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Papa Joe Bradford Inspires Unconditional Movie/DVD Release
Dove: Can you tell us a bit about your background? The Bancroft Brothers, Former Disney Animators, Talk With Dove
Dove: You must be pleased about the Blu-ray release of Mulan. Tom: “Yeah, yeah, we’re very excited. It’s kind of about time. We were waiting for this one.” (The disc was released on March 12). Actress Georgiana Jianu Hones Her Craft in Dove Approved Film
An exclusive interview with producer, writer, director & actor Corbin Bernsen
Corbin: “On a bigger scale it goes to a goal that I have which is to just make a good movie. One of my longer goals is to have a movie that is more traditional than most faith films. In comedies, you don’t typically think about faith. Faith movies are usually more message driven, heavy handed and stay on point. I feel we’ve succeeded in our own way...” Michael Robert Wolf: Bridge Builder of Faith
Dove: How did this story originate? John Grooters, writer, producer, director of "The Frontier Boys"
Shirley Mowat Tucker Talks About Her Novel, Diamonds in the Dust
Dove: The book you wrote included a lot of the pain and hardship you went through in dealing with the abuse of children. At what point did you decide to write a book about it? Jon Erwin & Gianna Jessen: OCTOBER BABY
Jon Erwin and his brother Andy are fist-time feature filmmakers. We spoke with Jon about this new project, OCTOBER BABY which will be in theaters beginning Friday, March 23rd. Gianna Jessen is an abortion survivor, writer, conference speaker and talented singer whose true life story inspired the film OCTOBER BABY. Richard Thomas Chats with Dove about The Waltons and Family Programming
Producer Ed Fitts Believes The Greening of Whitney Brown is a Fun Film to Watch
Dove: How did you become involved in this film? Actor Corbin Bernsen Adds Filmmaking to His Resume
The Dove Foundation spoke by phone with Mr. Bernsen recently and his enthusiasm about the reception 25 Hill is receiving was evident. The film focuses on a young boy named Trey Caldwell (Nathan Gamble) whose father died in Afghanistan. Nathan Kress speaks with Dove about ‘Game of Your Life’
Producer Chris Juen Keeps The Christmas Spirit in “Arthur Christmas”
Dove: How did you become involved in Arthur Christmas or was it your idea to do the film? An Exclusive Interview with SNOWMEN producer, Steve McEveety
Terry Hitchcock: Running with a Reason
Dove: What do you think of this DVD, Terry? Are you pleased with how it turned out? Interview with author, Beverly Lewis
Dove: How much did you get to participate in making the movie? Beverly: Quite a bit. I approved of the script, gave ideas for authenticity for the wardrobe, and other things. Erica Gluck sets her sights high
In a recent phone interview with the talented actress, her fire and zeal were strongly evident. Dove: Tell us about your background, Erica, and how you became involved in Trinity Goodheart. Dr. David G. Evans of The Grace Card
Just prior to the theatrical release, The Grace Card’s director and executive producer, first-time filmmaker Dr. David G. Evans, spoke by phone with The Dove Foundation about his experience in bringing this story to life. Ray Griggs, producer and director of the documentary “I Want Your Money” connects with Dove
Writer/Director Tim Chey Aims for Quality in Christian Films
Tim Chey, the writer and director of the critically acclaimed The Genius Club and the forthcoming film Suing the Devil, spoke with The Dove Foundation by phone recently and his enthusiasm and passion for making quality Christian films could not be suppressed.
Walmart and P&G Provide a Welcome Change of Plans for the Family!
We are all painfully aware of the demise of the so-called “Family Hour” on network television; a time-honored tradition that brought wholesome dramas and sitcoms into our homes nightly between 8 and 10pm. A few brave programmers and consumers’ groups have tried to turn back the clock to those friendlier days, but with disappointing results. The networks seem determined to produce such deplorable television content that families are getting the message that they are not welcome as an audience segment. Some network executives have gone so far as to tell viewers to “change the channel” or “vote with their remotes” if they don’t like what’s on. The unintended consequence of such myopic boldness is to limit the audience to an 18-25 year old niche. This ultimately leaves consumer product advertisers with very few choices for reaching the family market that has been leaving the networks for kinder, gentler pastures. Review by Dick Rolfe, CEO “Sarah Palin’s Alaska” is chock full of the stunning, majestic landscapes at Denali Park and Mount McKinley, the highest mountain peak in North America. Nature’s beauty can also present dangerous challenges like angry momma bears and 100 ft deep ice crevices that could swallow up a careless climber. Actor, Dean Cain finds The Way Home
by Edwin L. Carpenter, Editor, The Dove Foundation
SECRETARIAT Director, Randall Wallace
By Emily Manthei
Interview with Dallas Jenkins, Filmmaker
I asked Dallas about his career highlights and where he is going from here. Dove Unveils New Seals for Christian Movies
Dick Rolfe, Dove CEO said, "We've received requests from many Christian retailers to develop more informative labels that identify movies with spiritual themes and messages." In response, and in cooperation with executives from CBA (Christian Booksellers Association) and a team of retailers and vendors, Dove created two new specialty seals to accompany its familiar blue and white Dove Family Approved Seal; one labeled "Faith Friendly" and another called "Faith Based." Effective July 1st, these seals will be added to the Dove lineup so Christian consumers can know more about what’s in the movie. The seals will appear on Dove’s website at www.dove.org within each review. Michael Damian is Excited About “Flicka 2” on DVD
The most recent Flicka movie released in 2006 was the film directed by Michael Mayer, based on a screenplay written by Mark Rosenthal and Lawrence Konner. Flicka 2, the sequel, directed by Michael Damian is a straight-to-DVD release from Twentieth Century Fox, based on a story written by Jennifer Robinson. Damian is known as an actor as well as a director, having starred in The Young and the Restless and in the title role in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. Horse stories are no strangers to Michael, since he directed the successful Moondance Alexander in 2007, which also featured another special horse. Director William Dear Makes a Perfect Film Called “The Perfect Game”
Director William Dear, born in Toronto in the forties, is known for his work as director of such family favorites as, Harry and the Hendersons (1987), the TV movie Journey to the Center of the Earth (1993) and the theatrical film Angels in the Outfield (1994) and on DVD, The Sandlot 3. Now he has given us The Perfect Game, a film based on the book by W. William Winokur. It is based on a true story about a group of young boys from Monterrey, Mexico, who became the first non-U.S. team to win the Little League World Series. Author Nicholas Sparks and "The Last Song"
Nicholas Sparks crafts stories that are universal in their appeal. His characters are the people we encounter in our everyday lives, and circumstances they face are ones with which we're familiar. He's an athlete, a philanthropist, a novelist, and with the upcoming release of The Last Song, a screenwriter. Click here to read the interview... Husband and Wife Team-Up in, "In the Blink of an Eye"
Rebecca St. James Makes Faith And Family Choices
Rebecca was born in Sydney, Australia, and is the oldest of seven children, five boys and two girls. She was the lead vocalist at the Christian school she used to attend. When she was thirteen years old Carmen, the nationally recognized singer and performer, invited her to open shows during his Australian tour. Rick Eldridge - The Man behind Hermie, the Caterpillar
Jefferson Moore and Teen Actress Christina Fougnie: The Gospel's Dynamic Duo
The Dove Foundation caught up with these two in a recent phone interview and their ease in working together shone through in the interview. A Creative Mother and Son Team Design Website Featuring Eccentric Racing
Trey Bowles and tangle.com make Connections Possible
Patty Mondore Sings Her Heart Out On Inspirational DVD
River-lations is an inspirational DVD which includes beautifully filmed nature scenes and the sweet voice of Patty Mondore, who lives in New York with her husband Robert. They founded Gold-Mountain.com which is both their company name and a website which features their DVDs, CDs, and the books that Patty has written. River-lations is by far the best nature and song DVD I have ever viewed and listened to. It is well made and sprinkled with dashes of humor. Director, Mark Freiburger Is An Up And Coming Talent
Producer Frans Cronje has Faith Like Potatoes
We asked Frans how he got started in the business, and he chuckled and said, “I’m a trained physiotherapist by the way which doesn’t have much to do with making movies!” He studied with his wife who is also a physiotherapist. Dove talks with Award Winning Producer/Director, Dennis Fallon
“How did you become involved as director of the film?” we asked. Rick Eldridge Produces Talent As Well As Movies
We began our interview with Rick with this question: what advice would you give to young producers just breaking into the business? Kirk Cameron is Happy about DVD Release of FIREPROOF
Kirk is known to be a bit of a jokester and, in fact, one of the DVD features of Fireproof reveals that the tables were turned and a few pranks were played on him. His sense of humor was on display when he greeted me with, “Mr. Ed, hey, this is Kirk Cameron!” He wanted to know right away how many people call me “Mr. Ed.” I told him only a few so he had joined an exclusive club. “Hey, thank you for letting me in on that club,” he responded. Director Johnny Remo's Perseverance Pays Off
Johnny started in the business behind the camera. “I was an actor and I moved to New York after graduating,” he said. “I went to a lot of Broadway shows and was excited about the business. I always wanted to be in the business.” Clark B. McMillian Jr. Writes with the Family in Mind
“I started writing as a kid,” Clark said in an exclusive interview with The Dove Foundation. “During summer vacations my parents would make me rewrite the endings to a recent book or the latest story in the Reader’s Digest. I wasn’t too happy about that when I was a kid,” he chuckled. Alan Ladd Presents Interview the Best
The Dove Foundation has reviewed Alan’s DVD and we have awarded it our Dove Seal. We recently chatted with Alan about his new release and his enthusiasm was overwhelming. Alex Kendrick Talks “Fireproof” with Dove
I began by telling Alex that I like “Fireproof” as much as “Facing the Giants”, maybe even more. “That’s fine with me,” he laughed. Alex both acted in and directed “Facing the Giants” but this time around he focused on his directorial duties. Dove asked him about his approach to making the new film, “Fireproof”. Dove Chats with McKay Hatch of the "NO CUSSING CLUB"
Dove recently chatted with McKay about his notoriety and the circumstances which prompted him to launch his website, www.nocussing.com Christians in Cinema: Bob Beltz
Bob Beltz is a minister, teacher, author, filmmaker, and church-planter. In the last 7 years he has been part of the leadership team for Walden Media, a leader in producing major films from the books we love. From “Joshua,” the first film produced by Walden Media, to The Chronicles of Narnia, Prince Caspian and Amazing Grace, Bob has been involved at some level with all the films the company has produced. Janette Oke: An interview with the writer who could not write just one book
“I thought it was a single book story,” she said. “I probably wouldn’t have even thought of a series if the readers hadn’t been asking what happens next. The publishing house talked it over with me and we decided maybe we should do a second book and they just kept coming” she chuckled. Michael Damian, writer and director of “Moondance Alexander”, hopes to see more Family Films
Henry Winkler is ‘Happy Herb’ in “A Plumm Summer”
“How did you get the role of ‘Happy Herb?’” we asked Mr. Winkler. “They called me up!” he said buoyantly. “They said, ‘Will you do this?’ I spoke with Caroline (Zelder, the producer). I auditioned a couple of voices for the frog over the phone for her, and eventually we settled on a sound. And then I went to Montana and had the greatest time. I got to fly fish for trout! It’s one of my favorite things to do.” Take a Trip to "Nim's Island" with Jodie Foster and Abigail Breslin
We started with Jodie and her enthusiasm for this new film was apparent. We noted that Jodie’s character in this film is so different from her last role in which she played a woman who becomes a vigilante after her fiancée is killed by a gang. “It must have been fun playing a totally different character,” I said. Jodi Benson Recently “Enchanted” Us During an Interview
Richard Thomas – On the Road with “12 Angry Men”
He Doesn’t Eat His Veggies—He Makes Them: Veggie Tales’ Phil Vischer
Dove asked Phil how he originally came up with the concept of doing stories about vegetables. “It started back in 1990 when I was a computer animator in Chicago. I was looking for a way to tell stories that combined faith and story telling for kids...”
Author Stephen Skelton Speaks With Dove About “A Christmas Carol: Special Church Edition”
Skelton, author of “The Gospel According to the World’s Greatest Superhero”, a book about the connections between Christ and the creation of the Superman character, recently spoke with The Dove Foundation about his new book. The Munchkins of Oz: Exclusive Dove Interviews (Part 2)
“Thou Shalt Laugh” Comedian Taylor Mason Doesn’t Rest On His Laurels
Taylor travels a lot and had just finished a gig the night before our interview took place. It was a last-minute booking and a quick flight which he says happens fairly frequently. Taylor is always looking for new material, not content to rely on the tried and trusted material which made viewers laugh a few days before. The Munchkins of Oz: Exclusive Dove Interviews (Part 1)
This list includes Margaret Pellegrini, Karl Slover, Meinhardt Raabe, Mickey Carroll, Jerry Maren, Clarence Swensen, Ruth Duccini, and Olga Nardone. The Dove Foundation Hears from the Makers of the New Animated Ten Commandments Movie
Dove Interviews the Producer and Director of “Beyond the Gates”
Both producer Belton and director Caton-Jones have extensive credits in the film industry, and the challenge would not be the technical side of making the film, but making sure the story was told so that Rwandans would be satisfied, and newcomers to the story would be properly informed of the terrors that took place thirteen years ago in a country not so far away. Local Family Looks to Dove Website for Guidance
Tom is currently the School Chair of the Computer Aided Drafting and Design department at ITT Technical Institute in Grand Rapids. “Artic Tale” Filmmaker Speaks with Dove
Adam began the interview by thanking us for “getting the word out,” regarding his film. Adam’s credits include “Amazing Moments: Most Extreme Moments” for television, a “Nature” episode, and “Ice Puppy” from 1991. “Wow! You mentioned ‘Ice Puppy,’ said Adam. “That was so long ago. I love that!” Bruce Barry: The Amazing Artist behind Wacky World
Bruce is the mastermind behind Wacky World, the well known animation studio which has produced the “Roach Approach” series, now renamed “Bug Rangers.” His father worked for Disney and Bruce began drawing when he was a few years old. He was born and raised in New Jersey but his career would take him elsewhere. He began our interview by speaking of the genesis of his career as an artist. Sharon Rechter is a Visionary for BabyFirstTV
Josh Hutcherson is Living His Dream as an Actor
Meet the Director of Disney’s “Meet the Robinsons”
Indeed he has. Stephen J. Anderson’s new animated feature is a wholesome, imaginative film which happens to hit close to home. “I saw the original script in December 2002,” he told The Dove Foundation. “I was asked to look at it for developing and directing. I didn’t have to get too far past page one before I said, ‘absolutely yes’ to doing that. The main character in the script, Lewis, is looking to be adopted, and is asking questions about his past and why his birth mother had given him up. I was adopted as an infant. Producer Rick Eldridge Feels Blessed In Making “The Ultimate Gift”
The movie is based on Jim Stovall’s novel of the same name. Eldridge said the producers and writers decided to change the novel around a bit, to concentrate more on the grandson Jason, played by Drew Fuller. Producer Ken Wales Brings “Amazing Grace” to Film
AnnaSophia Robb Connects with Dove
The thirteen-year-old actress connected with The Dove Foundation recently to
talk about “Bridge to Terabithia” and her upcoming projects. We began by asking
her if she was offered the role of Leslie Burke in the film, or if she
auditioned for it. Producer Stephen Kendrick Raps with Dove about the “Facing The Giants” DVD Release.
The Dove Foundation Interviews Co-President of Humongous, Lauren Schechtman
We began the interview by informing Lauren that a thirteen-year-boy, Daniel, played the game on behalf of Dove, and thought it was pretty cool. Sylvester Stallone Speaks on Faith and Hope
“The movie is a great movie, and it really champions some great values,” said Wilhite, who had just viewed an early screening of the film. Dominic Scott Kay, ‘Wilbur’ of Charlotte’s Web, speaks with Dove
“Well, my daddy played drums for the Commodores, and since I was two I’ve been doing a little show in my house and I’ve always been interested in writing and creating and doing shows, so I went for my first audition for ‘Minority Report,’ and I got it. That was where I played Tom Cruise’s son. That was my first movie and I was four years old Comedian Thor Ramsey Finds Humor Everywhere
Our first question was: How do you remember all of the stories you tell? Do you use a system? “Yes, it’s called segues,” said Thor. “Segues help you remember what you’re going to talk about next. Sometimes they flow—you go from toys to talking about your kids or your wife or something, but sometimes you force them for the set. “ ‘Tiny’ Lister Is A Man With A Big Heart
Tiny worked with handicapped kids as part of his scholarship in college and he was given the nickname which he is still known by to this day. “I like the name ‘Tiny’ because there’s nothing macho about it; it can’t be a prideful or arrogant name.” Personable John Noble Enjoys Latest Role In Inspirational Film
“It was a pleasure to be part of an inspiring and family film,” said Noble. “It’s an epic film. It’s sort of the old Cecile B. DeMille kind of thing—beautiful, big pictures and grand vistas.” As Noble has now seen the film more than once, he is hoping audiences will too. He said, “I caught things the second time around which I did not catch the first time. I think everyone needs to see it twice to fully catch everything going on.” The Star of “Facing The Giants” Has Seen Giants Fall
In “Facing the Giants,” several problems work out rather well by film’s end and this has been the source of one of the few criticisms of the film. But the star of the film, Alex Kendrick, says that all the miracles are based on actual events in the lives of various people he and the filmmakers have known. Father And Daughter Work On Family Film Together
We kicked off the interview by asking William, who goes by “Bill,” about his background. “I’m sort of an odd character,” he chuckled. “I have a theater and economics background. I have an MBA and a CPA. Basically up until the age of twenty three I spent in the theater. I started as an actor at age eight. All through college I was a writer and I was a director. I did summer stock. I directed summer stock theater and was actually the director and producer. I really, in a crazy way, am sort of making a 360 coming back to where I was when I started out in life.” Laufer’s family was involved in the manufacturing business which is why he earned his CPA. He believes this has helped him as he pointed out, “When you think of the movie business, there is both the creative and the business side.” Don Judd is a Friend to Children
“I put myself through college being a disc jockey,” he told Dove recently in an exclusive interview. When this writer said, “That’s interesting,” he drolly replied, “I don’t know if it was particularly interesting! At the time I enjoyed it. Then I went into television and radio and while I was in television I found that I was very interested in entertainment, maybe more than journalism. I had graduated from Idaho State University where my dad was on the faculty in Speech because they didn’t have a journalism school there. It helped me get the kind of employment that I wanted and then I took another job. I did some things for CBS on a regional basis, and NBC, and found that what I wanted to do was try and create the kind of entertainment that would not assault your values. It would not be the kind of thing that, as a producer, I wouldn’t be proud to show my children or my grandchildren. Raven-Symone Enjoyed Turn as Tom-Boy in “Everyone’s Hero.”
We began the interview by asking what interested her in voicing the character of Marti Brewster in “Everyone’s Hero,” and what she brought to the part. Actor Philip Winchester of “Fly Boys” Makes Time for God and Family
Winchester set out at age seventeen to pursue his acting dream and was accepted at the prestigious London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. As a student, he was able to hone his craft by acting in numerous theatrical performances including “The Crucible,” “The Master and Margarita,” and “Blood Wedding.” This was after he starred, at age fourteen, with Steven Segal in the 1989 film “The Patriot,” which was directed by the Academy Award winning director Dean Semler. Bob Dolman, director of “How to Eat Fried Worms,” Connects with Kids
“The biggest challenge was that the book is small,” he said, “and there wasn’t, in my opinion, enough to turn it into a movie. I had to add things. It’s a beautiful book in that it is fun to read from chapter to chapter, but in a movie that becomes episodic and a little tedious, and the twists and turns weren’t enough. I thought that rather than stick to what’s in the book in terms of its plot and its characters, I would expand that but I would try my best to stay true to the spirit of the book which I really liked when I first read it. So, staying with the spirit of it, I think it really captured the innocence of children and children’s concerns beautifully. That was my main task when I was writing it.” Child Actors of “How to Eat Fried Worms” Enjoy Movie-Making
Adam, thirteen years old, played the bully Joe in the film and Ryan, age fourteen, played his friend Benjy. When we complimented them on their respective acting jobs in the film, they chimed in, “It was fun.” Of course the premise of the film, a bully challenging another kid named Billy to eat live worms is something most boys would enjoy. We are assured at film’s end that no live worms were hurt in the making of the movie! The boys were pleased to speak about how they got involved in the film. “I went to auditions,” Adam said, “and they’re based in L.A. And I kept going back, kept going back and what do you know—I guess they liked me and boom, there you are—I’m making ‘How to Eat Fried Worms.’” Adam said he ended up going to auditions about a total of five times. Michael Moore Plans Future Traverse City Film Festivals
Moore introduced the film “L’America,” and he answered questions for approximately ten minutes beforehand. The Dove Foundation was on hand to hear from the man who has brought this hugely popular film festival to Michigan. Author Skelton Sees More than Superman in Legend
“More people today, when you ask them to picture Superman, will picture Christopher Reeve than even a comic book drawing. He owned that role, although I think Brandon Routh certainly has laid a claim to it.” "Choose Your Own Adventure" DVD Is Brainchild of Jeff Norton and Michelle Crames
“It is the story of three siblings who set out in the Himalayan Mountains to search for their uncle, famed explorer Rudy North,” said Jeff Norton, the co-founder of Lean Forward Media. “Benjamin, Crista and Marco North go on an adventure to the Himalayas to find their Uncle Rudy who has gone missing in his quest to find a mythical Yeti creature,” he said. “At every crossroad a decision has to be made,” he continued. “Will they survive avalanches, keep away from evil poachers, and escape hungry tigers? With over eleven possible endings, the story is all up to you.” Actor Richard Thomas Believes Family Programming is an Endangered Species
We asked if he had chosen the many family-type roles he has played or simply has been offered the roles, and he replied, “It’s both. I haven’t made a conscious decision to make family films but because ‘The Waltons’ was such a huge success, and was a family show, it sort of placed me in that genre. But, unlike some actors, I’ve never made a conscious decision not to do family films. I think that family programming, which is different from children’s programming, is a very, very important part of the menu of entertainment and it’s also an endangered species. It’s been an endangered species for a long time.” Garrison Keillor Comments on Film Version of "A Prairie Home Companion"
Garrison Keillor has, as anyone who has
listened to his radio programs knows, a unique sense of humor. The Dove
Foundation attended a press conference recently in St. Paul, Minnesota for the
premiere of the film version of "A Prairie Home Companion," and Keillor was in
fine form. When asked why he included an angel of death character in the movie,
Keillor replied straight-faced, "We needed some humor in the story." The Stars Are Out for "A Prairie Home Companion"
Recently the stars were out, and many at one time, as they met at the St. Paul Hotel in Minnesota to tout the release of Garrison Keillor's "A Prairie Home Companion," brought to the big screen from its genesis as a radio program. Meryl Streep was there, along with Lily Tomlin, who plays her sister in the film, and Kevin Kline, in addition to Lindsay Lohan, Virginia Madsen and John C. Reilly. Director Robert Altman, who recently was honored with an Academy Award for lifetime achievement, was on hand too, as well as Keillor himself. Director Devine Targets Kids & Families in His Work
Director and Producer David Devine established
his own company, Devine Videoworks, in 1982. He has worked in collaboration with
his business partner Richard Mozer, also a director and producer. Devine has
directed eleven of the company's twenty one films and his creativity has
resulted in 110 international awards including five Emmys and five Gemini
Awards. Devine's commitment to family-oriented entertainment began in 1985 with
"A Young Children's Concert with Raffi," which he directed and produced. Video
sales skyrocketed and went multi-platinum in both the U.S. and Canada. Devine is
originally from Toronto. Sheila Shoff is Thrilled with Success of ‘Squibs’ on DVD
Sheila Shoff, the Product Representative for an educational DVD series from Ignite! Learning recently spoke to The Dove Foundation about the series’ success and about future plans. “It’s an amazing process to me, considering the fact that I’m not a technical person,” Shoff said. “All of the material in ‘Squibs’ is pulled off the curriculum which we sell to schools. We do Science and Social Studies and the thought behind the DVD’s was that it is more of a take-home product that could have parent involvement or follow-up, or just a simple, single product that children will enjoy at home.” Courtney Campbell Makes Mustard Pancakes A Success
"Nobody can ever plan for something to be a success, you just do it and you believe in it and you do your best," said Courtney Campbell in a recent interview with The Dove Foundation. Campbell hosts the public television show "Mustard Pancakes," and the show is a hit. In fact, it recently won the Parents' Choice Gold Award in the pre-school category. Campbell explained her creative process in the series. "I wanted to have characters that you care about and have good stories. To me, if you get those two elements you have an opportunity for success. I also think that there's an invisible element that comes through the screen that people feel — that is love, quite seriously. The people that work on this show love this show. They care about their characters. Everybody really cares about being on this show—it's not just another job to them. So there's a collective coming together with that commitment and care for kids." When I complimented Campbell on one of the shows I had viewed on DVD, she said, "From this year it's about twelve times better," referring to the fact that Campbell and crew were just completing the filming of the new season of shows which are yet to air. To Educate and Entertain is Moore's Goal
Educational Adventures' CEO Michael D. Moore has made learning fun. His background in law enforcement training and his desire for high quality has been a dynamic combination which have helped him produce "Danger Rangers," a group of interesting characters which kids find irresistible. The animated characters educate their kid viewers with safety protection lessons which Moore enthusiastically says have been embraced. The genesis of the "Danger Rangers" began, oddly enough, at a rape crisis center. "Some friends and I were helping in a rape crisis center—we were volunteering-- and this led us to ask, 'What is being done with children's safety?' We discovered that there was good news and not-so-good news. There was a lot of misinformation." Famous Author Peretti Tries To Keep It Simple Dr. Marc T. Newman Helps Viewers Interpret Film
Dr. Marc T. Newman is a graduate of Regent University, and he has a diverse background in teaching, writing, and running a website. He taught at the prestigious University of California, Irvine. He recently completed two Event Level Bible studies, based on the films "Glory Road," and "The End Of The Spear." Newman's Bible study based on "Glory Road" was co-written with legendary basketball great A.C. Green. "Grace Hill Media called to see if I was interested in collaborating with A.C. Green," said Newman. "Of course he had been a basketball player with the L.A. Lakers. He's humble, has a heart for the gospel, and wants to help kids," he said. "A.C. had great insights and we made the Bible study guide available to download from the website, www.movieministry.com." The Box Office Shouldn’t Fear “Emily Rose”
One of the first thoughts regarding a movie that is based on a true story is: “What parts of the movie are real, and which are made up?” Director/writer Scott Derrickson answers that question for his recent release “The Exorcism of Emily Rose”. “The ‘bones’ of the story are all in line with the real events. There was a girl who was recognized by the Catholic Church as being possessed and authorized her exorcism. After an exorcism, the girl died. After her death, the priest involved was arrested and put on trial for negligent homicide. The verdict in the real case is the verdict in the film. Beyond that, there was a lot of fictionalizing of characters. Laura Linney’s character was almost entirely fictional, and was created for the purpose of the movie.” A True Flashback - The Brauer Way
Films are re-cut and re-released all the time, but Rich Brauer has accomplished yet another method for re-producing a film. In the early 1990’s, Brauer produced a film titled “The Sleeping Bear”, which told the story of an overworked father who finally takes time off to be with his son and includes the classic Native American Legend of the same name. According to Brauer, the film sold here and there, but after ten years, sales fizzled out. However, Brauer just couldn’t leave the movie alone, because it had such a good message. With several new projects on the horizon, something just kept bugging him about this film. He felt that if he added actors people recognized and new music, then he wouldn’t feel as though he was leaving an “orphan child” of his behind. “Most people told me to forget it, just move on.” he stated, “They wanted me to make another like ‘Barn Red’, another film Brauer completed recently, starring Academy Award winner, Ernest Borgnine. I was like ‘I don’t know about that.’” Walden Media's Flaherty Believes Many Positives Result In "Narnia's" Success
Walden Media's President and Co-Founder, Micheal Flaherty, believes that hard work pays off. Flaherty co-founded Walden Media with his former college roommate Cary Granat. Their intention was to produce interactive programs, books, and films. The year 2003 was a remarkably successful year which resulted in Walden Media's first three films—"Pulse: A Stomp Odyssey," James Cameron's "Ghosts of the Abyss," and "Holes." Each of them opened to critical praise and success. In a recent interview with The Dove Foundation, the Boston native expressed great joy at the positive results of "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, And The Wardrobe," a film his company produced along with Disney. "We're really overjoyed—it passed everybody's expectations. Disney has been great and this has helped us get to a grass roots level. The network we have built up here at Walden--teachers, parents, and pastors, helped us." Flaherty believes one of the greatest benefits of this lavish and high-quality film is the renewed interest in the books which the film sparked. When asked what had pleased him the most about the success of "Narnia," he replied, "The huge increase in book sales—Harper Collins' book sales increased and many people have gone back to these stories." “The Water Is Wide” has Director with Heart for Story
John Kent Harrison, the director of the CBS Hallmark Hall of Fame presentation, “The Water Is Wide,” based on Pat Conroy’s early adult life, is a man who first searches for a good story when he gears up for his next directing stint. “I always respond to a good story,” Harrison said in a recent interview with Dove. “But I always respond to an element in the story that makes me uncomfortable, something that I haven’t done before, that’s really challenging, the heart of the story. When I read this story, I felt the heart of the story was really about the children.”“The Water Is Wide” is about a fresh-faced young teacher, Conroy (played by Jeff Hephner), who taught African-American children on Yamacraw Island off the South Carolina coast in 1969. His “progressive” methods go against the grain of Mrs. Brown, a strict disciplinarian who also teaches at the school. She believes the textbook is enough for the children but Conroy introduces the children to Mozart and Beethoven, and longs to expand their horizons beyond the island. Mrs. Brown (Alfre Woodard) also likes to use a stick on the student’s hands to keep them in line. |
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The
film, Unconditional, which received our Dove “Family-Approved” Seal, is
based in part on the life of Papa Joe Bradford. He spoke with us recently and
his enthusiasm sparkled. The DVD was released on March 5. 
Tom and Tony Bancroft are both former Disney animators. They have a lot in common in addition to being twin brothers and animators. Tom currently resides in Nashville and spoke with us shortly
before his brother did. With the new Blu-ray release of Disney’s Mulan and Mulan
II we were excited for the opportunity to speak with this dynamic duo.
The
Dove Foundation had the pleasure of interviewing Romanian actress Georgiana
Jianu, who plays a major role in the film Believe: The Misfit Pawn.
Georgiana believes she is still developing her craft but gives an impressive
performance in the movie. The synopsis of the movie states: "A middle-aged
factory worker takes a leap of faith and follows his dream of being a recording
artist. Along the way he discovers that miracles really do come true…if you
believe!" Georgiana plays Jezel, who longs to marry a rock star and thinks she’s
found the right man in the character of Julian (Jon Pupillo). The film reveals a
strong plot in which Julian finds redemption.
Dove:
Many people know you as an actor but we’ve followed your filmmaking career over
the past few years. 3 Day Test is the first comedy we’ve seen from you.
Michael
Robert Wolf, the writer and director of The Sound of the Spirit (a Dove
“Family-Approved” movie) recently was interviewed by us and had some interesting
comments for our Dove readers. His film, about a young Messianic Jew who is
taken in by her Jewish uncle, is a fascinating story which attempts to “build
bridges” between faiths according to Wolf.
John
Grooters is founder and president of Grooters Productions, a full service HD
media production facility with graphics, music, editorial, acquisition, and
creative services. He recently launched Ferocious Films, a distribution company
for media entertainment dedicated to releasing God-and-family-honoring content
of the highest quality. He’s one busy and creative person, limited only by the
number of hours in a day. 
Richard
Thomas, the star of several Hallmark Channel movies including Time after Time
and Wild Hearts, as well as the classic family program, The Waltons,
spoke with us not long ago about family programming and his impressions of the
availability of family programming. I must admit to being a fan of Mr. Thomas,
having enjoyed his run on The Waltons for many years, in addition to his
other fine performances in many TV movies, many of which have been considered
family programming.
The Greening of Whitney Brown is a Dove approved film
about a pre-teen from Philadelphia who is taken from her comfort zone
when her parents move. The Dove Foundation was fortunate enough to interview the film’s producer, Ed Fitts, who comes across in a very amiable
manner and who was obviously enthusiastic about the movie.
Nathan
Kress, “Freddie Benson” of Nickelodeon’s TV series iCarly, is appearing
in the NBC Family Movie Night presentation Game of Your Life. Nathan
turns nineteen this month and he already has an impressive list of credits,
having acted regularly for several years. He appeared in Drake and Josh,
and was the voice of Easy and Tough Pup in Babe: Pig in the City. Nathan
spoke with The Dove Foundation in a recent interview about his background and
his role in Game of Your Life. His politeness is evident from the start.
Chris
Juen is a visual effects producer and co-producer, who has been associated with
some well-known films, among them Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, Stuart
Little 2, and The Polar Express. With the premiere of Arthur Christmas for the
holiday season, Chris recently spoke with us about keeping the focus on family
in his movies.
Steve
McEveety is synonymous with several box office mega-hits produced by Mel
Gibson’s Icon Productions, like Man without a Face, Braveheart, We
Were Soldiers, and Passion of The Christ. In 2005, Steve met up with
actor/producer John Shepherd (Ultimate Gift), and Todd Burns and David
Segel to launch MPower Pictures. Together, they produced many noteworthy films
like Star of Bethlehem, Bella, and The Stoning of Soraya M.
Recently Steve and his partners collaborated to produce Snowmen, a
heartwarming comedy for the entire family. Steve took time to talk about his
experiences including the making Snowmen. 
Terry
Hitchcock is an amazing individual, having run a marathon some years back after
losing his wife Sue to cancer and following the loss of his job. Terry was a
single parent who had to live by faith. He eventually wrote A Father’s Odyssey,
describing this particular time in his life, and now a DVD about him titled My
Run is being released. The Dove Foundation interviewed Terry a few days ago, and
his zeal for life and his sense of humor helps a person to realize why he has
accomplished the things he has.
The
DVD edition of Beverly Lewis’ “The Shunning” released this week. The Hallmark
Channel Original Movie premiered on April 16 starring Danielle Panabaker and
Sherry Stringfield. This is what Lewis had to say about the film, the second
made from one of her books (the first was “Saving Sarah Cain”). “The Shunning,”
published in 1997, is Lewis’ first adult novel and loosely based on her
grandmother’s story.
On October 31, 2003, (Halloween) the world changed forever for a 13 year-old surfer girl living in Hawaii. Bethany Hamilton was laying on her surfboard between waves when a 14' tiger shark came up under her and bit off her arm clear to her shoulder. A horrific event like that would physically and emotionally scar most people forever. But, with a deep abiding faith in Jesus Christ, Bethany knew one thing above all else. "God loves me unconditionally."
SUNDAY NIGHTS 9/8c on TLC
Dean Cain, who has had an impressive list of credits over the years and starred in various Dove “Family-Approved” movies including Ace of Hearts, is probably best known as TV’s Superman in Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman. Dean was born in Mount Clemens, Michigan, a short distance from The Dove Foundation headquarters in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He was recently in Detroit to make a film called The Homerun Showdown.
Randall Wallace, whose previous credits include BRAVEHEART, WE WERE SOLDIERS and PEARL HARBOR, directs the new Disney release, SECRETARIAT this month. Besides writing and directing films, Wallace founded Wheelhouse Entertainment, with the goal of creating stories with classic values like honor, courage, love and sacrifice. Wallace seeks to portray these values in all of his films, and the other media content – books, video games and music, to name a few – that his company produces. I had the chance to ask Mr. Wallace about his spiritual background and the values that he wants to promote in his films. 
I spoke recently with Dallas Jenkins, Co-founder of Jenkins Entertainment and producer/director of several Christian movies including Midnight Clear starring Steven Baldwin. Dallas’ company just released a terrific new family comedy, What If… starring Kevin Sorbo (TV’s Hercules) and John Ratzenberger (Cliff Claven in Cheers, and the voice of Hamm in Toy Story I, II and III). 
The Dove Foundation has designed two new Seals designed to identify Christian-themed movies. 
David.
A.R. White “gets out of Dodge” when he can to make Christian films, and
sometimes with his wife, Andrea Logan White. David was born in the famous Dodge
City, Kansas. He and his wife have worked together on films like The
Visitation and Six: The Mark Unleashed. In the Blink of an Eye is
about his wife’s conversion (named Lori in the film) and how his character,
named David, begins dreaming about his wife disappearing. Ultimately the viewer
learns that he is afraid of being left behind when the Lord returns, knowing
that his wife is ready and he is not.
Rebecca St. James plays Sarah Collins in the
recently released DVD Sarah’s Choice. In the film Rebecca’s character
must decide between having her unborn baby and getting an abortion. The actress
Rebecca St. James wanted this role badly and loved the idea of making a pro-life
film. It was an easy choice for her to make.
Having
worked together on two previous projects, Clancy and The Perfect Gift,
actor/director/writer Jefferson Moore and teen actress Christina Fougnie
(pronounced “foon-yeh”) have found a dynamic which seems to be working well thus
far in their professional relationship. 
If
you have never checked out the website,
Tangle.com, is more than a Web site, its a global
technology company that creates social networking tools for the faith and
family-friendly market and allows members to connect and share their faith and
lives through videos, photos, blogs, music and more. It was originally launched
as GodTube.com, a video sharing site, and it set a record as the fastest-growing
Web site in the U.S. during its first month of operation. The site attracted up
to 2.7 million users a month, and tangle.com has enlarged to become the go-to
Web site for the family-friendly community to interact, safely, online through a
social network.
“Patty
Mondore Sings Her Heart Out On Incredible Inspirational DVD”, by Edwin L.
Carpenter, Editor, The Dove Foundation
Rick
Eldridge, the producer of The Ultimate Gift and many other films, spoke
with us recently and he couldn’t say enough about a young talented director
named Mark Freiburger, a man Rick has helped mentor in filmmaking the last few
years. We were able to secure an interview with Mark, and he comes across in a
positive manner. We predict a happy future for this maverick. The twenty-five
year old Freiburger was born in Roanoke, Virginia, and recently helmed the movie
Dog Days of Summer which received our Dove “Family-Approved” Seal. He
also directed the live-action segments of Gigi: God’s Little Princess.
Mark was voted the “Most Talented” of six hundred students at Providence Senior
High School in Charlotte, North Carolina in 2001.
Frans
Cronje, the producer of Faith Like Potatoes, a movie which received our
highest Dove rating of five Doves, experienced some major changes in his life in
his middle years. He found a faith walk he had not previously experienced, and a
now calling: working in movies. Frans spoke with us recently about his new life
and new movie.
Recently
visitors to our website at www.dove.org voted for their favorite Dove
“Family-Approved” Seal winning films of 2008. Our readers selected All Roads
Lead Home as the Best Limited Release Film for 2008. The Dove Foundation was
fortunate enough to chat with the director and producer of the film, Dennis
Fallon, not long before his film was chosen as a Crystal Dove Seal Award winning
recipient.
Actor
Kirk Cameron, whose career now spans a couple of decades, recently chatted with
us about the DVD release of “Fireproof”, the independent film made by a church
which stormed its way into the box office with a take of 33 million dollars,
after being produced for five hundred thousand.
Johnny
Remo, the producer and director of the Dove family-approved film, “A Letter to
Dad,” gave The Dove Foundation an exclusive interview and told us about his
background, and the patience he needed to complete this film. He is receiving a
lot of comments about it, a film which many people relate to. The plot involves
a father who cares about his son, but doesn’t know how to open up and show
emotion. When the father and wife split up, the dad picks up his son on weekends
but often leaves him in motels while he goes to the local bar to get smashed.
Clark
B. McMillian Jr. is the writer of a screenplay titled Reflections of a Motor
City, and the story revolves around the great Motown stars of the sixties.
This story, however, is different from many others, in that Clark always writes
with the family audience in mind. His Christian roots go deep and his shining
talent has been noticed by some independent filmmakers. As of this writing,
Clark is attempting to get financing to get his first film made.
Long-time
businessman, employee recruiter and entrepreneur Alan Ladd has just released
Interview the Best, a DVD which targets job seekers who have skills but are
lacking in a few crucial areas when it comes to landing their dream job.
Alex
Kendrick, the director of the new film, “Fireproof”, the follow-up movie to
“Facing the Giants”, spoke a few days ago with Dove about the new release.
Fifteen year old McKay Hatch recently received
a “Well Done Award” from Kingdom Assignment, an organization that gained
national recognition for their work on the Oprah Winfrey Show. Young Mr. McKay
has received a lot of his own recognition after starting the No Cussing Club
approximately a year ago.
Producer/Special
Adviser/Author - Amazing Grace, Real Christianity, The
Chronicles of Narnia
Janette
Oke, the creative mastermind behind the “Love Comes Softly” series spoke with
The Dove Foundation a short time ago about her success and years of working in
the faith and family market as an inspirational author. We began the interview
by asking Janette if her “Love Comes Softly” novel was planned as a series of
stories, or as one tale.
“Our
goal is to make a good high quality family film,” Michael Damian said to me in a
recent phone interview with The Dove Foundation. He and his wife Janeen
accomplished that and the end result is “Moondance Alexander,” an enchanting
film. The movie stars Kay Panabaker as the high school girl who doesn’t quite
fit in but finds a passion for a certain horse when he crosses her path one day.
Don Johnson also stars as Dante, a stable owner and horse trainer who proves to
be a mentor for young Moondance. Lori Loughlin rounds out the cast as Gelsey,
Moondance Alexander’s mother and a widow.
Henry
Winkler is known to a generation of fans as ‘The Fonz’ from the classic TV
series “Happy Days”. In his latest film he plays ‘Happy Herb’, a children’s TV
host whose puppet-character ‘Froggy Doo’ is frog napped. Winkler does a terrific
job in the role and he was happy to speak about it with us at The Dove
Foundation in a recent phone interview.
Jodie Foster, the Academy-Award winning actress, is appearing in the upcoming
family film, “Nim’s Island” along with Abigail Breslin and Gerard Butler. We
had an opportunity recently to speak with both Jodie and Abigail about their
roles in this great family movie.
Actress
and singer Jodi Benson, the voice of Princess Ariel in the Academy Award winning
Disney film “The Little Mermaid,” as well as the voice of Tour-Guide Barbie in
“Toy Story 2,” plays a secretary in the big Disney hit, “Enchanted”, due to be
released by Walt Disney Video on March 18. Jodi has a prolific resume in which
she has received a Tony Award and was nominated for Best Actress in a Musical
for creating the starring role of Polly in the Broadway Gershwin musical “Crazy
for You.” She also has performed in other Broadway roles as well as voicing a
lot of various characters in several movies. She gave life to the spirited Weebo
in Disney’s live action “Flubber” movie, starring Robin Williams.
Actor Richard Thomas is coming to Grand Rapids as the star of “12 Angry Men,”
with eight performances in five days at the DeVos Performance Hall, beginning
the evening of March 19 and running through March 23. The show is part of the
“Broadway Grand Rapids” series and the national tour is produced by the New
York-based Roundabout Theatre Company. Richard is known for doing a lot of
family programming, including “The Miracle of the Cards”, which received five
Doves from The Dove Foundation, our highest rating, and the Hallmark Channel
film “Wild Hearts”, another quality project which also earned five Doves. Many
people fondly remember him from his days on the family series “The Waltons”.
Dove
recently spoke with the writer and creative force behind Veggie Tales,
Phil Vischer. He wrote the script for the new movie The Pirates Who Don’t Do
Anything: A Veggie Tales Movie. Phil was driving to Chicago from Minneapolis
when he spoke with us via his mobile phone.
Jon
Voight, the successful and hard-working actor of many films, received the Best
Actor Academy Award for his starring role in the film Coming Home (1978).
Today, he stars along with Nicholas Cage and Diane Kruger, Ed Harris and Helen
Mirren in the very successful picture, “National Treasure: Book of Secrets”.
This film has grossed $171,033,000 in only its third week of national release.
Mr. Voight recently spoke with The Dove Foundation about this successful film
and some of his other roles over the years.
David
Wall, the talented man behind “Noelle”, formerly “Mrs. Worthington’s Party”, won
a Jury Award for Best Director of an independent film, and his movie was a
runner-up for Best American Film. David recently chatted with The Dove
Foundation. Wall was the driving force behind the film, as he starred in it,
directed and co-produced the movie along with his wife Kerry Wall, Sean Patrick
Brennan and Lenny Manzo.
As
sugar plumbs dance in some people’s heads and white snow begins to drift
earthward, author Stephen Skelton has released a new book in time for the
holidays. It is titled “A Christmas Carol: Special Church Edition.” Skelton has
focused his attention on the author, Charles Dickens, and his Christian intent
in writing what became a holiday favorite and literary standard. The new book,
priced affordably at $1.99 per copy, includes the entire novel along with
copious study notes on the margins of each page.
The
surviving Munchkins from the classic “The Wizard of Oz” feature film finally
received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, reserved for immortals of film
lore. The ceremony was held on November 20, 2007. The Dove Foundation recently
interviewed four of the surviving Munchkins, a rare group indeed. We recently
posted interviews with Karl Slover (the first trumpeter in the film) and
Meinhardt Raabe (the coroner Munchkin). The next two interviews took place with
Jerry Maren, the Lollipop Kid who handed the world’s largest sucker to Judy
Garland, and Mickey Carroll (The Town Crier and a fiddler).
Comedian
Taylor Mason, ventriloquist and puppeteer extraordinaire, appears in the new DVD
release “Thou Shalt Laugh: The Deuce”; which released on November sixth and is
the second such feature. Taylor appeared with his act in the first release as
well.
The
Munchkins from the classic film “The Wizard of Oz” have gone from the yellow
brick road to the Hollywood Walk of Fame, thanks to a lot of determined people.
The list includes Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, Ted Turner, Roger Ebert (who
wrote a letter of support from his hospital bed) and many others. Roger Baum,
the grandson of Oz creator and author L. Frank Baum, wrote a letter himself to
the nominating committee. The official ceremony will take place in either
October or November this fall. The remaining Munchkins, ranging in age from 86
to 92, will receive stars.
The
Dove Foundation was able to recently take part in a conference call/press junket
with some of the people involved in the animated film “The Ten Commandments.”
This group included Cindy Bond (president, COO, Promenade Pictures), Ed Naha
(screenwriter of this film and acclaimed family screenwriter of “Honey I Shrunk
The Kids”), Jeremy Camp (Christian artist, GMA 2005 Best Male Artist of the
Year, wrote and performed the song “I Am Willing” for “The Ten Commandments”
film), as well as Academy Award nominee Elliott Gould (‘God’ in “The Ten
Commandments” film), and Dr. Ron Wexler (president, CEO of the Ten Commandment’s
Commission), who was our guide in overseeing the interview.
“Beyond
the Gates” is hitting the streets on DVD Tuesday, September 18. The edited
version, toned down primarily in language, was awarded our Dove “Family-Edited”
Seal. The Dove Foundation was able to speak recently with both the producer,
David Belton, and the director, Michael Caton-Jones. Both men believed strongly
that the story of genocide in Rwanda in 1994 was a story that needed to be
visually told, as difficult as it may be to view.
Local
resident Tom Mejeur and his family are representative in many ways of the
visitors to our website, people who consult our reviews before deciding to see a
movie or rent a video. Tom decided some time ago that he didn’t want any
unwelcome surprises in the content of rented films. An educated man and a man of
principle, Tom recently agreed to be interviewed by The Dove Foundation to
explain how our website has aided himself and his family.
“Arctic
Tale,” the documentary about the Great North, a walrus and polar bear, is about
to open in theaters across the country. Dove spoke recently with the
cinematographer, Adam Ravetch, whose wife Sarah Robertson directed the
picture.
Bruce
Barry is not a man who lets things get him down. He spoke to The Dove Foundation
recently from his car in Florida, and it was seventy one degrees outside with a
forecast of ninety along with one hundred percent humidity. Yet his enthusiasm
and zest for life and his career easily energized the phone line.
BabyFirstTV
is the first network in the U.S. for children under three years old. The network
features rich, innovative and educational content that is designed to introduce
babies and toddlers to a variety of skills from language to math to music in a
delightful and engaging way. The program features interactive subtitles and
other features to provide parents with another tool to bond, learn and play with
their baby. Leading child psychology and education experts support the effort
and the program airs without commercials, violence, and without over-sensory
stimulants.
Josh
Hutcherson, the young 14-year-old actor who has been busy filming several
movies, was in Chicago recently, doing the press junket for his new release,
"Bridge To Terabithia." The film is an adventurous movie with some themes of
substance, and it’s Dove approved. Josh spoke with us for several minutes
regarding the film and some of his other work.
“I
had two dreams when I was growing up,” says the director of Disney’s ‘Meet the
Robinsons.’ “I wanted to work in animation at Disney and I wanted to direct a
Disney film. I have been fortunate to realize both of those dreams.”
Ken
Wales, the producer of “Amazing Grace: The Story of William Wilberforce,” spoke
recently with The Dove Foundation. He was pleased by the audience’s response at
an early screening of the film in Grand Rapids, Michigan. “We continue to get
raves,” he said. “We showed it in Chicago and I just came back from Nashville.
We had two screenings there and another one in Atlanta, and at each one the
people were stunned. They see something that is so solid and historical and yet
has the faith centerpiece. They’re amazed it could all come together.”
AnnaSophia
Robb, the star of “Because of Winn-Dixie,” “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,”
and the soon-to-be-released “Bridge to Terabithia,” thinks family films are
special, because of “the connection of the family members. There is a unity and
equality when families see a film together.”
In
his recent Hollywood Uplink column, The Dove Foundation’s co-founder Dick Rolfe
makes an interesting point. A film from 2006, Disney’s “Eight Below,” played on
3,122 screens and made $81.6 million dollars from a budget of $40 million, or
$26,137 per screen. This was a 101% Profit. In comparison, “Facing The Giants”
played on 441 screens and made $10 million dollars, from a budget of $100,000.
It made $22,675 per screen for a 1,000% profit! This was huge. The film, a story
about an underdog football coach who leads an underdog football team to success,
impacted a lot of lives, according to the film’s producer, Stephen Kendrick, the
brother of Alex Kendrick, who stars in the film as Coach Grant Taylor.
One
of the forces behind the newly-released, multi-platform video game, “Backyard
Sports: Baseball 2007” is the Co-President of the company which produced the
game. Lauren Schechtman holds that title for the Humongous Company, and spoke
recently with The Dove Foundation about the newly-released game and other
Backyard Sports projects.
Sylvester Stallone, the hard-working actor of a
prolific set of films, and best known as “Rocky Balboa,” spoke recently on a
conference call hosted by Jud Wilhite, senior pastor of Central Christian Church
in Las Vegas, Nevada. Sly spoke about the upcoming release of “Rocky Balboa,”
his final “Rocky” film, and about faith and hope. The Dove Foundation
participated in the interview and the following are some of the highlights of
the session.
The Dove Foundation recently interviewed Dominic Scott Kay,
the voice of ‘Wilbur’ from the newly released “Charlotte’s Web.” At ten years of
age, Dominic comes across very articulately and he was a delight to interview.
He got his start in 2002’s “Minority Report,” playing young Sean in the film
which starred Tom Cruise. He already has several credits under his belt,
including a voiceover for 2006’s “The Wild,” as young Samson. We kicked off the
interview by asking Dominic how he got started in the business.
Comedian
Thor Ramsey, the host of the comedy series “Bananas” and a featured performer on
the newly-released DVD “Thou Shalt Laugh” spoke with The Dove Foundation
recently. We had just finished laughing at his humor on “Thou Shalt Laugh,”
following a screening and when this writer mentioned it, he replied, “I’m glad
you enjoyed it, man.”
“I’m
six-five, two-seventy-five,” Tommy ‘Tiny’ Lister told me in a recent interview
with The Dove Foundation. His height and weight aside, Tiny Lister comes across
as a man with a big heart, as he spoke of his commitment as a Christian, and his
role as “Hagai,” in the new Gener8xion Entertainment release of “One Night with
the King,” which also stars John Noble, John Rhys-Davies, Omar Sharif, Luke
Goss, and newcomer Tiffany Dupont as “Queen Esther.”
John
Noble, the well-known actor who portrayed Lord Denethor in two “Lord of the
Rings” films, spoke recently with The Dove Foundation, just days before and
again shortly after the premiere of his latest movie, “One Night with the King,”
a film based on the story of Queen Esther in the Bible. Noble plays Prince
Admantha in the film.
William
Laufer wrote, directed, acted in, and co-produced, “Christmas at Maxwell’s” with
his daughter Tiffany, and they spoke recently with The Dove Foundation about the
film, which will first be placed in a limited number of theaters before hitting
the DVD market.
Don Judd has a background in television and is plotting ways in which he can
use the media to reach children with positive family programming. His plans
include a website and animated videos. His long running career in the media
began during his college days.
Raven-Symoné
Pearman, the former child star of “The Cosby Show,” and present star of “That’s
So Raven,” appeared in concert at the Allegan County Fair in Michigan just
before the premiere of her new film, “Everyone’s Hero” coming to theaters
September 15, 2006. The day after the concert, she spoke with The Dove
Foundation about the film and various aspects of her career.
Actor
Philip Winchester, who appears alongside James Franco in the new MGM release,
“Flyboys,” told The Dove Foundation in a recent interview that he takes every
Saturday to meet with Christian friends to “hash things out” and to be
accountable as a believer.
Bob
Dolman, the writer and director of “How to Eat Fried Worms,” recently spoke with
The Dove Foundation on the topic of his experiences on the film, and something
he learned about himself while making the movie. We opened the interview with
Bob explaining how he took the book and adapted it into a movie.
In a recent interview with The Dove Foundation, child actors Adam Hicks and
Ryan Malgarini spoke of the fun they had in working on Walden Media’s and New
Line Cinema’s “How to Eat Fried Worms.”
Michael Moore was deeply involved in the recent second annual Traverse City
Film Festival. The festival included such diverse films as “Stanley Kubrick: A
Life in Pictures,” to “Son of Man,” a modern film set in Southern Africa. The
films ranged in time periods from 1939’s “The Wizard of Oz,” to 2006’s “Scoop.”
Moore spoke from the State Theatre in Traverse City where he announced the
festival might run over a period of two weekends next summer.
Writer Stephen Skelton, author of “The Gospel According To The World’s
Greatest Superhero,” sees many similarities between Christ and the famous
visitor from the planet Krypton. In fact, once Skelton kicks into gear in his
enthusiasm, it is difficult to disagree with him. Skelton began our interview by
speaking of the effect that the 1978 “Superman” movie had on him.
The animated family adventure, “Choose Your Own
Adventure®: The Abominable Snowman,” has been approved by The Dove Foundation
for family viewing, won a 2006 iParenting Media Award, and was named a “Kids
First All-Star” by the Coalition for Quality Children’s Media., and it has just
been released to the public!
Actor Richard Thomas, the Emmy-award winning
actor of the beloved TV series, “The Waltons,” believes that family programming
is an endangered species. Thomas stars in the upcoming Hallmark Channel TV
movie, “Wild Hearts,” and he spoke about that along with other topics in a
recent interview with The Dove Foundation.
The creative team at Ignite! Learning have
produced a series of science multi-media DVD’s, a total of nine volumes, which
are being used jointly with curriculum in several classrooms across the United
States. The programs combine animation, music, and characters, along with
interesting facts, to creatively bring science classes to life.
