GreenCine Daily is easily the best film blog out there. And without them, I might never have heard of Christian WYSIWYG Filmworks, who are currently working on a $50 million, sci-fi retelling of the Biblical account of Joseph entitled Gravity: In the Shadow of Joseph. This could end up being one of the few daring Christian movies ever made. Of course, there was that one crappy straight-to-video film that transplanted Jesus’ life and death to modern times (can’t recall the title). But risks are rare in a ‘niche film industry’ like the Christian one where it would be daring even to present Jesus as a dark-skinned Jew instead of an Anglo-Saxon Protestant.

Lessley Anderson isn’t very optimistic, though: “Considering the less-than-world-class quality of their past projects and the company’s overall lack of experience in the movie industry, it will take a miracle for Gravity to even get completed, much less be a watchable film.” Personally, I wouldn’t be surprised if not a single truly excellent Christian film is made from now until I make one. :-)

The Top Ten list I’ve really been waiting for has finally arrived (too late for Fimoculous’ prematurely closed year-end list of lists): Jonathan Rosenbaum’s. He begins by addressing Sideways: “I have to admit it’s flawlessly executed — in the same way that a Fig Newton can be flawless.” I think a perfect film is much rarer, difficult, and wonderful than a perfect Fig Newton, but Rosenbaum doesn’t think Sideways has anything to offer to our lives or to cinema.

He remarks, quite rightly, “how precious documentaries have become in filling the enormous holes in TV news coverage and documentaries, especially when it comes to the world outside our borders.” Alas, these documentaries have roughly one-millionth the audience that TV news coverage has across the U.S., if that.

Rosenbaum’s review and #2 ranking of Million Dollar Baby have me very surprised - and excited. Maybe it really is that good, after all. He also, thank God, loved Before Sunset (#7).

Of course, all the films on the list have been added to my ‘to see’ list, if they weren’t there already.