An eight-year-old boy is willing to do whatever it takes to end World War II so he can bring his father home. The story reveals the indescribable love a father has for his little boy and the love a son has for his father.
The Players
Director: Alejandro Monteverde
Writers: Alejandro Monteverde, Pepe Portillo
Actors: Kevin James, Emily Watson, Tom Wilkinson, Michael Rapaport
Producer: Mark Burnett (executive)
Total Lifetime Grosses
Domestic: $6,485,961
Hollywood hated this movie calling it shameless and schmaltzy and couldn’t help pointing out that it was politically incorrect to tie this little boy’s answered prayer to the dropping of an atomic bomb. Roger Ebert’s website gave it 1.5 stars however the actual viewers of this film at Amazon rated it much higher.
Ben Stein examines the issue of academic freedom and decides that there is none when it comes to the debate over intelligent design.
The Players
Actor: Ben Stein
Producer: John Sullivan
Total Lifetime Grosses
Domestic: $7,720,487
Hollywood went nuts blasting this documentary. Roger Ebert said “This film is cheerfully ignorant, manipulative, slanted, cherry-picks quotations, draws unwarranted conclusions, makes outrageous juxtapositions (Soviet marching troops representing opponents of ID), pussy-foots around religion (not a single identified believer among the ID people), segues between quotes that are not about the same thing, tells bald-faced lies, and makes a completely baseless association between freedom of speech and freedom to teach religion in a university class that is not about religion.”
Only 11% of Rotten Tomatoes approved reviewers had anything good to say about the movie yet it received much higher by people who watched it on Amazon.
In six years of coaching, Grant Taylor has never led his Shiloh Eagles to a winning season. After learning that he and his wife Brooke face infertility, Grant discovers that a group of fathers are secretly organizing to have him dismissed as head coach. Devastated by his circumstances, he cries out to God in desperation. When Grant receives a message from an unexpected visitor, he searches for a stronger purpose for his football team. He dares to challenge his players to believe God for the impossible on and off the field. When faced with unbelievable odds, the Eagles must step up to their greatest test of strength and courage.
The Players
Director: Alex Kendrick
Writers: Alex Kendrick, Stephen Kendrick
Actors: James Blackwell, Bailey Cave, Shannen Fields, Alex Kendrick
Producers: Alex Kendrick, Stephen Kendrick
Total Lifetime Grosses
Domestic: $10,178,331 99.4% + Foreign: $64,828 0.6% = Worldwide: $10,243,159
Once again Rotten Tomatoes approved reviewers skewered this movie with Frank Swietek saying “Would seem sincere enough, but it’s just a chain of ludicrous cliches of both the sports and religious variety.” They didn’t seem to like an evangelical message being broadcast to the general population with another reviewer, Josh Rosenblatt writing, “Its feel-good storyline, shopworn message, and bottomless sermonizing would have played better in Sunday school than on the big screen, which is — let’s face it — Babylon’s turf.”
However once again the media elite didn’t get it. Those that have watched the movie on Amazon have rated it much higher.
All Allyson and her friends want is a peaceful, grown-up evening of dinner and conversation . . . a long-needed moms’ night out. But in order to enjoy high heels, adult conversation and food not served in a paper bag, they need their husbands to watch the kids for three hours—what could go wrong? MOMS’ NIGHT OUT is an endearing true-to-life family comedy that celebrates the beautiful mess called parenting.
The Players
Directors: Andrew Erwin, Jon Erwin
Writers: Jon Erwin, Andrea Gyertson Nasfell
Actors: Sarah Drew, Sean Astin, Patricia Heaton, Trace Adkins
Producers: Andrew Erwin, Jon Erwin, Patricia Heaton
Total Lifetime Grosses
Domestic: $10,429,707 + Foreign: n/a = Worldwide: $10,429,707
Again the Hollywood elites threw rotten tomatoes at this movie with these comments from Rotten Tomatoes. “Cheap-looking, unfunny, and kind of sexist to boot, Moms’ Night Out is a disappointment from start to finish.”
However once again they have totally missed the boat. The actual viewers on Amazon have rated this movie much higher Here is what one viewer said.
“This movie is hilarious. I loved it and so did my husband. It is laugh out loud funny all the way through, but it is clean comedy. So thankful that there are still a few movies left that are funny without resorting to crude language and weird sexual innuendo.”
I guess the movie didn’t fit the Hollywood stereotypes we so often see.
Risen is the epic Biblical story of the Resurrection and the weeks that followed, as seen through the eyes of an unbelieving Clavius (Joseph Fiennes), a high-ranking Roman Military Tribune. Clavius and his aide Lucius (Tom Felton) are instructed by Pontius Pilate to ensure Jesus’ radical followers don’t steal his body and claim resurrection. When the body goes missing within days, Clavius sets out on a mission to locate the missing body in order to disprove the rumors of a risen Messiah and prevent an uprising in Jerusalem.
The Players
Director: Kevin Reynolds
Actors: Joseph Fiennes, Tom Felton, Peter Firth, Cliff Curtis
Total Lifetime Grosses (As of 2/23/2016)
Domestic: $11,801,271 + Foreign: $170,760 = Worldwide: $11,972,031
Hollywood has been a little more generous when it comes to this movie in their reviews but they are still way out of touch with the average viewer giving it only 59% positive reviews. Take for example this review by Katie Walsh in the Los Angeles Times, “”Risen” is a fascinating cultural artifact, but as a film, it’s destined for no glory greater than as an appropriate cable rerun on Easter.”
Meanwhile the people who watched it gave it over 80% positive reviews like this one.
“Our family thoroughly enjoyed this film. The movie has very high production values, great acting and casting, and while there was plenty of artistic license, for once in a movie like this I didn?t see anything that blatantly contradicted the Biblical account. The movie also had a good pace to it, superb cinematography (it was filmed in Spain and Malta), was entertaining, and had several very memorable and impactful scenes.
James Fiennes who played the Roman soldier was outstanding. The character of Peter was also especially well done.
I highly recommend this film!”
“End of the Spear” is the remarkable journey of a savage Amazon tribesman who becomes family to the son of a North American man he kills. Mincayani (Louie Leonardo) is a Waodani warrior who leads the raid that kills Steve Saint’s father and four other missionaries. Through a suspenseful series of events Steve Saint (Chase Ellison) is able to visit Mincayani’s tribe. Steve tries to learn which warriors killed his father, but has to leave with his question unanswered. Steve returns to the Waodani as an adult (Chad Allen). Together Mincayani and Steve confront the true meaning of the life and death of Steve’s father, and the other men who were killed.
The Players
Actors: Louie Leonardo, Chad Allen, Jack Guzman, Christina Souza, Chase Ellison
Directors: Jim Hanon
Writers: Jim Hanon, Bart Gavigan, Bill Ewing
Producers: Bart Gavigan, Bill Ewing, Brent Ryan Green, Eugene Mazzola
Total Lifetime Grosses
Domestic: $11,967,000 + Foreign: $161,105 = Worldwide: $12,128,105
With 4.4 out of 5 stars on Amazon, the real life viewers of End Of The Spear once again refute the professional Hollywood movie critics. The consensus of the reviewers said “Shoddy filmmaking and a lack of character development derail what could be a potentially compelling tale.” and only gave it 40% positive reviews compared to 81% of actual movie viewers.