Movies, Mom & Me

• 
  Commentary:  Under construction.
    

  Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role
  Aaron Himelstein	Simon	Sara Anne	Mary	Raj Bond	Joseph

  
    Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
    Release Date: 2017
    Directed by Dallas Jenkins.

Labels: jesus-dvds

# posted by gail @ 12:08    0 comments    email......this post

• 
  Commentary:  Under construction.
    More later.
    

  Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role
  Bryan Brigham	Multiple Roles	Philip Shahbaz	Rabbi Akiva	Demetrios Troy	Lazarus	Ric Sarabia	Shammai
  Jacqueline Torres	Elisheva	Catherine Lidstone	Mary	Damon Carney	Julius	Shayan Sobhian	Big James
  Raj Bond	Joseph	Sara Anne	Young Mary	Leticia Magaña	Dasha	Tom Connolly	Leander

    I think what I'll be doing in regard to cast lists, considering that there are so many cast members and they float from episode to episode and season to season, is list 12 actors/roles per season, not differentiate the seasons in which they appear (many appear in multiple seasons and parts) and try, in that way, to acknowledge as many actors as I can. If you feel an urgent need to know exactly who is playing exactly whom, check out the episode end credits, assuming that you are watching this series on TV. Otherwise, well, good luck.
  
    Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the series.
    Release Date: 2024
    Directed by Dallas Jenkins.

Labels: jesus-dvds

# posted by gail @ 11:38    0 comments    email......this post

• 
  Commentary:  Under construction.
    More later.
    

  Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role
  Luke Dimyan	Judas Iscariot	Ivan Jasso	Yussif	Amber Shana Williams	Tamar	Elijah Alexander	Atticus Aemilius Pulcher
  Reza Diako	Philip	David Amito	John the Baptizer	Anne Beyer	Shula	Aalok Mehta	Barnaby
  Nina Leon	Mary Salome	Alessandro Colla	Jairus	Wasim No'mani	Yanni	Amanda Felix	Pregnant Woman

    I think what I'll be doing in regard to cast lists, considering that there are so many cast members and they float from episode to episode and season to season, is list 12 actors/roles per season, not differentiate the seasons in which they appear (many appear in multiple seasons and parts) and try, in that way, to acknowledge as many actors as I can. If you feel an urgent need to know exactly who is playing exactly whom, check out the episode end credits, assuming that you are watching this series on TV. Otherwise, well, good luck.
  
    Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the series.
    Release Date: 2022
    Directed by Dallas Jenkins.

Labels: jesus-dvds

# posted by gail @ 10:39    0 comments    email......this post

• 
  Commentary:  Under construction.
    More later.
    

  Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role
  Kian Kavousi	Big James	Brandon Potter	Quintus	Kirk B. R. Woller	Gaius	Giavani Cairo	Thaddeus
  Jordan Walker Ross	Little James	Abe Bueno-Jallad	Big James	Joey Vahedi	Thomas	Yasmine Al-Bustami	Ramah
  Vanessa Benavente	Mary	Yoshi Barrigas	Philip	Austin Reed Alleman	Nathanael	Alaa Safi	Simon Z

    I think what I'll be doing in regard to cast lists, considering that there are so many cast members and they float from episode to episode and season to season, is list 12 actors/roles per season, not differentiate the seasons in which they appear (many appear in multiple seasons and parts) and try, in that way, to acknowledge as many actors as I can. If you feel an urgent need to know exactly who is playing exactly whom, check out the episode end credits, assuming that you are watching this series on TV. Otherwise, well, good luck.
  
    Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the series.
    Release Date: 2021
    Directed by Dallas Jenkins.

Labels: jesus-dvds

# posted by gail @ 10:10    0 comments    email......this post

• 
  Commentary:  Under construction.
    That's right, a Jesus TV series, one that I'm sure my mother would have loved to have seen. I saw a few of the episodes of the first season a few years ago and enjoyed them. That's why I lately purchased as many of the seasons as are available when I spotted them on sale.
    Four seasons have been released. There are plans, I understand, to produce at least one and, possibly, two more seasons, I'm not clear on how far the creator/director plans to take this. None of the four seasons available at this time cover the death of Jesus, that is my (possibly faulty) understanding, so at least one more season will be produced, I'm sure.
    Given the fact that I am not Christian, have never really been sure that there is a god and, if I have to describe my spirituality I generally cop to being an agnostic, why am I so "into" "Jesus" movies? Well, my mom was the granddaughter of a fire-and-brimstone circuit riding Methodist minister, the niece of several Methodist elders and a church organist and a deaconess, so she had a keen interest in the religion in which she was raised and a roving, active curiosity about god things. And, yes, she took us all to Sunday School and church, but, didn't preach to us. Thus, as we matured and our minds became more discerning, she loved discussing all things god (and God) and spirituality with us, as well as contemplating and wondering out loud about the lives and thoughts of the biblical characters. It was an interesting and pleasant habit that I continued on my own after her death.
    Anyway, when I found the first four seasons of this series on sale, I snatched them up. I'm hoping that each of us does, indeed, continue our lives after our deaths here and continue to have access to this weird world into which we were born ... and that Mom is peeking over my shoulder, or, perhaps, simply existing spiritually in the living room, enjoying the series with me. Bring your spiritual coffee and cigarettes with you, Mom, I'll brew you a cup, get you an ashtray and we'll spend some entertaining evenings doing, once again, what we did many years ago, this time with brand new material!
    

  Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role
  Shahar Isaac	Simon Peter	Jonathan Roumie	Jesus	Elizabeth Tabish	Mary Magdalene	Paras Patel	Matthew
  Noah James	Andrew	Janis Dardaris	Zohara	Lara Silva	Eden	Shaan Sharma	Shmuel
  Nick Shakoour	Zebedee	George H. Xanthis	John	Shayan Sobhian	Big James	Erick Avari	Nicodemus

  
    I think what I'll be doing in regard to cast lists, considering that there are so many cast members and they float from episode to episode and season to season, is list 12 actors/roles per season, not differentiate the seasons in which they appear (many appear in multiple seasons and parts) and try, in that way, to acknowledge as many actors as I can. If you feel an urgent need to know exactly who is playing exactly whom, check out the episode end credits, assuming that you are watching this series on TV. Otherwise, well, good luck.
  
    Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the series.
    Release Date: 2019
    Directed by Dallas Jenkins.

Labels: jesus-dvds

# posted by gail @ 21:10    0 comments    email......this post

• 
  Commentary:  Under construction.
    Joseph Fiennes playing a Roman soldier looking for the body of Jesus? And Peter Firth playing Pontius Pilate? Sounds like entertainment to me! But, then, I'm a religious movie junkie. You may feel differently.
    

  Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role
  Joseph Fiennes	Clavius	Tom Felton	Lucius	Peter Firth	Pontius Pilate	Cliff Curtis	Yeshua
  María Botto	Mary Magdalene	Luis Callejo	Joses	Antonio Gil	Joseph of Arimathea	Stephen Greif	Caiaphas
  Richard Atwill	Polybius	Stewart Scudamore	Peter	Stephen Hagan	Bartholomew	Mish Boyko	John

  
    Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
    Release Date: 2016
    Directed by Kevin Reynolds.

Labels: jesus-dvds, religion2

# posted by gail @ 23:19    0 comments    email......this post

• 
  Commentary:  Under construction.
    Oh, come on. Don't act surprised. You're aware of my fascination with religious movies, particularly those about the religious triune of Elohim-Allah-Jesus, religion(s) with which I am most familiar. Besides which, these are among the greatest characters in all of storytelling history. Of course I am ever fascinated by their stories.
    I didn't even know this movie existed until a few minutes ago, and on this upcoming Sunday it will be a part of my collection. Rooney Mara as Mary Magdalene? Joaquin Phoenix as Jesus? Chiwetel Ejiofor as Peter? Tahar Rahim and Judas? I'll be right there! Save me a seat.
    More later.
    

  Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role
  Rooney Mara	Mary Magdalene	Joaquin Phoenix	Jesus of Nazareth	Chiwetel Ejiofor	Peter	Tahar Rahim	Judas
  Sarah-Sofie Boussnina	Martha	Hadas Yaron	Sarah	Lubna Azabal	Susannah	Lior Raz	Magdala Community Leader
  Ryan Corr	Joseph	Tchéky Karyo	Elisha	Shira Haas	Leah	Uri Gavriel	Philip
  David Schofield	Thomas	Charles Babalola	Andrew	Tawfeek Barhom	James	Tzachi Halevy	Ephraim
  Zohar Strauss	John	Michael Moshonov	Matthew	Ariane Labed	Rachel	Irit Sheleg	Mary, Jesus's mother

  
    Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
    Release Date: 2018
    Directed by Garth Davis.

Labels: jesus-dvds, joaquin-phoenix, religion2

# posted by gail @ 21:36    0 comments    email......this post

• Who's watched:  M & G
• Mentions:  None
• 
  Commentary:  We acquired this movie just before last Easter when I was on a mission to obtain every jesus/bible related movie that we didn't already own. I didn't know whether Mom had ever seen this movie, but she was up for it when I mentioned it to her and was immediately enraptured in it's sprawl. She's also, of course, is a big fan of over-the-top drama of the period in which this was made.
    So am I, depending, and this movie didn't disappoint me, but, I have to say, The Ten Commandments is still my preferred movie spectacle film. I think. It depends. If I want some realistic spectacle grit, this is my go-to. If I want silky theatrics, then I opt for The Ten Commandments.
  Update 5/24/22:  Yet another post published on 4/09/09 that "disappeared" and I had to recapture.
    

  Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role
  Charlton Heston	Judah Ben-Hur	Jack Hawkins	Quintus Arrius	Haya Harareet	Esther	Stephen Boyd	Messala
  Hugh Griffith	Sheik Ilderim	Martha Scott	Miriam	Cathy O'Donnell	Tirzah	Sam Jaffe	Simonides
  Finlay Currie	Balthazar	Frank Thring	Pontius Pilate	Terence Longdon	Drusus	George Relph	Tiberius Caesar

  
    Here's the Wikipedia write-up for this movie.
    Release Date: 1959
    Directed by William Wyler.

Labels: action3, adventure3, bible-movies1, charlton-heston, drama7, jesus-dvds, period3, popcorn-and-soda3, revenge1, spectacle2, violence3

# posted by gail @ 10:22    0 comments    email......this post

• 
  Commentary:  Under construction.
    

  Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role
  Myriem Roussel	Marie	Thierry Rode	Joseph	Philippe Lacoste	L'ange Gabriel	Manon Andersen	La petite fille
  Juliette Binoche	Juliette	Anne Gautier	Eva	Johan Leysen	Le professeur	Malachi Jara Kohan	Jésus

  
    Here is the Wikipedia write-up of this film.
    Release Date: 1985
    Directed by Jean-Luc Godard.

Labels: §, drama1, jesus-dvds, juliette-binoche, religion1

# posted by gail @ 12:57    0 comments    email......this post

• 
  Commentary:  O.K. Look. Considering how Christianity has had an extraordinary impact on several branches of my family (one of my great grandfathers and one of my great uncles were Methodist preachers, the first of whom was a fire-and-brimstone circuit rider), I could not not own this movie, eventually. Yes, I have reverence for spirituality, but I have none for the institution of Christianity. I don't even agree with everything Jesus was purported to have said. So, this movie is a vigorous, always laughter-provoking, head nod for me.
    Would my mother have enjoyed it (she never saw it), being a woman of faith? Yes, I think so. One of my sisters once pronounced her a "pure spirit". I agree with that assessment. The solemnity of her faith, though, was liberally mixed with realism and a questioning attitude. She was not averse to bringing Jesus to task. Maybe she's who taught me how to lean into irreverence.
    Once again, Roger Ebert wrote two reviews of this movie: the first in 1979, linked to this post title, the second on its re-release in 2004.
    By the way, all members of Monty Python and a few other actors played multiple roles in this movie. I'm listing only one per member.
    

  Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role
  Graham Chapman	Brian Cohen	John Cleese	High Priest	Terry Gilliam	Mount Sermon attendee	Eric Idle	Mr Cheeky
  Terry Jones	Mandy Cohen	Michael Palin	Mr. Big Nose	Terence Bayler	Mr. Gregory	Carol Cleveland	Mrs. Gregory
  Charles McKeown	False Prophet	Kenneth Colley	Jesus	Sue Jones-Davies	Judas Iscariot	John Young	Matthius

  
    Just in case, here's the Wikipedia link to this movie.
    Release Date: 1979 & 2004
    Directed by Terry Jones.

Labels: bible-movies1, comedy1, dramedy1, fantasy1, film-art1, jesus-dvds, me-favorite1, religion1, satire1

# posted by gail @ 09:47    0 comments    email......this post

• 
  Commentary:  I know, I know, what am I doing with this movie, relatively unknown, certainly a peculiar take on Christianity's final judgment doctrine, in my collection? Let me explain. I saw this movie when I was living in Seattle, when it premiered in the theater. I decided to see it after reading Roger Ebert's remarkable review of the movie, linked to the title of this post.
    No, I am not a believer, for all practical purposes I've never been, but I lived, in my teenage years, with a relative who became a rabid Christian fundamentalist and spent quite a bit of her time at home (which was, in those days, less time than she spent at church functions) trying to convert the rest of the family (which she never accomplished; an unusual defeat considering that the usually successful tactic of the church with which she was associated was to snatch the teens and badger them to convert their families). I was particularly affected, to the point of studying scripture, despite my lack of faith, and presenting her with an essay about how, if her beliefs were true, I was willing to be eternally damned. Some years later this relative renounced her belief, with her husband, whom she met in the church, and became a staunch atheist and Unitarian Universalist. I've remained an agnostic atheist with a fascination for religious rabidity and the media it inspires. This is my favorite movie of that genre. Notice all the labels I've attached to it. It affects me on several levels, of which I am reminded at least once a year since I obtained it.
    

  Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role
  Mimi Rogers	Sharon	David Duchovny	Randy	Kimberly Cullum	Mary	Darwyn Carson	Maggie
  Patrick Bauchau	Vic	James LeGros	Tommy	Will Patton	Deputy Foster	Sam Vlahos	Wayne

  
    Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
    Release Date: 1991
    Directed by Michael Tolkin.

Labels: adventure1, apocalyptic, bible-movies1, drama4, dream1, fantasy1, film-art1, haunting1, jesus-dvds, me-favorite1, neo-noirB, prophecy, spiritual1, suspense1

# posted by gail @ 08:42    0 comments    email......this post

• Who's watched:  Watched this movie with Mom before Mom died; bought it AMD.
• Mentions:  none
• 
  Commentary:  I like watching this movie every once in awhile to remind me of why the life of Jesus upon which Christianity is based is more myth than reality. It doesn't make a difference to me, actually, since I'm not a Christian, but I don't shy away from religious discussions and the information in this movie helps ground me. It works well as a resource, too, as it features interviews with several well-known, self-identified atheists and Nones (a person who neither believes nor disbelieves in the existence or non-existence of a god).
    I could not resist linking the title of this post to one of the many refutations of this movie. This one is less rabid than most I found. It actually tries to make sense.
    Narrated by Brian Flemming.
    Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
    Release Date: 2005
    Directed by Brian Flemming.

Labels: audio-visual, documentary1, jesus-dvds

# posted by gail @ 12:53    0 comments    email......this post

• Who's watched:  M & G
• Mentions:  None
• 
  Commentary:  Yes, this is yet another jesus dvd that is a Jesus movie. We rented it first. For some unknown reason, I had the idea that maybe we had enough Jesus movies for Mom and she'd consider this one overkill, but I was wrong, which is why I purchased it for her. We've watched it several times.
    I appreciate it for the explanation it contains of certain cultural customs to which members of "The Holy Family" would have been obligated, but, more than this, some of the oblique symbology of the birth of Jesus is explained, such as the signficance of the gifts received from "the wise men". There is strong enough emphasis on the importance of the visiting of the shepherds that I finally understood this aspect of the Jesus Nativity Story. And, the parallel story of Elizabeth and Zechariah is well woven into the presentation.
    My mother, of course, is enthralled with the movie. The more apparently realistic Bible movies are, the more she likes them. This one rang a bell for her. She even enjoyed the offhand comic relief of the three wise men.
    I may have mentioned this before: I'm not Christian, never have been, actually, even though I was raised in what would be considered a typical Christian household of the 50's and 60's, which is to say, only mildly religious but with a strong emphasis on morality and ethics, not necessarily connected to but often echoing Christianity in particular. Because my mother is deeply spiritual, though, and uses Christianity as her spiritual touchstone (and, for a few other reasons, as well), I spent a fair amount of time (still do, in fact) investigating and thinking about Christianity. I've been at the point, for some years, where I firmly doubt the existence of the historical Jesus as presented in Christianity (even the Christian gospels hint that the Jesus they present never existed) but, because much of the symbology and beliefs are ubiquitous in many theistic and nontheistic religious doctrines and practice, the entire area of spirituality bounded by religion fascinates me and Christianity, being the first religion to which I was introduced, thus the one with which I am most familiar, is a good jumping off point for me. This movie, in particular, is a succinct reminder of the power of the Jesus story, Jesus mythology and Christian dedication. As well, while I was absorbing Elizabeth's story alongside Mary's, I was suddenly struck by the importance of the mothers of gods, in stories such as these, always being in some way barren, or, in the case of the births of great leaders of a theistic religion, the birth itself or the baby being threatened, thus the birth of the god or the leader is usually (except, for instance, in the case of Abram/Abraham), somehow miraculous. I don't know why I never before paid attention to this.
    Soon after we watched this movie a few times and had some stimulating conversations about Christianity in particular and spirituality in general, I decided to rent The God Who Wasn't There so Mom could get a better idea of why Christianity interests me but doesn't cause me to "fall on [my] knees". No, this isn't a movie we'll be purchasing. I was familiar with most of the stuff in it when I originally saw it and don't need it as a resource. But, Mom found this movie interesting and worthy of discussion, although it didn't sway her belief in her religion. I didn't expect this. Even those of us who aren't swayed by beliefs in gods and the ritual detail of god centered religions often have belief systems that make no rational sense but hold sway over us, anyway. At any rate, something I realized when we discussed spirituality and religion from the point of view of The God Who Wasn't There is that Mom is firmly centered in life-here-and-now rather than death-in-the-sweet-by-and-by. This, I think, is the important difference between her spirituality and that of many people who consider and call themselves Christians.
    The Nativity Story is not nearly as spiritually powerful for me as, say, The Little Buddha, for instance, but it's provocative, nonetheless, and I can count on it to trigger interesting discussions about religion and spirituality between my mother and me.
    Well, well, well. I found loads of Christian reviewers covering this movie, usually positively (if there was any negativity at all in these reviews, it was a minor haggle over biblical representation of the story vs. this movie's representation), but I was able to find only two secular critics weighing in. Of those, I chose the, well, the longest, to connect to the title of this post. It was also the better of the two I found, and the kinder. I think what most secular critics wanted was more of a The Last Temptation of the Christ presentation. Although I'm a secularist, myself, I notice that most secularists who go to the movies are allergic to any religious presentation even when it is sincere and subtle. Guys, this story is well acted by some extraordinary actors, well directed, well filmed and well told. It's not trying to convert you. It's just telling an old, old story. Relax. It's not going to jump into the theater (or your living room) and strangle you until you become Christian.
    

  Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role
  Keisha Castle-Hughes	Mary	Oscar Isaac	Joseph	Hiam Abbass	Anna	Shaun Toub	Joachim
  Shohreh Aghdashloo	Elizabeth	Stanley Townsend	Zechariah	Ciarán Hinds	Herod the Great	Alexander Siddig	Angel Gabriel

  
    Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
    Release Date: 2006
    Directed by Catherine Hardwicke.

Labels: bible-movies1, Christmas, drama7, female-director2, jesus-dvds, mom-favorite1, oscar-isaac, period3, religion1, spiritual1

# posted by gail @ 12:28    0 comments    email......this post

• Who's watched:  M & G
• Mentions:  None
• 
  Commentary:  This one is a bit of a surprise. We discovered it one evening while searching through the channels looking for movies. Mom's eyes latched onto the title and we clicked into it, then caught a later run to catch what we'd missed. It's a made-for-TV movie that is more about Mary's imagined influence in Jesus' life than it is about Jesus. It was made by the Kennedy family, to what purpose I'm not sure, but it's intriguing, especially the parts that suggest that the parables of Jesus were actually stories Mary told Jesus, when he was a child, in order to illustrate ethical and moral values. I found the first viewing fascinating but quickly realized it wouldn't be one that I'd watch repeatedly. Mom, though, was quite taken with it and requested that we add it to our collection, so that's what I did. It's been watched once again since it arrived, and, again, Mom said, "I think we should get a copy of that movie." I reminded her that we did, and she just watched it. Interestingly, it reminded me of Anne Rice's book, Christ the Lord: Out of Egypt. I wonder if either influenced the other.
    It reminded me that the theaters are currently featuring a new movie about Mary's story, so to speak, The Nativity Story. I imagine, when that's in DVD once we've rented it, Mom will want that one added to our collection, as well.
    I don't think this movie was seen by a lot of people, so few are the reviews for it. Mary Movies, though, come and go, as we are reminded in this article about the plethora of Mary Movies, published, unsurprisingly, in the Catholic Digest. Despite what may seem like an obvious pairing, the article is actually quite informative about Mary Movies.
    

  Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role
  Christian Bale	Jesus of Nazareth	Toby Bailiff	Young Jesus	Pernilla August	Mary of Nazareth	David Threlfall	Joseph of Nazareth
  Simone Bendix	Mary Magdalene	Robert Addie	Pontius Pilate	Edward Hardwicke	Zechariah	Hywel Bennett	Herod
  Geraldine Chaplin	Elizabeth	Christopher Routh	John the Baptist	Andrew Grainger	Barrabas	John Light	Archangel Gabriel

  
    Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
    Release Date: 1999
    Directed by Kevin Connor.

Labels: bible-movies1, christian-bale, jesus-dvds, period4, religion1

# posted by gail @ 12:48    0 comments    email......this post

• Who's watched:  M & G
• Mentions:  *1* *2* *3*
• 
  Commentary:  I noticed, in the mentions, one of them states that Mom always thinks she wants to see this movie, then she gets bored with it. This is no longer true. It is now one that she asked after the last time we did a "jesus movie" festival, so, this year, I purchased it.
    For me, as well, the more I watch the movie, the more I like it. I tend, now, to ignore the discontinuities, like yet another Nordic Jesus, Harvey Keitel as a red-headed Judas and Barbara Hershey's bee-stung lips. Especially since I've read the book, I tend to appreciate the story more for what it symbolizes rather than what it portrays.
    I think what Mom likes about it is the gritty realism and the startling detail, like how the crosses are made. We watched this movie again, recently, right after I ordered it and just after a couple of other Jesus movies. It seems that each movie has its own version of how crucifixion crosses are constructed, which mom noticed this time around, which led to yet another Jesus movie festival.
    The only disappointing aspect of this movie was that it promised subtitles and they may exist but they aren't listed in any of the menus so I'm not sure if listing this as a feature was an error or if there is an Easter Egg technique to cuing them. I need to check this out. It does not feature Closed Captioning. I was afraid this would be a problem for Mom but the first time we watched it after receiving it, Mom had no problem with it. This is, at any rate, primarily a visual feast for her, so I guess that's why it doesn't matter. As well, the dialogue is not mumbled or distorted by other sound tracks.
    The review linked to the title of this post is an interesting view of the movie from the perspective of how it had been (up to the point of its writing) and may continue to be viewed by the religious community. It seemed to me a relevent discussion to have about it.
    Roger Ebert reviewed the movie twice, once as a "regular" movie and once more as a Great Movie.
    

  Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role
  Willem Dafoe	Jesus	Harvey Keitel	Judas Iscariot	Barbara Hershey	Mary Magdalene	Harry Dean Stanton	Saul/Paul of Tarsus
  David Bowie	Pontius Pilate	Verna Bloom	Mary, Mother of Jesus	Andre Gregory	John the Baptist	Nehemiah Persoff	Rabbi
  Leo Marks	Voice of Satan	Tomas Arana	Lazarus	Victor Argo	Peter	Martin Scorsese	Isaiah

  
    Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
    Release Date: 1988
    Directed by Martin Scorsese.

Labels: barbara-hershey, bible-movies1, Criterion2, drama8, fantasy3, harry-dean-stanton, harvey-keitel, jesus-dvds, martin-scorsese, nehemiah-persoff, period4, religion1, shared-favorite, spiritual1, willem-dafoe

# posted by gail @ 12:24    0 comments    email......this post

• Who's watched:  M & G
• Mentions:  *1*
• 
  Commentary:  Yet another one of Mom's "jesus-dvds" (I use this term tongue-in-cheek, as I also consider The Ten Commandments a "jesus-dvd"). I didn't think we'd ever own it because the last time we watched it on TV I noticed there were no English subtitles, which is essential for my mother's enjoyment of any movie. I found a cheap copy of it at the grocery store today, though, with closed captioning (although no English subtitles, which is unfortunate since closed captioning is sometimes kind of iffy on our set) so decided I'd get it for Mom. I think this is one of her favorites of this genre; not because it features yet another Nordic Jesus, but because of the scope and grand presentation. And, it's length. Weighty movies work better for her when they go to extreme lengths. This is not my favorite, but I am attracted to it's spectacle.
    Now all we need to do is procure a copy of The Last Temptation of Christ [we finally did procure a copy of this movie] and Mom will figure we're set.
  Update 2/7/18:  Yes, I donated this movie to my local library. In the end, I knew I would never watch it again. Funny, because there are several jesus-dvds and bible epics in my/our collection that I enjoy, even when they are clearly cheesy. But this one? No can do. Sorry, Mom.
  Update 5/16/2022:  The cast in this movie is stupendous. Take a look at the Wikipedia segment about it; not the listing, but the paragraph below. An even better, more complete, list is the one at IMDb, as it attaches more actors to their roles than Wikipedia. It's a lot of fun to go through it. It was as though the production company decided to corral every actor signed to the overseeing studio into one movie before they started dying off. I mean, Pat Boone as The Angel at the Tomb? Really? Clearly, I mean, clearly a vanity project, and an unsuccessful one, at that. But, Mom loved it. I have a feeling there were, and are, a lot of Christian women "of a certain age" that feel the same.
    

  Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role
  Max von Sydow	Jesus	Dorothy McGuire	The Virgin Mary	Charlton Heston	John the Baptist	Claude Rains	Herod the Great
  José Ferrer	Herod Antipas	Telly Savalas	Pontius Pilate	Martin Landau	Caiaphas	David McCallum	Judas Iscariot
  Donald Pleasence	The Dark Hermit - Satan	Michael Anderson Jr.	James the Less	Roddy McDowall	Matthew	Joanna Dunham	Mary Magdalene
  Joseph Schildkraut	Nicodemus	Ed Wynn	Old Aram	Pat Boone	Angel at the Tomb	Shelley Winters	Woman Who Is Healed

  
    Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
    Release Date: 1965
    Directed by George Stevens.

Labels: bible-movies1, charlton-heston, claude-rains, drama8, jesus-dvds, max-von-sydow, mom-favorite1, period4, spectacle2, van-heflin

# posted by gail @ 13:47    0 comments    email......this post

• Who's watched:  M & G
• Mentions:  *1* *2* *3*
• 
  Commentary:  For both my mother and me, the controversy over this movie was beside the point. My mother is an aficionado of both Jesus and religious movies, so, of course, she had to see this one. If I hadn't been living with my mother when it came out, I probably would not have seen it, but not in some sort of intellectual or spiritual protest. I wouldn't have bothered because I know the story so well and know what I believe about the issues it raises.
    The rough and violent nature of the movie bothered neither of us. We discussed, briefly, whether Jesus was singled out for unusual torture, as, basically, his crucifixion was all in a day's work, and he wasn't the only person crucified on the day he died, nor was he the only person ever convicted of exactly the type of political treason that sent him to Golgotha.
    Other than that, my mother's favorite "character" in the movie is the oblique, white head of who she assumes to be "satan", or, more appropriately, as she expressed it, the spirit of evil and selfishness luring Jesus to turn his back on his mission. The head reminds me a bit of the spirit masks floating about in Spirited Away.
    I've linked the title of this post to Roger Ebert's extraordinary and cogent review of this movie.
    The movie is definitely a winner from the "Bible Movie" perspective, for my mother.
    

  Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role
  Jim Caviezel	Jesus of Nazareth	Maia Morgenstern	Mary, mother of Jesus	Monica Bellucci	Mary Magdalene	Luca Lionello	Judas Iscariot
  Rosalinda Celentano	Satan	Luca De Dominicis	Herod Ántipas	Pietro Sarubbi	Barabbus	Hristo Naumov Shopov	Pontius Pilate
  Giacinto Ferro	Joseph of Arimathia	Sergio Rubini	Dismas, Penitant Thief	Mattia Sbragia	Caiaphas	Francesco De Vito	Peter

  
    Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film, which outlines some of the controversy against which Roger Ebert was writing in his review.
    Release Date: 2004
    Directed by Mel Gibson.

Labels: bible-movies1, drama8, jesus-dvds, mel-gibson, mom-favorite1, period4, religion1, spectacle2, violence3

# posted by gail @ 12:53    0 comments    email......this post

• Who's watched:  M & G
• Mentions:  *1* *2*
• 
  Commentary:  Although this is neither a movie nor a show, it is a DVD production with which to be reckoned and deserves mention. This production has some technical faults such as not being able to pause and fast forwarding/rewinding is painful. But the voice and voice variants are excellent and Mom and I are both fascinated with watching the bible and listening to it being read. We've picked up a companion explanation bible to consult.
    Narrated by Stephen Johnston.
    Just in case, here's a wikipedia "explanation" of the King James Version of the Holy Christian Bible.
    Release Date: 2003
    No director listed including in source material.

Labels: apocalyptic, audio-visual, jesus-dvds, religion1, spiritual1

# posted by gail @ 02:21    0 comments    email......this post