Heaven Bound

Ted (Michael Joiner) and Josie (Nancy Stafford) have a perfect marriage and a perfect life. His career as a successful dog food marketer has moved them into a whole new tax bracket... until the fateful day when he suddenly makes a mistake that costs him his job and makes him the most hated man in the country. Josie is already very unhappy, but her frustration reaches the breaking point when her wealthy boss confides he selling all he owns to support a charity he is creating in memory of his late wife. So she concocts a plan to steal the jewelery her boss has hidden in order to pay their debts. Accompanied by her lazy little brother Moochie (Torry Martin), Ted and Josie attempt to pull off a caper but their plans quickly fall apart when Doc (Danny Vinson) realizes he has a captive audience to share the plan of salvation with before he dies. 

Heaven Bound is a fun, family-friendly film that has a serious message at its inner core, but is wrapped in layers of pure laughter. Many of the things that the secular world mocks about Christianity are highlighted in this film...because it's also things we laugh at ourselves. Of course, it's not laughing at the central message of following Jesus, but at some of the ways the gospel is presented. Just as it seems things may take a serious turn, the humor comes through. Joiner, Stafford, Martin, and Vinson all excel at their craft, and each are perfect in their roles. There is also a hysterical scene with Victoria Jackson, as well as a very funny scene at a coffee shop that features Denny Brownlee. Written by Marshall Younger, Torry Martin, and Rene Gutteridge, and directed by Gabe McCauley, this film is a must-see for anyone wanting a night of laughter.Learn more at HeavenBoundthemovie.com

Altar Egos Digital Download

Pastor John (Robert Amaya) has a dream of reaching out to potential new members by making a few changes ... including updating the 🎄CHRISTMAS PAGEANT!! Mary Margaret (Sallie Wanchisn), the choir director, immediately calls for a boycott by the choir...and for a Pastor Search Committee to be formed!! As his wife (Erin Bethea) helps by lining up interviews, Pastor John tries a different approach. Pulling son Jack (Max Morgan) into his scheme, they use Jack's theatrical make-up from his school play to create colorful characters to gain insider info. Toss in Jack's co-star (Lindsley Register) whom he has a secret crush on and her man-crazy mom (Victoria Jackson) and you have a sure-fire recipe for humor. More than just a comedy, though, the film touches on some deeper issues too. Read my review from last August: Altar Egos review.

Bridgestone Multimedia Group just released this clip from the film:

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ALTAR EGOS is now available on DVD and digital, for purchase or streaming.

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Merry Christmas!!

Altar Egos

Desperate to see their church grow, Pastor John (Robert Amaya, MOM’S NIGHT OUT, COURAGEOUS) and wife Betsy (Erin Bethea, FIREPROOF) do the unthinkable and change their church Christmas pageant. Flabbergasted, elderly choir director Mary Margaret (Sallie Wanchisn) leads the choir to boycott. Facing termination, Pastor John resorts to disguising himself as an old man to bridge the generation gap, win over Mary, and lead the choir back to the church. When he discovers that the wounds run deeper than he first suspected, Pastor John must learn to love the unlovable or risk the ruin of his church and family. Also stars Victoria Jackson (SNL). Written and directed by Sean Morgan, the film uses the themes of loving the "unloveable," reconciliation, conflict resolution, and change vs tradition. 

Altar Egos is a good "popcorn" movie to enjoy with family or friends. It's not one of the funniest films I have ever seen, but it is amusing. The themes of the film can be told in a very heavy-handed way, so it is refreshing to see points made in a more humorous way. To quote Mary Poppins, a spoon full of sugar makes the medicine go down. Some of the scenes were a bit too silly for me, and some left me puzzled, but it was overall entertaining. There were also a couple of editing issues that I wish had been fixed, but that is not uncommon in any movie. 

Good acting throughout the film. Robert Amaya and Victoria Jackson are excellent any time they do comedy. But, I have to mention 2 of the younger cast members. Lindsley Register lit up the screen each time she appeared. I loved her portrayal of Holly. But, the standout performance for me was Max Morgan! He was good as the teen-aged Jack, but when he would transform into the elderly Frank, I could not take my eyes off of him as he tried to fit into the senior crowd and made attempts to get them to loosen up a bit.

Conflict and resolution are the major staple of most films, and I thought Altar Egos did a good job in the "and they all lived happily ever after..." style while still making their points. Sometimes we need to see things from a different point of view to gain a greater understanding.
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  Dove Review

Brother White

David A.R. White, Reginald VelJohnson, Jackee Harry, and Ray Wise star with Bruce Davison and Victoria Jackson in this heartwarming fish out of water comedy. James White (White) is one of dozens of associate pastors at a mega church in Southern California under the tutelage of television evangelist Johnny Kingman (Wise). He always longed to have his own church and jumps at the opportunity to become pastor of the impoverished Divine Faith Apostolic Church in Atlanta. His wife (Andrea Logan White) and two children aren't very enthusiastic about his assignment. Neither is the congregation itself, but they will have to learn to trust each other and pull together to save the church from a corrupt banker anxious to foreclose. It will take a musical miracle, supplied by BeBe Winans himself, to save them all in this heartfelt, family-friendly comedy.

Brother White was a bit of a disappointment to me. I honestly do enjoy a "fish out of water" type comedy and had high hopes for this one. There are certainly moments that are a lot of fun, but this seems to have a bit of a rushed feeling to it. All of the cast and crew are in films I love, but this just wasn't quite up to what I usually find. I kept getting lost in the time frame. Did all of this happen in a week? There were just things that didn't make sense to me. I think it would be a fun television series, and the film could be revamped to set the stage...but too much was crammed into the film without a smooth flow. I really did laugh (in a good way!) but wish this one had been tweaked a bit better before being released.

Marriage Retreat "Special Edition"

Marriage Retreat "Special Edition" is an emsemble cast film that focuses on 3 couples who are each at a breaking point in their marriages, but too consumed in their own needs to recognize their faults. Mark and Claire Bowman (David A. R. White, Andrea Logan White) are fighting because Claire wants a baby, and Mark most emphatically does not. James and Donna Harlow (Matthew Florida, Anna Zielinski) are not accustomed to trusting God, and Donna's growing fear of losing James is causing her not to trust him, either. Bobby and Melody Castle (Tommy Blaze, Caroline Choi) are now struggling financially as Bobby gambles on risky ventures to get rich quick. The love and laughter is fading in each of the marriages as they grow further apart.

 When their pastor (Reginald VelJohnson) invites the leaders of a marriage retreat, Craig and Katrina Sullivan (Jeff Fahey, Victoria Jackson), as guest speakers, they invite those who want to remake their marriage to sign up for their sessions at their country retreat. These 6 friends see this as an opportunity for a weekend getaway to relax...and to let their spouses 'finally learn how to show them some respect'. Will this road lead them back to the ONE they love?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I was so excited to get the opportunity to preview this film. I am a fan of Pure Flix films and this one looked very good. Marriage Retreat: Special Edition has already moved onto my favorites list! There were moments of just sheer fun and genuine laughter as I watched this film, along with a few scenes that did bring tears to my eyes. Each issue the couples face may not be one you have dealt with, but there is sure to be something that resonates with the viewer. This isn't a film strictly for couples; I am no longer married, but there were things that caused me to think about my relationship with God and others in my life. I loved the music in the film and felt it went along wonderfully with the plot. A scene that featured a character by the brilliantly funny Brad Stine is pure pleasure to watch. However, there is also a theme that is symbolized that really spoke to me, but I don't want to give away any spoilers. The couples and the situations they were dealing with are relevant for today, and it taught a lesson while entertaining. Downloadable Bible Study Guides are also available to enrich your experience. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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