Spencer Patterson
- PR/Comms Director, Smith Center
PR/Comms director @smithcenterlv. Sound junkie. Hockey fanatic. Sea urchin enthusiast.
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Articles by Spencer Patterson
Prehistoric rivals discover the power of compassion in "The Good Pliosaur"
Spencer Patterson's children's book uses an underwater rescue to challenge prejudice and encourage kindness , /PRNewswire/ -- Author and educator Spencer Patterson uses an underwater conflict between two groups of prehistoric marine reptiles to introduce young readers to themes of compassion, prejudice and loving one's neighbor in the children's picture book "The Good Pliosaur." Illustrated by Sam Calden , the story takes place in an ocean where long-necked plesiosaurs and short-necked...
Review – The Unbreakable Boy - Geeks Under Grace
As I recently wrote in a piece for The Federalist, the faith-based film market is in a curious position. The age of films like God’s Not Dead, Fireproof, and Heaven Is for Real has slowly mutated into a more superficially dark genre, headlined by more controversially partisan films like The Sound of Freedom, Nefarious, and Lady Ballers. However, old-fashioned faith-based films, like those from the early 2010s, are still a thing.
Series Review - Dragon Ball Daima
When the first footage of Dragon Ball Daima was released last year, it was met with anger by one audience member, who infamously exclaimed, “Please don’t be [Daima]! No! We just wanted Moro!” The loud comments, preserved in video footage from the convention hall, set the tone for the miniseries’ controversial reputation and reception — something audiences never asked for but series creator Akira Toriyama was heavily invested in.
Retro Review – Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Geeks Under Grace
John Adams said, “It is more important that innocence be protected than it is that guilt be punished, for guilt and crimes are so frequent in this world that they cannot all be punished.” While this sentiment is largely shared by most Westerners, quite the opposite is true in the East, especially Japan, whose justice system boasts a 99% conviction rate.
The Best and Worst Films of 2024
Looking back throughout cinematic history, some years stand out more than others when it comes to their contribution to the art form. 2024 will not be one of them. At least, not for the right reasons. It felt like a year where studios threw everything at the wall (or screen in this case) to see what stuck, and barely anything did.
Review - Heretic (2024)
A24 doesn’t have the strongest track record when it comes to issues of religion. Several of their films like Waves, Minari, and First Reformed have nuanced understandings of the way people grapple with religion, but other films like The Witch, Saint Maud, and The Green Knight are far more skeptical of traditional religion. Certainly, these films reflect the authentic beliefs of the filmmakers that A24 chooses for auteur projects. That said, A24 generally isn’t pitching to the faith-based crowd.
Does Consumerism Ruin Christmas? - Geeks Under Grace
This is the fifth in a multi-part article series running from November 1 to Epiphany. It discusses the themes and meaning of Christmas movies, digs into specific tropes, and unpacks the true nature of Christmas. The first, second, third, and fourth essays can be found here. If someone asked you what the most financially successful Christmas movie of all time was, what movie would you guess? It is a difficult question to answer due to the way Hollywood accounting works.
Review – BlackZero 3-in-1 Tool Set - Geeks Under Grace
If you’re anything like me, your tools at home are rudimentary at best. Mine are scattered in three separate bags and backpacks across the house and finding the right tool for each job often turns into its own scavenger hunt. The team at BlackZero has found a way to give you everything you’ll need for most common home maintenance in a pretty slick kit, ensuring everything stays neatly organized and easily accessible.
Why Does Christmas Make Action Movies Better?
This is the fourth in a multi-part article series running from November 1 to Epiphany. It discusses the themes and meaning of Christmas movies, digs into specific tropes, and unpacks the true nature of Christmas. The first, second, and third essays can be found here. When examining the history of Christmas movies, one begins to recognize how Christmas operates as a subgenre. It ebbs and flows with the film industry trends, following popular genres.
Do Christmas Movies Actually Stink? — Nostalgic Cinema As Ritual And Tradition - Geeks Under Grace
This is the third entry in a multi-part article series running from November 1 to Epiphany. It discusses the themes and meaning of Christmas movies, digs into specific tropes, and unpacks the true nature of Christmas. The first essay can be found here and the second essay can be found here. One of my favorite experiences as an adult satiating his wanderlust was my opportunity to visit the famous Christmas Story House in Ohio.
Review - Our Church Speaks
Images have a very complicated place in Christianity. Older traditions like the Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church adamantly defend the belief that the incarnation of Christ created a need to worship Christ and honor saints through images. With the onset of the Reformation, the Reformed and Calvinist traditions began to consider image veneration a form of idolatry and a violation of the Second Commandment.
The Secular History of Christmas (And Why It's Okay To Like It) - Geeks Under Grace
This is the second in a multi-part article series running from November 1 to Epiphany. It discusses the themes and meaning of Christmas movies, digs into specific tropes, and unpacks the true nature of Christmas. The first essay can be found here. In the last article, we briefly touched upon the question of Christmas itself in relation to the nature of Christmas movies.
The Die Hard Question: How Do We Define Christmas Movies?
You’ve probably heard this question a hundred times in internet articles or over water cooler talk at the office. And if you’re someone who has any passion for movies, you probably bristled at the question the first time you heard it.
Review - Star Wars: The Acolyte
It is becoming an annual tradition for the culture wars to flare yet again with the delivery of fresh red meat from the fine folks over at the Walt Disney Corporation. Star Wars fans have had no shortage of opportunities to engage in their favorite activity: Hating Star Wars.
Review – Monkey Palace - Geeks Under Grace
Monkey Palace is a 2-4 player board game where players will use LEGO bricks to build up a structure fit for King Louie. During the game, players will place arches that stairstep higher and higher, earning them Monkey Credits for each arch. Players then spend those credits on cards that grant 1-time and recurring bricks deliveries, which they can then use on later rounds to build even more impressive arch stairways. So, is it a swingin’ good time, or just fodder for the LEGO bin?
Review – Rebel Ridge - Geeks Under Grace
The remarkable director of Blue Ruin and Green Room has reemerged from a six-year break/delay in filmmaking (not counting a few episodes of True Detective Season 3) with a third movie of what might be considered the best trio of indie action films in the past decade. Following his 2007 indie-horror-comedy Murder Party, this director has successfully become a fan favorite among cinephiles.
Review – Visions of Mana - Geeks Under Grace
The Mana franchise has been around in name since Secret of Mana hit the scene on Super Nintendo over thirty years ago. Mana has had some beloved entries, but no new mainline entries have graced fans’ hands since the PlayStation 2. Now the series is back with Visions of Mana, a new tale full of bright colors and familiar design sensibilities that will have long-time fans cracking a smile. Could it win new fans to the franchise?
Review – Deadpool & Wolverine - Geeks Under Grace
It is fascinating to think that the test footage for Deadpool leaked a decade ago. Summer 2014 was at the peak of the superhero genre, with Guardians of the Galaxy and Captain America: Winter Soldier fresh in theaters. And then out of nowhere, test footage for a Deadpool leaked on YouTube and became extremely popular. It wasn’t long after that the Ryan Reynolds Deadpool film got off the ground, releasing in theaters two years later to intense popularity.
Review - Luigi's Mansion 2 HD - Geeks Under Grace
The Luigi’s Mansion spin-off series has become a mainstay of Nintendo’s modern output. With 3 main games, 2 remakes, an arcade title, and even vague rumors of a movie adaptation, it’s easy to forget that, before it was the mini-powerhouse it is today, Luigi’s Mansionwas a one-off title meant to kick off Nintendo’s entry into the sixth generation of consoles. And for a time, that looked like where it would stay.
Review – Ghostlight (2024) - Geeks Under Grace
Several years ago, a small indie drama called Saint Frances caught my attention and eventually entered my Netflix DVD queue. It was a strange film that felt all too familiar to me. It was shot in Highland Park, Illinois, near where I went to college and freelanced after graduating. And it was populated by the people I went to school with—hedonistic late millennials caught in the tension of mixed motivations, poor decision-making, and self-loathing.
Review – Immaculate - Geeks Under Grace
There seems to be a yearly tradition that movie distributors release horror films for the annual Easter weekend. It’s not very surprising, as they make for good counterprogramming against such a hopeful holiday. Many of them though are specifically religiously themed horror movies and exorcism narratives. One can only wonder why such movies might appeal to people who don’t celebrate the holiday.
Review – The Bikeriders - Geeks Under Grace
Few films have drawn such hype as The Bikeriders, the long-awaited adaptation of Danny Lyon’s 1968 book of the same name, which tells a fictional story based on the real-life Outlaws Motorcycle Club. The movie had a lot going for it, including a lead performance by breakout Elvis star Austin Butler, a remarkable trailer, and a great premise that calls to mind great true crime films like Goodfellas.
Review - The Dead Don't Hurt - Geeks Under Grace
The Western feels like a genre overdue for a resurgence but for whatever reason this hasn’t occurred. It has mostly been relegated to arthouse films like The Power of the Dog, and Killers of the Flower Moon, while respectable genre films like Walter Hill’s recent Dead for a Dollar are barely known. Yellowstone and Deadwood have audiences, but can’t seem to escape the small screen.
Review – Sight (2023) - Geeks Under Grace
Angel Studios continues to be one of the most interesting and successful Christian film studios around. The Chosen remains one of the most popular TV shows among American Evangelicals and Catholics. The Sound of Freedom is one of the most successful (and controversial) Christian films of all time at the box office.
Review - Argylle
Director Matthew Vaughn has had quite a decade. Despite major rumors he might end up directing a Superman movie or taking on larger projects, his entire body of work has been consumed by the Kingsmen franchise, with a fourth entry seemingly currently being discussed.
Review - Ferrari
The great Michael Mann is back! The acclaimed 80-year-old director of Heat, The Insider, Manhunter, Last of the Mohicans, Ali, Miami Vice, Collateral, and Public Enemies has resurfaced from a near-decade exile in director’s jail with his first film since 2015’s forgotten thriller Blackhat.
Review - Freud's Last Session - Geeks Under Grace
Sometimes a movie comes out and I can only assume it was made for me specifically. This might sound like a strange presupposition, but sometimes it’s the best conclusion when a movie fits so perfectly to your tastes. As an amateur expert on CS Lewis adaptations — both on stage and in print — I cannot help but get excited with a low-budget CS Lewis film sneaking into theaters.
Review - The Beekeeper
One of my favorite works of film criticism, which is no longer online, was published by Birth Movies Death about the career of Jason Statham — wherein the author discussed how the somewhat less-than-stellar actor’s filmography has been a consistent and comforting presence in his chaotic life. With things being difficult, these movies were a presence in his life as he regularly turned to them as he dealt with years of addiction and employment issues.
Review - The Book of Clarence
When the first trailer for Book of Clarence wasreleased last year, it did not make me feel confident in the film. It appeared to be another religious satire in the style of Life of Brian or First Temptation of Christ, something that was merely exploitational or made tired arguments about the dangers of organized religion. At the very least, it looked like its primary mission was to be a shallow political satire set against the events of the Bible.
The Best and Worst Films of 2023
“Disappointing” is a strong word to use to describe cinema in 2023. It certainly was an interesting year. It marked the decline of several tentpole franchises, including the behemoth of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). Disney as a company took many financial hits as it faced criticism from multiple angles, while the writer’s and actor’s strike put Hollywood into a slumber. Yet there were also a few breakthroughs.
Review – The Shift (2023) - Geeks Under Grace
The rise and success of Angel Studios has been nothing short of miraculous. The Chosen’s premiere in 2017 and subsequent rise to mainstream success—being renewed for at least three additional seasons, being regularly shown in theaters to large audiences, and getting syndicated to the CW Network—marks one of the largest entertainment successes for Christian storytelling in the past half-decade.
Review – Priscilla - Geeks Under Grace
The life of Elvis Presley will always be one of the most intensely studied, beloved, and controversial figures in 20th-century history. He was the king of rock and roll; he was idolized and beloved by women whom men wished they could enjoy a fraction of his wealth and popularity. He was humble enough to give much of his money away to his family but also lived lavishly and selfishly at times. He was a Catholic gospel singer who lived a life of pleasures and addictions.
Retro Review – The Last Waltz (1978) - Geeks Under Grace
April 26th of this year marked the 45th anniversary of The Last Waltz, which was commemorated by the film’s rerelease on 4K Blu-ray and inclusion in the Criterion Collection, with a brief accompanying theatrical release this month. Martin Scorsese hardly needs an introduction, given that his newest film Killers Of The Flower Moon is still in theaters and has grossed more than $102 million at the global box office.
Review – The Killer (2023) - Geeks Under Grace
The career of David Fincher is one I have always found confusing. He is a particularly popular contemporary filmmaker among my generation of cinephiles, and yet his work has left me persistently cold. This is not to say he is bad. He is one of the most mannered and talented filmmakers alive. He has produced masterpieces like Se7en, Fight Club, Zodiac, The Social Network, Gone Girl, and Netflix’s Mindhunter.
Review - Five Nights at Freddy's - Geeks Under Grace
The Five Nights at Freddy’s series has a special place in the hearts of many Geeks Under Grace writers. Series creator Scott Cawthon, being a practicing Christian, actually gave one of the first interviews he has ever done to our publication in 2014, discussing the role his faith has provided in his life and career and how he became inspired to create the first game in the franchise.
Review – Killers of the Flower Moon - Geeks Under Grace
The release of a new Martin Scorsese movie is always a major event. The famous director of Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, The Last Temptation of Christ, Goodfellas, Kundun, The Aviator, The Wolf of Wall Street, and Silence has more than earned his pedigree as one of the most talented filmmakers alive, and one of the most important from the perspective of film preservation.
Interview — Douglas Kaine McKelvey, Creator Of Every Moment Holy - Geeks Under Grace
The arts have seen a growing importance among Christians in the past decade. As the culture shifts ever further from Christianity, large sections of the faith have begun to realize just how important art is in speaking to the issues of modernity. Tremendous efforts are currently being made to regain ground by fostering quality art — shying away from historic efforts like Bibleman and God’s NOT Dead in favor of art that can impress secular and religious viewers alike.
Review – Star Wars Ahsoka: Season 1 - Geeks Under Grace
Disney’s Star Wars continues at pace to be a contentious and confusing mess, with new shows being met with a combination of adoration from fans and general malaise from pop culture at large. 2023 has already proved the admirable misfire of Mandalorian Season 3 and the largely ignored second season of The Bad Batch. And this is coming after Andor simultaneously proved to be Disney+’s most critically successful original series, while being completely ignored by the general public.
Review - The Pope's Exorcist - Geeks Under Grace
There have been a number of moderately decent films that I have missed in theaters this year due to struggling to get out to the cinema more often, namely films like The Covenant, Renfield, Gran Turismo, Suzume, Tetris, Sisu, Polite Society, Past Lives, Full Time, You Hurt My Feelings, and Last Voyage Of The Demeter.
Review – Deliver Us - Geeks Under Grace
The supernatural/horror/exorcism genre is one that has mostly not figured out an original approach to storytelling since the late William Friedkin popularized the genre with The Exorcist. Every horror film about demons and the supernatural now borrow the tropes and visual storytelling of the original. This is not to say there is no way to do this sort of narrative, but every film is always going to face inevitable comparisons to better movies.
Our favorite Life Is Beautiful sets-ever!
Haim (2013) Haim played one of the smaller stages, and its debut album was barely a month old, but, the sisters’ first Life Is Beautiful appearance revealed them as the superstars they’d soon become, with tight, nervy versions of “Forever,” “Don’t Save Me” and Fleetwood Mac’s “Oh Well.” –Geoff Carter OUTKAST (2014) At a second edition topped by huge headliners (Foo Fighters and Kanye West were the others), André and Big Boi stood tallest, partying their way through a 24-song reminder of their...
Review - Surprised By Oxford
Carolyn Weber is a highly accomplished academic, having earned her doctorate at Oxford before traveling the world as a scholar, public speaker, and author. She is also an adult convert to Christianity, having found her faith while studying at Oxford and writing a bestselling memoir on the subject a decade back. Currently serving as faculty at New College Franklin outside of Nashville, TN, she is now the face of this month’s newest limited-release Christian film, Surprised By Oxford.
Interview — Lance Davis, Creator of the Anglican Office Book - Geeks Under Grace
It can be said that two major movements are happening in the Protestant world at this time as mainline denominations continue to deteriorate — a rapid expansion of Evangelicalism and Pentecostalism across the world, and a small but growing group of traditionalists coming together to revive traditional liturgies and rites.
Your 2023 Las Vegas fall arts & entertainment guide
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Concerts By Spencer Patterson, Gabriela Rodriguez & Amber Sampson U2 (September 29-30, Sphere) Opening weekend of U2’s first-ever Vegas residency, focused on revered 1991 album Achtung Baby (even sans drummer Larry Mullen Jr.), would be big on its own; launching the Strip’s futuristic Sphere has it on a hype trajectory few shows in this town’s storied history can match.
By Spencer Patterson, Gabriela Rodriguez, Gabriela Rodríguez Verified, Amber Sampson Verified, Brock Radke Verified
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The Star News Today
Review - Danny Phantom: A Glitch In Time
Last September, someone let slip that one of Nickelodeon’s most popular animated shows was receiving its first official continuation in nearly two decades. This was a pleasant surprise, given that Danny Phantom has largely sat on the shelf for a long time. The show’s network considered it a partial failure due to its inability to produce marketable tie-in products and merchandise sales, outside of a brief line of Burger King toys.
Review — Extraterrestrial Intelligence and the Catholic Faith - Geeks Under Grace
In December 2017, The New York Times published a curious story about a top-secret U.S. government UFO research program funded by former Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid that has been investigating the subject of unexplained aerial phenomena for over a decade. On June 5, the same journalists broke another story, claiming that a whistleblower has proof that the U.S. government is lying to Congress about possessing alien aircraft.
Las Vegas’ 20 Greatest Music Rooms-Ever
Think about the best live shows you’ve seen. Picture the band; how it looked, how it sounded. Remember the songs and moments that stood out, and the energy and motion of the crowd around you. Then think about where you were standing or sitting in relation to the stage. If you’re anything like us, that will get you thinking about other artists you’ve seen in that room—and how the room, somehow, made the show better.
Review – The Flash - Geeks Under Grace
In October 2014, Warner Bros. laid out its map of the DC Extended Universe to compete against the rival Marvel Cinematic Universe, announcing solo films for Suicide Squad, Aquaman, Shazam, Cyborg, Green Lantern, two Justice League films, and The Flash. Several of these films did not come to pass and the original DC slate was canceled following Zack Snyder’s 2017 departure from Warner Bros. and the negative critical reception and poor box office performance of Batman vs. Superman.
Review - Fast X - Geeks Under Grace
The Fast and Furious movies have evolved tremendously since the launch of the franchise in 2001. The first movie captured a very specific energy and built a strange evolving franchise based on a rotating cast of street punk characters and diverse personalities, transitioning into a critically acclaimed, fully realized blockbuster with 2011’s Fast Five.
15 Acts to Catch at Las Vegas heavy rock festival Sick New World
Calling first-year Las Vegas festival Sick New World a nu metal gathering would be accurate … and also not. Yes, many big names associated with that late-’90s/early-’00s hard rock subgenre—Korn, System of a Down, Deftones, Incubus, Papa Roach, Sevendust and P.O.D. among them—will be onstage May 13 at the Las Vegas Festival Grounds. But also, Sick New World will include a variety of acts that have little in common with those bands, apart from a general sense of heaviness.
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