On this episode of “The Online Movie Show,” the focus is on how filmmakers have brought the stories from the Bible into the cinematic medium, with examples of the sacred, the profane and the strange. Matt Page, author of the new book “100 Bible Films,” is the episode’s guest.
BOOTLEG FILES 660: “The Westminster Passion Play – Behold the Man” (1951 British feature film).
LAST SEEN: It is on Amazon Prime, albeit for the wrong reason.
AMERICAN HOME VIDEO: Yes, but for the wrong reason.
REASON FOR BOOTLEG STATUS: It is complicated.
CHANCES OF SEEING A COMMERCIAL DVD RELEASE: Not likely at this time.
In 2011, a DVD label called Synergy Entertainment made one of the most spectacular blunders in the history of the home entertainment industry. This label, which specializes in public domain titles, brought forth a release of the rarely-seen 1921 French silent film “Behold the Man,” which told the story of Jesus’ last days. But there was a problem: the print used for the Synergy Entertainment was not from the French silent film, but instead belonged to a 1951 British production originally titled “The Westminster Passion Play – Behold the Man.”
Continue reading
BOOTLEG FILES 658: “The Great Commandment” (1939 feature film inspired by the ministry of Jesus).
LAST SEEN: On several online video sites.
AMERICAN HOME VIDEO: On public domain labels.
REASON FOR BOOTLEG STATUS: A lapsed copyright opens it up to endless duping.
CHANCES OF SEEING A COMMERCIAL DVD RELEASE: It is stuck in public domain hell.
In 1939, an Episcopal priest from Red Wing, Minnesota, named James K. Friedrich brought forth “The Great Commandment,” a $130,000 feature-length production as the first offering of his start-up company Cathedral Films. The film created a bidding war among the major Hollywood studios, with 20th Century Fox paying $200,000 for the rights to this production. However, the studio was not interested in releasing “The Great Commandment.” Instead, it planned to shoot a big-budget remake that would star Tyrone Power, its top box office attraction.
Continue reading