Hour 21: A Film and Interactive Media Blog

  Amazing Grace (2006) “I need an answer, Wilbur. Do you intend to use your beautiful voice to praise the Lord or change the world?” "Mr. Wilberforce, we understand that you are having problems choosing to do the work of God or the work of a political activist.” "We humbly suggest that you can do both.” -Amazing Grace (2006) It is providential how God's grace enters our lives at the precise moment it is needed. Unexpectedly changing our perspectives in the midst of routines that have trapped us in cycles of complacency and forgetfulness. Now, imagine for a moment that God-given grace arriving centuries after the diminishment of an entire race, down to nothing more than slaves to be bought and sold. In reality though, the mind's eye is not required for this experiment. For, it was never an imagined state, mournfully it was a tragic reality of everyday life. So, all that is required of us, is a look back into the annals of history. Where, someone's seemingly obv...

  Spider-Man: Brand New Day (2026) “Tell me who you are.” “This isn't you.” “Are you Peter Parker or are you Spider-Man?” -Spider-Man: Brand New Day (2026) Until Spider-Man: Brand New Day, I never really gave it much thought, the true cost of heroism. Sure, we all know the parameters, it's almost become routine at this point. “With great power, comes great responsibility”. I guess that is the benefit, if you can call them that, of our unasked for struggles. They force us to grow, to change and to realize that we cannot do this all on our own, heroism is never just a singular endeavor, it requires support, we cannot do it on our own. This may seem callous, but it's true, just because we have the ability to save someone's life, doesn't mean the weight of every life has to be on our shoulders. Another truth arises from that point. When we measure our differences without support, they are isolating, aren't they? More often than not, we do not choose our dif...

Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender (2026) "Aang, as an Airbender, it's important to know when to show restraint. Even if you have the power to win. You are the Avatar, a lot of people are going to rely on you.” "Who are you?” "We're The Denied.” -Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender (2026) Embarking on a sequel to one of the most respected animated series in recent history is not a small task. Though, Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender manages this seemingly insurmountable climb of expectations and anticipation with grace and strength. Aang's return ushers in a joy that is both reminiscent of the past, and a mirror to a fractured future. The Avatar might be the master of all four elements, air, water, earth and fire. However the interconnected unity within Aang is but a hope in a world torn asunder by disunity and human frailty. Still, hope is not without merit, especially considering what Aang and his four closest friends, Katara, Zuko, Sokka and Toph, have accompl...

The Odyssey (2026) "It was the song of all the promises I failed to keep." "Give up control, and live." "What if we violated all that is ever sacred between peoples? What if we turned a fight into a hunt?" -The Odyssey (2026) Sing, and remember the epic of the heart, words spoken and unspoken, truths told and lies revealed. This is story, this is The Odyssey. Truth for a truth, the 2026 retelling of The Odyssey is the very idea of story, encapsulated in one of its most refined forms. This Homeric epic bears upon its shoulders the nature of mythmaking, and the capacity of truth and lie. Odysseus’s journey home is many things, though most of all it is a desire for reconnection amidst a fight for wholeness and truth. This visual oration of The Odyssey seeks that truth through the interconnected structure of different oral storytellers and perspectives that all eventually converge to reveal a marvelous whole. This film is the Homeric structure come t...

Little House on the Prairie (2026), Season One "Hope is everything, it's the only thing. Don't give up on him. Don't give up on us.” “I don't come by friends easily…. I don't let myself come by friends easily.” "I thought we were friends.” -Little House on the Prairie (2026), Season One In a world where danger waits around every corner and pessimism invades every thought, Little House on the Prairie (2026) is a beacon of light in this earthly forest of anxiety and fear. It is a brilliant light that transforms danger into strength, pessimism into curiosity, anxiety into enthusiasm and fear into the hope of an adventure yet to come. Isn't it wonderful when the anticipation of hope enriches the fountain of life. Even so, hope is often mistaken for naivete. This cannot be further from the truth, hope is not a false notion of the world, and a neglect of its multitude of dangers. The captivating nature of hope only seeks to nourish human flourishing, it ...

  Supergirl (2026) “Maybe this is home.” “Without the antidote there is nothing she can do.” “We will be with you.” -Supergirl (2026) Embattled by trauma and entwined with regret, Kara Zor-El is not your average Kryptonian survivor. Unlike her more renowned cousin, Kara must come to terms with the aspects of herself that are defined by a planet that no longer exists. Her life then, is a series of questions, brought on by a tragedy and a wish to rewrite history. What is the power of flight if it reminds you of your failure to stay? What is life if regret dominates every day, and what is a hero if sacrifice continually calls your name? "He himself bore our sins in his body on the cross, so that free from sins, we might live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed.” -1st Peter 2:24 (NRSV-CE) The emotional capacity of a story lies in its ability to invite you into the human struggle of an everyday lived experience. That is to say, storytelling grants us access ...