The third season of the gripping and award-winning series, Mea Maxima Culpa: Silence in the House of God from HBO, tells the story of how Catholic priest and pedophile Bernard Preynat was able to remain in the priesthood in the face of mounting evidence against him, thanks to his protection by the Archdiocese of Boston. This is a compelling series because of its fine cinematography and stunning sound design. Rather than use fragments of the confessionals as it did in Season 1, Mea Maxima Culpa focuses on the church’s role in the scandal of the archdiocese, and reveals how the church is still resistant to accountability for the actions of its clergy.
4:44 am The Nightmare Before Christmas
Ozzy Osbourne and Danny Elfman are in full-blown retro-futurist form in this self-referential yet faithful adaptation of the Tim Burton movie, with the efforts of an inept cop (Mad Men’s Jon Hamm) to solve a mystery that involves a flying rabbit living in the Zoo of Tortuga. What ensues is madcap fun for fans of both the children’s film and its live-action sequel.
And also: A Visit from the Goon Squad
A luminous Elizabeth Olsen plays with dry humor and sparkling dialogue as a teenage girl taken in as a babysitter by a stereotypical neo-Nazi, voiced by (drum roll) J.K. Simmons. This is one of those rare films that is particularly aware of what its subtext is and plays with the movie’s underlying political significance. The Goon Squad is dark, funny, clever, and wonderful.