CRASHING INTO HOPE

By John Bucher (@johnkbucher)   Pete Holmes is the most important icon of faith and transcendence you’ve never heard of. He’s had brushes with success in smaller niche communities. He’s one of the… Continue reading →

GELASON: The Gift of Suffering

  By John Bucher (@johnkbucher) Steve Gleason offers you a gift in the new documentary that bears his name. He offers access to the most intimate parts of his difficult journey. He offers… Continue reading →

Collective Connections: A Barbershop For Everyone

By John Bucher (@johnkbucher) There remain a few human connections we all share in our ever-changing journey of cultural and technological advancement. We all eat. We all drink. We all sleep. We all… Continue reading →

In Defense of Eagles: The Necessity of Stories That Inspire

By John Bucher (@johnkbucher) It’s sad and shocking to me how certain types of stories get branded with pop culture terms that render them ineffective. “Inspirational” will keep certain film goers away from… Continue reading →

ANCIENT IDEAS, AMBITION, AND OUR FINEST HOURS

By John Bucher @(johnkbucher) There are two prevalent themes floating through the cinematic journey explored in The Finest Hours. Both are ancient ideas that remain as relevant today as when they were first… Continue reading →

THE REVENANT and the Myth of Redemptive Violence

by John Bucher (@johnkbucher) Walter Wink coined the phrase “the myth of redemptive violence” in his 1999 book, The Powers That Be. The idea behind the myth is that the only way one… Continue reading →

EMMA DONOGHUE TALKS ROOM, FAIRY TALES, and OLD NICK

By John Bucher (@johnkbucher) Stories resonate with people for a variety of reasons. There are stories that unconsciously force us to deal with pain and loss we’ve long avoided. Other stories so wondrously… Continue reading →

ROOM and the COMPLEXITIES OF FREEDOM

Click photo to watch the trailer for ROOM By John Bucher (@johnkbucher) Freedom is a pretty attractive idea. Throughout the ages, people have killed for it, died for it, and lived for it.… Continue reading →

The Office, The Wire, and The Lonely World

by John Bucher @(johnkbucher) I’ve long been taken by the concept of ritual. For some, that word brings to mind images of secret societies, blood, and empty ceremony for ancient purposes. Ritual actually… Continue reading →

FATHERS, SONS, AND DEALS WITH THE DEVIL in TRUE DETECTIVE

By John Bucher (@johnkbucher) The Lera Lynn song A Church In Ruins, which gives this episode of True Detective its name, begins with these words, “You were alone and you were alive…” Throughout… Continue reading →