Jesus

Jesus Christ Superstar (Special Edition)

Ted Neeley makes for a wimpy looking Jesus in Norman Jewison's screen adaptation of the Andrew Lloyd Webber-Tim Rice "rock opera," which was a smash on stage in the early '70s. Jewison (Other People's Money) adds some good exterior settings in the desert, but Lloyd Webber and Rice's dialogue-free story (everything is sung, as in a real opera), with its quasi-profundities about the inner demons of principal figures in the life of Christ, is the real hook. Yvonne Elliman sings the show's best-known song, "I Don't Know How to Love Him." --Tom Keogh

Godspell

No Description Available
No Track Information Available
Media Type: DVD
Artist: GODSPELL
Title: GODSPELL
Street Release Date: 02/28/2006
Domestic
Genre: MUSICALS (THEATRICAL)

Comparing Godspell to its near-contemporaries Jesus Christ Superstar and Hair is unavoidable, but Godspell has developed its own unique following. With their thrift-store-meets-circus-performer garb, the characters in David Greene's adaptation of the popular off-Broadway production may look more like the hippies in Hair than the biblical personages of Superstar. But Godspell isn't really about the "Age of Aquarius," nor does it adopt a dark or operatic tone towards its subject matter, the Gospel according to Matthew. The mood is, instead, upbeat and uplifting (at least until the crucifixion sequence).

The film opens with youthful city dwellers from various walks of life dropping their activities to follow John the Baptist (David Haskell from the original New York production). They sing ("Prepare Ye the Way of the Lord") as he leads them into a fountain where they are (metaphorically) baptized. There they meet Jesus (Victor Garber). Frizzy hair and mime makeup aside, the handsome young Garber (Titanic, Annie) is convincing in his film debut. Once baptized, they follow him around various scenic New York locations, singing and acting out passages from the Scriptures.

The largely unknown cast is talented and charismatic, but the film is only fitfully engaging on an emotional level because only Jesus, John, and Judas (Haskell again) emerge as distinct characters. Stephen Schwartz's pleasing pop-rock score, however, helps to smooth over the rough spots, and Robin Lamont's hit version of "Day by Day" remains a highlight. --Kathleen C. Fennessy

The Case for Christ

No Description Available.
Genre: Documentary
Rating: UN
Release Date: 8-JAN-2008
Media Type: DVD

Peter & Paul DVD

This epic network television mini-series brings to life the precarious existence of early Christianity. The new movement is beset by violent opposition from without and constant turmoil from within. Two key leaders emerge--Peter and Paul--who struggle to keep the faith alive. This dramatic presentation follows the pair, together and separately, through three epochal decades. Included are the stoning of Stephen, the road to Damascus, their encounter in Jerusalem, their conflicts over how the word of Christ should be spread. Paul's travels to Asia Minor and Greece, Peter and Paul's clashes over Jewish law, and Peter's decision to follow in Paul's courageous footsteps. The drama concludes in Rome in approximately A.D. 64 with the beheading of Paul and the crucifixion of Peter under Emperor Nero.

SPECIAL FEATURES:
-Spanish Language track with or without English subtitles
-Closed captioning in English
-Biographical information on leading actors
-Chapter titles provided for easy scene access

The God Who Wasn't There

Bowling for Columbine did it to the gun culture. Super Size Me did it to fast food. Now The God Who Wasn't There does it to religion.

Holding modern Christianity up to a bright spotlight, this eye-opening documentary asks the questions few dare to ask. "Did Jesus even exist?" is just the beginning for The God Who Wasn't There. Your guide through the world of Christendom is former fundamentalist Brian Flemming, joined by such luminaries as Jesus Seminar fellow Robert M. Price, author Sam Harris and historian Richard Carrier.

In addition to the film, which won the Best Documentary award at the 2005 Grassroots Cinema Film Festival, this feature-packed DVD includes:

-Special commentary tracks with Richard Dawkins and Earl Doherty
-Over one hour of compelling additional interview footage
-An in-depth Web-enabled slide show
-Music from the soundtrack
-Bios of all participants

This provocative DVD takes off the gloves and gives religion an unprecedented, no-holds-barred examination. So hold on to your faith. It's in for a bumpy ride.

Jesus Camp

Jesus Camp directed by Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady directors of the critically acclaimed The Boys Of Baraka follows Levi Rachael and Tory to Pastor Becky Fischer's "Kids On Fire" summer camp in Devil's Lake North Dakota where kids as young as 6 years-old are taught to become dedicated Christian soldiers in "God's army". The film follows these children at camp as they hone their "prophetic gifts" and are schooled in how to "take back America for Christ." The film is a first-ever look into an intense training ground that recruits born-again Christian children to become an active part of America's political future. System Requirements:Run Time: 84 minsFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: DOCUMENTARIES/MISC. Rating: PG- 13 UPC: 876964000628 Manufacturer No: 10062

The feverish spectacle of a summer camp for evangelical Christian kids is the focus of Jesus Camp, a fascinating if sometimes alarming documentary. (Shortly after its release, the movie gained a new notoriety when Ted Haggard, president of the National Association of Evangelicals, who appears near the end of the film, resigned his post amid a male prostitute's allegations of drug use and sexual misconduct.) For most of the film, we follow a charismatic teacher, Becky Fischer, as she trains young soldiers in "God's Army" at a camp in North Dakota. Some of the kids emerge as likable and bright, and eager to continue their work as pint-sized preachers; elsewhere, the visions of children speaking in tongues and falling to the floor in ecstasy are more troubling. Even more arresting is the vision of a generation of children home-schooled to believe that the Bible is science, or Fischer's certainty that America's flawed system of democracy will someday be replaced by a theocracy. (In one scene, a cardboard cut-out of George W. Bush is presented to the children, who react by laying their hands on the figure as though in a religious procession.) Filmmakers Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady maintain neutrality about all this, maybe too much so (they throw in some interviews with radio host Mike Papantonio to provide a liberal-Christian viewpoint) and one would like to know more about the grown-ups presented here. Power broker Haggard is the creepiest person in the film, an insincere smooth talker whose advice to one of the young would-be campgoers comes across as entirely cynical. Time will tell whether the film's Christian soldiers will be marching onward. --Robert Horton

Paul the Apostle

Director Roger Young (JOSEPH AND JESUS) presents this dramatic television miniseries that recounts the life of Paul (Johannes Brandrup) the Apostle of Jesus Christ. Originally known as Paul of Tarsus, Paul tortured and persecuted Christians until he experienced a vision of Jesus that forever changed his life. After converting to Christianity, Paul suffered persecution and imprisonment, but never stopped trying to spread the teachings of Christ. Notably, this program was shot on location in the Moroccan desert.

What Would Jesus Buy?

In this hilarious documentary produced by SUPER SIZE ME's Morgan Spurlock Reverend Billy takes on American corporate giants such as Wal-Mart and Disney. But the commercialization of Christmas and life itself is the real target for Reverend Billy and his Church of Stop Shopping as they demonstrate the dangers of living a life driven by money and possessions. No company is safe from Reverend Billy his booming voice and his portable pulpit.System Requirements:Running Time: 91 minutesFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: DOCUMENTARIES/POLITICS Rating: PG UPC: 829567049525 Manufacturer No: 670495

Veggie Tales: A Snoodle's Tale - A Lesson in Self-Worth

Searching for the Wrong-Eyed Jesus

Take a captivating and compelling road trip through the creative spirit of the American South, a world of churches, prisons, coalmines, truckstops, juke joints, swamps and mountains. Along the way you'll meet musicians including the Handsome Family, Johnny Dowd, 16 Horsepower, and David Johansen, old time banjo player Lee Sexton, and novelist Harry Crews. This film is a collage of stories and testimonies filled with sudden death, sin and redemption... and all the while, a strange Southern Jesus looms in the background.