Who doesn’t like to cuddle up on the couch during cold winter nights and watch a good movie? And isn’t it fun to chat with friends about a movie you just saw?

Starting today, you can do both by joining the SQPN Movie Panel! Every week, we will pick another movie to watch, and chat about it on Twitter and on the SQPN website.

Each month will have its own theme (‘Shark Month’, ‘Disaster Month’, ‘Spy Month’, ‘Magical Month’), and Februari is ‘Oscar Month’. We will watch the four movies that won the most Academy Awards in history: Titanic, Ben Hur, Lord of the Rings: Return of the King and West Side Story.

This is how it works: make sure you follow @moviepanel on Twitter to chat and to talk about the movie of the week, and follow SQPN on Facebook and on this website to post your comments on each movie.

We might actually get together in other ways in the future for an even more lively discussion, but we want to start as simple as possible.

The movie to watch this week is the one with the current all-time record in terms of Academy Awards: Titanic! Looking forward to hear your reviews and thoughts about this movie!

Click here to go to the @moviepanel Twitter feed and subscribe!

This week’s episode of The Break talks about the recent DC/Marvel Superhero reboot, December movies and working at an Irish Pub for charity!

Listen here: http://thebreak.sqpn.com/2011/12/17/bfr-816-superhero-reboot/

There are very few movies that you can watch over and over again; “FernGully: The Last Rainforest” is one of them. I fell in love with this animated classic back in 1992 when it first came out.  It is not only entertaining, but also thought provoking.  A children’s and environmental movie years before its time.

The fairies of FernGully had never seen or met a human before until fairie Crysta, voiced by Samantha Mathis, shrinks the human Zak, voiced by Jonathan Ward, saving his life.  Little does Crysta realize that Zak is part of the logging company that is destroying her forest and has freed the evil Hexxus, voiced by Tim Curry.  Hexxus lives on oil, smog, destruction and is intent to wipe out the fairies and the forest.

Zak and Crysta team up with Christian Slater as Pips, and Robin Williams as Batty Koda to save the rain forest.  Robin Williams is his usual self and delivers a wonderfully hysterical performance as a bat whose radar has gone crazy by years of human experimentation on him.  Together, along with the other fairies and animals of the forest they are able to overcome evil and save their world. The animation technology is from 1992, but the music is fantastic and the story is what keeps you hooked.

I played this movie for my daughter a few years ago when she was 4.  Four years later her movie collection and TV shows have changed.  FernGully has stood the test and still remains not only one of my favorite movies of all time, but now it is also my daughters.  Considering the high budget classic Disney and Pixar films that have come out, that is really saying something for this Australian animated film.

This is a wonderful movie to watch with your family as it is both entertaining and moralistic.  It teaches both adults and children the importance of not only good versus evil, but more importantly taking care of the environment.  FernGully may be a small forest somewhere, but to the faires and creatures it is their entire world; a world that must be saved from evil and greedy corporations that are intent on selling our children’s future.

It teaches us that we are all God’s creations: humans, animals and trees. If you have never seen this movie go out and buy it.  Share it with your family and see how much it becomes a favorite. 

If you have seen it, how has this movie’s theme resonated with the wave of environmental protection a decade after its inception?

Illustration: Copyright FAI Films/Youngheart Productions

Have you ever found yourself sitting in a movie theatre watching a movie and trying to find a way to connect the movie and your faith?

I have found a blog that does just that: “Spiritual Popcorn”. You can find it by clicking here.

The blog is written by Paul Jarzembowski. Paul is the Director of Young Adult Ministry for the Catholic Diocese of Joliet in Illinois. He is also the Acting Executive Director of the National Catholic Young Adult Ministry Association (NCYAMA). He is currently a grad student in the Institute of Pastoral Studies at Loyola University Chicago.

Paul’s review of the movie “The Adjustment Bureau” really stuck out at me. I haven’t watched the movie yet, but underneath the image of the movie poster in the post, it says “For behold I know the plans I have for you” which comes from Jeremiah 29:11.

Paul writes:

We have been given free will, but films like The Adjustment Bureau challenge us to ask whether we are using it in the best possible way. The fantastic idea that God has to step in and control the universe when we abuse our gifts is theologically troubling, but it does cause us to do a little self-examination.

Just reading this post has given me something to think about and has also made me realize that self examining my own life at times is a good thing because it makes me stay on top of any areas in life that I may be struggling in. I’m looking forward to following Paul’s blog.

Paul has this to say about how Spiritual Popcorn came to be:

Several years ago, I created “Spiritual Popcorn” as a way to share all the thoughts that were swimming around my head after seeing movies. I also wanted to invite others into a dialogue about the movie – to see what others were saying and thinking too. Over time, “Spiritual Popcorn” has become a theological reflection on the spiritual themes that emerge from the movie theatre each week or so.

Paul encourages us to join in on the discussions that are taking place on his blog.

You can also follow Paul on Twitter @PopcornPaul

When you decide which movie to watch on TV or in a theatre, does your faith influence your choice?  Please feel free to comment below.

Today, the Star Quest Production Network is proud to present a new series on SQPN.com and on iTunes: “The Secrets of The Hobbit”.

The new podcast series is dedicated to J.R.R. Tolkien’s “The Hobbit” and to news about the movies by Peter Jackson that are currently in production in New Zealand. Dave Kale and Fr. Roderick discuss the background and inspiration of the story that introduced the world to hobbits, elves, men and dwarves.

“Just as our existing series about the secrets of Middle-earth, this new show will also explore the religious and moral dimensions of J.R.R. Tolkien’s work,” says Fr. Roderick.

“Tolkien was a dedicated scholar as well as a devout Catholic. Even though his books aren’t meant to be read as metaphors of Biblical stories, his philosophical and theological perspective plays a key role in how he tells his stories”.

You can listen to the first episode of The Secrets of The Hobbit by clicking on the player below, and follow these links to subscribe to the entire podcast series: Subscribe to the Feed | Subscribe with iTunes

Click here for more SQPN shows about books and movies: secrets.sqpn.com

What do you think about the first episode? Share your thoughts in the comments or on the Facebook page of The Secrets of The Hobbit!