I admit that I'm no fan of remakes and re-adaptations. I've always felt that when a movie was already good in the first place, there's no need to show it again. That's why I'm not a huge fan of the recent Disney live-action remakes. But there is one that I particularly like: the 2016 remake of "Ben-Hur."
The 1959 original film is an indelible classic. It even won the Academy Award for Best Picture! So can you imagine the pressure of having to remake that for this day and age. Granted we have more advanced technology for better special effects, it's still a slippery slope. However, when I participated as a test audience for the movie, I found myself loving it almost as much as the original. I was moved, riveted, and excited at how this old story was brought back to life. And the cast wasn't half bad either!
In fact, if you were to ask me which cast I prefer, I'd pick both. Yes, it may seem sacrilegious to compare the two, but I was rather moved at how great the acting was at this 2016 remake. And as an autograph hound, I made it my mission to get their autographs on the red carpet premiere for the movie.
Fortunately, I was already living in Los Angeles at the time and scored some tickets to go to the premiere. I stood quite literally beside the screaming photographs so that night wasn't exactly a walk in the park for me! However, it was still fun, especially since I had my friend accompany me and help me get some autographs! One by one, the cast walked by and after posing, would sign our posters. They weren't big names, which I actually prefer for such a remake, but they were talented nonetheless!
Jack Huston, who had massive shoes to fill considering his predecessor, Charlton Heston, won the Oscar for the same role decades ago, looked dashing and handsome. He was also ready to sign anything! We didn't even need to give him a pen to sign with, he actually brought his own. As did the "viking"-looking Pilou Asbaek! He was awesome in the movie and I can't believe that he was signing our posters right in front of me! My friend and I eventually got the rest of the cast's autographs too but those two stood out to me the most!
I admit, the new "Ben-Hur" may pale in comparison to the original but I implore everyone to check it out! It's a commendable effort to remaking a classic!
Please note: Our inventory is limited as we may have only received a few posters in total. Most of our items are obtained from film premieres, studios, and from autographed hounds such as the one in the story above.
