"...whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy, think about such things" - Phil 4:8
Preview Online is a fun, informative tool for Christian parents and concerned moviegoers. Our reviews contain the content of films so you can decide if they are suitable for your viewing. Please make friends, family and foes aware that there’s a place where you can “Know Before You Go” ®.
Read a brief message from Preview Editor Phil Boatwright
|
|
|
God’s Not Dead 2: He’s Surely Alive
Coming Easter 2016
The highly anticipated follow-up to the immensely successful God’s Not Dead.
Read the press release |
|
Boatwright Departs Preview OnLine
Hi All,
After ten years of editing and reviewing for Preview OnLine, I will be leaving the site at the end of August. My employers have decided to go in a different direction and no longer wish to continue with this site. I’m saddened, of course, but also relieved.
I have been honored to helm Preview on Line, a site that thrived long before I came on the scene. It’s been around for quite some time and I still feel it is a needed service, as it isn’t merely about giving a reviewer’s opinion. Today’s critic should be a reporter. His opinion should be secondary to the synopsis and content of each new release. Those involved with this website have tried to make this a helpful guide. After all, if a filmmaker has the right to put whatever he wants in his picture, shouldn’t a filmgoer have the right to know what that material consists of?
On the other hand, I am somewhat relieved by the fact that I no longer have to watch as many films as I have been doing on a weekly basis. I am going to miss the added income, but the Lord has always provided and I have no doubt that He will continue. Between you and me, I’ve seen the last superhero movie I care to, and since movie comedies mainly consist of humor founded on crudity, I won’t miss any of them, either.
That’s not to say I’m sailing off into the sunset. I will still provide reviews and articles for my home site, , plus my monthly column for , my critiques for , my TV offerings for TVGDAILY on , and my twice-monthly radio spotlights on new and classic DVDs for (check local listings – the program airs on the Bott Radio Network).
Still, I’ll miss this historic website. I thank Pete Zimowski for his immeasurable assistance. Pete places my material on the site, then spruces it up with pictures and other stuff that confound this World Wide Web bumbler. Pete’s a good man and has been extremely supportive of me throughout the years - he has been the Preview OnLine webmaster since AlGore invented the internet.
I’m also going to miss my bosses (fools though they may be). It’s a joke, it’s a joke…although I have seen them wearing fur coats made from Dalmatians. What’s that tell ya?
In truth, they have been more than employers. They are friends, men for whom I have respect both professionally and personally. Many times they have lifted me up and spoken words of faith and support. They are also very good men.
And lastly, I thank all of you for coming to this site on a regular basis, and for the kind words I’ve received from many of you over the years. I hope you’ll continue to KNOW BEFORE YOU GO.
May God bless you.
|
While we won't be adding any new reviews here, be sure to check Phil's website each week for timely film reviews.
And, don't forget the almost 4100 film reviews that are available in our database. Search the Database HERE. |
|
|
|
|
On TV / DVD / Video |
Catching Faith By film’s end, all the problems are nicely resolved. Really? That didn’t even happen for Job. Yes, he was restored, but his children were still dead and in the book God never told Job why he had to endure his suffering. Taken By Grace Normally I have trouble with faith-based film companies extending into genres usually geared toward action thriller material. They seldom seem organic, natural. But Taken By Grace worked for me. Perfect High Aided by a strong performance by Bella Thorne, it’s in your face with the depiction of a popular/talented/pretty person who spirals downhill beginning with painkillers, then being seduced by even harsher drugs meant to aid emotional as well as physical pains. This leads to an even darker path as an escort advertising on a website called Skip The Game only to find out that one only reaches bottom when they stop digging. Love Finds You In Charm It has that same gentility…and yes, corniness of all those Janette Oke Love Comes Softly movie series that ran on the Hallmark Channel this past decade. Turnaround Jake Hollywood just never runs short of young lead guys willing to go through an entire movie with a four day growth of beard. I’ve discussed this often, but it sums up the shallowness of the production. |
Articles, Commentaries, Interviews, and Other Musings from Preview Editor Phil Boatwright
Is War Room a Movie or a Sermon? One thing we’ve come to rely on when watching a film by those pastor-com-moviemaking Kendrick Brothers in Georgia is a resonate story wrapped around a noble lesson. The Best Movies of 2015... So Far I keep hoping we’re going to see the art form return to the real special effects – story, character and performance. Also, wouldn’t it be nice if moviemakers stopped dumbing down and crudding up the culture with their products’ content? Movies and the Changes in America These societal tamperings, be they social, political, economic or cultural, occur on a daily basis, systematically leading to values being reevaluated. And though some of the revisioning is good, much of it just seems good. How Would I Advise Christian Moviemakers? I want to find merit in every film I critique, especially those proclaiming Jesus as our Savior. But I’m hard to please when it comes to movies about faith. What Do John Wayne and Lost in Space Have in Common? When I was a boy, I saw some horror movie that gave me nightmares, leaving me scared of the dark for months. It was so bad I’d cover my head with the blanket at night. Bad Words Won't Make Your Ears Bleed And as you well know, words that were once considered offensive are now pretty much a part of how your fellow classmates complete a simple declarative sentence. Maybe, you too. So what’s the big deal? They’re just words, right? Read more Holy Hollywood articles, reviews and commentaries |
|
Preview Editor Phil Boatwright also does radio features spotlighting new and classic DVDs, airing twice a month on the news program, The World and Everything In It. The show airs over 60 stations on the Bott radio network.
Hosted by Nick Eicher and Joseph Slife, The World and Everything in It is an engaging, week-in-review radio news magazine that airs weekends on stations nationwide and features reports, interviews, and analysis from WORLD's editorial team.
NEW! Click for a link to listen to Phil's review of The Emperor's Club
Click for a list of radio channels airing this fine program. |
|
|
|
|