Review & Giveaway: "The Case for Heaven" (2022 film)

We all want to know what happens after we die. In The Case for Heaven, best-selling author and investigative journalist Lee Strobel explores the  evidence for the afterlife in order to address man’s biggest fear: death. Inspired by  his own brush with death, Strobel searches for answers to the most profound  questions we all have, about heaven, hell, and Near-Death Experiences. Featuring  interviews with experts and skeptics, The Case for Heaven will challenge,  encourage and inspire as Strobel dares to probe the most important question. If  there is a heaven, can we prove it? 

The Case for Heaven documentary is based on Lee Strobel's new book of the same name, and features interviews with best-selling author John Burke, world-renowned pastor Francis Chan, the late Evangelist Luis Palau, and more.

Review + Giveaway: "American Underdog" (2021 Film)

My family has a longstanding tradition of seeing a movie on Christmas. We won't be going this year - it's still too dangerous for my immunocompromised self - but if we were, American Underdog would be the movie we'd see. Fortunately, I was able to watch a screener ... so I can tell you that this absolutely should be on your Christmas agenda if you're comfortable going to movie theaters!

Review: "When We Last Spoke" (2019 Film)

When We Last Spoke had me at Corbin Bernsen and Melissa Gilbert. I didn't really know anything else about the film going in, except that it was a family film. As it turns out, I'm glad that I went in without any preconceived notions, as I really enjoyed learning about the movie as it went along!

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Review: "The Santa Box" (2020 Film)

It's Christmas movie season!!! I've been watching Hallmark movies for the last few weeks, and really, to me it's the more the merrier! The Santa Box is a new Christmas movie that released in theaters last Friday and will be available on DVD tomorrow. I had the opportunity to watch a screener of the film, and it's a good one!

Review: "Christmas Jars" (2019 film)

At this time of the year, my TV and movie viewing consists almost solely of Christmas movies and specials. So when I was given the opportunity to review Christmas Jars, which aired on BYU TV last weekend and also released on DVD, I jumped at the chance!

Review: "Little Women" (2018)

Little Women has long been one of my favorite stories. I don't think I've ever actually read the whole book, but I've loved several movie adaptations. When I heard about this new modern adaptation, I was intrigued but nervous ... after all, the dreadful The March Sisters at Christmas was a modernization, and after I saw it, I called it "the worst movie I've seen this [Christmas] season."

I needn't have worried—this is how you adapt a classic for a modern audience!

Review + Giveaway: "Unbroken: Path to Redemption"

Remember the story of Louis Zamperini? If you've read the book Unbroken, you probably know the whole story. But if you've only seen the movie? Well, that ended with a large portion of Zamperini's story yet untold! Unbroken: Path to Redemption picks up where Unbroken left off, and as soon as I heard about it, I knew I wanted to know (as Paul Harvey would say) "the rest of the story."

"Champion" Movie Review

I recently had the opportunity to preview Champion, which arrives in theaters this weekend. It's definitely worth watching!

"To Joey, With Love" Movie Review + Giveaway

Just over a year ago, I somehow found Rory Feek's blog, This Life I Live. As someone who knows virtually nothing about country music (unless the artist is named Keith, Carrie, or Reba), I had no idea that Rory was part of the country duo Joey+Rory. But his storytelling grabbed me, and I began following his posts—which, at the time, largely centered on his wife Joey's battle with cancer. Joey passed away earlier this year, and To Joey, With Love tells the story of the last two years of her life.

"voiceless" movie review

When I was in junior high, our youth leaders took us to picket an abortion clinic. I've always had mixed feelings about that—as a non-confrontational person, I was very uncomfortable. Yet I also then believed (and still do) that every baby should have the chance to live. I just felt that surely there had to be a better way to stand up for life.

When I was invited to screen Voiceless, I felt some of that same conflict of emotions. What exactly would Voiceless be advocating? But I was curious enough to accept the invitation.

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Battling his own inner-demons, Jesse (Rusty Joiner: Last Ounce Of Courage, Dodgeball, “Days of Our Lives”) encounters a young, pregnant teen overcome with grief that, after an impulsive abortion, has her family blaming Jesse for more than just her final decision. Jesse’s wife Julia (Jocelyn Cruz: Strike One, This Is Our Time) must come to terms with her own choices and decide if she can support her husband as opposition mounts against him. Comedian Paul Rodriguez also stars as Virgil with James Russo as Pastor Gil.

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Voiceless really impressed me. First of all, the acting and production values are very good—something that doesn't always happen in faith-based films. Second, Voiceless isn't about picketing or radical activism (though there are demonstrations from those on both sides). It's about supporting and protecting life. It's about having the courage to stand up for those who can't stand up for themselves. And it's about the church doing more than just agreeing that abortion is wrong.

While I didn't understand everything that happened—like why Jesse was arrested after being threatened by a man who had a gun—Voiceless definitely left me with things to ponder. It's a thought-provoking movie that I believe will make a positive impact on those who watch it. 4 stars.

Voiceless releases in theaters October 7.



Disclosure of Material Connection: I was provided with a free screener of this film through Icon Media Group. I was not required to write a positive review, and the opinions expressed are my own.

"samson and delilah" dvd review

A few weeks ago, I was contacted by a representative from FishFlix to see if I'd be interested in reviewing a DVD. I hadn't heard of FishFlix before, so I went to their website to check them out. They have lots of Christian DVDs, Hallmark movies, and other family friendly DVDs for sale, and their prices are pretty comparable to Amazon's—some DVDs are cheaper than on Amazon, and others are slightly more expensive. (So shop around!) What interested me the most is that many of the older Hallmark movies are cheaper on FishFlix than they are on Amazon ... and you know how I love my Hallmark movies!

I agreed to let them send me a DVD, and when it arrived, I saw it was Samson and Delilah, a TV film that aired on TNT in 1996.

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Elizabeth Hurley stars as the seductive Delilah, the Philistine who used her beauty to draw super-strong Israelite Samson, played by Eric Thal, to his eventual downfall. Dennis Hopper also stars in this powerful recounting of the Old Testament story.

As told in the Old Testament, Samson, a simple shepherd with the strength of a titan, is betrayed by a scheming Philistine beauty, Delilah, who is torn between her love for Samson and her loyalty to her people. Samson's epic revenge vanquishes his Philistine enemies.

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Prior to watching Samson and Delilah, I reread the biblical account in Judges 13-16 to refresh my memory. Samson and Delilah basically takes the original story as source material and then goes off on its own tangent, changing large portions of the story while loosely following the timeline of Samson's life.

I'm going to be honest: getting through this movie was almost painful. It's horribly long (3 hours!), fairly boring, graphically violent, and disturbingly sensual. Knowing the source material, I expected a movie about Samson to be both violent and sensual, and that's exactly what it delivered, though the amount and intensity of the sexual content surprised me. Though the content is milder than much of what is on TV today, it is also decidedly not family friendly.

Then there's the acting. While Diana Rigg shines as Samson's mother and Elizabeth Hurley portrays Delilah just as you would expect her to be, Dennis Hopper is horribly miscast as a Philistine general. He is the only one to speak with an American accent (I'm not saying the other actors' British accents are particularly appropriate, but Hopper's flat American tone definitely stood out in a bad way), and his acting is wooden and unbelievable. (Some of this could probably be contributed to the writing...)

Overall, I cannot recommend Samson and Delilah, and it's not a movie I'll ever watch again. 1 star.

Note: While I will not be watching Samson and Delilah again, FishFlix is a place I'll go when I'm looking to feed my Hallmark movie addiction! Just as with any retail site, you have to check things out for yourself—is Samson and Delilah suitable for the whole family? Absolutely not. But FishFlix does offer many movies that are.

Buy Bible Stories Samson and Delilah DVD.
Get a $5 coupon to FishFlix.com by joining the email list here or by texting 5-GIFT to 44222.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this DVD free for review from FishFlix.com. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. 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."

what's in the mail? 5-31-12 edition

I got several things in the mail these past two weeks—more cereal, a movie, and lots of books!

Quaker Oatmeal Squares, Cinnamon
Apparently Vine has discovered I like cinnamon ... I've gotten cinnamon-flavored cereals two newsletters in a row! This one doesn't hold a candle to the other. It's bland and not very cinnamony. Don't get me wrong—I'll eat it for breakfast ... but I definitely won't be buying it in the future! Here's my review.

Coriolanus
I thought this adaptation of a Shakespeare play would be my cup of tea. I was wrong. So, so wrong. I haven't posted my Vine review yet (because I'm a bit afraid of getting my review voted down—all the less-than-glowing reviews are getting voted down like crazy!), but I did post about it on Cinematic Survey, where I can be completely candid. You can see the post here.

Tarnished by Daniel & Christina Morrison
Earlier this week, the Morrisons did a guest post about their fantasy novel and the Kickstarter project to fund the audio book. My book arrived yesterday; I'm looking forward to reading it as soon as I finish the one I'm currently reading.

The Anniversary Waltz by Darrel Nelson
When this book arrived earlier this week, I had no idea where it came from. I'm not so in demand as a reviewer that I have unsolicited books arriving at my door, so I knew I must have requested it. And I did—a mere 18 days ago! How quickly we forget ... Anyway, it appears to be mainly set around WWII, which is my favorite historical era to read about, thus explaining why I requested it from Glass Road!

After All: A Hanover Falls Novel by Deborah Raney
This is the book that I mentioned last time—the one that got sent to the wrong mailing list. I loved After All and finished it in one afternoon. Here's the review.

Prize of My Heart by Lisa Norato
Some of you may have picked up the Kindle edition of this book for free a couple weeks ago. I did! I requested this from Bethany House in March. I never got a confirmation e-mail, so I assumed I didn't make the cut. Then this showed up last week ...

Legacy Road by Graham Garrison
I'll be reviewing this for Kregel in July ... which means I probably won't read it for another five weeks! It's about a journalist, and that's all I know. I signed up for this tour because I really like working with Kregel.

One.Life: Jesus Calls, We Follow by Scot McKnight
This is the lone book on the list that I purchased myself. I bought it because it was quoted in an article I recently read, and I was intrigued. Now that I've flipped through a few pages, I think I will be challenged by what I read. I haven't read a book that I really have to think critically about in a long time, and I'm looking forward to it!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received some of these products free in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review and received no monetary compensation. The opinions expressed are my own.  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."

"sarah's key" dvd review

Sarah (Mélusine Mayance) and her parents are driven from their home during the 1942 Vel' d'Hiv Roundup. Before the French officials forced them out, Sarah was able to hide her little brother in a locked, concealed closet. When it becomes apparent the family will not be returning home, Sarah's desperation to rescue her brother mounts, and she does everything in her power to get to him.

When American journalist Julia (Kristin Scott Thomas) and her French husband begin renovating his family's Paris apartment, Julia learns that the former occupants were part of the 1942 roundup. Finding out what happened to Sarah becomes a driving force in her life, and Julia soon uncovers long-hidden family secrets.

My take: I generally enjoy World War II movies, so I jumped at the chance to review Sarah's Key. I didn't realize it was a French movie, though—so I'm glad I recently got a larger TV, which made reading the subtitles easier!

I really liked this film. The fact that it cut back and forth between Sarah's and Julia's stories kept it from getting too heavy. I also appreciated that the filmmakers chose not to go for the "gross out" factor in one pivotal scene. Rather than showing a grotesque, decomposing body, they focused on the characters in the scene, which I think made a more powerful impact than showing the body would have.

Several fantastic performances really carry this film. Kristin Scott Thomas is great as usual, but the two performances that stick out to me are Niels Arestrup as a Frenchman who takes Sarah under his wing and Mélusine Mayance as the young Sarah. Mayance in particular is phenomenal, as she completely sells Sarah's horror, determination, and pain.

Also of interest is a "making of" special on the DVD, which features interviews with the film's director (who claims Mayance is one of the best actresses he's ever worked with) and Tatiana De Rosnay (the author of the book Sarah's Key), as well as a look at the special effects/stunts and the history behind the story.

Sarah's Key is easily one of the best World War II films I've seen, and I highly recommend it! (Be aware that it is depressing, though—it's a Holocaust story, after all!)

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this product free for review from Amazon.com through its Vine reviewer program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. 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."

looking for a chick flick?

I am the queen of chick flicks. I absolutely love them, and I'll watch just about any chick flick set in front of me--even those incredibly cheesy Hallmark movies! It's gotten harder to recommend chick flicks in recent years, though ... gone are the days of the first kiss coming at the end of the movie (a la While You Were Sleeping). Instead, it usually goes something like this: Boy meets girl, boy sleeps with girl, massive misunderstanding splits up boy and girl, boy and girl reunite. So I was pleasantly surprised by the movie I watched tonight, My Girlfriend's Boyfriend. Not only is there no hint of a sexual relationship between the main characters, but there's also no swearing! It's rated PG and stars Alyssa Milano (Who's the Boss and Charmed), Christopher Gorham (Ugly Betty and Covert Affairs), and Michael Landes (I'll always remember him as the original Jimmy Olsen on Lois & Clark). Unfortunately, it's not yet available on dvd, but you can get it on demand from Amazon or iTunes. If it was on dvd, it would totally be on my Christmas wish list!

Here's the review I wrote for Amazon:

"My Girlfriend's Boyfriend" is just what a romantic comedy should be: cute, romantic, and funny. It's also incredibly clean. The writer/director didn't rely on any gross-out or sex humor; instead, the story was filled with genuinely funny moments. Especially watch for the gum commercial--I laughed out loud repeatedly (and am chuckling again as I think about it)! This isn't your predictable chick flick; sure, you can probably guess who will end up together, but the route the movie took from point A to point B wasn't at all what I expected. I'm always on the lookout for movies I can recommend without reservation, and this is definitely one. Highly recommended!

***Update 11-6-11: You can watch this for free on Hulu. It's also streaming on Netflix and on Amazon(Prime members can watch it free). And there's a DVD, which I bought for $10 at Walmart. Amazon has it for $12.60.***

"the way home" dvd review

My love for Dean Cain is well documented. So when BookSneeze offered me the chance to review his latest movie, I jumped at the chance!

Cain plays Randy Simpkins, a man whose two-year-old son Joe disappeared while he was supposed to be watching him. When those in the community learn Randy’s son is missing, they turn out in droves to help search for Joe.

I wanted to like this movie. Instead, I just feel ambivalent about it. It was fine; the acting was good, the plot featured plenty of action, and the display of community is one we don’t often see in this age of technology and privacy. But it was lacking … something. At first, I thought perhaps the problem was that I already knew the ending—it’s a true story, and it's not hard to guess what happens. But that’s not it; I’ve thoroughly enjoyed many true-story movies where I already knew the ending. In the end, all I can say is this: The Way Home is a nice, well-produced film that’s safe for the whole family. But it’s probably not a movie you’ll watch over and over again.

I received this dvd free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze book review blogger program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.