Ben-Hur Again?

[SGOS]

I remember the splash this movie made in the 1950s.  I rented it from Netflix a few years ago, back when they had almost any movie you could name in their vast inventory of DVDs.  But I wasn't very moved by it like I was when I was ten.  The plot seemed basic and straight forward.  And not as much action as I remembered.  It has a Christian message, but at ten, it never occurred to me to subject that to critical thought.  Slavery, pain, angst, sweat, and heroism, and a leading actress with a 1950s very un-Roman hairdo.  All in all, not much of a movie by today's standards, but epic for it's time.  I doubt that I'll go see the remake, although I'll probably rent the DVD later.  Critics are unimpressed.  Viewers so so.  If it was one percentage point lower from viewers it would get a green splat, rather than a red tomato.

For some reason, it seems like an odd movie to remake, and I don't remember Christians raving about it like they do about "God is not Dead" or "Near Death, Unexplainable Perceptions; Therefore, God." movies.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

I used to have the drum beats from the naval battle on my cell phone.

[Baruch]

Good original ... but audiences today are jaded with scifi special effects.  Also it is really a Jewish movie, not a Christian one.  The book was written by a Civil War general, Lew Wallace.

[Nonsensei]

Was there even a slight chance a Ben-Hur remake was going to be any good?

I think not. All remakes are shit. The better the original, the worse the remake.

[SGOS]

Was there even a slight chance a Ben-Hur remake was going to be any good?

I think not. All remakes are shit. The better the original, the worse the remake.

It's also a boring plot to anyone but those who get off on having the story of struggle and redemption through Jesus told to them one more time.  It serves a specific niche group, but probably has broad appeal to young children as an adventure story.  When I saw the original as an adult the second time, I thought it was kind of a crappy movie.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Good original ... but audiences today are jaded with scifi special effects.  Also it is really a Jewish movie, not a Christian one.

CGI can be used to get impossible shots, but if it's even slightly "off" the audience will notice. 

The book was written by a Civil War general, Lew Wallace.

Lew Wallace was a native of Crawfordsville, Indiana, just west of Indianapolis. I found a signed copy of this book in a used book store there. Price, $3.00. The counter person had never heard of him.

[SGOS]

I found a signed copy of this book in a used book store there. Price, $3.00. The counter person had never heard of him.

Have you ever determined its collector value?

[stromboli]

Have you ever determined its collector value?

They need to do a feminist version, "Ben Him"; with copious nudity. No other reason than I just happen to like copious nudity. Carry on.

[Materialist99]

It is amazing, to me, how many people liked the Ben Hur movie of 1959. I saw it back then when I was 9 or 10 years old, and I was bored to death. I think it had about 15 minutes of action in a 4-hour movie. One of the worst movie experiences in my life.

[stromboli]

It is amazing, to me, how many people liked the Ben Hur movie of 1959. I saw it back then when I was 9 or 10 years old, and I was bored to death. I think it had about 15 minutes of action in a 4-hour movie. One of the worst movie experiences in my life.

One reason the movie was popular was because a stunt man got killed in the chariot race. Morbid curiosity from all the good Xtian audience.

[SGOS]

One reason the movie was popular was because a stunt man got killed in the chariot race. Morbid curiosity from all the good Xtian audience.

And lore has it that they left the scene in the movie.  Actually, there is a sequence of scenes with a chariot being driver dragged, crushed, and bloodied, and it sure looks authentic.  Some of the sequence is quite vivid.  If that was the stunt driver, it looked like they would have gone out of their way to film it.  "Hey let the horse run around the race track a couple more times.  I want to get some film of the drivers face being dragged.  And I need to setup closer to the middle of the track.  With any luck, a wheel might roll over his head, and that would be spectacular."

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Have you ever determined its collector value?

No, it's in storage right now with my other books, in barrels over-pressurized with nitrogen. Expensive compared to "normal" storage, but the books are well cared for.

[stromboli]

And lore has it that they left the scene in the movie.  Actually, there is a sequence of scenes with a chariot being driver dragged, crushed, and bloodied, and it sure looks authentic.  Some of the sequence is quite vivid.  If that was the stunt driver, it looked like they would have gone out of their way to film it.  "Hey let the horse run around the race track a couple more times.  I want to get some film of the drivers face being dragged.  And I need to setup closer to the middle of the track.  With any luck, a wheel might roll over his head, and that would be spectacular."

As I recall it was someone who fell off a chariot and got knocked out, and then run over by a following chariot before they could get him out of the way. It was cut, but the actions of other crew members trying to get him out of the way was still visible.

[Solomon Zorn]

Lew Wallace was a native of Crawfordsville, Indiana, just west of Indianapolis. I found a signed copy of this book in a used book store there. Price, $3.00. The counter person had never heard of him.

Excellent! What kind of condition? Now might be a good time to sell it!

[Solomon Zorn]

The full title of the book is actually, Ben Hur: A Story of the Christ.