In Search of Historic Jesus (1979) User Reviews

Unusually strong reaction from Siskel and Ebert

[cburga · 5/10 · 19 September 2005]

I remember that this movie was specifically singled out as "Dog of the Week" by S & E. They had an absolute disdain for Sunn Classics pictures anyway, and felt that this was a ripoff to people looking for a faith strengthening documentary but instead getting ripped off by an el cheapo con job.

These were the same guys who made a lot of low budget family films that were shown in the "second run" theatres back in the 70's (remember those?). Some were OK, but most were grade z. The blockbusters like Star Wars pretty much killed the market for these at the movie house, but you see a lot of stuff like this in the straight-to-video market these days. I guess they can spend more on the production, less on the distribution...

More Shick-Sunn Fun

[tnt videovisions · 3/10 · 13 July 2001]

The biggest problem with "In Search of Historic Jesus" is that there is very little search to it at all. Shick-Sunn produced these "documentary" films in the 1970s and just into the '80s, which featured interviews with "experts" and discussion of "science" and "facts" to make a case for whatever the title of the film was looking to cash in on.

Sadly, "Historic Jesus" is really little more than a third-rate dramatization of the life of Christ. Unlike Shick-Sunn's more superior "In Search of Noah's Ark" which spends the majority of its running time discussing the possibility that the ark is resting on the earth today and where that might be, this film is basically the story of Jesus with no effort made to prove or disprove his existence. The famed Shroud of Turrin is mentioned, but little other detective work is given much screen time.

For fans of these quasi-documentary films like "Jupiter Menace" and "In Search of Bigfoot", etc., this movie doesn't offer much.

Bad history but good crucifixion

[dinky-4 · 4/10 · 14 July 2003]

As a documentary, this is laughable in a campy sort of way -- a schlocky collection of re-created Biblical tableaux mixed in with solemn interviews of so-called "experts." Think of it as an infommercial which pushes Jesus instead of thigh-masters.

However, the detailed crucifixion scene is, in terms of historical accuracy, superior to similar scenes in such widescreen Hollywood extravaganzas as "Ben-Hur," "King of Kings," and "The Greatest Story Ever Told." Rather than dragging his entire cross to Golgotha, for example, John Rubinstein simply carries his crossbeam strapped across his shoulders to his outstretched arms. Nails aren't driven through his palms but instead through his wrists. His feet aren't nailed separately but one is placed over the other so that just one nail need be used. Incidentally, Rubinstein's flogging prior to his crucifixion ranks 35th in the book, "Lash! The Hundred Great Scenes of Men Being Whipped in the Movies."

Of course, Rubinstein and the two thieves wear modest loincloths, which probably isn't true to the shameful reality of Roman crucifixions, but allowances must be made. Curiously, the "good" thief is positioned on the left hand of Jesus, which goes against a long-standing tradition. Just why this thief is played by a pudgy, overweight man is, however, a mystery, especially in view of the fact that the "bad" thief is something of a "hunk."

Long live Brad Crandall!

[pirate1_power · 3 August 2001]

This comment, even though it is about "In Search of Historic Jesus," is a rather short one. However, it does have a point, and I'll get to it in a moment. First, my brief memories of "Historic Jesus." Only Schick Sunn Classic Pictures would bring together John Rubenstein, Nehemiah Persoff and Brad Crandall together in the same documentary. My particular --- and, frankly, my only real --- memory of the film occurs as follows: During the Crucifixion sequence recreation, Rubenstein, starring as Jesus, utters: "Why hast Thou forsaken me?" At that point, the unseen voice of Peter Mark Richman kicks in, saying: "Do not despair, my Son. You have fulfilled Your mission well. And soon, You shall take Your rightful place at My side." Apparently emboldened (hard to believe that Jesus would experience feelings of boldness while still nailed to the Cross!), Rubenstein utters, "Into Thy hands, my Father, I commend my spirit." It signifies his very last seconds of life. So much for my memories of seeing "In Search of Historic Jesus." What I really want to concentrate on, as I comment here, is Brad Crandall, a veteran television announcer and narrator. Brad Crandall was the one element without whom the Schick Sunn Classic documentaries would not have been granted their apparent 'credibility,' or lack thereof. Yet when NBC first premiered each of these documentaries for the first time on TV, or whenever they were rerun on NBC, I always looked forward to watching them, if only for the purpose of checking out Brad Crandall, and hearing what he had to say. As a matter of fact, I remember attempting to write a documentary of my own. I was going to call it "In Search of Uncle Jimmy Thompson," because it would have told the story of the hard-livin', hard-drinkin' old coot of a fiddler whose music helped launch the Grand Ole Opry. My plan was that I was going to have Brad Crandall host and narrate the documentary, because I had become such a fan of his. Alas, Brad passed away before I could even contact him about the idea. So I just thought how nice it would be here to say a few words about Brad Crandall, and to find out if there were other people in cyberspace who were just as hooked on Brad as I was. If you're out there, and if you ever read this, please e-mail me. 'Nuff said.

SUNN!

[BandSAboutMovies · 10/10 · 9 March 2021]

Sunn Classic Pictures - also known as Sunn International Pictures, Schick Sunn Classic Pictures, and Taft International Pictures - was a Utah-based independent distributor of films. Its founder, Rayland Jensen began his new company under the auspices of the Schick Razor Company.

The Sunn website* is astounding. While it's no longer active - you can check it out at the Internet Archive - it claims that Jensen developed "four walling" movies** by buying theater space, covering it with ads (all four walls, get it?) and then selling their own tickets. I'm sure Kroger Babb and all forty of his thieves would have something to say about that.

Unlike the grindhouse hucksters who sold skin, sin and violence, Sunn realized that there was exploitation money to be made from working-class families "who rarely went to the movies more than twice a year." Sunn did their research, connecting with these families and making G rated films that they could enjoy. Or be educated by. Or at least buy tickets to.

Sunn's films are either family fare like their series The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams, paranormal and historical explorations that predate what's on cable today like The Mysterious Monsters, The Outer Space Connection and The Lincoln Conspiracy or films that try to show the scientific reasons for God existing (this movie, Beyond and Back and In Search of Noah's Ark).

There's another side to the Sunn, as it were, as the Taft International Pictures version of the brand released Cujo and Hangar 18 while Jensen's next company Jensen Farley Pictures put out The Gods Must Be Crazy, Private Lessons, The Boogens, Madman, Wacko, Joysticks, Curtains, Chained Heat, The Return of Captain Invincible and more. What a lineup!

Director Henning Schellerup has the kind of bio that we celebrate around here, because as Hans Christian he made Night Pleasures, Tomboy (not the Crown International one), Loose Times at Ridley High, Dr. Carstair's 1869 Love-Root Elixir and Three Shades of Flesh, all while also making Sweet Jesus, Preacherman, the Sunn TV versions of The Time Machine and The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, and worked camera or was the cinematographer on everything from Suburban Commando, Death Race 2000, Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers and A Nightmare On Elm Street to Berserker, Silent Night Deadly Night, The Annihilators and Kiss of the Tarantula.

So yeah. The perfect guy*** to tell the story of the Son of God.

John Rubinstein, who would go on to play Daniel Webster on Netflix's Sabrina and Einstein of DC's Legends of Tomorrow, plays Jesus. Another prophet - just called Prophet 1 in the credits - is Royal Dano! And there are also appearances by John Anderson (who Lincoln in Sunn's The Lincoln Conspiracy), Annette Charles (Cha Cha from Grease), Anthony De Longis (Blade from Masters of the Universe) and actress turned conservative pundit Morgan Brittany.

Unlike the Bible, Jesus has the power to calm down tigers.

Somehow, this movie is also The Search for the Shroud of Turin at the same time, as if the folks at Sunn thought, "Is there enough story in this Jesus to last for 90 minutes?"

If there is a God and if there is a Jesus and if there is a Heaven, it's going to be sitting here on my couch watching these Sunn docs all day and screaming at the TV.

*I mean, Reb Brown is on their board of directors.

**Sunn Classic Pictures would rent theaters for a two-week period, yet only claim they were there for a week. The initial period would clain "One Week Only" when on the seventhd ay, the one where God would have rested, Synn would say "Final Day" before changing out the marquee to read "Held Over" on Monday.

***Also, Charles E. Sellier Jr., whose IMDB bio brags that he was "founder and president of Grizzly Adams Productions, Inc., was an acclaimed producer, writer and director in the independent film industry. Sellier skillfully pioneered market testing and "four-walling"-renting a theater to show his films, thereby enabling him to keep all the profits for himself-garnered him the distinction of having more pictures in the Top 50 independent grossers than any other independent producer in the 1970s" and that Orson Welles once told him, "Young man, you are light-years ahead of the rest of the industry," was one of the writers. Yes, the same man who directed Silent Night Deadly Night was one of the writers who wrote this. Not to be outdone, but one of the other scribes was Malvin Wald, who wrote Jess Franco's Venus In Furs. You know what Jesus said to the Pharisees when they saw him associating with sinners. "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners."

nice try

[dtucker86 · 21 October 2002]

I always like it when Hollywood tries to make a film with a positive mesasge about religion in it. Sunn Classic made this documentary about Christs life and death and the mystery of the Holy Shroud. It is very well done and acted and very respectful in terms of how it depicts our savior. They re-enact his journeys, healings and crucifixion. Brad Crandall was a great nararator with a wonderful storyteller voice. He made Sunn Classic Pictures come alive the way that Leonard Nimoy made In Search Of... or Robert Stack makes Unsolved Mysteries come alive. About nine years after this film came out however, there were scientific tests done on the Shroud that seemed to prove it was nothing but a medievil forgery.

inspired crucifixion scenes

[Kirpianuscus · 2 September 2021]

A documentary as pretext for new film about life and mission of the Savior. Eccentric details - from the tiger and not so skinny Saint John the Baptist or massive bad thief, Judas as a Gypsy young man, the old Saint Lazarus to the not so reasonable role of Saint Mary by Morgan Brittany. The good points, obvious, the crucifixion , maybe the best part of this docu-drama, and the connection with Saint Joseph of Arimateea. Sure, easy to critic it. But not fair. Because it is a film of its period and purpoises of makers. Not so bad, decent in large measure and reasonable for gift of John Rubinstein to remind face of the Lord in many Romantic paintings.