Waiting for the Moon Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Though this film has been criticized for some historical inaccuracies, overall it gives a very good feeling for the period and the relationships between some of the most famous writers and artists of the 20th century. Linda Hunt's portrayal of Alice B. Toklas is flawless, as are some of the scenes between her and Stein. It is almost as if you are "a fly on the wall", ease-dropping on two icons of "the lost generation."
The settings are superb and the opening scene of Stein and Toklas proof-reading one of Stein's books is amazing!
A must for anyone interested in the literature and art of the 1920s and 1930s.
Also the interview with the director on the DVD version provides some fascinating insights into how the script was developed as well as how the movie was cast and made.
A must-have for anyone interested in this literary period!

Click Here to see more reviews about: Waiting for the Moon

Click here for more information about Waiting for the Moon

Read More...

We'll Meet Again Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Compelling war drama about a USA Air Base in England. Struggling B-17 crews find solace among British ladies. The Yank's money is appreciated but not always their ways with alcohol and women. This is a story of the small village of Market Wetherby and it's war-weary locals, and how they cope with the new arrivals, American bomber soldiers who freshly join the war, and expect to win overnight.
The British TV has always been excellent in period television series, war dramatizations, and this is no exception. War nostalgia. It is surpurb, with added interest of half a cast of Americans joining British actors. Brits have the preserved buildings to pull off a period series. They use that to advantage. Beautiful 1943 scenery, costumes, props. This show was actually filmed in the 80s but because of the historical setting, it is a timeless DVD set; classic. Perfect for those with war interest, awesome for those interested in what it was like living in a country waiting to be invaded by Hitler's army. It is something of a cousin series to the more recent homeland war drama of "Foyles War" (a must for all British Drama fans) and "Enemy at the Door" (also good).
WE'LL MEET AGAIN cleverly mixes in actual bomber air strip and bombing raid footage. But much of the action takes place in the village homes and the local pub. Dr. Helen Dereham (by Susannah York) and Maj. Jim Kiley (Michael Shannon) are only two that show the extraordinary work that war leaders had to complete, as well as the struggles romantically of working so closely in life/death living. There's is not the only romance. Plenty of hardship and lives lost. Very believable, although I'm too young to know first-hand, being a Baby Boomer.
The series ends well; but with a potential for another season, which, alas, never came. This set has no subtitles or CC. It's box warning of partial nudity refers to one breast exposed for 3 seconds.
My wife and I both enjoyed this, both sorry there were no additional episodes after the 13 provided in this set.
Episode details (each about 53 min.):
1 ALL DAY AND EVERY DAY-Market Wetherby, Suffolk, April 1943. American Air Force arrives in England ungraciously.
2 HANDS ACROSS THE SEA-Cocky American crews fail to perform well in the air & on the local ground.
3 THE MILK RUN-Letty's Uncle Sid arrives with contraband booze while she falls for a Yank on a 'milk run'-safe mission.
4 ONE STEP FORWARD,TWO STEPS BACK-Some romance buds but overall relations remain tense.
5 THE BIG ONE-Market Wetherby & the American Base find some agreeable relationships. 'The Big One' mission heads over Germany.
6 UP THE SMOKE-Some Yanks get London R&R while Dr. Dereham ponders her feelings between her injured husband & US Maj Kylie.
7 FIGHTING MEN-2 men in English woman's lives seems to become a minor epidemic, plus secrets are found out.
8 A WING AND A PRAYER-Yank marries a local just prior to a dangerous raid.
9 YOU'LL NEVER KNOW-2 Brit wives contemplate continued relations with Yanks. 3 sec. of female nudity.
10 OLD ENOUGH TO FIGHT-Maj Kiley halts his romantic relationship causing poor results at work.
11 ONE DAY AT A TIME-Maj Kiley gets more active in the air & personally as death touches others lives.
12 EXCEPTIONAL CIRCUMSTANCES-Dr. Dereham adds more bedside time to her manner dealing with Maj Kiley's injuries.
13 THE END OF THE BEGINNING-It's love & war and time to choose permanent sides on romance issues.

Click Here to see more reviews about: We'll Meet Again

Click here for more information about We'll Meet Again

Read More...

The Road from Coorain (2003) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I think this is a wonderful adaptation of a wonderful novel. The acting is superb. The cinematography exquisite. Juliet Stevenson and Tim Guinee are extraordinary. It is well worth your time.

Click Here to see more reviews about: The Road from Coorain (2003)

Click here for more information about The Road from Coorain (2003)

Read More...

Lost for Words: Masterpiece Theatre (1999) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)There are very few films which I would call exceptional, but this 1999 British gem is without a doubt one of them. It is based on author Deric Longden's story of his relationship with his independent, determined, spunky mother and of his coming to terms with her increasing disability after she suffers a stroke, and it stars two wonderful British actors. Pete Postlethwaite (Sharpe's Obediah, Brassed Off) puts in a first-rate performance as Deric, a caring son trying to do his best by his mum. Mrs. Longden is a real treasure (she's such a character!), and she's portrayed splendidly by the late Dame Thora Hird (Summer Wine's Edie Pegden, In Loving Memory), who tragically passed away in 2003 a few days after suffering a stroke herself. She was 91.
This may sound like the basis for a melodramatic, weepy film (as indeed I feared it was going to be before I saw it). Certainly, the subject is one which could so easily have been maudlin and depressing (as most Hollywood renditions would have been), but it is actually anything but. The Brits are wonderfully adept at handling touchy subjects (like death and disability) and are not afraid to infuse them with humour. The result is an endearing, heart-warming, upbeat film which, despite its subject matter (or perhaps because of it), celebrates a life. You will be wiping away the odd tear, certainly, but that spark of humour manages to be maintained--right to the end. Indeed, it's the juxtaposition of such monumentally serious issues with subtly comical (or at the very least endearing) moments that make those moments all the more humorous (not to mention welcome).
The film is only 75 minutes or so in length, but there is more quality packed into that short time span than most films could even hope to achieve in 2 or 3 hours. Personally, I found it to be so immensely satisfying that, having watched it on television, I immediately sought it out on video. It really is that good a film and one which I recommend extremely highly--indeed unconditionally--to anyone looking for a thoroughly enjoyable, clean film of exceptional quality that is consummately acted. Indeed, what more can one ask!

Click Here to see more reviews about: Lost for Words: Masterpiece Theatre (1999)

Click here for more information about Lost for Words: Masterpiece Theatre (1999)

Read More...

World War II: The Home Front (Monsignor Renard / Total War) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)This dvd gives the impression that its a two disk set of John Thaw in a world war two movie. He is shown in a priest's habit next to a German soldier. In fact its two different dvd's one is Monsignor Renaud and the other is wartime black and white newsreels. Nowhere in the description does it mention Monsignor Renard. I already own this dvd and now I have two. Amazon says if you blow up the front of the box you will see in small print Monsignor Renard is mentioned. I don't know anyone who blows up the front of a dvd before buying.

Click Here to see more reviews about: World War II: The Home Front (Monsignor Renard / Total War)

Click here for more information about World War II: The Home Front (Monsignor Renard / Total War)

Read More...

Masterpiece Theatre: Carrie's War (2006) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I came across this movie on a BBC channel late one night and was instantly intrigued. The characters are enchanting and the storyline always keeps you interested. I stayed up way too late watching it through to the end, but it was worth it, and now I'm buying it on DVD to share with my kids and looking for the book. It's great!!!!!!

Click Here to see more reviews about: Masterpiece Theatre: Carrie's War (2006)

Item Name: Masterpiece Theatre: Carrie's War; Studio:WGBH Boston

Get 10% OFF

Click here for more information about Masterpiece Theatre: Carrie's War (2006)

Read More...

The Golden Bowl (1972) (3pc) (1973) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Henry James' last novel, "The Golden Bowl," is a long work in which very little overt action occurs. The plot is basically as follows. After a long and intense love affair is over between a penniless Prince Amerigo and the beautiful Charlotte, they meet again just as he is ready to marry the American millionairess Maggie Verver. Maggie and her father Adam are very close knit; and as marriage will not seem to separate them for long, Charlotte gets Adam to propose. And so begins one of the most interesting menage a quatre in fiction.Published in 1904, the theme of adultery had to be handled with kid gloves; and this is where James is a master. When in 1972 it was dramatized and taped for the BBC (and then over here as a "Masterpiece Theater" presentation), the subtlety and ambiguity of the original had to be retained. So now that it has been made available by Acorn Media as a boxed set, we do not get to see as much as bare leg, let alone what some of the recent film versions would have offered by way of nudity. Indeed by never showing any of the amorous goings on between Amerigo and Charlotte, one can even begin to wonder if Maggie's suspicions--so long in being aroused--are actually justified.To replace the omniscient narrator of the novel, this adaptation gives us the urbane Bob Assingham (Cyril Cusack) who starts and ends each episode looking into the camera and telling us the story as he knows it. But what he knows is only what his wife Fanny (Kathleen Byron) tells him has happened. Of course, one might wonder, then, how he could know every word of dialogue that took place in Fanny's absence--but let us not quibble over technicalities.As the narrator tells us right off, this is a story not of what was said but of what was not said. At no time in the 6 episodes that make up this taped version does any character say what is really important until Maggie (Jill Townsend) finally confronts her husband and winds up simply stalemated. "No one must know" is the motto of the times and of the class of people with whom we are dealing.The acting is superb. Barry Morse (whom you might remember was the remorseless policeman pursuing The Fugitive many years ago on television) is a sympathetic Mr. Verver, too good to suspect the truth or to show he knows it when he finally does. Daniel Massey's Prince shows just the right balance between continental mores and those of the uptight upperclasses of England and America. Jill Townsend looks just fragile enough while she suffers immensely without batting an eyelash except for two moments of release during the 270 minutes of this dramatization.Gayle Hunnicut gives us a Charlotte who is not evil, who suffers ultimately more than any of the others, but who is simply in love and will not compromise. Kathleen Byron's Fanny never is reduced to caricature. Feeling responsible for introducing Maggie to the Prince, she tries to make amends by interfering and then lying about what she thinks. I am sure many of us can relate to her motivation and she emerges as a more sympathetic character, in a way, than do any of the others. And Cyril Cusack is just a joy, both as narrator and as something of a Richard Bucket to his socially motivated wife. I have to leave to my betters to find how closely this follows the original novel; but on its own terms this Acorn Media release is compelling drama and quite a treat for those who would appreciate some intelligent "adult treatment of adult themes" without the adolescent soft porn which that phrase usually implies. The three tapes hold two episodes each and are neatly boxed. Just the sort of thing you will want to see once a year to clear the mind and perhaps see yourself more objectively afterward.

Click Here to see more reviews about: The Golden Bowl (1972) (3pc) (1973)

In his last great novel, Henry James crafted perhaps his richest study of manners and morals.A wealthy American collector and his daughter innocently marry a pair of former lovers who are disposed to continue their intrigue.The fate of the four turns on a beautiful but flawed object-the golden bowl. This classic BBC adaptation takes viewers into the great dwellings of turn-of-the-century England and the lives of Henry James' richly drawn characters.Cyril Cusack (My Left Foot) performs the role of narrator to droll perfection.Also starring Daniel Massey (In the Name of the Father), Gayle Hunnicutt (A Woman of Substance), and Jill Townsend (Poldark).

Get 5% OFF

Click here for more information about The Golden Bowl (1972) (3pc) (1973)

Read More...

Prime Suspect: Series 1 (1991) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Helen Mirren stars as Chief Inspector Jane Tennison in this dramatic BBC miniseries.
A serial killer is at large, and Tennison inherits the mantle of investigating the lead suspect. While certain elements of the story are largely predictable, there is also an unexpected element of surprise with the way the tale unfolds. Mirren adds a definitive credibility to the vulnerable character of Tennison, struggling for any reasonable work/life balance, and she proves to be the most interesting sleuth to come out of England since Sherlock Holmes.
Time Magazine voted this, in its initial airing, the second most important television event of the year ... right behind Johnny Carson's farewell show. A must viewing for serious fans of mystery genre.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Prime Suspect: Series 1 (1991)

Oscar® Winner Helen Mirren is Detective Jane Tennison, "perhaps the greatest role and performance of a female police detective, ever" (San Francisco Chronicle), in a series that won more than 20 major international awards and raised the bar for police dramas.
In the opening series, DCI Tennison seizes the opportunity to head a murder investigation -- something she should have done long ago, had she not been passed over by her male superiors time and again. With a suspect already identified and her own team openly hostile, she uncovers errors and conflicting facts that point to a cover-up within the force. Is this a single murder or the latest act of a serial killer? Tennison refuses to back off the investigation.
Guest stars include Tom Wilkinson (Michael Clayton, In the Bedroom, Ralph Fiennes (The English Patient, Schindler's List), and Zoë Wanamaker (Poirot).

Get 30% OFF

Click here for more information about Prime Suspect: Series 1 (1991)

Read More...

Danger UXB Box Set (Volumes 1-5) (1981) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)The setting is England, 1940. A young, newly-commissioned officer arrives at his headquarters. Whatever he may be expecting, it is not to find out that his first appointment is heading up a bomb disposal unit. It is an assignment in which the life expectancy is ten weeks, and the disposal men die at a rate of one per day. When Lieutenant Brian Ash (played superbly by Anthony Andrews (Brideshead Revisited)) realizes that there has been no mistake and that, with no previous knowledge, training or understanding of bombs or bomb defusal, he is to take charge of one of the units, the look on his face is worth a thousand words. I for one certainly felt a shiver go down my spine. You see, as the officer in charge, it will be Ash's duty to physically disable the bombs. The rest of the unit--the sappers, as they're called--are there to do the digging and wood-framing around the bombs so that the officer in charge can access them and so that they can be lifted out and carted away for detonation once they're disarmed.
Produced and written (for the most part) by John Hawkesworth, who is most famous for having brought us both Upstairs Downstairs and The Duchess of Duke Street, Danger UXB is a 1979 production and is an absolutely superb period drama--every bit as good as his two better-known offerings and sure to be enjoyed by those who've enjoyed either of those series. This series, which consists of thirteen 50-minute episodes, revolves around Ash and his unit as they fight the neverending battle of getting rid of unexploded bombs. The Germans actually used to drop bombs that were designed to remain intact upon impact, often until such time as they were tampered with or until a certain amount of time had passed. The British were initially unprepared for such a tactic, and with no instruction manuals, they had little choice but to learn about the types of bombs and how best to defuse them through observation and experimentation and with the aid of a lot of luck. To make matters worse, the Germans kept redesigning the bombs in order to thwart the efforts of the defusers. As a point of interest, over 20,000 UXBs were moved by disposal units during the war.
DVD extras: A 45-minute "History Channel" documentary (an American production) about modern-day bomb disposal units which includes interviews with the men who do the job wherein they share their experiences and reasons for choosing such a high-risk occupation. One nice thing about this DVD set is that the four discs come in extra-skinny cases (half as thick as the usual cases), which makes it much more compact for storage!
In conclusion, this is an intelligently written, superbly acted British suspense-drama (indeed, the suspense is almost unbearable at times!), and the information about the types of bombs and how they work is accurate and informative--so informative that when the series was broadcast in England, a viewer apparently realized that one of his child's toys was in fact a butterfly bomb! This is a series which will of course be of immense interest to fans of the war genre, but the appeal is broad enough that I would highly recommend it to fans of period productions in general or to anyone looking for a good suspense drama. Personally, I debated getting it, as I don't really care for war shows, but I'm glad I took a chance on it, as it's as much about relationships and individuals as it is about the dramatic and suspenseful war-time jobs the men do. With a little of something for everyone, this was a show that both the men and the women in our family thoroughly enjoyed.
Extremely highly recommended!


Click Here to see more reviews about: Danger UXB Box Set (Volumes 1-5) (1981)

Click here for more information about Danger UXB Box Set (Volumes 1-5) (1981)

Read More...

Flambards Collection Set Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Have you ever encountered a TV series which, from the first episode on, became an irreplaceable part of your identity, moving you in ways impossible to describe but felt profoundly? FLAMBARDS was that beautiful a series. Set in the years surrounding the First World War, the story depicts how Christina, a young orphan sent to live with her cousins and uncle at a decaying country estate, Flambards, comes of age amid the conflicts, passions, loyalties, and tragedies which follow from her new life. Her uncle Russell, wheelchair-bound for life due to a fox-hunting accident, compounds his misfortune through heavy drinking by the fireplace, and takes his sole pleasure in life from the vicarious adventures in the hunting field which his rugged son Mark shares with him. They are callous to their servants, and cannot understand anyone who does not share their absorption in the world of hunting, hounds, and endless leisure. Mark's brother William could not be more different. Gentle, sympathetic to the servants and the plight of their class, and passionately devoted to the design, building and flying of planes, he too is injured while engaging in the one sport he hates - fox-hunting - and must now walk with a limp. Christina, in her late teens like William, prefers his gentle company, yet thrills to the excitement of the fox-hunt. And she soon learns that her ample inheritance, due when she is twenty-one, has been earmarked for the restoration of Flambards - and that she is to marry Mark, who, among other brutalities, has provoked the firing of Violet, the kitchen maid, after making her pregnant!The rest of the series portrays the growing attraction of Christina and William, their escape from Flambards into the world of the early aviators, and the disruptions in their new life resulting from the epic slaughter of the First World War. Everything in this series is just right: the casting of Christine McKenna and Alan Parna by as Christina and William, the stirring footage of restored early airplanes in glorious flight (set to the haunting background music of David Fanshawe, itself worth the eleven-and-a-half hours you'll spend loving this series), the tenderness of the scenes where William and Christina discover their love for each other, the portrayal of a bygone age of English social life help make FLAMBARDS a series with something for everybody. But what lifts this series into the realm of the extraordinary for me is its unaffected embodiment of human goodness and innocence, of nobility and the heroic, and of how these qualities can move us still, in a time when we need them more than ever.I've seen dozens of TV shows since I first caught episode 6, "Cold Light of Day," on PBS during a collegiate summer vacation almost twenty years ago. None have found their way as close to my heart as FLAMBARDS. I hope you agree. And I wish you the very best. END

Click Here to see more reviews about: Flambards Collection Set

Click here for more information about Flambards Collection Set

Read More...

Masterpiece Theatre: Painted Lady (1998) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)if you like helen mirren you will love this movie, since it was expressly written for her by allan cubitt. there are art forgeries and theft, there is great music, gay characters and situations, and a good sampling of gangsters and the chaos they bring upon a group of people who are attempting for the first time to live an "ordinary, quiet life". And there is murder and deep personal loss. it shows that in even well meaning situations the price for breathing is very high indeed. this is what every mystery writer should aspire to, and again our british cousins show us how it is done.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Masterpiece Theatre: Painted Lady (1998)

Get 5% OFF

Click here for more information about Masterpiece Theatre: Painted Lady (1998)

Read More...

Lark Rise to Candleford: Season Four Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)English country life could never have been as poetic, pictorial, and enchanting as this dramatization of the lives of those living in and around the two 1880's towns of Lark Rise and Candleford. Even the DVD's music puts a sanguine sugarcoating on the period. All of this is to the delight of the viewer of this masterfully done TV series sure to endear any North American who has a tender video heart toward Victorian Britain. Perhaps, consider it a British mutation of "Little House on the Prairie" or "The Waltons." A more earthy twist to "Upstairs Downstairs," another Brit historical period series not to be missed.
This set has 6 episodes of the commoner Lark Rise village and the more sophisticated Candleford. The short 8-mile separation allows for much intermingling, bigotry, conflict, forbidden love, political and economic interaction. It is not a family saga, not a nobility bloodline dramatization, but a saga of struggles and lifestyles of different kinds of personalities, each caught in their own born-into world, and interacting with another different, and not always understood, class of folk.
Darling Laura Timmins (Olivia Hallinan), Lark Rise born, was sent to Candleford to learn the trade of postmistress. She is the spark caught between the two towns (sometimes world's different.) Her mentor is Dorcas (Julia Sawalha.) Plenty of past characters returning to make it a continuation in cast and story from the previous season.
The cast is an assortment of either the die-hard, disheveled, working class or the Candleford higher class, shy of nobility range. Cast individuals make this memorable.
One episode travels into the next with carryover from earlier material. If you have the time, watch all 6 back to back. TV viewers must have waited impatiently for the next installment. Episodes has multiple plots so it is hard to break down the 6 episodes into short summaries. And with carryover from one episode to another, it's more like moving to Lark Rise or Candleford and living with the good people (and the bad). A delightful scenic experience even Disney has never matched.
Ah, Queenie (Linda Bassett), an old bee keeper, a favorite of mine, will make you laugh and cry, perhaps in the same scene. She can only be upstaged by her hubby, Twister (Karl Johnson.) Love that pair. Ruby (Victoria Hamilton) is back without her man, oops. Thomas (Mark Heap) is a postal delivery man who yet helps keep Christianity alive and aloud. Laura's ma, Emma (Claudie Blakley) is here, but pa, Robert is off working elsewhere. Well, the list could go on.
Locations and sets to dream of as a vacation spot. Costumes to dazzle, delight, and disgust, depending upon the event. Every emotion you have ever felt in your past will be repeated sometime throughout this English town saga. The adapted books by Flora Thompson have never been read by this reviewer, but I can't imagine them being as fine as this TV series (and I'm a book lover). A superb British cast has perfected this story.
Subtitles? Yes!
Downside? Only 6 episodes, you'll want more.
Recommendation? BUY NOW! It's that good.
If you have not seen Series 1, 2, & 3, get those first. Watch them in order. It's worth every wee farthing.


Click Here to see more reviews about: Lark Rise to Candleford: Season Four

The residents of Lark Rise and Candleford return for a fourth season of this warm-hearted, award-winning adaptation of Flora Thompson's novels. Set at the end of the 19th century, this visually stunning hit BBC/PBS drama sees newcomer Gabriel Cochrane arrive in Candleford with a vendetta against the evil banker Steerforth, who he feels has tricked him into losing his business. Elsewhere, Dorcas makes an ill-judged intervention, Minnie becomes worried that Alfie might fall out of love with her and Emma is left in a precarious financial position.

Get 20% OFF

Click here for more information about Lark Rise to Candleford: Season Four

Read More...

Rebecca (1997) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)While I will always like the Hitchcock film better, this adaptation is a great example of how a book should be turned into a movie. This will always be a classic love story between a young woman and an older mysterious widower that changes and matures with tragedy and the revelation of secrets. As with the originial film, this movie is suspenseful, romantic, and tragic. This faithful adapation from the book expands on issues that were skimmed over in the orginial movie but should have been filmed in black and white. In the new adaptation, the feelings between Maxim and the new Mrs. de Winter are underscored with some blatant scenes where they are still laying in bed and with more dubtle touches, such as holding hands when they walk or when Maxin touches Mrs. de W's face while in conversation. However, Lawrence Olivier somehow portrayed a more tragic and angry Maxim than is seen in this version.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Rebecca (1997)

Get 78% OFF

Click here for more information about Rebecca (1997)

Read More...

Masterpiece Theater: Blackheath Poisonings (1993) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)The BLACKHEATH POISONINGS is a great film. Originally, a BBC/Masterpiece presentation on the Corporation for Public Broadcasting network, the film features a cast of familiar British faces such as Judy Parfitt (JEWEL IN THE CROWN, PRIDE AND PREJUDICE), Patrick Malahide (MIDDLEMARCH, THE SINGING DECTECTIVE); Zoe Wanamaker (MORSE) and dozens of other actors you've seen in various Mystery Theater presentations.
The transfer of the film is reasonably good. The plot is very complex. The cast of characters excepting the doctors who treat the poisoned and the police who investigate what turns out to be murder, are all members of the same family). The family business is toy manufacturing, and a number of curious 19th century toys are featured in various scenes. The action takes place in a fabulous Victorian house (red and green and filled with nicknacks), a 19th century factory, a brothel, a train station, a cemetery, and a park. Think Sherlock Holmes crossed with Gilbert and Sullivan.

Parfitt plays the domineering, stingy, and uptight matriarch "she who must be obeyed" to a family comprised of resentful adult children - sons, sons-in-law, daughters, nephews, stepchildren. The seven deadly sins are represented by the various family members - anger, lust, greed, avarice, lust - did I say lust? Sex and money are at the root of their problems - often the case in repressed Victorian society.
This mystery is SO good my 74-year old husband who usually falls asleep at 8:00 p.m. in front of the tv stayed awake until 11:20 p.m. When I asked him 2/3 of the way through the three hour showing if he wanted to continue, he said, "Bring her on."

Click Here to see more reviews about: Masterpiece Theater: Blackheath Poisonings (1993)

Get 50% OFF

Click here for more information about Masterpiece Theater: Blackheath Poisonings (1993)

Read More...

Masterpiece Classic: Any Human Heart Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)As every review on Amazon for the PBS Masterpiece Classic presentation of "Any Human Heart" wants to challenge the editing of the film--I feel compelled to leap into the fray with the definitive answer. There is no denying that the show was broadcast for American audiences to fit the current format and timeslot of the network which resulted in unfortunate editing. However, what that has to do with the DVD release is absolutely nothing. Condemn PBS Broadcasting, if you must, for the televised end product--but any amount of investigation will confirm that the DVD offered for sale is absolutely intact with the full United Kingdom version. First, all you have to do is click on the DVD image above to read the bold print "Original UK Edition" and I have further confirmed the details through the PBS website. So, by all means, can we please just judge the full program and refrain from insinuating that this is a nefariously tampered with version?
Complete DVD specs:
Disc#1 - Episode 1 (RT: 1:17), and Episode (RT: 1:06)
Disc#2 - Episode 3 (RT: 1:10), and Episode 4 (RT: 1:07)
Bonus Content (approximately 48 minutes) includes)
(Interviews with actors, producers, directors, writer - all subtitled)
- In Oxford with Sam Clafin
- Matthew MacFayden on location in Spain
- Interview with Jim Broadbent
- Kim Cattral on "Gloria"
- Gillian Anderson and Tom Hollander on playing the Duke and Duchess of Windsor
- Hayley Atwell on "Freya"
- On the Set of "Any Human Heart"
- From Paper to Screen - William Boyd Discusses "Any Human Heart"
- Deleted Scenes (about 7 minutes of 11 clips - not subtitled)
This DVD is the original and unedited UK version
The following program contains mature content. Viewer discretion is advised.
This DVD features subtitles in English (SDH)Masterpiece Classic has certainly been serving up some sophisticated entertainment of late. This production headlined by an impressive international cast including Jim Broadbent, Matthew Macfadyen, Gillian Anderson, Tom Hollander, Kim Cattrall, Richard Schiff and Hayley Atwell seems, on the surface, to be one of its most promising entries. Following the recollections of author Logan Mountstuart as he tries to assimilate the pieces of his life, this biographical journey traverses approximately six decades with four actors of varying range portraying the novelist. It's an exciting idea and a fascinating trip with tales of success, stories of romance, bits of intrigue, and moments of struggle. This sometimes melancholy look at the vignettes that make up a life story is held together by Broadbent (as the eldest Mountstuart) while sorting through the memorabilia of the passing years.
While a child Mountstuart is featured in fantasy sequences, the tale really begins with the college aged version (Sam Claflin). Claflin is an appealing and engaging actor, and the youthful Mountstuart is depicted with energy and much humor. The bulk of the story is handled by the middle aged Mountstuart (MacFadyen)--this includes two marriages, infidelity, children, a foray into espionage, literary success, and waning literary success. And the late-in-life Mountstuart (Broadbent) is left to adapt to the ever changing world. MacFadyen, as I mentioned, carries much of the narrative and Mountstuart rubs elbows with everyone from Hemingway to Ian Fleming to the Duke and Duchess of Windsor (terrifically played by Hollander and Anderson). The film veers from slapstick to maudlin with little warning and its tone tends to be all over the place!
In truth, I didn't love "Any Human Heart" in the way I expected. I admired its effort, production values, and performances--but the film lacks a bit of heart. Mountstuart is never a particularly likable creation and, at various stages, he is displayed with a chilly emotional detachment. He all but abandons his first wife and child to start a family he dotes on--and never once does the screenplay challenge him to feel regret. Through infidelities, deception, and selfishness, the film never confronts the darker aspects of its own storytelling. I didn't mind the negative qualities that made Mountstuart whole--I just never felt there was a desire to portray him in totality. We're meant to like him at any cost. The end result was that I felt like I never got to know him very well--and since I spent a lifetime with him, that was a bit of an issue for me. Definitely recommended but it is one Masterpiece Classic I probably won't choose to revisit with frequency. KGHarris, 3/11.


Click Here to see more reviews about: Masterpiece Classic: Any Human Heart

Get 43% OFF

Click here for more information about Masterpiece Classic: Any Human Heart

Read More...

Cranford: Return to Cranford (2010) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I was able to watch this follow-up to Cranford thanks to a particular website and I promptly pre-ordered the DVD as I loved "Cranford" and its host of interesting and eccentric characters (and yes, I am a period drama fan, especially of BBC productions). This is actually a 2-part special that is not only inspired by the original Cranford, but also two other stories by author Elizabeth Gaskell, i.e. "The Moorland Cottage", and also "The Cage at Cranford", see Three Tales of Cranford: Cranford, The Cage at Cranford, and The Moorland Cottage. Besides the familiar and beloved cast of the original Cranford such as Miss Matty (Dame Judi Dench), Miss Pole (Imelda Staunton), Mrs Forrester (Julia McKenzie), Miss Tomkinson (Deborah Findlay), etc. several new characters are introduced, such as Lady Glenmire (played by Celia Imrie), and the conjuror Signor Brunoni(Tim Curry).
The first part is set in summer 1844 - it has been two years since dear Miss Matty (Dame Judi Dench in another luminous portrayal) lost her beloved sister Deborah, and a year since Sophy Hutton married Dr Harrison (these two characters are no longer in this show). Miss Matty seems content with the presence of her brother Peter (Nicholas Le Prevost) who is home from India, and helps look after Tilly, the baby of her maid Martha and carpenter Jem Hearne. The continuity from the original Cranford is seen in the railway project which still looms menacingly over the town. Things are also made more exciting with the arrival of Mr. Buxton, a wealthy widower who lives with his ward Erminia (Michelle Dockery) and his son William (Tom Hiddleston who is quite the eye candy). Life in Cranford is always full of surprises and when Lady Ludlow's long absent son Septimus (Rory Kinnear) arrives, things take unexpected turns, precipitated by a tragedy in the family. The old tensions are there - especially between those that are against the railroad project and those ,like Captain Brown and young William who feel that modernization is essential to Cranford's long-term survival. Miss Matty, in her usual subtle fashion, gets involved in some of these village proceedings, with some rather startling results.
The second part is set later in the year 1844, October up till Christmas - Miss Matty and her friends are predictably excited at the visit of Lady Glenmire (Celia Imrie) but when Mrs Jamieson (Barbara Flynn) feels no one amongst her peers is of suitably high rank to meet her, she and Lady Glenmire get snubbed by Matty and company and it is left to Lady Glenmire to set things right in a most memorable way. Matty also faces some challenges that involves a falling out amongst her circle of friends,a serious romance between William and a young woman deemed unsuitable by his father (which has Matty pondering the wisdom of her 'involvement' in bringing the pair together), and more tragedy on the horizon, affecting the citizens of Cranford.The magic of the original is still evident and this follow-up (of sorts - it's not strictly a sequel though some story arcs from the first Cranford get developed here) is still charming and engrossing. A fair note of warning, this particular installment in the Cranford franchise is much more subdued than the original and there's quite a fair bit of tragedy - there's death (involving a couple of familiar characters who were also in the original), grief, tension, family drama, imperiled friendships, the age-old battle between those opposed to change and those who embrace the challenges of modernization,etc., but there's also romance, lighthearted moments and even a bit of magic!The comic and the tragic are seamlessly blended into the story, resulting in an immensely satisfying viewing experience. I loved it though I can understand how this particular follow-up might disappoint purists who loved the original and how well it adhered to Gaskell's novel. As for the production qualities - they are excellent. The cinematography is gorgeous, capturing the beauty of the village surroundings as well as the period details, and the score complements the story perfectly. I wish I could be so lucky as to live in a place like Cranford!

Click Here to see more reviews about: Cranford: Return to Cranford (2010)

Welcome to Cranford, where all changes and all remains the same. Miss Matty's house is full of life and bustle. Her dream of having a child in the house has been realised in the birth of Tilly, daughter of her maid Martha and carpenter Jem. The shadow of the railway still looms but, to the relief of Matty and the Amazons, the line has been halted five miles outside of Cranford because of Lady Ludlow's refusal to sell her land. Elsewhere Miss Matty's friend Mr Buxton returns to town with his son, William, and his niece, Erminia. Miss Matty decides to introduce them to Peggy Bell, a young woman who lives in an isolated cottage with her mother and domineering brother, Edward, in the hope of building friendships. But, when tragedy strikes, she comes to believe that she has opened Pandora's box and fears Cranford will never recover.

Get 40% OFF

Click here for more information about Cranford: Return to Cranford (2010)

Read More...

The 39 Steps (2008) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Diplomat, intelligence officer, and adventure writer John Buchan's superb 1915 thriller "The 39 Steps" has been recreated several times on the big and small screens, most famously in Alfred Hitchcock's 1935 movie. The 2008 BBC production is now available on DVD. It stars Rupert Penry-Jones, familiar to PBS fans as Captain Wentworth in 2007's "Persuasion", as Richard Hannay, a resourceful Scottish mining engineer just returned from South Africa to the United Kingdom in 1914, as tensions rise with an aggressive Imperial Germany.
At loose ends, Hannay encounters a British Secret Service agent on the run, who imparts a notebook full of coded messages before being murdered in Hannay's London apartment. Sought by the police and the mysterious men who framed him, Hannay flees to Scotland. There, he manages to decode enough of the notebook to realize a deadly foreign conspiracy is afoot against Britain, and sets out to expose the conspirators and clear himself.
The story features a complicated espionage plot, some terrific location shooting in Scotland, an exciting action sequence involving a biplane (reminiscent of "North By Northwest"), and an unlikely but charming romance with a fiesty suffragette named Victoria Sinclair (Lydia Leonard).
This version of "The 39 Steps" is loosely based on the John Buchan original, as re-imagined by screenwriter Lizzie Mickery. It includes some new story elements, such as a two-part ending and Hannay's relationship with Victoria Sinclair. Viewer opinions may well depend on their attachment to earlier versions. This reviewer suggests enjoying "The 39 Steps" on its own terms for best results.

Click Here to see more reviews about: The 39 Steps (2008)

BBC's new adaptation of John Buchan's thriller is the best ever! Richard Hannay (Rupert Penry-Jones) finds himself framed for a murder he didn't commit. Now he has to break a ruthless German espionage network to prove his innocence and, more importantly and patriotically, warn the admiralty that its plans have fallen to the enemy. Full of excitement, danger, fun and romance, The 39 Steps is a remarkable tale of an ordinary man who puts his country's interests before his own safety.

Get 42% OFF

Click here for more information about The 39 Steps (2008)

Read More...