Jesus Christ Superstar

I’ve not posted recently on this site because I’ve been busy with other sites and projects. But since it’s Easter, I did at least want to mention Jesus Christ Superstar. I should have probably posted this on Good Friday, but this is a movie that I can watch any day, Easter or otherwise. I normally watch JCS around Easter (and a few other times through the year), but this year I borrowed a Special Edition DVD from my mom and watched the commentary track with Norman Jewison (the director) and Ted Neely (Jesus). It was pretty cool, and although I rarely watch commentary tracks, I’m glad I did this one.

Jesus Christ Superstar 2

Carl Anderson, Ted Neely, and Yvonne Elliman. Of all the coffee breaks in history, this is the one I most regret not being part of.

I won’t get too much into the movie here, seeing as I’ve already written a lot about it in other places (if you feel like reading my commentary on JCS, The Last Temptation of Christ, and the theological implications of the roles of Jesus and Judas in general, here are a few thousand words for you). Anyhow, the movie itself is actually 40 years old (man, that’s crazy!), and it’s a musical that tells the story of Jesus from the perspective of Judas (who turns out to have incredible singing chops–who knew?).

Needless to say, the movie has a few anachronistic elements. This is Herod.

If you’ve not seen JCS, though, I can heartily recommend it. It’s excellent for many reasons: the songs, the acting, the singing, the setting, the nostalgic value, and the ability to make the viewer think. It’s my favorite musical, and it’s also on my list of Top 10 movies in general (sandwiched at #9 between the two Godfathers). I’ve talked about it with ministers, Germans, devout church-goers, lapsed Catholics, non-believers, and even a drunk guy in Madrid (who burst Jesus’ part from “What’s the Buzz”). The point is, if you’re thinking, “But I’m not religious, so I’m not really interested,” then you should still give it a chance:

I know that Easter isn’t really as “ripe” for movie fodder as some holidays, but does anyone else out there have any movies that they like to watch around now, whether for Easter or Spring in general?

4 thoughts on “Jesus Christ Superstar

  1. I have about an hour left of this epic musical. I’m liking it so far! Especially all it’s weirdness. As far as Easter movies go, I actually do like Passion of the Christ, but I did watch Nacho Libre last night if only to hear the line “I’ve had diarrhea since Easters.”

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