Easter Tidings from The Signal Watch

I dunno about this team-up, y'all

Growing up, Easter was a pretty big deal in our house.  My folks are good Lutherans, and until about high school we got together with family and friends - hosting them for the weekend, or they'd host us - and insert the sort of small riot that can occur when you've got four boys born within 27 months of each other.  There was always shenanigans on Friday and Saturday, and then Sunday was Easter Eggs, church and then a substantial dinner.  If we were out of town, then a 3 hour drive back.

The trick to Easter was that teachers didn't care about your long weekend (we often had Good Friday off from school), and the holiday rolled on through lunch and into the late afternoon, but that didn't mean I didn't have a book report or a test to deal with on Monday.  So, good job, my teachers.  That was super cool of you.*

Of course, school days are decades in the past.  No one lets me participate in egg hunts, I haven't dyed eggs in 15 years (it's way more work than its worth as an adult), and I've realized the chocolate at Easter is weirdly, uniformly terrible even as its just as bad for you as good chocolate.

But, you *can* often land a solid brunch or dinner out of the deal.

Aside from Biblical epics (an early and overlooked part of film's history which faded in the 60's), the entertainment offerings for Easter are pretty few and far between.   No one really wants to trample all over the Passion story or the religious import of the holiday to a lot of people quite as cavalierly as they're willing to do with Christmas.  I did see Hallmark took a stab at recycling their Christmas movie formula to make an Easter movie or two this year (never stop being you, Hallmark Channel).  And, of course, we've got Judy Garland and Fred Astaire in Easter Parade.

It's not the best movie - pretty standard romantic comedy stuff, and Garland and Astaire are typically great, but it does feature Ann Miller shaking the blues away.  And to that, we tip our hat.




Peanuts cashed in on Easter with It's the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown, which - frankly - I only vaguely remember existing.



Of course there are actual religious films, like Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ.  Or, if you need to rock out a bit more, my preference in Jesus Christ Superstar.**



And, of course, Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade isn't just a fine film about an archaeologist and his dad knocking boots with a Nazi, it's also the last we really see of The Holy Grail on the big screen - a sort of late-entry sequel to Easter entertainment.  I know the Grail is more of a "Last Supper/ Passover" sort of thing, but it's still the same week!  Work with me here.



So - what am I missing?  What's out there as Easter entertainment?  I mean, NatGeo and others will be filled with documentaries this weekend, but there's surely other films I'm missing that don't include a shirtless Charlton Heston.  But maybe I'm wrong, maybe Easter just doesn't get many movies.

Chime in and let me know!

* and - to my 6th grade teacher who decided to give us a major project to do over Christmas break when the school was locked up and I'd left the directions in my locker, go to hell
** your take on whether this is a religious film or not usually lines up with personal beliefs, but it does tell the story of Easter week, so...