Search - Jesus Christ Superstar [Special Edition] on DVD

MPAA Rating: G Content Advisory: Violence, Adult Situations, Suitable for Children Movie Release: 1973 DVD Release: 08/31/2004 Format: DVD - Enhanced Wide Screen Letterbox for 16x9 TV Edition: Dual Layered Audio Tracks: English, French Subtitles: English, French, Spanish SwapaDVD Credits: 1 Number of Discs: 1 Run Time: 1 hrs 47 mins Studio: Universal Studios Members Wishing: 40 Genres: Musical, Musical Drama, Religious Drama, Rock Musical See Also: Jesus Christ Superstar

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

Norman Jewison's big-screen adaptation of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice's Jesus Christ Superstar gets a new deluxe DVD release that hit stores the same day as Mel Gibson's The Passion of The Christ. The film itself is presented in a widescreen anamorphic transfer that preserves the original theatrical aspect ratio of 2.35:1. The film has never looked better on home video. English, Spanish, and French soundtracks are rendered in Dolby Digital Stereo. Spanish and French subtitles are accessible. The supplemental materials provide a great deal of background information. An interview with Tim Rice lays out the story of how the initial record and the stage show came to be, and that leads nicely into the commentary track recorded by Jewison and star Ted Neeley. They are full of affection for the film, and although the track occasionally suffers from too much patting each other on the back, it is nice to see how well Neeley remembers many details about the cast. A still photo gallery rounds out this solid release from Universal. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide