Adventures in Odyssey: A Twist in Time (1997)

 

Whit is working on a secret new invention—but Dylan and his friend Sal can't stand the suspense of not knowing what it is. When they disregard Whit's instructions and sneak into his workshop, the boys trigger a surprising series of events that could lead to disaster for Whit's End . . . and Mr. Whittaker! It's a wild ride as Dylan and Sal find themselves trapped in a world of their own making. Now, they must frantically race the clock to try to undo the mess they've made of things. Through their ordeal, the boys discover a powerful truth: every action, no matter how insignificant it seems, can have dramatic consequences.

 

Adventures in Odyssey: In Harm's Way (1997)

 

When the new kid in town isn't exactly cool, what's a guy to do? Being nice is one thing, but letting him hang around with you . . . well, that's another thing entirely. Can Dylan see past Elliot's "nerdy" actions to his inner value? A critical choice and a powerful lesson await in this exciting tale of friendship and love. Based on Focus on the Family's popular Adventures in Odyssey radio show, this DVD is made in classic animation form. Each action-packed story is loaded with excitement, suspense, and a timeless message for viewers of all ages.

The War Prayer (1997)

 

"The War Prayer," a short story or prose poem by Mark Twain, is a scathing indictment of war, and particularly of blind patriotic and religious fervor as motivations for war. The structure of the work is simple, but effective: An unnamed country goes to war, and patriotic citizens attend a church service for soldiers who have been called up. The people call upon their God to grant them victory and protect their troops. Suddenly, an "aged stranger" appears and announces that he is God's messenger. He explains to them that he is there to speak aloud the second part of their prayer for victory, the part which they have implicitly wished for but have not spoken aloud themselves: the prayer for the suffering and destruction of their enemies. What follows is a grisly depiction of hardships inflicted on war-torn nations by their conquerors. The story ends pessimistically with the man, perhaps not surprisingly, being ignored.

VeggieTales: Josh and the Big Wall! (1997)

 

Josh and the Big Wall! was released in October 1997 on VHS and re-released on DVD on February 8, 2009. Subtitled "A Lesson in Obedience", the story follows the plight of Josh (played by Larry) and the Israelites and retells the Battle of Jericho. Features the French Peas parody of the French knights from Monty Python and the Holy Grail.

The Silly Song is Song of the Cebú.

VeggieTales: Larry-Boy! And the Fib from Outer Space! (1997)

 

Larry-Boy! And the Fib from Outer Space! was released in April 1997 and on May 18, 2004 on DVD. This is the first adventure featuring the Larry the Cucumber as Larry-Boy, the hero of the city of Bumblyburg, after he was introduced in Dave and the Giant Pickle. Subtitled "A Lesson in Telling the Truth", Larry-Boy must confront an alien from outer space, Fib, that grows out of control due to Junior's lies.


 

The Story Keepers (1995-1998)

 

    Breakout (20/11/1995) - A young street juggler named Cyrus is captured during a church raid and sentenced to being thrown to the lions. Anna convinces Ben to launch a rescue operation. *Note*: "Breakout" is the pilot episode of "The Story Keepers".

    Raging Waters (31/12/1995) - Zakkai and the kids must smuggle a scroll containing a story about Jesus to a church across town, and use the aqueducts to do so. Things seem to go swimmingly until Zak is captured by a Roman centurion named Tacticus.

    Catacomb Rescue (01/11/1996) - Ben and the gang must help a missionary named Ephriam escape Rome, but first they need to secure travel papers for him. When Nihilus and Tacticus come searching for Ephriam, Ben and Anna lead the gang through the catacombs. When Anna and Justin are trapped in a cave-in with an injured Tacticus, they learn the value of loving their neighbor from Jesus' parable of the Good Samaritan.

    Ready, Aim, Fire! (15/12/1996) - Zak's uncle Mordecai has come to visit, and Zak goes overboard trying to impress him. Meanwhile, Nihilus and Nero have plans to renovate the city via fire, and Tacticus must find a way to stall them and give Ben and his church a chance to escape.

    Sink or Swim (23/12/1996) - Justin learns about a slave ship where his and Marcus' father, Joshua ben Judah, may be imprisoned, and Ben agrees to help Justin search the ship. But the gang is caught off-guard when the ship is suddenly called out to sea to do battle with a rebel slave ship.

    Starlight Escape (31/12/1996) - Rome has become too dangerous to hold large meetings, so Ben, Helena, and the kids travel to Ostia with an old guide named Milo. It's no easy journey as they are hunted by Roman patrols the entire way. Ben and Helena use the long trip to tell the kids the story of Jesus' birth and the visit of the Magi.

    Roar in the Night (08/05/1997) - Marcus has befriended two lion cubs who have escaped from Nero's cruel animal trainer. He is determined to find a way to keep the cubs out of Nero's clutches, but that may mean having to release them in Africa instead of keeping them.

    Captured! (01/10/1997) - Cyrus is captured by a patrol while showing off his acrobatic skills, only to be sold to a local merchant who is impressed by Cyrus' talent. Cyrus finds himself living the good life, and when Ben & co. try to rescue him, he refuses to go back to the bakery. Helena tells the children Jesus' parable of the Prodigal Son and encourages them to pray for Cyrus.

    Trapped! (27/10/1997) - Tacticus' faith is discovered when he refuses to participate in the mandatory worship of Nero at the emperor's birthday party. Ben and the gang enlist the help of Empress Sabina's servant Miriam to rescue Tacticus.
 

Christmas Unwrapped: The History of Christmas (1997)

 

People all over the world celebrate the birth of Christ on December 25th. But why is the Nativity marked by gift giving, and was He really born on that day? And just where did the Christmas tree come from? Take an enchanting tour through the history of this beloved holiday and trace the origins of its enduring traditions. Journey back to the earliest celebrations when the infant religion embraced pagan solstice festivals like the Roman Saturnalia and turned them into a commemoration of Jesus’ birth. Learn how Prince Albert introduced the Christmas tree to the English-speaking world in 1841, and discover how British settlers in the New World transformed the patron saint of children into jolly old St. Nick. Christmas Unwrapped: The History of Christmas would be useful for classes on Culture, European History, American History, Religion, Economics and Folklore. It is appropriate for middle school and high school. 

Ivanhoe Complete Series (1997)

 

Ivanhoe was a 1997 television mini-series based on the novel Ivanhoe by Sir Walter Scott. It was a produced by the BBC and A&E Network and consisted of six 50 minute episodes.

A TV adaptation faithful to Sir Walter Scott’s novel set in 1192 AD about a disinherited knight who is accused of treachery in the Crusades returns to England anonymously, to his home to clear his name and win his lady love. Also King Richard has been a prisoner in an Austrian dungeon but is now returning to an England ruled by Prince John and the Normans. This series aims at realism, to look as close to how it would have been in a very rough and poverty stricken times rather than earlier sanitised versions. People wear layers of often old, sometimes ragged clothing to keep the cold out, are sometimes dirty, and have long shaggy hair and beards.

24 Animated Stories from the New Testament Collection (1987 -2005)

 

Animated Stories from the New Testament is a video series produced by Nest Family Entertainment in association with Rich Animation Studios. Unlike other animated series based on Bible stories, these programs are not based on modern characters interacting with Biblical figures, but rather provide dramatic retelling of the Bible stories themselves. The series was created to be a non-denominational informative and educational tool to help parents, caregivers, and educators instill positive spiritual values and character traits to those in their care.

Episodes
The King is Born (1987)
The Prodigal Son (1988)
He is Risen (1988)
The Good Samaritan (1989)
The Miracles of Jesus (1989)
The Righteous Judge (1990)
Saul of Tarsus (1990)
John the Baptist (1990)
Forgive Us Our Debts (1991)
The Kingdom of Heaven (1991)
Treasures in Heaven (1991)
The Ministry of Paul (1991)
Jesus, the Son of God (1995)
Bread from Heaven (1996)
The Greatest is the Least (1997)
The Lost is Found (1999)
Lazarus Lives (2000)
Lord, I Believe (2001)
The Lord's Prayer (2001)
The Parables of Jesus (2003)
The Messiah Comes! (2003)
Built Upon the Rock (2004)
Worthy is the Lamb (2004)
Signs of the Times (2005)

The Ride (1997)

 

 A family favorite! Kids & adults just love it!

Legendary rodeo star Smokey Banks (Michael Biehn) has been riding bulls all of his life. He's been to the top and now he's hit rock bottom after a run in with the law. Smokey's faced with two choices: jail or volunteering to teach a Christian boy named Danny (Brock Pierce) how to ride a bull. If it was easy, Smokey would be OK with it. But you see, he's got to give up drinking and gambling again-- "that was the worst fifteen minutes of my life." Not to mention, he's got to answer to a bunch of kids who won't let him do what he wants.

The Apostle (1997)

 

Sonny (Duvall) is a charismatic Pentecostal preacher with a wandering eye. His wife Jessie (Fawcett) has begun a relationship with a youth minister named Horace. She refuses Sonny's desire to be reconciled, although she assures him that she will not interfere with his right to see his children. She has also conspired to use their church's bylaws to have him removed from power. Sonny asks God what to do, but receives no answer. Much of the congregation sides with Jessie in this dispute. Sonny, however, refuses to start a new church, insisting that the one which forced him out was "his" church. At his child's Little League game, Sonny, in an emotional fit, attacks Horace with a bat and puts him into a coma. He later dies.

A fleeing Sonny ditches his car in a river and gets rid of all identifying information. After destroying all evidence of his past, Sonny rebaptizes himself and anoints himself as "The Apostle E. F." He leaves Texas and ends up in the bayous of Louisiana, where he convinces a retired minister named Blackwell (Beasley) to help him start a new church. He also begins a dating relationship with a local radio station's employee (Richardson).

With Sonny's energy and charisma, the church soon has a faithful and racially integrated flock. Sonny even succeeds in converting a racist construction worker (Thornton) who shows up at a church picnic intent on destruction. While at work in a fast-food restaurant, he sees his new girlfriend out in public with her husband and children, apparently reconciled. Sonny walks out, vowing never to return there.

Jessie hears a radio broadcast of the Apostle E. F. and calls the police on Sonny and they show up in the middle of an evening service but allow him to finish it while they wait outside. In the poignant finale, Sonny delivers an impassioned sermon before telling his flock that he has to go. In the final scene, Sonny, now part of a chain gang, preaches to the inmates as they work along the side of a highway.