Elizabeth R (1972) Review

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(More customer reviews)This is a superb BBC miniseries, or "cycle of six plays", with extraordinary acting and most of all, a script that is a marvel, which uses original documents and the writings of Queen Elizabeth I as its source, making the story, so full of intrigue and drama, for the most part very accurate.
My favorites are the monologues, spoken with such power by Glenda Jackson, whose performance is a treasure. The cast that surrounds her is also wonderful, and often having a physical similarity to the historical character (with kudos to the make-up department).
There are so many reasons to buy this fantastic DVD package, which may seem expensive but is actually an excellent value. For historians this is a must, and anyone who appreciates great English theater will be delighted. The quality of the film is also exceptional, with an exceedingly clear picture and audio.
I bought it to prepare for a portrait of Queen Bess, and was enthralled by the detail of the costuming; what amazed me was how the fashion changed during the queen's forty-four year reign. It was a time rich with culture and style, with the emergence of Shakespeare and other great writers, and the queen loved clothes and jewelry, and surely set the trends.
The music by David Munro also adds to the atmosphere, and the sets have an authentic feel.
This is a brilliant production, and total running time is 540 minutes.
The DVD "extras" are terrific, are the entire content of the 4th disc, and should perhaps be viewed before the film, for full appreciation of the history. The "extras" are:
1: A lengthy interview with Glenda Jackson
2: An interview with historian Alison Weir
3: "Elizabeth I", an A&E documentary with commentary by various authors and historians, and marvelous imagery to illustrate it.
4, A: Glenda Jackson reads documents. B: Portrait Gallery (there is an error here, where the portrait of Robert Dudley is actually one of Sir Francis Drake). C: Historical Sites, including the queen's tomb, palaces, etc.
5: Behind the scenes, with a Who's Who of the cast.


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Episodes: The Lion's Cub, The Marriage Game, Shadow of the Sun, Horrible Conspiracies, The Enterprise of England, Sweet England's Pride. This magnificent 6-volume collection recounts the epic life and times of the remarkable Elizabeth I in a cycle of 6 plays. Won multiple Emmy Awards.DVD Features:Audio CommentaryInterviewsPhoto gallery

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My Family - Season 1 Review

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(More customer reviews)There are a lot of Brit-com series with great humor, but I have to say "My Family" tops the list. I have been buying the series over the years from the UK in PAL format and have watched it over & over. Unlike current US sitcoms, this series has good old fashioned family humor--like it "could happen to you". Some scenes are so unbelievably hilarious--you have to rewind to see what you missed through the tears of laughter. Buy one series and you will not be able to wait for more to be produced (Six series have been released in the UK--and the quality of the comedy never dies--excellent writing and acting by all the "My Family" cast)

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Meet the Harpers: a modern, functional family... engaged in psychological warfare. Ben (Robert Lindsay), a dentist, and Susan (Zoe Wanamaker), the worst cook in the world, are certainly loving, caring parents; they just have a hard time showing it. Not that their kids make it easy: Nick has serious issues with the concept of work; Janey, like any other normal teenager, lives in her own soap opera life; and Michael likes to show up every once in a while with the odd pet rabbit. When Ben becomes paranoid that Susan and Janey are seeing another dentist, and Nick comes up with a harebrained scheme for dating girls, it may just be that Michael's rabbit is the sanest member of the household.

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The Six Wives of Henry VIII (1970) Review

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(More customer reviews)This review refers to DVD Complete Set(BBC/BFS Video) of "The Six Wives of Henry VIII"(3 discs).....
This classic BBC television series from 1970 is an outstanding production of 6 plays, all by different authors, depiciting the relationship Henry VIII had with each of his 6 wives.It's an entertaining and enlighting look at the monarch, played exquisitely from his youth to his sickly old age by Keith Michell.The six very different women, most of whom meet with a tragic ending are also portrayed brillantly by the actresses and will draw you into their joys and fears at being the Queen of England.
Catherine of Aragon(Annette Crosbie), Ann Boleyn(Dorothy Tutin), Jane Seymour(Anne Stallybrass), Anne of Cleves(Elvi Hale),Catherine Howard(Anglea Pleasence) and Catherine Parr(Rosalie Crutchley),were all picked to serve a purpose for the Royal Court. Some served useful in forming political alliances, and some in gaining favors for social climbers in the court. But to Henry....They were there to provide him with sons..heirs to the throne..and God help them if they didn't.
The production is wonderful. The costumes, make up, each play beautifully written, and the majestic performances will have you enthralled with each story and hanging on every word.The authentic look at this Royal soap opera is one any student of European history, or anyone who loves stories about Kings and Queens would be thrilled with.It is a five star performance.
The DVD did not get the kingly treatment it deserved.Although there is nothing about it that will interfere with your enjoyment of this treasure, it is very dated. The costumes and magnificent jewelry need to be brightned up, the outdoor scenes are a bit grainy, and the sound(although clear and distinguishable) is a very low recording.The price is a little high considering what this could look and sound like on DVD with a restoration.So 4 stars for the package.
It is absolutly worth the view and worth owning though.Unless a new edition comes along(this edition was released July, 2000), I would suggest to check with the sellers here, the prices seem much more reasonable.(I got a great deal at about half the price).
You may lose your head over this one.....enjoy...Laurie
also recommended:
Edward the Seventh(PAL edition)
or
Edward the King(region 1)

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SIX WIVES OF HENRY VIII - DVD Movie

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To the Manor Born: The Complete Collection (Silver Anniversary Edition) (2008) Review

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(More customer reviews)This very witty BBC series of the 70s stars Penelope Keith (formerly of The Good Life aka Good Neighbors) and Peter Bowles (many many supporting dramatic roles). When rich from birth Audrey Fforbes-Hamilton (Keith) loses her husband, she learns that he left her completely penniless and is forced to auction off the family manor. The estate gets bought Richard Devere (Bowles) an eccentric millionaire in the food business. Moving into a small cottage on the estate, Audrey with help from her friend Marjorie and her butler spends the next few years doing everything her power to get her ancestral home and place in society back including falling in love with the new "Lord of the Manor". This newly released set includes a newly released "silver anniversary" reunion disc which is also available separately for those of you who (like me) own the earlier released set. Chances are the earlier (blue) set will eventually get discontinued, so like series (plural) like Vicar of Dibley and others that have released revised box sets (years after previous releases of the "complete series"), the deal is this: if you have the old set like me, order the separate copy of the silver anniversary disc, if you don't, then order this set (currently a better price than the older set alone) and you'll get all the discs together.

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TO THE MANOR BORN:COMPLETE SERIES SIL - DVD Movie

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Good Neighbors: The Complete Series 1-3 Review

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(More customer reviews)I can't review this specific DVD set, as it has not been released yet at this time. But I own all of these episodes on VHS, and so had to write something to encourage anyone looking at this item to purchase it.
"The Good Life" is at its base the story of Tom and Barbara Good, a happily married couple living in Surbiton, a London suburb. Tom designs toy prizes for cereal boxes until the night he decides that he and Barbara should try something new: living in an entirely self-sufficient manner. What this translates to is transforming their suburban home into a smallholding (farm).
How this happens, and the Good's adventures in farming, are only part of the humor. Tom and Barbara are funny, but it's their neighbor, Margot Leadbetter, who makes tis show really stand out. Margot's husband Jerry used to be Tom's boss, and they've all been friends for a long time. Margot is a dreadful snob, even thought deep down she truly is a good and caring friend. It's an indication of the writing quality (and the quality of Penelope Keith's performance) that while Margot could have become a caricature, she never does. Instead she is slowly revealed as a fascinating and affectionate woman who, although she thinks Tom and Barbara are crazy, nonetheless loves them and wants to be their friend.
The actors are all solid, and soldily funny, the concept cute and fertile ground for jokes, but it's the timelessness and non-gimicky friendship of the show's characters, and the solid cast, that makes "The Good Life" a classic, not just in British comedy, but all comedy. The fact that this show was selected to do a Royal Command Performance will give some indication of how enormously popular and funny it was.
If you like "Fawlty Towers," "The Office," "Father Ted," etc., you will love The Good Life. If you like American shows like "Everybody Loves Raymond," "Friends", "Arrested Development", you will also love The Good Life.
I can't say enough good things! I am thrilled to see this will be released on DVD soon!

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GOOD NEIGHBORS:COMPLETE SERIES 1-3 - DVD Movie

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Good Neighbors - The Complete Series 4 (2006) Review

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(More customer reviews)I am eagerly awaiting this release. I notice that BBC Warner is the studio, so hopefully this version will be of as high technical quality as BBC Warner's release of Series 1-3. The main complaints about the previously available version (by Acorn Media) of Series 4 was that the transfer to DVD was not very good.
Glad to see the Royal Appearance is still included with this new version and right now the price ($19+) is fantastic!
Update: after purchasing this set, I can happily say that the quality of the DVD transfer is on par with the release of Series 1-3. Also, the Royal Appearance episode is really a treat and a much better "ending" for the series than the somewhat bittersweet "Anniversary" episode. One of the few series I'll want to go back to and watch again and again for all time.
Now if someone would just release "The Norman Conquests" (which features Richard Briers & Penelope Keith as husband and wife and stars Tom Conti in a fantastic performance) and "Lovejoy" (in an upgraded, reasonably priced box set), my life would be complete...

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On Tom Good's fortieth birthday, he decides to escape the rat race for a life of self-sufficiency with his wife, Barbara. Soon they're plowing a field in their suburban yard and tending to a goat and pigs, much to the dismay of their upwardly mobile neighbors and friends the Leadbetters. In this final season, the hilarity continues, especially when the Goods take a holiday, leaving the Leadbetters in charge! This series, known as The Good Life in the UK, was so popular the queen requested a viewing, and the Royal Command Performance is featured here, including footage of Her Royal Highness meeting the cast.

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