Faith & Spirituality - Page 2

Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox Brand: Fox Home Entertainment

Greg Heffley, the kid who made “wimpy” cool, is back in this sidesplitting sequel based on the second installment of the best-selling book series! Having rid himself of the Cheese Touch , Greg enters the next grade with his confidence and friendships intact, and an eye on the new girl in town, Holly Hills . But at home, Greg is still at war with his older brother, Rodrick, so their parents have handed down the toughest “punishment” imaginable – forcing the boys to spend quality time with each other.

Manufacturer: Lionsgate Brand: HarperCollins Christian Pub. Model: 30071682

Someone once observed: "America is great because she is good; if she ever ceases to be good she will cease to be great." Today that notion of the essential goodness of America is under attack, replaced by another story in which theft and plunder are seen as the defining features of American history--from the theft of Native American and Mexican lands and the exploitation of African labor to a contemporary foreign policy said to be based on stealing oil and a capitalist system that robs people of their "fair share," Our founding fathers warned us that, although the freedoms they gave us were hard fought, they could very easily be lost. America stands at a crossroads, and the way we understand our past will determine our future. America the movie takes 21st-century Americans into the future by first visiting our past.

Manufacturer: Sony Brand: Sony Model: 5822951 Color: color

Kirk Cameron (Left Behind) stars as Caleb Holt, a heroic fire captain who values dedication and service to others above all else. But the most important partnership in his life, his marriage, is about to go up in smoke. This gripping story follows one man's desire to transform his life and marriage through the healing power of faith and fully embrace the fireman's code: Never Leave Your Partner Behind.

Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox Brand: Provident Distribution Group Model: 26353947

From Executive Producers Roma Downey and Mark Burnett comes The Bible — an epic 10-part miniseries retelling stories from the Scriptures for a whole new generation. Breathtaking in scope and scale, The Bible features powerful performances, exotic locales and dazzling visual effects that breathe spectacular life into the dramatic tales of faith and courage from Genesis through Revelation. This historic television event is sure to entertain and inspire the whole family.Please note: Some scenes that were shown when The Bible aired may not be included in this release. These missing scenes are an artistic choice, not a defect.Note: The Packaging of the title comes in such a way that a single case is designed to hold all the 4 discs for the title. This 10-part miniseries meets the overwhelming challenge of bringing the story of the Bible to film in a way that embraces modern technology and makes the stories seem relevant and fresh to today's audiences. The Bible was truly a project of passion for executive producers Mark Burnett and Roma Downey. By focusing on hope and love as the string of continuity throughout the Bible from Genesis to Revelation, Burnett, Roma, and the writers and filmmakers have created a powerful series about a historical text that's at once action film, adventure, and even love story. The many stories included in this presentation include those of Adam and Eve, Noah and the ark, the birth of Abraham's son Isaac, Moses's parting of the Red Sea, David and Goliath, Samson and Delilah, Mary's conception of Jesus and his birth, the crucifixion of Jesus, and the spread of Jesus's word through his disciples. Each of the 10 episodes is powerfully rendered--the subject matter is by nature moving, and the costuming, special effects, settings, and filming choices are fitting and realistic. The performances of the entire cast are stirring, but special recognition is deserved by Diogo Morgado for his performance as Jesus, Downey as Mother Mary, Darwin Shaw as Peter, Joe Wredden as Judas, and William H...

Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox Brand: Provident Distribution Group Model: 33503666

From acclaimed director Ridley Scott (Gladiator, Prometheus) comes the epic adventure "Exodus: Gods and Kings," the story of one man's daring courage to take on the might of an empire. Using state of the art visual effects and 3D immersion, Scott brings new life to the story of the defiant leader Moses (Christian Bale) as he rises up against the Egyptian Pharaoh Ramses (Joel Edgerton), setting 600,000 slaves on a monumental journey of escape from Egypt and its terrifying cycle of deadly plagues.

Manufacturer: HBO Studios Brand: Word Entertainment Model: 9370684

Based on the writings by its title subject, HBO Films’ Temple Grandin is an engaging portrait of an autistic young woman who became, through timely mentoring and sheer force of will, one of America’s most remarkable success stories. It doesn't take long to see that Temple Grandin, the main character in this eponymous HBO movie, is, well, different--she (in the person of Claire Danes, who plays her) tells us before the credits start that she's "not like other people." But "different" is not "less." Indeed, Grandin, who is now in her 60s, has accomplished a good deal more than a great many "normal" folks, let alone others afflicted with the autism that Grandin overcame on her way to earning a doctorate and becoming a bestselling author and a pioneer in the humane treatment of livestock. It wasn't easy. The doctor who diagnosed her at age 4 said she'd never talk and would have to be institutionalized. Only through the dogged efforts of her mother (Julia Ormond), who was told that "lack of bonding" with her child might have caused the autism, did Grandin learn to speak; to go to high school, college, and grad school; and to become a highly productive scientist, enduring the cruel taunts of her classmates and the resistance of many of the adults in her life (most of whom are shown as either narrow-minded prigs or macho, chauvinist jerks). Her lack of social skills and sometimes violent reactions to the overstimulation in her environment made it tough to fit in, to say the least. Danes, who is in nearly every scene of director Mick Jackson's film, is remarkable, embodying Grandin's various idiosyncrasies (such as talking, too loud, too fast, and too much) without resorting to caricature. Jackson does a marvelous job of depicting not only her actual accomplishments (among other things, she took the "squeeze machine" created to "gentle" upset cattle and adapted it for herself, using it to replace the hugs she never got as a child; later on, she revolutionized the systems used to prepare cows for slaughter, ...

Manufacturer: Lionsgate Brand: HarperCollins Christian Pub. Model: 30071681

Someone once observed: "America is great because she is good; if she ever ceases to be good she will cease to be great." Today that notion of the essential goodness of America is under attack, replaced by another story in which theft and plunder are seen as the defining features of American history--from the theft of Native American and Mexican lands and the exploitation of African labor to a contemporary foreign policy said to be based on stealing oil and a capitalist system that robs people of their "fair share," Our founding fathers warned us that, although the freedoms they gave us were hard fought, they could very easily be lost. America stands at a crossroads, and the way we understand our past will determine our future. America the movie takes 21st-century Americans into the future by first visiting our past.

Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox Brand: 20TH Century Fox Model: 17616081

This comedy-adventure centers on Blu, a flightless macaw who acts more human than bird. When Blu, the last of his kind, discovers there’s another – and that she’s a she – he embarks on an adventure to magical Rio. There, he meets Jewel and a menagerie of vivid characters who help Blu fulfill his dream and learn to fly. A classic tale of self-discovery, romance, and adventure, Rio is the story of Blu, a flightless macaw who was taken from the forests of Rio de Janeiro as a young bird and raised by a kind girl in a small Minnesota town. When an ornithologist comes to town and informs Blu's now-grown owner Linda that Blu is the last male of his species, Blu and Linda return to Rio so that Blu can mate with a feisty female named Jewel. Thus begins an adventure in which Blu encounters everything from the complexities of courtship and love, to thugs involved in an exotic animal theft ring, strange new friendships--including one with an overly friendly slobbering bulldog--and a crazy ride through a Carnaval parade. Blu and Linda both mature as a result of their journey in Rio, and love ensures that life will never be quite the same for either ever again. The animation in Rio is quite impressive, the characters are endearing, the Brazilian music is very appealing, and the star-studded voice cast includes Anne Hathaway, Jesse Eisenberg, Will i Am, Wanda Sykes, Jane Lynch, George Lopez, and Jamie Foxx. While the story doesn't really offer anything new--instead playing much like a rehashing of some of the major plot points from movies like Madagascar, Finding Nemo, and Babe--that doesn't mean the film isn't perfectly entertaining for both kids and adults. (Ages 6 and older) --Tami Horiuchi

Manufacturer: Paramount Pictures Brand: Warner Manufacturing Model: 26193176 Color: color

Ten Commandments, The (1956) (BD)Based on the Holy Scriptures, with additional dialogue by several other hands, The Ten Commandments was the last film directed by Ce cil B. DeMi lle. The story relates the life of Moses, from the time he was discovere d in the bullrushes as an infant by the pharoah's daughter, to his long , hard struggle to free the Hebrews from their slavery at the hands of t he Egyptians. Moses (Charlton Heston) starts out "in solid" as Pharoah's adopted son (and a whiz at designing pyramids, dispensing such construc tion-site advice as "Blood makes poor mortar"), but when he discovers h is true Hebrew heritage, he attempts to make life easier for his people. Banished by hi s jealous half-brother Rameses (Yul Brynner), Moses retu rns fully bearded to Pharoah's court, warning that he's had a message fr om G od and that the Egyptians had better free the Hebrews post-haste if they know what's good for them. Only after the Deadly Plagues ha ve dec imated Egypt does Rameses give in. As the Hebrews reach the Red Sea, the y discover that Rameses has gone back on his word and plans to have them all killed. But Moses rescues his people with a little Divine legerdema in by parting the Seas. Later, Moses is ag ain confronted by God on Mt. Sinai, who delivers unto him the Ten Commandments. Meanwhile, the Hebrew s, led by the duplicitous Datha n (Edward G. Robinson), are forgetting t heir religion and behaving like libertines. "Where's your Moses now?" br ays Dathan in the ma nner of a Lower East Side gangster. He soon finds o ut. A remake of his 1923 silent film, DeMille's The Ten Commandments may not be t he most subtle and sophisticated entertainment ever concocted, but it tells its story with a clarity and vitality that few Biblical sc holars have ever been able to duplicate. It is very likely the most even tful 219 minutes ever recorded to film—and who's to say th at Nefertiri (Anne Baxter) didn't make speeches like, "Oh, Moses, Moses, you splendid , stubborn, adorable fool"?]]>