DVD Reviews Archive
DVD Review - "The Blue Planet" and "Planet Earth" (02/17/08 - 13 Comments)
The Blue Planet and Planet Earth are among the finest nature documentaries you could ever hope to see. Produced by the BBC and narrated by David Attenborough, the first looks to the world’s oceans and the second primarily to its land masses. The Blue Planet (first broadcast in 2001) is comprised of eight 50-minute episodes. As Attenborough explains in the opening moments, “Our planet is a blue planet: over seventy percent of it is covered...
DVD Reviews on the Run (01/05/08 - 8 Comments)
The War The War is a new documentary series by acclaimed producer Ken Burns (best known for his series on the Civil War). Something of a unique take on a history of World War 2, the series tells the war through the eyes of four towns from across America. It deals both with the home front—the war years as they were experienced through the lives of the people who remained behind, and it deals with...
Modern Parables: Living in the Kingdom of God (DVD) (11/14/07 - 17 Comments)
Modern Parables: Living in the Kingdom of God is an original Bible study curriculum designed for people who like movies and is just the first in a planned series of film-driven studies on the parables of Jesus. The films are geared towards use for youth groups, small groups, evangelism or even home schooling curriculum. Volume 1 features six of Jesus' parables, told anew through film and set in a contemporary context. The 12-lesson study combines...
DVD Review - The Eric Liddell Story (10/13/07 - 2 Comments)
The Torchlighters video series is a series of animated DVD’s dedicated to "Highlighting the honor, integrity and life-changing experiences of those well-known and little-known Christian men, women and children who in response to God’s call, dedicated their lives to a life of whole-hearted commitment and passionate service to Jesus." The series is targeted primarily at children between the ages of eight and twelve. It is a production of Christian History Institute along with International Films...
DVD Review - Charlie Zahm (06/23/07 - 5 Comments)
I've always had a bit of a weakness for folk music (as my CD/MP3 collection can attest). So when I heard of the latest DVD from Franklin Springs Family Media, Charlie Zahm: An Evening of Classic Melodies, I knew I couldn't pass it up. Zahm is a talented musician and an exceptional vocalist with an absolutely unforgettable baritone. This DVD is simply a recording of a concert he recorded in February of 2007 in the...
DVD Review - Overlord: A Mighty Host (01/13/07 - 1 Comments)
It has been almost sixty-three years since the British, American and Canadian armies stormed the beaches of Normandy, but the D-Day invasion and the weeks that followed continue to fascinate us. The events have provided fodder for countless books, movies, and video games. As time passes, fewer and fewer of the veterans of that day survive to give their first-hand testimonies. I am grateful that many people are now speaking to these men and recording...
DVD Review - The Eden String Quartet (12/28/06 - 6 Comments)
The Eden String Quartet is a quartet composed of four members of the Miller family of Oakland, Illinois and a new DVD by Franklin Springs Media tells their story. Krista Miller and Megan Miller Goff play the violin, Therese Miller the viola and Leah Miller the cello. Having played for many years and having received training from highly qualified instructors, they play exceptionally well. The DVD combines documentary segments with a live concert. Songs the...
DVD Review - The John Bunyan Story (10/28/06 - 4 Comments)
The Torchlighters video series is a series of animated DVD's dedicated to "Highlighting the honor, integrity and life-changing experiences of those well-known and little-known Christian men, women and children who in response to God's call, dedicated their lives to a life of whole-hearted commitment and passionate service to Jesus." It is a production of Christian History Institute along with International Films and Voice of the Martyrs. The first in this series was The Jim Elliot...
Hell's Bells 2 (06/18/06 - 51 Comments)
Many years ago, when I was in my mid-teen years, I made the decision to stop listening to mainstream rock music and to turn instead to Christian music. Until that time I had been listening to whatever was on the radio. I had quite a few tapes and had once had a whole collection of those old vinyl 45's. While I was usually not interested in music that was blatantly anti-God, I did listen to...
Amazing Grace, The History And Theology of Calvinism (06/11/06 - 10 Comments)
Who could have thought that a presentation of Calvinism lasting nearly four and a half hours could keep me at rapt attention? Actually, I suppose most people who know me wouldn't be too terribly surprised. Amazing Grace - The History And Theology of Calvinism is an examination of the doctrines of grace, produced by The Apologetics Group. It is hosted by Eric Holmberg and is a collage of interviews, historical readings, Scripture and drama. It...
DVD Review - Man With A Mission (05/27/06 - 3 Comments)
William Tyndale is one of my heroes and his portrait hangs over my desk. He is a man who lived his life in service to God and left a legacy which we simply cannot underestimate. Tyndale was, of course, the first man to make and print a translation of the Scriptures from the Greek into English. His translation formed much of the basis for the eventual King James translation and in that way is still...
DVD Review - A Distant Thunder (05/21/06 - 3 Comments)
Partial birth abortion, also known by the nicer-sounding "Dilation and Extraction" is one of the most disgusting, nauseating so-called medical procedures in the world. While it may sound inocuous, the details of the procedure are enough to turn the stomach. It is the closest thing to legalized murder I could imagine. A Distant Thunder, a half-hour long supernatural thriller, is an attempt to draw attention to this procedure, which is generating increasing controversy as more...
Paul: Apostle of Grace (05/13/06 - 1 Comments)
Paul: Apostle of Grace is a DVD presentation that invites the viewer to "experience Paul's message in its original setting." Hosted by Ron Kelly of Plain Truth Ministries, the film traces the travels and ministry of Paul from the time of his first missionary journey to the end of his first imprisonment in Rome. This period covers, of course, the events that Luke recounts in Acts and the period during which Paul wrote the various...
DVD Review - Marks of a Cult (05/09/06 - 69 Comments)
Marks of a Cult is the latest in a series of DVDs produced by The Apologetics Group and hosted by Eric Holmberg. Previous titles have included Amazing Grace: The History & Theology of Calvinism and Hells Bells 2: The Power and Spirit of Popular Music, both of which I have reviewed in the past (and both of which are well worth viewing). This latest presentation seeks to answer some of the following questions: Why are...
DVD Review - The Story of Amy Carmichael (03/25/06 - 1 Comments)
"Amy Carmichael's life is a model of selfless dedication to the Savior, a life of discipleship and abandonment. She lived for one reason, and that was to make God's love known to those trapped in utter darkness." So begins a short biography of Amy Carmichael, provided by InTouch Ministries. Carmichael is one of those Christian personalities from days past that I have never had opportunity to study, though I have often come across her name...
DVD Review - Hymns of Praise: Charles Wesley (03/24/06 - 2 Comments)
Charles Wesley was a prolific hymn writer who penned a mind-blogging 6,500 hymns over the course of his life, often writing one hymn per day for extended periods of time. Of course only a tiny percentage of these continue to be sung with regularity in today's churches. Among the enduring favorites are the holiday mainstays "Christ The Lord is Risen Today" and "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing." We also continue to sing, among others, "And...
DVD Review - The League of Grateful Sons (03/21/06 - 3 Comments)
In Prophetic Untimeliness Os Guinness argued, successfully I think, that our culture has an irrational and dangerous fixation on the present and future. Our emphasis on the latest and greatest comes at the expense of all that the past has to offer us. Tragically, this distaste of the past has become prevalent in the past and we, as Christians, risk having to re-learn lessons that we would already know were we to keep one eye...
The William Tyndale Story (03/17/06 - 3 Comments)
The Torchlighters video series is a new series of animated DVD's dedicated to "Highlighting the honor, integrity and life-changing experiences of those well-known and little-known Christian men, women and children who in response to God's call, dedicated their lives to a life of whole-hearted commitment and passionate service to Jesus." It is a production of Christian History Institute along with International Films and Voice of the Martyrs. The first in this series was The Jim...
DVD Review - Making Choices (02/24/06 - 11 Comments)
Though I have no Dutch heritage, I grew up among the Dutch. During my childhood, the vast majority of my friends were the children of Dutch immigrants who made the journey to Canada in the years following the Second World War. I went to Dutch churches and Dutch schools. I even learned to like Dutch food (Dutch soup, chocolate or brown sugar sandwiches, olibolen, and of course, dropjes). The Dutch, like many immigrant populations, have...
DVD Review - A Journey Home (02/19/06 - 2 Comments)
A Journey Home tells the story of the Waller family. Tired of working 80 hour weeks, and despite being on the fasttrack to a great career with Federal Express, Tommy Waller felt that his life demanded change. And so he moved his family - a family that has grown to eleven children - from the suburbs of a large city to a remote area of Tennessee. It may as well have been the other side...
The Peasall Sisters - Family Harmony DVD (02/17/06 - 5 Comments)
Like countless others, while I enjoyed the film O Brother, Where Art Thou, I was captivated by the music. I was one of the millions who immediately purchased the soundtrack and enjoyed discovering, or rediscovering, that old-school country and bluegrass music. It was there that I first heard of The Peasall Sisters. These three girls, unknown at the time, tried out to be the singing voices of three little girls in the film. Against all...
Invisible Children (01/26/06 - 21 Comments)
In the spring of 2003, three young Americans set out for Africa, in search of adventure and a story. They found what they were looking for. They found a tragedy that changed their lives and has since changed the lives of many who have heard the story. They found the invisible children of Uganda. Jason Russell, Laren Poole and Bobby Bailey headed to Africa with a desire to have their lives changed. Armed with camera...
DVD Review - March of the Penguins (12/03/05 - 0 Comments)
I guess that if a movie about Jesus became one of the highest grossing movies of all time (no pun intended), we should not be surprised to see other unusual subject matter become popular at the box office. This is the case with March of the Penguins, a documentary about the life cycle of the Emperor Penguin. This strange species lives in the Antarctic in what is surely the most horrific climate in the world....
DVD Review - To End All Wars (11/27/05 - 0 Comments)
Last night, at long last and having had it recommended to me many times, I sat down to watch the film To End All Wars. For those who do not know of it, it is the story of Ernest Gordon who was a captain of the Scottish Argyles during the Second World War. After escaping the Japanese at the fall of Singapore, Gordon and some fellow soldiers sailed a junk almost 2000 miles, only to...
DVD Review - The Jim Elliot Story (11/26/05 - 0 Comments)
The Torchlighters video series is a new series of animated DVD's dedicated to "Highlighting the honor, integrity and life-changing experiences of those well-known and little-known Christian men, women and children who in response to God's call, dedicated their lives to a life of whole-hearted commitment and passionate service to Jesus." It is a production of Christian History Institute along with International Films and Voice of the Martyrs. The first in this series is The Jim...
DVD Review - The Yali Story (11/24/05 - 0 Comments)
Until the 1960's, the Yali tribe of Papua (formerly known as Irian Jaya) existed much as they had for thousands of years. An adventure web site says the following of the tribe. "Yali tools have not changed in a thousand of years [sic] - stone axe of pointed shards wrapped tightly onto a wooden stick, net carrying bags supported from the forehead, thick bows five or six feet long, and arrowhead carved to a purpose...
DVD Review - Untold Stories of Columbine (10/28/05 - 0 Comments)
There are a few events or occasions in every generation where time seems to stop. Those old enough to remember J.F.K's assassination tend to not only remember the news reports, but remember where they were and who they were with when they heard about his death. Many people still remember how they felt when they heard that the space shuttle Challenger was destroyed just seconds after lift-off, or more recently, when they began to hear news reports about planes plowing into the World Trade Center in New York City. Another tragedy that stopped a nation, and really an entire continent, was the shootings in Columbine High School on April 20, 1999.
DVD Review - The Scottish Covenanters (10/17/05 - 0 Comments)
One of my most vivid memories of the year my family spent in Scotland happened soon after we moved there. We were progressively touring the town of Edinburgh and had already visited The Royal Mile, Edinburgh Castle, the home of John Knox and many of the other prominent locations. Eventually we made our way to Greyfriars, the church where many of the Scottish Covenanters were buried after being killed (and often first being mericlessly tortured) for their faith. We were astonished and not a little upset to find that the main attraction of the cemetary at Greyfriars is not the graves of those who were martyred, but a monument to a little terrier who sat faithfully at his master's grave for many years after his death.
DVD Review - Yeshua/Jesus (10/02/05 - 0 Comments)
In recent decades there has been a great deal of interest, among Christians, in searching out and understanding Jesus' Jewish roots. Some have undertaken such a study with noble goals of seeking to more fully understand Jesus' life and teachings by grasping the religious and historical framework in which he lived. Others have undertaken this study with the less-noble goal of trying to prove that Jesus was little more than a confused rabbi who led people astray. I have seen some people who have become so intruiged with the Jewish customs and celebrations that they have re-introduced many of these into their unique brand of Christianity, celebrating Lord's Supper and baptism along with any of the Jewish feasts and holidays.
DVD Review - Footsteps of Goliath (10/01/05 - 0 Comments)
The story of David and Goliath is one of the most popular in the Bible. My children constantly ask to hear the story of the young shepherd boy going out to fight the giant on behalf of his nation. I often ask them if this story is real or merely pretend. They always answer dutifully, "It's real!" But most children are not so sure. And most adults are even less sure.
DVD Review - Roger Williams - Freedom's Forgotten Hero (09/09/05 - 0 Comments)
Who is Roger Williams? I knew the name and knew something of the man largely because of my reading of and about the Puritans. But I had little idea of his importance to America. This short video, produced by Freedom Research Productions, attempts to set the record straight on a man who was courageous, compassionate and filled with love for God.
DVD Review - Reformation Overview (09/09/05 - 0 Comments)
As Christians living in lands where we enjoy religious freedom we are apt to forget the price that so many have paid for their faith. As Christians with a great wealth of theology at our disposal, we also forget that the faith as we know and love it has been bought with the price of much blood. The history of the church is filled with stories of men and women who advanced our understanding of the Scriptures only at great cost to themselves. Even those who did not sacrifice their lives often paid a terrible price as they were despised and rejected by their peers. We owe a great debt of gratitude to those whom God chose to use in this way.
DVD Review - Jihad According to the Quran and the Hadith (09/06/05 - 0 Comments)
Since the tragic events of September 11, 2001, there has been an increased interest among Christians in understanding Muslims. As Christians it seems inconceivable that a religion could condone and even celebrate such acts of terrorism. What seems barbaric to us is considered admirable by others. It is in this context that Faith Defenders produced Jihad According to the Quran and the Hadith.
The DVD features Dr. Robert Morey, a Christian apologist who specializes in defending the faith against cults and Islam. Dr. Morey is a well-known and highly-trained apologist who studied under such men as Walter Martin, Francis Schaeffer, Gordon Clark, Van Til and John Murray. It also features brief interviews with Muslims and Islamic converts to Christianity.
DVD Review - The Story of Eric Liddell (09/03/05 - 0 Comments)
Last month I posted a review of Pure Gold, a wonderful biography of Eric Liddell. Liddell is best known for being the subject of the biographical film Chariots of Fire which traced his rise to prominence in Scotland. Liddell refused to participate in the Olympic race he was favored to win because to do so he would have had to violate his beliefs about the Sabbath. He became a hero to the Scottish nation for winning another event, and a hero to Christians for standing firm in his faith.
DVD Review - Journeys to the Edge of Creation (08/01/05 - 0 Comments)
David, whom the Bible tells us is a man after God's own heart, seems to have had a special awe of the cosmos. In Psalm 19 he writes, "The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork" (Psalm 19:1). He goes on to speak of the rising of the sun and its circuit above the earth. It seems from the Scriptures that God somehow reveals himself in a special way through the heavens. The vastness of space reveals the vastness of His power.
DVD Review - History of Christianity (07/23/05 - 0 Comments)
It takes a brave man to attempt to encapsulate 2000 years of church history in six 30-minute segments. Three hours is barely enough time to adequately explain the background information necessary to understand the rise of Christianity, to say nothing of its long and storied history. Anyone attempting to create a survey of Christian history must be able to choose and concentrate on only the most critical events and only the most important historical figures. History of Christianity, written and hosted by Dr. Timothy George, attempts to do just this. The results are mixed at times, but generally quite positive.
DVD Review - Drive Thru History (07/21/05 - 0 Comments)
The cover of this DVD proclaims, "This isn't your typical tour of ruins and dusty artifacts. It's history as exciting today as it was 2,000 years ago." This is history for the modern American: fast-paced, funny and quietly educational. Did I mention that it's also a lot of fun?
The DVD contains three episodes of what promises to be a great series:
DVD Review - Incredible Creatures That Defy Evolution II (07/19/05 - 0 Comments)
Three weeks ago I reviewed the first DVD in a series produced by Reel Productions. I very much enjoyed Incredible Creatures That Defy Evolution I and was eager to see the sequel. I was glad to see that volume II is every bit the quality production of its predecessor. In fact, it is probably just a little bit better.
My only complaint about the first volume is that there was perhaps a little too much still photography and not enough video. This was resolved in volume 2.
DVD Review - Icons of Evolution (07/17/05 - 0 Comments)
In 2002, Jonathan Wells published a book entitled Icons of Evolution. This book was subtitled, Science or Myth? Why Much of What We Teach About Evolution is Wrong. Wells, formerly a firm believer in evolution, had come to realize that much of what is taught about evolution is just plain wrong. Many "icons of evolution," such as Darwin's "Tree of Life," Haeckel's drawings of embryoes that look remarkably similar to each other, and the ever-famous Galapagos Finch had long since been proven to be mere myth. That these are myths is widely accepted in the scientific community, even by advocates of evolution. And yet these icons live on, taught as fact in science texts used in grade schools and in colleges.
DVD Review - City of the Bees (07/17/05 - 0 Comments)
They don't make 'em like this anymore! City of the Bees is a Moody Science Classic that was first released in 1962, quite a long while before my time. A half-hour presentation on - you guessed it - bees, it includes everything we'd expect to find in a Moody video produced in the 60's - cutting-edge video work (that is still impressive even by today's standards), a significant explanation of how the video applies to the life of the viewer, and a cheap-shot at the Commies.
