The Vatican Film List â.. Ten Years Later

June 21, 2007 D. H. McKee

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Though often characterized, somewhat misleadingly, as â..the Vaticanâ..s top films,â. the list is meant neither as a set of definitive or magisterial â..top fifteenâ. lists nor to establish these particular films as definitely more worthwhile than any film that was not included. Titled simply â..Some Important Films,â. the list is simply a cross section of outstanding films, chosen by a committee of twelve international movie scholars appointed by the head of the pontifical commission, Archbishop John Foley. Archbishop Foley has said that the list is not intended to canonize these particular films; and, in releasing the list, the commission acknowledged, â..Not all that deserve mention are included.â.
The list is made up of three categories, â..Religion,â. â..Values,â. and â..Art,â. with 15 films in each of the three categories. Some are well-known favorites (e.g., Itâ..s a Wonderful Life; The Wizard of Oz). Others have extraordinary moral or spiritual significance (e.g., A Man for All Seasons; Schindlerâ..s List). Still others are challenging â..art filmsâ. that demand literate critical engagement (the austere mysticism of Tarkovskyâ..s Andrei Rublev and The Sacrifice; the exotic grotesquerie of Felliniâ..s La Strada and 8Â½).
The Vatican Film List: Ten Years Later

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As a guy who occasionally curates art shows and wrangles artists together, I often have to edit and post artist bios, profile pictures, and artwork images. This can be a problem, since many artists and writers aren’t used to selling themselves. Artists rarely know how to present their art for display in a brochure, and writers aren’t used to writing about themselves.

Writers often treat the bio like it’s an interview or something. Maybe like they’re having a conversation with you, the reader. While it may work sometimes, the most common way to write a bio is to write in the 3rd person.

I’m like those writers, and I’m talking to you directly, unlike the common way to do a bio. You should see my About page. It makes sense to me, since this is a bit which describes my blog’s website. When I get famous enough that I don’t have time to talk to you, I’ll have an intern write everything in 3rd person. Until then, you get to talk to me.

Like blogs of old, this one is a personal document of the comings and goings of me. Articles I’ve written, links I’ve posted, videos I liked, etc. Here, a first-person perspective is the way to go, at least for now. So, this is my site. I’m D. H. McKee, a sometimes artist, sometimes writer. Mostly just a guy on the internet.