Entertainment Notes: October 15, 2006

October 24, 2006 by Joanne Brokaw

ENTERTAINMENT NOTES FOR NOVEMBER 2006
www.whatsupentertainmentnews.com

By Joanne Brokaw
Entertainment notes compiled from wire service reports, press releases and artist interviews


“Facing the Giants” proved itself to be the little movie that could. In its second weekend in theaters the drama about a football team from a Christian high school had taken in $2.7 million at the box office. Not bad for a film that was made using volunteers and $100,000 in donations from the folks at Sherwood Baptist Church in Georgia.


Celtic rock band Ceili Rain’s latest single, “Kneeling,” offers perhaps the best response Christians can have in the debate over the war in Iraq. Without bowing to either side of the issue, songwriters Bob Halligan Jr. and Linda Halligan suggest instead that prayer is the answer, with lyrics like: “You say I must stand up for what I believe, but when I stand up, well, I’m down on my knees.” “Kneeling” is from Ceili Rain’s latest album, Whatever Makes You Dance. If you’ve never heard of Ceili Rain (pronounced kay-lee rain), I urge you to check them out at www.ceilirain.com or www.spiritandsong.com. Their whimsical joy and heartfelt lyrics will win you over with one listen.


I recently found time to read Mike Erre’s new book, The Jesus of Suburbia, and was so taken with the message that I want to make sure I put it on your radar. This isn’t a deep spiritual tome or particularly studious look at biblical principles. It’s just a simple look at the idea that we’ve tamed Jesus to fit our suburban, polished lifestyles and abandoned the radical, revolutionary path He called us to follow. “[L]ife with Jesus is more than just being nice, or trying not to cuss and get drunk because ‘that’s what good Christians do,’“ Erre writes. It’s a radical decision to step outside of our safe Christian community and get into the real world. Erre’s points make a lot of sense. Check out The Jesus of Suburbia from W Publishing Group.


According to the 2004 U.S. Census, 42.3% of all African-American women have never been married and are five times more likely to be single at age 40 than white women. In addition, the more money and education a black woman has, the less likely she is to ever get married or have children. In her documentary “Soulmate,” acclaimed veteran television writer/producer Andrea Wiley offers insight and wisdom to single, saved, African American women on how to cope with singleness in a God-centered way. Wiley interviews almost a dozen single African American women as they talk about being single, desiring a husband, or finding fulfillment as a single. Wiley also interviews women who married later in life, encouraging singles that God has a plan for them and time is not running out. Providing a male perspective are Pastor Donald Bell, Dr. Jerome Clayton and Bishop Kenneth Ulmer. It’s eye opening and informative, and while the film looks specifically at the unusually high rate of educated single women in the African American community in relation to other races, the issues and information would be of interest to single women of any race. “Soulmate” is produced by Clean Heart Productions. For more information, visit http://www.soulmatefilm.com.


From the producer of the enormously popular Blue Collar Comedy Tour: The Movie comes Thou Shalt Laugh, a DVD featuring some of today’s funniest clean comedians. Hosted by Emmy Award-winning actress Patricia Heaton the lineup showcases comedians Thor Ramsey, Michael Jr., Jeff Allen, Teresa Roberts Logan, Joby Saad, Gilbert Esquivel and Taylor Mason as they poke fun at everything from parenting and relationships to everyday annoyances. Jeff Allen will make you laugh from start to finish as he talks about his teenagers and Taylor Mason closes the show with a puppet ventriloquist routine that will keep you in stitches. A couple of the jokes may make the more conservative viewer squirm - Gilbert Esquivel’s routine is about race - but it’s all clean. What you won’t find are the stereotypical, cookie cutter church gags. Thor Ramsey takes a few shots at Christian products like Testamints , but this is clean comedy suitable for a general, non-church audience. No preaching, just lots of laughs. Thou Shalt Laugh is available November 7th from Warner Home Video.


For hip hop fans who can’t wait until the December 26 release date of Soul P.’s anticipated first national project, The Premiere, Beatmart Recordings is offering a 20-minute mixtape sampler of the album as a free download. Created by eminent Christian hip hop DJ Morphiziz, The Premiere Mixtape features a generous amount of time from all fifteen tracks on the album (which is produced by Todd Collins), and includes Soul P. sharing his testimony and heart behind the album. I had a chance to sit down with Soul P last April during GMA Week, and was struck by this quiet, gentle man’s story, which includes drugs and jail before he turned his life over to Christ. Soul P is one of those artists that will connect with teens struggling to survive in today’s culture, because he knows what it’s like out there on the streets and he’s experienced just how powerful the grace of God really is.


With the highest SoundScan debut in the band’s history, Grammy-nominated rock band Skillet entered the Billboard overall Christian chart at No. 3 with their latest release, Comatose. The album also had an impressive entry on the Billboard Top 200 chart at No. 55. Comatose debuted on the itunes overall album chart at No. 19 and was the No. 6 best-selling rock album and No. 1 selling Christian Digital album of that week.


When it was released in September, See The Morning, the first new studio album in two years from worship artist Chris Tomlin, debuted at No. 1 on the SoundScan compiled Current Contemporary Christian, Christian Retail and Billboard Christian Album sales charts. The recording also landed at No. 15 on the Billboard Top 200, marking Tomlin’s highest debut on the chart.


This past August Westbow Press re-released Johnny Cash’s 1986 book, Man in White. The novel, which chronicles the life of the apostle Paul, was the culmination of nine years of Cash’s research and reflection during difficult personal times.


Essential Records and Flicker Records recently released the compilation rock project, oseven: The Year’s Best Christian Rock Hits. The album is the debut installment of their new rock series, and features brand new songs from artists like Pillar, Jars of Clay, Krystal Meyers, Red, eleventyseven, Kids in the Way, Day of Fire, Leeland, nevertheless, Fireflight, Flatfoot 56 and Until June. The project gives listeners a taste of what both labels have to offer and introduces rock fans to new bands.


“Shine On”, the first single from Lava/Atlantic and Sparrow Records’ recording artist needtobreathe’s critically acclaimed debut, Daylight, was featured in the new Dane Cook and Jessica Simpson film “Employee of the Month.” The band has recently been on tour with the likes of TRAIN, Collective Soul, and labelmates Big City Rock.



The Christian Country Music Association recently announced the nominees for the 12th Annual Inspirational Country Music (ICM) Award Show. Nominees included Chunky Nelms, Clifton Jansky, Del Way, Mike Hammock and Tommy Brandt for Male Vocalist of the Year; Gayla Earlene, Mary James, Melanie Walker, Nanette Vaughan and Susie Luchsinger for Female Vocalist of the Year; and Brooks & Dunn’s “Believe,” Carrie Underwood’s “Jesus Take The Wheel,” Josh Turner’s “Me and God,” Mike Hammock’s “Welcome Home Soldier,” and Brad Paisley and Dolly Parton’s “When I Get Where I’m Going” for Song of the Year. Winners will be announced on November 9th at 7 PM CST at the Acuff Theater.


Centricity recording artist Downhere received six Covenant Award nominations, including the prestigious Artist of the Year and Group of the Year honors, from GMA Canada’s 28th Annual Covenant Awards. Downhere’s critically-acclaimed 2006 release, Wide-Eyed And Mystified, has also received nominations in both the Album of the Year and Rock Album of the Year categories. The 28th Annual Covenant Awards will be held October 27 at Centre Street Church in Calgary, Alberta, in conjunction with the Canada Christian Music Conference.

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