Jesus Christ Superstar [Special Edition]

Norman Jewison's big-screen adaptation of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice's Jesus Christ Superstar gets a new deluxe DVD release that hit stores the same day as Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ. The film itself is presented in a widescreen anamorphic transfer that preserves the original theatrical aspect ratio of 2.35:1. The film has never looked better on home video. English, Spanish, and French soundtracks are rendered in Dolby Digital Stereo. Spanish and French subtitles are accessible. The supplemental materials provide a great deal of background information. An interview with Tim Rice lays out the story of how the initial record and the stage show came to be, and that leads nicely into the commentary track recorded by Jewison and star Ted Neeley. They are full of affection for the film, and although the track occasionally suffers from too much patting each other on the back, it is nice to see how well Neeley remembers many details about the cast. A still photo gallery rounds out this solid release from Universal.