Shaka Zulu : Complete Uncut Version : 10 Part Mini Series Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I've viewed this dvd 4 times since receiving it last month... I purchased it because it's a part of history. When it was televised I couldn't wait for it to be offered on DVD. However, since it's airing, the cost was too high and I simply waited for a lower price ... I'm so glad I did.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Shaka Zulu : Complete Uncut Version : 10 Part Mini Series

Henry Cele stars as the legendary ruler in this epic, acclaimed miniseries, available on DVD for the first time. 500+ Minutes?DVD Features: Cast and Crew Interviews; Pre-Production Concept Art Gallery; Production Photos: Shaka History; French Language Track; Interactive Menus; Scene Selection.?The complete, uncut epic, available on DVD for the first time.?One of the most acclaimed and important miniseries ever broadcast.He was an illegitimate prince who reclaimed his birthright with brilliance and brutality. He created a vast new nation from warring tribes and forged an army that defied the most powerful empire on earth. He was Shaka Zulu.Brought to life in an epic, 10-hour production, the story of the legendary, 19th-century African king became one of the most compelling and controversial miniseries in television history. From his boyhood in exile to the bloody struggles that solidified his rule and his proud defiance of British colonists, SHAKA ZULU is the unforgettable tale of a man who stood at the heart of a battle between two worlds.Filmed entirely on location in South Africa, SHAKA ZULU stars Christopher Lee (The Lord of the Rings, Star War Episode II), Edward Fox (The Dresser, Gandhi) and Henry Cele as Shaka.

Click here for more information about Shaka Zulu : Complete Uncut Version : 10 Part Mini Series

Read More...

Holocaust (The Mini-Series) (1978) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I watched this on network tv when it premiered. It's even harder to watch it today. With twenty years of ethnic cleansings, and smaller holocausts under our belts, one of the major themes of the story holds even truer. If we aren't very very careful any of us can become a killer.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Holocaust (The Mini-Series) (1978)

Plot Summary for "Holocaust" (1978) (mini)"Holocaust" follows each member of the Jewish Family Weiss throughout Hitler's reign in Germany. One by one, the family members suffer the horrible fate of extermination under Anti-Semetic Nazi Law until only one son remains at the end of World War II. A sub-plot follows the story of Eric Dorf, a young German lawyer with a good heart who is changed into a mass murderer by membership in the SS.Summary written by Anthony Hughes

Click here for more information about Holocaust (The Mini-Series) (1978)

Read More...

North and South Book I (VHS, 6 videos) (1985) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Yep, you've guessed it. This is the best video of all time. I was only 9 years old when this movie was first on in 1985. Since then I have been glued to television to watch the reruns and my videos. During my 10th year of high school, I persuaded my parents to purchase this video for me. Through school, I found this video to be my comfort and relief. Today, as a school teacher, I find these videos to be not only a high light, but also an aid in the classroom. If you feel a strong attraction to the Civil War period, or even the slightest bit of interest in understanding our past history, this is the video to do all of this. I have all 3 books on video. I watch them at least once every month. So, add up all the times you are able to watch this and you'll understand the desire and interest people like me have had since the beginning of these books, miniseries, videos, etc. Once, you see these videos you will fall in love with them. They have been my companion for the past 8 years.

Click Here to see more reviews about: North and South Book I (VHS, 6 videos) (1985)

Click here for more information about North and South Book I (VHS, 6 videos) (1985)

Read More...

The Stand (1994) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Hailed as one of the best fantasy/horror novels ever written, Stephen King's The Stand has been published in two different versions -- a slimmed down original edition in 1978 and a slightly updated and unabridged version in 1991. And although both stick to the same story -- a U.S. government-created strain of the flu wipes out 99% of humanity and the survivors join two opposing camps in the ultimate face-off between good and evil -- they differ somewhat, particularly at the very end.
Of all of King's novels, The Stand is the one most of his readers ask about or comment on, and until 1994, when ABC commissioned a miniseries based on this sprawling opus, one question always was "Will there be a movie based on this one?" (King replied in the foreword to the "uncut and unabridged" edition that he thought there might be...)
Unlike most of King's novels, the sheer scope of the novel guaranteed that The Stand would have to be a miniseries made for TV. To have compressed the 1,000-plus pages into a three-hour movie would have been impossible without deleting many characters and situations, a very risky proposition since The Stand is to King's legions of fans what The Lord of the Rings is to Tolkien's readers. And to have hired someone else to adapt it from book to teleplay would have been a risky proposition, so ABC asked King to take the writing reins.
Happily, the 1994 "Stephen King's The Stand" turned out to be a marvelous miniseries, and while it did not break any Nielsen ratings as "Alex Haley's Roots" did in 1977, it did fairly well and earned many good reviews.
The Artisan Home Entertainment Special Edition DVD of "Stephen King's The Stand" presents the complete miniseries on two DVDs, with The Plague and The Dreams on Disc One and The Betrayal and The Stand on Disc Two. Stripped of commercials and station identification/local news promos, the eight-hour running time is pared down to 366 minutes.
Parts One and Two (The Plague, The Dreams) deal with the accidental release of a super-deadly strain of the flu from a secret military laboratory known as Project Blue. Although the base's security attempts to lock down the facility before the virus escapes, one guard and panics attempts to flee, unwittingly infecting his wife and daughter and beginning a chain reaction that will lead to the deaths of millions. Even so, a handful of people survive, and as they try to cope with the disaster and move on, they are guided by their dreams to join either the evil Randall Flagg or the good 106-year-old Mother Abigail. While Flagg sets up his police-state in Sin City itself, Las Vegas, the good guys (and gals) set up the Boulder Free Zone in Colorado...but this is only the setup for the darker conflict to come.
Parts Three and Four (The Betrayal, The Stand) describe the apocalyptic conflict between good and evil as Flagg's people race to acquire weapons of mass destruction to assure their demonic master's victory over the power of the Light side represented by the Boulder Free Zone. Flagg, who was seen only in a few brief scenes in the first half, gets more airtime as the story finally focuses on the final conflict. It's an old storytelling technique but it works well here, and Jamey Sheridan (Law & Order: Criminal Intent) plays the evil demon with a mixture of charm and menace.
Despite the leeway allowed by the miniseries format and unusually open-mindedness from ABC's Standards and Practices division, the teleplay more closely follows the 1978 version rather the 1991 edition, particularly in the ending. King has to compress some parts here, combine some characters there to make the miniseries flow seamlessly and not go over budget (If ABC had commissioned a 12-hour teleplay, maybe the condensing would not have been necessary, but that's Monday-morning quarterbacking 10 years after the show aired). Even so, The Stand captures the spirit of the novel brilliantly.
Credit is also due to director Mick Garris, who not only got great performances from such actors as Gary Sinise, Molly Ringwald, Jamey Sheridan, Ossie Davis, Ruby Dee, Ray Walston and Rob Lowe, but also kept the huge storyline from dragging or getting too heavy-handed on the gross-out scale.
Even though Artisan did give The Stand the Special Edition treatment by adding such features as 2.0 Dolby Surround sound, a "Making of" featurette and commentary by King, Garris, some of the major cast and Editor Pat McMahon (just to name a few of the extras), it doesn't have easily accessed subtitles. It does have closed captions, but for people with older models of TVs and non-standard players such as Xbox or Playstation 2 game systems that can also play DVDs this is not a very helpful option.

Click Here to see more reviews about: The Stand (1994)

Item Name: Stephen King's The Stand; Studio:Live / Artisan

Click here for more information about The Stand (1994)

Read More...

Never Forget (1991) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)An outstanding movie of gripping determination and bulldog tenacity!
Leonard Nimoy and Blythe Danner play Mr. & Mrs. Mel Mermelstein, a true-life California couple, thrown into the spotlight of judicial history in the 1980's. He is a Hungarian-born Jew, sole-survivor of his family's extermination at Auchwitz, and she is a Southern Baptist from Tennessee. Their four children are good kids, typical Americans, with just enough spunk and orneriness to irritate each other, but enough love and class to pull together when it counts.
When challenged by a hate group to prove that Jews were actually gassed at Auchwitz, Mel Mermelstein rises to the occasion with the support of his wife and children, in spite of the dangers to himself, his business, and his family.
Dabney Coleman provides Mel's legal help (pro bono) as a lawyer, originally a Roman Catholic from Texas, and brilliantly and believably fits out a role that is my personal favorite among any role he has ever played.
Leonard Nimoy is brilliant as always, and aside from playing Golda Meir's husband opposite Ingrid Bergman, if there was ever a role that shattered his Spock image, this would be it. (Not that I dislike Spock. On the contrary!) Nimoy plays a man who is empassioned, vulnerable to an extent, but tenaciously determined to prove the hate groups to be liars.
Why so committed to such a course? Because before Mermelstein's father died in Auchwitz, he commissioned Mel and his brother (who died shortly thereafter) to "Never Forget" what happened, and to bear witness to the facts of history. Mel Mermelstein did just that, and the United States finally took Judicial Notice of the truth of the Holocaust, some 40 years after WWII.
A great movie! (I taped mine off of TNT a few years ago, when it aired this movie in timed connection with the network premeir of Schindler's List, and this airing was hosted by Leonard Nimoy. I have since worn out my tape. I plan to buy a professional copy when the price drops.)

Click Here to see more reviews about: Never Forget (1991)

Get 53% OFF

Click here for more information about Never Forget (1991)

Read More...

Dresden Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I made a last minute decision to watch this on the History International channel. It's one of the best TV decisions I've made in a long time.
This is a fabulous tale of the horrors of war, humanity of all sides in a conflict and romance.
You can feel the horror building as the British planes approach Dresden and see the horror of the devastating firestorm following the massive bombings as more than 25,000 civilians were killed.
There is tenderness here, too. The characters are multi-dimensional. Even those we think have done terrible things, we know are conflicted and in at least case seek penance.
The photography and special effects are stunning.
I'll have to save my nickles and dimes to buy this one.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Dresden

January, 1945. In the uncertain days leading up to the Allied bombings of Dresden, Anna (Felicitas Woll) discovers Robert Newman (John Light), an injured British pilot, hiding in a hospital cellar. Torn between loyalty and desire, the young nurse risks everything to help him recover. As Anna struggles to keep his true identity a secret and Robert battles to survive behind enemy lines, a catastrophic fate descends upon the city. DVD Extras:Making-of Featurette, Archival Military Footage of the Dresden bombings

Get 27% OFF

Click here for more information about Dresden

Read More...

Rome: The Complete Series Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)THE SERIES
Rome wasn't built in one day, we all know that and its story can't be told over 2 seasons but this is probably the best we're going to have, audio-visually, for a long time to come. This is an interrupted, extremely ambitious and, eventually, unaffordable HBO project meant to illustrate the process though which an up and coming but flawed - expansionist, aristocrat driven, slave labor dependent - republic morphs into an equally or more so flawed, unsustainable empire. [Hmmm... lessons to learn? Anyone? Anyone?]
HBO and the producers of the show should be commended for doing everything in their power to stay as close as artistically possible to the historical record, whatever was available, of the period - and 'Rome' covers Cesar's climb to power and the period shortly thereafter, up to Octavian's triumph and transformation into 'Augustus' - the struggles, the intrigue, the atrocities - and how the events it triggered affected the aristocrats and the plebes, rich and poor, citizens, free men and slaves. The point of view and the storytelling shifts or swings between the history makers - Cesar, his family, Octavian, the aristocrats opposing Cesar - and two more or less ordinary Forrest Gump-like Roman soldiers who find themselves involved with almost everything historians wrote about those years and are also depicted during their more ordinary moments.
'Rome' is a feast to the eye, at least in the Blu-ray version that I'm watching. The colors are vibrant and the details on ornaments, wall graffiti, costumes, makeup are as accurate as they come. I would say almost the same about the sounds of Rome but we know so much less about the music of antiquity... Due to obvious budget constraints, camera angles are almost always narrow, focusing on specific buildings or people with the occasional, probably CGI-produced, panoramic shots. And no large, uber-expensive battle scenes but that's okay because the overall story is told well. I don't believe we ever see more than a few dozen humans on any scene but we should admire the director and the camera people even more for their ability to maintain our suspension of disbelief with the limited means at their disposal. Having some of the scenes shot on location - 'Rome' was made in Italy at the Cinecita studios - makes watching even more enjoyable.THE BLU-RAY EDITION
The Blu-ray edition excels in every aspect, from packaging to the quality of the actual episodes to the Blu-ray specific extras.
The two season's 22 episodes of about one hour each are delivered on 10 discs. They come inside an amazingly beautiful book-like binding with each disc on its own 2-page presentation/display that consists of one picture on the left page and some details on each of the episodes on that specific disc on the right-side page which also holds the disc. There are additional pages that contain titles or some artwork for a total of 30, thick cardboard, full color pages. It's nice that a cloth bookmark was added to help keep track of where one may be with the viewing. The box the book slides in is color-coordinated with the book covers - dark, weathered dried-blood reddish-brown with gold lettering and accents. Simply amazing.
Each episode is presented in 1080p, 16:9 screen and DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 Surround sound for English and German as well as DTS Digital Surround 2.0 for Spanish, French, Castilian and Polish (voice over). Subtitles are available in dozens on languages.
Blu-ray specific extras include the invaluable "All Roads Lead to Rome" - a historian presents the historical fact as the episodes run, a 'must watch' when 'Rome' is viewed the second time around because the abundance of information would make watching it the first time too distracting. Also Blu-ray specific is 'Bloodlines', another interactive guide that shows and helps us understand the connections between the various Roman families.
In addition, 13 of the 22 episodes come with audio commentary alternative sound tracks from the cast and crew - presumably to be listened to on the third watching of the series. There are also a number of the usual 'behind the scenes' and 'how did we make this' featurettes.MY RATING
Not surprisingly, I will rate 'Rome' as a 5-star. It's not perfect but it doesn't need to be so to earn its stars - Amazon's five stars mean 'I love it' not 'it's perfect'. And I absolutely love it. In fact, I am going through the second watching now - the one with 'All Roads Lead to Rome' turned on - and I love 'Rome' even more.
My only issue is that which earned 'Rome' its MA (mature audiences) rating. I am quite frustrated for not being able to watch 'Rome' with my kids in the same room. I know that some would call it 'butchery' but Blu-ray technology should allow for a 'cleaned', PG-13 version that kids could watch too because I can see how watching a show like this, especially with the historical interactive guide turned on, would make some curious enough to actually read more on the topic.
___________________________________________________
FAIR WARNINGAnyone considering watching 'Rome' in a 'family' setting should be aware that the show is rated TV MA and for good reason. 'Rome' attempts to accurately depict the Rome of 2000 years ago where sexual inhibitions were all but absent, most women were viewed as 'property' and slaves were numerous. You WILL see explicit sex, frontal male nudity and covering your kids eyes won't be enough - consider earplugs or frequent use of the 'mute' button because the sounds of sex are even more explicit than the images. Besides engaging in sex largely for amusement, violence was part of the Roman way of life - torture, gladiator and other arena fights, assassinations were common. Well... those were the Romans - love them or hate them.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Rome: The Complete Series

Four hundred years after the founding of the Republic, Rome is the wealthiest city in the world, a cosmopolitan metropolis of one million people, epicenter of a sprawling empire. But now, the city's foundations are crumbling, eaten away by corruption and excess...And two soldiers unwittingly become entwined in historical events, their fates inexorably tied to the fate of Rome itself. The entire award-winning, critically-acclaimed series will be available as a Blu-ray gift set, just in time for the holiday season.

Get 35% OFF

Click here for more information about Rome: The Complete Series

Read More...

Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All (1994) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Those are among the first lines we hear from Cicely Tyson in this wonderful movie.
I freely admit that I'm a sap for old movies and old things and old times. And perhaps that's why I love this movie so much. It opens at the beginning of the 20th Century, the early 1900s. As someone who's written a couple architecture books about this period of time, I'm happy to say that the historical aspects of the movie all looked good, so I was able to just relax and enjoy the flick.
We all think that the early 1900s were a simpler time and place but this movie presents a more honest view of history, particularly as it relates to women's issues. One of the minor plot lines presents the story of a woman who has lost her children forever because she sought a divorce. Another poignant scene is where Lucy (lead character) gives up on life after a tragedy in the family.
Laying in bed, she chews on crayons and tells her husband (Donald Southerland) that she's only "fuzz on a pillow." (BTW, crayons in those days contained lead, giving them a taste not unlike sweet tarts and said to be highly addictive. That's what I loved about this movie; it got the details right.)
I've watched this movie about 20 times and even though I've memorized many of the lines, I still cry and laugh and feel touched, stirred and inspired. I love the acting, the setting, the story, the beauty, the love affair between the old "Cap'n" and his beautiful young wife. It's believable, endearing and captivating.
The acting is first rate, too. I recommend this movie 100%.
Rose
author, The Houses That Sears Built


Click Here to see more reviews about: Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All (1994)

Item Name: Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All; Studio:Allumination

Get 74% OFF

Click here for more information about Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All (1994)

Read More...

The Thorn Birds (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 (1983)

Based on the bestselling novel, the film follows a priest and his struggle between his calling and his carnal lusts.

Get 27% OFF

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

Read More...

Invasion Earth : Complete Uncut Version : Mini Series Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)This is a good, thoughtful and intelligent miniseries. What blunts it's effect is two things in my mind. One, Fred Ward is a horrible actor. He is SO wooden and cliched in this that it is pathetic. His poor performance could be blamed on the writers and director if it wasn't for the fact that the other actors give reasonable performances with the material. Ward is just plain bad. Second, I felt that the development of the relationship between the male and female leads was pretty sketchy and contrived. There was absolutely no chemistry between the two and the idea that they were attracted to each other sexually just does not come across. I also thought that the writers took the Echoes out of the storyline too quickly. The series does have it's moments though and they keep the actual physical form of the evil ND's ambiguous all the wat through.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Invasion Earth : Complete Uncut Version : Mini Series

This ambitious miniseries, a coproduction between the BBC and the American cable entity the Sci-Fi Channel, is an unusually intelligent and demanding example of the genre. The story begins when a cocky pilot shoots down a UFO inside British air space, but the following revelations only hint at the scope of the predicament. A few soldiers and civilians, led by an American general with the NATO forces (Fred Ward), find themselves in the middle of an intergalactic war and discover they are the next target of a mysterious civilization that has already conquered most of the galaxy. Working with a limited budget, the filmmakers concentrate on creating a palpable sense of fear of the unknown while punctuating the story with sparse but startling effects: dimensional portals that open out of nowhere, a hellish otherworldly land where prisoners appear to be digested in a monstrous stomach, our first and only glimpse of the demonic-looking enemy as it lays waste to an Earth laboratory. These eerie moments only intensify the moody dread that permeates the series. Though an unconvincing romantic subplot occasionally slows the pace, the consistently smart writing and dense, delirious plotting makes this unusual epic compelling viewing right through to its jaw-dropping conclusion.

Click here for more information about Invasion Earth : Complete Uncut Version : Mini Series

Read More...

John Adams (HBO Miniseries) (2008) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Each night I turned on the HBO feature anxious to see a good dramatic series, and learn about my country's struggle for life through one its most underrated founding fathers, John Adams.
Paul Giamatti's performance in the title role is much in dispute as he, like many other actors, seems to play himself as much as his character. He turns from a loving father to the lawyer and representative who sometimes looks apoplectic rather than just an angry or fiery patriot. Much to his credit, I felt the John Adams of later years on subsequent episodes was extremely well-acted.
Abigail Adams is played by Laura Linney, and her performance is superb and not the least in dispute. From the first moment, she is thoroughly credible as the vivacious lover, friend, confidante, advisor, and wife of John Adams. Her acting here should garner her an Emmy. The actors protraying Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson turned in stellar performances.
Many complain that this did not follow the book of the same title, and was not true to history exactly. To the first query the answer is what does? To the second, it is a well-written and well-acted drama that deserves our attention.
The series begins with the Boston Massacre and John Adams representing the British soldiers. With his successful defense, he is noticed by the Crown, as well as the colonials who are striving for independence. Both want his services. Adams chooses independence over the king and we see him as representative, foreign minister, beggar and borrower, ambassador, vice president, and president. His one anchor through these assignments and occupations in the struggle of a new nation is his love and respect for his wife, Abigail whom he always refers to as "my friend." The letters between the two is one constant that sustains their love through loneliness of separation, as Mr. Adams is more often away than home.
Particularly touching is the drab existence they share in an uncompleted White House, the grief John Adams suffers from the loss of his Abigail, his renewed friendship with Thomas Jefferson, and his dying belief that his friend survives him, even though Jefferson died three hours earlier. In one of the ironies of our history, both men died exactly fifty years to the day, after July 4, 1776.
This story ends with both Abigail and John Adams quoting letters of their love for each other and a young nation, as they ascend a hill together and look out over their country. They hope that they will be able to see future generations of Americans, from heaven, and wonder if they will deserve the sacrifice and freedom they have given them.
So do I.

Click Here to see more reviews about: John Adams (HBO Miniseries) (2008)

John Adams is a sprawling HBO miniseries event that depicts the extraordinary life and times of one of Americas least understood, and most underestimated, founding fathers: the second President of the United States, John Adams. Starring Paul Giamatti (Sideways, Cinderella Man, HBOs American Spendor) in the title role and Laura Linney (You Can Count on Me, Kinsey) as Adams devoted wife Abigail, John Adams chronicles the extraordinary life journey of one of the primary shapers of our independence and government, whose legacy has often been eclipsed by more flamboyant contemporaries like George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton and Benjamin Franklin. Set against the backdrop of a nations stormy birth, this sweeping miniseries is a moving love story, a gripping narrative, and a fascinating study of human nature. Above all, at a time when the nation is increasingly polarized politically, this story celebrates the shared values of liberty and freedom upon which this country was built.

Get 34% OFF

Click here for more information about John Adams (HBO Miniseries) (2008)

Read More...

Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Those are among the first lines we hear from Cicely Tyson in this wonderful movie.
I freely admit that I'm a sap for old movies and old things and old times. And perhaps that's why I love this movie so much. It opens at the beginning of the 20th Century, the early 1900s. As someone who's written a couple architecture books about this period of time, I'm happy to say that the historical aspects of the movie all looked good, so I was able to just relax and enjoy the flick.
We all think that the early 1900s were a simpler time and place but this movie presents a more honest view of history, particularly as it relates to women's issues. One of the minor plot lines presents the story of a woman who has lost her children forever because she sought a divorce. Another poignant scene is where Lucy (lead character) gives up on life after a tragedy in the family.
Laying in bed, she chews on crayons and tells her husband (Donald Southerland) that she's only "fuzz on a pillow." (BTW, crayons in those days contained lead, giving them a taste not unlike sweet tarts and said to be highly addictive. That's what I loved about this movie; it got the details right.)
I've watched this movie about 20 times and even though I've memorized many of the lines, I still cry and laugh and feel touched, stirred and inspired. I love the acting, the setting, the story, the beauty, the love affair between the old "Cap'n" and his beautiful young wife. It's believable, endearing and captivating.
The acting is first rate, too. I recommend this movie 100%.
Rose
author, The Houses That Sears Built


Click Here to see more reviews about: Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All

Item Name: Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All; Studio:Allumination

Click here for more information about Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All

Read More...

Centennial: The Complete Series Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)The story of the American West doesn't get any better than this!
As a middle school social studies instructor, I can say that Americana is on display in its most enticing format here! The acting is as superb as the actors are familiar! Star after star makes us forget whatever role they played on televison, and remember them for their characterization in Centennial! This is the highest compliment to a film-maker's casting director and producer!
The cast IS exceptional--especially Conrad, Chamberlain, and that old Detroit Lion lineman Alex 'Brumbaugh' Karas! Honestly, having seen this epic four times, I have often wanted to just sit right through all 20+ hours consecutively; it really does grow on you! I can never forget the 'Wendells' every time I hear 'Whispering Hope', and just watching that last half hour's flashback sequence accompanied by 'Guess He'd Rather be in Colorado' still gives me goose bumps!
I enjoyed this epic so much in fact, that while in Colorado in 1993, I tried to locate the town of Centennial. I noticed many familiar landmarks, crossed the Platte River, but of course, found no Centennial town--only the cafe.
I can only say that if one loves the history and drama of the American West and has not seen this chronicle--from Robert Conrad's trip downstream at the beginning, to David Janson's reflective retrospection by the lonely railroad tracks at the consclusion, one has NOT fully seized upon all that Hollywood can contribute to learning about our great country.
Thank you Clay Basket, Levi Zendt, Hans Brumbaugh, R.J. Poteet, Lame Beaver...though fictitious, you made learning come alive for us! And a special thanks to the production company of 'Centennial'!
"...only the rocks live forever".

Click Here to see more reviews about: Centennial: The Complete Series

Journey to the Wild West in the sweeping, sensational epic drama Centennial: The Complete Series! Relive the grand hopes, dreams, loves, and adventures of generations of residents in Centennial, Colorado - from their risky attempts to establish a settlement in 1795 through the politics and power plays of the 20th century. With over 26 TV hours of content on DVD for the first time, this incredible set gives fans the opportunity to own the complete chronicle that showcases one of the finest casts ever assembled, including Richard Chamberlain, Robert Conrad, Timothy Dalton, Mark Harmon, Andy Griffith, Raymond Burr, Dennis Weaver, Lynn Redgrave, Sharon Gless, Stephanie Zimbalist, Sally Kellerman and many more. Based on James Michener’s best-selling novel, this Primetime Emmy®Award-nominated saga is a captivating look at the intertwining lives of the brave men and women in a fictional American town that endured the growing pains of a nation on the rise.

Get 30% OFF

Click here for more information about Centennial: The Complete Series

Read More...

Beulah Land (1980) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)This is what I especially love about DVDS, the chance to see something that will likely never play on a television channel again. 1980's BEULAH LAND was a three-part mini series running just over four and a half hours. It's not perfect but it is highly entertaining and very well-acted. The program spans a period of over 30 years, from decades before the Civil War to the War to it's aftermath. BEULAH LAND stars Lesley Ann Warren who marries her childhood crush and eventually becomes mistress (the nice kind!) of his vast plantation estate, Beulah Land, battling evil overseer Paul Shenar, Yankees, financial hardships, hunger, and her feelings for artist Michael Sarrazin, not necessarily in that order. At times BEULAH LAND threatens to become a P.C. GONE WITH THE WIND or a PG MANDINGO (or vice versa) but it's extremely watchable (I planned to watch it over several nights and ended up watching the full movie in a night) and nice bit of nostalgia when these lavish mini series were on the main networks several times a year in the late 1970's and early 1980's. One thing I found a bit irritating was the continous jumps in years in the storyline as well as several main characters dying outside of the story, having just read some Amazon reviews of the book it appears the movie is only following what the book outlined.
Lesley Ann Warren is very appealing as the noble heroine Sarah, Meredith Baxter is fun as her fairly trampy sister. Paul Rudd (not the current film star of the same name) is appropiately bland as Sarah's husband Leon and Hope Lange shines in a too brief role as his imposing mother. Paul Shenar may give the best performance as the rather dashing example of pure evil but equally fine work is done by Dorian Harewood in the complex role of Floyd, a slave of dignity and intelligence who yearns to be a free man but remains on at Beulah Land. Clarice Taylor as Floyd's mother Lovey also gives a superb performance. Jenny Agutter is pretty good as the whore who becomes Shenar's bride although the British actress curiously speaks with an Australian accent at times instead of a Southern one.
Some of the more fascinating threads in the storyline of BEULAH LAND are somewhat under the surface: Leon and Floyd's relationship from best friends in childhood to it's ultimate strain as they grow into master and slave, Floyd's discreet unrequited love for Sarah, and a strong suggestion of at least a latent lesbian relationship between Leon's sister and her devoted black companion.
The current DVD cover shown on Amazon.com for BEULAH LAND seems to suggest the film is a grittier Civil War story like THE BLUE AND THE GREY; the copy I own has a more appropiate cover of Warren and Sarrazin that suggests a old-fashioned romance. Although the DVD lacks any sort of "extras", and doesn't even have closed-captioning, I consider it rather bargain-priced considering it's a two-disc set with 281 minutes of story at it's current price. BEULAH LAND may not be a classic but it's a solid piece of storytelling and should appeal to those who enjoy this genre of filmmaking.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Beulah Land (1980)

Item Name: Beulah Land; Studio:Sony

Get 23% OFF

Click here for more information about Beulah Land (1980)

Read More...

North and South: The Complete Collection (Books One, Two & Three) (1986) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)North and South is truly one of the great miniseries, and in fact in my opinion surpasses other great Civil War films such as "Gone With the Wind." Based on the John Jakes trilogy of novels, this miniseries spans the period from the 1840s and the Mexican War, through the aftermath of the American Civil War. It tells the story of two families, the Hazards of Pennsylvania, and the Mains of South Carolina. The Hazards are the owners of a great steel manufactory. The Mains are the powerful owners of a sprawling Southern rice plantation. George Hazard and Orry Main, the scions of their respective families, form a friendship while attending West Point that sees them through the Mexican War and which is tested as each takes his region's side in the Civil War.
The miniseries is reasonably faithful to the novels, and where it departs, the changes are generally benign. The story is also quite faithful to history, and both North and South are portrayed with respect, although the story harshly indicts the institution of slavery, and reminds Americans of the incredible fact that this evil was a basic fact of our country for a very long time.
Book one of North and South is superb. It spans the period from about 1840 through the outbreak of the Civil War. The portrayal of the Mexican War is quite good, and the story of George and Orry graduating West Point and fighting together in the Mexican War makes for a fine story. The film does very well at recreating the attitudes of Northerners and Southerners during this period--conflicting attitudes which ultimately could not be reconciled by the normal political institutions of the American republic and which instead culminated in the Civil War. The battle scenes are very good and surpass what we normally expect of a miniseries.
Book Two takes place immediately following the firing upon Ft. Sumpter. It is again very well done. This is one of the very best straight Civil War films. It is not without flaws. Just as in the novel, the Elkanah Bent sub-plot adds very little to this story. This is true despite the fact that the Bent sub-plot in the Book Two film bears essentially no resembence to the novel. But overall, this is a fine story. Lloyd Bridges in particular does a fine job in his portrayal of Jefferson Davis. Hal Holbrook is a wonderful Abraham Lincoln. Here again the battle scenes are very good. My only quibble is that the soldiers' uniforms are too natty and pristine. Real Civil War soldiers were never very well turned out. The combat and conditions were too tough for that, and the supply trains too inefficient.
Book Three takes place after the end of the Civil War, and is so bad as to be unwatchable. I'm not fooling. The way I look at Book Three is that the DVD makes a fine beer coaster while watching the excellent Books One and Two. Not only is Book Three unwatchable, but it totally departs from the story as set forth in the novel. (as far as I could tell-I mean it when I say that Three is unwatchable). Book Three of Jakes' novels was far and away the weakest of the three, but it was somewhat readable. Not in the miniseries, however.
North and South is imperfect, but it is still so good as to rate five stars. It really is a great story of the Civil War era. James Read and Patrick Swayze turn in great performances as George and Orry. Read was sufficiently good in this part that I am surprised that this role did not lead to greater things for him.
The flaws. First of all, as in all John Jakes stories, the characters, particularly the villains, are one-dimensional at best. Virgilia Hazard, Elkanah Bent, Ashton Main--these characters are complete villains and in real life no one in their right mind would want to live on the same continent with such scoundrels. I have always thought that this caricature-like characterization is the weakest aspect of John Jakes' writing, and these flaws, unfortunately, are faithfully recreated in this miniseries.
The good news is that as far as I can tell, this DVD collection is uncut or close to it. I've read the novels, seen the miniseries, and owned the VHS version of the miniseries, and these DVDs seem to be complete. Further, the color and sound on the DVDs is very good. Overall this is a tremenous value that many fans of North and South have waited for for a long time.

Click Here to see more reviews about: North and South: The Complete Collection (Books One, Two & Three) (1986)

NORTH AND SOUTH:COMPLETE COLLECTION - DVD Movie

Get 67% OFF

Click here for more information about North and South: The Complete Collection (Books One, Two & Three) (1986)

Read More...

The Winds of War (1983) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Herman Wouk wrote an absolute masterpiece. Winds of War is without a doubt the very best historical novel in the war genre. Dan Curtis equally directs the benchmark that mini-series will be measured by for years to come.
Casting for Winds of War was perfect when it came to matching Wouk's characters. Despite the age differences Ali McGraw and Jan-Michael Vincent were absolutely perfect as the independent and fickle Natali Jastrow and the bull-headed Byron Henry. Robert Mitchum is the glue that holds the story together in a flawless performance as Victor "Pug" Henry, the man that meets everyone that is anyone in his role as a Naval Attache stationed in Berlin in the pre-World War II years. One of the best ever ensemble casts include stand-outperformances by Polly Bergen as Pug Henry's hard-drinking wife Rhoda, not to mention Topol, David Dukes, Victoria Tennant and John Houseman.
Winds of War has become a semi-annual event for our family. It is simply so entertaining that it never grows tiresome. The historical value alone makes it worth having in your home library.

Click Here to see more reviews about: The Winds of War (1983)

The first two years of WWII, before U.S. involvement, as seen through the eyes of a naval commander stationed at Pearl Harbor.Genre: TelevisionRating: NRRelease Date: 1-MAY-2007Media Type: DVD

Get 66% OFF

Click here for more information about The Winds of War (1983)

Read More...