Gulliver's Travels (1996) Review

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(More customer reviews)Contrary to popular belief, Jonathan Swift's "Gulliver's Travels" was never intended to be simply a children's fantasy / fairy tale. Although the Lilliputans are cute as heck, this story has some serious overtones. As a matter of fact, although more subtle perhaps, there are aspects of this tale which are as dark and bitter as the commentaries on humankind written by the likes of Dostoevsky, Camus and Kafka. Jonathan Swift never was a very happy man.
This rendition of Swift's classic is, in a word, fabulous. It reaches to the heart of the message Swift was trying to convey while at the same time is accessible to all. It is also appropriate for a family to watch. I cannot remark enough on just how well done this film was; it would have been so easy to do a half-baked job and let it be yet another ambitious television movie that somehow went awry. I'm so glad that didn't happen here.
In truth, I have never cared too much for Ted Danson. However, in this film he delivers a surprisingly exceptional performance. So much so, in fact, that looking back I can't imagine anyone else as Gulliver. The rest of the cast did a superb job as well, and the inclusion of Peter O'Toole as the king of the Lilliputans was a great touch. (Then again, when can having Peter O'Toole in the cast of a movie ever HURT?) The direction and the way they chose to tell the story was wonderfully done. The soundtrack (written by Trevor Jones, who co-wrote the soundtrack to "The Last Of The Mohicans" among other things) was right on the $$$ for emotionally gripping scenes.
This is the type of ambitious, fervent film-making that studios can be proud of. If one Jonathan Swift were around today, I have no doubt that he could not and would not have asked for a better adaptation of his prose. A GREAT movie!

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The Thorn Birds - The Complete Miniseries (1983) Review

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(More customer reviews)Ok... first, I have to say that Tom Keogh, whose review sits above as the standard review for Amazon, needs to actually watch the movie. Opinion is one thing, but at least get the facts correct. Rachel Ward plays Meggie Cleary (not Meggie Carson) and Barbara Stanwyck plays her greedy, manipulative, devil-incarnate aunt.... not her grandmother. That aside...this still stands...for me at least, as the greatest mini-series ever! And, considering all the recent scandal surrounding the Catholic Church today, it is as relevant and thought provoking today as it was in 1983 when so many were incenced not only by the content and plot of the movie, but by its time of airing (holy week-the days leading up to Easter). The cast is perfection and makes an already engaging story about the inner battles of an ambitious Austrailan Priest (played by Richard Chamberlain who never looked more gorgeous)even more amazing. Not a single miscast here. The performances are phenomenal. This is a movie with that searing edge of forbidden love and the torment of unrequited love combined with a heavy dose of romance, great characters, manipulation, greed, and the progress of a family torn apart by various maladies. The chemistry between the all the characters is so apparent. It is a movie that makes you think and makes you cheer for something that is deliciously guilt-ridden. In case you couldn't tell... I love this movie!!!!!!! This is a guilty pleasure to the highest degree... like the most decadent Godiva chocolate if it could be made in the form of a film. Buy it...keep it... watch it over and over. Perfect for a girls only party or a rainy saturday afternoon. Get some snacks... sit back and know that 8 hours will seem to float by.

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Merlin (1998) Review

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(More customer reviews)There is nothing on this disc, that was not already in the previous one.
Nothing except perhaps the Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Stereo sound, which in the previous appearance had been reduced to a simple 2.0 Channel Stereo sound.
The specials are the very same you had before.
The screen ratio remains the classic TV 1.33:1 ratio screen resolution, which can be "expanded" to Full Screen, but watching the actual filming of the movie in the Making of, I seemed to have recognized a Panaflex camera moving around, hence it could have been transferred either in 1.78:1 or even in a matted 1.85:1 screen ratio as well.
But perhaps they already lost that copy.
Anyway, the acting by everyone involved in this project is magnificent and involving. Sam Neill, Martin Short, Miranda Richardson and Helena Bonham-Carter, without forgetting brief appearances by Rutger Hauer and John Gielgud give their very best and seem to truly have fun playing their respective roles.
The story flows and grips you from the very first shot, to the very last, without ever becoming too obvious or boring.
The special effects for a TV Movie of that era (late Nineties) are exceptional and very well interwoven within the story, without ever becoming overbearing on the plot.
This is the true Family Movie everyone should have. It has fun moments, dramatic moments and even magical moments for everyone to enjoy.
If this movie had been made to be shown in movie theaters, I am sure it would have won an Oscar for best leading Actor (Sam Neill as Merlin) and also best supporting Actress (Miranda Richardson in her double role as Mab, Queen of the Old Ways and as the Lady of the Lake).
I can highly recommend it in the present format.

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Guns, Germs, and Steel (2005) Review

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(More customer reviews)First, if you taped this documentary off of PBS, keep your tape as the "extras" here are little more than a few facts spiffed up graphically over a world map.
Diamond's thesis in "Guns, Germs, and Steel" is that geography, which governs climate which, in turn, governs indigenous species, is the reason for the unequal distribution of wealth in the world today. In short, Diamond is focused on why the Europeans conquered so much of the world.
There are 3 one-hour episodes in this series. The first is concerned with why agriculture took hold in parts of the world and hints at the benefits it bestowed in developing large, complex societies. The second episode is concerned with how these large complex (European) societies were able to develop weapons (guns and steel) to conquer much of the rest of the world. Germs were an unintended weapon against indigenous people that may have been the most beneficial. The last installment is concerned with another way to test the "guns, germs, and steel" hypothesis using the European march into Africa as test material. Here, climate (created by geography) creates indigenous germs that the Europeans can't handle. Nevertheless, guns and steel (apparently) still win the day.
This documentary is a reasonable, though somewhat superficial, overview of Diamond's thesis. The problem is, however, that it is somewhat glib and fails to get to the "Ken Burns" gold standard. There is much repetition of the "guns, germs, and steel" theme from episode to episode so that, even within the 3 hours, there should have been room to hint at some speculation on simple questions that the thesis itself invites. For example, there is essentially no mention of China (except the standard reference to gunpowder being developed there). If China had a complex civilization, why did they end up in isolation? It is never mentioned, for example, *why* the Chinese, having developed gunpowder never used it in conquest. (The neglect of China is particularly interesting as Diamond does deal with some of these issues in his book.) Another example is the tropic climate theme: the Americas had a tropical climate as well, complete with tropical germs and yet that did not slow the spread of European conquests there. Finally, geography is presented on a primarily 2-dimensional world map scale, not accounting for crucial issues like climate changes at altitude or rapid transportation as a result of internal rivers within a continent.
Lastly, while this is really Diamond's show, it would have been valuable to have a few scholarly, dissenting opinions on why Diamond's theories haven't been universally embraced. As it is, the documentary presents the "guns, germs, and steel" theory so forcefully, one is left to wonder why it took 30 years for someone as smart as Diamond to come up with a set of seemingly simple ideas. The elegance of Diamond's theory is precisely because it shows how simple issues relate to the complexities of human history, but the documentary completely neglects competing ideas in this arena (and there are many).
It's nice that National Geographic is introducing these provocative ideas to the public at large, it's just a shame that such weighty material didn't produce a deeper program.

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Based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning book and national best seller, Guns, Germs, and Steel is an epic detective story that offers a gripping expose on why the world is so unequal. Professor Jared Diamond traveled the globe for over 30 years trying to answer the biggest question of world history. Why is the world so unequal? The answers he found were simple yet extraordinary. Our destiny depends on geography and access to: Guns, Germs, and Steel. Weaving together anthropology and science with epic historical reenactments, Guns, Germs, and Steel brings Diamond's fascinating theories to life, and moves beyond the book to bring his ideas into the present day.

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National Geographic - Lewis & Clark - Great Journey West (2002) Review

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(More customer reviews)This is a fascinating re-enactment of Lewis and Clark's original journey, told with Jeff Bridges doing the voice-over but with real actors and the original locations. It is authentic down to the last detail, including such remarkable scenes as the expedition shooting rapids in canoes made from burn-out trees, and pulling their boats by rope over the mountains of Montana.
If you possibly can, though, catch this one in its IMAX version. The movie's story is entertaining enough but imagine it on a screen several stories high - literally larger than lifesize - with a powerful sound system to match. Imagine how much cooler shooting those rapids is in the IMAX form! If you can't find an IMAX, make sure you've got a big screen and turn the sound up. This is history as exciting as it was when it happened the first time.

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Relive one of the greatest tales of adventure and exploration in history, as National Geographic brings to life the epic journey of Lewis, Clark, their guide Sacagawea and the brave Corps of Discovery across the land that would become the United States. Now, two hundred years after the launch of this ambitious expedition, experience first-hand the danger and breathtaking beauty of the unknown West as it unfolded before the eyes of Lewis & Clark.

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Far and Away (1992) Review

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(More customer reviews)When I first viewed this film when I was 10 years old on May 23, 1992, when fell in love with it from the very start. It was so rare a feeling at that age to actually feel good in a very human way, not just as a spectator. The movie's theme seems to be a very trite one: Always follow your dreams. Many films have tried to exercise this theme and failed miserably. They will pump a lot of cheesy moments into one finale, without any kind of supporting events to show that it is an earned pay off. FAR AND AWAY succeeds where these other films fail. The journey starts at point A and goes straight to point B without any pishposh in between. You are with Joseph and Shannon through their fortunes and misfortunes and see almost every step they take from getting to rural Ireland to Boston and finally to Oklahoma. What also makes it work is the onscreen chemistry between Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman. The two had only done one movie together (DAYS OF THUNDER) before teaming up for this one. At the time, they had only been married for a year, so their new found love for each other was fresh in their minds and ready to be shared. The advantage Cruise has for playing a scrappy Irish boxer is his star status and the amount of time he spends with a personal trainer. His bulging muscles in the boxing scenes show that he's no longer the little bugger in RISKY BUSINESS. It also doesn't hurt that the film is beautifully shot, taking adavantage of the rich Irish coast and the vast farmland of Oklahoma. This beautifully illustrates the long journey of the films location and plot. How exceedingly different the images feel and how far must one travel to get to each!Perhaps another reason this film is so special to me is the complete and utter romantic feel it has. The beautiful scenery, the love between the two lead characters and actors, and the gorgeous music. The score is one of John Williams' best setting all the right moods in all the right places. He starts with traditional Irish folk sounds and moves into Coplandesque America. Watching this film, my heart always goes a flutter, thinking about how I want to achieve my dreams and ambitions. One of my dreams is true love. The way Joseph and Shannon find love is striving for their dream, not knowing it was there all along. I am madly in love with a girl right now. In my fantasies, I always picture myself as Joseph and her as Shannon, kissing on an open wheatfield, our land. Whenever I hear Enya's book of days played at the ending credits, I almost weep with joy thinking about holding her and sharing my love with her. Watching FAR AND AWAY is the closest I get to fulfilling my dreams at this point. Leonard Maltin complains of no story. If there was no story, there'd be no kind of journey and I would be completly detatched. I give FAR AND AWAY 5 stars because it has stirred almost every emotion in me for over 8 years. A movie like this deserves no less.

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A stubborn Irish farmer and a fiesty landowner's daughter emigrate to America in 1892 to make a new life for themselves. Includes notes, bios, highlights, and trailer.

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Johnny Tremain (1957) Review

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(More customer reviews)In the city of Boston in the 1770's, Johnny Tremain is an apprentice silversmith who is a bit too confident for his own good. When his master is offered a job that is too difficult for his aged skills, Johnny jumps at the opportunity to prove himself to the important customer, Mr. Lyte. But with the job, a deadline is also given, and to do the work in time, Johnny finds himself, along with his master's wife and daughter, breaking the law by working on a Sunday. While pouring molten silver under panicked conditions, Johnny is pushed into it and his right hand is badly burned.
Time passes, and Johnny must unwrap his burned fingers and get back to the work he is bound to do, but upon discovering that his fingers have healed and grown together, making his hand somewhat useless, he is cast out into the street to find a new home. But no one will hire a boy with one good hand, when there are plenty to be had with two. Johnny soon finds himself desperate, and goes to the home of rich Mr. Lyte, to share his long kept secret, that he is actually named Jonathan Lyte Tremain. Johnny has never told anyone other than the silversmith's beautiful daughter, Cilla, that he was the unknown nephew of Mr. Lyte, but now he has no choice. But when he speaks to the man, he is accused of trying to con him, and Johnny soon finds himself the defendant in a trial that could send him to the gallows. Luckily, Johnny has befriended some important people in his search for work, such as the Patriots Josiah Quincy and Paul Revere, among others. They work to free Johnny, and with the help of Cilla's testimony, the boy soon finds himself cleared and working as a horse messenger boy for the local band of Patriots. A cause that Johnny once found rather trivial, becomes his new passion, and Johnny soon finds himself taking part in secret meetings, the Boston Tea Party, and some famous battles that kicked off the War for Independence.
Johnny Tremain is a Disney classic from that very special time period at the studios. The film is inspirational, fun, and fit for all ages. True, it's waaaaay more family friendly than the novel, but to me that's just fine. Think of this as the "Disney version" you can watch with the whole family. The casting is wonderful by the way. I always had a thing for Luana Patten as a kid. Great music too, and that beautiful 50's Disney look. Perfect for 4th of July viewing, or for anytime viewing! Add this film to your list of Independence Day classics like 1776, The Patriot, Ben and Me, and the Swamp Fox!

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Return to the days that sparked the American Revolution, now on Disney DVD for the first time! Meet young Johnny Tremain, a silversmith's apprentice with dreams of learning the trade and making his own way. When a terrible injury ends his hopes, he joins the emerging Sons Of Liberty. The Redcoats are coming as you journey back to the Boston Tea Party, the midnight ride of Paul Revere, and Lexington Green, where tyranny was vanquished by an idea -- freedom for all! Based on the classic novel by Esther Forbes, you won't want to miss one historic moment of Disney's classic adventure and liberty's rising light.

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