Regal Books Announces Release of "Through a Screen Darkly: Looking Closer at Beauty, Truth and Evil in the Movies," A New Book by Jeffrey Overstreet.

With major film companies launching faith-based production arms, Christian critics like Overstreet are now key players in a film's success.

SEATTLE -- Five years ago, film critics who openly identified themselves as Christians would have been laughed out of a press junket for a Hollywood film. But in a post "Passion Of the Christ" America where several major studios have started faith-based initiatives, Jeffrey Overstreet, Christianity Today film reviewer and author of the newly-released "Through a Screen Darkly," (Regal, February 5, 2007) heard only one faint chuckle after introducing himself at a Q&A with the cast and director of "In Good Company."

Welcome to the new era of Christian film criticism. With major film companies launching faith-based production arms -- and therefore becoming increasingly interested in reaching Christian moviegoers -- Christian critics have been invited into the conversation, and are taking on increasingly influential voices in the evangelical community.

Approaches to Christian criticism, however, vary widely. While some Christian critics rely primarily on a "moral checklist" approach (wherein a film that includes sex, violence or swearing is considered inappropriate viewing for Christians), others, like Overstreet, take a more nuanced -- and controversial -- approach.

"I have a strange compulsion to sit down between Christian culture and secular society, trying to help them understand each other -- and ultimately, God -- better through a shared experience of art," says Overstreet. In "Through a Screen Darkly," Overstreet shares his moviegoing memoirs alongside examples of how filmmakers such as Martin Scorsese, Wim Wenders, and Krzysztof Kieslowski capture reflections of God in their work.

Overstreet's thoughtful approach has earned him fans -- including filmmakers Scott Derrickson (director of "The Exorcism of Emily Rose") and Ralph Winter (producer of "Fantastic Four" and "X-Men") -- as well as detractors. Comments on Overstreet's blog and on the feedback page at Christianity Today's film-review website reveal that some readers take issue with the content of some of the films he recommends. Overstreet, however, continues to challenge readers to "set aside biases about what is 'properly' Christian and look deeper toward how cinema as an art form affects one's soul."

"Through a Screen Darkly" is both a culmination and continuation of Overstreet's work as a reviewer. It is also an articulation of his hope that the work of Christian reviewers will "help moviegoers develop the ability to explore the stories of popular culture, highlighting what is excellent and identifying what is flawed or indulgent, in order to participate in the cultural dialogue about art and the reality it reflects."

About Jeffrey Overstreet

Jeffrey Overstreet is a weekly columnist and critic at Christianity Today's movie website. His work has been noted by TIME magazine, and his writing has appeared in Image: A Journal of the Arts and Religion and Paste magazine. He is a member of the Online Film Critics Society, and a founding member of the Faith and Film Critics Circle. Overstreet is also a seasoned and engaging interviewee. For more information and press materials, please visit www.lookingcloser.org/darkly.