DVD Now Available: Released Oct.5,2010 by Glowing Nose Productions; Directed by: Chris Staron; Runtime: 93 minutes; Cast: Marc Thompson (James), Alexander Hinsky (Bobby), Brian Morvant (Dennis), Liz Bucher (Liz), Jhey Castles (Terry), Adam Misenko (Eric), Reagan Kendrick (Andrea), Jay Smith (Walter).

Good Christian comedy. Great for the family and a film that could be used and shown by youth groups at church. Deals with the question of identity and how Jesus Christ factors in our lifestyle and decision making.

James is the ‘big brother’ raising Bobby who is turning 16. Their parents have been dead for 12 years and ‘big brother’ James put his own life on hold to raise his siblings particularly Bobby who was only 4 when their parents passed on.

The will has never been read nor has the estate been settled but the time has now come and Bobby’s much older brother Dennis and sister Andrea have come back to make sure that they get their share. James is hoping to get the family home and enough of the money to keep a roof over their heads and eventually send Bobby to college.

In the middle of it all, Andrea hires a lady lawyer to handle her interests. The lawyer  turns out to be a Christian and becomes a love interest for James who hasn’t dated for years.

Meanwhile Bobby is going through an identity crisis brought on by his becoming infatuated with a new girl at school- Liz. All of his current friends are ‘gothic’ in style and dress so also is Bobby. Meanwhile the new girl Liz, a Christian, is not impressed. This starts Bobby on a rather superficial quest to find out what she does like. Also at the same time at home James is challenging Bobby to read the Bible and look into Jesus and make a commitment to God.

Then throw in, Bobby’s closest friend Eric who is also going through a serious crisis with his mother an out-of-control alcoholic.

It sounds rather serious but it is a comedy after all that provides plenty of laughter and enjoyment on the way and even the occasional slapstick which actually works most of the time.

As in many comedies some of the characters are over-the-top, outrageous, and rather one-dimensional foils for fun. Dennis the druggie/anarchist wanderer brother, Andrea the selfish money grabbing possession-loving sister, Walter her rather meek husband/slave, and Bobby’s gothic ‘friends’ at school. Don’t expect any sort of logical or redeeming action/reaction from any of these folks.

There were two scenes in the movie that did not work for me and seemed rather unrealistic even for an outrageous comedy. First of all, Bobby buys a car for Liz. Nobody explains how a 16 year old is able to do that nor is there any update on what happens to the auto after Liz rejects the gift.  Then when Bobby finally gets a shot at dating Liz he turns her down saying that he needs to pursue and concentrate on his new life in Jesus. In real life a teen would probably choose to do both since the girl is a Christian also.

It is a serious Christian film after all and the message of the gospel comes through naturally most of the time. An ideal film for family discussion and for youth groups.

-Go to this site: To purchase the DVD or arrange for a church showing.

*Received DVD free for review: <<Read Disclosure Statement>>            *Top

Genre: Animated, Comedy; Theater release: November 20, 2009 by TriStar/Sony Pictures; Directed by: Jorge Blanco; Runtime: 1 hour 31 minutes; Cast: Justin Long (Lem), Dwayne Johnson (Captain Charles T. Baker), Seann William Scott (Skiff), Jessica Biel (Neera), Gary Oldman (General Grawl), John Cleese (Professor Kipple).

An alien from space lands on the planet and the folks respond fear, the military searches for the intruder, and the scientists want to study it. Meanwhile, the alien makes friends with the kids who try to help him get back home.

You have seen this scenario a dozen times before in E.T. and a bunch of assorted Sci Fi and Disney movies. Nothing really new here except the alien is an American astronaut from Earth.

My grandson loved it but I had trouble staying awake. Too many clichés to keep me interested. Besides Planet 51 and their culture was far too similar to planet Earth and the town featured in the film reminded me of ToonTown at Disneyland and the cars looked just like what we use to have in 50’s when I was kid.              *Top

It’s here!  Thou Shalt Laugh 4, the next DVD in the series.  The series that started in 2006 with the original Thou Shalt Laugh has now sold over 500,000 DVDs.  Thou Shalt Laugh 4 has some of the previous comedians and some new faces.  With all the negative TV shows and movies on screens today this film is refreshing and family friendly entertainment.  It highlights five Christian comedians and one talented host.

The host for Thou Shalt Laugh 4 is the multi talented John Tesh.  Tesh is known for his long career as co-host of “Entertainment Tonight.”  He is also a radio show host, author, and award winning musician.  He even performs (sort of) a piano duet with comedian Taylor Mason.  You can find out more about Tesh on his website www.tesh.com.

Rex Havens uses humor to tackle the differences between men and woman.  His amusing approach not only makes sense, but makes viewers laugh.  He also informs viewers about the oddities in the world like how funny car names sound.  Find out more about Rex at www.rexhavens.com.

Joe Wong is self-titled as an “all American immigrant.”  He explains in a humorous style about life as an immigrant.  Joe has headlined in shows like the Autism Speaks Show, the ACDC Benefit Show and the Ticket to Asia Show.  Learn more about Joe at www.joewongcomedy.com.

Dana Daniels is both comedian and magician.  His partner, Luigi the Psychic Parrot, steals the show.  He uses audience participation and slap-stick style magic to keep viewers laughing.  Dana has won many awards such as Magic Castle Comedy Magician of the year, 2006 Jimmy Durante Comedy Award, and two time Magic Castle Parlor Magician of the year.  Visit his website at www.danadaniels.com.

Michael Jr. enlightens viewers about over saved creepy Christians.  His style is easy-going and comfortable.  He uses hilarious stories from church and the Bible in his routine.  Michael has a unique story of his first performance.  At a movie theater in Michigan, the film broke and the audience was restless.  So on a dare Michael got up in front the crowd and the comedian was born.  He has performed at The Improv, “The Tonight Show,” “The Late, Late Show,” and The Punchline.  He also makes appearances at various colleges, prisons, shelters, and churches. Find out more details at www.michaeljr.com and www.comedytheroadlesstraveled.com .

Isaac Witty has an awkward presence, but it adds to his comedy. He takes normal situations and turns them into amusing material.  Isaac started performing at an early age in church talent shows.  He has had appearances on “The Late Show with David Letterman,” Comedy Central’ “Premium Blend,”, and The Bob and Tom radio Show.  You can find out his schedule at www.isaacwitty.com.

Taylor Mason is a comedian, pianist, and ventriloquist.  He is the only comedian to return in all the Thou Shalt Laugh DVDs.  Taylor introduces viewers to several of his friends (puppets) in the act including the famous “Paco” the pig.  Viewers can even purchase a “Paco” for their very own at his website www.taylormason.com.

Thou Shalt Laugh 4 is a comedy show that can be enjoyed by all ages.  It is a high quality production.  There are many Christian comedians performing today around the country and this series helps viewers to realize and support them.  Christians can be funny and can have a good time now right in their homes.   This is a comedy show that the whole family can enjoy.  You can purchase this and all the DVDs in the series at www.thoushaltlaugh.com.

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DVD Release: Oct.1, 2009 by HeuMoore Productions; David Heustis and John Moore; Runtime: 101 min.

Review by Dana Chaffin

        On October 1, 2009 The Widow’s Might will be released on DVD.  It has something for the whole family – comedy, adventure, drama, action, western, and musical all in one film.  It has very strong Christian values. This movie is awarded the Dove “Family- Approved” Seal for all ages.   The story of the movie is heartwarming and the story of the filmmakers is surprising.

The Story

The Widow’s Might is about many exciting events, but the main story is families coming together to help a widow.  She is in danger of losing her home because of property taxes.  Her property has become more valuable because of a new highway built near by; however she is not interested in leaving her home.  Two young neighbors that are hopeful future filmmakers try to find a way they can help the widow.  They try several ways to help tell her story, like passing out flyers and talking to the mayor, but made no progress.  So they decide to make a film, based on a western musical, to expose the widow’s trouble.  They plan on introducing the western at a film festival competition.  Although they face many down falls and mishaps they venture on till the end.  The movie shows just what we can do if we come together and stand up for what is right.  The music in this film is outstanding and the entire cast is very talented.  The DVD is packed with hours of special features.  It has commentary of the entire movie by the producers and another by the cast.  There is also lots of information about the history of HeuMoore Productions.  The behind the scenes footage with the cast and crew is very enjoyable.  The scenes of the actual San Antonio Christian Film Festival award ceremony are interesting. 

The Filmmakers

    The Widow’s Might was produced by HeuMoore Productions.  HeuMoore is the combination of two young boys, David Heustis (20) and John Moore (19).  These young men started working together in 2003 by making short films to be used on the internet.  They found that John Moore was talented at writing and telling stories and David Heustis was skilled at the technical aspects of making movies.  This is their fourth film, but their first feature film.  The Widow’s Might at the San Antonio Christian Film Festival won ‘Best of Festival’ and the ‘Audience Choice’ Award against tough competition like Fireproof and Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed.  They may be young, but they are very talented and have a bright future in making more award winning films. 

      The Widow’s Might is an inspiring and uplifting film about showing others compassion.  This is a high quality production with a talented cast.  On October 1, 2009 buy the DVD wherever Christian films are sold.  Gather the family for a wonderful movie night. You can find out more about the movie at the website www.widowsmightmovie.com. On the movie’s website they announce that HeuMoore is dedicated to creating films that glorify Christ and spread a message of truth.  The Widow’s Might is just that – entertaining with an important message.

**Warning: This is not a family friendly film!

Here is the best family review that I have found of this film—by Mark Corallo : 

On the Wisdom of an Eleven Year Old Boy in ‘Land of the Lost’

Brought to you by the same folks (David Zucker) who recently produced all the Scary Movie sequels, and the earlier Airplane! and Naked Gun movies. I will just say that the genre has not improved with time.

The ‘story’  (such as it is) is a take-off of Christmas Carol with Spirits of the past, present, and future visiting a anti-American American left-wing documentary filmmaker, Michael Malone (Kevin Farley), who does remind one of Michael Moore. Of course that is the whole point of the film, to be a right-wing parody of Moore.

The film is actually one skit after another strung together by an implausible story line that is ignored most of the time. Some of it is well done and brings you to tears as you laugh through the punch lines and spill your popcorn on your neighbor. Other scenes, far too many, fall flat and you almost feel embarrassed for the actors.

Most of left-leaning Hollywood reviewers have panned the movie and probably can’t be expected to enjoy the myriad of lampoons at their expense. However, some of their criticisms are valid.

Kevin Farley does a fine job and has a real future. Leslie Nielsen is Leslie Nielsen, a fine caricature of himself. Kelsey Grammer is brilliant as Gen. Patton, Jon Voight plays a dignified Geo. Washington, and Dennis Hopper is completely outrageous as a judge who shoots down zombie ACLU lawyers in his courtroom.

This is not a movie I would see twice, but I might be persuaded to buy the DVD in order zip though the slow parts and view the scenes that actually make the film worth paying to see.

Right-wing conservatives like myself will enjoy it, moderates will think it so-so, and liberals will head for the exits early.

Some Christians who read my reviews might be offended by some of the antics and language that contributed to the PG-13 rating. Not really a film that children will be able to get a hold of, but some of the outrageous antics might keep them quit long enough for the credits to roll.            

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A car mechanic (Morgan Freeman) and a Billionaire (Jack Nicholson) end up in the same hospital room together both suffering from the effects of chemotherapy and both given only a few months to live at best.

Carter Chambers is a family man who seems to be facing the end of his life with some regret. An obviously smart man who gave up his dream of becoming a history professor in order to raise a family. Then sacrificed for years to get his children all the way through college and into professional careers. In the process he lost a bit of himself and questions whether his wife and himself really are as close as they once were.

Edward Cole is a self made selfish rich guy who demands and expects everything to be exactly the way he wants it to be. Now he was facing terminal cancer and starts out in denial and refuses to acknowledge his condition. However, soon he is doubled up in front of a toilet and is finally forced to face and acknowledge all of his fears.

Carter is working on a list of all the things that he wanted and hoped to do before he died–a ‘bucket list’. When he is informed that he only has a few months at best to live he gives up on the list. Edward picks the crumpled list off the floor where Carter threw it and add a few things to it and purposes that they check out of the hospital while they have some strength and work together fulfilling the list.

For Edward, it’s a joke and an opportunity for some fun, while Carter’s contributions to the list are far more introspective. There are a number of funny scenes as Edward has the two of them going sky diving. Then they fly in Edward’s private jet to Europe and eat at the best restaurants and stay the billionaire’s European villa. Then it is on to Asia.

Meanwhile, Carter’s wife and family are frantic to get him back home. When Edward tries to set him up with a pretty prostitute in Asia, Carter realizes how much he misses his wife and family and asks Edward to take him home.

Back at home, there is an effective juxtaposition of Carter with his wife and family all together eating and enjoying each other’s company, and Edward all by himself trying to fix a TV dinner. A real contrast in lifestyles and choices.

In the process of this movie, both men end up helping each other. Carter has lived his life as a family man with faith in God and deep convictions. In conversations with Edward about the important things in life, the billionaire does not have any sort of faith and has elected to live alone with no family contact, including a daughter who he hasn’t seen for years.  Carter encourages him to see his daughter and to learn how to really find joy and some kind of faith in the little time he has left.

This is a touching story with surprising moments of comedy made plausible only through the exceptional acting by Nicholson and Freeman. Entertaining, but also full of great lessons in living.            *Top

Larry Daley (Ben Stiller) is a self-made down-on-his-luck entrepreneur, or loser.  Take your pick.  He is about to lose his apartment and his ex is threatening to cut him off from his son Nick (Jake Cherry).  He needs a regular job to save his situation, but the night guard position he takes at the Metro Museum is anything but ‘regular’.  As soon as the sun goes down and the doors are locked, the fun begins.

The ‘retiring’ former guards leave him with an instruction book, but fail to tell him that everything comes alive at night, including all the statues, the stuffed animals, and even the miniature displays.  This movie is incredible fun and family friendly.  Robin Williams comes alive as the ‘wax’ figure of Theodore Roosevelt and gives Larry support in controlling the uncontrollable.  Owen Wilson as a miniature cowboy is a riot and his counterpart, the miniature Octavius (Roman General) played by Steve Coogan also brings levity with an ostentatious attitude.

Much of the plot is predictable but who cares, this becomes a fun family frolic every time the sun goes down.  You can’t wait to see what happens next, even if you do sort of know how it’s all going to turn out.  I highly recommend it, see it now or see it later on DVD.

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This film pretends to be a documentary starting in Kazakhstan with a pseudo journalist named Borat (Sacha Baron Cohen) traveling to America. First to New York City, but then takes a detour across ‘red state’ America, finds its way to California, then back home again.

This is an outrageous film with lots of laughs, but also offensive, repulsive, gross, and way over the top.  Borat is an equal opportunity offender.  Lots of anti-Semitism, anti-Christianity, bigotry, and sexism on display.  And talking about display, there is far too much male nudity, including a shocking amount of frontal exposure.  The anti-Semitism goes so far that it actually ends up making fun of anti-Semites themselves.  This film is actually a ‘diabolical’ candid camera.  Sacha Cohen  as ‘Borat’, pretends to be an actual journalist from Kazakhstan making a documentary about America.  In the process, he catches a whole lot of people off guard.  An etiquette teacher he ‘interviewed’ is already suing Cohen for the humiliation she was subjected to in the movie.  She has retained Gloria Allred, this should be fun!

Particularly troubling for me, was a visit to a Pentecostal revival service where Borat supposedly receives Jesus and attempts to speak in tongues.  I’m at a loss of words to explain how truly perverse this film really is.  Yet, there I was with the rest of the audience laughing at many of the scenes. However, there is an underlying sadness to the main character, and a full range of emotions is necessary to get you through to the end.  I cannot recommend this film to anyone, but it seems to be playing well in the big cities and in ‘blue states’, not so well in Middle America and the South.

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Starring:  Jack Black, Ana de la Requera

The setting is in a rural part of modern Mexico.  Jack Black plays a friar serving in an orphanage that he grew up in.  He had a childhood dream of becoming a famous wrestler, but he grows up to become the brother in charge of the kitchen.

The orphanage is poor and depends on  handouts from the local village to feed the children.  Soon, Jack begins to wrestle and earns money (by losing) for better provisions for the children, and of coarse a few luxuries for himself.  It is a fun movie and appropriate for the family.  The antics of Jack Black wear well and compliment this vehicle.  It really surprised me how much I liked and really enjoyed this movie!

Ana de la Requera plays the love interest, as a young woman dedicated to serving God.  Her performance is quite good and leaves one hoping to see her in many more movies.  The innocent bi-play between Jack’s character and her’s, is endearing and really makes this movie special.

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