 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
"Ben-Hur" is coming this week to the US Cinemark theater chain on the Big Screen!
Can't wait to hear that magnificent Overture!
http://www.cinemark.com/ben-hur
You can always buy the blu-ray or the FSM release. But it is always a good thing to see these old epics on the 'large' screen.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
How unfortunate this announcement comes when a remake of "Ben-Hur" has just announced! Won't be good as the original!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
How unfortunate this announcement comes when a remake of "Ben-Hur" has just announced! Won't be good as the original!
That's not how sales works. The two flicks will publicise one another.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Well, the 1959 MGM film was itself a remake and I've read many film critics consider the 1959 film inferior to the 1925 MGM silent version.
The 1925 silent film version had a 1931 score by William Axt and David Mendoza. I don't know if this score exists on an album.
And then another score for the 1925 silent film version was written by the great British composer Carl Davis in 1990. A good reminder to catch that Carl Davis score!
I read there is a 2010 Canadian TV miniseries with music by Rob Lane.
Perhaps the story is iconic enough to energize a James Franco/Zac Efron feature film version.
Clinton Shorter's delightful score for "Pompeii" shows that a good epic score in 2014 is do-able.
There is certainly something extraordinary about the Miklos Rozsa "Ben-Hur" and the inspired original MGM orchestra soundtrack performance. The books reveal the fascinating details about its creation.
Did you miss the recent thread re the Stewart Copeland new score for Niblo's silent '25 version, adapted from the 'Live' show?
It's true that the '59 was a remake to SOME extent of the '25, more than should have been the case actually, and the 2010 TV version was a pretty shameless but witty updating of the '59 rather than a return to Wallace's book.
But it IS a classic novel first and foremost, and it'll be adapted again and again.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The showing of the film in Hazlet NJ today was a disgrace. The manager had no clue that the film had an overture over a blank screen , so they stopped and started and stopped and started, obviously thinking that there was something wrong. Several of us went to the manager and explained that nothing was wrong, and they should just let the music play out and the picture would begin. They didn't believe us. The film finally started a half hour later.
The intermission music was allowed to play, but they started the second half without a break.
The film looked fine, but the theatre didn't use a large screen . They simpy letterbixed it.
|
|
|
|
|
|
The showing of the film in Hazlet NJ today was a disgrace. The manager had no clue that the film had an overture over a blank screen , so they stopped and started and stopped and started, obviously thinking that there was something wrong. Several of us went to the manager and explained that nothing was wrong, and they should just let the music play out and the picture would begin. They didn't believe us. The film finally started a half hour later.
The intermission music was allowed to play, but they started the second half without a break.
The film looked fine, but the theatre didn't use a large screen . They simpy letterbixed it.
|
|
|
|
|
|
The showing of the film in Hazlet NJ today was a disgrace. The manager had no clue that the film had an overture over a blank screen , so they stopped and started and stopped and started, obviously thinking that there was something wrong. Several of us went to the manager and explained that nothing was wrong, and they should just let the music play out and the picture would begin. They didn't believe us. The film finally started a half hour later.
The intermission music was allowed to play, but they started the second half without a break.
The film looked fine, but the theatre didn't use a large screen . They simpy letterbixed it.
|
|
|
|
|
|
The showing of the film in Hazlet NJ today was a disgrace. The manager had no clue that the film had an overture over a blank screen , so they stopped and started and stopped and started, obviously thinking that there was something wrong. Several of us went to the manager and explained that nothing was wrong, and they should just let the music play out and the picture would begin. They didn't believe us. The film finally started a half hour later.
The intermission music was allowed to play, but they started the second half without a break.
The film looked fine, but the theatre didn't use a large screen . They simpy letterbixed it.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
Posted: |
May 7, 2014 - 7:51 PM
|
|
|
|
By: |
Recordman
(Member)
|
Well this afternoon at 2PM I treated myself to a matinee viewing of “Ben-Hur”, this time the recent restored edition with a wonderful multi-channel sound system and large screen(Rave/Cinemark) theater, in Columbus,Ohio. I had seen this several times in theater over the years since I had originally seen it first run on its initial release, however this viewing, as part of the theater’s “classic series” was truly magnificent. From Rozsa’s wonderful opening credits until the seats and walls vibrated from the storm/earthquake following Christ’s death I often got goosebumps and even a misty eye as the loud and clear music just wrapped you up in the story. The color was excellent and the beautiful scenes of the marching soldiers, the entry into Rome and of course, the thundering Chariot Race were awe-inspiring to view in this presentation. The prelude with the blank screen played up front , however the Intermission music seemed truncated, to me anyway.
As a plus, for me at least, in as much as it was a mid-day matinee, I was the ONLY one in the theater and I just let the film and music envelope me. There was one other guy who came in later, apparently just to see the chariot race, but he left after it was over. I spoke to the manager on the was out and thanked him for presenting this film as it should be. He said they have been getting decent crowds for the evening performances.
I had read on the FSM boards that a remake of Ben-Hur is planned and as I was watching the acclaimed lengthy Chariot Race scene, I thought to myself, “How can they possibly improve on this?” Then I sighed as I realized that it and much of a film remake would probably just be CGI.
If you’ve only just seen scenes of this on youtube, you have no idea what the experience is in a real theater.
Rozsa’s film music is what introduced me to memorable film scores many years ago and has remained my favorite ever since. If this version is near you at all, go see it.
P.S. “Spartacus” showing is playing there in two weeks also, so I’ll be back for that epic as well.
Mike
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
