Jesus Christ Superstar (Special Edition)

This is a film i was looking for too long. Is not the country code for my country (Spain), but i have made a backup copy i can play on my dvd player.

This movie is timeless. Get the kids and curl up for *movie night* at least once a year (maybe for Easter). The songs are hauntingly beautiful and will stay in your minds forever. Try to see it live if you can...Ted Neeley is still performing and still sounds AMAZING!! The settings, the voices, the costumes...all brilliant. A must have for your DVD collection!!

While there are interesting versions of this out, Ted Neely will be the JC people will think of

Here is my impression of the film of the Tim Rice/Andrew Lloyd Webber musical. A busload of actors and actresses roars out of the desert. Yvonne Elliman in a red top and bluejeans gets off. She does her eyebrows in a mirror. Yvonne is part Hawaiian, French and Japanese. A cross is lowered from the top of the bus. Carl Anderson immediately puts distance between himself and the others. Ted Neeley as Jesus prepares, and the drama begins. Black Judas broods on his mountaintop. Jesus' followers want to know, "What's the buzz?" Yvonne as Mary Magdalene cools Jesus' face and washes his feet. He defends her against Judas. Onionhead Caiaphas and conehead Annas are characters. Yvonne sings Everything's Alright, lighting a lamp. Judas gripes about ointment. Jesus says there will always be poor. Yvonne continues her pampering. Caiaphas exhorts, "This Jesus must die!" Jesus enters the city with Rosannas and palm fronds. Dancers materialize amid stone columns. I spot a sexy blonde. Pilate sings about his dream. An anachronistic temple scene follows, post cards and cash registers. The sick and crippled mob Jesus. He returns to his tent. Mary tucks him in and breaks into "I Don't Know How To Love Him." She strolls in the windy night, casting her shadow on a rock. Disconsolate Judas flees approaching tanks. He bargains with the council. Silver is dropped at his feet. Planes fly overhead. The Last Supper is a picnic. Jesus challenges Judas. Judas plants his kiss. Jesus is tried by Caiaphas and Annas. Mary reminds Peter he would deny Him. Jesus is taken to Pilate, then to Herod. Herod is a disgusting hedonist, frizzy-headed and big-bellied with colored glasses and a medallion. His ragtime piano and dance number is the most inappropriate skit in this irreverent Gospel. Yvonne Elliman and Peter do Could We Start Again Please? Yvonne has moves like Agnetha's. Judas feels remorse. Discordant music spurs him. He runs blindly, yanks off his belt and hangs himself. Pilate has Jesus flogged. The theme begins, "Jesus Christ Superstar." Neeley turns and extends his arms. His garment is fresh. Judas descends singing, and dancers go wild. Soldiers raise the cross. Magdalene cries. A deranged piano plays. Silence. The cast is in street clothes. Yvonne boards the bus. She looks back as if something has been forgotten. The cross is seen against a setting sun. The Greatest Story Ever Told shows the divine side of Jesus. Superstar shows the human side. John Lennon's comment about The Beatles being more popular than Jesus made Superstar possible. Baby boomers turned Jesus into a rock star.

If you are searching for a personal relationship with God, this movie may just help you begin that journey, as it did me back in 1973.

The movie is classic, the performers are par excellance! And the extras are worth the price of admission.

Enjoy!