Astaire & Rogers Ultimate Collector's Edition (Flying Down to Rio / The Gay Divorcee / Roberta / Top Hat / Follow the Fleet / Swing Time / Shall We Dance / Carefree / The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle / The Barkleys of Broadway) (1949) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)The box set is made up of clear plastic thin cases and measures 3 7/8" wide x 7 7/8" high x 5½" deep, which is a real space saver for 12 discs (10 movie DVDs, 1 bonus DVD, and 1 audio CD). Each DVD comes with the feature film, a comedy/musical/vintage short, and a classic cartoon. Seven have a theatrical trailer; five have a featurette; three have a running commentary; two have a radio promo. The Gay Divorcee DVD comes with two vintage shorts, so you get eleven shorts on ten discs. Below are brief reviews/descriptions of the feature films, featurettes, vintage shorts, radio promos, classic cartoons, bonus material, and run times for each.
FEATURE FILMS
Their first film together, FLYING DOWN TO RIO is the only Fred and Ginger (F&G) movie where they play supporting roles. The studio executives and the public did not yet know this couple's dance potential and powerhouse future. They only dance together once 43 minutes into the film (The Carioca). The movie is filled with several post-card quality shots of Rio de Janeiro and has more choreographed group dance routines and vocalists than you can shake a stick at. My favorite is all those girls dancing on biplanes while in flight, which is very creative. The romantic plot of the main characters, Belhina De Rezende (Dolores del Rio) and Roger Bond (Gene Raymond) and the subplot of the Greek investors are a little light but still held my interest.
F&G's second film and their first as leading characters together, THE GAY DIVORCEE is the initial series of boy-chases-girl movies with comic misunderstandings, misgivings, and mistaken identity. F&G do the dancing, but Rodolfo Tonetti (Erik Rhodes) with his accent has the best one liners and password mispronunciations. The forgetful Hortense Ditherwell (Alice Brady) is a hoot. The musical number "Let's K-nock K-nees" is very fun and playful, even though it does not have F&G in it. Its tune is repeated in whistling near the beginning by a bellhop and near the end by canaries. In their previous movie "Rio" the dance craze was the Carioca; in "Divorcee" it's the Continental, which has a spectacular song, F&G dance, dance ensemble, and finale.
If you want to see Paris fashions in 1935, F&G's third film, ROBERTA, is the place to see it. Among all F&G movies, the plot is more sophisticated and dramatic and less comedic. Ginger plays an act within her role: not just the sassy American blonde but also the sophisticated Russian Comtess. She even sings "I'll Be Hard to Handle" with a Russian accent. In that same number, F&G communicate with each other not with words but by taps on their feet. Almost every speaking actor/actress has a three-dimensional personality especially Roberta/Aunt Minnie (Helen Westley) and Johnny (Candy) Candido with his voice performances. However, Stephanie (Irene Dunn) has an excellent singing voice but is overrated and should not have been top billed. As a side note, if you pay attention, look for Lucille Ball as one of the fashion models (uncredited).
The fourth Fred & Ginger (F&G) movie, TOP HAT is considered by many the quintessential one and is my personal favorite. In the Top Hat musical number, Fred cleverly uses his gentleman's cane as a "machine gun." And the ever-so-tender cheek to cheek number where he is singing and dancing with Ginger makes me feel like I am dancing in heaven as well. A deleted scene in some prints in which Bates (Eric Blore) insults a policeman, is present in this DVD. A running commentary with Ava Astaire McKenzie (daughter) and Larry Billman includes background information about the supporting actors and trivia, such as the significance of the ring Fred wears in the film. And even though Ginger rides the horse in this movie, we learn that Fred is the real horse lover. Ava admits she does not know everything about her dad and his career, which adds to the authenticity of what she does know and contributes.
The fifth F&G movie, FOLLOW THE FLEET shows two sides of Fred's character, Seaman Bake Baker. In other F&G movies, he is the upper class, suave gentleman. But in this one he plays a blue collar, enlisted seaman in the navy. In one part, you see him in his white tie and tails dancing and in control; in another part, he gets in trouble for trying to punch a commissioned officer. Two love stories in one movie, the additional romance of Connie Martin (Harriet Hilliard) and Bilge Smith (Randolph Scott) keeps the plot moving and enriches the story.
SWING TIME probably has the most intricate and advanced dance routines out of all the F&G movies. Even though the song, "The Way You Look Tonight" is wonderful, I would like to have seen them dance to it instead of watching Ginger with a hair full of whip cream. The running commentary by John Mueller sounds very clinical. Speaking in an almost monotone voice as if reading from his book, he does give interesting tidbits, such as converting any monetary amounts mentioned in the movie into today's dollars to give you a sense of the magnitude of a given situation. Mr. Mueller also points out that F&G are never seen kissing, because the on-screen romance is instead expressed through their dancing.
When you watch a F&G movie you expect to see the two of them to dance together. In their seventh film together, SHALL WE DANCE, you don't see their first dance routine until literally half way through the film (unless you want to count walking the dog as a dance). The way Harriet Hoctor bends backwards in the final dance number is incredible. Her body must be made of rubber. She's probably a better dancer than Ginger, but because she does not speak or act, we don't appreciate her as much.
In this eighth installment of F&G films, CAREFREE, Ginger displays her talents not only as a dancer but also as an actress and a singer. She performs all three simultaneously in The Yam. She causes mischief while under the hypnotic influence of Tony Flagg (Fred Astaire), throwing sticks and dinner rolls, breaking glass, driving erratically, and shooting skeet. The psychiatry is definitely unconventional, but it is a comedy after all. The slow motion dancing in the dream sequence is very smooth and kind of cool. A running joke where Aunt Cora (Luella Gear) keeps telling Judge Joe Travers (Clarence Kolb) to sit down adds a couple of more laughs. Typecasting prevails here; look for Hattie McDaniel (Gone with the Wind) playing a maid here, too.
Their ninth film together and the last for RKO, F&G play real life characters VERNON AND IRENE CASTLE. Since the story is set in the 1910s, which is comparably a more "innocent" era, the dancing is not as sophisticated but just as elegant, because it's F&G. A typical biographical account, it takes you through various trials and conflicts throughout their lives. The movie has more comedy in the beginning but becomes more serious at the end, especially when Vernon joins the Royal Air Corps during World War I. All the characters are lovable, and you wish you could be there. It's also the only F&G movie where the principles are concerned about having enough money to make ends meet.
After a ten-year absence, F&G are dancing as a pair one last time in their only Technicolor movie. THE BARKLEYS OF BROADWAY is not your typical F&G movie. Their acting has matured so much so that you forget that they dance, too. It has a little more drama and a little less comedy. Instead of boy meeting and chasing girl, their characters are already married, which provides a different relationship on screen. Also, Ezra Miller (Oscar Levant) is superb in his piano playing.
FEATURETTES
Made in 2005, these documentaries are behind-the-scenes looks at the making of the movies and includes interviews with Ava Astaire McKenzie, archivists, film historians, and biographers with a mix of F&G photographs and film clips.
"On Top: Inside the Success of Top Hat" explains many intricacies and attention to detail in the making of this movie. Nothing is left to chance. You will appreciate all the names in the opening credits (Run time 18:20).
"Follow the Fleet: The Origins of Those Dancing Feet" explains how F&G each got into show business, how they got their "big breaks," and where they first met. You'll discover why Fred went to RKO and not to one of the larger, better-known studios (Run time 13:53).
In "The Swing of Things" Broadway choreographers and performers demonstrate and comment on F&G's signature hopping step shown throughout Swing Time. Each dance number is analyzed and appreciated (Run time 14:47).
As the title suggests, "They Can't Take That Away from Me: The Music of Shall We Dance" emphasizes the songs in that movie. There is some good information on the composers, George and Ira Gershwin. Did you know that the origin of the song "Let's Call the Whole Thing Off" is based on how F&G pronounced certain words? (Run time 15:41)
"Reunited at MGM: Astaire and Rogers Together Again" explains F&G accidental pair up for their final film, their continuous chemistry, and Fred's perfection. Broadway choreographers and performers also appreciate how F&G have inspired them. (Run time 13:53)
VINTAGE SHORTS
Even without F&G, these film shorts are consistent with the genre and were made close to the times of the feature films they accompany.
"Beer and Pretzels" is a very early three stooges short with Ted Healy still with the comedy team. The slapping-of-the-face sound effects have not yet even entered the soundtrack. Just like F&G in Rio, Moe, Larry and Curly are in supporting roles. The four men cause havoc as waiters in a high class restaurant. Most of this short consists of song and dance routines of people I have never heard of. (1933, B&W, Run time 20:33)
In "Show Kids" the...Read more›

Click Here to see more reviews about: Astaire & Rogers Ultimate Collector's Edition (Flying Down to Rio / The Gay Divorcee / Roberta / Top Hat / Follow the Fleet / Swing Time / Shall We Dance / Carefree / The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle / The Barkleys of Broadway) (1949)

Studio: Warner Home VideoRelease Date: 10/24/2006

Get 10% OFF

Click here for more information about Astaire & Rogers Ultimate Collector's Edition (Flying Down to Rio / The Gay Divorcee / Roberta / Top Hat / Follow the Fleet / Swing Time / Shall We Dance / Carefree / The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle / The Barkleys of Broadway) (1949)

The Thorn Birds - The Complete Miniseries (1983) Review

Average Reviews:

(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.

Click Here to see more reviews about: The Thorn Birds - The Complete Miniseries (1983)

Get 26% OFF

Click here for more information about The Thorn Birds - The Complete Miniseries (1983)

C.S. Lewis: Through the Shadowlands Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)"Shadowlands" (or "Through The Shadowlands," as it's frequently called,) started as a stage play, became this extroidnary BBC production, then a severly edited American video, then an American theatrical feature starring Anthony Hopkins, and then a book. Obviously, this story's impact resinates and remains powerful through different interpretation and versions. This presentation stands above all of them, though.
This DVD includes BOTH the full length 90 minute BBC version, as well as a worthless 73 minute version, which was released on video in the states for "Christian" markets. Regretfully, that abridged 73 minute video is what most people in the US mistakenly think is the "original BBC" movie. That jumpy and truncated version was done without input or approval from the director, Norman Stone, and aparently exists solely because someone wanted all alcohol and smoking removed. Therefore, scenes of Lewis discussing his beliefs with skeptical Oxford dons are gone, because the professors are holding cigars and brandy. The Christmas Holiday scenes are also cut because there is wine on the dinner table, etc, depriving the viewer of significant and pivital elements of the tightly constructed story and character development. The releasing studio's "justification" for the chopped up version was that it could be used for church classes or discussion groups becuase it's shorter. However, it only saves 15 minutes, which certianly doesn't justify the tremendous loss to the narative.
Josh Ackland's portrayal of Lewis is relentlessly engaging to watch. Lewis' brilliance, confidence, and joy, with intellectual and spiritual pursuits is completely brought to the screen. Without it, his sense of loss, anger, questioning, and understanding could never of had the subsequent impact on the viewer.
Claire Bloom is also completely believable as the Jewish, intellectual, Christian, articulate, single mother who eventually melts Lewis' heart. However, when compared to the performance of Debra Winger in the theatrical version, Claire Bloom definately comes across as much more of an English woman than Debra Winger's portrayal, which actually sounds like a Jewish woman from New York, as she should.
Beyond the fresh, and possibly more accurate, performance by Debra Winger in the theatrical version, this BBC production is superior in almost every way. I say, "almost" because, as others have pointed out, the music in this production doesn't rise to the quality of every other aspect. Not only is the music fairly pedantic, but it's not mixed particularly well, either, and tends to stand out more than it should.
Rising HIGH above any shortcomings, this movie is one of my all-time favorites, and retains all of its' magic, brilliance, and wisdom, through repeated viewings. I can not praise this film highly enough, and I only hope that the recent success of the feature film "Narnia" will introduce new viewers to this masterwork.

Click Here to see more reviews about: C.S. Lewis: Through the Shadowlands

Starring Joss Ackland and Claire Bloom.Winner of over a dozen prestigious awards including the International Emmy for Best Drama and two British Academy Awards.He cried out, "Where is God when I really need him?"This film is about the agonizing spiritual crisis of C.S. Lewis when his wife died from cancer.The love, grief, pain, and sorrow were so shattering to Lewis that his basic Christian beliefs, magnificently communicated in his many books, were now called into serious doubt.But he picked up the pieces and moved out of the depressing "shadowlands," realizing that "real life has not even begun yet."Includes 90-minute television version and 73-minute abridged version.

Get 10% OFF

Click here for more information about C.S. Lewis: Through the Shadowlands

Shadowlands (1994) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)"I seem to play men who are sort of imprisoned in themselves," Anthony Hopkins comments in an interview included on this movie's DVD. And although this adequately characterizes a mere fraction of his work, roles like that of butler Stevens in Merchant/Ivory's adaptation of Kazuo Ishiguro's "Remains of the Day," Henry Wilcox in E.M. Forster's "Howards End" (also by Merchant/Ivory) and even Thomas Harris's Hannibal Lecter, illustrate Hopkins's minimalist approach to acting, which makes him so uniquely qualified to play emotionally restrained men, locked up behind the walls erected by convention, trauma or madness. Thus, while bearing little physical resemblance to the real C.S. Lewis, atheist-turned-Christian scholar and bestselling author of the famous "Narnia Chronicles," Hopkins was a natural choice for the role in this movie about Lewis and his wife-to-be, American poet Joy Gresham (Debra Winger).
Albeit subtitled "based on a true story," "Shadowlands" doesn't purport to recount the couple's relationship in its full complexity - that would take much more than a 2 hours, 15 minutes-long film, if it were accomplishable at all. On equally strong intellectual footing, Joy Gresham and "Jack" Lewis were bound to each other not only by a joint interest in literature and because Joy challenged all assumed bases of Lewis's scholarly life, but also by their personal geneses as convert Christians (he coming from atheism, she from Judaism, at least partly influenced by Lewis's writings). Obviously for reasons of dramatic streamlining, director Richard Attenborough and screenwriter William Nicholson - who adapted his play for the big screen after having already scripted the 1985 BBC production featuring Joss Acklund and Claire Bloom - chose to cut down on several facts and persons, such Joy Gresham's second son David (who is not mentioned at all), Lewis's 1954 move from Oxford's Magdalen College to similarly-named Magdalene College at Cambridge (likewise not included), the alcoholism of Lewis's brother Warren ("Warnie") (which is substantially downplayed, as is the abusiveness of Joy's first husband Bill Gresham) and Lewis's complicated friendship with J.R.R. Tolkien (who surprisingly is not at all among the featured Oxford scholars). Similarly, at least according to some accounts Lewis was not quite the bachelor he is shown to be here, possibly having shared more than tenancy of The Kilns (where he and Warren still lived when he met Joy) with Janie King Moore, 25 years his senior and mother of his college roommate Edward "Paddy" Moore, who died in WWI. With regard to Lewis's and Joy Gresham's relationship itself, the movie espouses the view of some biographers that the couple's April 1956 wedding was merely a marriage of convenience designed to allow Joy to stay in England - and that Lewis only fell in love with her after she had been diagnosed with cancer (although she had evidently been taken with him for a considerably longer time) - but here, too, much remains disputed: inevitably so, as this goes to the very heart of their romance; a romance, moreover, growing in an environment not exactly encouraging to the baring of one's soul to outsiders.
Be that all as it may, however, "Shadowlands" is an emotionally and visually stimulating, tremendously powerful production, centering on the recognition that there are only two ways to deal with love: either to shut it out, thus avoiding pain as much as you're foregoing bliss, or to embrace it, thus also allowing for the sorrow it may bring. As a boy, Lewis chose the former: Unable to cope with his mother's death and reconcile it with the idea of a benevolent God, he chose atheism over religion and, later, a scholar's protected, emotionally unchallenging existence over matrimony; this remaining his choice even after having accepted Christianity, now explaining human suffering as "God's megaphone for shouting at a callous world." Yet, all that was called into question when he met Joy who, with her outspoken nature, progressive views, ex-communist background and New York Jewish upbringing was the most unlikely match conceivable for him; and soon made herself unpopular with his Oxford colleagues, e.g. by pointedly rebuking Christopher Riley's (John Wood's) remark that men have intellect where women have souls (which incidentally could well have come from Lewis himself, who had once explained his refusal to marry by noting that then "all the topics of conversation would be used up in a fortnight"). Yet, what had started with a courtesy meeting over tea with a self-professed admirer soon blossomed into a stimulating intellectual exchange and, based thereon, friendship - although Lewis still clung to the idea that there was nothing more to their relationship. Indeed, just *because* Joy was a woman with whom he could have the intellectual exchange he had heretofore only known with men, he could accept her as a friend while keeping her at an emotional distance ... or so he thought. Only the realization that he would soon be losing her forever (at least, according to this movie's interpretation) cut through his armor. Still, although he believed he had now understood that happiness and pain are inextricably linked in love, his faith was again profoundly shaken by her death, giving birth to of his most personal works, "A Grief Observed."
Magnificently framed by its Oxford University background and featuring a tremendous cast, from the two leads to Edward Hardwicke (Warren Lewis), Joseph Mazzello (Douglas Gresham) and top-tier actors even in minor roles (to name but a few, Julian Fellowes, Michael Denison, Peter Howell, Julian Firth and Peter Firth), "Shadowlands" received Oscar nominations for Debra Winger and William Nicholson's screenplay (Anthony Hopkins was only nominated for "The Remains of the Day"), but in a year that also saw strong competition from "Philadelphia," "Age of Innocence," "Short Cuts" etc., ultimately lost out to "Schindler's List" and "The Piano" (Holly Hunter). Nevertheless, this is a powerful testimony to the love between two truly unusual individuals; one of Oxford-s pre-eminent scholars and the woman who was to him, as he wrote in her epitaph, "the whole world ... reflected in a single mind."
Also recommended:
Through the Shadowlands: The Love Story of C. S. Lewis and Joy Davidman
C. S. Lewis Signature Classics: Mere Christianity, The Screwtape Letters, A Grief Observed, The Problem of Pain, Miracles, and The Great Divorce (Boxed Set)
The Chronicles of Narnia
The Inklings
The Company They Keep: C. S. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkien as Writers in Community
84 Charing Cross Road
The Remains of the Day (Special Edition)
Howards End - The Merchant Ivory Collection
Terms of Endearment

Click Here to see more reviews about: Shadowlands (1994)

This emotionally moving romantic drama was adapted by William Nicholson from his own acclaimed play, based upon the real-life romance (during the 1950s) between the British writer C.S. Lewis and a divorced American poet named Joy Gresham. Best known for writing "The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe", Lewis (Anthony Hopkins) is living comfortably as a respected Oxford don, his academic lifestyle a kind of shell protecting him from the emotional risk of love. Joy Gresham (Debra Winger) arrives at Oxford as an avid admirer of Lewis's writing, and the safety of his collegiate routine is quickly disrupted when Lewis realizes that he's fallen deeply and unexpectedly in love. Their courtship is uniquely engaging; he's shy and uncertain, she's outspoken and bold. But when Joy is diagnosed with cancer, Lewis's Christian faith is put to the test--he cannot fathom why their happiness together would be so drastically challenged. Together, they find a way to accept and honor the time they have shared together, and under the sensitive direction of Richard Attenborough, "Shadowlands" arrives at a conclusion that is both heartbreaking and uplifting at the same time. Hopkins and Winger are equally superb in this absorbing story of personal and spiritual transformation--a story previously filmed for British television in 1985, with Joss Ackland and Claire Bloom. "--Jeff Shannon"

Click here for more information about Shadowlands (1994)

Gone with the Wind (Four-Disc Collector's Edition) (1941) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)It seems like a 'new, improved' edition of "Gone With the Wind" has appeared every couple of years, offering the 'ultimate' in picture and sound reproduction, and extras. It can become expensive keeping up, and frustrating (much like buying a classic Disney DVD, when you know a more complete "Special Edition" will soon render your "First Time on Video" copy obsolete), but the new GWTW Four-Disc Collector's Edition most assuredly deserves a place in your collection.
First off, the picture and sound quality is astonishing. Warner's Ultra-Resolution process, which 'locks' the three Technicolor strips into exact alignment, provides a clarity and 'crispness' to the images that even the 1939 original print couldn't achieve. You'll honestly believe your TV is picking up HD, whether you're HD-ready, or not! This carries over to the Dolby Digital-remastered sound, as well. All of the tell-tale hiss and scratchiness of the opening credit title music, still discernable in the last upgrade, is gone, replaced by a richness of tone that will give your home theater a good workout. (Listen to the brass in this sequence, and you'll notice what I'm talking about...)
The biggest selling point of this edition is, of course, the two discs of additional features offered, and these are, in general, superb. Beginning with the excellent "Making of a Legend" (narrated by Christopher Plummer), Disc Three offers fascinating overviews about the film, the amazing restoration, footage from the 1939 Premiere (and the bittersweet 1961 Civil War Centennial reunion of Selznick, Leigh, and de Havilland), glimpses of Gable and Leigh with dubbed voices for the foreign-language versions, the international Prologue (tacked on to explain the Civil War to foreign audiences), and a 1940 MGM documentary on the "Old South" (directed by Fred Zinneman) memorable today for it's simplistic view of the time, and stereotypical portrayal of blacks.
Disc Four is a mixed bag; the long-awaited reminiscences of Olivia de Havilland are more chatty than informative (with the 90-year-old actress more interested in discussing her wardrobe than on-set tension...although a prank she pulled on Gable is amusing), and the Clark Gable Profile is superficial (A&E's biography of 'The King' is far superior). Things improve, however, with the insightful, sympathetic TCM biography of Vivien Leigh (hosted by Jessica Lange), and a WONDERFUL section devoted to brief bios of many of the GWTW supporting cast, narrated, again, by Christopher Plummer (although I wish the filmmakers would have included bios for Ward Bond, Victor Jory, Fred Crane, and George 'Superman' Reeves).
All in all, the GWTW Four-Disc Collector's Edition isn't perfect, but offers so much terrific material that it is CERTAINLY the one to own!


Click Here to see more reviews about: Gone with the Wind (Four-Disc Collector's Edition) (1941)

DVD Features: Disc 1 & 2 (The Film) * Commentary by film historian Rudy Behlmer * 5.1 Dolby Digital Soundtrack * Original Mono Soundtrack
DVD Features: Disc 3 * The Making of a Legend: Gone With The Wind the acclaimed 1989 documentary made by Selznick's sons and narrated by Christopher Plummer (125 Minutes, Never-before-available on DVD) * Restoring a Legend- An in-depth look at the restoration and Ultra-Resolution process utilized by Warner Bros. For this new DVD presentation * Footage from 1939 Atlanta and 1961 Civil War Centennial Atlanta premieres * The Old South - Fred Zinnerman directed this historical 1940 theatrical short, which was shown by MGM intheatres prior to the release of Gone With The Wind
DVD Features: Disc 4 * Melanie Remembers: Olivia de Havilland Recalls Gone With The Wind - All new documentary produced especially for this new DVD set, features Ms. de Havilland's personal recollections of the film * Clark Gable: A King Remembered - A Portrait of the legendary actor's long and distinguished career as M-G-M's most famous leading man * Vivien Leigh: Scarlett and Beyond hosted by Jessica Lange, this is an insightful look at Leigh's short and troubled life * Mini documentaries covering lives and careers of the most prominent cast members

Click here for more information about Gone with the Wind (Four-Disc Collector's Edition) (1941)

This Property Is Condemned (1966) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)How could a movie fanatic go wrong with this one? Sidney Pollack directing, with Francis Ford Coppola helping out with the adaptation of a Tennessee Williams play? A great cast , with especially memorable performances from Natalie Wood, Kate Reid and Mary Badham (as younger sister, Willie Starr)? Roberts Redford and Blake and Charles Bronson thrown in for lagniappe? Sounds like great gumbo to me.
Natalie Wood is absolutely alluring in this one. She and Redford, who also teamed together in the memorable INSIDE DAISY CLOVER, did indeed appear to have a lot of screen chemistry. He is the cynical company man who appears like the Grim Reaper in a small, shabby, depression-era southern town, carrying pink slips with him, instead of a scythe. The role has a lot of resonance now, what with all the corporate downsizing currently going on. Needless to say, the townfolk don't much cotton to Mr Owen Legate, with his fancy suit and self-assured ways.
With a couple notable exceptions. Tom boyish Willie Starr is taken by him right away and the minute her big sister Alma sets eyes on him, she's putty. Wood's expression in that initial glance is part of film history.
Owen further antagonizes the townfolk because they see that Alma has taken a shine to an outsider. Alma's been something of a tramp up this point, givining it up to varying degrees to most of the men in the town. Several of them, including an old geezer with an invilid wife, have been fantazising about further adventures with Alma. And Alma's mother is upset with Owen, because she sees that he is going to take away her gravy train. Hazel Starr is one of Williams' great eccentric female characters, and perhaps his most unctuous (though Amanda Wingfield, in THE GLASS MENAGERIE, is no prize, either. Kate Reid is perfect in the role. This, to me is her most memorable performance, followed closely by her title role in AND MISS REARDON DRINKS A LITTLE, which unfortunatley appears to be impossible to find. It's hard to believe she never won an Oscar or a Tony.
This was only the second feature film that Pollock directed. He of course went on to great things with such films as THEY SHOOT HORSES DON'T THEY and TOOTSIE. He and Cinematographer James Wong Howe do a great job of capturing small southern town lethargy, as well as 30's New Orleans ambience. The print, unfortunately, could definitely use a full restoration. It's faded noticeably over time. The film certainly warrants the extra work. Yet time cannot wither Natalie Wood. She's still one of the most lovely women a camera ever made love to. This film definitely belongs near the top of the list for screen adaptations of Williams' plays.
BEK

Click Here to see more reviews about: This Property Is Condemned (1966)

Inspired by Tennessee Williams' play. Brought to life by Hollywood's biggest stars.He's the wrong man to love. How could it all seem so right?Robert Redford and Natalie Wood headline this sexually charged Depression-era drama. Redford (whose next film, Barefoot In The Park), would rocket him to stardom) plays Owen Legate, a railroad official come to backwater Dodson, Mississippi, with a pocketful of pink slips for the yard employees. Wood (at age 28 already a 23-year screen veteran) portrays the town flirt whose affair with Legate ignites her mother's - and the town's - revenge.Repressed desires, sultry women, sweltering weather and a handsome stranger... this is Tennessee Williams territory. And with stars Redford, Wood and co-star Charles Bronson, it's all prime property.

Click here for more information about This Property Is Condemned (1966)

Three Coins In the Fountain (1954) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I must be honest--I bought "Three Coins in the Fountain" because I thought my wife would enjoy it. How right I was ! At the risk of sounding sexist, this 1954 production is definitely a movie aimed at women--and men wanting to impress women--it was probably a great "date flick" !
The plot is quite conventional, standard soap opera fare. Three young and single American women are employed as secretaries in Rome. They are played by Dorothy McGuire, Jean Peters, and--as "the new kid on the block"--Maggie McNamara. Of course, all three find romance, not to mention ever-changing wardrobes and lavish living accommodations. In 1954, secretaries must have made a bundle in Italy ! For gorgeous and seductive Ms. Peters, romance comes in the form of a ruggedly handsome Italian law student, Rossano Brazzi ( later to have Mitzi Gaynor swooning in "South Pacific" ). Young, naive Ms. McNamara attracts the attention of an Italian prince with a womanizing reputation
( Louis Jourdan, a poster boy for charm and sophistication ). She has to wait for much of the film, but Ms. McGuire is finally "noticed" by her stuffy, self-absorbed boss and best-selling author ( Clifton Webb, very badly cast as a romantic lead ). These relationships go through various predictable complications, with the steamy Peters/Brazzi pairing as the most realistic.
However, at this point, we should mention the real star of this film--Italy. Has that country ever been photographed more beautifully than in "Three Coins" ? This is one of the earliest Cinemascope productions, shot on location in colour--the views of Rome, the Italian countryside, and spectacular Venice are breath-taking. I agree with other positive technical reviews of this DVD--the film has been restored to its original glory, and this is a beautiful disc to own.
Of course, the film is still fifty years old, and dated in a number of ways. I still got caught up in it though because of the fabulous scenery and the three leading ladies are certainly attractive--I'm also sure that female viewers won't mind watching those two continental "hunks", Louis Jourdan and Rossano Brazzi !
The title song won an Oscar, and was a big hit for both Frank Sinatra--his version opens the film--and the Four Aces.
So--bottom line--a light, frothy confection from the fifties in a most beautiful package. There is one serious drawback--for us guys, this disc could become very expensive--my wife wants to spend our next holiday in Italy !

Click Here to see more reviews about: Three Coins In the Fountain (1954)

A charming romantic comedy about three American roommates working in Italy who wish for the men of their dreams after throwing coins into Rome's magnificent Trevi Fountain.

Get 17% OFF

Click here for more information about Three Coins In the Fountain (1954)

Persuasion (2007) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)"Persuasion" is tied with "Pride & Prejudice" as my top favorite Jane Austen novel. I was looking forward to this version, after being a little disappointed with the 1995 adaptation (actors were a bit too old for their roles, I thought, but that's another review).
While "Northanger Abbey" is a story of young love, "Persuasion" is a story of love lost. Anne Eliott was once engaged to Frederick Wentworth but has had to give up the engagement due to the persuasion of her friend Lady Russell. Anne is the daughter of a baronet and Frederick is a young lieutenant with little prospects and was deemed by her friends and family as not worthy enough to marry Anne. Fast forward to 7 or so years later, and Anne's family is in dire circumstances. Her family has to move from their large country estate to Bath in an effort to retrench and avoid further debt. Frederick returns to England as a wealthy and highly eligible naval captain and his and Anne's paths meet again. Frederick is pursued by 2 of Anne's younger sisters-in-law while Anne is left to wonder what might have been. After a stressful visit to Lyme, Frederick and Anne's paths briefly separate. Anne moves to Bath where she is pursued by her cousin William Eliott and she crosses paths with Frederick again. Will love triumph the second time around?
Whether you agree or disagree with my assessment of the 1995 version starring Amanda Root and Ciaran Hinds, I think you will find that Rupert Penry-Jones and Sally Hawkins are wonderful in their roles as Frederick Wentworth and Anne Eliott. Sally Hawkins - unknown to me until now - gives a soul-stirring and endearing performance as Jane Austen's long suffering heroine. Rupert Penry-Jones is aptly dashing and handsome, though perhaps a little bland, as Frederick (I'd take him over Ciaran Hinds any day). The supporting cast is solid - with a few exceptions - and the screenplay, up until the last 10 minutes, stays true to the tone and spirit of the book. The production values, costumes and locations are excellent. This scores points for actually filming in Bath and Lyme (actual locations from the book). Another high note is Martin Phipps (who also composed the amazing score of BBC's "North & South) who delivers yet another stirring score.
The reasons for the 4 stars are as follows (warning, spoilers!):
a) Casting - I absolutely detest Amanda Hale as Mary Musgrove. She is annoying and stands out in a bad way from the rest of the cast. Julia Davis is also off as Elizabeth Eliott and looks more like Anne's wicked stepmom than her older (by 2 years) sister. Elizabeth is supposed to be beautiful and elegant, and Julia Davis is nowhere near this. Surely there are more than enough talented British actresses who could have played these roles.
b) Changes - Some long-time fans will be a little irritated with the changes made to famous scenes from the book. This is where the 1995 version triumphs over this version. While the Amanda Root version remained faithful to the book, this version strayed in some of the vital scenes such as the dialogue between Captain Harville and Anne on woman's constancy; and the scene where Frederick writes a letter to Anne.
c) The last 10 minutes - where Anne runs around Bath like a headless turkey - almost completely ruined it for me. Whoever thought of sending a docile, elegant, poised, upper-class lady like Anne to run around town like a servant girl is beyond me. The adaptation would have been outstanding except for this miscalculation. I am not a purist, but there is just so much a long-time Jane Austen fan can take and this one crossed the line for me.
All in all, however, I give it 4 stars for Sally, Rupert, most of the supporting cast, Bath, the score and the first 80 minutes. It goes along swimmingly up until the climax, at which point I have to fast forward to skip the part I detest. A good and solid adaptation, but "Northanger Abbey" starring JJ Feild and Felicity Jones gets my vote as my favorite of the recent Jane Austen adaptations.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Persuasion (2007)

Jane Austen’s romantic masterpiece comes to DVD in a thrilling new production from the BBC and Masterpiece Theatre. Anne Elliot fell deeply in love with the handsome young naval officer Frederick Wentworth at the age of nineteen. But with neither fortune nor rank to recommend him, Anne was persuaded to break off her engagement. Eight years later, Anne has lived to regret her decision. She never stopped loving Wentworth, and when he returns from sea with a fortune and rank, she can only watch as every eligible young woman in the district falls at his feet.

Get 47% OFF

Click here for more information about Persuasion (2007)

Australia (2008) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I love Howard Hawks' films...Bringing Up Baby, His Girl Friday, Red River, and Rio Bravo are amazing pieces of entertainment. As I was watching Australia, the new Baz Luhrmann movie with Hugh Jackman and Nicole Kidman, I kept thinking...man, Baz must really love Hawks' movies, too.
As evidenced by the films above, the mismatched couple who fight and fight until they realize they're perfect for each other (see Much Ado About Nothing, Taming of the Shrew, and Moonlighting as other examples of the form) and the group of underestimated misfits who come together to fight evil are two big elements used again and again by Hawks. Throw in a bit of John Ford's The Searchers and its hard look at racism leading to inhuman deeds and mix well and you have...Australia.
The problem modern audiences may have with Luhrmann's new movie is it's very, very earnest. This is straight ahead epic storytelling with its heart on its sleeve and hat and boots with never a wink to the crowd in the theater to say "ain't these people quaint". You either buy in or you don't. If you do, like I did, you're in for a hell of a ride.
This, I feel, is the flip-side to The Dark Knight. Good and evil are trapped in something akin to a battle and an embrace in Nolan's Gotham City. You root for Batman, but he does stuff that is on the wrong side of freedom and civil rights. The Joker is pure crazy, but he's the most mesmerizing character in the film. In Australia, there are good guys and bad guys and you are either really good or twirl your mustache evil. The main villain actually may be a bit too two-dimensional in that aspect, but it didn't hurt my overall enjoyment.
Why? Well, epic melodrama is hard to pull off...I'm talking about the real stuff here. The recent BBC production of Bleak House is a great example. There are very good and very, very bad people in that story, but the acting is so fantastic you rarely if ever catch yourself rolling your eyes (like whenever I've watched Smallville...see: bad epic melodrama). Kidman and Jackman sell their characters...the displaced Englishwoman and the rough-hewn "Drover". They are thrown together just to, initially it seems, thwart a nasty cattle baron from monopolizing the beef industry in the country. But the other big story, the main one in fact, centers around Australia's "lost generation". These were Aboriginal children who were fathered by white men who didn't claim them. They were taken by the government, the mothers had no rights, and handed over to the church to be taught to "act white" and then work in the servant class. Nullah, played by the fantastic child actor Brandon Walters, is one of these "creamies" who has been hidden on the ranch now owned by Lady Sarah Ashley (Kidman). Lady Ashley discovers what is going on, is horrified by the law, and works to keep him hidden as well. Why the Drover cares so much about Nullah becomes clear later in the film (no, it's not what you think...that would be too easy) and Jackman's experience with stage and musical work does him proud here. He can do earnest better than almost any actor alive when he needs to and his later use of the f-word (the only curse I can remember from the entire film) hits so hard, in just the right emotional moment, that it kills. Russell Crowe was originally cast as the Drover but backed out. If Crowe had done the film, and I have liked him in other things...the Napoleon-era British navy film that I can't remember the name of right now, it would not have worked. Crowe never loses that bit of edge and the Drover, at one point, really has to fully break down and become completely vulnerable. Jackman shines at that point.
Anyway...a warning, the movie is long 2 hours and 40something minutes, but I didn't realize that until I had left the theater. I saw it alone...I was out of town at a pediatrics meeting...and that's a good thing. I didn't have to hide from Holly the few times the movie hit me a bit too hard and do that cough-throat clearing thing we dudes do to cover up a stray tear.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Australia (2008)

A romantic action-adventure epic set in Australia prior to World War II that centers on an English aristocrat (Nicole Kidman) who inherits a large ranch. When English cattle barons plot to take her land, she reluctantly joins forces with a rough-hewn cattle drover (Hugh Jackman) to protect her ranch. Together they experience four life-altering years, a love affair and the bombing of Darwin during World War II.
Audio: English, French & Spanish: 5.1 Dolby Surround
Language: Dubbed & Subtitled: English, French & Spanish
Aspect Ratio: Widescreen: 2.35:1

Get 43% OFF

Click here for more information about Australia (2008)

The Frank Sinatra and Gene Kelly Collection (On the Town / Anchors Aweigh / Take Me out to the Ball Game) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)All three of these DVDs have been released previously; however, this new boxed set houses a few new mildly interesting "extras" to be found in the Special Features. These three films are all big colorful MGM musicals, but none are in Widescreen because that particular aspect:ratio was not "invented" until 1954. However, they LOOK spectacular anyway!
"Anchors Aweigh" (1945) is a winning musical about two sailors on shore leave in search of a "dame". This musical's only flaw is it is a bit too long, as it has everything but the kitchen sink thrown in it, including a whole lot (too much) of Jose Iturbi, who must have been "quite something" in 1945 (but not now)! However, it is thoroughly entertaining for both adults and children, the latter, due to a lengthy sequence in the middle of the film that pairs live action (Gene Kelly dancing) with animation. Note, this was over 40 years BEFORE "Who Framed Roger Rabbit" and 20 years before "Mary Poppins".
Both Sinatra and Kelly are excellent and Sinatra proves he can DANCE with the greatest of them! (4 1/2 out of 5 stars)
"Take Me Out to the Ballgame" (1949) is not quite as entertaining as "Anchors Aweigh". It less colorful and has a weaker plot, but the songs and dancing are still top-notch! This is the film where Sinatra REALLY proves he can DANCE as he and Kelly charge through a song in striped suits halfway through the film. Songs like "Take Me Out to the Ballgame", "Strictly USA", "The Right Girl For Me", and "O'Brien to Ryan to Goldberg" add to the fun of this film. (3 1/2 out of 5 stars)
"On the Town" (1949) Simply, one of the greatest musicals ever made! This was the FIRST musical in film history to be filmed ON LOCATION, and what a location: NEW YORK CITY CIRCA 1949! If the plot sounds familiar (THREE sailors on shore leave in search of a "dame"), the musical numbers and the thrill of the Big Apple send this one right OUT of the ballpark!
Co-starring Jules Munshin, Vera-Ellen, Betty Garrett, and Ann Miller, with some of the musical sequences composed by Leonard Bernstein, and the great theme song, "New York, New York" ("a helluva town, the Bronx is Up and the Battery Down...", not the Sinatra smash-hit song, which came way later - 1979), "On the Town" is everything a musical could and should be!
(5 out of 5 stars)
Overall rating for this DVD box set, due to the considerable strengths of "Anchors Aweigh" and "On the Town": 5 out of 5 stars!

Click Here to see more reviews about: The Frank Sinatra and Gene Kelly Collection (On the Town / Anchors Aweigh / Take Me out to the Ball Game)

THE FRANK SINATRA & GENE KELLY COLLECTION ON THE TOWN The Bronx is up and the Battery’s down, but no one can be down after seeing this ebullient tale of sailors on leave in Manhattan. Sinatra, Kelly and Jules Munchin are the gobs, Ann Miller, Vera-Ellen and Betty Garrett are the gals. TAKE ME OUT TO THE BALL GAME Second baseman Sinatra and shortstop Kelly are in there pitching – pitching woo! Esther Williams and Betty Garrett costar in a tale of baseball and that other American pastime. ANCHORS AWEIGH I Fall In Love Too Easily, Frank croons. And we fall in love with the charms of two sailors at liberty in Tinseltown. Includes a milestone of musical fantasy: Kelly’s dance with cartoon mouse Jerry!

Get 10% OFF

Click here for more information about The Frank Sinatra and Gene Kelly Collection (On the Town / Anchors Aweigh / Take Me out to the Ball Game)

What's New Pussycat (1965) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)After a long wait for the release of this classic 60s comedy, MGM has tossed the film on its forgettable pile. For what was an extremely successful adult comedy at the time; a return for Peter Sellers after his near fatal heartattacks; the debut of Woody Allen, MGM has treated this film like the second half of a Chuck Norris double-bill. The DVD release is abysmal. It is compressed, it is not in the format of its theatrical release, the colors are washed out in MGM's usual, generic, neo-colorization process. The print is cut. Sequences have been trimmed because they are no longer politically correct. This is especially noticeable in the over-the-top Keystone Kops finale of the film. As an older viewer who saw this film in the theatre in 1965 (and many times thereafter), scenes from the original release are missing on this DVD. Although not outstanding and in questionable taste, the fact that they are missing is a disappointment. It is not a complete print of the original release. The sound mix is poor and that's being polite. How one would wish someone who is still alive and cares would give this film the kind of treatment that "Jaws" will get. I hate MGM. They used to be a studio of quality and now they are worse than Ted Turner in his colorization days.

Click Here to see more reviews about: What's New Pussycat (1965)

It's tough being the cat's meow! A "zany blend of slapstick gags and madcap comedy" (Cue), this "hilarious" (Motion Picture Herald) romp, starring Peter Sellers, Peter O'Toole and WoodyAllen in his acting and screenwriting debut, is the "wildest, wackiest" (Boxoffice) film to emerge from the swingin' '60s. Burt Bacharach's Oscar(r)-nominated* title song only adds tothe infectious appeal!Michael (O'toole) has a problem: he's a mademoiselle magnet! His demented psychiatrist (Sellers) and sex-starved friend (Allen) would kill for this problem, but his would-be fiancée (Romy Schneider) might just kill him. Undergoing therapy that would put Freud in a straitjacket, Michael tries to reform, but it won't be easy with sex kittens like Capucine, Paula Prentiss and Ursula Andress on his tail!*1965: Song (with Hal David)

Get 30% OFF

Click here for more information about What's New Pussycat (1965)