into an unforgiving and unknown landscape, Bilbo Baggins gets perhaps a bit full of himse...
‘The Tomorrow War’ and the beauty of forgiveness
Chris Pratt’s latest sci-fi adventure film has come to streaming and was met with mixed reviews. After tackling everything from dinosaurs to Thanos, Pratt has turned to a more family-oriented character – that of Dan Forester, the protagonist of The Tomorrow War.
Keeping My Faith Alive in Times of Spiritual Struggle
I interact with my faith differently today than I did as a kid. Over the years, there have been many Masses after which I found myself sitting in a pew and left feeling unaltered, unfazed. In recent months, following my graduation from college, my faith — like almost every aspect of my life — has felt different.
Our faith should enkindle a relationship with God, but, as I’ve learned, that doesn’t mean it will always be gratifying. It means there will be struggles. There will even be times whe...
When censorship replaces commonality
What are the factors that contribute to the lack of understanding or, worse still, to the animosity exhibited between various groups of people? In the modern world, dominated by a web-driven culture in many places, media censorship plays a key role.
Widespread communication- whether it be digital (including social) media or more traditional print media- has practically, since its inception, been abused by those who have the means to control it.
If we are to assume there are culture wars ragin...
THE MYSTERIOUS BENEDICT SOCIETY: Episodes 1.3 and 1.4: Depends on the Wagon and A Whisper, Not a Shout
"The Plot Thickens"
What You Need To Know:
In Episodes Three and Four of THE MYSTERIOUS BENEDICT, streaming on Disney Plus, the four children continue spying on The Institute for their mentor, the brilliant scientist Nicholas Benedict. They discover Benedict’s long-lost twin brother runs the school they infiltrated. This revelation leads to great distress on Benedict’s part. Meanwhile, Reynie and Sticky try to earn the right to become “messengers,” with more freedom to roam the island, while ...
Sadie Robertson Huff Talks Anxiety, Good Habits, and More with Dr. Daniel Amen
Sadie Robertson Huff Talks Anxiety, Good Habits, and More with Dr. Daniel Amen
By John Tuttle, Contributing Writer
One of the former stars of the long-running American TV series DUCK DYNASTY, Sadie Robertson Huff, gave birth to her first child, Honey, back in May. Sadie heralded her daughter as the “pure goodness of God.”
Together with her spouse Christian Huff, Sadie had a name ideally suited before her infant’s birth. “Honey” is more than just a sweet name for the cute baby. As Sadie explai...
American Broadcast Icon Paul Harvey on Baptism: ‘My Heart Swelled with Joy in My New Surrender’
American Broadcast Icon Paul Harvey on Baptism: ‘My Heart Swelled with Joy in My New Surrender’
By Movieguide® Staff
Note: This story is part of our Faith in Hollywood series. For similar stories, click here.
Sporting a decades-long career as a radio personality, Paul Harvey proved himself a masterful storyteller best known for his radio program THE REST OF THE STORY, which took off in the 1970s and ran until his death in 2009.
He tackled many of the important news stories of his day and rela...
Carlos Whittaker Stuns Airport Pianist with Instagram Followers’ Charity
Carlos Whittaker Stuns Airport Pianist with Instagram Followers’ Charity
In July, author, podcaster, and Instagram influencer Carlos Whittaker, who carries with him some 220,000 followers on the social media network, significantly impacted another man’s life.
The man’s name was Tonee. The 66-year-old plays the piano situated next to a Chick-fil-A inside the Atlanta airport. After talking with Tonee, Whittaker discovered that the airport pianist had been diagnosed with kidney disease.
Tonee re...
How Faith Helped Ed Asner Conquer Fear
How Faith Helped Ed Asner Conquer Fear
Note: This story is part of our Faith in Hollywood series. For similar stories, click here.
Renowned actor and philanthropist Ed Asner made a name for himself with numerous roles in TV and Movies throughout his decades-long career.
From TV’s The Mary Tyler Moore Show to cinematic cult classics like ELF (2003), Asner has displayed a fantastic range in the types of characters he has played, including devious villains and benevolent heroes alike.
Before his...
How Saintly Intercession Led Danny Thomas to Found Saint Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital
How Saintly Intercession Led Danny Thomas to Found Saint Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital
By Movieguide® Staff
Note: This story is part of our Faith in Hollywood series. For similar stories, click here.
With numerous guest roles in comedy series like THE DICK VAN DYKE SHOW and GET SMART, Danny Thomas was a familiar face on TV from the 1950s all the way up to the eighties.
His presence even graced a few classic Hollywood features such as I’LL SEE YOU IN MY DREAMS (1951), where he starred al...