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Easter Watching

LudovicoLudovico
in General Movies & TV Posts: 15,522
There's a thread about Christmas movies here, I thought it would be nice to have something similar for Easter. So what do you watch during the Easter season? Obviously it's a much shorter time, but there's an interesting array of options: biblical movies of various qualities, swords and sandals, kids films involving rabbits, movies set during Easter, etc.

Comments

  • DarthDimiDarthDimi Behind you!Moderator
    Posts: 24,608
    I typically go in for Wyler's Ben-Hur and The Sound Of Music. I'm not a religious man but Ben-Hur is a magnificent film that fits the Easter season, I guess. The Sound Of Music is just "an Easter thing" that my wife put on the menu for some reason. ;-)

    Other than that, I have zero interest in such seasonal events. I watch whatever I want.
  • RichardTheBruceRichardTheBruce I'm motivated by my Duty.
    edited April 19 Posts: 14,328
    The longtime staple is Cecil B. DeMille's The Ten Commandments (1956). Also starring Charlton Heston.

    With Yul Brynner, Anne Baxter, Edward G. Robinson, Yvonne De Carlo, John Derek, Sir Cedric Hardwicke, Judith Anderson, Vincent Price. Elmer Bernstein score.

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    And the way Charles M. Schultz had a place in his heart for Christmas (A Charlie Brown Christmas, 1965), he remembered Easter with the lesser known It's The Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown! (1974). Available on Apple TV and Amazon Prime Video



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  • LudovicoLudovico
    Posts: 15,522
    Oh yes, It's the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown. One of my childhood favourite.

    I actually consider Moses the Lawgiver to be vastly superior to The Ten Commandments, mainly because of Anthony Burgess' script and dialogues. But there's also Ennio Morricone's music and a great casting. Burgess also wrote the script of Jesus of Nazareth, THE Easter movie when I was growing up. I could have made a whole thread about the best way to watch it: in two parts, three parts or in a single part.

    And talking of Anthony Burgess, I would argue that A Clockwork Orange is a suitable film for Easter. I shared this video before on this topic:
  • Mathis1Mathis1
    Posts: 8,121
    Well as I stated in a review, I have started to watch the thriller 'The Long Good Friday' at this time of year for the past few years. Regarding our favourite secret agent, I always watched FYEO, not sure why! I've always thought 'Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory' was more suited to this time of year, rather than Christmas, which it always seemed to feature! I've recently purchased Bill Forsyths charming 'Gregory's Girl' which I plan to watch Easter Sunday!
  • LudovicoLudovico
    Posts: 15,522
    Willy Wonka definitely has an Easter feel, not a Christmas one. A lot of Greek mythology movies too, the original Clash of the Titans for instance. Oh and a few crime stories are set during the Easter weekend: The Great Train Robbery and King of Thieves come to my mind. And for some reason, I think Serpico might work well as an Easter movie, because Pacino comes off as a Messianic figure, both physically and thematically.
  • RichardTheBruceRichardTheBruce I'm motivated by my Duty.
    Posts: 14,328
    hq720.jpg?sqp=-oaymwEhCK4FEIIDSFryq4qpAxMIARUAAAAAGAElAADIQj0AgKJD&rs=AOn4CLDHZcvW-lpkKjKgf6pyuZ4CKo7FSw

    More intense viewing, not necessarily taken on as an annual revisit, there is Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ (2004).

    And its pending continuation planned for release in 2026 as The Resurrection of the Christ. Formerly labeled The Passion of the Christ 2 - The Resurrection and other titles in notional film art (below with 2020 release date).

    https://variety.com/2025/film/global/mel-gibson-passion-of-the-christ-sequel-shoot-this-summer-rome-1236348235/
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  • talos7talos7 New Orleans
    Posts: 8,488
    Ben Hur…
  • LudovicoLudovico
    Posts: 15,522
    I have mixed feelings about Gibson's Passion of Christ. On the one hand I love some of the aesthetic, albeit at times it belongs more to a horror movie than a biblical one. On the other hand I find it spoiled by a not so subtle antisemitism, that he tries to exorcises, but never fully succeeds. And there's no way this version of Barabbas would have been freed.

    My mother loves to watch Babette's Feast round Easter. When I was a kid, she usually watched it the Saturday before, then the next day we had a fancy brunch at a local restaurant. So I still associate it with Easter.
  • HitchBondUSAHitchBondUSA USA
    Posts: 230
    Happy Easter good day to put on octopussy
  • FoxRoxFoxRox
    edited April 20 Posts: 12,651
    I was just thinking like how Eyes Wide Shut (1999) is the perfect dark, unorthodox Christmas film, Donnie Darko (2001) can be the perfect dark, unorthodox Easter film thanks to its big bunny-costumed mascot! I did watch it recently though, so I’ll pass for today.
  • DragonpolDragonpol https://thebondologistblog.blogspot.com
    Posts: 18,637
    FoxRox wrote: »
    I was just thinking like how Eyes Wide Shut (1999) is the perfect dark, unorthodox Christmas film, Donnie Darko (2001) can be the perfect dark, unorthodox Easter film thanks to its big bunny-costumed mascot! I did watch it recently though, so I’ll pass for today.

    Donnie Darko. I saw that film a good few years ago at a friend's house. Still not sure what to make of it or what it was all about. I do remember the strange rabbit apparition though. Not exactly the Easter Bunny! ;)
  • LudovicoLudovico
    Posts: 15,522
    FoxRox wrote: »
    I was just thinking like how Eyes Wide Shut (1999) is the perfect dark, unorthodox Christmas film, Donnie Darko (2001) can be the perfect dark, unorthodox Easter film thanks to its big bunny-costumed mascot! I did watch it recently though, so I’ll pass for today.

    I haven't seen it, but yeah, it would make sense. I'd also add any of the Dunes movies, since they have a Messiah. And maybe Amadeus too, although its atmosphere is wintery at times. Speaking of Mozart: Bergman's Trollfloten would work nicely too, or Branagh's Magic Flute. They're all about the return of the sun and spring and the opera is set in mythical Egypt.
  • LudovicoLudovico
    edited 9:35pm Posts: 15,522
    Oh, another one I can think would work nicely for Easter: The Godfather part 3. As flawed as it is, it has its
    moments. Any movie involving the Catholic Church and Rome has an Easter feel, imo.

    I'm surprised nobody mentioned Peter Rabbit. Oh and as bad as it is, Critters 2 is set during Easter.
  • DragonpolDragonpol https://thebondologistblog.blogspot.com
    edited 8:44pm Posts: 18,637
    Easter always reminds me of Bond films being on the TV as Bank Holiday films. One that I particularly remember growing up was For Your Eyes Only being on TV over Easter 1997. It was shown on either Easter Sunday or Easter Monday. I think it was the latter. I taped it on that occasion as I'd only seen it once before on TV in 1996. Bond films on TV were special back then as Bank Holidays were nearly the only time they were shown. This was of course back when there were only four or five terrestrial channels in the UK. Now Bond films are hardly off the TV on the likes of ITV4. Overexposure spoils the fun I find and makes their broadcast much less of an event. Still, some happy memories of Easter of yesteryear. I suppose with the Fabergé Easter eggs plot Octopussy would work quite well as an Easter film too.
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