a l t . m u s i c . d i o

Yeah, he's the man.

Ben Hur
The Ten Commandments
The Omega Man
Planet of the Apes
Soylent Green
Midway

...and many more!

Don't bother. It's unwatchable at this point. It has aged very badly.

But if you thought Pearl Harbor was a great movie you'll be able to enjoy Midway as it's inspiration.

Charlton Heston Made History
By Doug Patton
April 7, 2008

"Some people make headlines while others make history." -- Philip 
Elmer-DeWitt, American Writer and Editor

There are few of the old stars left in Hollywood, men who loved their 
country enough to show her the respect, service and loyalty she 
deserves. Charlton Heston was one of those stars.

Heston joined the military during World War II. After his discharge from 
the U.S. Army Air Corps, he went on to become one of the most famous 
actors of his generation.

Hollywood director Cecil B. DeMille is said to have been struck by the 
muscular, 6-foot-3-inch Heston's likeness to Michelangelo's famous 
statue of Moses. Heston's portrayal of the Old Testament prophet in 
DeMille's 1956 biblical epic, "The Ten Commandments," etched his image 
upon the American consciousness.

A few years later, Heston starred in "Ben-Hur," a movie that stood for a 
generation as the most honored film in Hollywood history, receiving 
eleven Academy Awards, including best picture and best actor (Heston).

Both these movies dealt with great themes that stirred moviegoers to 
consider the nobility of their spiritual legacy. These two films stand 
as a testament, not only to the contribution of a great actor in a 
golden age of filmmaking, but also to the willingness of Hollywood to 
inspire us and to reinforce our faith, rather than degrade us and make 
us ashamed of our Judeo-Christian heritage, as does so much of today's 
Hollywood fare.

Charlton Heston remains the enduring face of both these films, as well 
as many others, such as "The Agony and the Ecstasy," a 1965 telling of 
the story of Michelangelo painting the Sistine Chapel ceiling for Pope 
Julius II.

But Heston was much more than just a handsome face or even a great 
actor. He was an activist. Long before he became known for his 
passionate leadership of the National Rifle Association, and long before 
it was fashionable in Hollywood, he joined the cause of desegregation. 
When an Oklahoma movie theater refused to allow blacks to attend the 
premier his 1961 film, "El Cid," Heston joined the picket line outside 
the theater. Heston also accompanied the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., 
at the 1963 Washington, D.C., civil rights march.

Back in 1960, Heston had been a supporter of John F. Kennedy for 
president; but by 1980, he had switched his party affiliation from 
Democrat to Republican and became an ardent supporter of his old 
Hollywood friend, Ronald Reagan. A consistent foe of racial 
discrimination, Heston spoke out against affirmative action. He even 
resigned from the Actors Equity Association because of the union's 
refusal to allow a white actor to play a Eurasian role in the stage 
version of "Miss Saigon." Heston called the action "obscenely racist."

And in an era when most of Hollywood was refusing to criticize violence 
and obscenity in "the arts," Heston rebuked Time Warner at a 
stockholders meeting for releasing a violent rap album featuring the 
song "Cop Killer."

Heston's five-year tenure as president of the National Rifle 
Association, from 1998 to 2003, gave the organization visibility it had 
never had before. Perhaps the most memorable moment of his presidency 
came at the 2000 NRA convention. The group was strongly opposing the 
presidential candidacy of then Vice President Al Gore, who favored 
restrictive gun control. At the convention, Heston was presented with a 
hand-made Brooks flintlock rifle. To the delight of the crowd, Heston 
held the weapon over his head and declared, "From my cold, dead hands, 
Mr. Gore!"

In 2003, diagnosed with Alzheimer 's disease, Heston stepped down as NRA 
president. In a stunning example of the lack of class displayed by 
today's Hollywood nitwits, actor George Clooney joked about Heston's 
affliction, saying that Heston deserved whatever was said about him for 
his involvement with the NRA. Heston, always the gentleman, said he felt 
sorry for Clooney, since he had as much chance of developing Alzheimer's 
as anyone else.

Charlton Heston was a culture warrior. He was unapologetically pro-life, 
pro-family and pro-American. He once characterized political correctness 
as "tyranny with manners."

When this great man died last Saturday with his beloved wife of 64 years 
at his side, he was 84 years old.

Thank you, Charlton Heston, for making history, not just headlines. May 
you rest in peace.

God bless him.

Who here remembers his cameo appearance in Wayne's World 2?

He could make steak out of hamburger...



-- Edited by PippiLongstocking at 19:14, 2008-04-08