Equator 1: Power Of An Ocean (As seen on Discovery HD & Animal Planet) (2009) Review

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(More customer reviews)Picture quality well below average at places. Disc has two main subjects: Palmyra atoll in the pacific and Galapagos Islands. The coconut crab sequence (Palmyra atoll) very nice, but the Galapagos sequences dissappointing, especially if you have already watched "Galapagos" with Tilda Swinton. Disc not recommended on account of the really bad picture quality at places.

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Who's Dancin' Now? (2001) Review

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(More customer reviews)Jacques D'Amboise demonstrates the difference between a teacher and a mentor. A teacher gives information, a mentor literally reaches into a child's life and lifts him/her to a higher plane. In this video, it's great to watch Jacques coach average kids into above-average performance, and provoke them into seeing greatness in themselves, and his technique has obvious application in all fields, not just artistic or physical. This video is superb for not only profiling an accomplished mentor like Jacques, but for showing us the incredible power of dance to unchain a child's imagination, and boost their self esteem.

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Chinese Stuntman (Dubbed In English) Review

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(More customer reviews)The Chinese stuntman is the same movie as Counter Attack. I accidentally ordered both movies. However, the amazing stick fighting scene with Ho Chung Tao versus Dan Inosanto is worth the money.
This movie is a true classic. A must have for Dan Inosanto (Bruce Lee's friend in real life) and Ho Chung Tao (Bruce Li) fans.
I rate this movie 5 stars-
great action!!
Fast fact: Dan Inosanto was born Daniel Arca Inosanto on July 24, 1936. He is a Filipino Martial Arts instructor who is a foremost authority on Jeet Kun Do (Bruce Lee's art).
Dan Inosanto has appeared in other movies including: The Warrior Within, Fight Science, Modern Warrior, and The Path of the Dragon.
Of course, Ho Chung Tao has appeared in about 30 movies including Iron Dragon Strikes Back and The Chinese Connection II.-

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1943 Battle of Tarawa WWII Pacific Theatre Documentary DVD: Marines at Tarawa by Louis Hayward World War II Military Battle History (1943) Review

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(More customer reviews)This was the standard War Department Short film on the capture of Tarawa.
Nothing new, film transfer to DVD was horrible with no attempt to digitally enhance the DVD image. I would definitely not recommend this DVD. I was hoping that this was a much better account with much better footage, that I saw on TV as a special. I was sadly dissapointed.

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American Experience - Eugene O'Neill: A Documentary Film Review

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(More customer reviews)Anyone can make a documentary. It's become quite formulaic. You start with a story you want to tell, have a narrator anchor your tale, illustrate with moving images or still images over which you move, layer music and sound effects to create a mood, and add a healthy dose of "talking heads" to gain intimacy and credibility.
Put together Muhammad Ali, Lloyd Price, Zaire, "Rumble in the Jungle," and George Plimpton, and you get Leon Gast's ninety-minute "When We Were Kings." Put together Babe Ruth, Billy Crystal, Ebbets Field, "Take Me Out to the Ballgame," and Bob Costas, and you get Ken Burns' eighteen-and-a-half-hour "Baseball."
Anyone could have made a documentary on Eugene O'Neill. Of course it helps to have a big brother, who plucks you from the Columbia University campus to help him fight nine episodes of "The Civil War." It helps to have already made a highly acclaimed documentary of your own on the Big Apple. It helps to have enlisted the venerable Arthur and Barbara Gelb, who know more about your subject than you can ever hope to know. It helps to have a bit of luck - to have your hand slapped by a PBS executive for stretching a two hour documentary into three, and then being told that your next project on Eugene O'Neill, which you had planned on running four hours, WILL come in at two - or more precisely, 112 minutes. And it helps to be a genius.
On Monday evening, January 23rd, some 150 invited guests filled the MGM Screening Room at 6th Avenue and 55th Street in New York City. They previewed the American Experience PBS documentary "Eugene O'Neill," which will premier on Monday, March 27, 2006. They previewed the genius of Ric Burns.
"What does it cost to be an artist? What did it cost to be Eugene O'Neill?" director Lloyd Richards asks in the opening moments of the film. "It cost Eugene O'Neill a mother, a father, a happy marriage, children. It cost the many wives that he tried to have because he didn't know how."
Burns uses Richards and his other "talking heads" to seamlessly tell his story. "When I interview them, I sit across from them and look them in the eye," Burns related at his Steeplechase office, several days after the screening. "If you don't look them in the eye, they lose interest, and you've lost them."

Burns didn't lose playwright Tony Kushner, who movingly remarks in the film, "In O'Neill, there's this absolute, sort of God-ordained mission, which is to keep searching, even if in the process he discovers that there is no God. It's a terrifying sort of mandate, but it also I think should be the mandate of all artists, and in a way, of all people." Narrator Christopher Plummer provides the anchor for playwrights Kushner and John Guare, directors Richards, Sidney Lumet and Robert Brustein, and O'Neill scholars Edward Shaughnessy and the Gelbs. They all respond to Burns' deft technique, and are transformed from "talking heads" into eloquent orators. Burns uses these heads to speak words about O'Neill. He uses a second set of heads to speak O'Neill's words. Al Pacino, Zoe Caldwell, Christopher Plummer, Robert Sean Leonard, and others strategically speak dialogue from O'Neill's plays. They "speak" O'Neill's words, as opposed to performing them, and tell Burns' story in much the same way that the playwrights and the directors and the scholars tell it. It's a brilliant juxtaposition that helps Burns keep his story moving at a cohesive, break-neck pace.
Burns starts his story in 1937, when O'Neill moves into Tao House, his California hillside home. Burns uses this point in time as a fulcrum to look backward and relate O'Neill's break with his family, and then look forward, as O'Neill reclaims his family and, as his reputation declines and illness threatens to silence him forever, wrenches from himself three of the greatest plays ever written by an American.
Burns' story could have been told over four hours, or even eighteen-and-a-half. The Gelbs would have had no problem providing the necessary substrate. But that hand-slapping PBS executive fortuitously forced them to cut and cut and cut their story to 112 minutes. Integrated with Brian Keane's magical score, a perfectly accessible tale was crafted that can be easily consumed in one sitting.
The 150 invited guests in the MGM Screening Room already knew most, if not all of Burns' story. It wasn't necessary to give the likes of Ted Mann and Ben Brantley a history lesson on O'Neill. Had Burns' documentary served only to educate, it would have been just another formulaic example of its genre. But, it did much more than educate. It forced those gathered on January 23rd to feel what it cost to be an artist, and it forced many of them to shed a tear for O'Neill and for others they had known who had paid that price. Those assembled felt the tragedy and the genius of Eugene O'Neill. And they felt the genius of Ric Burns.

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Street Thief (2007) Review

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(More customer reviews)This is honestly a great movie, I first say it on A&E and thought it was such a smart movie, weather it's a documentry or a mocumentry, it's a good film to see. You can't find it on Netflix and they arn't showing reruns anymore. Free Shipping? Good deal.

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Discovering Hamlet Review

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(More customer reviews)For anyone interested in a behind the scenes look at how a play proceeds through production this video is for you. The Birmingham Repertory Theater is the setting for this production directed by Derek Jacobi with Kenneth Branagh taking the lead as Hamlet. Narration is provided by Patrick Stewart to guide viewers through the production process. Interspersed between scenes of the rehearsals are interviews with the various actors discussing their characters. I would have like a longer interview with the director, Derek Jacobi, discussing his vision of Hamlet but all in all this is quite a good video.

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Two of Britain's greatest actors stage Shakespeare's greatest tragedy
A behind-the-scenes look at Shakespearean theatre
In 1988, rising star Kenneth Branagh tackled the role of Shakespeare's prince of Denmark for the first time in his professional career under the guidance of celebrated actor Derek Jacobi, considered "the best Hamlet of his generation" (The New York Times). Narrated by Patrick Stewart, this hour-long film documents how these two intelligent, passionate men found new depths in Shakespeare's classic drama.
Filmmakers Mark Olshaker and Larry Klein follow the company through four weeks of rehearsals, from the first read-throughs to opening night. Interviews with principal actors--as well as the set designer, costume supervisor, text advisor, and others--reveal how each member of the company meets the production's challenges. In all, Discovering Hamlet offers an intimate, behind-the-scenes look at the process of staging Shakespeare's most demanding tragedy.
An Emmy®-winning star of stage and screen, Derek Jacobi (I, Claudius) has played some of the Bard's most challenging parts in his 50-year career, including Hamlet, Prospero, Macbeth, and Lear.
Four-time Oscar® nominee Kenneth Branagh is a versatile actor, director, and writer famed for bringing Shakespeare to the silver screen in Hamlet, Henry V, and other films.

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Jefftowne Review

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(More customer reviews)ok anyone who knows troma knows that they release some of the bloodiest most offensive material in the country (and oh how i love it.). well get ready for something totally out of the norm for troma. jefftowne is about a 39 year old with downs syndrome. when i bought this i expected something very troma, totally offensive with few redeeming moral qualities, which i had no problem with at all. but this movie actually turned out to be a touching (not very troma) look at someone who doesn't suffer from downs syndrome, he lives as if he didn't even have it. you meet jeff's 93 year old foster mother who is confined to a wheelchair as well as his extended family at the mall movie theater. they take just as much, if not more care of jeff than his mother. I STRONGLY ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO DISREGARD MIKE DAVIS'S REVIEW OF THIS MOVIE! jeff is not treated the way that mr davis has said he is in this movie. the people are just so friendly with jeff that they can joke around with him as much as they want to. when i first saw the first scene in this movie, i thought that the guy making farting noises and blaming it on jeff was intended to upset jeff, but after a second watch you can see that it was just friendly. im really sorry if this review sucks, its pretty late and im dozing off in front of the keyboard. the DVD also includes jefftowne 2, which is a follow-up to the movie 4 years later, which i also think is good. again im sorry if this review sucked, but please, give jefftowne a chance.

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Meet Jeff Towne. He's a beer-drinking, porno-consuming, wrestling fanatic with Down's Syndrome. He lies, he cheats, he steals; he fondles women. In short, he's a lot like the rest of us than we care to admit. Jeff's days are divided between his filthy home that he shares with his 98 year old, wheelchair bound foster mother (who pins their financial future on the certainty that they'll win the Publisher's Clearing House Sweepstakes) and a mall movie theater, where the employees alternately mock and care for Jeff. They've become a bizarre surrogate family for Jeff, providing him with all the vices that his mother so desperately ignores - to her, Jeff is a good Christian boy with a heart of gold. As this shocking and hilarious documentary will show you, Jeff frequents strip joint, bum-rushes celebrities, cares for his horrifying blackened diseased foot, and gets his few remaining teeth extracted. One thing is for sure: you've never seen anything like Jefftowne and you've never met anyone like Jeff.

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Colors Straight Up (2009) Review

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(More customer reviews)This is the story of an arts program in the Los Angeles Public School system geared torward "at risk" youths. It was filmed in the program's infancy, when Colors United was an extracirricular program at one high school in South Central Los Angeles.
We are immediately immersed in the world of these kids, without commentary or words of introduction. The camera simply follows around several students as they shuffle back and forth between their gritty life in the "hood" and their alternate ego as a member of an acting and performing troup rehearsing for their big annual show.
The film is heartbreaking many times over, and I, who rarely cry during movies, found my eyes moist througout much of the film. The movie shows how hard the lives of these kids are, and how courageously they funnel this experience into their artistic performance, which is called "Watts Side Story." For many viewers, it will be a window into a world they have heard of but know very little about. But it is on the moral plane, not the social, that the film really enlightens.
The determination of these high schoolers to commit to each other for the sake of an uplifting common purpose, while all around them their world seems to be coming apart at the seams, is almost the definition of moral courage.
The director is wise not to pontificate or comment on the on screen happenings. The young men and women depicted feeling their way to adult hood and moral responsibility is the most eloquent statement that can be made. I can not recommend this film highly enough. It is especially appropriate for high school age kids or those involved in *at risk* behavior to see "another way."

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America's Castles - Movie Palaces Review

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(More customer reviews)As interesting as this DVD-R is with excellent commentary it only coverered 3 major American Movie Theaters - the title "Movie Palaces" is a trifle mis-leading! no mention of the Radio City Music Hall! no coverage of Samuel L."Roxy" Rothapfel and sadly very little on Paramount's venture into this field.
Viewers to this review might be interested in a DVD entitled "The Fabulous Fox" which also covers extended detail on the Theatre and its splendid Moller organ.
However in view of scarce footage of the subject in question, this DVD is to be welcomed and recommended.(Ronald Alexander-Mace - Norbury : London)

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Reel Paradise (2005) Review

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(More customer reviews)Reel Paradise features a family of four intelligent, talented, articulate people from America-parents John and Janet Pierson, daughter Georgia, and son Wyatt, who go to Fiji to reopen an abandoned movie theatre.
The effect they have on the culture of the island and the effect the island has on them produces a story that grabbed this viewer from the outset and held me to the end. Frankly, when I see two adults who are willing to tackle a project so far out in left field like this and then two children who are so witty and able to adapt to new surroundings in such a hurry, I have greater respect for my fellow human beings.
Director Steve James gives an unsparing view of the stresses and strains - and the triumphs -- of being in this situation. And the Piersons are to be commended to letting the lens peer into their homelife. Frankly, I think that they shine through the whole process. And as for Wyatt and Georgia, if I had kids, I could only hope that they would be so bright.
This film intrigues the viewer on several levels:
--Seeing the reaction of the Fiji natives to the films.
--Observing the adaptive capabilities of the Piersons.
--All the subplots like the Catholic Church's negative reaction to the Piersons giving the natives free admittance to the films and Wyatt's taking over the announcing one night, not to mention the landlord scene.
If you want to spend a couple of hours immersed in another culture, Reel Paradise is a great way to do just that.

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Award-winning director Steve James' (Hoop Dreams, Stevie) Reel Paradise tells the extraordinary story of one American family's unique adventure running a cinema in one of the most isolated villages on the planet.

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Ballerina (2006) Review

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(More customer reviews)This is the best ballet documentary I have ever seen on the Kirov. It is almost a sequel to "The Children of Theater Street." The Kirov has taken its history and technique and brought it into the modern arena - even the leotards and tights are like amazing costumes from Karinska. These women have incredible technique and artistry - each one very different from the last. They are current and yet old fashioned, in a good way, at the same time. If you're a dancer - you'll love this because its is filled with behind the scenes, rehearsals, class, and life in the reality of being a Russian dancer. Interesting perspective on performance scenes as well.

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In the grand tradition of the Ballets Russes comes a portrait of five Russian ballerinas from the Mariinsky Theatre (also known as the Kirov).Behind any great ballerina lies the discipline and rigour that comes from decades of training and practice. Superstars like Nijinsky, Baryshnikov and Pavlova established the reputation of Russian dancers as the best in the world. The five dancers profiled in this revealing film are tough, insightful and exceptionally talented; onstage they reveal no hint of the sweat, pain and hard work of the rehearsal studio. From Swan Lake to Romeo and Juliet, from the backstage studio to performing on stages around the world, Ballerina captures the sublime beauty of ballet, in all its resplendent glory.FEATURINGDiana Vishneva, Svetlana Zakharova, Ulyana Lopatkina, Alina Somova & Evgenia Obraztsova

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Broadway - The American Musical (PBS Series) (2004) Review

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(More customer reviews)Soup to nuts, the folks over at PBS pulled it off. They've condensed the history of the American Broadway musical into six hours, and it feels about right.
Yes yes yes, there will be hordes of folks who quibble that their "all-time most important" musical didn't make it, but that's missing the point.
You will feel as if you have a serious grasp of the development of the American musical after seeing this film. Period. Mission accomplished.
The first segments of the documentary, hosted by the ageless Julie Andrews, begin with Flo Ziegfeld, and the "Follies". One thing that hasn't been mentioned (yet) is the nice concomitant history lesson you get regarding New York, Times Square and American popular culture while absorbing this mini-series. The influence of opera (or more properly, operetta), vaudeville and minstrel shows are made abundantly clear, and are fascinating to someone like me who really had no exposure to this sort of material.
As we reach mid-century, more and more of the people talked ABOUT in the film are actually alive...and the shows discussed are ridiculously familiar to even the most "uneducated" viewer. Song after song reveals their source...standards that originated on Broadway that have become part of our cultural language.
Artistic ambition grows by leaps and bounds...from the musical "revue" to musical "comedy" to a dramatic "book" musical. Storytelling techniques through song and staging develop as fast as the geniuses on the stage, behind the stage and under the stage can think...
Some of the creators, like Sondheim, are expert at analysis and insight. They provide some great "talking head" moments about musicals that aren't theirs! By and large, the critics they used for the documentary come across as enthusiastic, overwhelmingly knowledgeable, incisive, playful...I thought as a group they were terrific, without any hint of elitism, snobbery or any number of other "stereotypes" one may have about a "New York Broadway critic."
My first audible gasp came at the end of episode five, when they play that "I Love NY" commercial from the late 70's. I remember seeing that as a kid, but the only thing that had any effect on me was the presence of Brooke Shields at the end of it.
People like Mandy Patinkin, Patti Lupone, Angela Lansbury, those "Cats" creatures and yes, I think that's Patrick Swayze in "Grease" mode...what a riot!
The most affecting portion, for me, is the last episode, for that encompasses most of my personal Broadway experience. I imagine that whatever era you feel the most affinity towards will have the same effect.
Spending 6-10 minutes per musical or producer seems criminal, until you simply appreciate the tidbits for what they are. They're like little gems. Fragments of shows that you yearn to see ALL of...
...so let me editorialize for a second.
All musicals should be filmed once with their original casts, if only for posterity. I own "Sunday In The Park With George" and "Sweeney Todd", two exemplary musicals (covered here) and nice DVD's to own. What I wouldn't give for an "Evita" (not covered here) with Lupone and Patinkin, or the original cast of "Rent". There. Editorial done.
Speaking of "Rent", the final fifteen to twenty minutes of the movie are an emotional tidal wave. Seeing Jonathan Larson's last day of work on video...watching him make his last milk shake at the Moondance Diner...and then finding out he dies right before previews, is not heartbreaking, it's heart-shattering.
That segment leads into the piece on 9/11. Somber and a little creepy, as you've seen almost six hours of the busiest intersections on Earth suddenly empty, a modern ghost town.
The filmmakers then pull off a terrific stunt. They show the post 9/11 commercial encouraging people to come back to NY. It echoes the one from over two decades prior, yet is defiant, proud and yes, a little inspiring.
A quick cut to "Hairspray", specifically to the finale which may be the single most energetic song to ever grace the boards, and then summing it all up with "Wicked", a musical I coincidentally just saw three weeks ago (and loved), made for an amazing viewing experience and I could not recommend this any more highly.
Now, for those of you who DO own this, my copy is plagued by a jittery video (with pristine audio) across all three discs. No one else has mentioned this, so perhaps my case is isolated...
One last request: please watch the rehearsal "bonus" footage with Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth, working on their song from Wicked called, "For Good." Watching and listening to these two outstanding singers tentatively creating these performances, intercut with footage from the final result, sent shivers up my spine.

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NASCAR - The IMAX Experience (2004) Review

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(More customer reviews)I come from the heart of NASCAR country, and I have a lot of race memories going back a good quarter of a century now. I love racing, but I really haven't been able to watch it since that black day when Dale Earnhardt lost his life at Daytona; I doubt I'll ever be able to watch another Daytona 500 as long as I live. Still, I'd love to get past the loss of the Man in Black and make NASCAR a part of my Sunday rituals once again. That's the main reason I decided to watch NASCAR: The IMAX Experience. Of course, I have only seen it in the privacy of my own home, so I can't speak to the actual IMAX theatre experience. It's a good show, but I guess I was just expecting a little bit more out of it.
The main limitation of the film is its length; you can only say so much about the rich history of NASCAR in forty-eight minutes. There's a decent look at the origins of the sport, but most of the historical attention is placed on a select few superstars of years past. The behind-the-scenes look at the way cars are built and maintained is excellent, but many of the really technical aspects of car design are not covered - you'll get a quick picture of the way drafting works, but pushing and pulling, for example, aren't covered at all. You do get a good sense of the time and expense that goes in to making each and every race happen, though. Pit crews and spotters are given their due, and rightly so, and you also get a small taste of tail-gating and driver interaction with the public. That interaction goes a long way toward making NASCAR the fan success it is. You also get to hear from a few wives who bear the tough burden of being married to a driver, and this discussion easily spills over into a discussion of safety. Several drivers also make comments throughout the film, but all too often, the actual driver is not identified - if you can't recognize the voice, you won't know who is speaking on several occasions. I thought the selection of driver comments was also too limited, as some big names are left out entirely. The big thrills supposedly come from the IMAX footage of on-the-track action, but there's nothing all that special about the footage outside of an IMAX theatre setting. Frankly, I don't think the non-3D experience matches the footage you can see on your own television set come the next race Sunday.
If you're an established NASCAR fan, you may not get all that much out of NASCAR: The IMAX Experience, although you will surely find it enjoyable. Those new to the sport, however, can get a good sense of the excitement and enthusiasm the sport generates among its fans. You won't feel the thunder of the engines in your gut, though. Nothing, not even NASCAR: The IMAX Experience, compares to the excitement generated on any given race day.

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When NASCAR: The IMAX Experience 3D is released to IMAX Theatres in Spring 2004, fans will literally be transported into the driver's seat of America's most popular spectator sport. The groundbreaking IMAX 3D film, set against America's most popular spectator sport, will be distributed exclusively to IMAX theatres by Warner Bros. Pictures and IMAX in Spring 2004 and marks Warner Bros.' first foray into the IMAX arena. DVD Features:Documentaries:Drivers' ProfilesDocumentary:NASCAR's closest racing moments

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The Diary of Anne Frank (As Seen on PBS) Review

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(More customer reviews)This latest adaptation of "The Diary of Anne Frank" is by the BBC (released in 2008, total running time is 150 mins). The screenplay is by Deborah Moggach, and is directed by Jon Jones. This adaptation is the most faithful to Anne's "Diary of a Young Girl", reflecting the maturing of a young girl under harrowing circumstances, and exploring all her feelings and emotions in a credible manner.
The film stars Ellie Kendrick as Anna Frank, a feisty 13-year-old Jewish girl who finds her world turned upside down when the Nazis invade Holland in 1942. When her older sister, 16-year-old Margot (Felicity Jones) receives a summons from the Nazis to report for deportation, the Frank family, including father Otto (Iain Glen) and mother Edith (Tamsin Grieg) go into hiding in a Secret Annex above Otto's office. They are helped by a group of loyal Gentile friends, namely Miep Gies (Kate Ashfield), Mr Kleiman (Roger Frost), Mr Kugler (Tim Dantay), and Bep Voskuijl (Mariah Gale). The Franks are later joined by the Van Daans, comprising father Hermann (Ron Cook), mother Petronella (Lesley Sharp), and son Peter (Geoff Breton), and soon after by dentist Albert Dussell (Nicholas Farrell).
Living under such constraints puts a lot of stress on the occupants of the Secret Annex, and the story unfolds through Anne's observations (told partly through voiceovers) as the real Anne Frank had made these observations about her life in hiding in her beloved diary. Anne's chafing under the restrictions of living in hiding is credibly portrayed here(especially the conflicts with Mrs Van Daan and Dussell), as is her adolescent angst which comes across most clearly in her tense relationship with her mother, whom Anne felt did not truly understand her, in contrast to her beloved Pim/Dad whom Anne was very close to. The budding romance between Anne and Peter Van Daan is also explored with a great degree of sensitivity, and it is amazing to see these adolescents manage to connect on an intimate level, despite the harrowing circumstances they find themselves in. Anne's heartfelt conversation with her father is one of the most poignant scenes here and Anne's reflections on her parent's marriage is very insightful, especially from one so young. Ellie Kendrick delivers a finely nuanced performance as the adolescent Anne who harbors so many desires and ambitions, hopes for an unfettered and normal life, and the yearnings of a teenage girl. Her intimate observations regarding her body's cycle and all that it signifies are altogether poignant and heartrending to watch.
The sense of fear and danger is palpable from the first moments, and pervades the show. But there are also light-hearted moments to offset the bleak atmosphere, as when Mrs Van Daan refuses to eat cabbage because it gives her gas, and the comical teeth-pulling scene involving a certain fuss-pot and the dentist. But, knowing their final fate (as anyone who is familiar with Anne Frank's story will know) makes this a heartrending watch indeed. This series ends with Anne, her family, the Van Daans and Dussell being led away by the authorities after their hiding place was discovered (they were betrayed, and the identity of the person/s who betrayed them has never been confirmed till today, though there are many books written on the subject and speculations on the identity of the person/s concerned). The fates of all eight Jews in hiding is also revealed.
I would highly recommend this latest adaptation of "The Diary of Anne Frank" to anyone who has an interest in the Holocaust, who has read and loved Anne Frank's "Diary of a Young Girl", and also to teachers of History, may we never forget. There is also a bonus feature which is an interview with Anne Frank's cousin, Buddy Elias.
Note:
I have watched two previous screen adaptations of "The Diary of Anne Frank". The 1959 B&W movie (total running time:180 mins) starring Millie Perkins as Anne Frank and Joseph Schildkraut as Anne's father, Otto. Though this movie was well-acted and credibly portrayed the fears and frustrations of people in hiding, I felt the movie was wanting in terms of being faithful to the original source, i.e. Anne's diary. This movie is not an altogether historically accurate representation of actual events. The Franks had gone into hiding before the Van Daans, but this is portrayed otherwise in the movie. Peter Van Daan [Van Pels] was extremely shy in real life, but his demeanor is portrayed differently here, and his romance with Anne is overly exaggerated in typical Hollywood style. This movie ends with the capture of the Franks' and their friends in hiding.
The second version I watched was "Anne Frank - The Whole Story" (Walt Disney Studio Release 2001 -total running time 189 mins) and is a well-acted and beautifully filmed movie based on Melissa Muller's biography of Anne Frank. The movie was beautifully filmed with great attention to period details and the excellent casting choices made this an engaging viewing experience. Ben Kingsley played the role of Otto Frank and Hannah Taylor-Gordon plays Anne Frank. Her resemblance to the real-life Anne is quite uncanny. Her portrayal of Anne is simply amazing - strong-willed, impetuous, candid, ambitious, and yet, underlying all that fierceness of spirit is a young girl on the brink of womanhood who yearns to be thought of as a woman and not a girl, and longs for freedom and love. This adaptation ends not with the capture of hidden Jews in the Secret Annex, but with the sisters in the Bergen-Belsen camp, and with their deaths.


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The new Diary of Anne Frank production aired on PBS Masterpiece Theater on April 11, 2010 and is the first true and authentic account of life in hiding under Nazi terror during World War II from the unique perspective of a teenage Jewish girl.The Diary of Anne Frank is a modern, timeless classic of literature and a extraordinary social document that has endured the world over. The story is both an important piece of recent history and universal family tale that is understood worldwide. Full of tension but at times funny and ultimately tragic, Anne Frank's diary manages to create a truthful and timeless picture of domestic life in all its pettiness and normality while never letting us forget the extraordinary threat of death that await the characters if discovered.The BBC worked directly with the Anne Frank-Fonds estate to ensure complete authenticity for the film. Dramatizations of her diary are far and few between as the Anne Frank Fonds (estate) tends not to grant the rights to adapt her memoirs, so this drama series is a very rare event. The detailed reconstructions of the house, together with the strong award winning performances from the cast, combine to create a landmark piece of drama.

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Vaudeville (1997) Review

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(More customer reviews)This is a case of documentarians thinking that you'd rather hear them pontificate that actually see what they're talking about. The packaging for this DVD claims you'll see 80 vaudeville acts. And you will, for about 12 seconds each... not one performance is complete. Which is a big shame, given the wealth of footage the filmmakers apparently had access to. The writer of this presentation should have stepped well out of the way, and let the performances speak. To make it that much more frustrating , much of the running time goes to interviews with non-vaudevillians such as present-day filmaker Robert Townsend, and clips of vaudeville-influenced stuff like the Muppet Show. It kills you sit through this stuff knowing that the filmmakers are holding back rare footage of performances by houdini, w.c. fields, you name it. Buy this if you know nothing about vaudeville... and want to hear some old-timers doing a remember-when. If you want to see some old routines, get some of the variety films (international house, stand up and cheer, (this list is huge) from the early thirties and you'll be much better off.

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