Religion & Spirituality

The Secret (Extended Edition)

The new "extended edition" of this ground-breaking feature length movie presentation reveals The Great Secret of the universe. It has been passed throughout the ages, traveling through centuries... to reach you. This is The Secret to everything - the secret to unlimited joy, health, money, relationships, love, youth: everything you have ever wanted. In this astonishing program are ALL the resources you will ever need to understand and live The Secret. For the first time in history, the world's leading scientists, authors, and philosophers will reveal The Secret that utterly transformed the lives of every person who ever knew it... Plato, Newton, Carnegie, Beethoven, Shakespeare, Einstein. Now YOU will know The Secret. And it can change your life forever.

Not really a movie or documentary, The Secret is more of a video seminar, a presentation featuring a series of authors, philosophers, doctors, quantum physicists, entrepreneurs, and spiritual practitioners expounding on the powers of The Secret (probably the most well-known of the presenters is Jack Canfield, author of Chicken Soup for the Soul and The Success Principles). What is The Secret, exactly? "That principle can be summed up in three simple words: thoughts become things," proclaims writer Mike Dooley, author of Notes from the Universe. Put it another way, it's The Power of Positive Thinking and how it can be applied to attracting more money, better health, and relationships; in short, happiness. (There is a rundown of topics on the DVD Chapters menu).

Most of the material here is given in a straightforward manner, with the presenters simply talking into the camera to address the audience directly, which is good because it avoids the trap of pretense. On the other hand, the quick edits between presenters (would it hurt to let them say more than one sentence at a time?) don't help because it reduces many of their points to palatable sound bites and aphorisms. To many viewers, this may make the program come across as a series of nice ideas not rooted in reality. Plus it's somewhat spurious to claim that The Secret was well understood and practiced by specific individuals like Plato or Shakespeare (it's well known that some of the historical figures noted didn't exactly live happy or even prosperous lives, despite their achievements). But still, the primary message is one of positivity and hope for everyone. So what to make of it? In the end, programs like this generally find an audience that is open to the message, and many will probably find it to be a source of inspiration. Others will approach it with a good deal of skepticism or dismiss it as another way of marketing happiness the masses. It simply won't resonate with everyone, but if it resonates with you, you're likely to enjoy it and get a lot out of it. Those looking for more on The Secret might want to check out the companion book by Rhonda Byrne. --Daniel Vancini

Yoga for Stress Relief (With The Dalai Lama)

Over the centuries, yoga practitioners have discovered the secret to achieving optimal health, vitality and happiness. For the first time, this path to living a longer, happier life is revealed on a single DVD. Excessive stress and negative mental attitudes in our daily lives are the greatest obstacles to achieving serenity, good health & well-being. This DVD teaches step by step, easy to follow practices to reduce negative thoughts & emotions while promoting positive thinking. With over 20 routines to address negative mental, emotional and physical issues, this DVD is the most comprehensive DVD of its kind. This DVD also includes an UNPRECEDENTED 30 minute instruction on meditation with the Dalai Lama! This exclusive discussion of meditation with the Dalai Lama himself appears only on this deluxe edition DVD. Considered one of the greatest influencers of our time, the Dalai Lama has spent his life teaching people how to be happy and promote positive thinking. His teachings are world renowned and this special bonus discusses both the benefits and techniques of meditation to promote positive thinking and cultivate happiness. Never before has a DVD revealed how to overcome dozens of common physical, mental and emotional conditions through the ancient science of yoga. This revolutionary, interactive system allows you to choose from 20 customized routines that range from 15-60 minutes and target common issues.

Yoga instructor Barbara Benagh has practiced and taught yoga for nearly 35 years. She discovered yoga while living in England and began teaching there. She moved to Boston and opened The Yoga Studio on Beacon Hill in 1980.

In addition to her local classes Barbara teaches yoga seminars throughout the US and internationally. She is a regular contributor of articles to Yoga Journal magazine. She has several audio CDs of live classes available as well as DVDs, the latest being Yoga for Beginners released by Body + Soul magazine, and Yoga for Stress Relief that includes a discussion on meditation from the Dalai Lama.

Barbara was kind enough to answer some questions from Amazon.com about this unique line of yoga DVDs.

How are these DVDs different from other yoga DVDs?

I was drawn to working with Bodywisdommedia because they produce DVDs they are interactive. Rather than a "one size fits all" single routine that is typical of most products, these DVDs offer choice, allowing the user to customize and change their yoga practice to suit their needs. No two persons are the same so the ability to change your practice - easing shoulder tension one day and an invigorating morning wake up the next - come as close as possible to allowing you to address your individual needs at home. Not only do people have different physical needs, but they have different time constraints as well. If you have only 20 minutes, there is a practice for you but there are longer practices as well (some as long as 90 minutes) that address the total body/mind connection. The sheer number of yoga sequences offered on each of these DVDs is a first. They are incredibly comprehensive.

How were you able to get the Dalai Lama involved?

This project dovetailed perfectly with the Dalai Lama's message that modern stress is one of the greatest obstacles to our mental happiness and physical wellbeing. Because we are long-time sincere practitioners, having a 30-minute lecture of the Dalai Lama teaching how to meditate on the Yoga for Stress Relief DVD was a perfect fit. Bodywisdommedia also has a broader relationship with the Office of Tibet and are releasing historic lectures with "A Path to Happiness" being the first one.

How will potential buyers of these DVDs know which one is right for them?

The titles are very indicative of what appears on the DVD and therefore a good guide. I really enjoyed making Yoga for Stress Relief because it is incredibly relevant. We strove to make the sequences accessible to as many people as possible, whether they are a beginner or long time practitioner. Yoga for Beginners is a great, non-threatening place to get started and includes lots of sound technique developed over my 30 years as a yoga teacher. Power Yoga for Every Body is a bit more challenging taking you from the beginning level and gradually progressing to much more demanding routines.

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

Masada - The Complete Epic Mini-Series

This 1981 television miniseries, based on Ernest K. Gann's historical novel The Antagonists, is a dramatization of a documented revolt by nearly a thousand Jerusalem Jews against Roman oppressors in A.D. 72 to 73. Following a city-wide siege by Rome's soldiers, Jewish Zealots move into a fortress in the mountains of Masada, from which they present a defense strong enough to convince the enemy to negotiate. Peter O'Toole, in all his golden dignity, plays Cornelius Flavius Silva, commander of the Roman legions, and Peter Strauss is Zealot leader Eleazar ben Yair. Both are outstanding as representatives from each side trying, in good faith, to find a way out of the deadlocked situation. Unfortunately, neither realizes that Rome has no intention of yielding, resulting in one of the greatest tragedies in Jewish history. A strong cast of character actors--David Warner, Barbara Carrera, Timothy West, and Anthony Quayle--is rewardingly watchable, the action and sets are persuasive without overwhelming the story's human dimension, and direction by Boris Sagal (The Omega Man) is crisp and enthralling. This was a pleasure to watch when it was first broadcast, and it holds up very well today. --Tom Keogh

"A victory? What have we won?" laments a breathtaking Peter O'Toole as the Roman warrior Flavius Silva. "We've won a rock in the middle of a wasteland, on the shores of a poisoned sea." Thus does Masada, the epic 1981 miniseries about a horrific battle in ancient Palestine, echo the terrible toll of war in general, and of the brutal conflicts in today's Middle East in particular. Masada, from the golden age of miniseries (Roots, Shogun), is a transportive viewing event--shot on location, and apparently no expense spared.

The film retells (with some dramatic license) the true story of an uprising in Palestine of a ragtag band of Jews, in a fortress called Masada, who refuse to surrender to the governing Romans. O'Toole, as Flavius Silva, is the brilliant commander who, over the course of several years of trying, and failing, to breach Masada, comes to regard the leader of his foes, Eleazar ben Yair (the charismatic Peter Strauss), with a certain amount of respect and awe. If left to Flavius, he might have simply leave the holdout fortress and return to the Italy he so longs for; but the Roman emperor demands victory--at any cost.

The performances are uniformly crisp and believable; the direction by Boris Sagal, economical; the screenplay, sharp and incisive. David Warner, who won an Emmy for his performance, plays the brutal Roman henchman Falco with seething determination. The location shooting is nothing short of spectacular. There is sorrow in the story of Masada, but an uplifting message in the ability of true believers to create their own destiny. --A.T. Hurley

In first century A.D., Flavius Silva (Peter O'Toole), commander in Roman Palestine, leads his forces in combat against the remaining Jewish Zealots who have taken refuge in the seemingly impregnable fortress of Masada. There, the engineering and military might of Rome faces the passion and ingenuity of Eleazar Ben Yair (Peter Strauss) and his people. Based on the novel "The Antagonists" by Ernest K. Gann, this epic, 4-part mini-series was shot on location in Israel.

The Moses Code

Thirty-five hundred years ago, God gave Moses a gift that changed the future of humanity. Some of the most incredible miracles in history came from applying a simple code, activating the power of the creative force of God in the world. This ancient technology has largely been lost or ignored since then, only to be revealed once again through this movie (as well as James Twymans book of the same name). This code, if finally applied by humanity, has the power to transform the planet, as well as add the richest blessings to all of us. Some of the best-known spiritual teachers in the world join James in this film, and offer tools that show us how we can apply the Moses Code to our lives. This is the foundation upon which the Law of Attraction is built. The film focuses on the power of Soul Manifestation, drawing upon our own innate spiritual ability to produce miracles everywhere we go. Many other films and books have focused on using the Law of Attraction to get the things we believe we need for example, houses, cars, or other goods. The Moses Code takes the next much more important step showing how to use this law to give from the soul, automatically attracting spiritual blessings to us!

For The Bible Tells Me So

Winner of the Audience Award for Best Documentary at the Seattle Interntional Film Festival, Dan Karslake's provocative, entertaining documentary brilliantly reconciles homosexuality and Biblical scripture, and in the process reveals that Church-sanctioned anti-gay bias is based solely upon a significant (and often malicious) misinterpretation of the Bible. As the film notes, most Christians live their lives today without feeling obliged to kil anyone who works on the Sabbath or eats shrimp.
Through the experience of five very normal, very Christian , very American families - including those of former House Majority Leader Richard Gephardt and Episcopalian Bishop Gene Robinson - we discover how insightful people of faith handle the realization of having a gay child. With commentary by such respected voices as Bishop Desmond Tutu, Harvard's Peter Gomes, Orthodox Rabbi Steve Greenberg and Reverend Jimmy Creech, For The Bible Tells Me So offers healing, clarity and understanding to anyone caught in the crosshairs of scripture and sexual identity.

AM/PM Yoga For Beginners (with The Dalai Lama & 10 Routines)

AM/PM Yoga For Beginners is the perfect DVD to help you start and end your day.

AM Routines i are designed to help you wake up both your mind and body in a balanced, energetic and serene way.

PM Routines are designed to help you let go of the meental and physicaal stress of the day and to prepare for a deep relaxing sleep.

This DVD features over 10 routines with times ranging from 15 minutes to an hour, so there is always a routine that fits how you feel and how your schedule is at any given time and which will:

* Energize and awaken both body and mind
* Relax and unwind in the evening
* Feel great throughout the day
* Reduce stress
* Decrease lower back pain
* Center your mind and body


This DVD was shot on location at one of the most beautiful, tranquil beaches in the world, Half-Moon Bay, Antigua adding to the overall experience of tranquility.

BONUS FEATURE: The Dalai Lama discussing "Finding Peace"

The routines are led by world reknowned yoga instructor Barbara Benagh (former Yoga Journal Asana columinist and instructor on other acclaimed titles, including her previous release, Yoga For Stress Relief) who over the last 35 years has developed an insightful style that has emphasizes reducing stress and letting go of tension.

Banking on Heaven

Banking on Heaven is the inside story of the largest polygamous enclave in the United States, produced and narrated by Laurie Allen, who escaped a similar sect a age sixteen. Banking on Heaven exposes a culture that robs our welfare system, and uses mind control and fear to enslave thousands of Americans. The film reveals the politicians' failure to help, the Mormon Church's role and the plight of innocent members of the Fundamentalist Latter Day Saints (FLDS). This Heartfelt story is told by those still inside, and those who have escaped. And you, the taxpayer are financing this corrupt sect.

The Secret (Original Edition)

This original version of "The Secret" is out of print! Esther Hicks, the channel who speaks for "Abraham" is in this original version, which also features Bob Proctor, Morris Goodman, John Gray, and many other modern-day teachers. This is a mind-bending, life-changing film that must be seen to be experienced fully. Also includes subtitles for the hearing impaired, trailers, and will work in DVD players from all NTSC regions (as well as all-region DVD players).

Finger of God

Hundreds raised from the dead. Manna appearing in the Pentagon. Gemstones fallling from the sky. Teenagers healing perfect strangers on the street. This isn't old time religion. This is a new beginning. A spiritual revolution. This is the Finger of God. Prepare to go on a dizzying journey around the world--from the streets of Northern California to the mud huts of Africa; from the undergound church in China to the Gypsies in Eastern Europe--you will be challenged and encouraged by the extraordinary things God is doing in our world today. Born out of filmmaker Darren Wilson's personal journey of two years and hundreds of hours of footage, Finger of God will show you a world you never knew existed. A world of hope and courage. A world where God's fingerprints are found in the unlikeliest of places.