Movie "When Calls the Heart - Season 3"- 2016

About this Series: As with the When Calls the Heart Season 1 and Season 2 Collector’s editions, this 10 DVD set contains both the film versions and the TV episode versions of When Calls the Heart Season 3. You can watch the series as 10 hour-long episodes or 5 feature films. As in previous years, fans will enjoy finding small differences between the film versions and the individual episodes. The really exciting elements of the Season 3 collectors’ edition are the three bonus Discs. Disc 8 features the typical bonus material one would expect from a project like this – behind the scenes footage, interviews, etc. Disc 9 is a special product devoted to the fans that have made When Calls the Heart such a grassroots success - featuring footage from the #Hearties gathering in Vancouver in January of 2016. The 10th disc is a When Calls the Heart trivia game that devoted fans are sure to love.

This Series is distributed by FishFlix, a company that produces Christian DVDs (to inspire and entertain).

As a special promotion, for everyone who preorders the Season 3 Collector’s Edition from FishFlix.com, they’ll send the Season 1 “Episodes” set as a free gift. We believe that this set is a great item to give away to friends who are not yet familiar with the "When Calls the Heart" brand. With the release timed for October 11, 2016 this bonus item is a great Christmas gift for any fan of family­friendly romantic programming.
Another promotion FishFlix is running is a drawing for a $100 gift card.
In order to enter the drawing, one needs simply to leave a review of Season 3 on this page:
https://www.fishflix.com/review/product/list/id/1836/category/153/#review-­form and send an email to promo@fishflix.com verifying the “nickname” used on the product review.
A drawing will take place on Sept 1, 2016 and one lucky winner will receive a $100 gift card to FishFlix.com.

Movie "Apostle Paul and The Earliest Churches" (2004)

About the Movie: Apostle Paul and the Earliest Churches is a brilliant and illuminating video production. Beginning with his conversion, it reenacts the Apostle Paul's missionary journeys on Anatolian soil (modern Turkey). This brief, 48-minute film contains an archaeological treasury: mosaics, frescoes, statues, amphitheaters, agoras, temples, and more. Yet Apostle Paul and the Earliest Churches is more than a historical survey; this production's reenactment of the miracles Paul performed, the difficulties Paul encountered, and the persecution Paul faced beckons the viewer to experience with the Apostle himself the birth of the Christian Church.

The film's archaeological emphasis is enhanced by 3D animated maps and footage of Antioch on the Orontes, Pisidian Antioch, Ephesus, Tarsus and other cities important to the Apostle Paul's ministry. Significant artifacts from a variety of Turkish museums are also discussed.

This film is produced by B&N Production, a Christian film production company located in Istanbul, Turkey, operated by Turkish Christians. Pastor Behnan Konutgan, M. Div., of Bible House Church of Istanbul is the executive director, writer and one of the producers of this film. He is a very distinguished Bible translator and one of the executives of the Turkish Branch of the International Bible Society. He is a dedicated Bible teacher, and has been serving the Lord as a pastor for over 25 years in Turkey.
Mr. Nurettin Bulbul and his wife Ozlem Bulbul have a lot of experience in filming and TV network market. They have served in major TV networks in Turkey for years; currently they reside in Istanbul. They joined Pastor Behnan for this project. Mr. Bulbul is director of the film and the film was edited by his wife. Mr. Bulbul is also one of the producers.
Mark Wilson, D. Litt. et Phil., is a distinguished Biblical scholar. He is founder and president of the Seven Churches network. He is a seminary professor, author, and speaker, as well as a frequent researcher and traveler in Turkey. A noted authority on Turkey's biblical history, Dr. Wilson served as the academic consultant for this project.

My Review: This is a very well produced Apostle Paul DVD documentary. Initially you can select to play the movie, go directly to a particular Chapter (the documentary is divided into 5 Chapters: Paul's Calling, 1st Missionary Journey, 2nd Missionary Journey, 3rd Missionary Journey, A Lasting Legacy), or select the languages among English, Turkish and Arabic. You also have access to a Study guide named ApostlePaulGuide.pdf, that is a beautifully illustrated document with 16 pages in pdf format.

The documentary is narrated by Kris Chandler, and the tone is just perfect, not boring nor exasperated. He has a nice pitch and keep the information flowing naturally.

There are just a few scenes with actors, but they do not speak at all. Always the narrator is speaking in the background, telling the story that is developing. 

This is a very informative documentary and I recommend it to the permanent library of any Christian. It is a boost to our faith, seeing and being inspired by the life and work of the Apostle Paul.

I received this DVD from FishFlix, a company that produces Christian DVDs (to inspire and entertain) for reviewing, and I was not requested to post a positive review. Opinion expressed here is my own.

As an extra bonus, FishFlix gives you a US$ 5.00 coupon to buy their products if you decide to join their e-mail list.

Movie "13" (2011)

About the Movie: A naïve young man assumes a dead man's identity in order to join a underworld game of Russian Roulette. The stakes are high, but the payout is more than he can resist. His only collateral is his life and however long his luck can hold. Are his odds any better than any other player in this most deadly game?

My Review: This is a very intense and entertaining movie. The plot is simple: an young electrician (Sam Riley) overhear a talk while doing a work in a house, about a clandestine job that can potentially pay a huge amount of money. As he and his family are in deep financial crisis, having to pay for medical bills after his father suffered an accident, he decided to take the identity of the person planning to attend the job, as the person died of overdose. But he does not have any idea of what waits for him. Following the instructions, he finds himself in a huge mansion, where people are betting on life and death in a Russian Roulette tournament. There is no way out of the deal and the rounds are increasingly challenging and there can be only one winner. The movie is very well filmed, some characters are played by excellent known actors, like Mickey Rourke, Curtis Jackson, Jason Statham and Ray Winstone.
I recommend this movie to those who love to watch a movie on the edge of their seats. Although it is slow in action, the psychological thriller is intense and worth watching.
The movie is directed by Gela Babluani, it was released in DVD in September 2011 and Amazon.com was kind enough to provide this copy for me through their Vine Program for reviewing and I was not request to provide a positive review. Opinions expressed here are my own.

Length of Movie: 90 minutes

If you read this review, fell free to leave a comment!

Movie "A Horrible Way To Die" (2010)

About the Movie: Forget everything you've ever seen in a serial killer movie and get ready for the chiller that stunned festival audiences around the world: Notorious murderer Garrick Turrell (AJ Bowen of HOUSE OF THE DEVIL and HATCHET II) has escaped from police custody and resumed his killing spree. His former girlfriend Sarah (Amy Seimetz of ALEXANDER THE LAST) is a recovering alcoholic trying to put her life back together in a new town with a new man (Joe Swanberg of NIGHTS AND WEEKENDS). Her past continues to haunt her. And now her ex-boyfriend is leaving a trail of slaughter in his hunt to find her. From Adam Wingard, the director of the award-winning film POP SKULL and screenwriter Simon Barrett (DEAD BIRDS) comes the movie experience that is emotionally raw, disturbingly graphic and brutally real. Prepare yourself for A HORRIBLE WAY TO DIE.

My Review: This is a horror/thriller movie directed by Adam Wingard with a very interesting plot. A young lady (Sarah/Amy Seimetz) finds out that her boyfriend (Garrick/A.J.Bowen) is a serial killer and turns him in to the authorities. While trying to recover herself from drinking problems, she finds what it seems to be a nice guy (Kevin/Joe Swanberg) at an AA meeting. When her ex-boyfriend escapes from custody and starts to pursuit her, her nightmare starts all over again. She fears for her life and for the life of her new boyfriend. The movie goes in a slow motion action until its final 20 minutes, which are electrifying and unpredictable. Amy Seimetz does an incredible work and by far she is the highlight of the movie.
If you like action, this movie is not for you. But for those who like blood and graphical scenes or murder, this is the one.

This movie was released in DVD in September 2011 and Amazon.com was kind enough to provide this copy for me through their Vine Program for reviewing and I was not request to provide a positive review. Opinions expressed here are my own.

Length of Movie: 84 minutes

If you read this review, fell free to leave a comment!

Movie "The GrandFathers" (2007)

My Review: In 1956 a group of young missionaries was killed by the aucas (or Waodani) tribe in the amazon jungle in Ecuador. They were speared to death by the people they came to serve. One of those missionaries was Nate Saint. His grandchild Jesse Saint, in a very personal and touching narration, tell us his own story. The movie starts with Jesse talking about his family, including his father's sister Rachel, who also lived as  missionary among the same tribe that had killed her brother. When she died, Jesse's father, Steve,  inherited her house, and the indians invited Steve to live among them. So there they went to live in the jungle. He described all the difficulties they faced, with flies in the "bathroom", tarantulas etc. He starts developing a friendship with Mincaye, whom after a while he starts calling grandfather. He even tells his tale of killing a deer. Students from a Washington college, participating in an anthropology course, went there to visit them. They were amazed of the reconciliation among all the people there, when they figured out that those among them had killed some of the relatives of the missionaries. The missionaries told that they were the same persons but with different hearts. 

This film show us in reality what many of us learn in theory but are afraid to apply to our own lives. Making peace with our enemy. This is hard. Forgive those who hurt us so badly. This is even harder. This inspirational film has been awarded The Dove Foundation seal of approval. It completes a trilogy produced by EthnoGraphic Media (EGM) that includes "End of the Spear" (2006) and "Beyond the Gates of Splendor" (2005). Although I did not watch neither of the previous movies, it did not felt like the story was missing something. It stands by itself. I recommend this film to any church that sends missionaries all over the world and to anyone in need of watching stories of reconciliation to apply them to their own lives.

The film was directed by Jim Hanon and produced by Mart Green and B&B Media Group, Inc was kind enough to send me a copy for reviewing through their Blog Review Program. Thanks you very much for this inspiring film.

Length of movie: 54 minutes

Movie "The Least Among You" (2010)

About the Movie (Editorial Review): Leaders are not chosen, they are called. Inspired by a true story. Richard Kelly (Cedric Sanders) is a black college graduate forced to serve probation at an all-white seminary after the 1965 Watts riots. Richard is encouraged by the seminary president, Alan Beckett, to break the color line. Richard nears his breaking point when he meets Samuel (Louis Gossett, Jr.), an elderly janitor who lives in the basement of his dormitory. As Samuel guides Richard through the trials of racism and the personal life that haunts him, Richard undergoes a transformation that forces him to choose between his dreams and his destiny.

My Review: This is a magnificent movie based on a true story. A young black man - Cedrid Sanders as Richard Kelly- is arrested during 1965 Watts riots, while trying to stop the violence. The deal that was made in order for him to leave the prison is that he needs to attend an all-white seminary. Although not willing to take the deal, he accepts it,through pressure of his mother. Over the seminary he suffered all types of intimidation from colleagues and from professors as well. His mother got sick and he needed money to treat her and he got envolved in a series of events that could compromise his studies and his liberty. But through the orientation of Samuel Benton - Louis Gosset Jr. in a supperb work as an elderly janitor at the seminary - he is guided during his many trials. Even former missionary Kate Allison - played by Lauren Holly - initially rejects Richard, but as per seminary's president -William Devane as Alan Beckett - request, she ended up helping him is his quest to bring more black students and black professors to the seminary. At the end, after being transformed by the circunstances, he must chose between his dream and the call from God to be a servant.

This is a movie I recommend to anyone who wants to enjoy a very nice cast in a very beautiful production. The movie is 97 minutes long and was produced by Witenuckle LLC & Rough Diamond Productions.
Thomas Nelson group were kind enough to send me a copy for reviewing through their Thomas Nelson Book Review Bloggers Program. If you are reading this review, feel free to leave a comment with your thoughts.

Movie "Little Town of Bethlehem" (2009)

About the Movie: Come face to face with the struggle for a nonviolent solution to the crisis that has torn apart Palestinians and Israelis. Little Town of Bethlehem, a bold documentary by award-winning director Jim Hanon and producer Mart Green, shares the gripping story of how three men from opposite sides of the conflict have chosen to risk everything to bring peace to their homelands. Their stories will dare you to believe that the dream for a just peace in that troubled region is not only possible, but is becoming a reality.

My Review: this movie is a documentary about a nonviolent movement in the Middle East that is growing in size and importance. It shares the story of three men and how they inter-related in their view for peace. It is filmed in the West Bank, Tel Aviv and Jerusalem.
Sami Awad is a Palestinian Christian, Yonatan Shapira is an Israeli Jew and Ahmad Al'Azzah is a Palestinian Muslim.
Sami lost his grandfather, killed in Jerusalem in 1948. He directs a non-profit organization promoting Palestinian independence through peaceful means.
Yonatan's grandparents were settlers who witnessed the birth of Israeli nation. He is also an advocate for the nonviolent peace movement.
Ahmad lived his entire life in the Azzah refugee camp in Bethlehem. He heads the nonviolence program there where he trains others in methods of peaceful activism.
Besides being a very inspirational movie, this documentary is also a lesson on history. They mention the creation of the Israeli nation in 1948, the 1967 war (Six-Day War) featuring Syria, Jordan and Egypt against Israel, the 1973 Yom Kippur War (Egypt and Syria against Israel), the Intifadas (starting in 1987), the Oslo Accords (1993), the assassination of Yitzhak Rabin (1995), the Arab Peace Iniciative (2002) and many other facts related to the region.
This is a mandatory documentary for everyone who wants to understand more about the conflicts in the Middle East and are wondering if Peace in the Middle East is really possible.
This movie was directed by Jim Hanon, produced by Mart Green and EthnoGraphic. B&B Media group were kind enough to send me a copy for reviewing through their blogger book review program. If you are reading this review, feel free to leave a comment with your thoughts.


If you want to watch a trailer of this movie, go to http://littletownofbethlehem.org/.

Movie "Who Is in Charge Anyway?" (2010)

About the Movie (from the back cover) - God even cares about a little flea. When Freddie hears Hailey and Bailey ask their mother what's special about fleas, he thinks it's time to have a talk with God. Freddie is reminded that Hermie and Flo and Buzby and Webster and even Antonio all had to learn important lessons before their special talents were put to use. Freddie learns that God didn't make anybody by accident, and that he's not finished with us yet. Contains newly animated flashbacks of key garden characters in their youth...along with pivotal scenes from classic episodes. Lesson is based on Psalm 90:16 "Show your servants the wonderful things you do; show your greatness to their children".

 

My review: This is a Max Lucado's Hermie & Friends production.The main character is Freddie the flea, who sees all the good qualities and abilities in all of the other insects and still cannot figure out about his own qualities. There are many messages that are transmitted through this animated video. First is that God has a purpose for everything he makes. There is no flaws in creation. God acts on his creatures transforming them and making them reach all their full potential. We need to have faith in God in times of trouble. Freddie the flea wants to know his purpose in life and he asks God. Through the examples of Antonio, Webster, Hermie, Busby, Flo, Skeeter and Stanley, Freddie finally learns his potential and importance on God's plans. I liked very much the production and the message that is passed. It is perfect for children to watch multiple times, as usually they do. The length of the movie (the main feature) is a little to the short size, only about 30 to 35 minutes. In one hand, it is good to keep the attention of the young audience during the full time, but in the other hand, leave us with the desire of watching more about those lovely characters. I loved this movie.

It was jointly produced by Glue Works Entertainment and Tommy Nelson, a division of Thomas Nelson Publishers, that were kind enough to send me a copy for reviewing.

Movie "The History of Christianity - The First Three Thousand Years" (2010)

If you are into religion and want to know more about origins of Christianity, this is a must have Series in your collection.

With his passionate narration, Oxford’s History of the Church professor Diarmaid MacCulloch makes you feel like you are living part of the history. He is considered to be one of the greatest authorities on History of the Church.

He mentions that although Christianity is seen as a Western faith, its beginnings are in the Middle East. And to demonstrate his point, he goes in search of Christianity’s forgotten origins, and he lead us in a travel to different parts of the world, starting in Jerusalem and going to Syria, Damascus, Constantinople, Baghdad, going even to the far east, where Christianity was known as Religion of Light in China, where it was poised to triumph in the seventh century.

Watching the first DVD only makes you willing to watch the entire series, composed of six DVDs. It is a BBC co-production with the Open University and Jerusalem Productions (that says a lot by itself). The scenes are beautiful. The only minor detail is that I do not completely agree with the title of the series - The First Three Thousand Years – it implies that they are gone and as a matter of fact we are just starting the third of those thousand years…

The B&B Media Group was kind enough to send me the first DVD of this series for reviewing.

Movie "Combating the Commandant of Confusion" (2010)

This is a Christian DVD movie published in 2010 by Thomas Nelson and they were kind enough to send me a copy for reviewing through the Thomas Nelson Book Review Bloggers Program, the new BookSneeze Program.

The Commandant of Confusion and his helper Chaos decided to steal a secret weapon from the Bible’s Team, and that helps them to put on the full armor of God. But they do not pay proper attention to the warning label and do not follow instructions closely.

Bibleman is a Christian super hero. He combats various villains with his friends Cypher and BibleGirl. This particular episode is a live action show and as such, has limited production resources. The show also was made in a short-budget, but what really matters after all is the message that is transmitted to the target audience, the little kids. The theological content is excellent and the movie teaches the kids to trust in God. If you want to expose your children to this type of message instead of the “sex, drugs and rock&roll” type of movie, this is the correct choice. Just do not expect high quality or Broadway type production or you will be disappointed.

My rate is 4 stars.

Length Of Movie: 60 minutes

Movie "Stargate" (1994)

Daniel Jackson (James Spader) plays the Egyptologist who translates the Startgate's hieroglyphic code and joins a military team leads by Colonel Jack O'Neill (Kurt Russell) on a reconnaissance mission to see what is on the other side of the ancient device found in 1920s Egypt.

They arrive on a desert world with culture similar to Earth's ancient Egypt, where someone pretending to be the sun god Ra rules a population of slaves. This guy is an intelligent aging creature that for centuries has used human bodies to regenerate himself over and over to have "eternal life".

After a warm reception into the slave camp, the earthlings encourage and support a rebellion, while Colonel Jack threatens to blow up the Startgate portal to prevent its use by enemies.

The way the movie ends is a hook to the audience to stay tuned into the TV Show that followed.

Memorable quotes: from Colonel O'Neill: I'm here in case you succeed.

from Ra: You have advanced much... harnessed the power of the atom.

from Daniel Jackson: It's not "Door to Heaven"... is ... Stargate.

Duration of the movie: 121 minutes.

My Rate: 4 stars

This is the link to buy the movie.