Reviews

The depiction of Bonhoeffer is to my knowledge as close as it came come in portrayal of him. Sobering, gives one cause to pause to view their position.

Excellent production and telling of the fascinating true story of Deitrich Bonhoeffer and one attempt to stop the monstrous Nazi machine. Illustrates true self sacrifice and heroism, and the Biblical principal "faith without works is dead."

It was a very good film. Really enjoyed the background and history of Bonhoeffer. A very interesting person.

I've used this video to expose young adults in our church to great Christians. Bonhoeffer's journey speaks to many issues my students are grappling with: war, political engagement, the role of the church in society. There is great insight as you watch Bonhoeffer keep his focus on Christ and engage with the world around him.

Excellent factual account of Bonhoeffer's life and the significance of his activities as a scholar, philosopher, leader and in his elected role as an active anti-Nazi citizen. Ausgezeichnet!

Reviews

FINALLY- a film that dives into the complexity of being gay and christian. real people, pain-filled examples of abuse. clear scripture clarification. detailed accounts of how the bible is being misused. this should be shown and discussed at great detail in all churches- if more people watched this with an open mind then the face of christianity would better resemble that of the face of Christ. ALSO: the production values were A+. frequently films like this are made poorly, and the low budget shows. this was entertaining and quality film making!

I got an email confirming the item had been returned, but the strange part is it was never received by me & I actually had wanted this DVD!

Informative, creative and moving. A long over-due examination of the complex issues surrounding religion and homosexuality.

We recently watched this video in class--everyone was moved. I would highly recommend this video to anyone with questions about the issues of gay identity, or gay marriage. The lives of those involved were portrayed with thoughtfulness and honesty; this film can bring the roots of mis-attribution of negative traits to the surface, so that they can be considered within a more grounded and realistic framework.

Who would have thought that the consecration of a bishop in New Hampshire of all places would send a fissure though the global church - not just the Anglican Church, but the church as a whole. But the consecration of an openly gay man has done just that, laying bare the divisions over sexuality that permeates the Christian Community. The Rt. Rev. Gene Robinson, Bishop of New Hampshire has become the symbol of our unease with our sexuality and its place in the church. The film begins with Anita Bryant, back in the 1970s denouncing the "gay agenda." Interspersed through the film are angry denouncements of homosexuality on the part of Christians, like Jimmy Swaggart, Jim Dobson, and the ubiquitous folk from Topeka's Westborough Baptist Church. But that is not the essence of the film. Instead it is the stories of real families who struggle with their children's sexual identity and their own religious formation. Five families are interviewed - including the family of Bishop Robinson, whose own spiritual foundations are not Episcopal, but Disciples of Christ. His parents still members of the same Kentucky Disciple church that he grew up in share their pride in their son and the journey they took to embrace him as he is, despite their earlier formation. Another famous family is that of former Congressman Richard Gephardt, whose daughter Chrissie is a lesbian. Some of the stories, like those of the Gephardts and the Robinsons are happy, but not all are. Mary Lou Wallner tells the story of her estrangement from her lesbian daughter Anna, largely on the basis of her faith formation and understanding of the Bible - an understanding she got largely from Focus on the Family. That story ends tragically in the suicide death of her daughter. But out of that tragedy came hope, for Mary Lou began to study and found that her previous understandings had been wrong. Now she speaks out on behalf of the gay and lesbian community. There is another family that is conflicted - they love their daughter and welcome her, but they can't accept who she is. That's a work in progress. Finally there's the story of Jake Reitan, a young gay man who grew up in a solid - Lutheran - Christian family. It took time for his family to embrace him as he is, but in the long run they became advocates, standing with him as Soul Force demonstrated at the Focus on the Family headquarters. The powerful statement these stories make is that this is a personal issue. Whatever your views of homosexuality or of the Bible, things change when it affects your family. How you read the Bible is influenced by your own experiences. That is true of me - I'm a graduate of a leading evangelical seminary, whose president is featured in the film (unfortunately affirming traditional interpretations of these texts that excluded), but when my brother came out, things changed. Our hang up is with sex, but when we realize that this is my brother, or my sister, or my son or my daughter, what do we do? Dick Gephardt says it well - when Chrissie came out, fearing that she might be disowned, he declared a parent's unconditional love. Love won out. As Mel White put it: "Once they realize who we are up close and personal that fear goes away." The film deals with the families, but it also deals with the texts. A series of speakers, ranging from Mel White, Peter Gomes, Desmond Tutu to Rabbi Stephen Greenberg, Disciples pastors Larry Keene and Steve Kindle, and an American Baptist woman pastor Sandra Sparks. Each of these speakers takes on our cultural presuppositions, formed by our faith traditions, and the Biblical texts - of which there are only about six, few of which even apply today in any real way. We hear that Leviticus declares a man lying with a man to be an abomination, but then it also says the same about eating shrimp. As Larry Keene, a Disciple pastor and former Pepperdine professor points out, the question isn't so much what the Bible seems to say, but how we read it and use it today. At the heart of the debate is the question of choice - is it a choice or not? The film takes on this question creatively, through the use of a brief, at times humorous, but pointed cartoon. This piece sits in the middle of the film, providing both comic relief and movement forward on the discussion. And as most reputable science states, this isn't a choice, it is one's identity. If so, then we must ask: what next for our society? We live at a time when the vast numbers of people are biblically illiterate and read the Bible in bits and pieces, influenced largely by their own upbringing. This reading is combined with great amounts of fear. It is true that our society's greatest fear is of male homosexuals - a fear of a feminization of a man. To be gay is to be - in the eyes of many - feminine. Gay men, such as White and Robinson, make it clear that this isn't true. But the fear is still there, and it's a fear we must address. Our fear leads us to plead with gays and lesbians to stay in the closet, but as Mel White points out, the "closet is a place of death." Young gays, feeling suppressed and forced into a closet, with no one to talk with, too often and very tragically, take their own lives. And why? Because our society is permeated by fear of the other and formed by outmoded interpretations of the Bible. Is this film biased? Of course it is. It is a strongly stated, but not in your face, statement of the dignity and equality and the humanity of our gay and lesbian friends, neighbors, and family members. It is a film that must be seen. At this point it is in fairly restricted distribution, but hopefully this will change - for the church must change so that the world might change. If the film begins (with the exception of the Anita Bryant outburst) with an introduction of the Robinson family, it appropriately ends with his joyous and yes controversial consecration as Bishop of New Hampshire. The world will never be the same - and that's a good thing.

Reviews

This is a beautifully done series. Whoever made this truly loved ballet and fairy tales. While not all of the dancing is animated, the whole things is breathtakingly illustrated, one of the most gorgeous series I've ever seen. I only have one gripe, and that is only about the packaging, where the six discs are stacked within the case so they are more prone to scratches.

I have fallen in love with the series! I only saw a few episodes on TV. At first when I saw it about ballet, I was a little skeptical because I thought it would a girly, almost sissy, froo-froo (girly-girly). But it actually wasn't all about that. It had its balance to the girly aspect with darkness and such. I found it to a wonderful and great series. The ending is something I didn't see coming.

I watched the first few episodes of Princess Tutu online a while back, but came to a dead end by episode 9. Finally I bought it the other day, two years later, and I'm quite glad I did. It's lovely, although my friends find it slow at the beginning. I've only gotten up to around episode 14 but I've fallen in love. My only complaint I have is on the English dub and the 'Beginner Ballet' lessons. The English voice cast take 'weird' to the extreme with their either extremely high, low, squeaky, or tired voices, and it causes distraction. So normally I just turn on the subtitles and switch it to Japanese, which sounds much more pleasing to the ears. Then there's the ballet lessons, which are basically repeated footage from the first few episodes and Professor Cat (in English, mind you) saying something about vocabulary, and ending with an annoying, "Or you will marry me!" It doesn't teach anything, so I personally find it a waste of time and space on the disk. I'd read the plot beforehand, maybe watch the first episode online, and if you like I'd advis buying this. Overall, this set is a great buy, and if you're into 'chick-flick' anime, you'll love this.

Okay, so I started watching this series two days ago, and I already finished it. It's soo addicting and just all around a beautiful anime. It's basically-ugh, I really can't describe it! It's beautiful, it brings back memories of older fairy tales, and it's just amazing. The OST for it, too, is wonderful and has inspired me to play my violin again. The only, ONLY gripe I have about this anime is the ending, buuut I'm not going into details~~ ^-^ You'll just have to watch it to find out~

This series combines a twist on our regular stories which we have grown up loving with an original idea creating a wonderful piece. A must watch.

Reviews

The depiction of Bonhoeffer is to my knowledge as close as it came come in portrayal of him. Sobering, gives one cause to pause to view their position.

Excellent production and telling of the fascinating true story of Deitrich Bonhoeffer and one attempt to stop the monstrous Nazi machine. Illustrates true self sacrifice and heroism, and the Biblical principal "faith without works is dead."

It was a very good film. Really enjoyed the background and history of Bonhoeffer. A very interesting person.

I've used this video to expose young adults in our church to great Christians. Bonhoeffer's journey speaks to many issues my students are grappling with: war, political engagement, the role of the church in society. There is great insight as you watch Bonhoeffer keep his focus on Christ and engage with the world around him.

Excellent factual account of Bonhoeffer's life and the significance of his activities as a scholar, philosopher, leader and in his elected role as an active anti-Nazi citizen. Ausgezeichnet!

Reviews

I bought this as a baby gift for a friend. It was absolutely adorable and appeared to be well-made. I also bought the matching head band. It made a really cute outfit!

Reviews

I purchased this tutu as a birthday gift for a four year old girl. The tutu is adorable, however I thought the lights would be a little brighter. The picture makes it look like the stars on the skirt are lit up, but it has fibro-optic lights that hang from the waistband. All in all it is very cute and I am sure if the child is into dancing and dressing up, this is a perfect gift.

Really neat idea.. esp. if your daughter loves to dance. Expensive to buy it here. I have seen the same item in stores for less.

this is such an adorable tutu! it didn't work right away, but once i unscrewed and adjusted (wiggled) the battery case, it worked well. it fits my skinny 3 year old. it has a velcro tab that can be adjusted to fit small to big waists or as they grow. it's light weight and well made. the lights are located at the end of tiny plastic extensions sprinkled throughout the tutu. it gives the tutu extra shape. my only complaint is that I have found a few fiber optic lines on the floor after a particularly active dance session. absolutely worth the money (i purchased it for $20).