Steinesongo Too many fans seem to be blown away

Ameriatch One of the best films i have seen

Protraph Lack of good storyline.

Mischa Redfern I didn’t really have many expectations going into the movie (good or bad), but I actually really enjoyed it. I really liked the characters and the banter between them.

cnowotny I couldn't watch without cringing at the sophomoric stiff acting, the amazingly cheap set design and the stoic and jejune dialog. I almost expected some commentary by Crow and the boys to chime in to add some needed 'comic' relief! Amazingly bad but captivating Saturday Night Live quality boredom. Obama and Clinton could have rightly used this movie as a better excuse for Benghazi than the video they chose of a talking donkey.Thanks to Ted Turner for airing this turkey right after Thanksgiving. Please shelve it for another 50 years or until the next ice age comes and goes. The Oscars have come some distance since this Turkey was nominated..., twice?

WordWeaver777 Similar to many other Biblically-themed movies of the 1950's and 1960's, this film is more fiction than actual Biblical fact. It takes a few Biblical characters, including Jesus, the Apostles, Joseph of Arimathaea and Simon the Sorcerer -- who is mentioned in Acts 8:9-24 -- and then creates a ridiculous story around them, including collusion with the Sicarii -- who were Jewish zealots -- and Simon's endeavors to prove that he is the new messiah, who can even outdo Jesus, insofar as miracles are concerned.Regarding the actors, I was most impressed by the heartfelt performance that was given by Italian Actress Pier Angeli as Deborra. She conveyed well the innocence and dreams of a young woman in love. It is truly sad that Ms. Angeli became so disillusioned by her failure to reach Hollywood stardom, and died of a barbiturate overdose at the young age of only thirty-nine.In contrast, I found the transition of the young Helena -- played by Natalie Wood -- to her older self -- played by Virginia Mayo -- quite unsatisfactory. Mayo appeared and acted more like a worldly madam at a bordello than anything else. As such, I honestly couldn't see Basil's -- Paul Newman in his first film role -- initial attraction to her.Jack Palance's role as Simon the Magician was too over the top for my taste, and in a way unconvincing. Maybe it was because he was so full of himself. I think he did much better later in his career playing dark characters.I was pleasantly surprised by the appearance of Alexander Scourby as the Apostle Luke. As many Christians will know, Mr. Scourby is well-known for his wonderful recording of the entire King James Version of the Bible, first on cassette tapes, and later on CD's as well.Lorne Greene -- Bonanza, original Battlestar Galactica -- also makes his first film appearance as the Apostle Peter. While Greene was obviously trying to sound authoritative, personally, I felt that the tone of his voice was a little too harsh when he told the young girl to stand up and walk. But maybe that is just me.As I said in the title, the production sets for this movie were unbelievably poor; particularly when one compares this film to "The Ten Commandments", "Ben-Hur" and related Bible-based films which were made during that same time period. It does not appear that much effort was put into the sets for "The Silver Chalice". They don't look much better than cardboard cutouts. Seriously, they were that bad.If you are willing to overlook these various weak points, you may possibly enjoy this old film, even if it does have very little resemblance to the actual story that is contained in the Scriptures.

Jeff Sultanof Watching this movie is an interesting experience. It is indeed a real stinker, probably one of the worst big-budget epics made during that decade. It has one of the worst scripts ever utilized for a motion picture, with many laughable lines, terrible miscasting and horrible acting. Newman was right to be embarrassed by this film, but Virginia Mayo and Jack Palance should have been equally embarrassed. And Herbert Rudley tops them all as far as bad acting.Yet.... it is beautifully designed, beautifully photographed, is beautifully composed for CinemaScope (the original stereophonic soundtrack is here as well), and boasts one of the greatest music scores ever written. Plus the fact that it was directed by a major talent whose other films are worth knowing: Victor Saville. That such a talented man could be responsible for this major disaster is indeed very disturbing. Sadly, it virtually ended his career.This is worth a rental to see at least once to satisfy your curiosity. Turn up your speakers so you can bathe in the music at least.

MarieGabrielle This film is certainly an oddity but deserves some mention for the actors involved, and especially Jack Palance as "Simon the Magician".I too remember watching this around Easter at around age 10, it could be an interesting film for children who don't understand the historical issues of Emperor Nero,the Romans and conflicts of Christianity etc.As another reviewer mentioned, it is odd with unusual sets. Virginia Mayo, however, looks lovely as always, even with some over the top eyebrow makeup and gold eyeshadow.Paul Newman is a slave who must craft a special chalice for Jesus. Mayo, as royalty attempts to rescue him from his chains. Simon the Magician entertains Caesar but loses his mind in the end, building a special tower and wings to prove to Caesar that he can fly. He is just as much a God as any other, he proclaims.The film is theater and a bit campy as you get older but worth watching as a curiosity. 6/10