Hard As Nails (DVD)

Documentary follows self-ordained Catholic preacher Justin Fatica, who started his controversial "Hard as Nails" ministry to reach troubled kids. Young people who see him preach are undoubtedly drawn to the magnetic aura of this overtly muscled, incredibly energetic and charismatic man. Repeatedly, the teenaged audiences, which often include drug abusers and self-mutilators, pour their hearts out to him. Their repeated "witnesses" about startlingly graphic acts of abuse, by them and against them, are raw and painful in their brutal honesty. Fatica's intense, in-your-face style -- which includes shouting, blindfolds and mock crucifixions -- has its critics, yet his passion for his faith drives him to continue to spread his message to an even greater flock in the hopes of making a difference in young people's lives.

• documentary
• drama