Thursday Movie Picks-Ancient World

As we get closer to Easter, I am reminded of my childhood when certain films were played each year, and still are, on tv, and I would watch these films with my dad and love every minute of it even though these films were quite long.....just like this sentence.  So we are going old, like really old, in time and the films which showcase ancient times is the topic for this week.  I love Gladiator but I'm not choosing this film, but maybe someone else has so head on over to Wandering Through The Shelves to see what the other film buffs have chosen. Here are my 3.....

1. THE TEN COMMANDMENTS-1956

The great Cecil B DeMille actually created this film back in 1923 and, if you have seen this film, he uses some of the same looks from that film in this one. This film has been shown on tv at Easter time every year for decades and I have fond memories of watching this. It tells the story of Moses who was raised by a pharaoh but finds out he is a humble Hebrew who must lead his people to freedom. The chiseled rock, Charlton Heston, plays Moses to great effect. Anne Baxter is a pharaoh queen who loves him, Yul Brynner is the whiny brat who becomes pharaoh and hates Heston's guts and Yvonne DeCarlo ( Lily Munster) plays Moses's wife. There is a cast of thousands in this film and it won an Oscar for special effects for that still great scene of the parting of the Red Sea. Moses is actually more fun when he is the pharaoh to be who could have actually really helped his people if he stayed in power but he decided to grow an amazing beard and raise his hands in the air a lot and became rather ..boring. The people he saves see many amazing things but can be easily swayed to have an orgy around a golden calf after being talked to by Brooklyn accented Edward G. Robinson. Hmmmm, this film was up for many Oscars...a golden statue...hmmmmm,.

2. BEN HUR-1959

Charlton Heston stars as the main character in this long but great film about a wealthy Jewish man who is betrayed by his old friend Messala. As a result, Messala sends Ben Hur on a slave ship where he is one of the oarsmen. When the ship is attacked, he ends up saving the Roman head of that ship and is in return, granted his freedom and is welcomed in his home. Ben Hur comes back home representing his land in the best chariot race ever shown on screen! He finds out his mother and sister have leprosy and do not want to be seen but he finds them. At this time, a man, who once gave him water, is being taken to his death. Remembering that this Carpenter once gave him water, Ben Hur does the same for the Carpenter. This epic was directed by the famous William Wyler who worked on the 1925 film version as an assistant and who had wanted to remake this film for a long time. A great film that one the most awards until tied by that flick I call, the love boat sinking.

3. A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO THE FORUM-1966

I love this film which I consider one of the best comedies and starring many people who used to be in burlesque and vaudeville as comics from Frank Gifford, Phil Silvers, Zero Mostel to the great Buster Keaton. Actually many were blacklisted during the Communist witch hunts from the late 40's and early 50's. Zero plays a slave who is very lazy and wants to be free. When his slave owners leave for the day, their young son is left and Zero finds out he is in love with a virgin. He works out a plan to gain his freedom if he can unite the young man with the virgin. Hijinks ensue through the many dealings and underhanded ploys the slave does to win his freedom. You have a couple of songs, love, lust and Frank Gifford dressed as a virgin. Very funny film that I hope you can see when you get the chance.

Which films would you choose?