Fathom Events, Turner Classic Movies and Warner Bros. are bringing one of the most visually spectacular motion-picture epics of all time back to the big screen: BEN-HUR, which celebrates its 60th anniversary with this two-day-only presentation. This is a must-see if you’ve never seen it in the theaters – especially for the heart-pounding chariot race.
Sunday, April 14, 2019 – 1:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. (local time)
Wednesday, April 17, 2019 – 1:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. (local time)
Director William Wyler’s classic received 11 Academy Awards, more than any other film to that point (and still tied with Titanic and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King).
The production encompassed 300 sets, nine sound stages and consumed 1.1 million feet of film, yet never loses sight of its compelling story of Jewish prince (Charlton Heston) who vows revenge when he is enslaved by his Roman childhood friend (Stephen Boyd). Jack Hawkins, Haya Harareet and Hugh Griffith also star in the film, which grossed the equivalent of nearly $1 billion upon its release.
Presented in its super-wide-screen “Ultra 65” format and featuring the film’s overture and intermission (with an amazing score by Miklós Rózsa), BEN-HUR is a stunning pre-CGI spectacle and is part of the TCM Big Screen Classics series, which continues throughout the year.
The sweeping overture is one of the best scores in film history.
Tickets to BEN-HUR are available now at www.FathomEvents.com or at participating theater box offices.
“When the Romans were marching me to the galleys, thirst had almost killed me. A man gave me water to drink, and I went on living. I should have done better if I’d poured it into the sand!”
BEN-HUR (1959) screens Wednesday September 7th at The Tivoli Theater (6350 Delmar in ‘The Loop’) as the inaugural feature in their new ‘Classics in the Loop’ film series. The movie starts at 7pm and admission is $7. It will be on The Tivoli’s big screen.
The recent BEN-HUR cost over 100 million dollars to make and is already being called the bomb of the summer. That’s too bad, because I think it’s actually quite good. It was made for a modern audience and runs 132 minutes. The 1959 version of BEN-HUR costs 16 million to make and lasts 100 minutes more than the new remake. I wonder if today’s attention-challenged audiences would have flocked to it at that length like they did 57 years ago. If you missed the new version, go and see it (if it’s still showing), then head over to the Tivoli next Wednesday night and see the original. I’ve never seen the ’59 version on the big screen so I’ll be there to compare.
BEN-HUR won 11 Oscars in 1959 and deserved every one of them. It’s a titanic film both in structure and scope. It doesn’t need me to go over old ground about how much the film cost to make, the number of extras, the number of sets and etc, it’s now folklore that this film could have bankrupted MGM such was the investment, but they needn’t have worried since the film went on to make a healthy profit. Every cent spent was worth it because it’s a magnificent film, the kind that you can get swept away with, the minute the overture starts you feel little tingles as the hairs on your arms stand up on end, you are aware that for well over three hours director William Wyler and lead actor Charlton Heston are going to own you.
The story centers around Judah Ben-Hur (Heston) who through his staunch loyalty to the Jewish race falls out with his dear Roman friend Messala (Stephen Boyd). He is dispatched to be a slave in the galleys and swears revenge on Messala. After pirates attack the ship he is slaved on, he manages to escape and in the process he saves Roman Admiral Quintus Arrius (Jack Hawkins) and this sets Juda on his destiny to enact revenge on his old friend as Quintus makes him a citizen of Rome.
It’s epic, it’s simply beautiful, it’s actually essential viewing for any serious cinema fan, the film’s set pieces are still wondrous even today. You will marvel at the chariot race (a stunning 20 minutes long), you will hoist the flag during the pirate attack, and if you have the emotion in you? You will be hit with somber silence as Christ is crucified. Everything that is great about cinema is right there on the big screen at The Tivoli Wednesday September 7th
Here’s the rest of the line-up for the ‘CLASSICS IN THE LOOP’ film series:
There’s nothing more fun than getting to watch classic movies the way they were intended–on the big screen!
Now, I understand plenty of people don’t want to go to a theater, spend a fortune on tickets, popcorn, and a drink just to see the glow of cell phones and hear people rudely talking while someone kicks your seat from behind, but that’s not the experience you’ll get at Landmark theaters newly-announced (and affordable) film series. St. Louis movie buffs are in for a treat as Landmark’s The Tivoli Theater will run it’s ‘Classics on the Loop’ every Wednesday beginning September 7th at 7pm. The Tivoli will screen, on their big screen (which seats 320 btw), the type of epic, widescreen masterpiece that needs to be seen in a theater with an audience. Admission is only $7.
One benefits of the big screen is that you aren’t in your living room. The core function of movies like the ones they are showing at ‘Classics on the Loop’ is to take the viewer to the world of the movie and leave their own behind. That is so much easier to accomplish when one is not in the epicenter of the world they are trying to leave but in a spacious movie palace like the Tivoli. Seeing LAWRENCE OF ARABIA there will be like being in the desert with the protagonists (minus the heat).
The Tivoli’s located at 6350 Delmar Blvd., University City, MO. Admission is a mere $7!
Here’s the line-up for the ‘CLASSICS IN THE LOOP’ film series:
Sept. 7 BEN-HUR (1959)
Sept. 14 THE SOUND OF MUSIC
Sept. 21 LAWRENCE OF ARABIA
Sept. 28 LA DOLCE VITA
Oct. 5 THE TEN COMMANDMENTS (1956)
Oct. 12 GONE WITH THE WIND
Oct. 19 SEVEN SAMURAI
Oct. 26 DOCTOR ZHIVAGO
Support this film series!!!! Hopefully, with good attendance, this will announce some more titles for Noevmber and beyond! Look for continued coverage of the ‘CLASSICS IN THE LOOP’ film series here at We Are movie Geeks.
This week’s episode of our podcast WE ARE MOVIE GEEKS The Show is up! Hear WAMG’s Jim Batts and Tom Stockman talk movies. Our guest in the studio this week is Lynn Venhaus, film critic for The Belleville News Democrat and the Kirkwood/Webster Times. Michelle McCue will call in to discuss the weekend box office and we’ll review WAR DOGS, BEN-HUR, KUBO AND 2 STRINGS. LITTLE SISTER and BLOOD FATHER. We’ll then talk about the upcoming “Classics on the Loop” Film fest at the Tivoli and pay tribute to the late director Arthur Hiller
The movies have long been fascinated by BEN-HUR, Lew Wallace’s 1880 bestselling novel – two silent versions, a 1907 short one and a spectacular 1925 feature film, and the familiar 1959 Technicolor classic with Charlton Heston. This will be at least the 4th movie version.
The 1925 version has the most thrilling chariot race, with a raw energy and real sense of danger – very real danger as the director hired Italian men skilled with horses to essentially run a chariot race, with all the inherent dangers (if you have never seen it, you really should). Memories of that gripping, cinematic chariot race helped prompt director William Wyler to remake BEN-HUR in 1959, in full color and sound, with a top-star and all the epic “cast of thousands” grandeur of Hollywood’s Golden Age.
Now a new technology has its say with the old story -with CGI effects and 3D. Director Timur Bekmambetov, best known for NIGHTWATCH and ABRAHAM LINCOLN: VAMPIRE HUNTER, certainly has the knack for action and effects but might not be the director you think of for BEN-HUR. You just know it is going to be all about the chariot race.
In fact, the film does begin with the chariot race, but then flashes back to an earlier point in the story, when the two young men in the race still regarded each other as brothers.
To Bekmambetov’s credit, he does not simply remake the 1959 film but tries to make the story his own. The story goes back to when Judah Ben-Hur (Jack Huston) and Messala Severus (Tony Kebbell) are grow up like brothers in Jerusalem in the Ben-Hurs home with Judah’s widowed mother Naomi (Ayelet Zurer), sister Tirzah (Sofia Black-D’Elia), and family servant Esther (Nazanin Boniadi). Even under Roman rule, the family lives well. The two boys are close but very competitive. As close as they are, Messala never forgets he is an outsider, a Roman orphan, while Judah is a Jewish prince. Messala leaves to make his own way in the Roman Empire, and rising through the ranks, returns to Jerusalem as a protege of Pontius Pilate (Pilou Asbaek), and a very different man. An incident occurs and Judah is accused of rebellion. The family is imprisoned and Messala has Judah sentenced to a Roman slave ship.
It all leads up to the big highlight of the film: the chariot race. This version wins the prize for highest body count – drivers, support staff, spectators, even horses. Bodies are trampled, chariots flipped or shattered, panicked horses bolt for the stands. Yet even with all the CGI tools in play, – and in 3D too – it really is not as thrilling or as immediate as either of the two previous races with their live stunt work, just more gruesome.
Bekmambetov tries to reshape the story a bit from the 1959 version, mainly by rounding out the Messala character and making the film more about the relationship between the two men. Details of the story change and a theme of revenge and forgiveness are added. It is a good plan but basically brought down by the wooden acting by the two leads, Jack Huston and Tony Kebbell. The film never becomes very emotionally involving or develops much dramatic heat. Too often Huston ends up saying something like “I’m a Hebrew prince, you’re a Roman, but we’re brothers, so let’s race.” Morgan Freeman comes in and weaves his magic in a supporting role as an African chariot team owner Ilderim, but even his efforts are not enough to save this film.
The film is not quite all about the chariots. The full title of Wallace’s book is BEN-HUR: A TALE OF THE CHRIST and unlike previous versions of BEN-HUR, Jesus Christ has a much larger role in this film. While we never get much sense of Judah Ben-Hur’s Jewish faith, Christian content is far more present. Unlike earlier versions, we get full view of Jesus, played by Rodrigo Santoro, and even little bits of sermons and scenes from the Gospels, not just the Crucifixion scene usually featured. The increased Christian focus should please Christian audiences but maybe less so non-Christian ones.
Ever since GLADIATOR, it was inevitable someone would remake old Hollywood’s historical epics in CGI, even more so now with 3D. BEN-HUR is better than the other recent remake of a Hollywood “cast of thousands” epic, EXODUS, but it in no way rivals either the 1959 Technicolor version or the great 1925 silent one.
BEN-HUR is the epic story of Judah Ben-Hur (Jack Huston), a prince falsely accused of treason by his adopted brother Messala (Toby Kebbell), an officer in the Roman army. Stripped of his title, separated from his family and the woman he loves (Nazanin Boniadi), Judah is forced into slavery. After years at sea, Judah returns to his homeland to seek revenge, but finds redemption. Based on Lew Wallace’s timeless novel, Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ. Also starring Morgan Freeman and Rodrigo Santoro.
Directed by Timur Bekmambetov, BEN-HUR opens nationwide on August 19.
WAMG invites you to enter for the chance to win TWO (2) seats to the advance screening of BEN-HUR on Tuesday, August 16 at 7:30PM in the St. Louis area.
Answer the following from the 1959 version of BEN-HUR:
There is a scene between Hugh Griffith (Sheikh Ilderim) and Charlton Heston where the two discuss the infamous chariot race and Ben Hur is introduced to four white horses. What were Sheikh Ilderim’s four horses’ names?
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OFFICIAL RULES:
1. YOU MUST BE IN THE ST. LOUIS AREA THE DAY OF THE SCREENING.
2. No purchase necessary. A pass does not guarantee a seat at a screening. Seating is on a first-come, first served basis. The theater is overbooked to assure a full house. The theater is not responsible for overbooking.
For King & Country call for a “Ceasefire” in this new music video from the BEN-HUR soundtrack.
“We are so honored that For King & Country have allowed us to use their beautiful song for our film BEN-HUR,” said executive producer Roma Downey. “Our country today is filled with so much anger, tension and violence and this song and our film spread a message of forgiveness and reconciliation that is needed now more than ever.”
The music video features never-before-seen footage from the film by Paramount & MGM.
BEN-HUR is the epic story of Judah Ben-Hur (Jack Huston), a prince falsely accused of treason by his adopted brother Messala (Toby Kebbell), an officer in the Roman army. Stripped of his title, separated from his family and the woman he loves (Nazanin Boniadi), Judah is forced into slavery. After years at sea, Judah returns to his homeland to seek revenge, but finds redemption. Based on Lew Wallace’s timeless novel, Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ. Also starring Morgan Freeman and Rodrigo Santoro.
Learn about one of the greatest stories ever told in this new featurette for Paramount Pictures upcoming film BEN-HUR.
BEN-HUR is the epic story of Judah Ben-Hur (Jack Huston), a prince falsely accused of treason by his adopted brother Messala (Toby Kebbell), an officer in the Roman army. Stripped of his title, separated from his family and the woman he loves (Nazanin Boniadi), Judah is forced into slavery. After years at sea, Judah returns to his homeland to seek revenge, but finds redemption. Based on Lew Wallace’s timeless novel, Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ. Also starring Morgan Freeman and Rodrigo Santoro.
Paramount Pictures has released a brand new featurette for director Timur Bekmambetov’s upcoming film BEN-HUR – in theaters August 19, 2016.
BEN-HUR is the epic story of Judah Ben-Hur (Jack Huston), a prince falsely accused of treason by his adopted brother Messala (Toby Kebbell), an officer in the Roman army. Stripped of his title, separated from his family and the woman he loves (Nazanin Boniadi), Judah is forced into slavery. After years at sea, Judah returns to his homeland to seek revenge, but finds redemption. Based on Lew Wallace’s timeless novel, Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ. Also starring Morgan Freeman and Rodrigo Santoro. (Trailer)
See how the team brought the chariot race to life in this new featurette.
One of the highlights of the 1959 film, which ran 212 minutes, is its now-legendary chariot race, staged largely by stunt expert Yakima Canutt. BEN-HUR’s Oscar haul included Best Picture, Best Director for the legendary William Wyler, Best Actor for Heston, and Best Supporting Actor for Welsh actor Hugh Griffith as an Arab sheik.
Jack Huston plays Judah Ben-Hur and Morgan Freeman plays Ilderim in Ben-Hur from Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and Paramount Pictures.
Check out the trailer, along with the first poster, for the timeless epic, BEN HUR, based on the best-selling novel Ben-Hur: A Tale of Christ.
Paramount Pictures’ newest version of the timeless classic is one of the most-anticipated movies of 2016.
Will be interesting to see how this film compares to the 1959 classic, directed by William Wyler, produced by Sam Zimbalist for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and starring Charlton Heston, Stephen Boyd, Jack Hawkins, Hugh Griffith and Haya Harareet. The nine-minute chariot race has become one of cinema’s most famous sequences, and the film score, composed and conducted by Miklós Rózsa, is the longest ever composed for a film and was highly influential on cinema for more than 15 years.
The 2016 version’s score is from composer Marco Beltrami.
BEN-HUR is the epic story of Judah Ben-Hur (Jack Huston), a prince falsely accused of treason by his adopted brother Messala (Toby Kebbell), an officer in the Roman army. Stripped of his title, separated from his family and the woman he loves (Nazanin Boniadi), Judah is forced into slavery. After years at sea, Judah returns to his homeland to seek revenge, but finds redemption.
Based on Lew Wallace’s timeless novel, Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ. Also starring Morgan Freeman and Rodrigo Santoro.
From director Timur Bekmambetov, BEN-HUR bows in cinemas on August 12, 2016.
