Saturday, February 28, 2009

Casting for Stories

One of the fun new elements added to FireprooftheMovie.com when the DVD released were stories from the cast about their experiences in the aftermath of the movie playing in theaters and impacting lives.

We talked with Erin Bethea (Catherine), Ken Bevel (Michael), Harris Malcom (Dad), and Stephen Dervan (Wayne). You can read their thoughts here. We just added another story to the mix: Alex Kendrick!

Enjoy a preview of what the director and co-writer of FIREPROOF has to say:

“There’s not a day that goes by that we don’t hear testimonies from viewers who have been changed by the story. Hearing how the Lord has transformed marriages never gets old! It still amazes me that God has impacted so many lives, but I am grateful that He allowed us to be a part of the journey.”

Monday, February 23, 2009

... And the Award Goes To ...

On the weekend Hollywood handed out its biggest awards, NPR had an interesting story on its home page: Christian films! While focusing on the recent Christian film festival in San Antonio, Texas, the story highlights the impact that FIREPROOF has had on the industry.

Of course, the assumption of the reporter is that the NPR audience has no idea what FIREPROOF is:

“If you don’t believe us, take this quiz: What was the biggest grossing independent film in 2008? No, not Slumdog Millionaire. Not Milk. It was a movie you’ve probably never heard of.”

The story includes quotes from Kirk Cameron and Stephen Kendrick, along with Ben Howard, the head of Provident Films. Read the story and let us know what you think.

Friday, February 20, 2009

Why FP in 60?

A while back, we asked what is your favorite bonus feature on the FIREPROOF DVD. It is safe to say that FIREPROOF in 60 is your clearcut winner. If that is your favorite, know you are in good company. We asked director Alex Kendrick the same question and he was also a big fan of FPin60.

So we asked him how the idea came about:

“We always want to add something to our DVDs that the audience hasn’t seen before. Before we started shooting, I thought it would be hilarious to watch a short version of the film, with abbreviated dialog. Since it seems to have hit everyone’s funny bone, we might do it next time as well.”

As they say in the entertainment industry: Stay tuned ...

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Pop Quiz Time

Okay, it’s more like question time, but we wanted to get your attention.

In reading through all of the Blog comments, something has popped up somewhat regularly: “We didn’t see the movie in the theater, but we love the DVD.”

For those of you who DID NOT see FIREPROOF last fall, our question is: Why didn’t you see it in the theaters?

A) It didn’t play within an hour of my house
B) It didn’t play within 30 minutes of my house
C) I choose to not see movies in theaters
D) I never heard about it when it was in theaters
E) I just never got around to seeing it
F) Your reason here ...

Please let us know and feel free to elaborate if you wish. We look forward to hearing your thoughts.

Monday, February 16, 2009

Atop the Charts

FIREPROOF continues to be the most popular DVD available at Christian stores. It also was No. 5 in general retail stores and it was No. 7 in rentals in the most recent industry statistics.

Now, The Love Dare has returned to the top of the New York Times bestsellers list for paperback advice books ... and, as of earlier this morning, it was No. 3 in the overall books list on Amazon.

While the Blog is rarely silenced, this comes close. All we can say is Wow! If your marriage is one of the countless that has been changed by the movie or the book, please let us know.

Friday, February 13, 2009

Still Big News

Months after appearing on the front page of the entertainment page on CNN.com when it was release in theaters, FIREPROOF is once again news on the Cable News Network’s website.

The story, entitled “FIREPROOF Still Generating Heat, talks about the film being No. 3 on the Billboard top DVDs for the week. The story quotes one of the magazine’s editors.

“‘You don’t often see movies made by churches do big numbers,’ said Billboard’s Anthony Colombo.”

Can't really argue that point, now, can you? The story goes on to quote Kirk Cameron and Alex Kendrick among others.

Read it and let us know what you think!

Thursday, February 12, 2009

Award-Winning Film

The televised movie awards have come and gone ... which means it is time for the good awards to be handed out!

Our friends at Movieguide hosted the 17th Annual Movieguide Faith & Values Awards Gala at the Beverly Hills Hilton on Wednesday. And FIREPROOF won the biggest award: The Epiphany Prize for Inspiring Movies, which is sponsored by the John Templeton Foundation.

Dr. Ted Baehr, the chairman of the Christian Film & Television Commission and the publisher of Movieguide, hosted the event. You can read all about it here and here.

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Bonus Photos

Now that the FIREPROOF Special Collector’s Edition DVD has been out for a couple of weeks, you probably have had a chance to watch some of the bonus features. We would love to know which of those features have caught your fancy. Please let us know.

Not to be outdone, the FIREPROOF Blog is adding some bonus photos today! Here are some shots that were taken on the set in and around Albany, Georgia back in the autumn of 2007.
Firefighters Terrell Sanders (Eric Young) and Eric Harmon (Jason McLeod) prepare to enter the burning house

Just in the nick of time!

Preparing for the train scene

Eric Young, Ken Bevel, Stephen Dervan and Jason McLeod in the calm before the fire

Friday, February 6, 2009

DVD a Hit in Blogosphere!

Now that FIREPROOF is out on DVD, it’s exciting to see a new round of positive reviews by real people on different blogs. The Rev. Ed Hird, Rector at St. Simon’s in North Vancouver, writes:

“If you are looking for a good Valentine’s Day flick, I recommend that you pop over to your DVD stores to pick up the FIREPROOF DVD. So often we act as if our marriages never need tune-ups ... that somehow they can look after themselves. Valentine’s Day is a great opportunity to put our other distractions aside and treat our spouses as the most important persons on earth.”

Faith, a fan since the film opened, shared how she and friends enjoyed the DVD:

We also watched the special features. It was very cool to see the cast members behind the scenes. I love that they worked together and prayed together. We laughed so hard at a few of the special features. I can't even tell you how funny it was.

Let us know if you have recently posted about FIREPROOF on your blog. And thanks for helping spread the word!

Wednesday, February 4, 2009

John Waller on K-Love Thursday

Among the amazing FIREPROOF pre-release screenings that were hosted across the country last summer, one night that stands out was in Orlando during the annual Christian retail convention (ICRS).

John Waller, whose song “While I’m Waiting” plays a prominent role in the movie, joined many of the cast and crew members in attendance. At the end of one of the screenings, John played his song for the audience.

“While I’m Waiting” has gone on to become a popular hit at Christian stores, on Christian radio station playlists, and as a download. So have the other songs in the movie, including Casting Crowns’ “Slow Fade,” Third Day’s “This Is Who I Am” and “Otherside,” Warren Barfield’s “Love Is Not A Fight,” Leeland’s “Brighter Days,” and Grey Holiday’s “Your Belong To Me.”

John Waller will be talking about his song, the movie, and his album The Blessing on the K-Love morning show Thursday between 8-10 a.m. EST (5-7 a.m. PST). You can find a list of K-Love stations or listen online.

We hope you tune in. And remember, you can watch the music video for “Slow Fade” on the FIREPROOF Special Collector’s Edition DVD, available only from Christian stores.