Movies

“Priceless” is Worth the Cost!

The movie “Priceless,” presented by Roadside Attractions in association with the band for King & Country, stars band member Joel Smallbone (who actually gives a convincing American accent) and is directed by brother Ben Smallbone. “Priceless” is both the name and the theme of the movie… and I’m saying that it is worth the price — mostly referring to the cost of a movie ticket, but also I guess in regards to the time and resources that went into the production. From what I can tell, there are two main purposes of this film: to help raise awareness of the […]

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Voiceless: One Man, One Fight, the Ultimate Sacrifice

  Voiceless is an award-winning, pro-life film inspired by real-life events that was written and directed by Pat Necerato with the intention of tackling the tough topic of abortion and calling the church to action. Producer Stuart Migdon said, “Voiceless was made to engage the church. We believe our film artfully presents the issue in a way that pro-life supporters can rally behind without alienating pro-choice viewers before they’ve had a chance to contemplate our story.” The movie stars a bombastic, all-in solider, Jesse Dean, who was discharged and moved to inner city Philadelphia with hopes to make a difference […]

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New Ben-Hur Movie Seeks to Relate to a Modern Audience

“Jesus” kept his distance as he walked into a press conference on the 18th floor of the Mandarin Oriental Hotel. “I won’t get too close because I have a cold,” he said with a smile, as he slipped into a padded chair and sipped a bit of tea. “Jesus” is actually Rodrigo Santoro, the Brazilian actor who plays the Savior in “Ben-Hur,” the excellent new action adventure movie released widely on August 19 by Metro-Goldwin-Mayer Pictures and Paramount Pictures. Santoro and Jack Huston, who plays the title role in the $100-million blockbuster, sat side-by-side at a Miami media conference. The […]

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Local Screenwriter Produces “Salted Christmas”

“Salted Christmas: One Family, One Day, One Purpose” is a feature-length film being filmed in South Florida that depicts a day in the life of the Fairway family as they walk through a Saturday prior to Christmas, deeply involved in ministry. The brainchild of Don McChesney, a local founder of Equip Education, an education system for older homeschool students, “Salted Christmas” is an undertaking by serious people doing serious work while not taking themselves too seriously. The family structure is a result of their work in foster care, adoption, homeless ministry and retirement community ministry. McChesney is hopeful the film […]

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A Story Worth Living

I was up early one morning recently, and I rode my bike over to the local spillway to try out my new four and a half-inch mullet lure. To my shock, on the third cast I hooked into a giant Snook! It was so big that at first I thought I snagged a boulder on the bottom of the canal. I was so excited that I tried to pull him in too soon instead of letting him run for a bit. Then, one minute later…snap! The nightmare. Broken line. On the surface the story above doesn’t have much to do […]

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Fight to End Child Sex Trafficking Comes to the Big Screen

  Posing as American sex tourists wanting to buy children, the Operation Underground Railroad’s (O.U.R.) jump team, led by Tim Ballard, meets with traffickers. They negotiate. Dozens of hidden cameras capture the darkness of human trafficking at a party with girls — 12, 13, 14 years old — in Cartagena, Colombia, with younger girls and boys at an orphanage in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. In “The Abolitionists,” the action is real. Light comes into the darkness as seven traffickers are arrested. Hope comes to the hopeless as 57 victims are rescued. “Some people lose their faith over such evil,” said Tim Ballard, […]

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“God’s Not Dead 2” Kicks Off a New Phase of Faith-based Films

On April 1 Pure Flix Entertainment will premiere the second installment of its growing franchise with “God’s Not Dead 2.” Along with the release of this film, Pure Flix will be one of the first Christian film groups to do several things: (1) produce a highly anticipated sequel, (2) host a user-friendly digital streaming service, and (3) yes, stick around a few minutes after the movie because there is an after-credits scene/preview! Not to take away from the movie, but to be honest I am more intrigued and excited about Pure Flix’s online service that they now offer. Pure Flix […]

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Risen is Sure to Captivate Audiences

I know I’m not supposed to, but I have to admit it I love a good fight. The new New Testament era movie “Risen” starts with a brilliant Roman era battle scene. This is where director Kevin Reynolds set the hook in me. The scene was not over done. It was a simple, believable depiction of a confrontation between rebels and Romans that made the conflict real rather than cinematic. This is how I knew I was in for a good yarn that would have the kind of tension we love to experience in a film done well.   At […]

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The Masked Saint – A Match of Two Natures

“The Masked Saint” is based upon the novel by pastor and former professional wrestler Chris Whaley. In the film, Chris Samuels (played by Brett Granstaff) has decided that it is time to hang up the tights and replace them with ties as he follows God’s leading to become a pastor. But while trying to shepherd a dying flock, Chris finds himself at the wrong place at the right time and becomes an occasional masked vigilante fighting crime. Mix all that with Chris reentering the wrestling ring to financially support his church and family, and you have a story that looks […]

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“Risen” is an Epic Biblical Film

  It does not happen every day that I am so excited to share about an upcoming film. So go ahead and mark your calendars for February 19, 2016, when “Risen,” the astonishing biblical epic from Columbia Pictures and LD Entertainment in association with Affirm Films (a Sony Company), is released nationwide. I am not exaggerating when I say that this is one of the best, if not the best, faith-based films I have ever seen. Why should you see it? Mainly because it is an inspiring story that is relevant for all. But also because we need to support […]

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