historical epic – Author Carlo Carrasco

Better than Streaming: Ben-Hur (1959) 4K Blu-Ray Set For February 17, 2026 Release

January 5, 2026January 4, 2026carlocarrasco

Welcome back fellow geeks, Blu-ray collectors and movie buffs! Happy New Year also!

If you are looking for a great movie to add to your 4K Blu-ray, be aware that the 1959 classic film Ben-Hur will be released at last on 4K Blu-ray format (including the limited edition Steelbook 4K Blu-ray) on February 17, 2026! The good news here is that the visuals are in native 4K and pre-orders are being accepted already.

For the newcomers reading this, the 1959 Ben-Hur film is one of the greatest historical epics Hollywood ever made and it won eleven Academy Awards for excellence and great artistry. The film starred the iconic Charlton Heston and other cast members include Stephen Boyd, Haya Harareet and Hugh Griffith to name a few.

For the 4K Blu-ray collectors and fans of the 1959 movie reading this, posted below are the technical details from the Blu-ray.com page of Ben Hur (1959) 4K Blu-ray. Pay close attention to the details…

Video

Codec: HEVC / H.265

Resolution: Native 4K (2160p)

HDR: Dolby Vision, HDR10

Original aspect ratio: 2.75:1

Audio

English: Dolby Atmos

English: DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1

English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.0

French (Canada): Dolby Digital 5.1

Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1

Audio descriptive

Subtitles – English SDH, French, Spanish

Discs – 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray Disc, Three-disc set (2 BD-100, 1 BD-50)

Digital – Digital 4K, Movies Anywhere

Packaging – Inner print

Playback – 4K Blu-ray: Region free

I have seen Ben-Hur a lot of times starting with the DVD release of the early 2000s and subsequently on cable TV. It is indeed a great film and I personally am interested in acquiring Ben-Hur (1959) 4K Blu-ray someday. I can only speculate how the film will turnout visually with the all-new restoration. Will the native 4K visuals of Ben-Hur look sharper, clearer and more detailed than its Blu-ray release? We can only wait and find out.

Based on the Blu-ray.com announcement, Ben-Hur (1959) 4K Blu-ray has several special features that I saw on its DVD release a long time ago. Most notably, there are two brand new features: Ben-Hur: Anatomy of an Epic, and the Cinematography of Scale.

*The rear of Ben-Hur (1959) 4K Blu-ray box.*

And I want to point what is very obvious here…the upcoming 4K Blu-ray clearly does not have the most notable collector’s stuff of the Ben-Hur Ultimate Collector’s Edition Blu-ray set of 2011. The said set (currently priced a little more than $50 via Amazon) has the 64-page hardcover production art book, the 128-page hardcover Charlton Heston: The Ben-Hur Diaries, and even the 1925 Ben-Hur silent movie.

Significance of Ben-Hur

As some of you know already, I am a person of faith and I have uncompromising faith in Lord Jesus, in the Holy Bible and I stand with Israel. That said, what I don’t like in Ben-Hur (1959) are the FICTIONAL PORTRAYALS of Lord Jesus which include Ben-Hur’s encounters with Him. This is because Judah Ben-Hur is a FICTIONAL CHARACTER and the same can be said about most of the other characters in the film. Ben-Hur’s story is entirely fictional written by Lew Wallace to parallel the life of Lord Jesus while showing different parts of Israel and the evil Roman Empire through the eyes of Judah Ben-Hur.

*Chalton Heston as Judah Ben-Hur (left) and Stephen Boyd as Messala (right) in a key scene in the film.*

In other words, the epic Lew Wallace wrote is absolutely NOT BIBLICAL even though he included scenes about the Nativity, the crucifixion of Lord Jesus and more. If you want the truthful record of Lord Jesus – the Savior and Hope of ALL nations – then you should stick with the Holy Bible. With the biblical teachings, you can deepen your faith in Lord Jesus, stand united with Israel, learn to love the Jewish people and pray for the peace of Jerusalem. Always remember that the ties between Jews and Christians are biblical.

In fairness to William Wyler and the filmmakers, they did their best to be respectful to Lord Jesus by not fully revealing His face and showing Him doing good (example: helping a suffering Ben-Hur who called out to God). Clearly the people responsible for the movie practiced caution when doing fictional portrayals of the Messiah.

While it has its flaws with regards to dramatizing biblical scenes, Lord Jesus and other elements of history of both Rome and Israel, Ben-Hur of 1959 is a classic movie that must be seen. Some people who saw it only remember it only because the grand chariot race which is still one of the greatest cinematic spectacles ever shown. Even though it is fictional and tries to be release by linking with parts of the Holy Bible and history, Ben-Hur has a story and great performances that deserve your attention. That said, Ben-Hur (1959) 4K Blu-ray is worth anticipating.

The chariot race in the movie is still very memorable and great to replay. It was done WITHOUT computer-generated images, the stunts and racing were executed with a lot of risks, and a lot of discipline was involved in filming it.

If you have decided already to order a copy of Ben-Hur (1959) 4K Blu-ray, click here. For the limited edition Steelbook Ben-Hur (1959) 4K Blu-ray, click here.

If you wish to join a group of movie enthusiasts and talk about cinema, cinematic trends, Blu-ray releases and more relevant stuff, visit the Movie Fans Worldwide Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/322857711779576

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Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below, share this article to others and also please consider making a donation to support my publishing. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me with a private message. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me on Twitter at @HavenorFantasy as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/ and on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/authorcarlocarrasco

What to watch on YouTube right now – Part 87

July 4, 2025June 29, 2025carlocarrasco

Welcome back my readers, YouTube viewers and all others who followed this series of articles focused on YouTube videos worth watching. Have you been searching for something fun or interesting to watch on YouTube? Do you feel bored right now and you crave for something to see on the world’s most popular online video destination?

I recommend you check out the following videos I found.

#1 Retrospective look back at Heaven’s Gate – If you love watching movies, have you ever seen Heaven’s Gate? That 1980 movie directed by Michael Cimino was a very expensive commercial and critical failure. Cimino had blank check power which drained United Artists’ funds and he executed a lot of moves to ensure authenticity for filming believing he had something great for cinema. While the movie has been praised a lot more since he re-cut the film (Criterion Collection Blu-ray is available online), it is important to look back at its history as it is a fact that its failure destroyed Cimino’s credibility as well as the New Hollywood era entirely. How was Isabelle Huppert hired, who led United Artists, what cases of animal cruelty happened and how the actors described the production can be seen in the Final Cut video below. For entertainment value, I added Critical Drinker’s explanatory video and the 3-part movie review by Cinema Snob.

#2 Animated portrayal of an ntense scene from the Jurassic Park novel – If you have seen Steven Spielberg’s Jurassic Park, were you able to read the novel by Michael Crichton? I read the novel after seeing the film in 1993 and I was struck at how different literary Jurassic Park really was. The movie was not really based on it but inspired by it, and there were so many differences between them. The literary Jurassic Park was much more violent, John Hammond was greedy and self-centered, and there were two Tyrannosaurs. The novel also had memorable scenes that movie never adapted, and one of them was the violent encounter with the adult Tyrannosaur on the main road which was animated well by YouTuber InGen 2D. Watch the video below.

#3 The successful American strike on Iran’s nuclear sites explained – America’s successful bombing of three nuclear sites of terrorist state Iran was very tremendous politically and militarily. It helped Israel win its 12-day war with Iran and right now the wicked regime led by the Ayatollah has been weakened significantly as multiple military commanders and nuclear scientists have been eliminated. With Iran severely weakened, it won’t be able to fund and arm Palestinian terrorist group Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthi terrorists. The Americans used stealth B-2 bombers which traveled into Iran undetected for the attack. To know the details, watch the explanatory video of TBN Israel below.

#4 Unsolved Mysteries Season 6 Episode 2 – I found another engaging episode of Unsolved Mysteries hosted by the late Robert Stack. The 2^nd episode from the sixth season of the show has an in-depth look at the Mystery Robber, an Australian pilot’s encounter with a UFO, and more. There is a lot to enjoy or discover in the episode below.

#5 Jurassic World revisited – It has been ten years since Jurassic World was first released in cinemas. While the movie was highly successful in terms of ticket sales, I myself did not enjoy it much and very clearly it was the further bastardization of dinosaurs and core concepts of Jurassic Park (both novel and the 1993 movie). Having more action and more dinosaurs with humans trapped on an island did not work for me and the only movie that executed those elements well as the first one directed by Spielberg. Still, there are lots of YouTubers who posted videos about Jurassic World and you can see how the movie impacts them and what they think about it in the selected videos below.

#6 You, Me and the Movies react to April Fool’s Day – Released in 1986, April Fool’s Day is a dark comedy, mystery, slasher film that follows several college students on an island estate. On face value, it looked like a typical slasher horror film but it offered moviegoers something else. You should watch how You, Me and Movies react to it in their video below.

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What to watch on YouTube right now – Part 78

May 26, 2025May 22, 2025carlocarrasco

I recommend you check out the following videos I found.

#1 Star Wars: The Phantom Menace revisited – Remember way back in 1999 when Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace was released with a massive amount of hype and anticipation? I first saw that George Lucas-directed movie at the cinema in Festival Mall which was full of people. As the years passed by, The Phantom Menace did not age well as it had serious pacing issues, lots of childish elements (mainly because of a certain very annoying character) and it ended up inferior compared with its sequels Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith. But let’s be honest here…while The Phantom Menace is indeed the weakest film of the Star Wars Prequel Trilogy, is it truly terrible and unwatchable? Now is a good time to revisit the 1999 movie through retrospective videos posted below.

#2 You, Me and the Movies react to Cape Fear (1991) – In recent times, YouTuber You, Me and the Movies posted their reaction video of the 1991 version of Cape Fear starring Robert De Niro and Nick Nolte. For the newcomers reading this, Cape Fear of 1991 is pretty hard core with its violence and, more notably, it carries elements that would terrify both viewers and their respective families. It is the kind of movie that will make you think about your family and how to protect them from cunning and violent criminals. Watch and learn how the movie impacts You, Me and the Movies.

#3 PatmanQC examines the history of Operation Wolf – Now for some retro gaming fun! I remember back in the late 1980s, Operation Wolf was popular in arcades here in the Philippines. As that game was released during the late stages of the Cold War, it was not surprising that it was both socially relevant and enjoyable for gamers. If you are wondering who created the game and what inspired them to produce Operation Wolf, watch the in-depth video by PatmanQC below.

#4 King’s Quest revisited – Still with retro gaming, I want to share with you all that in the late 1980s, I was fortunate to have played King’s Quest on PC (DOS specifically) which was an intriguing and challenging gaming experience for me. I never finished the adventure game from Sierra On-Line but I enjoyed its game design, its groundbreaking visuals and its fantasy world. I recently saw Space Quest Historian’s retrospective on King’s Quest and it had a nice mix of comedy and attention to details. Watch it now.

#5 Pedro Pascal’s wokeness exposed and explained – I really hate it when entertainment gets poisoned by the woke mob from the movie studios down to the performers and creators. I also despise the trend in which woke forces in Communist-filled Hollywood (Commiewood) make movies and shows that promote their Satanic Leftist agenda, and then the woke stars propagate their toxic beliefs in multiple ways. Recently Ranting for Vengeance posted new videos exposing the woke toxicity of actor Pedro Pascal and explaining in detail what happened. I can say this early you should stay away from Pascal’s projects such as the new woke Fantastic Four movie. As for Warner Bros., I don’t like James Gunn’s Superman. Watch and learn from the video below.

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What to watch on YouTube right now – Part 77

May 23, 2025June 1, 2025carlocarrasco

I recommend you check out the following videos I found.

#1 Popcorn in Bed reacts to Cold Mountain – Were you fortunate enough to watch Cold Mountain in 2003? It is an American Civil War movie that has a very notable cast that includes Jude Law, Nicole Kidman, Renée Zellweger, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Natalie Portman and Donald Sutherland. Not too many people in online movie-focused communities or social media groups talk about the movie. Strangely, there are very few movie reaction videos of Cold Mountain on YouTube. This past March, Popcorn in Bed posted a reaction video about the film and how it impacts her emotionally make it a must-see.

#2 PatmanQC examines the history of Pitfall! – While I was fortunate enough to play lots of video games on the Atari 2600 decades ago, I never played Pitfall! That game produced by Activision was a massive hit on the said console and how the game and its company started is fascinating to discover. In case you did not notice, Pitfall! grew into a game franchise and it was one of the early video games to have merchandising. Discover more about it in PatmanQC’s in-depth video below.

#3 You, Me and the Movies react to A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) – The 1980s is the so-called golden age of slasher horror movies. One particular slasher horror flick of 1984 focused on the concepts of nightmares, the bogeyman and the fear of dying while sleeping. You can discover more by watching the reaction video of You, Me and the Movies below. Observe how it draws reactions from them.

#4 Slope’s Game Room examines Smash T.V. – Here is more nostalgic fun for those of you who love retro gaming. Slope’s Game Room’s retrospective video of the arcade classic Smash T.V. is a lot of fun to watch and the YouTuber really paid close attention to the details for viewers to learn. When was the last time you played Smash T.V.?

#5 Ashleigh Burton reacts to Alien Resurrection – Way back in late-1997, I saw Alien Resurrection inside the movie theater here in the Philippines carrying some excitement in me. After the movie ended, I left the cinema feeling numb. That being said, you have to see how Alien Resurrection drew reactions from Ashleigh Burton and perhaps you could relate with her perception of the movie.

#6 Scottie Pippen, the Chicago Bulls and Jerry Krause – Remember back in the 1990s when the Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen and the Chicago Bulls won six NBA championships? Behind the scenes, Scottie Pippen’s years with the Bulls (led by Jerry Krause) were actually filled with frustrations and his salary was tiny when compared to other NBA superstars of the era. To find out what happened and what were the factors behind it all, watch the two videos of Secret Base below.

#7 Minty Comedic Arts presents Cool World trivia – Recently, YouTuber Minty Comedic Arts posted a new trivia video about the 1992 live-action/animated hybrid movie Cool World. Directed by Ralph Bakshi and starring Brad Pitt and Kim Basinger, Cool World had an original concept that was eventually altered into its final cinematic form. There are lots of intriguing details to discover and I urge you all to watch Minty Comedic Arts’ video below.

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