Chariots of Fire (1981)

 

One of the most inspiring films of all time!

The inspiring true story of two runners from the United Kingdom, Harold Abrahams and Eric Liddell. Contrasting the spiritual motives of one man versus the more selfish goals of the other, their fierce, personal competition ends up uniting them in a great victory in the 1924 Olympics.

The come-from-behind winner of the 1981 Oscar for best picture, Chariots of Fire either strikes you as either a cold exercise in mechanical manipulation or as a tale of true determination and inspiration. The heroes are an unlikely pair of young athletes who ran for Great Britain in the 1924 Paris Olympics: devout Protestant Eric Liddell (Ian Charleson), a divinity student whose running makes him feel closer to God, and Jewish Harold Abrahams (Ben Cross), a highly competitive Cambridge student who has to surmount the institutional hurdles of class prejudice and anti-Semitism. There's delicious support from Ian Holm (as Abrahams's coach) and John Gielgud and Lindsay Anderson as a couple of Cambridge fogies.

Vangelis's soaring synthesized score, which seemed to be everywhere in the early 1980s, also won an Oscar. Chariots of Fire was the debut film of British television commercial director Hugh Hudson (Greystoke) and was produced by David Puttnam.

Years of the Beast (1981)

 

A fast-moving feature-length dramatic film portraying the events in the book of Revelation

Experience a society where money is worthless, food is scarce, your neighbor is your enemy and oppression reigns. Watch the ultimate forces of Satan and God prepare for the final battle. Feel the great and ultimate triumph of Christ's return and look up with encouragement, "for our redemption draweth nigh." Witness the years of tribulation and the great and ultimate triumph of Christ and His church.

SuperBook (1981–1983)

 

Series I (1981)

NOTE: Japanese titles in Romaji are listed first, followed by a translation of the Japanese title, the official English dub episode title, and, if necessary, a note about the characters and/or events portrayed in the episode.

    Adamu to eba monogatari (The story of Adam and Eve) / "How It All Began"
    Kain to aberu monogatari (The story of Cain and Abel) / "My Brother's Keeper"
    Noa no hakobune monogatari (The story of Noah's ark) / "The Flood"
    Idai na chichi no monogatari (The story of the great father) / "The Test" (Abraham and Isaac)
    Takoku no hanayome monogatari (The story of the foreign bride) / "Here Comes the Bride" (Isaac and Rebekah)
    Futago no kyodai monogatari (The story of the twin brothers) / "Double Trouble" (Jacob and Esau)
    Maho no tsue monogatari (The story of the magical stick) / "A Dream Come True" (Joseph)
    Ejiputo monogatari (The story of Egypt) / "The Miracle Rod" (Moses and the Exodus)
    Fushigi na rappa monogatari (The story of the wondrous bugle) / "Those Amazing Trumpets" (Joshua and the fall of Jericho)
    Sanbyakko no tsubo monogatari (The story of the 300 pots) / "Pitchers of Fire" (Gideon)
    Kairiki monogatari (The story of Herculean strength) / "Muscleman" (Samson and Delilah)
    Uma goya monogatari (The story of the stable) / "The First Christmas"
    Iesu no kiseki monogatari (The story of the miracles of Jesus) / "Miracles of Love"
    Karappo no haka monogatari (The story of the empty tomb) / "The Best News Yet" (The death and resurrection of Jesus)
    Oyakoko monogatari (The story of the faithful child) / "Mother's Day" (Ruth and Naomi)
    Akuma no yuwaku monogatari (The story of the devil's temptation) / "The Patience of Job"
    Kujira ni nomareta otoko no monogatari (The story of the man swallowed by a whale) / "Big Fish and Little Fish" (Jonah)
    Roba kokuo monogatari (The story of the donkey king) / "The First King" (Samuel and Saul)
    Dabide monogatari (The story of David) / "The Giant Killer"
    Soromon monogatari (The story of King Solomon) / "Superbrain"
    Yogensha eriya monogatari (The story of the prophet Elijah) / "A True Prophet"
    Hi no sensha monogatari (The story of the fiery tank) / "Flaming Chariots" (Elisha)
    Raion no ana monogatari (The story of the lion's den) / "The Lion's Den" (Daniel)
    Kagayaku joheki monogatari (The story of the shining castle walls) / "Nehemiah and the Walls of Jerusalem"
    Utsukushii ohi no monogatari (The story of the beautiful princess) / "The Beauty Queen" (Esther)
    Sekai no hate made monogatari (The story until the ends of the earth) / "The Mighty Convert" (Paul of Tarsus)

Series II (1983)

NOTE: Only the official English dub titles are listed here.

    "Where, Oh Where..." - the series premiere in which Ruffles is sucked into the newly "computerized" Superbook.
    "Hot Dog"
    "The Test Of Obedience"
    "Love at First Sight" - the above four episodes are the story of Abraham and Isaac, including the fall of Sodom and Gomorrah.
    "Father's Pet"
    "All About Dreams"
    "The Hostage"
    "The Family Reunion" - the above four episodes are the story of Joseph.
    "A Gift From Heaven"
    "The Burning Bush"
    "No More Plagues"
    "So You Want To Go Back To Egypt!" - the above four episodes are the story of Moses and the Israelites' exodus from Egypt.
    "Snakes and a Donkey" - Joshua
    "Worth Fighting For" - Othniel
    "The Good Left Arm" - Ehud and King Eglon
    "Stick In The Mud" - Deborah and Barak
    "That's A Promise" - Jephthah's vow
    "Just Rewards" - Eli and Samuel
    "A Wonderful Gift" - Saul is anointed king of Israel
    "The Mighty Little Shepherd"
    "The Bigger They Come"
    "Faithful and True"
    "David the King" - the above four episodes are the story of David, including his fight with Goliath and his friendship with Jonathan.
    "In All His Glory" - King Solomon
    "The Wicked Queen" - Athaliah and Jehoash
    "A Matter Of Time" - King Hezekiah and the prophet Isaiah
 

First Fruits (1981)

 

The Moravians pioneered a mission movement characterized by extraordinary commitment.

Winner of “Best Film of the Year” Award from Christian Film Distribution Association.

In 1732, two young Moravians left their comfortable community of Hernhut, Germany, convinced that they were called of God to bring the Gospel to the slaves in the West Indies. They went, willing to become slaves if necessary, to minister to these oppressed people.

The Moravians pioneered a mission movement characterized by extraordinary commitment. Under the dynamic leadership of Count Nikolaus von Zinzendorf, the Moravians sent out more missionaries in 20 years than all the other Protestant groups had in 200 years. They were driven by two strong convictions: world evangelization is a prime obligation of the church, and every member of the Christian community has this responsibility.

First Fruits unfolds the suffering which these young men endured for their missionary zeal and the agony of their community in deciding to send them forth at a time when missions to the heathen masses were unthinkable among Protestants. You will especially marvel over the “first fruits” of their ministry and the impact of their vision on the course of Christian history.