Search - Godspell on DVD

MPAA Rating: G Content Advisory: Questionable for Children Movie Release: 1973 DVD Release: 04/04/2000 Format: DVD - Enhanced Wide Screen Letterbox for 16x9 TV,Pan and Scan Audio Tracks: English Subtitles: English, Korean, Spanish, Thai SwapaDVD Credits: 1 Number of Discs: 1 Run Time: 1 hrs 43 mins Studio: Columbia TriStar Members Wishing: 25 Genres: Musical, Musical Drama, Religious Drama

Directors David Greene and John-Michael Tebelak collaborate with composer Stephen Schwartz to bring his wildly successful Broadway musical, Godspell, to the big screen. Told almost entirely in song, Godspell presents the gospel of St. Matthew updated to New York City of the late '60s/early '70s, featuring Jesus Christ as a wandering minstrel dressed like a circus clown. By blowing on an instrument that reaches only the ears of a select few around the bustling city, John the Baptist (David Haskell) summons nine simpatico hippies to a fountain in Central Park, where they revel in the waters of their baptism. When Christ (Victor Garber) joins the group, the free-flowing fraternal love solidifies into a desire to spread the word of God around the city. Outfitting themselves in a nearby junkyard that bursts with color, the lively group makes its way around a sparsely populated fairy-tale version of the city, re-enacting Biblical parables with great enthusiasm and flamboyance. Opting for a lighter yet more devout approach than its thematically similar Jesus Christ Superstar, Godspell features an equivalent number of hummable hit songs, notably "Prepare Ye (The Way of the Lord)," "By My Side," and "Day by Day." ~ Derek Armstrong, All Movie Guide

Victor Garber - Jesus Christ
David Haskell - John
Jerry Sroka - Jerry
Lynne Thigpen - Lynne
Katie Hanley - Katie
David Haskell - Judas
Merrell Jackson - Merrell

The chances are pretty good that Columbia Pictures would never have put up the money to acquire Godspell had it not been for the earlier mega-hit status of Jesus Christ Superstar as an album and Broadway show. Godspell was a livelier, somewhat lower-rent off-Broadway musical, with a harder, more basic rock sound, also derived from a religious source. Luckily, the producers didn't carry the original too far from its roots as a student work and an off-Broadway success, shooting the movie entirely in New York with a guileless young cast drawn from various stage companies of the piece. The DVD features a good letterboxed transfer of the film, from elements that look and sound at least two generations up from the source material used for television showings in the 1980s. It's not perfect but it is likely a match for most theatrical showings that the movie ever got. The score does come through loudly, with a lot of presence even to the acoustic guitars. The producers have tried to make the DVD special, with only limited success -- in fact, the packaging seems to promise more than the disc delivers. The "Bonus Trailers" refer to trailers for other Columbia titles, but not for Godspell. The "Talent Files" are somewhat sparse, limited to three principal cast members and the director. And the 15 chapters, although they allow viewers to access the individual songs, are also too limited and run way too long, with too much non-song material. On a more positive note, the insert card credits the individual performers featured in each song. ~ Bruce Eder, All Movie Guide