Search - Jesus Christ Superstar on DVD

MPAA Rating: G Content Advisory: Violence, Adult Situations, Suitable for Children Movie Release: 1973 DVD Release: 03/16/1999 Format: DVD - Enhanced Wide Screen Letterbox for 16x9 TV Audio Tracks: English, French, Spanish Subtitles: English, Spanish SwapaDVD Credits: 1 Number of Discs: 1 Run Time: 1 hrs 47 mins Studio: Universal Studios Members Wishing: 26 Genres: Musical, Musical Drama, Religious Drama, Rock Musical See Also: Jesus Christ Superstar [Special Edition]

The second Biblical epic to be turned into a musical by composer Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyricist Tim Rice, this box-office disappointment recounts the last week in the life of Jesus Christ in rock-opera format and from the surprising point of view of Christ's betrayer, Judas Iscariot. Carl Anderson stars as Judas, who has begun to believe that Jesus (Ted Neeley) has sold out and started buying into the mythology that's quickly springing up around him. Particularly disturbing to Judas is the relationship between Jesus and his friend Mary Magdalene (Yvonne Elliman), a prostitute. When Jesus throws a temper tantrum at the moneylenders in a temple, Judas determines to work with the Pharisees who want to put Jesus on trial as a false prophet. Following his success with the adaptation of Fiddler on the Roof (1971), director Norman Jewison experimented with a hippie-influenced sensibility on Jesus Christ Superstar (1973). Among such touches are depictions of the cast arriving via bus to mount the show, modern high-tech weaponry in the hands of the ancient Romans, and on-location filming in Israel. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide

Ted Neeley - Jesus Christ
Carl Anderson - Judas Iscariot
Yvonne Elliman - Mary Magdalene
Barry Dennen - Pontius Pilate
Bob Bingham - Caiaphas

Universal's Jesus Christ Superstar DVD seems stuck in its time. The DVD contains no extra materials to help put the film, with its visual metaphors for many of the social issues happening at the time, in context. The lackluster digital audio and video transfer don't help. While the 2.35:1 non-anamorphic widescreen transfer is a revelation in terms of the scope of the picture, the source print used still shows some age from time to time, as well as some dirt here and there. The real problem, though, is in the sound mix. While the soundtrack is listed as Dolby 5.0 Surround, the audio lacks the power and effect on the ears that a good rock opera should have. The vocal tracks overtake the music through most of the film, the rock score relegated to a muted background accompaniment to the lyrics. This problem could go back to the original mix, but a digital mastering would have been a perfect time to fix it. With a less than stellar transfer and only production notes and a trailer as supplements, =Jesus Christ Superstar is a DVD that misses its mark. ~ Oliver Thornton, All Movie Guide