Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with apocrypha

'Modern apocryphal' novels or movies?

flibbertigibbet — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 20:20:53 -0800

Can you recommend any really good novels (or movies) that portray something in the Old or New Testament in a new way, or which add to the Old/New Testament, such that they could be considered 'modern Biblical apocrypha'? It's for a class, but I'm not required to take this path, and I'd still have to find my own thesis. It's not like you're doing my work for me.

Examples of favourite books include Fifth Business, Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norell, White Teeth, and The Name of the Rose. None of these are 'modern apocrypha'.

Examples of 'modern apocrypha,' from my course syllabus: Passion of the Christ, Intolerance (The D. W. Griffith's film, specifically the Judean era), The Life of Saint Issa, and the Aquarian Gospel.

Apocrypha basically are a) retellings of the narratives found within the Bible b) stories that add to the Bible and are believed. Midrash stories aren't quite apocrypha, but belong to another tradition. Left Behind almost certainly wouldn't count, and I wouldn't want to read it anyways.

I don't mean 'apocrypha' as in 'those books you find sometimes attached to Catholic bibles.'

If this is unclear I can clarify.

Thanks!

Who said this? Was it Hitchcock?

sciurus — Wed, 04 Oct 2006 05:26:07 -0800

Who said "There is nothing more frightening than a closed door."? I seem to remember an attribution to Hitchcock, but that may be apocryphal. Also, my recollection of the quote may be a paraphrase.

Did Warhol really predict that "in the future, everyone will be famous for fifteen minutes"?

timeistight — Fri, 05 Mar 2004 17:03:41 -0800

Looking for the truth of a famous (mis)quote: Did Warhol really predict that "in the future, everyone will be famous for fifteen minutes" as thousands of hack journalists claim? Or did he, noticing that the unfamous crave fame while the famous claim to hate it, simply say "everyone should be famous for fifteen minutes" so as to spread it around?