Pacionsbo Absolutely Fantastic

Juana what a terribly boring film. I'm sorry but this is absolutely not deserving of best picture and will be forgotten quickly. Entertaining and engaging cinema? No. Nothing performances with flat faces and mistaking silence for subtlety.

Guillelmina The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

Janis One of the most extraordinary films you will see this year. Take that as you want.

Parker Lewis The ordinary DVD cover for St. John in Exile belies the incredibly impressive and unforgettable performance of Dean Jones, who manages to give 110% in glorifying God through his solo role as St John, the last survivor of Jesus's 12 apostles.Dean Jones (who went to be with the Lord in 2015) manages to not only remember his lines, but give so much passion and emotion on stage, and get into several characters. Yes, this was performed live, and in fact St. John in Exile toured the USA, with Dean performing each time. There are some humorous moments, and the audience cracked up over the locust in the teeth line.I wonder how Dean managed to remember all his lines, his cues, the blocking, and so on. God was with him as he prepared to be on stage.

bkoganbing For those of you who think of Dean Jones as the amiable lightweight hero of a few Disney films, you are in for a jolting, but pleasant surprise should you see St. John In Exile. This is his one man show, done in the style of James Whitmore as Will Rogers and Harry S. Truman. Jones who was 55 when this filmed record of a live performance was made, is made up to look all of the 86 years old that the Apostle John was living over on the Island of Patmos.As it is written, John was living in a cave there, essentially under house arrest. He's the last survivor of that selected group of men that Jesus collected as followers and charged with the responsibility of spreading his new interpretation of the Jewish faith. As John points out it was the Romans who gave the name 'Christian' to those who followed the new interpretation.John's living alone with occasional visitors from the outside. Living with both his memories which he shares with visitors. He talks of the message of Jesus and the miracles of Jesus. He goes into a poignant first person account of the arrest, trial, crucifixion, and resurrection of Jesus, Jones really does make you think he was there.The biggest miracle he says is that Jesus had to have been the Messiah because he took essentially unlearned men and made them the most powerful preachers of all time. John goes into quite a bit about his own background, he and his brother Andrew were just fishermen, Matthew a tax collector, etc. It's cost him dear, his faith. John goes through the litany of what happened to the people he broke bread with that fateful Passover night. Why was he alone spared like Melville's Ishmael to tell the tale?John comes to the conclusion there is still work to do. To write about the visions he's seen in the cave, a portend of things to come. But even more importantly to put down his own first hand account of his time with Jesus. Another gospel needs to be written, one aimed at a universal message, not one specifically directed at convincing the Jews that Jesus was the Messiah come to earth.At 86 John realizes his life may have been rich and full of triumph and tragedy, but he's still got plenty to do while he's here on earth and in full possession of his faculties.St. John In Exile is a good film, fully deserving of a wider audience than the Christian circuit it primarily played on. Jones may just have given his finest performance on film with this work.

paulb_30 This is an outstanding production. For those who only know Dean Jones from the Disney pictures (The Love Bug, Shaggy D.A., etc.) and such, here is a role for the actor that provides an opportunity for him to reveal both his tremendous dramatic talent and his deep Christian faith. Although some may say it is a little slow moving (perhaps because it is a recording of a stage performance at Jack Hayford's Church on the Way), the story is excellently written and has real depth. The production makes good use of various camera angles as well as creative lighting to add drama to the presentation. You find yourself quickly drawn into the story as Jones powerfully brings St. John to life, recounting, from his cell on the isle of Patmos, his journey with Jesus and the other disciples. A real tour de force performance by Jones (in the tradition of such one-man shows as Hal Holbrook's Mark Twain or James Whitmore's Harry Truman) makes this a DVD worth watching by anyone who appreciates a magnificent performance from an incredible actor and one that should definitely be in every Christian's collection.

Handmaidn This movie, of all the movies that speak of the life of Christ, was not only reverent and accurate, based solely on the Scripture, but acted as a "peek" back into the inner circle of Jesus' earthly friends. John, the apostle, speaks with wit and charm and affection for the Lord to a group of young Christians while in exile at Patmos Penal Colony. It brings the viewer closer to Jesus and to all those who have given their lives for Him. Definitely a must see.