Facing Extinction: Christians of Iraq is a 34-minute documentary narrated by The Passion of The Christ actor Jim Caviezel, detailing the persecution of the Christian minority in Iraq—from church bombings and kidnappings to rape and murder. The recent Marca-Relli Productions release, distributed by Vision Video, retails for $14.99. It includes a director’s commentary special feature.    An expanded edition of Anne Graham Lotz’s I Saw the Lord DVD, Expecting to See Jesus challenges Christians to live in the light of Christ’s imminent return. Released this month by Zondervan, it retails for $14.99.    Rockshow Comedy Tour features in-concert and behind-the-scenes footage of comedian Tim Hawkins—whose Insanitized came out last year and was a Christian Retailing Retailers Choice Award winner—on his recent California tour with fellow comedians John Branyan and Bob Smiley. The two-disc, 160-minute set was released last month by Crown Entertainment and retails for $19.99.    The Best of Sandi Patty, available this month from Gaither Music Group (EMI CMG Distribution), showcases the GRAMMY winner in a decade of performances and also features an interview with the artist and her parents. Hosted by Bill Gaither, the DVD retails for $19.99.    Dubbed into English from the original German, The Bike Detectives offers lessons on honesty and forgiveness for preteens through the adventures of a group of boys investigating a small-town mystery. The 70-minute ERF Medien production, released last month, is distributed by Vision Video. It retails for $14.99.    Drawing from his book of the same name, Craig Groeschel’s Weird: Because Normal Isn’t Working presents a “Christ-centered philosophy on everything from money to scheduling to purity, so you can break out of the normal rut.” The six-part program from Zondervan is out this month and retails for $24.99.

Couples’ retreat offers lessons through laughter

The makers of Marriage Retreat (Pure Flix Entertainment, 8-93261-00189-9, $19.99) have ventured into largely unexplored territory for Christian filmmakers—not so much with the subject, as their approach.

They play for laughs as three couples head off for a weekend marriage-enrichment course, hoping that the comedy will sweeten the lessons about love and relationships.

But movie humor is “a tricky thing to deliver” to a faith audience, noted David A.R. White, one of the male leads who also helps run the production company that made the movie, Pure Flix Entertainment. “Some people get offended really easily by comedy, so a lot of people in our marketplace really have stayed away from  it, for the most part,” he said.

“We wanted to approach it head-on. We think it’s important to laugh at ourselves. Humor can lower people’s defenses; their walls come down and it allows the message to penetrate.”

White plays an architect whose marriage is strained—his wife wants a baby while he is reluctant to become a parent because of scars from an abusive father. The pair is joined on the weekend retreat by one couple dealing with control issues and another struggling with the husband’s gambling addiction.

“We take these hot topics and explore the relationships in a comedic way but ultimately pointing to the cross,” White said. “Ultimately, God is the answer to all of our problems. That can sound really cliched, but it is also such a simple truth that without the Lord in the center of our marriage, we can’t succeed.”

The 85-minute feature sees White play opposite his real-life wife, Andrea Logan White. What the pair and their friends think is going to be a cozy conference center turns out to be a rustic retreat run by a quirky couple, Jeff Fahey (Lost, Machete) and Victoria Jackson (Saturday Night Live, Baby Boom).

One of the early participants in the recent growing Christian movie scene, White said that he was encouraged by the way the category was developing. “I’m excited. The marketplace is growing; more and more people want to see movies that inspire the human spirit.”

Period baseball drama is pitched at prodigals

The 1920s’ baseball drama Milltown Pride (7-27985-01410-4, $24.99) marks a return to feature-making for Unusual Films, the Bob Jones University (BJU) production group perhaps best known for past works Sheffey (1977) and The Printing (1991).

Setting the story of the prodigal son in the sports world, the movie follows Will Wright as he leaves his privileged background to pursue a baseball career by joining a local textile-mill team. His journey includes an encounter with real-life evangelist Billy Sunday, himself a former baseball star, played by scriptwriter David Burke. 

Filming took place in four states, including at a baseball field with stands dating back to the time period. “They were still in good-enough condition for us to use, though we had to shore them up a bit,” said Darren Lawson, producer. Cast and crew were largely drawn from the faculty and student body, though several hundred extras from the local community were drafted in for some scenes.

Lawson—also dean of the school of fine arts and communication at BJU—said that though Unusual Films had concentrated on children’s productions in recent years, “there has been such a resurgence in Christian filmmaking. We wanted to get back in the game.”

The film was intended to be encouraging “for anyone who knows someone who has lost his or her way, who has lost their focus on God,” said Lawson. “There is hope, just by turning back to God.”

Running 2 hours and 15 minutes, Milltown Pride was released last month and is being distributed by Vision Video. To order, call 800-523-0226.

‘Purpose-driven’ small group Bible study series expands

A second collection of courses in the popular “Deepening Life Together” small group curriculum released last month.

Six programs have been added to the eight that debuted the curriculum in 2009, produced by Lamplight Media for Life Together—which has  sold more than 2.5 million copies of its various Bible study materials—and distributed by Baker Publishing Group.

Hosted by actress Sophie Olsen, the new releases feature pastors’ teaching interspersed with commentary from a  wide range of biblical scholars and scenes from the Campus Crusade for Christ movie, Jesus. Each retails for $24.99 and has an accompanying workbook available.

With between four and six 15-minute episodes in each title, the series centers on a five-point “purpose-driven” theme, said Sue Doc Ross, director and producer: connecting with others (fellowship), growing like Christ (discipleship), developing gifts of service (ministry), sharing life (evangelism) and prayer and surrender (worship).

“There are lots of Bible studies out there that can help you achieve a cerebral experience with a great head-knowledge of Scriptures,” said Ross. “Our studies help people experience the Scriptures mentally, spiritually and emotionally in tangible life-changing ways.”

The new titles are: Fruit of the Spirit (978-0-801-03053-6), James (-48-2), Paul (-50-5), Psalms (-47-5), Ruth (-49-9) and Sermon on the Mount (-51-2).

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