Jesus Boat - Witness to Prophecy DVD

Jesus Boat - Witness To Prophecy synopsis: The astounding prophetic rebirth of Israel is told through the discovery of an ancient and unlikely artifact found under the shores of the Sea of Galilee. A first century fishing boat, identical to the boat Jesus sailed upon with his disciples, was destroyed in the years Israel was destroyed by the Romans, but found 2000 years later in a series of astonishing events that even scientists called a miracle. Mirroring Israel's own story of devastation and survival, the boat from the time of Jesus, would rise against all odds and float upon the Sea of Galilee once more as the oldest surviving freshwater boat in the world. Featuring commentary from some of the great theologians of our day including Franklin Graham, Joel Rosenberg, Jay Sekulow, Skip Heitzig, Chuck Smith and more. (back cover)

My Review: I don't remember hearing about the discovery of the boat, but the documentary did sound intriguing. The DVD is is better than I had hoped for, and one that I recommend to all believers and history buffs. Called the Jesus boat because it has been dated to the time when Jesus was on Earth, it was discovered by brothers, Moshe and Yuval Lufan, during a severe drought in the 1980s. This story alone, with the trials of carefully excavating the boat, various groups claiming ownership, and time factors that had to be considered, along with the tales of God's blessings and solutions to problems are fascinating on their own. But, I was completely absorbed in the realization of all of the prophecy fulfilled as Scripture was compared to historical events. This DVD is one that historians (particularly of Jewish history) and those with an interest in archaeology...or even fishing, will enjoy. As a Christian, this documentary made the Bible come even more vividly to life.

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this DVD from Elliot Wallach to review. I was not required to write a positive review.

I also been given a copy to give to one of my readers. Leave a comment (or message me to add your name) if you want to be entered. Deadline is December 5th, 2014.

The Jesus Boat- Witness to Prophecy, produced by Edify Films and Jesus Boat Incorporated, features commentary from Franklin Graham, Joel Rosenberg, Jay Sekulow, Skip Heitzig, Chuck Smith, Ken Ortize and more. The movie is being distributed by Word Entertainment^. www.JesusBoatMovie.com.

.A leader in the music industry for over 60 years, Word Entertainment, a Warner/Curb company, is a unique, comprehensive entertainment company comprised of multi-faceted artist service departments including publishing, merchandising, booking, and online initiatives. Word Entertainment represents some of the top names and brands in music, including Meredith Andrews, Chris August, BarlowGirl, Francesca Battistelli, Big Daddy Weave, Jason Castro, Patrick Ryan Clark, Everfound, for KING & COUNTRY, Group 1 Crew, Dara Maclean, Point Of Grace and Sidewalk Prophets and is home to 25 Entertainment, Word Distribution (representing Curb Records and Big Idea/VeggieTales among others), Word Print, Word Music Publishing and Word Label Group’s Word Records and Fervent Records.

A Long Way Off

A Long Way Off is a modern day retelling of The Prodigal Son. Jake Abraham (Jason Burkey) works for his father (John Diehl), a prosperous farmer in North Carolina. Jake doesn't feel like farm living is the life he was meant to have, so tells his dad that he is quitting, and, by the way, would also like to have his inheritance NOW! He has to have money to invest it... and will need a few dollars to live on as he waits to get richer.

When he reaches the big city, he meets a new friend, Summer (Zoe Myers), who works at a nearby coffee shop, but is drawn to actress, Laura (Johanna Jowett), despite the fact that she appears to be in a relationship with Frank (Robert Davi). Spending money freely, it appears he will waste it all until one of his investments pays off big. However, when the investment falls through, Jake is left with no money, no friends, an angry mobster who is threatening him...and no where to turn.

A chance encounter at a homeless shelter with Al (Rusty Martin Sr.) leads to a job on a pig farm, and some wise advice. Setting aside his pride and fears, he throws himself on the mercy of his father. Will he be accepted or rejected?
  
A Long Way Off also stars Dave Blamy (as Jake's brother, Seth), Robert Amaya and Edie McClurg. Written by Jon Macy and co-directed by Michael Davis and John Errington. Davis also serves as producer; Gerald McGlothlin and Christy McGlothlin are the executive producers for ProdigalFilm LLC. For more info on the film, visit their website at  www.alongwayoffthemovie.com.

My Review: This film is based on one of my favorite parables told by Jesus, "The Prodigal Son". For any unfamiliar with the story, it is the ultimate example of God's grace and forgiveness toward His children who reject Him (but don't hesitate to take His blessings) and His acceptance of those who humble themselves, ask forgiveness, and return to Him. I cry each and every time I read about or see a re-enactment of this Father and child reunion.

This film was no exception! I don't feel like I am giving away anything. The basic plot of the story in in the Bible, and the difference is in the setting and the details. This was a well acted story and looked great. Those looking for foul language and signs of nudity will be disappointed (thank goodness!). Some parts are not necessarily suitable for younger children, but even the worst is better than the average person sees daily. It is certainly suitable for teens and up. Jake's lavish lifestyle may look attractive, but is also a prime example of how quickly people will desert you when you are no longer useful to them. 

I admit, that I am more prone to identify with the older brother in this tale. I loved the way this part of the story was handled, and thought Dave Blamy was excellent in the role of Seth, the "good" brother who felt his efforts were unappreciated. Jason Burkey is an outstanding actor and easily portrayed a believable character who made a complete turnaround with his life. John Diehl was also remarkable as the dad who reluctantly gives in to his son's demands, and his part in the climactic scene will long remain with me, especially when I am reading this story in my Bible.

Disclaimer: Thank you to Edify Media and Word Entertainment for providing me with a copy of this dvd for review purposes. No expectations were given for a positive review; only an honest one.

When Calls The Heart: The Dance

When Calls the Heart - “The Dance” is a feature length film from two episodes of the When Calls the Heart television series. When new miners are hired to help with the reopening of the Coal Valley mine, the town decides to celebrate with a dance. One of those new miners takes a special interest in Elizabeth (Erin Krakow) and showers her with attention and poetry. With Jack's (Daniel Lissing) insistence that the life of a Mountie is too difficult to share with a wife, Billy Hamilton's (Andrew W. Walker) flattery tugs at Elizabeth's heart. 

In a side story, one of the widows (Laura Bertram) is also attracted to one of the new miners (Derek Hamilton. However, her son (Will Verchere-Gopaulsingh) is not ready to have another man in his mom's life. Tensions increase as she struggles to extinguish her growing feelings that equal her son's resentment.

The celebrations of the new miners, a dance and the Miner's Games is not the only cause for joy, though. Widow Carla Noonan (Jill Morrison) is expecting her baby soon. However, the excitement is tempered with trepidation since there is no doctor available. Carla has moved in with Abigail (Lori Loughlin) and Elizabeth has her time grows nearer, but will the women of Coal Valley be able to care for her when she goes into labor early?

My Review: Once again, this is a well acted and well written film that keeps the viewer interested and endears these characters even more. There are a few twists here and there that lend to the excitement of the story, along with the poignancy of letting go and moving forward. You must believe that Jack and Elizabeth will realize their love for one another, but will misunderstandings cause a permanent rift? Also, realizing the hardships many of our ancestors faced gave me a greater appreciation of my blessings. If you haven't seen the previous When Calls the Heart DVDs, you will want to get in on the beginning of the series. You will fall in love with the people of Coal Valley.
 
I received this dvd compliments of Word Films and Edify Media for my honest review. I was not required to write a favorable review and the opinions expressed here are strictly my own.

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Michael Landon Jr. – Director:  Michael Landon Jr., son of the late television legend Michael Landon, has been in the film business for over 25 years.  With two of the highest rated films in the history of the Hallmark channel, and several top ten releases targeted to the Christian market, Michael has become known for creating heartfelt, inspiring films that connect to the family.  He has developed and/or produced, directed, and written screenplays for Fox, CBS, NBC, Disney, Sony, Lifetime, and others.

 Brian Bird- Writer/Producer : Brian Bird is co-founder with partner Michael Landon, Jr., of Believe Pictures, a film and television production company.  He was co-executive producer and writer on the successful television series, Touched by an Angel.  Adding to Brian’s success, he had also written and produced episodes of Evening Shade, Step by Step and The Family Man.  Most recently, Bird wrote and produced Gametime, a two-hour television pilot for NBC, The Shunning, inspired by the novel by best-selling author Beverly Lewis, for the Hallmark Channel, and Not Easily Broken, adapted from the novel by T.D. Jakes and released theatrically by Sony/TriStar.

About Word Entertainment:  A leader in the music industry for over 60 years, Word Entertainment, a Warner/Curb company, is a unique, comprehensive entertainment company comprised of multi-faceted artist service departments including publishing, merchandising, booking, and online initiatives. Word Entertainment represents some of the top names and brands in music, including Meredith Andrews, Chris August, BarlowGirl, Francesca Battistelli, Big Daddy Weave, Jason Castro, Patrick Ryan Clark, Everfound, for KING & COUNTRY, Group 1 Crew, Love & The Outcome, Dara Maclean, Point Of Grace and Sidewalk Prophets and is home to 25 Entertainment, Word Distribution (representing Curb Records and Big Idea/VeggieTales among others), Word Print, Word Films, Word Music Publishing and Word Label Group’s Word Records, Word Worship and Fervent Records.

When Calls The Heart: A Telling Silence dvd

When Calls the Heart: A Telling Silence is a feature length film made from episodes of the television series, When Calls the Heart. The series is the story of Elizabeth Thatcher (Erin Krakow), a teacher who was raised in a wealthy family but whose first assignment is a small coal mining town that recently suffered a tragedy that resulted in the deaths of many of the miners. Another newcomer, Canadian Mountie, Jack Thornton (Daniel Lissing), and Elizabeth have sparks flying with a few clashes but also a budding romance and friendship developing.

In this episode, young Rosaleen (Mamie Laverock) has not spoken since the mining accident which took the life of her father. Elizabeth reaches out to help her young student, and is highly suspicious of a man who seems to strike fear into the child each time she sees him. She brings her concerns to Jack and it looks like her fears may have been realized when Rosaleen suddenly disappears.

Jack is also busy investigating the suspicious fire that destroyed the town church. The pastor (Adrian Hough) is getting a lot of pressure from the head of the mining company about the drop in attendance, especially since the townspeople are flocking to hear Cat Montgomery (Chelah Horsdal) speak each Sunday. Cat lost her husband during the mining accident, and was one of the few who did not attend the memorial service. Evidence is building against her and even her son, Gabe (Mitchell Kummen) has doubts of his mom's innocence.

My Review: I love this series! The characters are people you get to know and love ( or loathe) as their stories unfold. There is enough drama, comedy, mystery, and romance to keep my attention, and leaving me wanting to see more of the story. This particular episode revealed new layers to one of my favorites, Cat Montgomery. (The actor who plays her son always stand out to me; I expect to see a lot more of Mitchell Kummen in the future.) There was much to be learned from the this storyline, but it was achieved through the art of telling a story and telling it well. Ken LaZebnik wrote this episode and it was directed by Michael Landon Jr.
 

 
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received the above DVD for free from Edify Media in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Michael Landon Jr. – Director:  Michael Landon Jr., son of the late television legend Michael Landon, has been in the film business for over 25 years.  With two of the highest rated films in the history of the Hallmark channel, and several top ten releases targeted to the Christian market, Michael has become known for creating heartfelt, inspiring films that connect to the family.  He has developed and/or produced, directed, and written screenplays for Fox, CBS, NBC, Disney, Sony, Lifetime, and others.

 Brian Bird- Writer/Producer : Brian Bird is co-founder with partner Michael Landon, Jr., of Believe Pictures, a film and television production company.  He was co-executive producer and writer on the successful television series, Touched by an Angel.  Adding to Brian’s success, he had also written and produced episodes of Evening Shade, Step by Step and The Family Man.  Most recently, Bird wrote and produced Gametime, a two-hour television pilot for NBC, The Shunning, inspired by the novel by best-selling author Beverly Lewis, for the Hallmark Channel, and Not Easily Broken, adapted from the novel by T.D. Jakes and released theatrically by Sony/TriStar.

About Word Entertainment:  A leader in the music industry for over 60 years, Word Entertainment, a Warner/Curb company, is a unique, comprehensive entertainment company comprised of multi-faceted artist service departments including publishing, merchandising, booking, and online initiatives. Word Entertainment represents some of the top names and brands in music, including Meredith Andrews, Chris August, BarlowGirl, Francesca Battistelli, Big Daddy Weave, Jason Castro, Patrick Ryan Clark, Everfound, for KING & COUNTRY, Group 1 Crew, Love & The Outcome, Dara Maclean, Point Of Grace and Sidewalk Prophets and is home to 25 Entertainment, Word Distribution (representing Curb Records and Big Idea/VeggieTales among others), Word Print, Word Films, Word Music Publishing and Word Label Group’s Word Records, Word Worship and Fervent Records.

   

Let God movie

In the Winter of 1848, a caravan of pioneers headed West. Only one survived. This is her story.

As rumors of gold in California spread across the United States in 1848, Levi decides it is time to head west with Amelia, his young housewife, to stake their claim and build a better life. Against her better judgment, Amelia honors her husband’s demands, leaving her home and family. Secretly, they join the last wagon caravan of the season dangerously late, leaving behind a string of bad debts. On the trail, they encounter unimaginable danger that will ultimately change the course of their lives.

After a savage attack takes her husband, Amelia is left alone and without resources. For the first time, Amelia must take life into her own hands, battling winter, hunger, and the unknown. As she grows weaker by the day, she finds strength in a mysterious and unexpected guide. Survival becomes a race against time and Amelia must find something greater than herself to help survive the frigid winter along the Oregon Trail.

Winner of "Best Feature" and "Best Actress" at the 2013 Breckenridge Film Festival.
Official selection at the 2013 Gideon Film Festival. Earned the Dove “Family-Approved” Seal for any age.

Let God (AKA The Trail), written and directed by William Parker, has beautiful cinematography and the acting is very good. Yet there are a couple of things that don't quite make sense to me. Some of it was within the storyline, but I could throw in my own reasoning and let it go...for most of it. The issue I struggled with the most, though, was how remarkably CLEAN Amelia (Jasmin Jandreau) stayed throughout the film. I am not one who enjoys graphic visuals of all details, but a drop of sweat or smear of dirt would have been reasonable. The cold did not seem to bother her a whole lot either---no shivering nor condensation. Unfortunately, I can get hung up on details like that. I also had to accept some some of the parts were meant more as symbolism, and not to be taken at face value.

However, it just meant that I watched the film again and ignored the little things that probably only distracted me. It is a strong story of someone who faced life head on and persevered. She did struggle to do it on her own, but many of us are guilty of that. When she finally did Let Go...and Let God, she learned that while the journey remained tough, she was not alone. There were hardships, but also unexpected blessings to lighten her load. As I mentioned, I had a few areas where the story just did not make a lot of sense, but it is a fairly good film. The scene stealer for me was Amelia's mysterious companion (Shannon Brown); he spoke very little, but my attention was drawn to him in each scene he appeared in. The most positive part of the film is the transformation of Amelia from a meek female who merely went through the motions of life and faith. The more she leaned on God and trusted Him, the stronger she became and her faith became real. The transformation was worth the journey. This is a good family film.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this dvd from Word Entertainment and Edify Media in exchange for a fair and honest review.

When Calls The Heart: Lost and Found

“When Calls the Heart: Lost and Found” tells the captivating story of Elizabeth Thatcher (Erin Krakow), a young teacher accustomed to her high society life, who receives her first classroom assignment in Coal Valley, a small coalmining town where life is simple, but often fraught with challenges. Lori Loughlin plays Abigail Stanton, a wife and mother whose husband, the foreman of the mine, along with a dozen other miners, has just been killed in an explosion.

The newly widowed women find their faith is tested when they must go to work in the mines to keep a roof over their heads. Elizabeth charms most everyone in Coal Valley, except Constable Jack Thornton (Daniel Lissing) who believes Thatcher’s wealthy father has doomed the lawman’s career by insisting he be assigned in town to protect the shipping magnate’s daughter. Living in a 19th century coal town, Elizabeth will have to learn the ways of the frontier if she wishes to thrive in the rural west on her own.
The series is inspired by Janette Oke’s bestselling book series about the Canadian West, and reunites Oke with Executive Producer and Director, Michael Landon, Jr. (back cover)

This is the first DVD of 10 in the series. Written by Michael Landon Jr., Cindy Kelley, and Brian Bird.

When Calls The Heart: Lost and Found is the first episode of a series that began on the Hallmark Channel Jan. 11, 2014. Based on the Canadian West novels of Janette Oke, but not an adaptation of the books. There was also a television movie that debuted last year that tied the 2 together a bit closer. I saw that movie and loved it. It also caused a bit of confusion at the beginning of this dvd for me since there was a change in the lead actress, a new Canadian Mountie, and the ending of the movie had been changed to reflect the new direction the series is taking. Also, a couple of other scenes from the movie had been reused with slight alterations. However, I quickly adapted and quit trying to compare the two.

The drama of a small town coming to grips with the disaster of a mine collapse and the deaths of so many

husbands, fathers, sons, relatives, and friends could easily become maudlin, but there are enough elements of comedy and romance to soften the harsh realities. While Elizabeth and Daniel may be the main focus, the story of the townspeople weaves through this a fascinating drama. The determination of the women to do whatever it takes to support their families and give them options, the children trying to adapt to their loss, and everyone in the town trying to come to terms with their new normal.

 The characters are well developed and each seems to have the determination and strength to get through no matter what comes their way. I do think it a little odd that even the weakest of them aren't more prone to give-up, but this is only episode 1. The character that I thought was the best written was the "villian" of the piece...the mine supervisor. There are times when he is does the wrong thing, but I felt that the very nature of his job would make him have to be a bit cold-hearted in making some decisions.

Altogether, really balanced storyline, characters that you will come to care about, delightful scenery, and you are left wanting to know more of the story at the end of the episode. The fact that my grandfather and a couple of uncles were coalminers gave this an additional fascination for me, but would have kept my attention anyway. Not quite a 5 star for me, but right at a 4.5. I definitely recommend this particular dvd, and I am sure that the others will live up to the hope I have for this series.

Thank you to Edify Media and Word Entertainment for providing me with a copy of this dvd for review purposes. No expectations were given for a good review, and only an honest one was promised.

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