The Devil's Playground

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Interesting documentary
Boys will be boys
enlightening expose on a relatively unknown sector of our population
Devil's Playground
Very Interesting

Devil's Playground
Starring: Velda Bontrager , Gerald Yutzy , Emma Miller , Faron Yoder , and Joann Hochstetler
Director: Lucy Walker
Manufacturer: Wellspring
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00007GVM0
Release Date: 2003-02-04

Amazon.com

This Sundance Festival sensation has attracted attention because of its jarring images of Amish kids immersed in debauchery: plain-dressed girls in white bonnets slugging back beers and flicking ashes from their cigarettes, boys passing out in the back of pickups after all-night parties, even Amish teens in bed together. But like a good drama, it's the characters themselves and their heartbreaking dilemma that linger in the mind. In the Amish vernacular, "Devil's Playground" refers to the "English" or outside world. The protected teens are suddenly thrust into this world upon their 16th birthday as they begin "Rumspringa," a period during which they decide whether to join the church as adults. Crystallizing this predicament is the 73-minute documentary's most compelling figure, 18-year-old Faron, a preacher's son fighting drug addiction. His earnest intent to return to the church and astonishing articulateness makes his misadventures in the drug underworld and penal system undeniably poignant. --Kimberly Heinrichs

Description

Devil's Playground explores the Amish ritual of Rumspringa, a coming-of-age "time for decision" presented to Amish youth when they must decide which path they will follow as adults... 16th century religious scripture or 21st century pleasure. "Sensitive, revealing and at times heart-wrenching." --Ad Crable, Lancaster New Era

Customer Reviews:

Interesting documentary.......2007-06-12

"Devil's Playground" is about the rumspringa, a period in the life of Amish youth from 16 that lasts for months or years, when that youth can live as the "english" and experience life outside of the Amish culture. This documentary does a good job showing this surprising aspect of Amish life. "Devil's Playground" does not glamorize the life of the Amish, nor does it tear that life down; it simply tries to show it as it is. And you learn a few things - for example, I hadn't known that Amish kids have to leave school after 8th grade.

However, the narrative of the movie breaks down at times. It wasn't until I saw the deleted scenes that I realized that one of the teenage girls we saw in several of the clips was Velda, who we meet at 23. And the movie relies a bit too much on Faron. Yes, the idea of an Amish meth dealer is sensational, and a hook with which to market the movie, but in many ways Velda was far more the rebel and the individualist. (For a textbook example of the way speed messes people up, compare clean Faron with meth-addled Faron.)

The rumspringa perhaps explains why Amish culture has survived for so long. Young people are not forced into the religion, but rather must choose it for themselves. You have to fully buy in to the church in order to join; you don't simply drift into it. So, not only are rebels given a chance to escape, if you will, during rumspringa, those that remain have affirmatively chosen to be there.

Unless you are really, really interested in the Amish, a religious studies professor, or otherwise deeply engaged with the Amish culture and community, this is more of a rent than a buy. But it's at least worth a rent.

Boys will be boys.......2007-03-09

Being an English teacher in France and being interested in the Amish community, this documentary comes in very handy to show the dilema Amish teenagers face once they turn 16: to belong or not to belong to the community. This documentary surely throws some light on this radical decision-making time by focusing on different profiles, however I find that some scenes are rather long and repetitive. Besides, given the poor quality of the sound at times and the strong American accent, I think that English subtitles might help my French pupils...

enlightening expose on a relatively unknown sector of our population.......2007-01-21

I had no idea what these kids went through in growing up. This is an anthropological documentary that looks at the Amish culture and lifestyle. While many religious groups endorse some sort of "age of accountability" doctrine, the Amish have a specific age (16) that seems to be a high estimate for when human beings begin to consciously sin. Rumspringa is when an Amish adolescent at sixteen goes to experience the "English" world and, consequently, becomes lost. A part of the rumspringa experience is enjoying the luxuries of technology, but just as important to the adolescents, is enjoying the freedom of copulation and consumption of alcohol and drugs. Beyond the theological motifs, the movie raises a great many of ethical questions. For instance, if many of the Amish adolescents will not choose to join the Amish church, and thus be destined to heal, is it morally justifiable to release them out into the world? It seems that the sixteen-year-old Amish kids would benefit from being thoroughly proselytized and catechized at this age, rather than sent into an English world replete with distractions. A less "religious" but equally troubling ethical question consists in the moral culpability of the Amish parents for the condition of their children. One of the movie's subjects becomes addicted to drugs and begins to sell narcotics. If the Amish did not continue this tradition, these adolescents would not be pushed into such dangerous situations. As shocking as it was to see an American subculture so detached from the larger culture, it is even more shocking to see the film's final fact: the Old Order Amish church has a greater retention rate now than it did throughout much of the twentieth century. In conclusion, this movie can generate great intellectual discussions and should be seen by anyone who is interested in religious studies.

Devil's Playground.......2007-01-11

After hearing about this film a few years ago i finally desided to go ahead and buy the dvd. I have to say it was pretty interesting to see how these teenagers are gievn such freedom coming from the Amish community. We all know a thing or two about how close and quiet the Amish are, but whenthese kids are given the chance to do whatever it is they want it surprised me how far they took it. I like the fact how they were given the choice to return home after how ever much time to deside if they want the Amish way of life. Its was pretty good !!!

Very Interesting.......2007-01-06

What a film, and a different spin on the lifestyle this religion lives. I would reccomend it to anyone.

Hellion: The Devil's Playground [Region 2]

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CUTE LITTLE CUBBYHOUSE
For sale:Crumbling house with satanic cubbyhouse in backyard

Hellion: The Devil's Playground [Region 2]

ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00005RZRO

Customer Reviews:

CUTE LITTLE CUBBYHOUSE.......2005-02-24

This Australian/American co-production was called CUBBYHOUSE in its Australian release, but since many Americans would never know what a cubbyhouse is, HELLION became its American title. At times cheesy and implausible, HELLION nevertheless has a few jolting moments, some videogame like effects and maintains an eerie atmospheric tension. Joshua Leonard (Blair Witch Project) plays the cocky, yet sometimes sensitive, teenager who finds himself in Australia when his mom divorces his dad and wants to start over in her homeland. They buy a rather rundown house, which happens to be the site of a murder by a deranged devil worshiper, who killed his brother's children, and is now festering in an insane asylum. The cubbyhouse (we'd call it a playhouse) is possessed by demonic forces out to possess the two children.
There's not a lot of originality in the movie, although the concept of the killer vines is fun. For a lower budget film, HELLION is entertaining.

For sale:Crumbling house with satanic cubbyhouse in backyard.......2004-08-01

One thing I loved about 80's horror were are all the cool occult flicks that were made. You know which ones I'm talking about, films like "Witchcraft", "Witchboard", "976-Evil", "The First Power". They just don't seem to make those types of horror films anymore. Imagine my surprise when I stumbled upon a film called "Hellion", about a backyard cubbyhouse overrun by the forces of Satan. Yee-haw, they do still make em' was my initial reaction. Then I started getting scared for three main reasons.
1. I am a horror junkie however I had never even heard a passing mention of this film.
2. Not a single review of the movie on Amazon
3. Selecting horror movies I've never heard of because they have a cool title and nifty cover art has proven a fatal mistake to me oh so many times.
Well I'm glad to say that "Hellion" was a nice little film that did not cause me any pain and as a matter of fact I enjoyed it quite a lot!

The story centers around the Graham family: single mom Lynn, her teenaged son Danny and two younger children Ivan and Natalie. After a messy divorce, Lynn decides to leave Santa Monica, California for her native country of Australia with her three American-born sons. They move into a crumbling old house on the Gold Coast. The house definitely needs work but one thing it has going for it is a huge backyard with a nice little cubbyhouse at the edge of the property. One day while visiting the town village, Danny is informed by one of the locals that the cubbyhouse in the yard is cursed with "pure evil" and that 30 years ago 2 kids were slayed by a devil worshipper in same said house. Danny dismisses this talk as nonsense until he starts noticing awfully strange things happening in that new backyard of his. Hmm maybe there's a good reason why the house was abandoned for so many years...

"Hellion" is an American-Australian co-production filmed in Oz with great scenic shots. At times I actually forgot it was an Aussie film since the bulk of the story surrounds the Grahams who obviously speak with American accents but there are several interesting supporting characters such as the cute girl next door who Danny is enamoured with, the long-haired town local who supplies the spook stories and a scuzzy real estate agent. On the downside, a few things about this film appeared pretty odd to me: A young brother and sister sharing the same bedroom. Danny supposedly grew up in California yet speaks with a Texas drawl. The person whose kids were killed 30 years ago doesn't look a day over 40. Oh well, what's a cheesy horror film good for when you can't find inconsistencies to poke fun at?

So why should someone bother watching "Hellion?" For one, the CGI effects are a sight to behold, not in terms of quality but because of how cheesy and creative they are. They had me staring in disbelief. It's filled with occult imagery like pentagrams, candles, satanic verses, people in red cloaks so if you like these types of things in your horror films look no further. And while it drags on occasion the finale is blistering and wraps the film up nicely. Don't let my relatively low star rating dissuade you from giving "Hellion" a try. I just don't want to pass it off as a great film (which it's not) but it's definitely worth a shot for the undiscriminating horror fan.

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