I’ve always loved the drama of Holy Week. The hollow triumph and fleeting glory of Palm Sunday, that passes from earthly and impermanent celebration into passion and betrayal and loss. The uncomfortable weight and rising tension that builds through Monday to Wednesday. The almost painful intimacy of Maundy Thursday, as the New Covenant supersedes the Old and the great sacrifice commences. The dreadful grief and highest sorrow of Good Friday. And then, of course, the stillness and deathly rest of Holy Saturday, that in turn (as the sun sets and the world is cast anew into shadow) sees light burn…
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It’s somewhat surprising that, of my nebulous top ten-ish favourite films, there are two that both came out in 2016, are both decidedly off-kilter and odd in their own ways, and are both ‘cult’ films to an extent – beloved by their fans, but little-known beyond those circles. We’ve discussed The Nice Guys on this site before, and today it’s time to turn to what is (in the Blog of Mazarbul’s household) its improbable companion piece – certainly, these two movies have been rewatched more than any other by my wife and I! So, today, I figured I’d write up…
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Niggle was a painter. Not a very successful one… Of all Tolkien’s works, arguably none of them lend themselves so readily to analysis as Leaf by Niggle. The allegory by the man who claimed to hate allegory. A touchingly close examination of a character who may be as close as Tolkien ever came to writing a self-insert. Even, arguably, Tolkien’s most religious and theological work (of his fictional tales, that is…On Fairy Stories is, of course, Tolkien’s theological triumph). As such, Leaf by Niggle is probably the Lesser Tale in least need of yet another analysis, especially one by a…
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I was chatting to a friend of mine yesterday, when she asked me a disarmingly childlike, simple question. A question that desired no philosophical or detailed…
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