Happy Passover!!

Behold!!

Yes, I'm back from a prolonged immersion into our nation's fabled health care system. Feeling fine here, but I'm not the immerse-ee, though I would gladly switch places...

One of my all-time favorite movies is The Ten Commandments. It's so gaudy and vulgar and fun. Who can beat Edward G. Robinson's famous bleat, "Where's your Moses now?" Or Yul Brynner's shameless posturing. The under-appreciated Anne Baxter, playing against type, with her sultry "Moses, Moses, Moses" ... enough to tempt any man of God.

Of course, there is Chuck Heston as the reed, the man whom God would speak, Mr. Moses himself. He fills out the screen magnificently. As a physical specimen, Heston was a pretty good actor.

My favorite scene in the movie comes after the Israelites have been freed, and follows the Pillar of Fire and Parting of the Red Sea. As the tribes are sojourning their way across the dried Red Sea bottom, they approach the other side. They climb towards that shoreline. As they continue their upward hike, someone calls out to Moses: "Moses!! Climb up upon that rock so the people can see you and have hope!!"

Honestly. They've been improbably freed by Pharoah after numerous divine demonstrations of mighty and terrible plagues. God has placed a Pillar of Fire to block off Pharoah's army. God has parted the Red Sea for them to cross. And this fella in the crowd needs Moses up on a rock to give people hope???

No wonder they end up cavorting around a golden calf.

Great movie, and a terrific holiday. Too bad matzoh constipates like it does...

And here's George Carlin weighing in on The Ten Commandments:

YouTube - George Carlin: The Ten Commandments

Have a good Passover week!!