The Jewel in the Crown (1984) Review

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(More customer reviews)This DVD set is a real heartbreaker!
The Jewel in the Crown is absolutely one of historic the highlights of "quality" television. An absolutely arresting story. Wonderful script, wonderful acting, etc. I can't add anything on that count to the reviews already here.
That makes the TERRIBLE quality of the DVD transfer all the more disappointing. This set has literally the WORST video quality I have ever seen on a DVD! Murky, muddy picture with visible scratches and dirt on the film. The soundtrack is a little better. On my home theater setup it sounds like its coming over a half-decent clock radio. Seriously, the picture looks like they took an old VHS tape of the show and just ran it through a disc burner.
No, I don't expect blockbuster quality from an 30-year old BBC film, but I would have expected something more like the recent DVD set of Elizabeth R, which is quite watchable.
Sadly, this is almost surely the only DVD we'll ever see of this marvelous series. I'm going to rent the old tapes of this. They might easily be better. If not, I guess this is what we're all stuck with.

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Studio: A&e Home VideoRelease Date: 03/27/2001Run time: 750 minutesRating: Nr

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The Irish R.M. - Complete Series Review

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(More customer reviews)Major Sinclair Yeates (Peter Bowles) leaves the army and becomes a Resident Magistrate in late-Nineteenth Century Ireland. There he encounters a people so foreign to his way of thinking that he often finds himself befuddled and hopelessly confused. Surrounding him are such people as the formidable Mrs. Cadogan (pronounced "Caydo-gone"), the forceful and self-confident Mrs. Knox, and the leprechaun-like Flurry Knox. Major Yeates, though outmaneuvered and outthought by Flurry at almost every point, comes to appreciate the people he now lives amongst, and their charming culture.
The stories in this series are expertly done, and the cast is masterful at their parts. Indeed, Bryan Murray (who plays Flurry) steals the show as if he were born to the part. This show is great for family viewing containing nothing objectionable. This show is great if you like British humor, period drama, family entertainment, et cetera, ad infinitum!

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All 18 episodes of the much-loved Masterpiece Theatre series Peter Bowles (Rumpole of the Bailey, To the Manor Born) stars in this light-hearted drama series as Major Sinclair Yeates, a retired English army officer who becomes a Resident Magistrate in pre-independence West Ireland. Living in a ramshackle country house surrounded by the community’s eccentric inhabitants, Major Yeates struggles to apply judicial logic in a country where "the inevitable never happens but the improbable frequently does." Shot entirely on location in County Kildare, the series captures the beauty of the lush Irish countryside. Also featuring Beryl Reid (Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy), Bryan Murray (Perfect Scoundrels), Niall Toibin (Ballykissangel), Anna Manahan (All Dogs Go to Heaven), and Sarah Badel (John le Carré’s A Perfect Spy).

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Mother Love (1989) Review

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(More customer reviews)Maybe I am romanticizing this Mystery (or was it Masterpiece Theatre) presentation, but a lot of other people still talk about it. IN FACT, a dear friend of mine was talking about Mother Love and remembering Diana Rigg's wonderfully chilling performance. I want a copy for me, but I really want to get him a copy. If you ever saw I Claudius and shuddered at Livila's knack for poisoning people's bodies, you will enjoy Mother Love. If you marveled at Nancy Marchand's noteworthy performance in the first season of the Sopranos at Toni's mother, you will enjoy Mother Love. What showers were to Psycho, marzipan is to Mother Love. It is an interesting thriller and psychological profile. The rest of the cast and the whole production is worthy of Rigg's main character. The world deserves to get goosebumps from watching this miniseries from BBC or Thames or whoever made this happen.

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Place of Execution Review

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(More customer reviews)I watched A Place of Execution on Masterpiece because I had read and loved the book. For the most part, the movie version was well done. There was good casting and great performances throughout. Unfortunately, the script changed too many key elements from the book -- and these changes detracted rather than added to the story. I don't want to go into specific detail about these changes because I'd have to put in too many spoilers in order to describe them. You'll have to read the book and watch the movie for yourself to decide what you think. I suspect if I hadn't read the book first, I might have like the movie more. If you'd like to read my review of the book, it's under the Kindle version of the book (no spoilers).

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On a freezing December night in 1963, 13-year-old Alison Carter took her dog for a walk on the moors in Scardale, a secluded Derbyshire hamlet, and was never seen again. For newly-promoted Detective Inspector George Bennett (Lee Ingleby), his first missing persons case his first chance to prove himself to his new bosses ultimately launched a superstar career. As the entire country watched his investigation, Bennett s obsession with the Carter case turned up enough evidence to see his suspect hanged. But though he was hailed a hero by the people of Scardale, and by his peers, the missing body of Alison Carter left a lingering cloud. It is that cloud that compels controversial filmmaker Catherine Heathcote (Juliet Stevenson) to turn her camera to Bennett more than four decades later. But when the film about this notorious case leads her to something more sinister, Catherine struggles to understand why questions from forty years ago have different answers today. Based on the novel by award-winning author Val McDermid, Place Of Execution is a gripping psychological thriller, told in the present and the past, that blurs the line between reality and illusion.

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The Charmer Review

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(More customer reviews)"Not too tight, old boy," says Ralph Gorse at the end of The Charmer. We've spent nearly 312 minutes leading up to this point. They are 312 well spent minutes.
Gorse (Nigel Havers) is a charming English con man in the early Thirties. He lives by his amoral wits, seducing, enticing and working the side deals. He wants everything he isn't and everything he hasn't. Eventually he works his way up to murder. The Charmer, a wonderful Masterpiece Theater presentation now twenty years old, maintains every bit of its queasy allure, thanks in large part to Havers, to Rosemary Leach and to Bernard Hepton. Leach plays Joan Plumleigh-Bruce, a somewhat frumpy upper-middle class, snobbish Englishwoman, a widow who attracts Gorse's attention because of her property and her income. Hepton plays Donald Stimpson, a man who wears round, thick eyeglasses, has a rather silly mustache and is a property broker. He is a long-time friend and wooer of Joan, and he also fancies a marriage to her, to her income and to her property. The idea of a regular bit of the old bed springs is attractive to Stimpson, too. When Gorse meets Donald and, through him, Joan, the main pieces in this sly, malicious and self-serving game come into play.
In the course of this six-part series we will watch Gorse woo and manipulate, empty bank accounts, impregnate, cause a fire with fatal results, seduce, and murder. Following his trail like a middle-aged, self-serving angel of retribution is Donald. And Donald pulls along in his wake Joan, a woman who knows she was had and scorned, who still loves her Rafe but has Donald whispering to her that Rafe must be held accountable. Donald, of course, would like nothing better than to see Gorse brought down, partly because he detests Gorse and partly because he is sure that will be the path back to Joan's heart, bed and finances.
Is there anyone likable in this drama? Not really, and that's so satisfying. It is the ability of Gorse, Joan and Donald to ignore their real motives and fail to hide their real moral characters from us that gives us so much pleasure. By the end of the drama, Gorse, Joan and Donald each in their own way find a comeuppance that allows us to think our own upright moral characters might even be real.
Nigel Havers has a particularly tough job giving us the picture of Ralph Gorse. Havers must show us what a heel the man is, yet he also must make us see Gorse's charm. We know when Gorse is thinking up some disreputable betrayal for his own benefit. We can see how he is justifying a death. Havers also is able to show us how seductive, how pleasant, how companionable Gorse can be when he wants to. Rosemary Leach gives us a wonderful portrayal of a singularly unlikable, self-deluding woman who wants to be loved, who flutters at Gorse's attentions, who rather likes Donald's insistent courting and who thinks nothing of giving her young Irish maid condescending disdain. And last, we have Bernard Hepton, in my view one of the best of Britain's skilled character actors. With those thick glasses and that mustache, Hepton turns Donald Stimpson into a figure of slightly pompous amusement for us; that is, until we begin to realize just how resentful Stimpson is becoming, and how relentless he is in the pursuit of bringing down Gorse. Hepton turns Stimpson into a little man dangerous to underestimate, who simply won't let go.
The Charmer is murderous black comedy that is a great deal of fun, and features three outstanding performances. The DVD transfer is not as crisp as we've come to expect, but is still very easy to watch.

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Starring: Nigel Havers, Bernard Hepton, Rosemary Leach, Fiona Fullerton, David McKail.Based on the novel ‘Mr. Stimpson & Mr. Gorse’ by Patrick Hamilton.On the surface Ralph Gorse is a charmer in every sense of the word: handsome, suave and stylish, sparkling company and the possessor of a sexual magnetism that attracts most women h e encounters. But the charm is a veneer. Gorse is a con man and sexual adventurer, whose conquests are merely a way of obtaining his heart’s desires: money and power. VOLUME ONE Episode One – The Tempter Ralph Gorse, down to his last pennies, meets Joan Plumleigh-Bruce in a roadhouse. She is attracted to Gorse, despite the difference in their ages. But Plumleigh-Bruce has another suitor, the stolid Donald Stimpson, who is attracted by her regular income, her pleasant house and the promise – yet unfulfilled – of sex. Gorse lures the jealous Stimpson into a sordid night at a pleasure house in a scheme of subtle blackmail.Episode Two – The Investor Gorse allies himself with Clarice Mannor’s fast socialite crowd and continues to fortify his relationship with the romantically-swayed Plumleigh-Bruce with whom he opens a joint bank account for depositing the promised fruits of their future investments. Stimpson casts a jealous and suspicious eye over their financial and romantic liaisons.VOLUME TWOEpisode Three – The DeceiverGorse flees to Brighton where he finds employment as a car salesman and begins romancing the innocent and lovely daughter, Pamela, of his boss, Harold Bennett. Stimpson’s dogged inquiries have uncovered Gorse’s whereabouts; and with the swindled Plumleigh-Bruce in tow, he proceeds to Brighton to confront Gorse with the evidence.Episode Four – Gorse in the Middle Gorse marries the pregnant Pamela and settles uncomfortably into married life. Bennett, father of the bride, still suspicious of Gorse’s motives, buys the newlyweds a house. The deed is solely in the bride’s name, but Gorse has a scheme to turn the tables – and collectthe insurance.VOLUME THREEEpisode Five – The ImposterGorse is drafted for military service, but army life is not his cup of tea. He decides not to return from a brief furlough and checks into a fashionable Brighton seaside hotel where he exchanges identities with a drunken R.A.F. officer. Shortly afterward, a corpse is found on the beach bearing Gorse’s identity papers. Episode Six – Gorse at the EndPlumleigh-Bruce and Stimpson are summoned to Brighton to verify the identity of the body bearing Gorse’s papers. Plumleigh-Bruce can’t face the gruesome prospect and flees to their hotel where she bumps into Alison Warren, Gorse’s latest conquest. Plumleigh-Bruce’s story confirms Warren’s mounting suspicions. She confronts Gorse with the truth and threatens to expose him. Cornered, he takes desperate measures to escape his pursuers.

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Masterpiece Theatre - The Cazalets (2001) Review

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(More customer reviews)This is the story of a large extended, relatively well-off British family from just before WWII up through the early years of the war. The film breaks off about half way through the war while the novels continue through until the end of the war. The way the film ends it feels as if the people making this intended to continue in another season, so it finishes with a lot of loose ends. Despite that fairly serious flaw, the superb character development and the rich range of very real individuals who range from young children to very elderly, from sleazy to incredibly noble and self-sacrificing, makes this something not to be missed. This is about the home front and is a bit more about the women than the men, but the male characters, I thought, were as well developed as the females. In the interest of not offending those who are more puritanical than I, I should mention that there is a very tender, very closeted lesbian relationship involving one family member. In addition, there is a male family member who is less than faithful to his wife. In neither case does much happen on camera. The Cazalet's are in the main generous and loving people. You will be glad you met them. If they had continued with the rest of the story line from the novels, I would have given this 5 stars as a first installment.

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In the shadows of WWII, one family is blessed with privilege, prestige and unspeakable secrets.It’s 1937 and the storm clouds of World War II gather across Europe. Tensions also simmer beneath the seemingly charmed lives of the Cazalet family. While this grand family saga commences during an idyllic summer at the Cazalet’s Sussex country estate, the years that follow will see birth, death, marriage, adultery, dementia, intrigue, and war play significant roles. Acclaimed for its richly detailed production, talented cast and brilliant character depictions, this vivid and poignant family portrait revolves around the wives, lovers, and children of the four Cazalet siblings:hard-working Hugh, womanizing Edward, spinster Rachel, and the artistic Rupert. Soon after Hitler enters Poland and England enters the war, the lives of three generations intertwine as devastating secrets explode like a blitzkrieg. Hardships invade with brutal reality, and slowly, the Cazalet’s decorum can no longer mask their problems. As both the country and family are splintered by war, the Cazalets must prove they have the strength to endure.Based on Elizabeth Jane Howard’s captivating family epic, The Cazalets stars Tony Award®-winner Stephen Dillane (The Real Thing), Hugh Bonneville (Madame Bovary), Paul Rhys (From Hell) and Emma Griffiths Malin (Mary Reilly).

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Discovering Hamlet Review

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(More customer reviews)For anyone interested in a behind the scenes look at how a play proceeds through production this video is for you. The Birmingham Repertory Theater is the setting for this production directed by Derek Jacobi with Kenneth Branagh taking the lead as Hamlet. Narration is provided by Patrick Stewart to guide viewers through the production process. Interspersed between scenes of the rehearsals are interviews with the various actors discussing their characters. I would have like a longer interview with the director, Derek Jacobi, discussing his vision of Hamlet but all in all this is quite a good video.

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Two of Britain\'s greatest actors stage Shakespeare\'s greatest tragedy
A behind-the-scenes look at Shakespearean theatre
In 1988, rising star Kenneth Branagh tackled the role of Shakespeare\'s prince of Denmark for the first time in his professional career under the guidance of celebrated actor Derek Jacobi, considered "the best Hamlet of his generation" (The New York Times). Narrated by Patrick Stewart, this hour-long film documents how these two intelligent, passionate men found new depths in Shakespeare\'s classic drama.
Filmmakers Mark Olshaker and Larry Klein follow the company through four weeks of rehearsals, from the first read-throughs to opening night. Interviews with principal actors--as well as the set designer, costume supervisor, text advisor, and others--reveal how each member of the company meets the production\'s challenges. In all, Discovering Hamlet offers an intimate, behind-the-scenes look at the process of staging Shakespeare\'s most demanding tragedy.
An Emmy®-winning star of stage and screen, Derek Jacobi (I, Claudius) has played some of the Bard\'s most challenging parts in his 50-year career, including Hamlet, Prospero, Macbeth, and Lear.
Four-time Oscar® nominee Kenneth Branagh is a versatile actor, director, and writer famed for bringing Shakespeare to the silver screen in Hamlet, Henry V, and other films.

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Playing Shakespeare (1982) Review

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(More customer reviews)The actual DVD set is being reviewed. I didn't see the book or TV in 1984.
This series of 9 episodes (Or should we call them "instructions" in Shakespeare acting?) seem like they were shot yesterday. They are timeless. What, if anything is staged? What is entirely impromptu? It's hard to say, nay, impossible. It's that well done. The wealth within this educational, academic experience is difficult to quickly review, but we'll give it a go.
"Playing SHAKESPEARE" is the DVD presentation of acting workshops, done like a play rehearsal underway, shot in 1982, led by John Barton, who is himself entertaining, plus an encyclopedia on Shakespearean acting. He directed over 50 plays by the (RSC) Royal Shakespeare Company. A Cambridge professor. His main interest in this series is teaching toward the marriage of the Elizabethan acting tradition and modern times or style. It is instruction dedicated to the actor--but it is of interest to so many more.
Through detailed Shakespeare direction, Barton has provided a series that will delight all lovers of the celebrated playwright. Additionally it will encourage the viewer who is newly attempting appreciation of Shakespeare and his works. Novice Shakespearean audiences will want for more, want for a complete play to view.
Much of the success of this series is the famous & talented actors being instructed. The top of the U.K. entertainers, both within the RSC and out. The BONUS FEATURES of this DVD set includes several of their bios and RSC credits. Some, not all as there are over 20, are:
Peggy Ashcorft, 1907-1991, having at some time performed near all Shakespeare's female roles.
Judi Dench, UK Superstar, fantastic in "As Time Goes By"
Ben Kingsley, "Gandhi" and "Schindler's List" to name but 2
Ian McKellan, "The Lord of the Rings" fans will remember
Patrick Stewart, would you believe "Star Trek: The Next Generation"
David Sachet, "Poirot", need more be said--yes--"The Way We Live Now"
Shakespeare wrote, "Our revels now are ended." Nay, Nay.
Here's the list of Episodes (Learning bits)
1 THE TWO TRADITIONS . . . . . . .2 USING THE VERSE
3 LANGUAGE AND CHARACTER . . . . .4 EXPLORING A CHARACTER
5 SET SPEECHES AND SOLILOQUIES . .6 IRONY AND AMBIGUITY
7 PASSION AND COOLNESS . . . . . .8 REHEARSING THE TEXT
9 POETRY AND HIDDEN POETRY
Each is a to-die-for opportunity for the student or the follower of Shakespeare. Not a full play or dramatic film, but an academic experience set in a working studio using excerpts.
In #3 language and words are discussed like Shakespeare's double syllable use of the word Ti-ime. And his often capitalization of the word, even when it's not the beginning word in the sentence. By watching another fine educational DVD series, "The Adventure of English", one can learn Shakespeare invented over 2000 words.
___Also in this segment, John Barton is coaxed into performing a bit of Shakespeare, which he does twice again during episode 9.
___#4 is outstanding when Shylock (The Merchant of Venice) is performed by Suchet (who is Jewish) and Stewart. Both have played the role in RSC under Barton's direction. The 3 demonstrate how Shakespeare characters can be played in different ways, all being good. Suchet also suggests to view this play, not as anti-Semitic, but without the 20th century Holocaust prejudice.
Other bonus extras include a trailer for "Slings & Arrows" and the much valuable SUBTITLES, recommended to be used by all, to catch the full value of the Shakespeare words.
This DVD set makes me thirst for a Shakespeare play--a Shakespearean Sundae.
If you are a William Shakespeare lover--BUY.
If you are an actor, or student of theatre--BUY.
If you are curious of those often talked about plays--BUY.
More elaboration on this would take as long as the 400+ minutes of the set. Instead, in Shakespeare's own words: "So to him we leave it."


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PLAYING SHAKESPEARE - DVD Movie

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Collision Review

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(More customer reviews)"Collision" is a departure from the typical crime film in that the detectives are auto accident investigators, not homicide detectives. Their job is to explain what happened in a 6-vechicle accident on England's A12 freeway that left 5 people dead. If they find any wrongdoing, the cases are turned over to the appropriate departments of the police force. The first senior officer on the scene of the accident that May afternoon is Ann Stallwood (Kate Ashfield). She and her former flame DI John Tolin (Douglas Henshall) work together uneasily to put the pieces of the smash-up together. This turns out to be a lot more intricate and entertaining than I expected.
A mild-mannered piano teacher named Sidney Norris (David Bamber) lost control of his car, causing a car driven on a clandestine errand by Karen Donnelly (Claire Rushbrook) to smash into him. A van bringing furniture from the Netherlands, driven by Daniel Rampton (Dean Lennox Kelly), runs into them and is catapulted over the median, where it is hit by a BMW carrying a young couple en route to the woman's 23rd birthday party, with a police car in pursuit. Then Brian Edwards (Phil Davis), driving his complaining mother-in-law, runs into them, as do wealthy executive Richard Reeves (Paul McGann) and his driver. Then Daniel disappears after the police arrive on the scene.
It's all quite contrived, as the accident is connected to no fewer than 4 crimes. That's a high crimes-per-vehicle ratio, but none of the crimes seem implausible in themselves. Reactions seem realistic. It's not just a bunch of melodramatic backstories. The script by Anthony Horowitz and Michael A. Walker is packed with intrigue but down-to-earth at the same time. Director Marc Evans has the film jumping around in time a lot, starting after the accident and then going back weeks, days, hours, but not in that order. It can be a little confusing, but more is revealed about the accident with every jump. "Collision" is equally dependent upon its structure and character writing to maintain interest, and both are quite competent.

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At 5:57 on a Friday afternoon, a major incident took place on the A12: six cars were involved in a tragic collision that left two dead at the scene, two other critically wounded, and the surviving victims forever changed their lives forever entwined. When the father of one of the victims files a suit against the police department for alleged complicity in the accident, Detective Inspector John Tolin (Douglas Henshall), just back from an extended leave, must come to terms with his own past and with his partner in the investigation, Senior Investigating Officer Ann Stallwood (Kate Ashfield) if he has any hope of untangling the carnage and understanding what caused the accident that threw so many lives together, for better or for worse. By focusing on the how the individuals involved in the crash spent their days leading up to the crash, Tolin and Stallwood uncover much more than just the cause of the accident. Together, they must somehow find a way to continue their investigation once the suit against the Met is dropped if they are to have any hope of solving crimes from smuggling to murder even genocide.

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Love for Lydia (1979) Review

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(More customer reviews)From September 23 to December 9 in 1979, watchers of Masterpiece Theatre were all excited over a dramatization of H.E. Bates' jazz-age novel, "Love for Lydia." The title character, played flawlessly by Mel Martin, was an utterly self-centered young girl, who was brought to live with two aged aunts (Rachel Kempson and Beatrix Lehmann) and their parasitic brother (a great characterization by Michael Aldridge). She wanted only to have men cater to her every whim ("I will hate you if you don't") and enjoy herself to the fullest.
For several evenings, I have been watching the DVD release of this 13-part series, now available from Acorn Media in a boxed set of 4 discs (AMP-8648) with a running time of 650 minutes. So vivid were the characters that my wife and I fell into a disagreement as to how likable several of them were. (I voted that some man would have done her a favor by telling her to get stuffed--as one of them finally does but too politely; my spouse thought she was a very sad character who deserved pity.) Such was the quality of the acting.
There is little plot but a good deal of character interaction. A would-be writer Edward Richardson (played by Christopher Blake) is a sullen creature, always misunderstanding motives, is jealously in love with Lydia and cannot see how much he is loved by the farm girl Nancy (Sherrie Hewson, looking very much like Shelley Winters in "A Place in the Sun"). Her brother Tom (Peter Davison) and Richardson's best friend Alex (Jeremy Irons) are drawn to Lydia, as is the seemingly anti-social but actually terribly shy taxi-driver Blackie (Ralph Arliss). Her enjoyment of being vied for leads to the death of one of them, possibly another by indirection, and her own bout with near death towards the end.
Mel Martin was quoted as saying, "She was an innocent, untutored in the ways of the world [and] behaved instinctively." I have yet to read the book to see how closely it follows the novel, but the scriptwriter, Julian Bond, pointed out that given 13 episodes, he had 50 minutes to devote to every 17 pages of the original. (In the Penguin paperback, the novel runs 301 pages, making that 23 pages per episode.) So there is lots of time for lingering on the English countryside, the 1920s dresses, the dances and music, and most of all the complex characters.
Grab this one as soon as you can and hold "Lydia" parties to see and discuss it all with your friends.

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LOVE FOR LYDIA - DVD Movie

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Flambards Collection Set Review

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(More customer reviews)Have you ever encountered a TV series which, from the first episode on, became an irreplaceable part of your identity, moving you in ways impossible to describe but felt profoundly? FLAMBARDS was that beautiful a series. Set in the years surrounding the First World War, the story depicts how Christina, a young orphan sent to live with her cousins and uncle at a decaying country estate, Flambards, comes of age amid the conflicts, passions, loyalties, and tragedies which follow from her new life. Her uncle Russell, wheelchair-bound for life due to a fox-hunting accident, compounds his misfortune through heavy drinking by the fireplace, and takes his sole pleasure in life from the vicarious adventures in the hunting field which his rugged son Mark shares with him. They are callous to their servants, and cannot understand anyone who does not share their absorption in the world of hunting, hounds, and endless leisure. Mark's brother William could not be more different. Gentle, sympathetic to the servants and the plight of their class, and passionately devoted to the design, building and flying of planes, he too is injured while engaging in the one sport he hates - fox-hunting - and must now walk with a limp. Christina, in her late teens like William, prefers his gentle company, yet thrills to the excitement of the fox-hunt. And she soon learns that her ample inheritance, due when she is twenty-one, has been earmarked for the restoration of Flambards - and that she is to marry Mark, who, among other brutalities, has provoked the firing of Violet, the kitchen maid, after making her pregnant!The rest of the series portrays the growing attraction of Christina and William, their escape from Flambards into the world of the early aviators, and the disruptions in their new life resulting from the epic slaughter of the First World War. Everything in this series is just right: the casting of Christine McKenna and Alan Parna by as Christina and William, the stirring footage of restored early airplanes in glorious flight (set to the haunting background music of David Fanshawe, itself worth the eleven-and-a-half hours you'll spend loving this series), the tenderness of the scenes where William and Christina discover their love for each other, the portrayal of a bygone age of English social life help make FLAMBARDS a series with something for everybody. But what lifts this series into the realm of the extraordinary for me is its unaffected embodiment of human goodness and innocence, of nobility and the heroic, and of how these qualities can move us still, in a time when we need them more than ever.I've seen dozens of TV shows since I first caught episode 6, "Cold Light of Day," on PBS during a collegiate summer vacation almost twenty years ago. None have found their way as close to my heart as FLAMBARDS. I hope you agree. And I wish you the very best. END

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Acting Shakespeare (1982) Review

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(More customer reviews)I saw this video in my high school British Lit. class in 1986 and was mesmerized. I was not a particular fan of Shakespeare at the time, was in fact one of those kids who found Shakespeare mostly boring and irrelevant, but this turned me on to all that Shakespeare can be and why he has remained popular for so long. I have been a huge fan of Ian McKellan ever since; he is superb in this. I have been looking for this video for years, checking McKellan's website, ebay and everywhere I could think of, so I was so excited when I googled the title today, and found it on Amazon! I cannot recommend McKellan's _Acting Shakespeare_ highly enough. It remains, in my memory, the best theatre -- Shakespeare or otherwise -- that I have ever seen. It is just Ian McKellan on a bare stage, no props or costumes as far as I remember, performing monologues from several Shakespearian plays and commenting on the plays and characters and how he approaches them. The simplicity is perhaps part of what makes this so beautifully done.As it hasn't been released yet, I cannot comment on the technical quality of the sound or video. My hope is that the reason they took so long to release it is because they were picky about getting the audio and video quality right. Anyway, it is superb.

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A masterful tour de force from "one of the most distinguished performers of his generation" (The New York Times).
Alone on stage, without props or costumes, Ian McKellen performs some of Shakespeare\'s most striking monologues and offers his own personal anecdotes about life in the theater. From Henry VI to Macbeth, McKellen demonstrates the incredible universality of Shakespeare\'s plays with wit and humor – skillfully revealing the actor behind the writer in this celebrated one-man show.
Produced by Andrew Susskind and presented at the CBS Broadcast Center in New York City.
Also includes an 8-page booklet with reflections by Ian McKellen.

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Edward & Mrs. Simpson (1980) Review

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(More customer reviews)This production, in my view, is one of the glories of Masterpiece Theater. The acting is excellent, from the leads to the extras. The story is fascinating, especially if you like peeking at the lives of royalty and the upper crust. Every pound Thames Television put into the show is visible; the settings are authentic or look it; the costumes appear bespoke, as they say; and everyone's manners are immaculate, even if what they do isn't.
It's the story of the affair between Edward, Prince of Wales, later Edward VIII, and Wallis Warfield Simpson, an American twice-married divorcee. It starts just before he meets her and ends shortly after he abdicates the British throne to marry "the woman I love." He became the Duke of Windsor and she his Duchess. It was probably the biggest story of its time. The program runs for six 60 minute installments. Because of the style, the acting and the story of these two people, who are so self-indulgent and so obtuse (on his part) and so calculating and brittle (on her part), it never seems boring.
Edward, played by Edward Fox, is a man of great charm and handsome appearance, a man girls swoon over and men wish to be like. He's also privileged, unselfconsciously selfish and not really too bright. He's a man who seems most comfortable with older women, women who can cosset and coo over him. His mistresses have all been older and married. Edward Fox, a fine actor, is wonderful in the part. (For those who might not recognize his name, he was the Jackal in The Day of the Jackal). Wallis, played by Cynthia Harris, is a woman who can seem hard and even scheming, but who also has some vulnerability about her that makes her at least somewhat sympathetic.
Among the fine cast is Nigel Hawthorne as Walter Monckton, one of Edward's loyal but realistic counsellors; Cherie Lunghi as Lady Thelma Furness, a mistress Edward casts off by simply telling his switchboard not to accept anymore of her calls; David Waller as Stanley Baldwin, the shrewd prime minister; and Jessie Mathews as Wallis' Aunt Bessie Merryman, all pink and plump and powdered...and keen-eyed. (Mathews in the Thirties was the toast of the London stage, singing and dancing in a number of musicals. She introduced Rodgers and Hart's "Dancing on the Ceiling.")
If you like Masterpiece Theater or similar shows, I think you'll like this program very much. The DVD picture is very good. Unfortunately, there is only one extra, A&E's Biography of Wallis Simpson. Not even any cast bios.

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On the evening of December 11, 1936, England's King Edward VIII formally broadcast his farewell to a nation. Torn between duty and love, he had decided to follow his heart. A powerful fairytale made all the more compelling because it actually happened, EDWARD & MRS. SIMPSON captures the unforgettable romance that develops between the Prince of Wales and an extraordinary American woman named Wallis Simpson. That she is already married and believed to have had previous affairs ruffles more than a few feathers. The scandal heats up when the Prince becomes King and declares his intention to marry his mistress, who has since divorced and become quite available. A critically acclaimed British mini-series from 1978 finally available on DVD, EDWARD & MRS. SIMPSON features seven episodes shot in sumptuous period detail and stars Edward Fox (Gandhi, A Passage to India) and Cynthia Harris (Mad About You, Three Men and a Baby). DVD Features: "Wallis Simpson" Episode From A&E's Award-Winning Series BIOGRAPHY; Interactive Menus; Scene Selection

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The Politician's Wife (1996) Review

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(More customer reviews)The Politician's Wife plays out in three installments, each lasting a little over an hour. This playing time is needed to allow for the intricate plotting of this complex drama. In the first part Flora Matlock, wife of Tory minister and rising star Duncan Matlock, learns that her husband has been unfaithful to her. This infidelity is ironic given that Duncan represents the family in the conservative English government. At first Flora is surprised and angry. We watch as she packs her bags to leave her husband. Before she finishes her packing she gets pressure from all sides to support her husband. She gives in to the manipulations of the men who want to keep Duncan in power. A little later on Flora learns from Duncan's assistant that the affair with an escort girl, Jennifer Cairn, lasted for a year or so. She is given pictures and an audio tape documenting Duncan's infidelity.
In part two Flora, an exceptionally bright and capable woman, plots Duncan's downfall. Whenever she begins to question her motives, she listens to the audio tape to steel her in her resolve. Flora is as clever as Iago in Othello. We marvel at her political astuteness as she makes her plans and lays her traps for her husband, who deserves everything she does to him. In part three we hold our breath as she springs the trap and sets in motion a string of events that should keep all viewers watching closely to see what will happen next.
The Politican's Wife represents the best of television drama. The acting is first-rate by all participants, particularly Juliet Stepenson as Flora, Trevor Eve as Duncan, Ian Bannen, unfortunately now dead, as Sir Donald Frazier, confidant to Flora, and Minnie Driver as the escort girl. A large cast supports these principals superbly.
The story moves quickly and inexorably to the finale. The only mild violence in the plot happens in the bedroom as we watch Flora begin to take control over her wayward husband by playing to his many sexual weaknesses. Duncan is a manipulative villain and Flora is every bit his equal when it comes to scheming. Flora can lie and cheat with the best of the men who surround her.
Is lying ahd cheating what it takes to succeed in government? The Politician's Wife suggests that honesty is for losers and those on the fast track to political power need to learn to manipulate the system to their advantage if they are going to have any chance at success. The Politician's Wife demontrates dramatically that women are not the weaker sex -- quite the contrary. Highly recommended.


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When the tabloids scream the news that Minister of the Family Duncan Matlock has been caught in an affair with an "escort" girl, no one is more stunned than Flora, his wife. As her husband and the Tory establishment behind him expect, Flora maintains her loyal façade. But behind her public smiles, she seethes with mounting fury. Employing strange sexual games and covert political tactics, she plots to exact the ultimate revenge against her husband and the system that created him. This powerful, award-winning PBS drama stars Juliet Stevenson (Truly, Madly, Deeply; Bend It Like Beckham), Trevor Eve (In the Name of the Father), and Minnie Driver (Good Will Hunting, Grosse Pointe Blank). DVD SPECIAL FEATURES INCLUDE background essay by writer Paula Milne and cast filmographies. "Splendidly wicked" -The New York Times "Smashing!" -TV Guide "A true PBS ‘Masterpiece’. . . a brilliant, incisive political potboiler"-Los Angeles Times

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To Serve Them All My Days (Miniseries) (1982) Review

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(More customer reviews)To Serve Them All My Days is a BBC production originally shown on Masterpiece Theater in the early 1980s. I saw it then and admired the wonderful acting, the lovely settings, and the excellent story. I am so glad it is finally available on DVD.
The story revolves around young David Powlett-Jones, a shell shocked and wounded veteran of World War I who is hired to teach history at Bamfylde School in the last days of the war. David is from a Welsh coal mining family, and he has strong socialist convictions as well as a large chip on his shoulder about the priviledged youths and men he now finds himself among. This is a subtext that runs throughout the series, but the primary story deals with David's growing self confidence and abilities. There is also a romantic subtext, with David being involved with three women, a wife who dies tragically, a brief fling with another woman, and finally a second wife who is both upper class and a Labour politician, thus combining the two disparate elements in David's life.
John Duttine is wonderful as the star of the series, but there is an excellent supporting cast led hy Frank Middlemass and Alan MacNaughton. Another nice aspect is the depiction of Bamfylde School itself, giving us Americans a pretty good idea of life in a British public school.

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After barely surviving the trenches of World War I, an embittered young soldier takes a teaching post at Bamfylde, an elite boarding school in the uplands of West Devon. It is an unlikely job for a Welsh miner’s son without a degree, but David Powlett-Jones (John Duttine) proves to be a rare schoolmaster, as passionate about learning as he is about teaching. Through two tumultuous decades, Powlett-Jones inspires his students with his courage and idealism, qualities that help prepare him to send another generation of young men off to fight yet another war. A beloved PBS Masterpiece Theatre classic adapted by Andrew Davies (Pride and Prejudice, Bridget Jones’s Diary) from the novel by R. F. Delderfield.

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Paradise Postponed/Titmuss Regained Review

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(More customer reviews)This was the best "Masterpiece Theatre" series in the 1980s - I can't wait to see it again. Following John Mortimer's novel closely, the plot revolves around a purplexing mystery: why has a saintly and steadfastly liberal vicar left his sizeable fortune to villainous Thatcherite cabinet minister Leslie Titmuss? All is revealed in as the series travels back several decades examining the tangled relationships between the middle class families of the Rapstone Valley and the working classes of Skurfield. The central mystery ultimately serves to illuminate how Britain has changed from the post-war period to the 1980s England of Margaret Thatcher.
The sequel "Titmuss Regained" is less sweeping but also bitterly amusing as cabinet minister Titmuss takes a bizarre detour from his political ambitions to attempt personal happiness and romantic love. Titmuss is an astounding fictional creation - Mortimer wrote a third "Titmuss" novel, "The Sound of Trumpets" - maybe someday the BBC will dramatize the last chapter in the life of this somehow loveable villain.

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A gripping family saga from Rumpole creator John Mortimer
As seen on Masterpiece Theatre
Leslie Titmuss (David Threlfall, Shameless) has never quite fit in among the denizens of Rapstone village. Socially awkward and hailing from a humble background, he nonetheless aspires to the highest levels of society—and he\'s prepared to do whatever it takes to get there.
For much of his life, Titmuss was taken under the wing of the kindly Reverend Simcox (Michael Hordern, Anne of the Thousand Days). This caused little concern for the clergyman\'s sons, Henry (Peter Egan, A Perfect Spy) and Freddy (Paul Shelley, A Tale of Two Cities). But when their father dies, they have every reason to complain: he has willed the family fortune to Titmuss.
Was he mad? Or is there a darker explanation? Follow the families\' interwoven histories from the years after WWII to the death of Reverend Simcox and beyond. Nominated for four BAFTAs, Paradise Postponed and its sequel, Titmuss Regained, also star Kristin Scott Thomas (The English Patient), Annette Crosbie (Edward the King), and Zoë Wanamaker (Poirot).
DVD FEATURE INCLUDES biography of author John Mortimer.

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And Then There Were None (1945) Review

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(More customer reviews)The new Image DVD version of AND THEN THERE WERE NONE is a vast improvement in video/audio quality over previous DVD releases by VCI in 1999 and Madacy in 2001. All three versions are currently available at Amazon, so be sure to check the technical info page for each disc to see which company makes it.
The video transfer on the Image DVD, said to be made from "original elements", is much, much sharper and more detailed than that on the VCI and Madacy versions. It also shows a little more picture on all four sides of the screen. The picture looks somewhat battered during the opening credits, but it looks great the rest of the way. There is a slight amount of graininess and other blemishes throughout, but it is not detrimental. I'm especially impressed with the scenes that take place in the dark, in which some of the background details, such as engravings on the wall, the subtle lights and shadows, etc., can be seen with much greater clarity. The VCI disc, conversely, looks much less sharp, and the Madacy disc even less so.
The monophonic audio tracks on the VCI and Madacy discs are louder but have more noise compared to that on the Image disc. The problem of the dialogs not being synchronized properly on the VCI and Madacy discs has also been fixed on the Image disc.
The Image disc has one extra: the film's British opening credit sequence, which uses the deplorably offensive title "Ten Little N******" (which is also Agatha Christie's original title for her whodunnit). The sequence is preceded with an explanation of its use so the viewer has the historical context in mind. The VCI disc has a biography section on the filmmakers and the 1946 comedy short TWIN HUSBANDS, starring Leon Errol. The Madacy disc has a 9-minute newsreel footage from 1945, a 12-minute blooper footage (of OTHER films), 3 screenshots of lobby cards, and a trivia quiz section. All three discs are region-free and without subtitles or closed captioning.

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Ten people, strangers to each other, are invited to a lavishestate on an island. Through a recording, their mysterious host accuseseach of his `guests' of murder and proceeds to exact `justice'. The tensionmounts as, one by one, the number of people are reduced through theingenious plotting of the unseen killer. Finally only two are left and eachis uncertain as to weather or not the other is the murderer. A top cast ofveteran performers bring the intricate twist of the plot to life. One ofthe most thrilling novels, climaxes at the spine tingling conclusion. Matchwits with the script as you watch a thriller that has carved its ownspecial niche in the realm of tales of suspense and mystery. Released by20th Century Fox. Bonus Features: Bonus Classic Comedy Two-Reelerstarring Leon Errol, Scene Selection, Actor Bios, Narrative track for theblind. Specs: DVD5; Dolby Digital Mono; 97 minutes; B&W; 1.33:1Aspect Ratio; MPAA - NR; Year -1945.

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