Christian Retailing

Promotion allays fears about R-rated ‘House’ Print Email
Written by Staff   
Monday, 06 April 2009 04:16 PM America/New_York

The DVD release of House (978-1-400-31525-3, $29.99), the movie version of the thriller by Frank Peretti and Ted Dekker, comes with its own Christian retail cover, in an effort to reassure retailers and consumers who may be concerned by its R rating.

The restricted viewing tag from the Motion Picture Association of America disappointed the makers on its theatrical release last fall. They feared that the R—given for “some violence and terror”—might limit the movie’s audience, especially among Dekker’s strong teen following for his writing.

To emphasize its suitability, the April 7 home viewing release features a sticker highlighting the availability of a companion Bible study guide and part of a review of the 88-minute film by the Hollywood Jesus Web site: “Not a curse word or body part ... Just sheer dread that never lets up.”

Filmed in Poland and following the trials of two couples trapped in an isolated mansion, House was directed by Robby Henson. It stars Michael Madsen (Reservoir Dogs, Sin City, Free Willy), Reynaldo Rosales (television’s Medium), Julie Ann Emery (Hitch) and Heidi Dippold (The Sopranos, NYPD Blue).

The Lionsgate Entertainment DVD includes English and Spanish subtitles. House is being distributed to Christian retail by Thomas Nelson, which published the 2006 book on which it is based and released two movie tie-in editions in 2008.

To order, call 800-251-4000 or click here.