Jesus Christ Supestar

The film opens with a group of actors arriving in the Holy Land in a bus and preparing for the filming of Jesus Christ Superstar during the overture. Ted Neeley (Jesus) is seen shortly before entering the circle wearing a green tie-dye shirt. He pauses to observe them taking the cross off of the bus. He is next seen walking with Yvonne Elliman (Mary Magdalene) who is carrying the white robe that Ted Neeley is about to put on. As the group encircles them, you see the green tie-dye shirt come off.

Berlin, Deutschlandhalle, November 20 th 1971. Kinski emerges into a lone spotlight on an empty stage. Shoulder length hair, plain jeans, a shirt with flower and polka dot patterns. No set, no stage effects, no costume. By reciting his own version of the New Testament's “Jesus Christ Saviour”, he realizes a project well over 10 years in the making.
It is the time of the Hippie movement, and Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical “Jesus Christ Superstar” is celebrating a sensational success in Germany as well. It is also a time of nonviolent resistance.
But Kinski's JESUS is not some Hippie Happening. It is to be a highly emotional, highly personal recount of “mankind's most exciting story: The Story of Jesus Christ…the freest and most modern of all men, who prefers to be massacred rather than fester alive with all the others. About a man who is the way we all would like to be. You and I”.

Celebrating 40 years since it first opened in London’s West End, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s new production of Jesus Christ Superstar, directed by Laurence Connor, promises to be the rock event of 2012. The star-studded line-up includes award-winning musical comedian Tim Minchin for the role of Judas Iscariot. Three million album selling pop icon and former Spice Girl Melanie C will take the only female lead as Mary Magdalene. Former BBC Radio 1 Breakfast Show host Chris Moyles will make his major stage debut as King Herod and Winner of the ITV primetime show Superstar Ben Forster in the title role of Jesus in the 21st century Rock Musical re-invention of Jesus Christ Superstar.

A brand-new production of the Andrew Lloyd Webber/Tim Rice classic musical, "Jesus Christ Superstar" tells the story of the last seven days in the life of Jesus. It describes his entry into Jerusalem, the enmity that his preaching and his popularity causes among the Jewish religious leaders, his betrayal by Judas, mocking contempt of Herod, and the trial in front of Pontius Pilate, who despite his sympathy towards Jesus as a person, bows to the demands of Caiaphas, the Chief Priest, and has him crucified.

The setting for this story is Rahatlcoum, a Roman colony in North Africa, but the "colonists" watch television, have gay bars, trade unions, and traffic problems – something like the "Flintstones" in an Afro-French incarnation, slipping around on Monty Pythonesque dialogue. A gay Jules César's expensive vacation causes the population to grumble and gripe, they would rather have mechanic Ben Hur Marcel (Coluche) take Jules' place as their exalted leader. Once she gets out of jail, Cleopatra declares that old Ben is actually her long-lost half-brother, and lo and behold, Marcel of the chariot taxis is named the new pharaoh, Aminemphet. French critics loved this film and American critics hated it, leading one to suspect that being French helps considerably in responding to its humor.

The first testament says "an eye for an eye." The second testament says "love thy neighbour." The third testament KICKS ASS! The filmmaking team that brought you Harry Knuckles and won the "Spirit of Slamdance" .