Bible Films Podcast

An Angolan cast bring to life the story of Jesus and his betrayal amongst the dilapidated buildings & surrounding grasslands of Pomfret, South Africa. The cast are veterans of the Angolan Civil War who reflect on their role in the conflict and issues of betrayal, rejection & free will. (Dir: Boris Gerrets, Judas: Jonas Luvango, Jesus: Rafael Siata Temba, Disciples: Former soldiers of 32 Battalion, Mary: Verónica Carols Narrator: Mohau Memeza)

Just in time for the start of the Christmas period my latest podcast is looking at one of the more recent films about Jesus - 2006's The Nativity Story. (Director - Catherine Hardwicke) (Cast:Keisha Castle-Hughes - Mary, Oscar Isaac - Joseph, Hiam Abbass - Anna, Shaun Toub - Joaquim, Ciarán Hinds - Herod, Shohreh Aghdashloo - Elizabeth, Stanley Townsend - Zechariah, Alexander Siddig - The Angel Gabriel, Nadim Sawalha - Melchior, Eriq Ebouaney - Balthasar, Stefan Kalipha - Gaspar, Alessandro Giuggioli - Antipas)

September's podcast is looking at what is arguably one of the best in the genre - Monty Python's Life of Brian (Director - Terry Jones) (Cast: Ken Colley - Jesus, Sue Jones-Davies - Judith, Rest of Cast - Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, Michael Palin, Terry Gilliam).

It's claimed that Jesus is the most watched film on the planet even though it has no special effects or star actors and is frequently criticised by reviewers. It's also one of the few films to be based on a single gospel rather than all four. (Directors - John Krish and Peter Sykes) (Cast: Brian Deacon - Jesus, Rivka Neuman - Mary, Joseph Shiloach - Joseph, Niko Nitai - Simon Peter, Mosko Alkalai - Matthew, Kobi Assaf - Philip, Eli Cohen - John the Baptist, , Eli Danker - Judas Iscariot, Peter Frye - Pontius Pilate, Nisim Gerama - Thomas, David Goldberg - Judas son of James, Richard Kiley - Narrator (Luke), Miki Mfir - Simon the Pharisee, Yitzhak Ne'eman - James, Richard Peterson - Herod, Milo Rafi - Simon Zelotes, Gad Roll - Andrew, Alexander Scourby - Narrator, Daud Shah - Adam, Talia Shapira - Mary Magdalene, Shmuel Tal - John, Michael Warshaviak - Bartholomew, Leonid Weinstein - James son of Alphaeus).

After a month's absence I'm back looking at Godspell based on the hit musical Stephen Schwartz and John-Michael Tebelak. It's one of the more heavily criticised Jesus films as it has not dated at all well, but the musical still remains possible and it's attempts to reinvigorate Jesus's teaching is still interesting today. (Director - David Greene) (Cast: Victor Garber - Jesus, Katie Hanley - Katie, David Haskell - John / Judas, Merrell Jackson - Merrell, Joanne Jonas - Joanne, Robin Lamont - Robin, Gilmer McCormick - Gilmer, Jeffrey Mylett - Jeffrey, Jerry Sroka - Jerry, Lynne Thigpen - Lynne, John-Michael Tebelak - Pharisee Monster [voice]).

The Passion is a BBC1 drama that aired this Easter in the UK and will be shown in the States next Easter on HBO. The UK broadcast was stripped over 4 episodes between Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday, though the HBO version might be over 3 or even 6 nights instead. Being a TV drama the series should be coming to DVD in the next few months. (Director: Michael Offer) (Cast:Joseph Mawle - Jesus, James Nesbitt - Pilate; Ben Daniels - Caiaphas; Stephen Graham - Barabbas; Penelope Wilton - Mary; Darren Morfitt - Peter; David Oyelowo - Joseph of Arimethea; Roger Ashton-Griffiths - Syrian Prefect; Paloma Baeza - Mary Magdalene; Jamie Sives - John; Denis Lawson - Annas; Vinette Robinson - Mina; Lewis Clay - Thomas; Tom Ellis - Philip; Daniel Evans - Matthew; Martin Hutson - Pilate's Secretary; Mark Lewis Jones - Marcus; Esther Hall - Claudia; John Lynch – Chief Temple Guard; Johnny Harris - Asher; Dean Lennox Kelly - James; Stuart Kidd - Simon; Steve Morphew - Thaddaeus;)

Mark Dornford-May's Jezile (Son of Man) is the first of two films about Jesus being released next month, so seeing as this is the one that I have seen, I'm going to look discuss it this month and the BBC's The Passion next month. (Director: Mark Dornford-May) (Cast:Andile Kosi - Jesus, Pauline Malefane - Mary, Andries Mbali - Satan, Gabriel - James Anthony, Joseph - Joel Mthethwa, Herod - Sibusiso Ziqubu, Child Jesus - Vuyo Sonyaka, Peter - Sibulele Mjali, James - Ntobeko “Top, John - Mvakalisi Madotyeni, Thomas - Ebenezer Sawuli, Bartholomew - Mzukisi Gqadushe, James the Younger - Bongani Bubu, Matthew - Thembela James, Thaddea - Nobapostile Msongelwa, Andie - Thandiwe Mesele, Judas - Jim Ngxabaze, Caiaphus - Mvuyisi Mjali, Pilate - Zamile Gantana, Mary Magdalene - Ruby Mthethwa, )

The first Jesus films podcast of the year, on the Visual Bible's The Gospel of John, arrives late, and with the odd bit of distortion that I've not been able to fix! Apologies to regulars I'll try and get it sorted and re-post. I comment on both versions of the film the recent 2 hours cut as well as the complete original. (Director: Philip Saville) (Cast:Henry Ian Cusick - Jesus Christ, Christopher Plummer - Narrator, Stuart Bunce - John, Daniel Kash - Simon Peter, Stephen Russell - Pontius Pilate, Alan Van Sprang - Judas Iscariot, Diana Berriman - Virgin Mary, Richard Lintern - Leading Pharisee, Scott Handy - John the Baptist, Lynsey Baxter - Mary Magdalene, Diego Matamoros - Nicodemus, Nancy Palk - Samaritan Woman, Elliot Levey - Nathanael, Andrew Pifko - Philip, Cedric Smith - Caiaphas, Tristan Gemmill - Andrew, Aaron Abrams - Man in Temple Crowd #3, Salvatore Antonio - Judas (Not Iscariot) (as Salvatore Migliore), Miriam Brown - Martha, Donald Ewer - Annas, Jan Filips - Joseph of Arimathea, Miriam Hughes - Mary, Lazarus' Sister, Alex Karzis - James, Nitzan Sharron - Lazarus, Andy Velasquez - Thomas the Twin)

This month I'm looking at Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ which became one of the most controversial, and successful films of all time when it was released in 2004. Back then it was the film that everyone seemed to have an opinion on, and its success has paved the way for a score of films about the Bible to be created. (Director: Mel Gibson) (Cast:James Caviezel... Jesus, Maia Morgenstern... Mary, Christo Jivkov... John, Francesco De Vito... Peter, Monica Bellucci... Mary Magdalene, Mattia Sbragia... Caiphas, Toni Bertorelli... Annas, Luca Lionello... Judas, Hristo Shopov... Pontius Pilate (as Hristo Naumov Shopov), Claudia Gerini... Claudia Procles, Fabio Sartor... Abenader, Giacinto Ferro... Joseph of Arimathea, Olek Mincer... Nicodemus, Sheila Mokhtari... Woman in Audience, Lucio Allocca... Old Temple Guard, Luca De Dominicis... Herod, Pedro Sarubbi... Barabbas, Jarreth Merz... Simon of Cyrene, Rosalinda Celentano… Satan)

This month I'm looking at Cecil B. DeMille's silent classic The King of Kings (1927). The recent Criterion Collection DVD release for this film included both the widely seen 1928 version of this film and the original, longer 1927 cut. (Director: Cecil B. DeMille) (Cast:H.B. Warner... Jesus, the Christ, Dorothy Cumming... Mary, the mother, Ernest Torrence... Peter, Joseph Schildkraut... Judas Iscariot, James Neill... James, brother of John, Joseph Striker... John, the beloved, Robert Edeson... Matthew, the publican, Sidney D'Albrook... Thomas, the doubter, David Imboden... Andrew, a fisherman, Charles Belcher... Philip, Clayton Packard... Bartholomew, Robert Ellsworth... Simon, the zealot, Charles Requa... James The Lesser, John T. Prince... Thaddeus, Jacqueline Logan... Mary Magdalene, Rudolph Schildkraut... Caiaphas, high priest of Israel, Sam De Grasse... Pharisee, Casson Ferguson... Scribe, Victor Varconi... Pontius Pilate, governor of Judea, Majel Coleman... Proculla, wife of Pilate, Montagu Love... Roman Centurion, William Boyd... Simon Of Cyrene, Micky Moore... Mark, Theodore Kosloff... Malchus, captain of the high priest's guards, George Siegmann... Barabbas, Kenneth Thomson... Lazarus, Alan Brooks... Satan, Viola Louie... Adulterous woman, Muriel McCormac... Blind girl)