Ben-Hur's Recent Activity - Spout

Film:Ben-Hur

Tue, 21 Jul 2009 21:57:42 GMT

Title: Ben-Hur
Year: 1959
Director: William Wyler
Plot: This 1959 version of Lew Wallace's best-selling novel, which had already seen screen versions in 1907 and 1926, went on to win 11 Academy Awards. Adapted by Karl Tunberg and a raft of uncredited writers including Gore Vidal and Maxwell Anderson, the film once more recounts the tale of Jewish prince Judah Ben-Hur (Charlton Heston), who lives in Judea with his family during the time that Jesus Christ was becoming known for his "radical" teachings. Ben-Hur's childhood friend Messala (Stephen Boyd) is now an ambitious Roman tribune; when Ben-Hur refuses to help Messala round up local dissidents on behalf of the emperor, Messala pounces on the first opportunity to exact revenge on his onetime friend. Tried on a trumped-up charge of attempting to kill the provincial governor (whose head was accidentally hit by a falling tile), Ben-Hur is condemned to the Roman galleys, while his mother (Martha Scott) and sister (Cathy O'Donnell) are imprisoned. But during a sea battle, Ben-Hur saves the life of commander Quintus Arrius (Jack Hawkins), who, in gratitude, adopts Ben-Hur as his son and gives him full control over his stable of racing horses. Ben-Hur never gives up trying to find his family or exact revenge on Messala. At crucial junctures in his life, he also crosses the path of Jesus, and each time he benefits from it. The highlight of the film's 212 minutes is its now-legendary chariot race, staged largely by stunt expert Yakima Canutt. Ben-Hur's Oscar haul included Best Picture, Best Director for the legendary William Wyler, Best Actor for Heston, and Best Supporting Actor for Welsh actor Hugh Griffith as an Arab sheik. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Times Tagged: 62
Number of Lists: 35
Number of blog posts: 4
Number of discussion threads: 5
SpoutRating: 3

Spout Post: Viewing Ben-Hur for the AFI Project

Mon, 30 Nov 2009 04:13:35 GMT

Post By: pippin06
Post To: Reel Thoughts
Post Date: 11/29/2009 11:13:35 PM
Body: What's the AFI project, you ask? For more information, or if you just enjoy my bemused ramblings, read here:http://www.spout.com/blogs/pippin06/archive/2008/3/1/25756.aspx Ben-Hur is on the following AFI lists: The Original Top 100 (#72)100 Most Heart-Pounding Movies (#49)25 Film Scores (#21)100 Most Inspiring Movies (#56)The Revised Top 100 (#100)10 Top 10's (#2 Epic) Ben-Hur was Instantly viewed on Netflix, but oh how I avoided this film like the seventh plague until this project. For various reasons, I have always been turned off by these biblical epics; I mean, I suppose they're somewhat more interesting than a visit to church, but they are, as a rule, long, overblown, and, statistically speaking, feature Charlton Heston, of whom I am not much of a fan. This is one of the films on the list that I only agreed to watch because it was on the list, like The Birth of a Nation. Unexpectedly, I did sort of like the movie; it was better than I thought it was going to be. Still, it was a bit long and overblown. I'll get to that in a minute. Good old Chuck plays Judah Ben-Hur, a prince among the Jews in Judea, which has recently been conquered by the Roman Empire. The subtitle of this film is "A Tale of the Christ;" which exists because Ben-Hur's struggles are contemporaneous to (and in some ways mirror) the life and death of Jesus Christ. Judah is visited by his childhood friend, a Roman named Messala (Stephen Boyd), who has recently been appointed tribune. His childhood idealism has morphed into naked ambition, and he wants Judah to help convince the Jews that the Romans are really copacetic guys who are there to keep peace and order for the Emperor (Caesar, according to the film). While Judah agrees to preach his own personal philosophy of non-violence toward everyone, he refuses to betray the names of potential resistors to Messala, which would only condemn them to their deaths, thereby inciting a deep divide between the two friends that cannot be mended. In fact, eager to prove his authority and standing, Messala looks for any chance he can to make an example of Judah. Unfortunately, Judah's sister accidentally disturbs a rooftop tile as the Governor of the Judean province passes in a parade of arms, and while Judah claims responsibility in order to protect his sister, though insisting that it was still an accident, Messala chooses to throw Judah, his sister, and his mother, despite having known them since being a boy, into the citadel. Judah is eventually moved to rowing in the galleys of the Roman fleet, where after years of improbable survival, he manages to save the emperor's consul, Commander Quintus Arrius (Jack Hawkins) after an attack by opposing Macedonians. This act of bravery results in a close bond formed between the two. The consul adopts Judah as his son, in turn bequeathing Ben-Hur with standing amongst the Romans and allowing him freedom to seek out his mother and sister as well as the ability to continue his highly-skilled charioteering and to seek revenge on Messala. At critical points, when Judah is about to lose all hope and/or his life, he encounters Jesus without realizing who he is and benefits from these meetings, until Judah is finally made to realize who the kind stranger is and how his benevolence has helped him and his family in so many ways. In my mind, Ben-Hur plays like a well-orchestrated mess. The film could very easily be divided into three movements: the first surrounds the intrigue of Judah's meeting with Messala and the circumstances that lead to his imprisonment and eventual emancipation. The second involves Judah's progression toward revenge, which incorporates the chariot race trumpeted by most who elevate the film's status amongst the greats. The third involves the denouement toward which the story progresses, when Judah seeks out his mother and sister, who have since become lepers after a long stay in the Roman prison system, and his final encounter with Jesus. While these story segments do form one cohesive whole with an overarching theme, each segment offers an individual tone, pacing, and atmosphere that differs from the other two segments, and because these divisions and separations are felt, the overlong running time is also felt. And the film was overlong. Due to the film's epic scope, some scenes were stretched to gargantuan lengths to incorporate the expensive grandeur employed in the costumes, art direction, cinematography, and visual effects. The presentation of the charioteers in the race, which occurs two-thirds of the way into the film (as the climax to the second segment), was several minutes on its own, no doubt due to the fact that director William Wyler really wanted to drive home the scope of filming something so large and complex. In fact, in places where such an aesthetic was clearly the aim, the scenes tended to run several minutes long (the Macedonian attack, etc.). All in all, some more careful editing might have trimmed the film to, at least, a streamlined three hours, but I'm probably being blasphemous when discussing the amputation of one of the "greats" that won 11 Oscars. Moreover, the acting was very theatrical and melodramatic on all fronts, from Mr. Heston to some of the supporting characters/performers. As such, it was hard to connect to any of the characters, though many of the ideas being explored, especially in relationship to the fundamentals of Christianity, might impress many viewers. I did enjoy the spectacle that the film offered, as the film clearly deserved at most of its many Oscars. The attention to detail paid to the backdrops, costumes, and surrounding sets to recreate a convincing Roman Empire were rather astounding to behold. Also, the score by Miklos Rozsa was extremely moving and served to tell the story as much as the actions being performed and the words being spoken (and is another example of movie underscoring that could likely stand on its own). In essence, the film was not as bad as I thought it was going to be. It was exciting (thought not necessarily heart-pounding) in places and moving in others, and the film was certainly inspirational, as it drew parallels between Ben-Hur's life and that of Jesus Christ. My biggest narrative problem was feeling that Messala's comeuppance, while grisly, was not satisfying, as his character stubbornly adhered to the tenets of the Empire he served, even if the example set by his leaders might not be the right one; of course, his character might have remained the villain even in death in order to highlight the benevolence of Ben-Hur (and, of course, of Jesus). Yet, I still liked the movie because it was such a grand spectacle, because Wyler clearly took risks to satisfy his spectacle-laden vision, and because Mr. Heston was actually a charismatic leading man. On the other hand, the film was, in many ways, just what I predicted it would be, so I feel inclined to rate this film a 7.5, between shaky/entertaining and minor flaws/very good. Others may disagree, but I find that while some aspects of the film can truly be considered timeless, not all aspects of the film will hold up (consider that the AFI dropped Ben-Hur 28 spots on the Revised list to the #100 placement). The test, then, does not pass. There are only four four-hour films I have patience to watch repeatedly, as a rule, and three of them have "Lord of the Rings" in the title. I think people who enjoy the sort of classic epic spectacle coupled with the religious parable that this film provides will enjoy Ben-Hur, even though my personal preferences and biases prevent from completely enjoying it myself.

Spout Post: Re:Weekly Theme for November 3: The Movies in the Movie

Tue, 04 Nov 2008 07:01:40 GMT

Post By: rangertx
Post To: Weekly Theme
Post Date: 11/4/2008 2:01:40 AM
Body: [quote user="leeroy711"] Here's an idea I got from Gremlins. I bought this one from the $5 bin at Wal-Mart this weekend to show my kids on Halloween. One thing that struck me while watching this was the unusually high amount of references to other movies contained in withing the film. At one point we see It's A Wonderful Life being watched on a TV in the kitchen. This is a pretty common reference for Christmas movie. Then, in the pivotal scene that the mogwais are fed after midnight, we see the original Invasion of the Body Snatchers. Later the gremlins are watching Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. There are quite a few references to Spielberg films, both blatant and subtle. The marquee of the theater has two films being showed: A Boy's Life (which was the working title for E.T.) and Watch The Skies.( working title for Close Encounters of a Third Kind.) There are really too many to name, I even saw The Road Warrior poster hanging in the bedroom. So have at it. There it is. I think that a lot of these are put in film just for people like us. Some are so sublte that only the true movie nerds will get them. So, what do y'all think? Do you jump for joy when you see one of your favorite classics referenced in a movie? Or, do you just hate it? And more importantly, why?? [/quote] So I actually love when I am watching a film and I see or hear a reference to another film. I was just watching Any Given Sunday. During the scene that Al Pacino is trying to motivate Jamie Fox Ben Hur is playing in the backroom. Oliver Stone sliced in moments of Jamie's speech with scenes from Ben Hur. I know that there so many other flics that have these moments but this is the only one that comes to mind.

Spout Post: The Good, the Bad, and the Weird dir. Kim Ji-Woon, Telluride 2008

Wed, 03 Sep 2008 21:01:21 GMT

Post By: SpoutBlog
Post To: SpoutBlog on spout.com
Post Date: 9/3/2008 5:01:21 PM
Body: Ever since the great Italian director Sergio Leone rode into town, it’s been clear that the Western is not solely the domain of American filmmakers. Leone’s Spaghetti Westerns boosted Clint Eastwood’s career and forever changed the genre. A new film from Korea, what many are calling a Kimchi Western, may change the genre once again. Kim Ji-Woon’s The Good, the Bad, and the Weird is in many ways an homage to Leone’s The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, but is also an excellent example of the energy and originality emerging in Korean cinema. The Good, the Bad, and the Weird, set in Manchuria in the 1930’s, follows the story of three bandits, all in pursuit of map that leads to an untold amount of treasure. Woo-sung Jung (the Good), Byung-hun Lee (the Bad), and Kang-ho Song (the Weird) all give excellent performances. Cool and outrageous enough for an action comedy, but not overdone. Kang-ho Song, who you may recognize from the hit Korean monster movie The Host, is particularly good at playing his own brand of lovable dork. The plot is not particularly dense, but it doesn’t need to be. The action is relentless through the entire two hour run time, and it’s delightful. Each fight scene is a perfect blend of comedy, thrilling choreography, and excellent scoring. The centerpiece of the final act is an epic desert chase scene involving horses, motorcycles, Mongol bandits, and the Japanese Army. In a Q&A following a screening at Telluride, director Kim Ji-Woon said he told the crew working on that scene to watch Ben-Hur and Mad Max for inspiration. It payed off. I got a chance to talk to Kim Ji-Woon about the film and where he sees himself going from here: Spout: Why a western? What drew you to that genre? Kim Ji-Woon: I think I was impressed as a youth when I watched the Spaghetti Westerns of Sergio Leone. And somewhere in the back of my mind I thought if I ever direct, I must do a Western. So I thought long and hard about how to create an Asian Western, and like all Westerns, you need this big canvas. I thought that the historical canvas of what was happening in the 1930s amongst the Chinese, Japanese, and the Koreans, I thought that would be a great backdrop [for] a Korean Western. Spout: It’s interesting, because of course, Sergio Leone was an Italian director who breathed new life into this very American genre. And now you’re revitalizing the genre in your own way. Of course Leone did not set his Westerns in Italy, he set it in the American West, can you explain that choice a little bit? Kim: I wanted to make a movie with Korean actors, so I thought if I tried to make a Western in America with Korean actors, it would no longer be a Western, it would turn into science fiction [laughs]. Spout: I was curious about those characters. Could you just talk a bit about casting a developing each of them? As I watched the film, they’re all so likable in their own way, the bad guy is such a great villain, they’re all so engaging… Kim: Initially, like all films, the characters start out with a single trait. But in a good film, as the movie develops, each character takes on many traits. So the good person takes on traits of the bad and the weird, and so on. As the situation is created and changes, you get to see all the aspects of that character. So although they all have characteristics that shift throughout the movie, I think the title is most appropriate to the last scene of the movie. Spout: I was curious about the fight choreography, it was brilliant, for one thing, and also it seemed like there was an element of slapstick comedy in certain scenes, especially with Tae-Goo’s character (the Weird). Kim: I wasn’t out to make just an action-packed movie, I wanted to make a movie that was balanced with action and humor. And because of the actor who played the Weird, and his capabilities, he brought so much to the film in his own portrayal of that character. Putting three of the top male leading actors [in Korea] is a stunt in itself. So there was a lot of fun and new things that came out of that situation. There were all kinds of discussions, like the actor who played the bad guy, after seeing the actor who played the good guy twirl his rifle, he said, ‘I want a rifle! I must have a rifle!’ And Mr. Song, the actor who played the Weird, said, ‘God, those guys look so great! I want to look great for a moment, too!’ The actor who played the good guy said, ‘I know I’m really cool and all, but can’t I have a comedic moment once in a while?’ Spout: In this Q&A just now, the name Quentin Tarantino came up. That is a comparison that will probably be drawn, especially with the bending of the genre, also East meets West. Is Quentin Tarantino an influence, or is he just somebody who has a similar sensibility in blending genres? Kim: I think because we’re contemporaries, and because we have similar influences in the type of movies we watch, what people are probably noticing are things that we’ve taken away from our similar history and seeing it projected in our work. We could say we’re kind of headed towards each other, he’s starting in the West moving East, and I’m starting in the East moving West. Maybe when we meet in the middle there will be something really interesting that will happen. Spout: Have you ever thought of trying to direct in Hollywood, with a Hollywood studio or American cast? Kim: Ever since the movie A Tale of Two Sisters I’ve been receiving a lot of scripts from Hollywood, and certainly if I read a script that speaks to me, and if I feel inspired to direct, it’s always a possibility. One of the things that has been a concern for me is that I hear in America the director’s cut is not something that’s naturally given to the director. So it’s a big concern for someone like me who has had directors cut. Spout: Do you think in the Korean film industry you get more creative control, as a rule? Kim: I think Korea is a great place for directors, you’re a big part of the creative process. Not only the editing, but all the different elements of making the film. Korean directors are also writers and producers, and they’re involved in the marketing and distribution. They’re really auteurs. A director’s work is never finished in Korea, it’s endless. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog

Spout Post: Re:Cause & Effect

Sat, 19 Jul 2008 15:46:58 GMT

Post By: joem18b
Post To: Movie Games
Post Date: 7/19/2008 11:46:58 AM
Body: The Israelites return to their land, led by C. Heston (The Ten Commandments, 1956), but then the Romans show up three years later to hassle Heston himself (Ben Hur, 1959).

Spout Post: Ben-Hur (1959, USA, William Wyler) ***

Wed, 14 May 2008 05:14:14 GMT

Post By: CinemaRian
Post To: CinemaRian Blog
Post Date: 5/14/2008 1:14:14 AM
Body: Ben-Hur is entertaining on the most basic, primal level of cinema- it shows you something they photographed. The story is obvious, the acting is mostly hammy, the movie has ideas that could be articulated in a Sunday School class. But, as uncool as it may be to like this movie, I must say I did-it looked cool and it help my interest, most the time anyway. Based on the novel by Civil War General Lew Wallace, which I have not read (why would I?) the movie recounts the adventures of Judah Ben-Hur (Charlton Heston) a Jewish prince who is falsey accused with his mother and sister of attempted murder by his ex-gay lover Messala (Stephen Boyd), consul to the Roman govenor of Judea. He is made a galley slave and has numerous adventures while trying to find and free his mother and sister, and also has a few encounters of a religious figure of some renown. Is Charlton Heston hammy? Yes, but that hamminess at least means that he has a strong screen presence and we don't tire of watching him for four hours. He is easy to make fun of, but few actor are better at getting really really angry on screen (Al Pacino is one of them) and he really holds our attention. Stephen Boyd is the only actor in this movie who tries to create a three deminsional character with psychological motivation, everybody else, such as Hugh Griffith as Sheik Ildirum, the Arab equistrain is playing stereotypes (Griffith also won an Oscar). Even though the screenplay was co-written by acclaimed novelist Gore Vidal, the movie is really, really stupid. Not one interesting idea is presented in it's three + hours. Some the simplistic ideas, such as "Jesus is good" I agree with, but a movie should go beyond such simplistic thaught. But, despite some slow streches (such as totally unnessary romance between Heston and Haya Harareet), the movie maintains interest for it's running time. The chariot race is one of the greatest action sequences in movie history and it is really impressive to see such huge sets and historic costumes. At times I really did feel like I was back in ancient Rome, although our historian friend Bryan told us that movie wasn't that historically accurate. SPOILER ALERT. I think that the movie also ends really well, although no one who watched this movie with me agrees. I think that Wyler did a terrific job in filming the Crucifixation. I did not think that the miracle at the end was stupid- Jesus was a miracle worker. The ending of the film has a sort of poetic quality that works. I honestly do not see why other people of faith at the screening thought it was stupid, although it's Catholic litergical elements might have appealed to me alone. So is Ben-Hur a movie worth seeing? Yes, if you like epic movies, and most cineasts should probably check out the movie that blew out the 1959 Oscars. It probably didn't deserve any of them (except for Art Direction, which as I stated above is really impressive). Anatomy of a Murder was a better, smater film, Jimmy Stewart and George C. Scott as that film's dualing lawyers were better than Heston and Griffith here, and Otto Preminger is a way better director than William Wyler. But hey- this movie is a lot fun. It's a great film to watch if you are sick and have an afternoon to kill. Ben-Hur (1959)

Spout Post: Ben-Hur: The Remake as Tribute

Thu, 10 Apr 2008 21:00:39 GMT

Post By: SpoutBlog
Post To: SpoutBlog on spout.com
Post Date: 4/10/2008 5:00:39 PM
Body: I couldn’t believe that news of another Ben-Hur adaptation would appear in the trades so soon after the death of Charlton Heston, but this story indeed appeared in Variety yesterday, detailing plans for a $30 million miniseries to be directed by Christian Duguay (The Art of War) and produced by David Wyler, whose father, William Wyler, directed the 1959 classic starring Heston. And as is common for modern versions of things, the miniseries will be targeted at a younger audience, few of whom are likely watching Turner Classic Movies for its regular showings of the the Oscar-winning 1959 version (hey, kids, it’s in color, at least), despite the existence of this very, very appealing trailer. Wyler intends to skew the lead role younger, placing Ben-Hur in his mid-20s. New version will also downplay the religious aspects of the source material. And yet the miniseries will also reportedly be “based more closely on the 1880 Lew Wallace novel than either the 1959 version or 1925 silent adaptation.” Let’s not forget the 1907 one, which I seem to remember not being that adequate a translation, or the animated film from 2003, which appropriately featured Heston doing the voice of the character he portrayed almost a half century earlier. It would seem after a cartoon version, we don’t need another attempt to target the youth. And after Heston reprised his role, it would seem we don’t need another attempt to pay tribute to his performance. But Wyler Jr. thinks we do, and Jeff Wells at Hollywood Elsewhere is quite unhappy with the notion: Problem #1 is that the present-tense Wyler told Variety’s Ali Jaafar and John Hopewell that “in my mind” the miniseries “is dedicated to my dad and [Charlton Heston]…we think it’s a great way to keep his memory alive.” Never, ever make a movie as a tribute to anyone or anything. Make it only for reasons that are tied to the present and future tense. Make it for your own reasons, because you have a vision or at least a concept that you’re burning to put onto a big screen. I completely agree, and I recall another person’s attempt to honor his ancestor with a modern remake. And Simon Wells’ The Time Machine was probably the worst film of 2002. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog

Spout Post: Farewell to one of the Greats...

Sun, 06 Apr 2008 19:04:48 GMT

Post By: Dr_Gor
Post To: HORROR MOVIES 101
Post Date: 4/6/2008 3:04:48 PM
Body: Last night, Saturday, April 5, 2008, Charlton Heston died at his home in Beverly Hills after a lengthy battle with alzheimer's disease. He was 84. Mr. Heston was truly a legendary and iconic actor who will be remembered forever. But more than that, he was truly a great man, as well. His 64 year marriage to wife Lydia, who was at his side when he died, is a testament to what kind of a man he was. In a town where infidelity and divorce and remarriage are the norm, Mr. Heston was the exception who lived by his own rules and standards. No obituary I could write could do justice to this most talented and amazing actor and great human being, so here is what was written in the LA Times... Charlton Heston, 84; actor, Oscar winner, played grand figures - Los Angeles Times I have been watching and enjoying Mr. Heston's films throughout my entire life. Here are some of my favorites... The Ten Commandments ; some pretty amazing special FX were overshadowed by Mr. Heston's stunning performance... Ben Hur ; Mr. Heston insisted on doing his own stunt work in the legendary chariot race even though, he admitted, after months of practice, he was not a "very good chariot driver." But not to worry... he was assured by MGM that all he had to do was stay on the chariot and he would win... Major Dundee ; read the LA Times obit, above, for a GREAT story about a confrontation between Mr. Heston and legendary insaniac director Sam Peckinpah on the set of this one... Will Penny ; as an aging saddle-tramp, Mr. Heston rescues an attractive widow and her young son from some REALLY bad guys, led by Donald Pleasance... Planet Of The Apes ; "Get your filthy paws off me, you damn, dirty APE!" ... Beneath The Planet Of The Apes ; 'Taylor' gets his ultimate revenge on those "filthy apes" ... The Omega Man ; Mr. Heston sacrifices his life to save the day yet again in one of my FAVORITE movies of ALL time... Soylent Green ; "Soylent Green is PEOPLE!!!" ... Airport 1975 ; In a most heroic fashion, Mr. Heston saves the lives of a plane-load of people... including Linda Blair! I am forever in his debt... Earthquake ; again, Mr. Heston saves the day... again at the cost of his own life... The Awakening ; as an archeologist, Mr. Heston is faced with a different type of dilemma when his attractive young daughter is possessed by the spirit of an ancient Egyptian priestess who then tries to lure him into an incestous relationship... There are many more I could mention but I will stop here for now. The world is a scarier and darker place without Charlton Heston in it and he will be missed. I drink to his memory. < GOR >

Spout Post: Re: Stephen King Movies: Favorites?

Sun, 17 Jun 2007 19:42:15 GMT

Post By: Dr_Gor
Post To: HORROR MOVIES 101
Post Date: 6/17/2007 3:42:15 PM
Body: Thank You, Robert! For sharing your encyclopedic knowledge with us! It is ALWAYS appreciated! Those are ALL certainly very good examples of 'FX' animal butchery that would make any 'animal lover' whince! However, we were talking about ACTUAL animal butchery.... and now about actual HUMAN butchery! ... Yes, as promised, I am here with more for all my little 'ghoulies' ... There have been 'rumors' of actual human death caught on film since the silent era... I assume you all know about Brandon Lee in "The Crow" and Vic Morrow in "Twilight Zone: The Movie" ... although these deaths WERE filmed (!) , that footage was NOT included in the final product! I know of ONE case where a stuntman WAS killed by a 'supposedly sedated' shark (!), and that footage WAS included in the final movie! Not once but TWICE (!) trying to pass it off as two different 'shark attacks'! ... And that movie is "SHARK!" , (1969: starring Burt Reynolds) ... watch the movie and you will see it! It is QUITE blatant! There have been persistent rumors about other movies ranging from "The Wizard Of OZ" to "How The West Was Won" and they have all proven false! "Ben-Hur" is another matter... there is an interesting story behind this one! ... I will be back with more...

Spout Post: Ben Hur

Fri, 23 Feb 2007 20:39:00 GMT

Post By: HairyLime
Post To: HairyLime Blog
Post Date: 2/23/2007 3:39:00 PM
Body: Caught the second half of this one on TCM last night (have seen it before, but it has been a loooong time). While it does have a spectacular chariot race sequence, the rest of the movie just leaves me flat. The chariot race takes place about 3/4 of the way through the movie, and then you are left with the 'leper mother and sister' storyline to keep the audiences interest for another hour. The direction and set ups, aside from the grandiose set pieces, are of the garden variety 'biblical epic' style i.e. a lot of side views, as if you are looking at rennaisance paintings (a lot of the set-ups in DeMille's Ten Commandments are cut from the same cloth).Won 'best picture' in a year with rather weak competition (although if the Academy had any guts or imagination, they would have given it to "Some Like It Hot", as well as the Best Actor award to Lemmon, which went to Heston). Heston is his usual scenery chewing self, and Hugh Griffith has some fun with his role as an Arab horse trader.Not a huge fan of the 'biblical epic', but am somewhat more interested in Roman history, and suggest: Gladiator, I, Claudius, Spartacus

Spout Post: Re: When I think of GORE, I think of...a site named bloodgutsandgore

Sat, 10 Feb 2007 01:34:40 GMT

Post By: Dr_Gor
Post To: Gorrible
Post Date: 2/9/2007 8:34:40 PM
Body: First for Puhnner... 'implied gore' goes back to the very beginning of the motion picture industry... We have previously talked about the 'classic' Universal Films of the 30's and 40's, FRANKENSTEIN and THE WOLFMAN are prime examples of this... some other 'implied gore' movies from the early years include The Phantom Of The Opera, The Hunchback Of Notre Dame, BEN HUR, and several of the great 'Hammer' films from England in the 60's... but, I think the all time KING of 'implied gore' movies would be the original TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE (!) ... if you re-watch this masterpeice of modern horror, you will notice that there is virtually NO on-screen gore (!!!)... And now for 'serioussmoker'... OK, how many of THESE serious 'GORE-FILMS' have you seen? ... Suspiria (1977) - Details - Spout Deep Red (1975) - Details - Spout The Beyond (1981) - Details - Spout The House by the Cemetery (1981) - Details - Spout Don't Torture a Duckling (1972) - Details - Spout Cannibal Ferox (1981) - Details - Spout Cannibal Holocaust (1979) - Details - Spout *this is where the idea for "The Blair Witch" came from! ... Blood Feast (1963) - Details - Spout The Wizard of Gore (1970) - Details - Spout Doctor Gore (1972) - Details - Spout *named after ME ;) ... This movie came out when I was 12 years old, and I had already earned my 'now-famous' nickname by then... ... I can think of MANY more, but time runs short...

Spout Tag:love

Fri, 11 Dec 2009 01:28:29 GMT

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Number of times used: 137

Spout Tag:religion

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 03:31:00 GMT

religion
Number of films tagged: 1123

Number of people who tagged: 67

Number of times used: 176

Spout Tag:epic

Wed, 09 Dec 2009 05:08:37 GMT

epic
Number of films tagged: 63

Number of people who tagged: 58

Number of times used: 104

Spout Tag:politics

Mon, 12 Oct 2009 04:07:45 GMT

politics
Number of films tagged: 698

Number of people who tagged: 54

Number of times used: 194

Spout Tag:mother

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 20:51:56 GMT

mother
Number of films tagged: 2522

Number of people who tagged: 53

Number of times used: 152

Spout Tag:redemption

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 01:18:53 GMT

redemption
Number of films tagged: 626

Number of people who tagged: 53

Number of times used: 117