Browsing Category

Frugal Family Fun

Rent or Buy The Prince of Egypt: The Musical & Giveaway

Disclosure: Many thanks to NBC Universal for providing a sample of the product for this review. My opinions are 100% my own.

Growing up as an adopted child, I loved few stories more than The Prince of Egypt. The ultimate rags to philosophical riches story ever told. The Prince of Egypt: The Musical, is told from the point-of-view of the ultimate onlooker, viewing an Egyptian queen, widowed, and much in need of a personal blessing, who finds a child in a humble reed basket along the Nile River.

Believing her prayers were answered by the God of the River, Hapi, the god of the Nile, said to bless both valleys and women, with the annual river floods. Moses, the child placed in the wild river beds by his Hebreic slave mother, Jochebed, wife of Amram, and mother of Miriam, the older sister of both Moses, himself, and Aaron, the future leader of the Hebrew people. Found by his sister and servant of Pharoh’s daughter, Tuya, while she bathed in the river. Calmed the cries of the besotten queen who miraculously acquired a son, striking down an edict of her father, who decreed that all first-born Hebreic sons must be put to death to circumvent the prophecy of the yet-to-be-born slave prince, destined to lead Egyptian slaves to freedom.

Moses’ magnificence was first seen by his favored father figure, Pharoh, and an even closer bond with his Egyptian brother, Ramses, whose connection was forged stronger than that of his Hebric past. Despite his upbringing, the highly-favored prince kills an Egyptian guard, who mercilessly attacks an unarmed slave. To avoid being seen as a murderer, Moses is banished from Egypt.

Moses, cast out as a murderer, finds solace, safety, and community in the family of nomads. Marrying Zipporah, daughter of Moses employer and friend, Jethro, despite their religious differences. They marry and have two sons, Gershom and Eliezer. Later, after G-d speaks to Moses through a burning bush, Moses sets out with his family to return to Egypt-freeing his people from slavery.

After returning to Egypt, Moses is unsuccess in convincing both his brother, Pharoh Ramses, and Egyptian High Priest, Hotep, to free the Hebric people. Later, G-d sets forth a series of ten catastrophic plagues upon the people of Egypt-slaves and masters alike. Nothing moves the heart of Pharoh until the tenth and final plague, killing his firstborn son, Amun-her-khepeshef. A devastated Ramses curses both the Hebrew slaves and the death of his son. Then, despite the previous warning’s Pharoah father figure, Seti, that the political chain forged over his reign, linking the throne with the power of the army, nobility, and priest-class, Ramses lack of political sophistication, begrudgingly agrees to pardon his slaves-culminating in their exodus from Egypt.

Following the Hebric exodus, a faliled recapturing of their Hebrew slaves by Pharoh, a mismanagement of the blessings of G-d, and the following of false gods, God’s people are made to wander the desert for forty years. Following this, the chosen people are presented with the Ten Commandments, and after Moses inflicts wrath upon the Hebrew nations, for worshipping false Gods while Moses sojourned with G-d on Mount Sinai, he is punished by being prohibited from entering the promised land.

Culminating in the tribes of Isreal reaching the promised land by Moses’s brother, Aaron., ends in the bittersweet reality that it is Moses, the son of slaves, and prince of Egypt, responsible for forging both his people’s freedom from Egypt and his ultimate barring from the lands of Milk and Honey-simultaneously forsaken and favored, by G-d.

A scene from The Prince Of Egypt by Stephen Schwartz and Philip LaZebnik @ Dominion Theatre.

While this stage performance is both awe-inspiring and Biblically accurate, with its choreographed design, we the audience are privy to the story’s propensity for staged innuendo reigns supreme. Seen in the opening of the show- featuring a dance illustrating the killing of the firstborn Hebrews and a doll slashed with a knife and red ribbons signifying blood, the killing of the Egyptian guard is both distant and demanding. As are the depiction of both plagues and the parting of the Red Sea. Sweeping stage projections of death and destruction. Both staged and choreographed fights convey the pain felt all of Moses’s life.

While numerous productions have portrayed the biblical story of the Israelites’ exodus from Egypt, The Prince of Egypt: The Musical, rises above previous productions-film and stage alike. This enjoyable production bases its view of Moses’ tale, as seen in the 1998 animated Dreamworks film, The Prince of Egypt, from both a biblical and political humanistic view.

Featuring time-honored tracks from composer Stephen Schwartz’s namesake songs, including “Deliver Us,” “All I Ever Wanted,” the Oscar-winner, “When You Believe, ” and ten new-to-viewers score tracks.

A scene from The Prince Of Egypt by Stephen Schwartz and Philip LaZebnik @ Dominion Theatre.

If you loved the 1998 Prince of Egypt movie, you’ll likely enjoy this live production of The Prince of Egypt: The Musical, filmed live at the West End’s Dominion Theatre, London. Featuring a cast and orchestra of 60 performers, making it one of the biggest musicals ever
staged. From its talented cast to its musical score, this stage play is worthy of all the praise its casting and orchestral departments have thus far received. Timely in its modern-day evaluation of two brothers, from opposing worldviews, who ultimately find a way through societal turmoi, through G-d’s uniquely positioned power to move humanity towards a better future.

While G-d’s power is a part of the equation here, the direction is less evident in its usage of set design and theatrics that leave much of the production’s backstory to innuendo and chance. A dichotomy some secular viewers may find disheartening. Overall, I like The Prince of Egypt: The Musical– I think you will, too.

For those looking to see this production of The Prince of Egypt: The Musical digitally, the perfect musical to watch with your kids this season A film adaptation sure to spark priceless family conversations about Moses and the Old Testament, practical information from a biblical worldview, can buy or rent this production starting December 5th!

Plus, thanks to Momentum Media, you can enter to win a $10.00 Amazon gift card. To enter, leave a comment, here, or on social media, Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram, sharing why you want to watch the The Prince of Egypt: The Musical. Please note, that this giveaway is limited to winners in the United States, only. This giveaway ends 12/5/23 at 11:59 p.m. CST. Good luck!

Now, I have to ask: Why do you most want to see The Prince of Egypt: The Musical? Leave your thoughts below.

#PrinceOfEgyptMIN #PrinceOfEgyptMusical #MomentumInfluencerNetwork.

The Shift Movie Review & Ticket Giveaway


Disclosure: Many thanks to Angel Studios for providing a product sample for this review. My opinions are 100% my own.

Few things bring about the Advent season like new movies and films, This season is no exception with the new Christian thriller, The Shift, an eerily-set dystopian drama from Angel Studios, the film studio that brought you The Chosen, and Sound of Freedom, a must-see 2-hour, PG-13 film sure to pack energy enough for all members of your family and friends. Get tickets to see The Shift in theaters this season-starting Friday, December 1st weekend!

The Shift shares the story of a mysterious stranger, Kevin Garner, a man with seemingly otherworldly powers, including the ability to banish tyrannical characters set on disturbing the fragile social systems already on Earth and greater chaos that follows the path of regulating his former life including finding his wife. During this time our lead also meets a nefarious foe, “The Benefactor.” Upon offering and later an initial refusal, and with humankind’s survival on the line, Garner must escape his newfound totalitarian realm, fight to reenter the world he formerly knew and save the woman he loves most.

The Benefactor and his shifters each wear a reality-altering wristband, a “deviator.” The Benefactor has other supernatural powers, such as telekinesis, used to swap individuals from one reality to another. Each choice breeds a different reality, where we chose path A, set in the first reality, or path B, into the next. Leading the audience to wonder where each character will find themselves and if the ultimate goal, the choice between good and evil, plays into the reality we each, individually, interpret.

Featuring Kristoffer Polaha, as Kevin Garner, Sean Astin, also starring in The Goonies, Rudy, and The Lord of the Rings, as well as Neal McDonough, Elizabeth Tabish, and Paras Patel, and directed by Brock Heasley, this movie is a modern, fresh take on his short film “The Shift” (2017). The film’s lead, Kristoffer Polaha leads the franchise’s latest adaptations’ foremost protagonist, and Neal McDonough’s is a clever take on a modern dystopian lead.

If you’re a sci-fi fan, or C.S. Lewis’s The Space Trilogy, this movie will provide you that sci-fi thrills you crave with thought-provoking Christian themes. The Shift portrays the everlasting themes of man-the complexities of fighting sin and the paths of man, itself.

The Shift is a movie that you’ll not want to miss. Buy tickets today to see The Shift in theaters starting December 1st, here, Pay-It-forward for others to see the film, here, or enter the giveaway below. To enter, please leave a comment for a chance to win two free tickets to see The Shift in theaters! Please submit your full name and email address by 11:59 pm CST on 12/3/23. We will not be able to accept winners submitted after this date. Please note: This giveaway is limited to US residents only. Good luck!

Surprised by Oxford Movie Review & Giveaway

Many thanks to Evolve Studios for providing a sample of the following for review. My opinions are 100% my own.

Irish poet and playwright W.B. Yeats once said, “How many loved your moments of glad grace, And loved your beauty with love false or true; But one man loved the pilgrim soul in you, And loved the sorrows of your changing face.” with Yeats’ romantic spinning may sound that of a different time. As our present world ever-fixates on present the repetitive nature of swipes, emoticons, and the frenetic blurring of notifications. Creating within many the need for simpler norms, making this season the perfect cinematic release of Ryan Whitaker’s sophomore directorial feature, Surprised by Oxford.

Based on a true story, adapted from Carolyn Weber’s memoir of the same name, Surprised by Oxford follows Caro Drake (Rose Reid), an intellectual, yet lovingly sophomoric American student, who is granted a scholarship to the prestigious Oxford University, endeavoring to make peace of her turbulent childhood, while pushing forward in obtaining her post-graduate career in English literature-specifically, Romanticism. Our story’s heroine balances an insatiable desire for knowledge and discovery of reason.

Soon after arriving at the fictional Tirian College, our story’s heroine befriends both Hannah (Emma Naomi) and Linnea (Jordan Alexandra), while pretentiously tutoring academics as young people often do. While sharing with viewers the true dichotomy of the story. The blending of a young woman’s need for understanding and love. This moment comes by way of the story’s heartthrob, Kent (Ruairí O’Connor), a talented local student who provides the film’s necessary romantic push-and-pull dichotomy, which Reid offers in a relaxed, meet-cute presence. A necessity for any 90s-style film, like this.

The film’s main theme, attraction-between these two young lovers, and pf knowledge, and discovery itself, serves to anchor the film’s playfulness and dilemmas-bending ideals in one. With a clever blend of skepticism and self-discovery, for both Christian zealot, Kent, and that of the heart of the woman he adores, the film’s protagonist, Caro. Who, over time comes to reeducate Kent over the obstacles of romance, spirituality, and the ways of a woman’s heart. It’s in Whitaker’s navigation of said polarities that Surprised by Oxford, allows viewers to examine within the film’s emotional resonance-its holiday-esque feel-good rhetoric. The Evangelical considerations that sit snuggly between awe-inspiring autumnal and sno-ladden cityscapes- scenes as intrinsic to the plot’s theme, as the theme itself.

Overall, the film’s aesthetic design graces viewers with the coziest of self-discoveries. Something everyone seeing the film can take away from. That of the familiarity of modern-day agitations with that of familiar and romantic ingenuity and meet-cute scenarios.

All chaptered around to the school’s three annual terms — Michaelmas, Hilary, and Trinity. That which is filmed among the architectural spacing of Oxford’s prestigious surroundings. Everything from pubs, centuries-old classrooms, and period libraries and bookstores. Sharing the true loves of Caro’s life, and the film, the winding streets of Oxford, and young women strolling about, with noses buried in books.

Surprised by Oxford’s classicist style and bibliophile beauty is the sucrose mix of Hogwarts and Hallmark you need in your life this season. This film is one you’ll want to see Suprised by Oxford from the comfort of your own home. Rent or buy today. Buy or rent Surprised by Oxford this November! Having seen this movie several times, I’m sure you’ll love it as much as I have. Friends, be sure to check out the trailer, below.

Overall, this film, with its equal parts heroinism and that of holiday loveliness, is one to get excited over. This is why I’m excited to share that one Theladyprefers2save.com reader will have the awesome opportunity to view the Suprised by Oxford film yourself-United States winners only at this time, please. Plus, entering is as simple as leaving a comment on this post letting me know why you’d most want to see this film this season. Good luck!

Check out Suprised by Oxford online:

Facebook | Instagram | YouTube | Pinterest | TikTok

Also, find other film reviews I’m loving this season, here. Now, do you want to see Suprised by Oxford? Leave your thoughts below.

Journey to Bethlehem Movie Review & Ticket Giveaway

Many thanks to AFFIRM Films, Inc. for providing a sample of the product for this review. My opinions are 100% my own.

With all the merriment the holiday season encapsulates comes the need to hear the true story of the Christian holiday season. Making it a natural choice for families to view the upcoming film, “Journey to Bethlehem.” The birth story of Jesus Christ is set to a family-friendly holiday musical—a heartwarming production of the true story of the Nativity set in a new and captivating way.

The story features Joseph, played by Milo Mannheim, from Disney’s “Zombies”, Mary, played by Fiona Paloma, King Herod played by Antonio Banderas, the angel played by Christian rapper, Lecrae, and Joel Smallbone as King Herod’s son.

With rich musical melodies that are as snazzy as they are jazzy, this film is perfect for young children and the young at heart. Featuring thoughtful songs that are as timeless as they are thought-provoking. Drawing considerable parallels between the classic Judeian Nativity with that of the modern world. Plus, well-executed choreography and an excellent blend of timely speeches help spin the gaps between each of the film’s musical numbers.

The Journey to Bethlehem Movie is approximately 2 hours in length, is rated PG for its given content, and features a musical score by Matt Sallee and Kevin Olusola from the musical group, “Pentatonic.” Set in picturesque Spain, this film is also beautiful in design. Giving audiences a true musical experience, not simply a documentary set to music. Full of dance and pop music, this production features something for every member of the family. Perfect for believers and non-believers throughout the season including a wonderful soundtrack is available for listening to on Spotify and Apple Music platforms, here, too.

This is a great movie inspired by the true word of God. It is a film that is sure to touch all viewers- young and old alike. A well-made Christmas movie musical for the entire family. And in our current social and economic climate, this is a story the world needs now. A film that will bring inspiration, joy, and hope to the currently dark world.

Journey to Bethlehem” offers families the awesome opportunity to celebrate the true spirit of Christmas while watching the birth of the Savior on the big screen in the jazziest of ways. A film that is sure to leave you feeling inspired. Sharing with audiences the true meaning of Christmas- the deep joy and hope that comes from this story. Having seen this movie several times, I’m sure my readers will love it as much as I have. Friends, get your tickets here and check out the trailer below!

Overall, this is a musical to get excited over. This is why I’m excited to share that one Theladyprefers2save.com reader will have the awesome opportunity to view the Journey to Bethlehem film themselves. Plus, entering is as simple as leaving a comment on this post letting me know why you’d most want to see this film in theatres this season. Good luck, all!

After Death Film Review & Ticket Giveaway

Many thanks to Angel Studios for providing a sample of the product for this review. My opinions are 100% my own.

What happens when we die? It’s the question we all ask ourselves at one time or another. A topic that is the focal point of the new documentary, After Death, from Angel Studios, the creators of Sound of Freedom, comes After Death, a film that explores the phenomenon known as near-death experiences, or NDEs—experiences that are said to take place either when a person is clinically dead or nearing death’s door.

Director Stephen Gray weaves together three distinct narratives- First-person accounts of multiple NDEs, dramatizations of those who have had experiences, or brushes with death, and commentary from physicians, clergy, and experts who’ve studied NDEs.

Stories include pilot Dale Black, who on July 18, 1969, in Burbank, California, as a small engine flight passenger crashed into a mausoleum. Describing the event as “I suddenly found myself above the crash site but unaware of what I was looking at or why. I was not in any pain; I was not in any fear or discomfort. I was just above the crash site.”

While physicians resuscitated Black he believes he began experiencing what life after death entails. Describing the event as “I can’t be dead because I’ve never felt more alive, free.”

Other stories depict Don Piper, author of 90 Minutes in Heaven, whose vehicle was hit head-on by a semi on a rainy bridge, believing himself to have been killed instantly, rending his body horrifically mangled.

Other mentions include Howard Storm, author of My Descent Into Death, who suffered a ruptured small intestine and found himself having sepsis and dying in a Paris hospital. Or Dr. Mary Neal, author of To Heaven and Back, having descended from a waterfall in Peru while kayaking, found herself trapped below water, for nearly 30 minutes, and clinically dying as a result.

Betwixt dramatic stories of death, resuscitation, and the hereafter, experts describe the commonalities in NDEs: a sense of floating above their bodies and seeing themselves; experiencing a higher power or divinity; a desire to stay in heaven; to find their body.

“I think the near-death Experience is where science meets religion,” says cardiologist and author of the 1982 book Recollections of Death, Dr. Michael Sabom. With thirty years of research that has challenged common and prolific skepticism regarding the claims about the ofter life. That “there is a big difference between proof and evidence. This is all evidence. But enough evidence at some point makes it so close to proof that most people would say it’s right. It’s real.”

Later, famed scientist, Dr. Sabom adds, “I don’t think we ever will have all the answers in the scientific realm. What is the human soul? Is there a human soul? Does it live after death? I don’t think science is gonna answer those questions. I think all of these near-death experiences suggest that it’s possible.”

After Death spends the majority of its run time exploring, dramatizing, and exploring the transcendent nature of NDEs as Christians, speaking specifically about meeting Christ, deceased loved ones, and the momentary reset of heaven. Thoughts that were quite overwhelming to the average human being. Stories are often accompanied by spectacular visuals, interesting educational perspectives, and the truest essence of change-human hope.

In all, the film frames near-death experiences in a broadly Christian way. With director Stephen Gray stating that, “I hope [After Death] causes people to stop and think. [I hope] it’ll cause people to pause and consider eternity.” A perspective found in other documentaries. Linked to having a relationship with Jesus Christ and comingling our own cultural humanistic beliefs in the hereafter. Describes an overall universalistic stance that regardless of cultural and religious perspectives, death comes for us all, and it’s our own experiences, our own beliefs in God, his heavenly love, and light, that make the difference.

In all, After Death, delivers a provocative look at the subject of near-death experiences. However, the theological caveats may not be an experience shared by every family. Including those, like myself, who have yet to come to terms with the three NDEs I, too, have endured. Overall, this film is well worth viewing this season in theatres and at home, starting today, 10/27. Or purchase tickets for others and pay it forward, here.

Moreover, the good people at Momentum are offering two tickets to a lucky Theladyprefers2save.com reader to see After Death in theatres, now. To enter, comment on this post letting me know why you want to see the film. Please note: This is limited to US winners only; your tickets with be delivered by email directly from Mometumn Publishers.

Friends, have you experienced an NDE or know those who have? Are you wanting to see After Death? Leave your thoughts below.

The Blind Movie Review & Giveaway

Interesting fact- in my late teens I became a fan of the long-running television series, “Duck Dynasty,” the A&E Network series about a duck-hunter, whistle-blowing, manufacturing family, the Robertsons. Including their patriarch and founder, Phil Robertson. Despite our not-so-shared views on politics, theology, near-constant publicized faux-pas, and hunting, Duck Dynasty’s Phil Robertson became both a reality TV star and someone I admire for his frankness and family ties.

Set amongst the turbulence of the deep south in the early 1960s, the film, The Blind, showcases the true story of clandestine love between Phil Robertson, the Robertson clan leader, his future wife, Miss Kay, and what would become of his clandestine family. Despite personal, and professional demons threatening to tear not only their personal and professional lives apart, but also delay, and ultimately destroy his dreams of being an American footballer and businessman, The Blind speaks to audiences of a desire to conquer all of life’s greatest roles- life, liberty, and most importantly, love.

Set in the backwoods swamps of 1960s Louisiana, The Blind shares never-before-revealed moments in Phil Robertson’s personal story. Chronicling his sojourn from student-athlete to recovering addict, the ultimate struggles that freed a man from the slow grip of relapsing alcohol and substance abuse, the coping mechanisms used to conquer the shame of his past, and ultimately finding redemption in the most unlikely of places, a newly forged family, and most importantly, God.

A cinematic journey chronicling personal demons and the breaking of familiar struggles, all while creating a lasting, solidified story of love, creativity, and the personal vindication of self. The true story of the Robertson family- a love that launched a dynasty only in theatres beginning 09/28! Click here to find showtimes in your area, inquire about group rates, view with your local church groups, and purchase tickets online to see this film.

Moreover, the good people as Momemtumn, are offering one Theladyprefers2save.com reader a chance to win their own ticket to see this film. To enter, simply leave a comment on this post or accompanying social media outlets, listed below, for your chance to enter into a drawing for a $10.00 Amazon.com Gift Card– a fun, festive way to treat yourself after seeing this awesome film in theatres only, this season.

Friends, you’ll want to see this film-trust me. Now, I have to ask, why do you want to see The Bind in theatres this season? Leave your thoughts in the comments below. And of course, Happy Fall, ya’ll.

FacebookInstagram -Twitter

Route 60: The Biblical Highway Film This Fall


Many thanks to TBN for providing a sample of the product for this review. My opinions are 100% my own.

From learning about the Egyptian pyramids to the crash of American Wall Street, I love history in most forms-particularly film. This season Israel’s Route 60, featuring its famous biblical sites, as it’s commonly known, the Biblical Highway, is no exception. Former U.S. Ambassador David Friedman and former U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo help to bring new information about the promised land to life in the new film, Route 60: The Biblical Highway, in theaters on September 18 and 19.

This powerful story of the 146-mile asphalt and concrete road begins in Nazareth, Israel’s largest Arab city. Later, it weaves its way through Samaria south to Jerusalem, then through Judea, and ends in Beersheba, Israel’s high-tech centers. Route 60 connects both ancient with modern Israel, Jews with Christians and Muslims, and Israeli citizens with Arabs living under modernist Palestinian governmental control.

Far more than a mere two-lane highway, Route 60 offers a historic link to the roots of both ancient and modern Judaism and Christianity, riddled with both tales of modernism as well as stories of both the Old and New Testaments. As Friedman and Pompeo travel this ancient thoroughfare, walking in the footsteps of Judeo-Christian heritage, the forefathers Abraham, Jacob, King David, and Jesus, viewers are brought along on this inspiring journey of post-modernism and religious understanding.

“We hope that audiences are left inspired and encouraged to continue their walk-in faith,” said Ray Nutt, CEO of Fathom Events. “Reading about places rich in history is one thing, but `Route 60’ will allow audiences to get a firsthand look at what these places and cultures were like.” I couldn’t agree more. This film was both inspiring and a true start to the Autumnal season in theatres.

For more information on this film or to buy tickets today to see Route 60 in theaters ONLY on 9/18 & 9/19, visit Route 60: The Biblical Highway, via Fathom Events, here.

Plus, readers of Theladyprefers2save.com, can begin their fall season with a $10.00 Amazon gift card for Theladyprefers2save.com reader. To enter, simply leave a comment on this post letting me know your reasons for wanting to see this film in theaters this fall.

Friends, will you be seeing Route 60: The Biblical Highway in theatres? Leave your thoughts in the comments below.