Showing posts with label historical. Show all posts
Showing posts with label historical. Show all posts
Inside Deep Throat - Theatrical NC-17 Edition (2005) Review
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Augustus Review
Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)A wonderful and expansive recounting of the life and times of Rome's first emperor, Augustus Caesar. A conversation between Augustus and his daughter Julia provides the narration that covers the early years of his life through to his death.
The story begins with us finding Augustus, after many years on the throne, walking among the enthusiastic crowd in the Roman Forum. Their reaction seems authentically happy to be close to a popular leader who is now in the latter years of a long and successful career. From here we travel back with Augustus to Spain, Egypt, Greece, and of course Rome and spend time with Julius Caesar, Marc Antony, Cleopatra, Marcus Agrippa, and his wife Livia. All these characters are given depth and you truly get a view into why they may have done the things they did.
The settings are generally good and the reproduction of the Forum, while not perfect, is among the best I've seen.
My only significant criticism is the unevenness of how some of the dialog is presented. It seems that many of the actors were not speaking English and their voices overdubbed in English. This sometimes breaks the flow of the dialog and makes it appear unnatural. Hence I believe it rates a 4 star rating rather than 5. Other than that, the acting is very good, especially that of Peter O'Tool who delivers a very convincing elder Augustus. Some critics have cited flaws in the history it portrays, especially around the character of Julia. True or not, this in no significant way takes away from the production.
It's tempting to compare this to the BBC's landmark production of "I Claudius" or the Hollywood production of "Cleopatra". Overall "I Claudius" is a better production but is sometimes too myopic; one gets the feeling from "I Claudius" that the emperors never ventured outside a few rooms in their palace. Compared to "Cleopatra", this production provides less Hollywood-type settings and more depth to the characters.
A must see for any enthusiast of Roman History or anyone who has a child who does not always follow your wishes.
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AUGUSTUS - DVD Movie
Alexander Hamilton (2007) Review
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(More customer reviews)PBS has assembled absolutely some of Broadway's most talented stage actors today to recreate, based upon the diaries and writings of the time, an intensely engaging and extremely informative look at arguably one of the most important and influential founding fathers, Alexander Hamilton.
Hamilton is studied and dissected from his most ignoble birth as an illegitimate from the West Indies to his rise to fame as leader pro-temp of the American Revolution and his ultimate death in a duel. There is nothing candy-coated about PBS's approach to Hamilton, superbly acted by Tony Award Winning stage actor Brian O' Byrne (DOUBT,FROZEN).Hamilton is presented in an extremely fair and unbiased way as the genius that he was, the braggart and irascible pain he could be,as a dutiful husband, as an adulterer, as an abolitionist,as a friend to Washington and as a foe to Jefferson.In other words, Hamilton will be seen with all of his bravado and all of his warts. Even the most amateur psychologist would have a field day with Hamilton!
The pace is brisk and lively and informative.There is nothing boring or overly documentarian about this PBS special.History becomes VERY ALIVE with this interpretation of Alexander Hamilton. The times, the people and the historical events are portrayed accurately and with real panache, perfect for teaching or simply informative viewing.You will learn about the struggle to bring the Constitution to law, the founders who opposed it and why, and that a lot DOES NOT change to the present!!! A MUST SEE AND HAVE FOR THE SERIOUS VIEWER!
A great companion film would be the Ric Burns' 5 or 7 set NEW YORK which contains a lot of info on Hamilton.
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One of the most controversial men of his age Alexander Hamilton was a gifted statesman brought down by the fatal flaws of stubbornness extreme candor and arrogance. His life and career were marked by a stunning rise to power scandal and tragedy. He had one of the most notorious love affairs of any public figure in American history and met his death in a startling act of political violence the famous duel with Aaron Burr. But his contributions as a statesman survive. As first Secretary of the Treasury during the tumultuous early years of the republic Hamilton led the transformation of the young country into a commercial and industrial powerhouse. He was the one founder who had a vision not of what America was but of what it could become. This two-hour AMERICAN EXPERIENCE tells the story of the underappreciated genius who laid the groundwork for the nation s modern economy including the banking system Wall Street and anopportunity societyin which talent and hard work not birth determined success.System Requirements:Running Time: 120 Mins.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre:DOCUMENTARIES/MISC. Rating:NR UPC:841887052108 Manufacturer No:705210
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Monarchy Complete Collection Review
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(More customer reviews)The Episodes as brought to us by David Starkey (A great starting point from which to explore more English/British history).
Series 1
1. A Nation State (From the Dark Ages & Alfred the Great to the creation of England.)
2. Ængla Land (The Anglo-Saxons, 1066 and all that!)
3. Conquest (The Normans arrive)
4. Dynasty (Episode Focuses on Henry II, Thomas Becket)
5. A United Kingdom (Edward I, Edward II & Edward III, grandson of Edward I.)
6. Death of a Dynasty (Follows the reigns made famous by Shakespeare)
Series 2
1. The Crown Imperial (1450s to the birth of the Tudors)
2. King and Emperor (The days of Henry VIII)
3. The Shadow of the King (Henry 8's children: Edward VI, Mary I and Elizabeth I)
4. The Stuart Succession
5. Cromwell The King Killer
Series 3
1. The Return of the King (Birth of the world's first modern state)
2. The Glorious Revolution (1688/1689)
3. Rule Britannia (1688 + 25 years to being a world power)
4. Empire (1714+ the emergence of the Prime Minister & modern doings)
5. Survival (1789+ & the French Revolution)
Series 4
1. The Windsors (Queen Victoria to today)
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Studio: Acorn MediaRelease Date: 08/03/2010Run time: 776 minutes
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I, Claudius (1976) Review
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(More customer reviews)Many important scenes have been cut (censored?) from the original Masterpiece Theater version including the contest between Claudius' wife and the prostitute, Caligula's horse Incitatus being made senator, and others. These omissions sacrifice the overall continuity and flow. These omissions are unnecessary and unforgivable given the DVD format. A general disappointment for those who remember the original version. Other than the above this is highly enjoyable.
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Roman history comes alive in this magnificent 13-part series. I, Claudius ranks among the most acclaimed productions in television history. Tracing the lives of the last of the Roman emperors, it's an epic of ruthless ambition, shocking debauchery and murderous intrigue set in one of history's most fascinating eras. Bearing witness to the saga is Claudius, whose stutter and limp have marked him a fool--yet whom prophesies have foretold will one day rule Rome. This collector's edition set includes a unique documentary feature, The Epic That Never Was (1965, 71 min.), a remarkable behind-the-scenes look at Alexander Korda's ill-fated 1937 screen adaptation of I, Claudius. Starring Merle Oberon and Charles Laughton, the chronicle of this uncompleted masterpieces is an unforgettable coda to one of the greatest stories ever told.
The Noel Coward Collection (BBC) (1968) Review
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(More customer reviews)THE NOEL COWARD collection....is simply a treasure. Yes, we will each
have slightly different favorites...but...there is not a dud in the whole box. And, there is a monumental ammount of material...and all of it first rate. I becan with disc TWO and ran one dvd a night...and
THEN did disc ONE and watched "The Vortex" last...and indeed, it was not a personal favorite...but it was well done and beautifully mounted like everything in this collection. Yes, there were nine plays in TONIGHT AT 8:30...and only EIGHT are included on this disc. Joan Collins is a total delight in all of them...and she plays a wide variety of roles
from glamourous through frumpy. All I can say...is...I have never bought a BOX so full of treasures and so entertaining throughout. I have
watched everything and still have all the audio only features to examine.
You will NOT get more BANG for your BUCH anywhere. THIS IS IT.
Click Here to see more reviews about: The Noel Coward Collection (BBC) (1968)
No�Coward was a master playwright whose prodigious talent dominated the theatre of the 1920s & 30s. "The Vortex" made him an immediate hit and controversial sensation. "Hay Fever," "Private Lives," and "Design for Living" are as popular today as when they were first performed. His series of one-acts "Tonight at 8:30" which he performed with Gertrude Lawrence have become a treasure trove for modern theater companies. This collection features star-studded BBC productions of Coward's full-length plays, one-acts and short stories plus bonus features including several radio plays, interviews and profiles of Coward. It's a must own collection for lovers of great theatre!DVD Features:InterviewsOther
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Henrik Ibsen Collection (Hedda Gabler / Ghosts / Little Eyolf / The Wild Duck / The Master Builder) (1963) Review
Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)Because one of the earlier posters asked, the titles included in the set are "Brand", "A Doll's House", "Hedda Gabler", "The Wild Duck", "Ghosts", "Little Eyolf", "An Enemy of the People", "The Lady from the Sea" and two versions of "The Master Builder." Also included are the following plays in radio versions: "Peer Gynt", "The Pretenders", "Emperor and Galilean", "The Pillars of Society", "Rosmersholm", "John Gabriel Borkman", "When We Dead Awaken" and "A Meeting in Rome" by Michael Meyer (a play about a meeting between Ibsen and August Strindberg).
Click Here to see more reviews about: Henrik Ibsen Collection (Hedda Gabler / Ghosts / Little Eyolf / The Wild Duck / The Master Builder) (1963)
The Henrik Ibsen Collection features ten star-studded BBC productions of Ibsen's most famous plays, together in one six-disc box set. Considered the father of modern realistic drama, Henrik Ibsen is one of the most important playwrights of all time. His plays attacked the values of the Victorian society in which he lived and were considered scandalous during his lifetime. Yet many of his themes are thoroughly modern today. The Henrik Ibsen Collection features stellar casts in Ibsen's best-known works, including Ingrid Bergman and Michael Redgrave in Hedda Gabler, Judi Dench and Michael Gambon in Ghosts, Anthony Hopkins and Diana Rigg in Little Eyolf, Denholm Elliot in The Wild Duck, Sir Donald Wolfitt and Leo McKern respectively in two extraordinary productions of The Master Builder, and much more. It's a quintessential part of any theater lover's library.
Pompeii - The Last Day/Colosseum - A Gladiator's Story (2004) Review
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(More customer reviews)A realistic docu-drama, this is a telling of the building of Rome's Colosseum which started under the rule of Emperor Vespasian and was completed by his son and heir Titus in 80 AD. It also shows the training of the gladiators, many who were slaves, but a few who would trade their liberty for a period of time for money, and sometimes fame.
The decadence and brutality of the Roman games, as well the brave and desperate men who were the entertainment, make for a riveting story;
The central figure is a historical gladiator by the name of Verus, who was a slave working in a quarry when chosen for the arena. Robert Shannon is good in the part, exhibiting much physical prowess, grace and style.
Filmed in Tunisia, it boasts the latest technological wizardry to duplicate the Colosseum and the audience, using matte paintings and crowd replication among other techniques.
Produced and directed by Tilman Remme, the dialog is in Latin, and the narration by Liev Schreiber, whose modulated voice is always a pleasure to listen to.
Having seen the empty shell of what is left of this extraordinary structure as it stands today, I found this recreation fascinating and informative, with enough drama and action to make it interesting for repeated viewings.
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POMPEII:LAST DAY - DVD Movie
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Masterpiece Theatre: Elizabeth I - The Virgin Queen (2005) Review
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(More customer reviews)This is a very interesting programme, produced in Britain and originally shown on the PBS series, Masterpiece Theatre.
This miniseries was directed by Coky Giedroyc, a veteran of television productions in Britain, including another royal-themed miniseries, 'William and Mary', in 2003. Giedroyc brings an interesting modern twist to the series - rather than filming things in majestic, sweeping camera pans with classical music as a background, and rather than having the dialogue (and acting) be in a stilted, falsely formal style, Giedroyc incorporates modern music with medieval and Celtic flavouring to it (both of which have experienced a renaissance of sorts in the past decade), and the situations are decidedly modern without being out of place in their own times.
This presents the life of Elizabeth from her young adulthood under Queen Mary, as a supposed participant in intrigues against the Catholic Queen, through to her death after serving decades on the throne of England as the Virgin Queen, the queen who never married. In fact, the miniseries plays a tantalising game with Elizabeth's virginity, showing her desires (as well as those around her) without ever giving up the game of 'was she or wasn't she?' Anne-Marie Duff plays the part of Elizabeth, and does a remarkably able job for such a complex figure. Duff won the Irish Television award and was nominated for the BAFTA award for best actress in a television drama in another series, 'Shameless', last year.
Duff is joined by Tom Hardy, who plays the role of Robert Dudley, the favourite of Queen Elizabeth. Dudley is also an extraordinarily complex role, as he played several sides in the political struggles during Elizabeth's early reign, and was part of a family well experienced in regal intrigue - Robert Dudley's family had tried to manage the reign of Elizabeth's brother Edward, engineer the accession of Lady Jane Grey (placing Guildford Dudley on the throne with her), and is sometimes referred to as 'the uncrowned kings of England'. In fact, perhaps the most stunning single scene in this miniseries is after Elizabeth has elevated Robert Dudley to the earldom of Leicester, and during her illness, he sits upon the throne as the protector of the realm. Hardy is well suited to this role, and plays it with skill.
The sets are appropriate to their time period, neither too ornate nor too medieval; the costumes also have a touch of modernity to them, but are still primarily of the period. The situations presented give good insight into the overall pattern of Elizabeth's reign and some of the principal concerns during that time period, although to compress such a long reign into such a short time frame as a four-hour miniseries by necessity means that the history has had to be selectively chosen. Elizabeth faced problems from without and within, many of which were far more complex and pressing than her marriage issue. In the end, Elizabeth made the right decision for the time, if not for the future.
This is a great production for television, and holds up well against other major productions featuring the Virgin Queen Elizabeth of a few years ago.
Click Here to see more reviews about: Masterpiece Theatre: Elizabeth I - The Virgin Queen (2005)
As The Virgin Queen begins, a young Elizabeth is imprisoned in the Tower of London by Queen Mary, charged with conspiracy and treason. Both women are daughters of the ruthless and oft-married Henry VIII, who plunged England into turmoil by breaking with the Roman Catholic Church. Mary wants to reunite with Rome, while Elizabeth is determined to stand by her Protestant faith--a potentially fatal choice. But Elizabeth’s life takes an unexpected turn when Mary dies, leaving no heir to the throne. As the new queen, Elizabeth discovers the harsh realities of ruling a religiously divided nation and must learn to outwit her enemies and charm those who conspire to their own ends.Soon under pressure to secure a politically advantageous marriage, the coquettish Elizabeth rejects a string of eligible royal bachelors from abroad, openly preferring the burning affections of her childhood playmate, the athletic, handsome--and married--Robert Dudley. But is she toying with him as she is with her other suitors?Starring Anne-Marie Duff (The Aristocrats, The Magdalene Sisters) as the shrewd and captivating queen who defended her throne amidst an atmosphere of plotting and intrigue, torture and murder, The Virgin Queen is a riveting drama that explores the fascinating 44-year reign of Elizabeth I.
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Country Matters (1972) Review
Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)Despite the term "heartwarming" in the descriptive copy on the back of the "Country Matters" DVD case, most of the episodes are reminiscent of Thomas Hardy. They are slow, brooding, and mostly focus on rural life as it really was for the poorer classes: Isolated locations; dark, dirty cottages; bare economic survival; few acquaintances; poor verbal communication; and extremely limited options in life. In most episodes, the central character is offered one chance at a better life, usually economic improvement and/or love and/or escape from a bad family. And usually, fails to get it due to either poor choices or bad luck, and then is made to realize how dreary things will be for the rest of his or her life. It's a good series, but don't watch more than one or two episodes in an evening if you want cheerful dreams.
The rural locations are beautiful, the costumes are pretty good, the acting is excellent, in short the production values of this series are high. Except--and it's a big except--for the music. British folk music would have accented the series extremely well. Instead, the music for every single episode consists of a little-varied, much-repeated, rinky-dinky, incongruously upbeat, rather electronic tune which, if memory serves, is also the theme for the BBC "Lovejoy" detective series. If BBC couldn't shell out enough for decent music at the time the series was filmed, they ought to have done it before issuing this DVD.
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One of the most widely acclaimed drama series television has ever produced, these adaptations of short stories by A.E. Coppard and H.E. Bates present provocative and heartwarming tales set against the vast English countryside during the post-World War I period. Featuring stunning locations and star-studded casts that include Ian McKellen, Peter Firth, Pauline Collins, Rosalind Ayres and Prunella Scales, these eight lavish dramas reveal the timeless and constant qualities of the British landscape and its people. 2 DVD set includes:Craven Arms - The Mill - The Sullens Sisters - The Watercress Girl The Little Farm - The Black Dog - The Higgler - The Ring of Truth
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Princes in the Tower (2005) Review
Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)This DVD is pretty close to a dramatized documentary. If you are looking for a movie, this isn't for you. However, if you like historical documentaries, this is a fascintating retelling of the mystery of the Princes in the Tower and what became of the younger prince, Richard, who later emerged as the pretender to the throne.
Most of the story unfolds as a re-enactment of a supposed interrogation of Richard IV by the Tudors, specifically Margaret Beaufort and company.
This DVD would be more interesting to people very well versed in the War of the Roses and Henry VII's reign. If you aren't familiar with Henry VII's reign and the Perkins Warbeck affair, you might not enjoy it that much.
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The mystery surrounding the disappearance of 12 year-old King Edward V and his brother Richard, Duke of York has been the cause of speculation and fascination for over five centuries. In 1491, eight years after the Princes in the Tower were presumed murdered, a young man told an astonished world that he was Richard, back to claim the throne of England. Was this man Richard, Duke of York, or was he Perkin Warbeck, a brilliant imposter? There are many versions of what might have happened during his final interrogation in the Tower of London. This riveting drama presents one of them.
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Crusoe: The Complete Series Review
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(More customer reviews)Strong characters, high adventure, a beautiful backdrop, appropriate flashbacks, historical value...this show is a gem. What a refreshing departure from the usual network fare of reality shows and crime dramas. And how often does a modern TV show or movie present a lead character who doesn't have a dark side, but has total integrity and honor. Winchester's protrayal of Crusoe is admirable, as is the character himself. Can't say enough good about this show. And I agree with those who'd like to see a movie made to tie up the loose ends at the end of season 1. Anyway...bravo Crusoe!
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CRUSOE:COMPLETE SERIES - DVD Movie
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The Widowing of Mrs. Holroyd (2008) Review
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(More customer reviews)D.H. Lawrence's play by the same name was not widely received nor did he even see it when it was first dramatised, and this is unfortunate because he seems to have understood the suffering of women in the confines of marriage-a theme in much of his work. Set in a mining town, Zoe Wanamaker plays the lonely and miserable wife of a violent, alcoholic brute played by Colin Firth. Unfortunately, this films' title is absolute poison--it basically ends the story before it begins. The audience has to at least believe that this unhappy woman might have a chance to begin life with a man who will love and respect her-a man, played by Stephen Dillane, who gives her this opportunity. This drama, though well-acted, did not transfer well to this production and needed a lot more character intimacy to keep it from playing all one note. On the other hand, another D.H. Lawrence story "The Rainbow," is an incredible, three-part "bonus feature" included on side two of this disc. Why "The Rainbow" is not sold on it's own is unusual because this is the more developed production. It was initially banned by the government because of it's sexual themes, but is more about the spiritual frustration of Ursula, played by Imogen Stubbs. She's a very brave actress considering some of the content in this film but she captures the characters' eccentricity who feels imprisoned by an unemotional and heartless society. She wants complete freedom but also to be loved-two ideals that cannot exist together. All things considered I was disapppointed with "The Widowing" but "The Rainbow" was an unexpected pleasure.
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DH LAWRENCE:RAINBOW/WIDOWING OF MRS H - DVD Movie
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