Author Archives: davetcourt

I counted 5 walk outs in my viewing of David Bruckner’s The Night House. Of course I have no way of knowing why they walked out, but afterwards it was fun to speculate with my viewing partner as to why. Not the film they expected? Too slow? Frustrated with the ambiguity of the working metaphorContinue reading “The Night House and the Power of Nothingness- Learning How to Live with Depression and Anxiety By Telling Our Stories”

Still one of the most surreal experiences of my life. Arriving in Ukraine for our adoption, unaware that it was their Independance Day and walking out of our apartment in the Maidan Nezalezhnosti to this. As someone who lives in the heartland of Canadian Ukrainian immigration, which stems largely from here in Winnipeg down theContinue reading “Ukrainian Independence: 10 Films or Books to Consider for the 30th Anniversary”

Anil Seth, professor of cognitive and computational neuroscience and author of the book Being You is at the forefront of seemingly surging interest in the subject of consciousness, with a barrage of books, articles, blogs, emerging studies, advances, ect making headlines in the last number of years. There is likely a number of reasons forContinue reading “Being You, Peronhood and the Mystery of Consciousness”

A new film by one of the best Director’s working today is always something to celebrate. David Lowry’s body of work might be relatively small (Ain’t Them Bodies Saints, Pete’s Dragon, A Ghost Story), but it is also exceptionally strong, includiing his latest and much anticipated The Green Knight, an adaptation of a lesser knownContinue reading “The Green Knight: Empire, Vice, Virtue and Unmasking the Human Journey”

Movies No Sudden Move (Directed by Steve Soderbergh) 2021 has given me a new favorite Soderbergh film. It’s not simply that this fits straight in his wheelhouse, a celebration of his particular sensibilities and strengths, it’s that he’s also stretching himself at the same time as he explores the mystery-thiller dynamics. The story structure isContinue reading “Month in Review: Memorable Reads, Watches and Listens For July 2021”

Fun fact (for me). I have logged 1173 watches since last stepping foot in a theater. For context on the time frame, theaters officially closed here in October 2020 after a brief attempt at reopening following the first wave. With restrictions finally lifting yesterday (that would be Saturday) I was able to celebrate my returnContinue reading “Movie Theaters, Transcendence, and Experiencing Black Widow: Navigating a Crisis of Meaning, Personhood and Free Will”

Who am I? Who are we? Why are we here? Why does it matter? These are questions as old as time. These are questions that also take new shape and gain new context and nuance as time moves forward, presenting us with new ways to explore shared concerns. The book Life’s Edge: The Search ForContinue reading “Human Signficance in Theology and the Natural Sciences: A Dialogue”

Invitation to the Thirsty 1“Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost. 2Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, andContinue reading “The London, Fancy Meals, and the Call to Come Buy and Eat: Reflections on Road Trips and Isaiah 55”

Maybe it’s the never ending pandemic. Or the heat wave currently wreaking havoc in places around the world as we ease into the long summer months, but Amazon’s recent release of The Tomorrow War resonated with me in a way that I’m not sure it fully intended to do. Certainly there is room for itsContinue reading “Hothouse Earths and Alien Invasions: Reflections on The Tomorrow Wars, Pandemics and Record Breaking Heat”

Film/Series Riders of Justice (Directed by Anders Thomas Jensen, 2021) Daring twists and turns and plenty of misdirection leads you through the full gammot of emotions. Sharp left turns into timely humor (this is a deeply and genuinly funny film) give way to philosohpical and existential wonderings before steering us straight into an action packedContinue reading “Month in Review: Memorable Reads, Watches and Listens For June 2021”