Plot
Requiem for the Relentless Fathers is a short film chronicling the rise and fall of Saul, the first King of Israel. It was inspired by the Old Testament books of Samuel and The Samuel Commentaries of Marti Steussy and David M. Gunn. As the film opens the Elders of Israel have grown distrustful of the theocratic rule of the last Judge, Samuel. Samuel relents and anoints a monarch, Saul. Saul attempts to rule as 'his own man' but is in constant conflict with the elder Judge. Eventually Samuel rejects Saul and Lord sends an Evil Spirit to torment the King. Saul is killed in battle, leading to the rise of King David. This piece not only re-tells an ancient narrative, but finds within it a timeless and complex human drama that arises from tragedy and chaos in a time of transition.
Plot
When young journalism major Daisy Whitlock is assigned the task of producing a documentary about an influential member of her community, she makes the mistake of choosing former Broadway star and current mega-church Pastor Jefferson Rabinovitch as her subject the very day he walks out on his congregation. Rabinovitch believes it is his mission to make a movie based on an uncensored version of the Bible and partners up with Jay Jobson, a homeless guy he meets by divine decree; or so it seems. Claiming to be a filmmaker, Jay uses this opportunity to fulfill his lifelong dream of making an all-out adult film, all the while convincing Rabinovitch that he's staying true to the original Bible-based script. Auditions are held in Hollywood to find just the right actor to play Jesus; someone who's got that extra something special. A rock and roll legend agrees to sing the film's title song. Product placement opportunities are rolling in and the buzz for the film is growing. What could possibly go wrong? As the Bible implicitly states... dung happens. Initially offended by Jay's outlandish interpretations of the text, Rabinovitch discovers that those whose voices the church has tried to ignore, e.g. the gays and lesbians, the Universalists, the poor and oppressed, the sinners and the whores, all have something important to say to those who have ears to hear it. But Daisy's Pastor, an ambitious man with a heart set on preserving the status quo, wants to stifle those voices and leads an all out assault on Jay, Rabinovitch, and their film. Jay can't understand what the man's problem is... hasn't he read the Bible? It's chock full of adult material! Rabinovitch is too busy staying one step ahead of the Law to argue with Jay, especially since it looks like God's promises are not being fulfilled. Daisy, in spite of it all, just keeps her camera rolling as the 'Gospel Truth' becomes harder and harder.... to believe.
Keywords: bible, biblical-epic, censorship, homosexuality, mockumentary, reference-to-god, reference-to-jesus-christ
It's Hard to Believe!
Plot
A film noir centering around a hard-boiled, stylish kingpin drug dealer, called King David, who returns to his hometown seeking redemption--but ends up only finding violent death. King David's final moments are spent with Paul, an aspiring journalist who knew him for just a few minutes; yet King David would forever more have an impact on Paul's life. Half preacher, half Satan, and all street smarts, King David had recorded the story of his exploits on audiotape, leaving behind an often-poetic sermon on villainy and its consequences. The tapes reveal that the cycle of violence and retribution, which his actions have spawned, has come back to him, full circle, as he suspected they might all along.
Keywords: anal-sex, based-on-novel, blood-spatter, bloodshed, child-abuse, cocaine, death, drug-dealer, drug-overdose, ethnic-slur
No king rules forever.
Blue: [after beating and robbing the man in apartment] Don't worry man, I'll leave you enough to buy a pack of Newports...
King David: We reap what we sow, that's what the bible says. Payback's a muthafucka, I think James Brown said that. Same shit, we all know the story... or at least we pretend that we do...
Michael: What the fuck is a white boy like you doin' uptown in a dead man's car?
King David: You miss me?::Jasper: Ain't nobody ever missed a rattlesnake, so why would anybody miss *you?*
King David: How old are you?::Ella: [scoffs] Old *enough*.
Plot
A group of mostly black infantrymen return from the Spanish-American War with a cache of gold. They travel to the West where their leader searches for the men who lynched his father.
Keywords: african-american, black-independent-film, black-romance, black-western, blaxploitation, bullet-time, comic-relief, cowboy, father-daughter-relationship, female-rear-nudity
The Untold Story of the Wild West
From the director of "New Jack City"
Father Time: Mister... I don't know you. But when I get through with you, won't nobody know you.
Colonel Graham: Jesse, did you know that this man is the last surviving member of the Mo-Tee-Sah tribe? Yes! The Mo-Tee-Sah tribe. I'll show you. [picks up coffee cup]::Weezie: [picks up coffee pot] Mo' Tea, sah?::Colonel Graham: I'm sorry I didn't hear you.::Weezie: Mo' Tea, sah?::Colonel Graham: No, thank you.
Jimmy J. 'Little J' Teeters: Damn! Who turned out the lights? Just a little humor. Have to admit I'm funny, ain't I?
Father Time: The Red Man ain't got no problem with the Black Man. As for you, White Boy, that's a whole different story. I mean, first you enslave the Black Man, exploit the Yellow Man, and then you kill off the Red Man so you can snatch up his land for railroads. Can I get a witness?::Obobo: Amen!::Jimmy J. 'Little J' Teeters: Well if I may approach the bench your Honor, first, I ain't ever personally enslaved nobody so, Time, you can kiss my White ass. Second of all, if there was a train coming through right now, I'd be on it and you'd be on it,except the only difference would be, I'd be gambling on it and you'd be fetching my chips like a little houseboy becuase you can't even cheat right. Now, can I get a witness?::Obobo: Amen!
Plot
Though David has all the wealth, power, wives & children inherent for the King of Israel he does not have what he craves most: the true love of a woman who loves him as a man instead of as King. He is attracted to Bathsheba, the wife of one of his soldiers who is more devoted to army duty than to his wife. David & Bathsheba succumb to their feelings. Their affair, her resulting pregnancy, & David's resolve to have her husband killed so Bathsheba will be free to marry, bring the wrath of God upon the kingdom. David must rediscover his faith in God in order to save Bathsheba from death by stoning, his kingdom from drought & famine, & himself from his many sins.
Keywords: 10th-century-b.c., 23rd-psalm, adulteress, adulterous-wife, adultery, ancient-israel, annointing, ark-of-the-covenant, attraction, bath
Mighty as Goliath! Fiery as their Love!
For this woman... he broke God's own commandment!
Mighty as Goliath!
Joab: Sire?::King David: Hmmm?::Joab: You're wounded. Let me call for a physician.::King David: No, no, let it alone. It's a long time since I've shed any blood. It's good to have proof that it still runs in my veins.
King David: Your sarcasm is wasted. We both know that royalty is a fraud.::Michal: It was no fraud when my father was king.::King David: And I've never denied that Saul was every inch a king.::Michal: [bitterly] And his successor every inch a fraud!::King David: I will not argue that either.
Bathsheba: Perhaps you would prefer truth to honesty, Sire.
Bathsheba: [as David tries to kiss her in an open field] No, David! The boy! He'll see us!::King David: [David looks at the shepherd boy] No matter. Shepherd boys learn early about life.::Bathsheba: Did you, David?::King David: Did I what?::Bathsheba: Learn about life early?::King David: Before I was 12, I knew everything there was to know about life. At 12 I'd killed wolves... at 13 a man.
King David: Michal, I cannot find it in my heart to blame you for what you do... but you, Absalom, my son, have I given you cause to hate me so?
King David: That soldier who laid his hands on the Ark - he was only trying to be helpful.::Nathan: It is not for us to question the ways of the Lord.::King David: I question nothing, yet the sun was hot that day, the man had been drinking wine, all were excited when the ark began to fall. Is it not possible that the man might have died naturally from other causes?::Nathan: All causes are from God!
Don't Change Your Husbands When Crossing the Stream!
See the Spectacular Biblical Sequence in Natural Colors!
Gigantic Spectacle and Story of the World's Greatest Love
King David is a 1985 film about the second king of Israel, David. It was filmed in 1984 in Matera and Craco, Italy. It was directed by Bruce Beresford and starred Richard Gere in the title role.
The film was not well received by the critics, with the New York Times calling it "...not a good film...". Rotten Tomatoes gives King David a 14% rating. Gere's performance in the film earned him a Golden Raspberry Award nomination for Worst Actor.