Sunday, November 25, 2018

The Essential Films Podcast: Episode #027 - BEN-HUR (1959)



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EPISODE DESCRIPTION

On today’s adventure, Adolfo and Mark unsheathe their swords and grab some sandals as they discuss William Wyler’s 1959 cinematic epic, BEN-HUR! On this week’s show:


  • Sauce or gravy?
  • Thanksgiving Movie Traditions
  • William Wyler’s work on the original BEN-HUR
  • “It took a Jew to make a good movie about Jesus.”
  • The genre of Christian Epics
  • Not showing Jesus’ face
  • No CGI, just a lot of money put into practical effects, props and sets
  • Charlton as a Jew or as a Mexican?
  • Homoerotic subtext?
  • Christian fan service
  • Jesus cameos
  • Heston is JACKED
  • BROWN FACE!!
  • Leprechaun Colonies
  • Ben-Her and Ben-His



FILMS REFERENCED:


  • THE BIRTH OF A NATION (1915)
  • BEN-HUR: A TALE OF THE CHRIST (1925)
  • ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT (1930)
  • GONE WITH THE WIND (1939)
  • MIRACLE ON 34th STREET (1947)
  • QUO VADIS (1951)
  • THE ROBE (1953)
  • THE TEN COMMANDMENTS (1956)
  • TOUCH OF EVIL (1958)
  • SPARTACUS (1960)
  • BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY’S (1961)
  • THE KING OF KINGS (1961)
  • LAWRENCE OF ARABIA (1962)
  • THE FALL OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE (1964)
  • THE GREATEST STORY OF EVER TOLD (1965)
  • THE BIBLE… IN THE BEGINNING (1966)
  • CALIGULA (1979)
  • REDS (1981)
  • PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES (1987)
  • THE LAST TEMPTATION OF CHRIST (1988)
  • FORREST GUMP (1994)
  • TITANIC (1997)
  • SAVING PRIVATE RYAN (1998)
  • STAR WARS: EPISODE I - THE PHANTOM MENACE (1999)
  • THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RETURN OF THE KING (2003)
  • THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST (2004)
  • THE HATEFUL EIGHT (2015)


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