Mention "parody of biblical movies", and anybody can name about nine tenths of the jokes in "Wholly Moses!", an all-too-familiar comedy that proves the adage, "Never go to a film with an exclamation point in its title" ( The Beatles' " Help!" being a possible exception). The screenplay is third-rate college humor, a "satire" that doesn't dare really satirize its alleged source, a newly discovered Dead Sea scroll, since the audience might not have heard of the Dead Sea scrolls, and so tries for laughs instead with one of the oldest gimmicks in the book: dressing people up in Biblical costume and having them speak in contemporary terms. The movie's not funny on its own, and since movie audiences are scarcely going to be shocked by its mild but relentlessly repetitive irreverence, it all boils down to a very old joke. It kids the Old Testament, it has angels with wings that fall off, its narrator says things like "He sat her upon her ass", and we're expected to laugh. The movie depends for its effect on the kind of shock value the TV show has, and it seems to he under the impression that that's enough. Proof of this is a very bad new comedy named "Wholly Moses!" which is the first feature film by "Saturday Night" director Gary Weis. We laugh at some of the stuff not so much because it's funny as because it's on TV at all. It takes on sex, religion and politics, subjects that were out of bounds during TV's early years, and so cloaks itself in a fashionable daring. One of the things that makes " Saturday Night Live" funny is that it's on television, so we're supposed to be slightly scandalized by its irreverence. Harvey Orchid/Herschelīecause of a production hiatus imposed on their television show by WTTW, Roger Ebert and Gene Siskel did not review the film on Sneak Previews upon its initial release. Several other biblical stories, such as Lot and his wife, David and Goliath, and the miracles of Jesus, are also parodied in this story of the life of a man trying to follow the path to God, but somehow always seeming to lose his way. He tries to obey this command, but Moses always seems to be one step ahead of him. Herschel thinks he hears God commanding him to go to Egypt, but actually, he has overheard God giving His instructions to Moses at the burning bush. Harvey and Zoey, two tourists travelling through Israel, discover an ancient scroll describing the life of Herschel, the man who was almost Moses. The film also stars Laraine Newman, James Coco, Paul Sand, Jack Gilford, Dom DeLuise, John Houseman, Madeline Kahn, David Lander, Richard Pryor, and John Ritter. Dudley Moore plays Old Testament-era idol maker Herschel, whose life and adventures seem to parallel that of the more famous Moses, all the while being misled to think he is the prophet of God. Book your post show activities carefully.Wholly Moses! is a 1980 American Biblical spoof film written by Guy Thomas and directed by Gary Weis. Our 3:30 show was over at 6 and we exited the theater parking lot at 6:30. Including a 15 minute intermission, the production lasts a full two and a half hours. Needless to say traffic after the show was hectic - we didn't move an inch for over 15 minutes. There were parking attendants to aid incoming traffic but none to assist outgoing traffic. The theater does not open until 30 minutes before showtime so many are forced to stand, sit in the floor, lean against the wall, or return to their parked cars while awaiting theater entry. There is limited lobby seating to accommodate the hundreds of early arrivers. This is very popular show and consistently plays to "sold out" theaters. I also liked the way the producers linked Moses of the Old Testament directly to Jesus of the New Testament and unashamedly proclaim the good news of Christ coming to save all of those who will receive Him. Some of the more dramatic highlights included the "burning bush", the "parting of the Red Sea", and God's creation of the tablets containing the "Ten Commandments". It was quite well done, with a good musical score, good performers, beautiful staging, and great special effects. The story was certainly consistent with the Biblical account of the life of Moses, but contained embellishments to "fill-in" the story for dramatic effect. The cast includes 100's of actors, actresses, and live animals. This is the largest theater (seats 2,000) and the biggest production in Branson.
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