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THE BIBLE Epic mini-series from History Channel dramatizes many of the greatest stories from both the Old and New Testament, with great location photography, costumes, and special effects (including the parting of the Red Sea). Available on DVD and Blu-ray. There’s also a tie-in novel. Also available from iTunes.


ANCIENT EGYPT, THE NEAR EAST,
& BIBLICAL EPICS

NOAH Russell Crowe stars as the Bible hero in this controversial take on the near-destruction of mankind in a worldwide flood, directed by Darren Aronofsky (Black Swan).
PRISONERS OF THE SUN An archaeological expedition discovers a lost city beneath a pyramid and re-awakens the gods of ancient Egypt, with horrific results.
SALOME Rita Hayworth performs the Dance of the Seven Veils for Herod (Charles Laughton) in a 1953 technicolor extravaganza. AIDA Teenaged Sophia Loren stars as the enslaved Ethiopian princess who finds her destiny in Egypt. A lavish Italian film of Verdi’s opera, made in 1953. The singing voice of Aida is dubbed by Renata Tebaldi. In Italian with English subtitles.
SINBAD: Complete First Series 3-disk set of the new UK TV series filmed in Malta with an international cast headed by Elliot Knight in the title role. THE ADVENTURES OF SINBAD: Complete First Season From 1996, 6-disk boxset of the vintage TV series starring Zen Gesner.
PRINCE OF PERSIA Jake Gyllenhaal stars in an epic adventure based on the popular video game.
EGYPT: REDISCOVERING A LOST WORLD 6-part BBC series dramatizes the lives of three men who rediscovered the world of Ancient Egypt: Howard Carter, Giovanni Belzoni, and Jean-François Champollion.
CLEOPATRA’S DAUGHTER Sword & Sandal classic from 1960 set in the New Kingdom era stars Debra Paget and Robert Alda; on DVD-R. QUEEN OF THE NILE Sword & Sandal epic from 1961 stars Jeanne Crain, Edmund Purdom, and Vincent Price. On DVD-R.
THE PYRAMID CODE 2-disk series presents alternative views of the nature of ancient Egyptian society and the purpose of the pyramids. EGYPT: Beyond the Pyramids 2-disk series examines how current archaeological work is changing our perceptions of Ancient Egypt.
MUMMIES: Secrets of the Pharaohs In-depth look at the remains of the ancient Pharaohs, filmed in IMAX and narrated by Christopher Lee.
ANCIENT LIVES 2-disk series unlocks the mysteries of daily life in ancient Egypt; numerous bonus features include a 16-page viewer’s guide.
YEAR ONE Jack Black and Michael Cera star in a buddy comedy/road movie about two hunter-gatherers from the sticks who meet Cain and Abel, visit Sodom, and get stoned...literally!
INTOLERANCE The most complete edition of D.W. Griffith’s landmark epic, which includes episodes in ancient Judea and Babylon (one of the most amazing sets ever constructed).
THE OLD TESTAMENT Brad Harris and Alan Steel star in the story of the Maccabees and their struggles for freedom (from the Apocrypha, actually, not the Old Testament). DIGGING FOR THE TRUTH Season 1Season 2 Explorer Josh Bernstein traverses the globe in pursuit of new insights in ancient mysteries.
ANCIENT EGYPTIANS draws on actual Egyptian sources—papyri remains of letters and official documents—to present four dramatized tales of warfare, murder, politics and betrayal. Narrated by Jeremy Sisto. LAND OF THE PHARAOHS Joan Collins at 22 made quite a splash in this epic tale of the building of a pyramid, directed by Howard Hawks from a script by William Faulkner.
BUILDING THE GREAT PYRAMID Omar Sharif voices the thoughts of the aged Nakht, conscripted as a young man to help build the Great Pyramid of Giza, in this BBC docudrama. UNLOCKING THE GREAT PYRAMID National Geographic follows architect Jean-Pierre Houdin and Egyptologist Bob Brier as they use 3-D software to unlock the secret of the pyramid’s construction.
THE MUMMY TRILOGY The wildly entertaining series starring Brendan Fraser. Each title also available separately: The MummyThe Mummy Returns Tomb of the Dragon Emperor
THE MUMMY: LEGACY COLLECTION 2-disk set includes the legendary 1932 Boris Karloff classic, plus all four sequels made by Universal Studios in the 1940s.
THE SCORPION KING The Rock made his mark as the warrior Mathayus in this action thriller spin-off from The Mummy, which takes place in an age before the Pharaohs.
THE SCORPION KING 2: Rise of a Warrior and 3: Battle for Redemption A prequel and swquel carry the saga backward and forward in time.
CLEOPATRA Cecil B. DeMille’s heady spectacle starring Claudette Colbert as the Queen of the Nile. Part of the new Universal Backlot Series, this 75th Anniversary Edition is loaded with extras. CLEOPATRA (1963) Stunningly restored full-length version of the Hollywood epic starring Elizabeth Taylor is on Steven’s Top Ten List.
TWO NIGHTS WITH CLEOPATRA Italian comedy stars a very young Sophia Loren in dual roles, as Cleopatra and as her look-alike slave girl. With Alberto Sordi. CLEOPATRA (1999) Sprawling saga based on the novel Memoirs of Cleopatra by Margaret George stars Leonor Varela, Billy Zane, and Timothy Dalton.
THE ROYAL DIARIES Three half-hour dramas about princesses including Cleopatra, based on the novel in the Scholastic Books series. Also included: Isabel of Spain and Elizabeth I of England. WAR GODS OF BABLYON Widescreen epic of flood and fire in the days of Hammurabi and Zoroaster; plus a racy tale of Theseus and the Amazons, War Goddess.
THE PRODIGAL Lana Turner and Edmund Purdom star in the tale of Micah, a rural young Hebrew who finds temptations beyond his imagining in the big city. CAMP CLASSICS 4 Warner collection includes Colossus of Rhodes, plus a very young Joan Collins in Land of the Pharaohs and the lavish Biblical epic The Prodigal. Cool extras!
GOLIATH & THE SINS OF BABYLON Mark Forest in bondage, Babylonian style! Widescreen edition. Plus Colossus & The Amazon Queen with a very young Rod Taylor. SINBAD: LEGEND OF THE SEVEN SEAS Greek and Persian legends abound in this spectacular Disney animated feature, starring Brad Pitt and Catherine Zeta-Jones. In Widescreen or Full Screen versions.
THE QUEEN OF SHEBA Six years before Hercules, Pietro Francisci directed this b&w gem. Babe and beefcake quotient: very high. Camp quotient: off the scale! Excellent print. SON OF SAMSON In his stunning screen debut, Mark Forest as Maciste ventures to Egypt; Chelo Alonso plays sultry Queen Smedes. Widescreen print. Plus Son of Cleopatra with Mark Damon.
THE BIBLE...IN THE BEGINNING John Huston directs and plays Noah in this saga that spans from Creation to Noah’s Ark and Abraham (George C. Scott).
THE STORY OF RUTH The 1960 version starring Tom Tryon and Stuart Whitman, with Elana Eden as Ruth. “Spectacles of heathen idolatry, human sacrifice, and pagan revels!”
KING DAVID Richard Gere plays David from teen to king in this 1985 drama directed by Bruce Beresford, with Edward Woodward as Saul.
DAVID Nathanial Parker plays David, with Leonard Nimoy as Samuel and Jonathan Pryce as Saul in this 1997 telemovie.
THE STORY OF DAVID 1976 telemovie with Timothy Bottoms, Jane Seymour, Brian Blessed, Anthony Quayle, and Keith Michell. DAVID & BATHSHEBA Gregory Peck and Susan Hayward star in the tale of King David’s adulterous and ultimately disastrous love affair.
ESTHER AND THE KING Joan Collins and Richard Egan star in this 1960 spectacle directed by Raoul Walsh. ESTHER Louise Lombard plays Esther, with Thomas Kretschmann as King Ahasuerus (Xerxes I) of Persia in this 1999 telemovie.
ONE NIGHT WITH THE KING Sweeping epic about Hadassah, the Jewish girl who became Esther, Queen of Persia; Tiffany Dupont and Luke Goss star, with Omar Sharif and Peter O’Toole. JOSEPH Paul Mercurio as Joseph and Ben Kingsley as Portiphar deliver striking performances; Leslie Ann Warren and Martin Landau also star. Emmy winner for best mini-series; directed by Roger Young.
SAMSON & DELILAH Nicholas Roeg directed this 1996 version starring Michael Gambon, Dennis Hopper, and Diana Rigg, with Eric Thal as the mighty Samson. SAMSON & DELILAH 1984 telemovie offers a rare chance to see Aussie hunk Antony Hamilton flex his pecs as the Hebrew strongman headed for a fall.
SOLOMON & SHEBA King Vidor directs smoldering Yul Brynner and voluptuous Gina Lollobrigida are at their sexiest in this MGM Biblical spectacular. SOLOMON Ben Cross is Solomon, Anouk Aimée is Bathsheba, Vivica A. Fox is the Queen of Sheba, and Max von Sydow is David in this 2000 telemovie directed by Roger Young.
THE TEN COMMANDMENTS Dougray Scott as Moses heads a cast including Linus Roache, Mia Maestro, and Omar Sharif in this 2006 mini-series. THE TEN COMMANDMENTS Charlton Heston stars in the quintessential Biblical epic directed by Cecil B. DeMille; 50th Anniversary Edition includes silent 1923 version.
THE PRINCE OF EGYPT Animated musical extravaganza about Moses with an all-star cast including Val Kilmer, Ralph Fiennes, Michelle Pfeiffer, Sandra Bullock, and Jeff Goldblum.
THE TEN COMMANDMENTS Claymation movie from 2007 features the voices of Ben Kingsely, Elliot Gould, Christian Slater, and Alfred Molina.
MOSES AND AARON From 1975, Schoenberg’s opera shot in the deserts of Egypt and Israel and in the Italian Alba Fucens amphitheater. MOSES 1975 version stars Burt Lancaster as Moses, with a script by Anthony Burgess and music score by Ennio Morricone.
MOSES Ben Kingsley plays Moses, with Christopher Lee as Ramses in this Emmy-nominated 1995 drama directed by Roger Young. ABRAHAM Richard Harris plays the title role, with Barbara Hershey as Sarah and Maximilian Schell as Pharaoh in this 1994 telemovie.
JACOB Matthew Modine heads an outstanding international cast including Lara Flynn Boyle, Sean Bean, Irene Papas, Josh Ackland, and Giancarlo Giannini in this 1994 telemovie. JEREMIAH Patrick Dempsey plays the beleaguered prophet, with Leonor Varela (Cleopatra) as Judith and Klaus Maria Brandauer as King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon in this 2000 telemovie.



DVD Shop: FORTHCOMING MOVIESWHERE ARE THE EURO MOVIES?
SWORD & SANDAL MOVIES DOCUMENTARIESANCIENT CINEMA BOOKS
ROMEGREECEHAIL SHAKESPEARE!STEVEN’S TOP 10 MOVIES LIST
WISH LISTENGLISH-LANGUAGE DVDS FROM GERMANYONLINE FILM FEST


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