Godspell

Rating:
Summary: inspirational and unique
Review: though not as popular as jesus christ superstar in my opinion it is the best. this movie, based on the gospell acording to matthew takes place in nyc in the early 70's as a modern version of what jesus' life would be like in the 70's. With its youthful and and entertaining cast jesus (who is portraied as a loving, peacful flower child) and his folowers roam around the city of new york spreding the word, singing songs, and learing a lesson or two. by far this movie gives a stonger and more understanding message to its viewers then any other muscical/ rock oprea about the life of jesus christ and his teachings beacuse of its modern setting and people. in this movie you can see the world trade centers at its early years. and also in one of the numbers the cast is on top of one of the buildings dancing. with its beautiful veiw of the building it reminds us now how we can help to rebuild our nation and our lives after watching this movie and after 9/11.

Rating:
Summary: Fun movie
Review:

I put this movie in my DVD player fully intending to have it play in the background while I cleaned house, but I soon found myself drawn into the story and the songs. Victor Garber is absolutely enchanting and the songs are wonderful (although the choreography is a bit on the cheesy side). I disagree that the film needs to be updated, I think the story is timeless and most people could stand to take a lesson or two from it.

Rating:
Summary: A Beautiful Story
Review: I saw this movie on the big screen when I was a boy and its probably the main reason I have such strong faith today while the rest of my family has virtually none. It's a beautiful story told in an upbeat and clever way. When everyone "disappears" from the streets of NYC its almost sci-fi, and the scenes of the cast filmed on top of the WTC will bring tears as much as the story itself. The songs will stay with you for years and always be a reminder of the Gospel of St. Matthew. My kids even love it. They want to watch it every day since I got it! Buy or rent this movie today!

Rating:
Summary: My favorite movie musical...ever!
Review: I've loved this movie since I saw it on TV when I was a kid; and not as a "guilty pleasure", but as a great movie. I love everything about it; including the singing, dancing, face painting and even the skipping!! When I'm feeling blue, this movie makes me happy, and I'm not even that religious. I have it on video, DVD, CD, and even the original one sheet movie poster. Every song is awesome. The only number that's a little embarrassing and dated is "All Good Gifts", and that's just because of the choreography; the song is still killer. I love how it's a total ensemble and how almost every cast member gets their own song in addition to the group numbers. All the singers harmonize beautifully. I even like all the parables performed with broad humor and slapstick. I'd rank this one better than Grease, Chicago, and even Little Shop of Horrors (which is my next favorite movie musical). I've tried to get all my friends to watch it. They think I've lost my mind. I don't care. This film also has some of the best New York photography in any film ever. This should be considered one of the great New York movies like Manhattan or Taxi Driver. Rest in peace, Lynn Thigpen and David Green. Long live Godspell!

Rating:
Summary: BREATHTAKINGLY CREATIVE
Review: GODSPELL has become an oddball classic of the theatre -- reviled by many critics when it first appeared, it has survived for 3 entire decades and thrived as a durable, moving combination of music, heart and Matthew's funny-wise parables. This movie version did not break any box office records; it is odd in a different way. The city of New York is seemingly abandoned to provide a fresh-faced, winning troupe of young people looking for something meaningful in their lives a place in which to play, laugh, run, skip, jump, and most of all, sing and dance. This concept is outrageously creative, and for fans of the music and show, delightfully wonderful. New York, that city that never sleeps, with its endless variety of humanity, nooks, crannies, landmarks, land, sea, etc., is embraced, painted and inhabited by this merry group in surprisingly inventive ways.

In looking back (nonetheless thrilled that this finally made it to DVD), there is a new harsh melancholy twist is seeing the World Trade Center in the musical number All For The Best. This moment in the film, with its complicated shot on top of the Towers -- takes your breath away. It is sad, strange and newly horrific to see these wonderful, talented people singing such an optimistic, smile-inducing song literally on top of one of New York's most famous icons -- now gone forever.

Rating:
Summary: Beautiful, but odd
Review: I first saw Godspell as a play seven years ago, then again this past year. I've always been obsessed with the music and the chemistry that must be created between the cast, and as far as that went, the movie did not fail me. My only disappoinment was the absence of my favorite song "We Beseech Thee" sung by Jeffery Myllet, who had a wonderful, exuberant voice that made you want to get up and dance even more than the rest of the sound track. But at least the movie features a little bit more of the adorable Jeffery.
It's a wonderful movie that I definately advise seeing, but more than that...see the play!

Rating:
Summary: Your personality matters
Review: I'm 37. I grew up in a small town in Southern Mn. I attended Catholic schools for the first 5 years of my life. In 1975 our Seniors turned it into a play. I didn't really get it then, but I did enjoy the music. My older sister ended up doing drugs in her high school years and was sent to treatment. This was our era. I have rented the VHS, but can no longer get a hold of it. My daughter saw it for the first time when she was 8. She was reluctant at first, but was glued to the screen after about 15 minutes. I wanted her to watch the whole thing. Every single time I watch the movie I get chocked up. Especially during the songs. The actors are so genuine, I love it. I have the C.D. in my Alfa Romeo convertible and listen to it often. (So does my daughter). We were lucky enough to see a live play of the Godspell 2 years ago. Seven of us went and everyone loved it. I can be cold, arrogant, quiet, loud, serious, funny, and a number of other things in my life. Watching this movie slows me down. It makes me think about life more,... and the things that are more important. It makes me happily sad.

Rating:
Summary: Don't be fooled
Review: It isn't about Jesus, it's about the community that he creates between ordinary people. It fuses the gospel of Matthew's parables and some of Stephen Schwartz's best music.

Victor Garber is a musical idol. His voice is impeccable, one of the best in contemporary musicals. The songs are legendary, i.e. the pop hit Day By Day, clearly the shows most popular number. Haunting melodies on songs such as On The Willows and By My Side give the show real emotion. Songs like All For The Best and Save The People give the show some reall jazz and pizazz, pepping it up and bringing it life, not just boring you like some Sunday church service.

It's a great show, very colorful and energetic. It teaches you a lesson, but it doesn't tell you you have to listen or you'll go to hell. It's an entertaining passion play with some excellent no name talent; some times they're the best. I give it my highest recommendation.

Rating:
Summary: The Gospel of Matthew to Music!!!
Review: If you're looking for the traditional,don't bank on this movie. However, that should not cause you to shy away from this film. I remember seeing this when it was first released in the 70's, and it was controversial then, as it is now. But if you're a "die in the hard" traditionalist, this isn't for you. The music is exciting, and the acting is spontaneous, and the subject matter concerns that which Jesus spoke about in the Gospel of Matthew. The only problem I had with the movie was the depiction of the Pharisees as a robot, and the fact that the disciples were isolated from everyone else until the end of the movie. But I guess that's because Jesus needed to teach them what they needed to do so He could send them out into the world at the end. It could be surmised at that.

Also, the end doesn't finish the story. Christ died on the Cross, but He also rose from the dead, and the Resurrection from the Dead because He died for our sins and conquered sin and death is vitally important, but it's possible that Stephen Schwartz didn't want to go there.

Needless to say, this is a fine adaptation of the Gospel of Matthew, and be prepared, as they say, to tap your feet and think through this movie. It's a winner!!!

Rating:
Summary: Good, although not filled with tons of clarity
Review: I first saw Godspell about three years ago (that would make me twelve), in a community theater production that my summer camp leader was in. I don't remember much about the experience at all, but then again, I don't remember hating it either.

Flash forward to three years later. In honor of the fact that my high school has chosen to throw its students into the world of Godspell this spring (read: it's this year's musical), my theater director decided to show our class the 1973 Victor Garber movie version of Godspell.

Everybody has their opinion of this movie. I actually found it to be enjoyable, in a way (then again, the sole fact that it's a musical appeals to me- they grow on me). I was actually capable of having it completely freak me out while at the same time holding my interest. It was nothing like I thought it would be- the songs sound so obviously bible-related that I assumed it would be more direct in the biblical story, instead of just being a group of 70's people wandering around, singing and dancing.

The fact that there were no definitive characters threw me off. No one is called by a name in this story. Well, that's sort of a lie: Jesus is called "Lord" once. But you know he's Jesus, and that David Haskell is John the Baptist and Judas, by their words, not their names. It seems this is extremely heavily geared toward Christians because it relies on the legendary stories of these people to reach its audience.

And it did reach me. I found the crucifixion scene to be rather violent and disturbing, but then realized that in the end, that seems a bit more appropriate then Jesus being gently carried to the cross and put up there and just sitting there until he dies. It probably was nothing like that, and could very well have been as tumultous and catastrophic as the movie suggests.

In my mind, there are four categories of a show's power to make you come back. The first is the obsession: the thing that you think about all the time. The second and most common is the good quality: for instance, a TV show that you look forward to each week but don't really miss on the days you don't watch it. You don't feel empty without it because you know it'll be back the next week. The third is an addiction: you don't really have to watch it, you just do it so frequently that when it's not there, you recognize a gap where it was. And the fourth, the category where Godspell belongs, is an impulse. I have incredibly mixed feelings about this movie, but all in all, I am strangely eager to see it again.

Be prepared when you watch this for the first time- it's almost impossible to predict what kind of effect it will have. Your feelings may be just as divided as mine. But I can assure you that it will make you think.