Experiencing the Soul: Before Birth, During Life, After Death

Customer Reviews:

Wonderful Video!.......2006-04-22

I was like the previous reviewer. I had rented it and after watching it the first time, purchased it before I had even returned the rental! I loved the content, it gives one hope and a small glimpse into what lies beyond our human experience. How lovely to know that there is a life we can barely imagine, waiting to be returned to. And I didn't learn this fact from the video, I have been studying this subject for many years and already believe, no I KNOW, that there is more that lies beyond this brief stay on Earth.

This video illustrates it so beautifully with people who have had a glimpse into that wonderful place that is our true Home. People who are dying yet unafraid as they are being shown what is yet to come. My own Mother saw her Mother as she died. She came to take her Home. There is no specific religion addressed here, only the fact that there is more to life than living and dying. And that it is something to be totally unafraid of. In fact physical death is only the beginning of something great; it is a step in the evolution of our souls.

An Extraordinary Experience.......2006-01-25

I had the completely opposite reaction to this film from the last reviewer. I viewed the film as a rental (in fact, twice in one week, which is very rare for me) and appreciated it so much that I am now buying it.

This film is a series of people's personal accounts of their real life experiences, not a presentation of a single philosophy or point of view. Each person is telling a story of an experience they've had where they have felt closer to something or someone that could be called the soul or spirit, the divine, God, Jesus, a higher power, a different dimension, clear light, or however each person chose to express themselves. I found the film to have no particular prejudice or religious leanings, as we hear from Christians, Buddhists, Hindus, Jews, atheists, a very broad spectrum of religious or spiritual beliefs. In fact, one of my favorite aspects of the film is that it provides such a diverse range of perspectives rather than trying to steer us towards some particular belief system.

I couldn't even say that it espouses a firm belief in reincarnation. Some of the stories implied this belief, but not all, again representing a cross section of beliefs. For example, the primary storytellers about Pre-Birth experiences of the soul were a couple who were so devoutly Christian that the mother describes how she is visited by Jesus who answers her prayers by stopping a miscarriage and escorting her unborn child, who has been reluctant to come onto this earth and be born.

What particularly attracted me to the film is that it looked at the entire cycle of life and how individuals have experienced this at each stage: before birth, during their lives, at death, and after death. I have seen and enjoyed several films about Near Death experiences, particularly those by Dr. Raymond Moody, one of the leading researchers in Near Death experiences. But this is the first film I have encountered that looks at the whole cycle of life and death.

I am an avid film buff, viewing 5-7 films a week. Most of them are spiritually oriented, or at least inspirational or educational enough that I feel enriched after watching them, rather than simply entertained (although it's great if I am also entertained in the process of being inspired or educated). So I am quite discriminating about what I consider to be a good film, especially one good enough to buy rather than just rent. And I found this filmmaking to be very well done, with a well-edited blend of these individuals or couples telling their stories, beautiful artwork, an excellent soundtrack, and even some very funny moments. Jean Houston is so funny in telling her stories she could be a stand-up comedian, which is what her father wanted her to be anyway (it's part of her hilarious stories). The music was so good, that I'm also hunting for music by the two soundtrack musicians. There are some well known people telling their stories (Jean Houston, Joan Borysenko, Ram Das, H.H. The Dalai Lama, etc.) as well as many of us more "common folk."

So I highly recommend this film to people who really want to explore the possibility of experiencing the soul. But I do think it wise to rent any film first, including this one, to see if you like it enough to buy it. If you can't find it at your video store, Netflix has it. If you're not a Netflix member, you can get a free trial for a couple of weeks and make this one of your selections. Then if you do like it, I think it would be worthy addition to your spiritual film libray.

Not Worth the Experience.......2005-09-16

While the concept of this film is entirely interesting to viewers in search of enlightenment especially when it regards birth, death and transition, it sadly fails in quality.

Eliot Jay Rosen hosts this badly filmed documentary in an attempt to show how a soul arrives, leaves and spends one's time on earth. The concept is fascinating and essential to someone on their death bed in my opinion. But the script is haphazard at best with glimpses into the life of a few people dying of cancer, and others who have had life after death experiences. But unfortunately I felt some of the interviewees seemed rather spooky and cultish in their descriptions. Because of this anyone not open to the concept of enlightenment will probably be completely turned off to the idea if they watch this film. For anyone versed on the ideas expressed within this film it is basic at best and just sort of an overview of the theory. The quality of the film is really horrible as if done by amateurs so I found myself being distracted by the film rather than the notion.

Rent it.....the purchase isn't worth the experience.

Average customer rating:

Don't Listen to the Pretentious Wannabe Cinephiles
A Much Underrated Film
A Family Torn Asunder
Toothless story
HOLLOW CHILD

Before and After
Starring: Meryl Streep , Liam Neeson , Edward Furlong , Julia Weldon , and Alfred Molina
Director: Barbet Schroeder
Manufacturer: Walt Disney Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $7.49 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( B ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

ASIN: B00008L3UM
Release Date: 2004-04-06

Amazon.com

Liam Neeson and Meryl Streep play a couple going through a parents' nightmare: Their son (Edward Furlong) is accused of murdering a local girl. What's worse, he's gone into hiding, seeming to lend credence to the charges. Neeson, as a passionate, intuitive artist, tries to take matters into his own hands; when he finds what appear to be blood-stained clothes in the kid's car, he cleans the whole thing up and winds up destroying evidence, making matters increasingly worse. Before and After is a solid if stolid drama, with a strong, controlled performance by Streep as the worried wife and mother, while Neeson comes off as overwrought playing the controlling father. Given the subject matter and the presence of director Barbet Schroeder, this movie should be a lot more interesting than it is. --Marshall Fine

Description

Two of Hollywood's brightest stars, Meryl Streep (THE HOURS, ADAPTATION), and Liam Neeson (GANGS OF NEW YORK, SCHINDLER'S LIST) deliver spellbinding performances in this riveting, suspense-filled thriller! A small, close-knit community is rocked by a shocking murder -- and the only suspect is the teenage son of a respected local family. Suddenly, Dr. Carolyn Ryan (Streep) and her husband, Ben (Neeson) are faced with a gut-wrenching dilemma: Whether to risk everything on their son's innocence ... or protect him from his possible guilt! Devastating yet powerfully entertaining, you're sure to agree with critics everywhere who found BEFORE AND AFTER thrilling from beginning to end!

Customer Reviews:

Don't Listen to the Pretentious Wannabe Cinephiles.......2007-09-14

I'm very upset by the juvenile comments some reviewers have made about this movie.
1) What if it HAD been made for television? Is that supposed to send chills down our spines? Are we supposed to throw away our copies of Fassbinder's Berlin Alexanderplatz because, God forbid, it was made for TV? I suppose outstanding shows such as The Sopranos aren't even worth an HBO subscription.
2) Barbet Schroeder, the director, has made such films as Koko- A Talking Gorilla and General Idi Amin Dada, both in the Criterion Collection. While a great director can sometimes make a relative dud, a film that doesn't live up to his/her greatest potential, s/he is unlikely to make BAD movies.
3) As a perceptive reviewer pointed out, some movies are great because they deal with serious issues in a mature way. No apologies are required for not throwing in gratuitous cinematic tricks to impress the crowd at Sundance.
Do not be misled. This is one of the most compelling, and, yes, well-made, dramas you're likely to see.

A Much Underrated Film.......2006-12-10

Since I missed this movie when it played in theatres and love anything that Meryl Streep does and also am a big fan of the writer Rosellen Brown, whose novel the film was based on, I rented the DVD, expecting the worst, from some of the reviews I had read. I am happy to say that my time was not wasted in watching "Before and After." Meryl Streep as always is the consummate actress. When she is on the screen, you cannot take your eyes off her. Liam Neeson certainly is no slouch as an actor either.

The film stays fairly close to the story line of the novel, as best I recall. Ms. Brown's novels, though very serious, always ring true. In her world, nothing is promised. In this instance a family living in Massachusetts is torn apart when the teenage son Jacob is accused of murdering a local teenage girl. While both the novel and film are entitled "Before and After," we are dealing essentially with the "after" here, as in one moment both our entire lives and the lives of those we love can be irrevocably changed. This movie asks hard questions. To what lengths should one go to in protecting his family? Should one tell the truth no matter what the cost? Is one innocent until proven guilty?

This is certainly a film well worth watching. If you liked the movie-- or even if you didn't-- you will find the novel ever more thought-provoking.

A Family Torn Asunder.......2005-11-12

Skimming through the reviews for this movie, I was disappointed at a couple of the extremely harsh criticisms. While there are perhaps some elements bearing a semblance to a made-for-TV feature, "trash" seems an utterly over-the-top criticism, missing the very simple point it made. I was very moved by this movie, and watched it three times when it was new, on VHS. It's on my list of films I consider underrated and ignored by audiences, as it was simply not an exciting story per se. Something about the snow and cold seem to tamp down what action there was, and the filmmakers didn't try to broaden its appeal by pumping up the action with some cinematic gimmick. Instead, they opted to simply tell a story. You're either connected to it by its premise or you're not. I got connected early on, and I found myself almost panting in dread for the father's desperate moments as he destroyed the evidence, one of the few scenes that would pass as having any REAL action. I immediatly took his side, understood his disregard for the incorrectness of it. At the end I was heartbroken.

Every now and then, everyone lines up to praise something like SIDEWAYS (a good film; I'm not disagreeing), but the filmmakers' attempts at indie-film understatement are belied by a script full of quirky characters stimulated by equally quirky events. A film like BEFORE AND AFTER depends strictly on the familial realism in which obligation and dependability are core values, and what happens when events challenge their depth and present the necessity of risking one's own freedom in the slim hope of preserving a son's. Sometimes a more primal integrity supercede's one's obligation to the law. Nothing cute or sweet happens here, and it's strictly for mature audiences, in that the subject matter is presented soley from the adults' point of view, from their sense of responsibility and self-doubt.

Whenever I'm participating in a film newsgroup or a film subscriber-list and the subject of favorite but lesser-known films comes up, I always mention BEFORE AND AFTER. I'm glad to see that it's been released on DVD and I'm going to be ordering it as soon as I finish this review.

Toothless story.......2004-04-18

The great shame of this movie is that it veered so terribly from the premise of the novel.

Brown's novel was so gripping and emotionally difficult precisely because Jacob did murder his girlfriend in cold blood. We struggle with the family as they come to grips with this hard truth: a seemingly "normal" family can indeed produce a dysfunctional, disturbed child and educated, thoughtful parents are often powerless to understand why. All of the dramatic power came from the adults struggling to figure out what to do with a son they don't recognize, and a younger sister knowing very well who her brother is but unable to share that information because the adults are interested in hearing it.

The movie pulled the teeth from this story when it gave us the eleventh-hour confession of Jacob's crime as *an accident*. Good grief. The movie, which wasn't very good to start with, then collapsed into unbelievable, sentimental pap.

My sympathies are with the author, who must have been appalled.

HOLLOW CHILD.......2003-12-05

This could have been a riveting, thought-provoking film IF ONLY we understood why Edward Furlong's character was so troubled. There are no real indications of dysnfunctionality, only with the mention of the boy's fight with father Liam Neeson on the day the murder occurred. Also, the resolution is anticlimactic, with Julia Weldon's voiceover narration not adequately telling us exactly how the verdict affected the family.
Meryl Streep does a fine job as always, although Carolyn sometimes seem vacuous in her understanding of what her son has done; Liam Neeson overdoes his portrayal, yet has his moments, too; Edward Furlong does nothing to evoke sympathy in his wooden, James Dean like performance; Julia Weldon is very good in the role of the narrator/sister; Alfred Molina also does a great job in his role as the no nonsense lawyer.
Truth, is it important? Should one lie to protect a loved one? The movie never lets us know who to root for...it works mainly because of the beautiful setting and Meryl's presence is always worth watching.

Hurricane Katrina - New Orleans - Before, During & After. August 27th - August 30th 2005.

Average customer rating:

Almost like you were there in the passenger seat
The best in-storm video from NOLA as Katrina hit

Hurricane Katrina - New Orleans - Before, During & After. August 27th - August 30th 2005.

Manufacturer: Breaking News Video Network Home Video Productions
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Special Interests | Genres | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

Product Features:

Hurricane Katrina Video in New Orleans, Before, During And After The Storm.
Hurricane Rita, Key West Bonus Footage
Hurricane Rita, Port Arthur Texas Bonus Footage
Hurricane katrina dvd
Katrina

ASIN: B000HZOAG8

Product Description

Filmed by world famous Weather Paparazzi, Douglas Kiesling in New Orleans, Before, During and After Hurricane Katrina from August 27th through August 30th, 2005. If you have seen the other documentaries about Katrina such as National Geographic Inside Katrina, NOVA The storm that drowned a city, Spike Lee's When the Levees Broke, or the many other Katrina Documentaries, Douglas Kiesling, "The Weather Paparazzi" was the one who shot the footage that all of them use of Katrina in New Orleans before, during and after the storm. Doug Kiesling was the only freelance photojournalist out on the streets in Downtown New Orleans during the worst of the storm to capture the violent winds and the start of the flooding as the levees failed. What is on this DVD? If you want to ride along to be in New Orleans from August 27th through August 30th, 2005 to see what was really happening before, during and after Katrina in NOLA, then you want this DVD. This is a video journal of the events leading up to and the escape from New Orleans in Katrina along with the aftermath the day after as rescue crews learn the fate of the city. Bonus Features included Hurricane Rita in Key West Florida and Port Arthur Texas.

Customer Reviews:

Almost like you were there in the passenger seat.......2007-04-30

I say that (there in the passenger seat) as most of the footage was shot inside the cameraman's vehicle. I actually found myself gripping the chair handles as the cameraman drove through deep and fast moving water while actually trying to escape the inevitable flooding and was almost too late in doing so. It's exactly why you hear a lot of professional storm chasers advise people against it. Luck was definitely on this gentleman's side but it was very close to going the other way on several occasions. I too watched the National Geographic documentary and recognized a lot of the footage but the advantage to this DVD is you get to see the scenes for a longer period of time versus most documentaries that flash a two second clip of the storm here and there. This is as close to being in the storm itself that you can be or should be.
A very good and historical effort in my opinion.

The best in-storm video from NOLA as Katrina hit.......2006-09-27

I've watched this DVD and need to comment. If you want to see some amazing footage of downtown New Orleans as Katrina hit as well as the levees breaking, downtown filling with water, and then the attempted escape by the videographer during as the flood waters rise, then you need to watch this DVD. It's shot by a pro on pro equipment, so the video quality and editing are great, unlike some of the amatuer videos I've seen floating around. Also, because it's in downtown NOLA, you see the human element as those unable to leave had to deal with the storm as it happened. I saw some of this footage on a Nat Geo documentary on Katrina, but if you want to see it all, you need to see this DVD.

Before and After the Great Earthquake and Fire: Early Films of San Francisco, 1897-1916

Average customer rating:

Before and After the Great Earthquake and Fire: Early Films of San Francisco, 1897-1916

ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

DVDs Under $14.99 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video
ASIN: B000SA91S4

Product Description

This collection consists of twenty-six films of San Francisco from before and after the Great Earthquake and Fire, 1897-1916. Seventeen of the films depict San Francisco and its environs before the 1906 disaster. Seven films describe the great earthquake and fire. The two later films include a 1915 travelogue that shows scenes of the rebuilt city and a tour of the Panama Pacific Exposition and a 1916 propaganda film. The collection is silent and has a run time of 1 hour 42 minutes. Here are the 26 films in this collection. Army pack train bringing supplies.; Arrest in Chinatown, San Francisco, Cal.; Bird's-eye view of San Francisco, Cal., from a balloon; Exploded gas tanks, U.S. Mint, Emporium and Spreckels Bld'g; Hotel Vendome, San Jose, Cal.; Launch of Japanese man-of-war "Chitosa" [i.e., "Chitose"]; Mabel and Fatty viewing the World's Fair at San Francisco, Cal.; Market Street before parade; Mount Tamalpais R.R., no. 2; Over route of Roosevelt parade in an automobile; Panorama of beach and Cliff House; Panorama, Union Square, San Francisco; Panoramic view of the Golden Gate; The President's carriage; San Francisco Chinese funeral; San Francisco disaster; San Francisco earthquake and fire, April 18, 1906; San Francisco's future; Scene in Chinatown; Scenes in San Francisco, [no. 1]; Scenes in San Francisco, [no. 2]; TR in San Francisco, 1903; A trip down Market Street before the fire; A trip to Berkeley, Cal.; Troops embarking at San Francisco; [Unidentified Staples & Charles. San Francisco after the earthquake and fire of 1906]

Average customer rating:

Faux Fun: Before & After
Starring: Faux Fun
Manufacturer: Faux Fun
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Special Interests | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Educational | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $9.99 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( F ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

General | Instructional | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

ASIN: B00023BNA6
Release Date: 2004-12-28

Description

Faux painting and faux finish techniques for a variety of faux wall finishes. With this DVD, you'll learn from several different faux painting techniques. The finishes are all demonstrated in an actual home where you see the beautiful transformation of plain walls with faux painting. You'll learn variations of glazing, rag painting, and sponge painted finishes. You'll also learn brushwork techniques and how to do wall texturing with color washes. Not to mention, you'll learn from examples of decorative painting on a plain dining room table set and ordinary painted cabinets. You'll be shown how to choose color from an average color fan deck for each finish. You'll also be given suggestions on how to work with problem areas and how to fix mistakes that may happen when painting faux finishes. All of the techniques are demonstrated with basic tools and water-base paint products. Simply learn everything you need to know to make faux finishes look great.

New Orleans Exposed: Before and After Katrina

Average customer rating:

New Orleans Exposed: Before and After Katrina
Starring: New Orleans Exposed: Before & After Katrina
Manufacturer: Igotdis
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Documentary | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $9.99 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( N ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

ASIN: B000FTCEZA
Release Date: 2006-06-20

Description

The harsh reality of the inner city exposed; drugs, guns, corruption, food, music, culture. This is the Big Easy as you've never seen it before. Features Juvenile, Sqad Up, B.G., 5th Ward Weebie, Tribute To Soulja Slim and more. For every illusion, there's a reality. This DVD features all new footage of hurricane Katrina, 30 minutes longer than the original version.

Average customer rating:

Pearl Harbor - Before & After
Starring: Pearl Harbor
Manufacturer: Sling Shot
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Documentary | Genres | DVD | Video

( P ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
ASIN: B00005R1MU
Release Date: 2001-10-16

Average customer rating:

Before and After
Starring: Khari Ajene
Manufacturer: CustomFlix
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Musicals & Performing Arts | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $14.99 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( B ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
ASIN: B000ENYY1Y
Release Date: 2006-07-13

Product Description

This is a romantic comedy about the things a woman will do, to get her man. They are enemies on the job, never missing the chance to bash the other one in front of the Boss. It's a true love-hate relationship. The question becomes, can this relationship turn into true love before they kill each other?

Average customer rating:

Before & After (DIVX) DVD

ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Product Description

Before and After starring Meryl Streep, Liam Neeson. THIS IS A DIVX, NOT DVD.

Average customer rating:

Detailed description of movie

MURDER BEFORE DARK

Manufacturer: CustomFlix
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Horror | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

( M ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
ASIN: B000FTJ5WA
Release Date: 2006-05-19

Customer Reviews:

Detailed description of movie.......2006-11-28

In 1998, Margaret Ray was brutally murdered but it was the conspiracy that surrounded the death that was most shocking. Now for the first time go back in time and see the story unfold as it leads up to the point where the first film began.
Our story takes place from 1991- 1998 and leads up to the murder of Margaret Ray. We begin with Detective William Stockwell (Mike Burke) and his partner Detective Laura Brown (Darlene Rogers) being called back to their hometown to investigate a mysterious disappearance. Sheriff Bob (Karl Peterson) hopes they will find the missing person as well as to how he became missing. They will go through all sorts of twists and turns. Each road leading them nowhere. The case just gets more bazaar by the minute.

Meanwhile Margaret Ray( Jennifer Wetmore), who has no self control, finds herself sleeping around town. Three of these men she would develop a strong relationship with. One of these men, unknown to her, is full of pure evil and would kill her without a second thought!

Mayor Tubby Wilson (Mike Burke) has a secret of his own. He is involved in a big drug cartel that involves top town officials and a US Senator! The mayor is only a puppet though. A puppet for a mysterious person who only appears in dark shadows never revealing their identity. When this person identity is finally revealed it will more shocking than anything in all of the Murder After Dark films to date!

This is the most compelling, thrilling, film in the series. They hold nothing back. This is also the final film in the series. The twists and turns will have you in need of a chiropractor! In keeping up with this series tradition the films ends with the most shocking ending out of all the films. No one will see this coming. It will be talked about for centuries to come!

DVD:

DVD

DVD