• Bible Films Blog

    Looking at film interpretations of the stories in the Bible - past, present and future, as well as preparation for a future work on Straub/Huillet's Moses und Aron and a few bits and pieces on biblical studies.


    Name:
    Matt Page

    Location:
    U.K.












    Friday, February 26, 2010

    Spartacus Coming to Leicester

    Edit: Sadly, I've just heard that this event has been cancelled.
    Following on from last week's showing of Jesus Christ, Vampire Hunter at the Phoenix Cinema, Leicester, I've just received word that they will also be playing Stanley Kubrick's classic 1960 film Spartacus.

    I think this will be related either to the film's brief run last year, or to the recent death of star Jean Simmons, or even to the Blu-ray release on May 25th which will include the following extra features:
    Deleted Scenes, Interview with Peter Ustinov, Interview with Jean Simmons, Behind-the-Scenes Footage, Vintage Newsreels, Theatrical Trailer, Production Stills, Concept Art, Costume Designs, Saul Bass Storyboards, Posters & Print Ads, My Scenes, and BD-Live.
    In any case, the film is playing at 7pm on the 12th March, and I, for one, intend to be there.

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    Friday, May 15, 2009

    Kings to Come to DVD

    The fate of NBC's Kings goes from bad to worse. Having been bumped from Sunday night to Saturday and then back to June, producer/writer Bradford Winters has announced the inevitable - that the show has been officially cancelled.

    Meanwhile however, Amazon has created a page for the forthcoming DVD. Aside from the ASIN number, and the fact that it will be released by Universal Studios there's very little to go on (suggesting it will be a while until it's released), but it's worth bookmarking for those who might be interested in buying it when it finally does find it's way to stores.

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    Friday, May 01, 2009

    Potter's Son of Man on DVD

    Many thanks to my friend Kevin Neece for tipping me off about this one: Dennis Potter's 1969 TV play Son of Man is available to buy on DVD. It doesn't appear to be an official release, and indeed, the fact that the seller has stated that "all transfers are very good quality considering the age of the material and I have used professional editing equipment to master" suggests that potential purchasers should not have high expectations about the film's picturee and sound quality. (It will also be in black and white not in colour as per the still above). Nevertheless, I know that a lot of people are desperate to see this production.

    In looking through my Son of Man label, I'm appalled to find that I've written so little on this film. I had planned to do a podcast on it, but sadly that is on pause for the foreseeable future.

    Anyway, I hope this makes a few people's days. It would be great to hear some feedback from first-timers (or, for that matter, anyone else) on this film, so feel free to post your comments.

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    Wednesday, February 25, 2009

    Jesus, the Christ Out on DVD

    I blogged a while back about Bruce Marchiano's plans to make a word for word version of the Gospel of John using the NIV translation. I added myself to their mailing list and have been following developments reasonably closely.So I was intrigued to get an email from them the other day about a DVD release for a film called Jesus, the Christ.

    I recently bought the four-hour word for word Visual Bible version of the Gospel of Matthew in which Marchiano played Jesus. Jesus, the Christ essentially is version of this footage cut down to 90 minutes, and, I presume, arrange the remaining material so that the finished product is more of a movie and less of a, well, visual Bible.

    The DVD is available to buy for $20, and you can watch a fairly lengthy trailer at Marchiano's website. There are also a selection of other media there, relating both to the original production and this new film. The 2 DVD set includes:
    * The film, Jesus the Christ
    * The Larnelle Harris Music Video, Man of Sorrows
    * The Kathy Trocolli Topical Bible Teaching, The Healing Touch of Jesus
    * Kathy Trocolli Music Video, When I Look at You
    * The Evangelical Video Tract, Who is Jesus
    * Movie Night Outreach Media Kit
    Proceeds will go towards funding The Gospel of John

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    Thursday, January 15, 2009

    Rossellini TV Films on DVD

    Roberto Rossellini took one of the strangest paths any director I know has. Having almost single handedly popularised Neo-Realism with Roma Città Aperta (Rome, Open City) (my review) he eventually made a deliberate move to television seeing it as the ultimate medium (for reasons I forget). It was here that he produced a number of historical films including Atti Degli Apostoli (Acts of the Apostles) and Il Messia (download my podcast). It was a move that remains largely misunderstood by film lovers, to the extent that Wikipedia (and a good many contemporary accounts of his career) gets as far as his affair with Ingrid Bergman and then stops.

    Fortunately, the good people at the Criterion Collection know a good deal more than most, and they recently released a collection of his historical TV films on DVD. Sadly neither of the above titles are included, but as the collection is titled Rossellini's History Films: Renaissance and Enlightenment we can but hope that there might be a future series called Rossellini's History Films: The Ancient World (or something similar) which might also include his works on Socrates and Augustine of Hippo. Actually we can do more than that. Criterion have a "contact us" page with a specific email address for sending in suggestions. To which I will shortly be turning my attention. This is actually part of Criterion's Eclipse series.

    Thanks to Peter Chattaway for the link on this one. He also links to an article on this set by Dave Kehr at the New York Times.

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    Wednesday, January 07, 2009

    The Robe Special Edition


    Language: English
    Subtitles: English, French, Spanish

    Number of discs: 1
    Studio: 20th Century Fox

    Release Date: March 17, 2009
    Run Time: 135 minutes

    ASIN: B001NSLE5I

    Peter Chattaway caught this one over the Christmas period, so I thought I'd post it up now things are back to normal. IGN has new of the new special edition DVD and Blu-Ray releases of The Robe.

    There's a whole host of extras, though it's unclear how many of these will only be on the Blu-Ray disc, and Amazon is unable to help. Here's IGN's list:
    Introduction by Martin Scorsese
    Commentary with Film Composer David Newman and Film Historians Jon Burlingame,
    Julie Kirgo and Nick Redman
    The Making of The Robe featurette
    The Music of The Robe: Alfred Newman's Score isolated music track
    Still Galleries
    Interactive Pressbook
    The CinemaScope Story featurette (Blu-ray only)
    From Scripture to Script: The Bible and Hollywood featurette (Blu-ray only)
    The Robe Times Two: A Comparison of Widescreen and Standard Versions (Blu-ray only)
    A Seamless Faith: The Real-Life Search for The Robe featurette (Blu-ray only)
    Vintage Celebrity Introductions by Richard Widmark, Susan Hayworth, Robert Wagner, Clifton Webb and Dan Dailey (Blu-ray only)
    Audio Interview with Screenwriter Philip Dunne (1969) (Blu-ray only)
    Movietone News (Blu-ray only)
    Trailers / TV Spots (Blu-ray only)
    Poster Gallery / Lobby Cards (Blu-ray only)
    I've read various comments on this film by Martin Scorsese over the years, so I was fully aware that he was a fan, but even so that's a bit of a coup for Fox.

    Amazon.co.uk lists the Blu-Ray version as having the same release date, but there doesn't appear to be a corresponding UK DVD release.

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    Friday, December 19, 2008

    DVD Review: Quo Vadis?

    Warner Home Video
    Run time: 174 mins
    Rating: Not Rated
    Aspect Ratio: 4:3
    Region: Region 1
    Audio: English-DD Mono
    French-DD Mono
    Subtitles: English, French, Spanish, Japanese
    Number of discs: 2
    Extras: Commentary, Trailers, Featurette,
    ASIN: B00005JN8Z
    When the post-war film studios realised that their future lay in giving their audiences the kind of visual stunning experience that they couldn't get from their televisions, Warner Brothers' first major effort was Quo Vadis?. Henryk Sienkiewicz's Roman-Christian novel had already spawned two large scale silent epics - the first of which was said to inspire D.W. Griffith's ground-breaking Intolerance. The "new" version would be even more impressive. On-location filming and 30,000 extras offering up the kind of spectacle that would pull people away from their TVs and into the cinema.

    So it's kind of ironic to be reviewing a DVD release that seeks to bring that original spectacle and theatrical experience of watching Quo Vadis? into our living rooms. Warner Home Video's new 2-disc release promises a "new ultra-resolution digital transfer" and a restored soundtrack. And for anyone who is happy with their existing DVD or VHS release, there's a selection of extra features to make the new package a little more enticing. I'll start by reviewing the extras, before offering a few comments on the quality of the transfer at the end.
    Commentary by F.X. Feeney
    Film commentaries are something of a mixed bag. Whilst the best produce a far greater appreciation of a particular film's depth, the worst veer into extreme tedium, or worse still, ego-centric back slapping. Thankfully this is a very much an example of the former. I'm unfamiliar with Feeney's previous work, but his efforts here are far more interesting than his billing as a "film historian" suggests. Feeney has clearly done his homework and manages to pepper his commentary with an intriguing mix of tidbits regarding the movie's creation, through to fascinating interpretations of the film's use of cinematic language. It's this diversity that makes the commentary such a success. Often a lone commentator comes across as somewhat one-dimensional, but Feeney successfully changes gears from talking about the novel, to the issues surrounding the film's long pre-production to analysing the final product. At 174 minutes it hardly surprising that Feeney dries up a little in the second half, which may also be due to his love for the film's climax getting the better of him. I don't think I've ever listened to a DVD commentary twice, but, in this case I think it may well be a possibility.

    Trailers
    Both the theatrical trailer and the original teaser trailer are included. It's perhaps a testimony of the extent to which Ben Hur subsequently overshadowed Quo Vadis? that there are no later TV trailers as there are with other epic films from this era. The teaser trailer only shows one shot from the film - one of Marcus's army marching into the centre of Rome. As you'd expect there's a bit more in the longer theatrical trailer which shows a couple of long shots but mainly occupies its time by introducing all the main characters and boasting about the movie's "colossal" size. And, as if to force the point home, this version of the trailer runs for over five minutes.Featurette - In the Beginning: Quo Vadis and the Genesis of the Biblical Epic
    A lot of DVDs these days tend to break up their documentary content into a number of shorter featurettes, each covering a specific area. It makes it seems like potential purchasers are getting more for their money. So it's nice to see a longer documentary here which eschews such an approach. That said it does appear that this may have been on the cards at one point as in places the documentary feels a little segmented. It start with a look at the background to Sienkiewicz's novel and quickly moves on to look at the two silent film versions of the story from 1913 and 1925. There's some brief footage from both films which is nice to see, but also leaves you wanting more. Given the recent releases of Ben Hur and The Ten Commandments - both of which included their 1920s predecessors as extra features - it would have been nice to see these included as well.

    The documentary then looks at the pre-WWII plans for making the film. Whilst Robert Taylor was originally lined up to play Marcus Vinicius, it soon began to look like Gregory Peck would play the Roman commander. Peck was the preferred choice of the director who was originally meant to be making the film - John Huston. But when Peck was forced to drop out, Huston left the picture too. But despite all these setbacks, the project carried on. Mervyn Le Roy was drafted in to direct and Taylor was returned to the role 15 years after it had originally been discussed.

    We then move on to hear about various aspects of the production itself: the performance of the leads, the design of sets and costumes, Miklós Rózsa score and so on. This is perhaps the most interesting part if the featurette, and the interview with the son of matte artist Peter Ellenshaw was particularly fascinating.

    The final segment of the documentary looks at its marketing, audience reception, and its influence on later biblical epics, the claims here are perhaps a little too grand. Whilst Quo Vadis? was indeed a landmark epic, and certainly influential on the Jesus Cameo films that followed in its footsteps, it was DeMille who really kickstarted the epic craze of the fifties with his 1949 Samson and Delilah, and his second stab at The Ten Commandments. But that said, the tendency for the 50s epics to comment on (the then) modern day America does owe something of a debt to Quo Vadis?, which, the documentary points out, is made fairly explicit throughout the film, most notably at the end.Transfer Quality
    Having only previously seen Quo Vadis? on VHS, I personally was impressed by the picture quality, but then, I'm not an expert on such matters and was only watching it on a standard television set. But it appears not everyone shares my opinion and several of the experts (DVD Times, DVD Talk and DVD Review) are fairly critical. However, even having read their criticisms I'm not sure I can see what they see. Perhaps it's one of those half empty/half full things. The aspect ratio is 4:3 as the original film was (it would not be until The Robe two years later that widescreen was introduced) and there are no criticisms about the overly zealous cropping and so on.

    Overall
    Whilst some have a few quibbles with the quality of the transfer, overall this seems to me to be a strong release. Feeney's commentary is excellent and the featurette is well paced and interesting. Whilst I've not been able to compare this release with the earlier one-disc version, I've been led to believe that the picture quality is a significant improvement, and it's certainly a major improvement to the VHS version. Having said all that, the Blu-Ray edition of this disc is due to come out next year, and, according to DVD Beaver it offers a significant improvement again in picture quality, and manages to fit the film and all of the same extras onto a single disc.

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    Thursday, November 20, 2008

    Silver Chalice Coming to DVD

    Kyle Smith has spotted that The Silver Chalice is being released on DVD next February. This seems a tad cynical given that star actor Paul Newman died less than 2 months ago. Newman hated the film so much that when it aired on TV in 1966 he took out a full page advert apologising for his performance. According to Wikipedia the tactic backfired and the screening brought in higher than expected viewing figures. Peter Chattaway covers this under the heading Bible movie completist alert!, but I can't help feeling that the timing of this DVD's release is targeted more at Paul Newman completists than anyone else.

    No word yet on what, if any, extras will be included. My review of the film from last year is here.

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    Monday, November 03, 2008

    DVD Review: Son of Man

    It's over two and a half years since Dimpho Di Kopane's Son of Man (my review) garned rave reviews at Sundance. Since then there's been a lot of interest about when the film is to be released, indeed it's perhaps the most frequent request for information I get. So I'm pleased to announce that the DVD finally goes on sale today.

    When I saw this film back in July 2006 it was on a screener DVD with a pan and scan aspect ratio, so it's nice to finally see the film in widescreen (16:9). The scenery becomes all the more impressive. The transfer is pretty good although on my DVD player there was a flicker at the bottom of the screen. No such problems on my laptop though (and my DVD player is getting on a bit now). The menu screens are nicely put together and the subtitles are towards the small side so they don't cover up too much of the action (they are however 'burned in').

    There's also a good selection of extras comprising six featurettes. Each is around 3 minutes long and features excerpts from various interviews. As you would expect Andile Kosi, who played Jesus, features fairly prominently, as co-writer / translator Andiswa Kadame, and Ntobeko "Top C" Rwanqa (James).The Company talks about Dimpho Di Kopane, the theatre co-operative who masterminded the project. This is where the film's actors, singers and dancers are from, and the film explains how most of them were picked from obscurity. It also talks about how they collaborate and learn from one another.

    The Gospels in Modern Africa - Talks about the significance of portraying Jesus as a black man. Crucially, it also explains the significance of the way the resurrection is portrayed. That's particularly useful as it's one cultural reference point that will escape most northerners. Kadame also explains that Jesus's death was based on that of activist Steve Biko - something that was new to me.

    Music - Whilst Son of Man is not a musical as such, the music is as significant here as in any other (non-musical) Jesus film, not only contributing to the films distinctive African flavour, but also giving it a real intensity. This featurette talks a little about South African music, its dependence on rhythm and harmony and how much of it is played on hand made or improvised instruments.

    Audience Reactions - This was apparently filmed after a screening and we get a handful of views from those outside the project. This is really the only place where those outside the company get to discuss the film. As you'd expect they are all rave reviews.

    Gabriel - An introduction to, and an interview with, James Anthony who plays Gabriel in the film. Anthony was used extensively in publicising the film, and his angel Gabriel is easily the film's most iconic figure. In many ways the film in general tries to be anti-iconic which means that when the angels do appear, their appearance carries all the "wow" factor that is required. This allows Anthony and co. to act very naturally, (perhaps that should be humanly?) and results in making the supernatural elements of the film very believable.

    The Message - This is perhaps the weakest of the six segments though not without interest. Indeed Andile Kosi's admission that he never believed violence was the solution certainly informs the film's strong 'non-violent resistance' ethic as typified in the scene where Jesus asks his disciples to turn in their weapons. But it ends on Rwanqa talking about how the film is about "everyone being equal". Whilst that's undeniably one of the film's convictions (and certainly pretty laudable), I'm not sure that is the film's 'message' as such.


    Studio: Spier Films

    Language: Xhosa
    Subtitles: English

    Format : Region 2 DVD
    Number of discs: 1

    Classification: 12
    Run Time: 91 minutes

    ASIN: B001GVN87Y

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    Thursday, October 30, 2008

    Dante's Inferno Now on DVD

    Director: Sean Meredith
    Cast: Dermot Mulroney, James Cromwell
    Format: Anamorphic, Color, Widescreen
    Language: English
    Region: Region 1, NTSC
    Aspect Ratio: 1.77:1
    Number of discs: 1
    Rating: Unrated
    Release Date: Aug 26 '08
    Run Time: 78 minutes
    ASIN: B001ANE3AO
    Twice previously I've mentioned the new animated version of Dante's Inferno, but the release date had kind of passed me by. The DVD release has brought forth a new synopsis on the official website:
    DANTE’S INFERNO has been kicking around the cultural playground for over 700 years. But it has never before been interpreted with exquisitely hand-drawn paper puppets, brought to life using purely hand-made special effects. Until now. Rediscover this literary classic, retold in a kind of apocalyptic graphic novel meets Victorian-era toy theater. Dante’s Hell is brought to lurid 3-dimensional, high-definition life in a darkly comedic travelogue of the underworld — set against an all-too-familiar urban backdrop of used car lots, gated communities, strip malls, and the U.S. Capitol. And populated with a contemporary cast of reprobates, including famous — and infamous — politicians, presidents, popes, pimps. And the Prince of Darkness himself.
    In addition to the film there's also a great selection of extras, including two commentaries (one by the filmmakers, one by Dante Scholar Peter Hawkins and puppet historian John Bell); a making of featurette; a behind the scenes photo gallery; the film's original track and MP3s of two of the songs on the soundtrack.

    I'll be reviewing this film shortly, but if the above's already got you hooked, then you can buy the DVD direct from the filmmakers for $13.99.

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    Monday, October 20, 2008

    BBC's Passion DVD Release


    Region: 2 (PAL)

    Number of discs: 2

    Classification: 15

    Studio: Acorn Media

    Release Date: Oct 2008

    Run Time: 180 minutes

    Having given the Bible Society's release of this film a four week head start, the BBC's DVD of The Passion goes on sale today. But whereas the earlier version was only available through the Bible Society, this one has been released nationwide with many online retailers offering it substantially below the £20 RRP.

    Assuming that the review discs I received a while ago have not changed in the interim, then the discs' transfers are good, but there are no special features. Indeed there doesn't even appear to be a basic menu. Whilst this does give the advantage of being able to watch it straight away, it's disappointing given the amount of material the BBC made available on the website, which will, no doubt, disappear one day.

    So, ultimately the consumer is left with a choice between the Bible Society's set with a few extra features but a substantially higher cost (and their price is unlikely to drop if past history is anything to go on), or hunting out a bargain on the official, bare bones version. One other plus point for the BBC release: its cover art is significantly better that their rival's - at least that's my opinion.

    The Times has marked the occasion with a fascinating piece Joseph Mawle (Jesus from The Passion. It's rare that a journalist just lets the actor speak for themselves, but on this occasion it's absolutely the right choice. In particular, Mawle discusses the crucifixion scene culminating in his discussion of it's after effects:
    I remember feeling like someone in a car crash — everything seemed to happen in slow motion. The sun was absolutely blinding, but I had to keep facing upwards. The director had positioned a camera above my head to capture the agony on Jesus’s face and the moment when he utters his last words.

    The scene took three days, and although I’d only been up on the cross for minutes at a time, my arms were still numb when I returned to London.
    The review has also sparked an outburst by Bite my Bible which criticises the film for portraying the resurrection as being just a "vision". To my mind that is certainly one valid interpretation of the end of the film, but only one among several possible, and equally valid, interpretations of the programme's ending. As I said at the time it also fitted the views of Wright et al. that "the failure to recognise the risen Jesus was because his resurrection body is a physical body, but one that is significantly different from his pre-resurrection body"1. Conversely, the ending could be taken as saying that the resurrection never really happened (save in the disciples' minds). What is so good about the film's ending is that it remains as open to interpretation as the gospel accounts themselves. As Doug at MetaCatholic points out Jesus is "one moment unrecognisable, the next known. One moment nowhere to be seen, the next in the middle of the room. How do you do justice to that in a visual medium, as opposed to an oral one?". Indeed given the variety of post-resurrection accounts in the gospels, and the low, albeit vital, correlation between these accounts, I wonder if the problem for some more conservative commentators is that this film is a little too "faithful to the gospel narrative"2. Hat Tip to Mark Goodacre

    1 - This is a quotation from my earlier piece not one from Wright himself
    2 - Mark Thompson. Cited at Bite my Bible - http://www.bitemybible.com/2008/10/the-bbc-is-anti.html - from either a talk held by the public theology think-tank Theos or his lecture at Westminster Cathedral earlier this year.

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    Friday, October 10, 2008

    "The Jesus I Never Knew" on DVD

    One of the things that really got me into this whole Bible films thing, was reading Philip Yancey's book "The Jesus I Never Knew" about ten years ago. I had already been trying to find a decent portrayal of Jesus in film, but Yancey's book, which refers to different Jesus films in a number of places opened me up to new ideas. There's a wonderful section early on where he talks about Pasolini's Gospel According to St. Matthew, and he also discusses how he used to lead classes comparing various film versions of a particular episode in the gospels. He also whet my appetite for the BBC's Son of Man which, sadly, still awaits a wider release.

    I later learned that a course pack had been put together, with a leader's guide, participants' guide and a VHS video (remember those?) containing several clips. But it was really highly priced, and whilst it seemed likely that it would contain clips from the then unseen Son of Man, I simply couldn't afford it. It soon went out of print and Amazon Marketplace and eBay seemed to offer no solace.

    So I was really pleased to discover recently that this pack has now been released on DVD, and much more reasonably priced (RRP $24.99). It looks like it was released in May this year, so I'm surprised I hadn't heard anyone mention it prior to a chance encounter on eBay.

    I've now had a chance to flick through the material. The DVD comes with a Leader's Guide booklet to accompany the participants' guides (which you purchase separately), which is also provided as a PDF. There's a bit of extra information ("More About Philip", "Additional Resources" and "Also from Zondervan") on the disc, but the main component is the video material for the six sessions.
    The set up of these sessions has clearly been thought through well. The material switches between group questions and discussion and some dialogue from Yancey interspersed with Jesus film clips. There's no need for group leaders to faff around with remote controls trying to pause in the right place: when it's time for the group discussion the DVD simply goes to a holding menu-type screen and awaits further instruction. Typically each session opens with a 5 minute introduction from Yancey, then some opening group questions. The main part of the session comprises 15 minutes from the DVD; 10 minutes discussion about the video; and a twenty minute "Bible Exploration". Yancey takes a couple of minutes to wrap up and there's a final question for the group to close.

    Yancey's video bits jump between him addressing the audience directly, and watching clips from eight different films:
    From the Manger to the Cross (1912)
    The King of Kings (1927)
    Gospel According to St. Matthew (1964)
    Son of Man (1969)
    The Gospel Road (1973)
    Jesus of Nazareth (1977)
    Jesus (1979)
    Heaven (1987)
    In some ways that's quite an eclectic mix, and doubtless, some of those films will be unfamiliar to some. The inclusion of several scenes from Son of Man is a particular highlight. That said, this selection is limited in two ways. Firstly, most these films tend to be those already beloved by the evangelical community who are the most likely audience for this course. Those that could be seen as a little more controversial, like From the Manger or Son of Man are largely unknown. Last Temptation of Christ or Jesus Christ Superstar are certainly significant omissions.

    Secondly, these films are now all quite dated. These clips were originally collated for the VHS set, which was released in 2001, so more recent films like The Passion of the Christ and The Gospel of John hadn't yet been made. Furthermore, whilst a bunch of Jesus films were released in 1999 (Jesus, Mary, the Mother of Jesus, The Miracle Maker, The Revolutionary, it's unlikely that there was sufficient time to incorporate them into the project. The result is that those viewing these clips today will find that even the most recent portrayal of Jesus they are shown is 30 years old. Yancey's clips have also aged a little bit. It's funny how quickly things like this move on.

    But it's good to see this course finally become more widely available. I'm thinking of running a modified version of it in the spring, although I'm entirely sure how I'll go about it. Watch this space!

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    Tuesday, October 07, 2008

    Son of Man DVD Finally Gets a Region 2 Release Date



    Release Date: 3 Nov '08
    Studio: Spier Films

    Format : Region 2 DVD
    Number of discs: 1

    Classification: 12
    Run Time: 96 minutes

    ASIN: B001GVN87Y


    It's been a long time in coming but it look like 2006's Son of Man (see previous posts) will finally be released on DVD next month. Although there's nothing on the film's official web site, it's now listed at Amazon who confirm the release date as the 3rd November. There's no word yet as to whether there will be any special features, but I hope to find out soon.

    Thanks to Kevin Neece for the tip off.

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    Monday, September 22, 2008

    Bible Society Releases Passion DVD

    The Bible Society released their resources on BBC1's The Passion today. The major news in their 3 disc DVD (above right) which contains all four episodes and a number of extras. The site actually gives two list of extras, one for teachers and the other for churches, and it's a little unclear as to whether this means that you can opt for one or the other or whether both lots of extras are included in the one set. What is clear is that the third disc is actually a CD-ROM, the notes from which are available to purchase pre-printed (above left).

    The full list of extras are listed as follows:
    For Teachers:
    DVD features special Clips for Schools menus, giving instant access to clips identified in the classroom resources.

    The CD-ROM - features a range of RE creative learning activities produced by top educational writers and advisors providing

    * Fully developed classroom resources linked to film clips for Key Stage 3, GCSE and 16+ general RE - all keyed into national guidelines and criteria for learning objectives and assessment.
    * Worksheets and handouts to project and copy.
    * Reflective activities and discussion starters.
    * Ideas for collective worship and animated slide show suitable for collective worship and class use.
    * A unique, dramatic and inspiring perspective on the person of Jesus, Holy Week and Easter and the Christian faith.
    * Creative viewing and thinking strategies using the DVD.
    * Certificate 12, Region 2 PAL, Length: 180 mins.
    * Includes English subtitles.
    * Teaching resources also available separately as a 44-page printed book.

    For Churches:
    * The CD-ROM features a range of stimulating and creative resources to integrate the BBC series in your church, home group, Lent programmes and Christian enquirers' groups.
    * Step-by-step discussion guide through all four episodes with the option of dividing the material into six Lent sessions.
    * Reflective activities and creative discussion starters.
    * Creative viewing and thinking strategies using the DVD.
    * Ideas for use in worship
    One bonus of this release is that "the DVD may be shown in home, educational, church and cultural settings provided there is no admission charge" which is actually very rare.

    The BBC DVD goes on sale next month, but at the same price (RRP£19.99) and seemingly without this sets host of extras I'm not really sure what the point is. It does have better cover art (I don't really like this set's cover at all), and I suppose it may be available more cheaply. For example Amazon are selling it for just £12.98 at the minute.

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    Wednesday, July 30, 2008

    The Passion Coming to DVD


    Region: 2 (PAL)

    Number of discs: 2

    Classification: 15

    Studio: Acorn Media

    Release Date: Oct 2008

    Run Time: 180 minutes

    Mark Goodacre has the news that The Passion is coming to DVD in October. However, it's a bit unclear what the actual release date will be. Amazon lists it as 20th October whilst the BBC Shop has the date given a fortnight earlier on the 6th. Given the confusion over this back in April, and that the Bible Society have been promising their own version in late summer, it's anyone's guess. My hunch is that the BBC may be reserving the right to have exclusive sales for the first two weeks, but who knows.

    There's no news on what, if any, extra features will be included, but given the wealth of material that was released in the run up to this programme's broadcast, it would be strange if some of it didn't make it's way onto disc. Mind you, I said the same about The Nativity Story and almost 2 years on we're still waiting.

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    Wednesday, July 23, 2008

    Quo Vadis Coming to DVD

    Peter Chattaway has the news that 1951's Quo Vadis is finally getting a DVD release. The film, which is the most famous of at least 8 different adaptations of Henry Siekiewicz's novel, is due for release to DVD in November, with a Blu-Ray edition due in time for Easter 2009.

    In addition to being the most expensive film ever made at the time of its release, Quo Vadis is famous for Peter Ustinov's startling performance as Nero, and for giving film débuts to two of cinema's most iconic stars - Elizabeth Taylor and Sophia Loren.

    A press release from Warner Home Video promises a new documentary on the making of the film and a commentary by filmmaker/writer F.X. Feeney. I'll post more details as I get them.

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    Thursday, July 03, 2008

    Mary German DVD Release

    Abel Ferrara's Mary is released on DVD in Germany tomorrow, and I'm struck by just how different the German cover (on the left) is to the French version (right). I own the French version, and the colour tones and lighting of that cover appear to emphasise the film's biblical component, whereas the German version seems to stress the modern day angle. Given that very little of the film is set in the past (or rather a film of the past) this is perhaps gives a better sense of what the film is about. On the other hand, aside from loyal Ferrara fans, the film's religious angle is probably its biggest draw (or perhaps third behind Binoche). I also wonder, though whether this is to do with the predominance of Catholicism in France and of Protestantism in Germany.

    For what it's worth it looks like the DVD has both English and German soundtracks, but only German subtitles. My previous posts on this film include my review and some scene analysis with extensive quotes form the film.

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    Monday, June 09, 2008

    Color of the Cross 2: The Resurrection - Now out on DVD

    A few years ago it seemed like there was a host of potential films being made about the resurrection. At that time there was, of course, a good deal of speculation as to whether Mel Gibson would make a sequel to The Passion of the Christ, but other projects were being discussed such as Risen: The Story of the First Easter, and Tim LaHaye's The Resurrection. So I'm a little embarrassed that the first such film to be completed since then flew in under my radar.

    Color of the Cross 2: The Resurrection is, as you'd expect, the sequel to 2006's Color of the Cross produced by and starring Jean Claude LaMarre. And it seems that it was released in March - seemingly straight to DVD. The DVD has been released by Lightyear, and whilst there's isn't much in the way of information at their site, they do offer the following synopsis:
    From director Jean Claude LaMarre (Color of the Cross) comes another epic film about the ministry of Jesus Christ. This daring film portrays the resurrection of Jesus Christ and his ministry after his death. After the crucifixion of Jesus the disciples go into hiding believing their lives are in danger. They had lost all hope that Jesus would come back to them as He had prophesied. Three days after his death Mary Magdalene Mary the mother of Jesus and other women go up to the tomb to put spices on Christ's body. They are shocked to find the tomb completely empty. Jesus' body is gone. The now frightened women go running out of the tomb when two angels stop them. They declare to the women that Christ has risen! The women still bewildered go and spread the news to the disciples. Created with the same enthusiasm and astonishing interpretations as Color of the Cross The Resurrection brings a new perspective of the resurrection and ascension of Christ.
    The DVD is available from Amazon who are also amongst a number of companies offering it for direct download.It seems unlikely to be a classic. The original was below average, and at present the IMDb is giving the sequel is a mere 1.1 (out of ten!).

    Reviews are pretty thin on the ground. The best I came across was from a reviewer on Amazon who calls the film "an 85 minute misery". It appears the film uses some footage from the first film, but that the cast has changed leaving poorly re-dubbed dialogue. It's also criticised for "poor make-up and constuming (sic.)" and "bad acting".

    One interesting point the reviewer does raise is that, like the BBC's The Passion this film also attempts a creative solution as to why Jesus wasn't instantly recognised. It's clear from the image above (captured from the trailer) that the resurrected Jesus is now bald and clean shaven. This is an interesting solution, but seems a little odd given that the original film's main premise was largely based on a specific interpretation of Rev 1:14's description of the resurrected Jesus's hair as "like wool". Whereas most (white) commentators would consider this metaphor's point of similarity to be about the color of wool/Jesus's hair, the filmmakers took it as a suggestion that Jesus had African-type "wooly" hair. But if the resurrected Jesus is bald then that raises a few questions. Perhaps it grows back?

    That said, this reviewer also adds that Jesus initially appears as an old man as well, so perhaps the color of Jesus's hair comes into play as well which would give the simile a greater degree of correspondence than is normally taken. Either way the transition to a bald and shaved Jesus seems to work better for LaMarre than it would have for most of the other actors to have played Jesus, and also has echoes of Woody Strode's Black Jesus. Whilst the trailer is up at YouTube, there's not much other information available. I've struggled in vain to find an official site for the film, and even the site for the original film has now been taken down. There are a few photos out there, however, courtesy of David Novak who plays Caiaphas.

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    Sunday, April 27, 2008

    Bits and Pieces on The Passion
    DVD Mystery, More Q&A, The Reader

    Ever since the final broadcast of The Passion, I've been keeping a keen eye on Amazon for news of its release to DVD. There's been a page up there for the DVD for sometime, but, in spite of the 28th April release date, the spartan looking cover shot hasn't really inspired much confidence that it's being released any time soon. Nor is there anything about it on the distributors site, Fremantle Home Entertainment. I seem to remember that a few weeks back there was something about the film, but that could just be my imagination!

    Moreover, there's the BBC Shop which currently just returns the message "This product is not available to view" on an otherwise blank page. Yet, according to Google cache, there was a whole page on the DVD at one point. So I've no idea what's going on, but it doesn't look like this DVD will be coming out tomorrow, (although you never can tell).

    In other news, Mark Goodacre has linked to another set of Q&A which this time deal with issues raised by the show's portrayal of the death and resurrection scenes. There are some interesting answers there, not least getting some clarification over the portrayal of various parts of the story.

    Finally, the latest issue of the C of E's Reader Magazine has just been published including a brief piece I wrote about The Passion. I think I tagged this on to a previous post after its initial publication, so some of you may have missed it.

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    Friday, April 18, 2008

    Screenings / DVD for Dante's Inferno

    Back in June I wrote about an animated version of Dante's Inferno using cardboard cut-outs. Well the latest news is that the film now has a few screenings lined up, and that it should be released onto DVD in August or September. The screening details are somewhat few and far between:
    Amsterdam Fantastic Film Festival
    Amsterdam, The Netherlands
    Thursday, April 17, 2008, at 22:20
    •Sandow and Elyse will attend.

    Margate Rocks 08
    Margate, UK
    Saturday, May 3, 2008 at 6pm

    Great Small Works,
    8th International Toy Theater Festival
    dumbo, Brooklyn, NY
    Thursday, May 29th at 10pm
    •
    REDCAT Theater at Disney Hall
    Los Angeles, CA
    Sunday, June 15, 2008
    •Members of the team may attend•

    Santa Monica Museum of Art
    Santa Monica, CA
    Saturday, July 19, 2008
    •Sean, Sandow, and Elyse will attend.

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