Reviews (67)

Wild Horses
The rural grazing life in the Snowy Mountains has hardly changed since Banjo Paterson traveled the high country and wrote his famous "Man from Snowy River" poem. His poetry is an authentic voice of a frontier society in which song and campfire recitation were much appreciated entertainment.

"And the Snowy River riders on the mountains make their home,
Where the river runs those giant hills between;
I have seen full many horsemen since I first commenced to roam,
But nowhere yet such horsemen have I seen."

Andrew Barton Paterson was born in New South Wales and was the son of a Scottish immigrant. Paterson was a poet, journalist, lawyer, jockey, soldier, farmer and one of the best-loved figures of Australian literature. His poem is the basis for this gorgeous movie about the treacherous terrain and bands of wild, stampeding horses. He also wrote Waltzing Matilda, which is lovingly woven into the soundtrack.

The Man from Snowy River Movie tells a more in depth story of a cattle baron Mr. Harrison (Jessica's father) who has had a long quarrel with his brother Spur. Kirk Douglas plays both roles. When one brother finds his fortune, the second goes searching for gold. This is a story based on a time when families tended their sheep and cattle. Ghost towns from the gold rush still haunt the landscape.

Set against the untamed Australian Outback, a love story unfolds between Jessica Harrison ( Sigrid Thornton) and Jim Craig (Tom Burlinson). Jim seems to have a way with horses and Jessica is a bit of a brash filly herself.

She has her own ideas regarding a woman's choices in life and choosing the path she will take in her own career. She defies her father and runs off to find Jim. Her anger towards Jim over a horse riding accident is like a summer storm that quickly disappears once she experiences the excitement of forbidden love.

Her father, Mr. Harrison, has not yet learned that there is a beautiful place inside each person where we are either nurtured or destroyed. He seems emotionally destructive and Jessica rebels because he won't let her follow any of her dreams. He seeks to trap her in his own wishes and thinks she should settle down into a domestic lifestyle.

Jim and Jessica are soul mates with hearts as wild as the horses running free through the snow. While at first they fight their mutual attraction, Jessica seems clearer in her thinking after she almost dies and realizes there are just some things in life worth fighting for.

Equestrian Heaven with an impressive conclusion! You must see this movie once in your life if you love horses. The wide-screen edition is highly recommended!

What's Not To Like...??
"NEVER CRY WOLF"..."FLIGHT OF THE PHOENIX"..."THE ENLGLISH PATIENT"...

...all, cinematic and character delights - as you will find "THE MAN FROM SNOWY RIVER"...

Technically a "10", this Aussie (and World) classic, may leave you none-the-less breathless. George Miller's direction, Cull Cullen's script (enhanced by John Dixon and David Bradshaw's, "A.B. 'Banjo' Paterson", whose original poem is the essense of the film), Keith Wagstaff's absolutely stunning cinematography and Bruce Rowland's original and heart-tugging music (particularly, the piano solo, "Jessica's Theme") may bring tears to your eyes with this simple, Down-Under western plot -- but it took a world-class editor like Adrian Carr to put this gorgeous film into the top ranks of movie-watchers the globe over. Carr's timing of Wagstaff's photography and Rowland's music is the stuff legends are made of...just, dare I say it, "Professional Grade"(!)
It didn't hurt to have a made-to-order cast. Burlinson is quietly, and wonderfully, cast as the young male hero, "Jim Craig." Kirk Douglas hasn't played a better role - and, as a double. Terence Donovan played the quietly strong, short-lived role as Burlinson's father, "Henry." Sigrid Thornton was exemplary and believable as Tom's love interest, "Jessica" (the woman is beautiful) and the venerable Jack Thompson was magnificent as "Clancy" - the range-wise, "horse-magician" glue that holds the whole film together.
The subtle British humour Americans are so used to is sometimes raucous in the film - more the better from Chris Haywood's
"Curly" (..."Ah'm studyin' to be Supavisa!").
If you can't get an empathetic rise and a teardrop over the cornea through this wonderfully crafted epic, then pop-a-top from a 12 oz. curl of your favorite brew, pull back the handle on your Lazy-Boy and turn on the Wrestling Channel...you dolt.

Filmed in 1982, it's still a true classic 22 years later.

~Bob Shank Jr

Technical Support Engineer
IT UNIX Help Desk
Engineering Computing
Raytheon Missile Systems Co.
Tucson By-God Arizona (...and, yes, we still have true 'horsemen' here - they just blacksmith Tomahawk missiles in their spare time)

Great movie, with beautiful music and scenery!!
I was only nine years old when this movie came out, and I have loved it ever since I first saw it in the theater. I am a horse lover and rider myself, and so I'm sure that's a big part of why this movie is one of my favorites, but I think even people who have never even been around horses can appreciate it. The acting is excellent, and the scenes with the horses galloping across the gorgeous Australian countryside, are wonderful. One of my favorite things about it is the music. The music is some of the most beautiful I've ever heard. The soundtrack is definitely one of the highlights of the film. And of course, I can't forget one of the most incredible scenes I've ever seen in any horse movie, which is where Tom Burlinson gallops his horse down an unbelievably steep mountainside. My family and I have always wondered if this was actually done by a stunt rider, or if it involved trick photography. Either way, it is a very impressive scene, and will leave you in complete awe. This will always be on my list of all-time favorite films, and I would recommend it to anyone who is a fan of the Western-type genre, or anyone who loves horses.

My All-time Favorite
I first saw The Man From Snowy River when I was 8 years old and now that I'm 23, it's still my most favorite movie. I've probably watched it close to a thousand times by now, with every line memorized. There is not a single thing about this movie that's not amazingly beautiful, and the sequel is just as good--if not better, then the first! I would absolutely recommend this movie to anyone looking for some good, wholesome entertainment!

Twenty years later, this movie is still an Aussie classic
I remember seeing this with my girlfriends in the theatre, and then buying my first vcr so I could watch this film everyday. The cinematography is gorgeous. The music is haunting and beautiful. Tom Burlinson and Sigrid Thornton make a great romantic team, and Jack Thompson is wonderful as Clancy. All of the actors fit their roles except for Kirk Douglas. It really shows that a "big name star" had to be used to get this picture made. Kirk Douglas insisted on re-writing many of his lines, and refused to step off his horse with the entire cast at the end of the movie in homage to The Man From Snowy River. The entire end scene had to be re-written. Little wonder that Brian Dennehey was cast in the role in the sequel. Enjoy both the original and the sequel. And be sure to get the soundtracks. Bruce Rowland created two of the best movie scores you will ever hear. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Season 4 began on a high point with the Centauri Prime in the grip of the insane Emperor Cartagia (Wortham Krimmer) and a run of six shows leading to the climax of the war against the Shadows in "Into the Fire." If this colossal narrative was resolved a little too easily and the ultimate aim of the Shadows turned out to be a tad disappointing, it still proved to be the most powerful slice of space opera to ever grace the small screen. In the aftermath the sheer scale dropped back a little but the pace never slowed as the rest of the season played out in one relentless cycle of conspiracy, betrayal and conflict, Babylon 5 siding with the rebel Mars colony against the totalitarian Earth.

Meanwhile Delenn came increasingly into conflict with her own people and, paralleling her relationship with Sheridan, Garibaldi became involved with his ex-fiancée Lise Hampton (Denise Gentile), while an intense platonic love grew between Ivanova and Marcus Cole. On an unstoppable wave fuelled by roller-coaster plot twists and spectacular action shows from "No Surrender, No Retreat"--when Sheridan avows to overthrow EarthGov--to "Rising Star"--when the aim is realized--Babylon 5 achieved a consistent excellence rare in television. Yet within that run "Intersections in Real Time" stood out as a bold experiment; essentially a two-hand drama taking place entirely within one dimly lit room. Beyond this a major character died and Sheridan and Delenn married before the season finale again broke with expectation. In "The Deconstruction of Falling Stars," a future descendant of humanity one million years hence reviews excerpts from the history of Babylon 5. In one sequence set in 2762, a Brother is devoted to the preserving of history some time after the "Big Burn." A homage to Walter M. Miller's classic A Canticle for Leibowitz, Sheridan and Delenn have themselves become the stuff of legend. --Gary S. Dalkin ... Read more

Reviews (40)

Yet Another Great Season of Babylon 5
"No Surrender, No Retreat", the fourth season of Babylon 5, is a fascinating study in contrasts between the most memorable and worst aspects of this series. It is among the most memorable since it chronicles vividly the Shadow War and Sheridan's epic struggle against President Clark's totalitarian EarthGov regime. And yet, I regret that J. Michael Straczynski wrapped up two compelling story arcs too neatly, though in fairness to him, he was under pressure from Warner Brothers, worried that his five season novel for television would not see a fifth season.

The first half of the season features Sheridan's (Bruce Boxleitner) return from the dead world of Z'Ha'Dum, accompanied by the enigmatic First One Lorien (Wayne Alexander)- who has rescued Sheridan temporarily from death - and the struggle against the Shadows that concludes in the episode "The Long Night". Sheridan will force a momentuous confrontation between the Shadows and Vorlons. We will also see who was responsible for Garibaldi's mysterious disappearance at the end of Season Three (No, not the Shadows exactly). And we shall watch Londo Mollari (Peter Jurasik) regain some of his humanity in his struggle to overthrow mad Centauri emperor Cartagia (Wortham Krimmer), promising G'Kar (Andreas Katsulas) freedom for the enslaved Narn homeworld. Vir Cotto (Stephen Furst), Londo's befuddled aide, comes to play a crucial part in Londo's conspiracy. And Delenn (Mira Furlan) must come to grips with her past history as the one who initiated the Minbari invasion of Earth Alliance terrority during the infamous Earth-Minbari war.

The second half shows Sheridan gaining some unlikely allies, most notably, Psi Cop Alfred Bester (Walter Koenig) - in the episode Epiphanies - as he leads the fight against President Clark's totalitarian regime. Meanwhile Garibaldi will head to Mars as an unwitting pawn of the Psi Corps, become reacquainted with his long-lost love, and work for her husband William Edgars(Efrem Zimbalist, Jr.), one of Earth's richest men. In space Sheridan and Ivanova (Claudia Christian) will lead a fleet comprised of the Rangers' White Stars, League of Non-Aligned World warships and rebel Earth Force forces against Clark's loyal Earth Force fleet in some of the most memorable space battles ever shown on television or cinema, most notably during the episodes "No Surrender, No Retreat" and "Endgame".

This splendid CD collection also includes commentary from members of the cast and J. Michael Straczynski of several key episodes, an overview of some of the important supporting characters, and the Babylon 5 universe. These extra features are an improvement over those for previous Babylon 5 seasons, though they lack the impressive array of material found, for example, in Peter Jackson's "Lord of the Rings" film trilogy. And yet fans of Babylon 5 as well as those unfamiliar with this television series will not be disappointed with this fine CD collection. It offers excellent visual proof why Babylon 5 is regarded by many as the finest science fiction television series of all time.

Great television, but the dvds could be better
Season 4 was the most eventful season of Babylon 5, the best science fiction series ever to air on American television. If anything, the season was a bit too packed, since the resolution of the civil war with Earth was rushed to a conclusion because the season was in danger of cancellation as the result of the collapse of its syndication network (Season 5 was picked up at the last minute by a cable network, and only the second half of season 5 is worthwhile).
Despite its abundance of plot, Season 4 was as literate as the previous seasons. The directing, special effects, and acting continued to be solid. Every single episode this season works; there are no duds to be found. The characters and their development are as fascinating as ever. The ideas that are put into play are often intriguing. Babylon 5 is always much more than simple space opera.
The dvd collections are great to own, but they are far from perfect. The transfers are watchable, but both the video and audio could be better. The extra features are nice, but are not plentiful.
Though some may be disappointed by the package, anybody with a taste for intelligent science fiction will find Babylon 5 to be a monumental experience they will never forget.

A good fourth season
I don't think everything about it works and I cringe at some of the acting (no point in naming names!), but when all is said and done, BABYLON 5 was a mostly-sucessful attempt to strike a balance between the action-adventure aspects that people expect from TV science-fiction and having some good, intelligent STORYTELLING with meat on the bones. J. Michael Straczynski managed to convincingly wrap up both of the conflicts that had been brewing for the previous 3 seasons and with all of the "wham and bam" that had been expected. If I had one gripe with the story, it's that Commander Susan Ivanova (Claudia Christian) and Ranger Marcus Cole (Jason Carter) are severely under-utilized in this season, which might not have been such a drawback were it not for the way things play out for both characters towards the end (If you already know, fine; if you don't, I won't give it away).

Perhaps the three regular cast members that shine the brightest are the consistantly excellent Andreas Katsulas as G'Kar, Peter Jurasik as G'kar's sworn enemy Londo and, surprisingly, Steven Furst as Londo's adjutant Vir. Furst is particularly moving as his character is forced more and more to cope with the distressing changes that are happening around him. The guest actors are by and large quite good, with Wortham Krimmer as the mad Emperor Cartagia and Ed Wasser as Mr. Morden standing out. Unfortunately, and I'm sorry for breaking my promise not to name names, Walter Koenig as Psi Corp heavy Bester continues to be less of a menace and more of a major annoyance as he has been in past seasons of BABYLON 5. If they had to get a TREK vet to do the role, couldn't Brent Spiner or George Takei have been approached? Either would've been better than Koenig.

Caveats notwithstanding, BABYLON 5 continued to flourishin it's fourth season---and it's given full flower here on DVD.

Ah, the best was yet to come!
This season of B5 is bittersweet for fans, because it was both the best of seasons and the worst of seasons. The best, because it had some of the most moving moments in the whole B5 canon (the scene where the Liberation Fleet jumps out of hyperspace to Earthspace, with the music reaching it's height, is indelible).

The worst because both the shadow war AND the earth war each their conclusion, prematurely, in this season. It is one slam-bang episode after another, as JMS fought was he thought was the fight to tell the last two seaons in one season - it left the cupboard bare for season five, but it left us with a powerful season of TV!

I won't bother with a show-by-show description of what happens. Others, better qualified than I, will surely do so. But I will share what i think were the highlights of the season:

1. Sheridan's speech when arriving at earth was extremely well-written and delivered. Though Boxleitner has been called "wooden" in his style, this speech was a vindication for him.

2. The whole thread having to do with Sheridan's sacrifice on Zha'ha'dum was well-done. Not overplayed by anyone, it still cast a delicious pall over the season, making all choices seemingly minor in comparison.

3. The end of the Shadow War was well-handled. It showed that the enemy was not the one most alien in body, but the one most alien in mind, that was the foe. In the end, we understood the Shadows and Vorlons but never understood Bester or Clark. The former were beaten by reason, the latter only by force.

4. Tactics, especially those at Proxima Three, were interesting and important. It is a rare show that show more than just shooting until one side figures out a dodge to win against imposible odds. Sheridan's forces and tactics had this one won from the start - the cost was the only variable.

There are some poorly-done elements. The Shadows and Vorlons are pathetic at the end. Lorien was a bit TOO deus ex machina for my tastes. Jerry Doyle is a bit too much overtaxed by the script, as is Patricia Tallman (both needed a couple of more episodes to make charactor changes believable).

However, the season as a whole is magnificent. The intro sequence alone is worth the price of admission. This is must-get for B5 fans and TV sci-fi fans alike.

best season
I liked this season best and feel that it is a great addition to any and all collections.

However all B-5 sets are only $35.00 - $45.00 at CD warehouse. Why shop amazon when their competition is so much cheaper? ... Read more

Description

The Dumbo 60th Anniversary Edition was the beneficiary of an electronic film restoration process where every frame of film was scanned into a high resolution computer system, then painstakingly examined and repaired frame by frame to eliminate negative and positive dirt, film scratches and the like. A high definition transfer was done and color correction was supervised by Disney Feature Animation to ensure faithful reproduction of the colors as they were originally intended. ... Read more

Reviews (127)

Excellent for two and three year olds and everyone else too!
Dumbo is a cinematic milestone and masterpiece of family entertainment. The storyline and characters are well rounded enough (just) to entertain adults and older children and the quality of the animation both holds children's attention and enables them to empathise with the principle characters. In addition, the moral of the story is well presented without being clumsily overstated as in much modern animation.

Both my children have frequently watched this DVD (which first came out (without extras) in Europe in 1999) since they were one and both enjoy it imensely.

I'm both astonished and disturbed that anyone could deem this movie unsuitable for children but can only assume they come from the same group of people who banned Robin Hood books from schools for being 'pro communist' and Shakespeare for being 'too explicit'!

The 'drunken scene' is funny, brief and discrete (all you see is the shadows of characters through canvas). As to fast forwarding through the dream sequence for the kids' benefit because it is 'too long' that is verging on irresponsible. All doing so teaches a child is that it's OK to have a short attention span and to zoom through films to the 'interesting bits'. Perhaps I was wrong though and the moral of the story has been hidden too deeply "Persevere - Don't Give Up" is lost on some people.

Great, despite the grainy picture quality
This sweet animated film (only 64 minutes long) is truly a Disney treasure. The simple story is about a little elephant that just doesn't fit in because of his freakishly large ears. Timothy, a little circus mouse, befriends Dumbo and sees only beauty in his new friend. Dumbo entertains us, as well as teaches us a timeless lesson about love and tolerance in a world that is often times unkind and cruel. The animation is rather simple as compared to the detail found in Snow White or Pinocchio, but it somehow works because of the film's other strengths. In Dumbo your emotions run the full spectrum from laughter to tears. The musical numbers are memorable, especially "Baby Mine". Baby Mine is a tearjerker if ever there was one. The crows add great comic relief toward the end of the film. The Special Bonus Features on the DVD are a real nice touch and generous. Among the extras are a "Celebrating Dumbo" featurette, two animated shorts, and a Music Video of "Baby Mine" sung by Michael Crawford that will have you sobbing all over again, guaranteed! The only complaint I have was mentioned by other reviewers, that being the grainy quality of the film. This flaw simply does not make any sense. I would have expected that Disney, promoting Dumbo as the "60th Anniversary Edition", would have bothered to restore the picture and audio elements. The DVD back cover makes claims to Dumbo being digitally restored and remastered with a Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound, but it certainly is not evident to me. I guess we should be thankful for the merits of the DVD which are many. Recommended.

A True Disney Classic
This is one of Disney's true enduring classics. The story is simple. A baby elephant is delivered to the delighted Mrs. Jumbo, but he has big ears. Dubbed Dumbo, he is soon separated from his mother and must find a way to deal with his ears on his own. With only Timothy Mouse to help him, he soon learns that, thanks to his big ears, he can fly.

I have always loved this movie. The story is simple, but moves quickly and from heart felt emotion to laughter easily. The moral is simple, but isn't preachy. Watching this movie again recently, I was surprised again at how much of the early story to told in song. I usually forget "Look out for Mr. Stork" and the song they sing as they build the circus in the rain when thinking about the classic songs. "Baby Mine" is one of my favorite Disney songs because of its heartfelt emotion and I love all the puns in "When I See an Elephant Fly."

This is a truly remarkable movie. Pop some corn, sit back, and joy this classic tale.

Good, yes... however...
Sure, it's a good tale. However, one thing you might consider before letting your children watch it is how dark this movie is. This movie is an exploration of some of the more darker and vile aspects of the human psyche. It is an animated meditation on abuse, slavery, and mistreatment. As such, it may disturb not only the children watching it, but the parents as well. Think twice about this one. There is also the very weird scene where Dumbo gets stinking drunk on alcohol and has "hallucinations." Yes, you should very much think twice about this one as a parent.

Dumbo, a classic
Made in the 40s and still appreciated by yours truly now. My favorite scene is when Dumbo and the mouse fall into the well and his wine in it. they get so drunk and they ended up hallucinating for like a 10 minute long substance abuse horror scene for children. honestly, unless you are taking shots of cheap vodka or smoking out of your buddies pipe whose name is an inside joke, do not let your kid see this part. (OR ANYOTHER SCENE because I remember crying when I was a little kid when Dumbo goes in a different cage than his mom on the circuis train and they get separated).
Anyways, about that scene. why does it last so long? was it like an inside joke to all the older viewers? i think this movie was the origin of the timeless hallucination of pink elephants. it is so trippy like when the elephants combine and they shoot into the sky or something like that and everything turns into fire works.
the next morning dumbo and his mouse friend end up in a tree and they're like man what happened. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Four years after Showtime made gay men the focus of its original series Queer as Folk, it was time for a little turnabout with The L Word (bad title, great show). Centering around a tight-knit group of lesbians in Los Angeles, this drama was far removed from its working-class male counterpart in both style and content. While the men of QAF enjoyed a fabulous if melodramatic life on the middle-class streets of Pittsburgh, the women of The L Word lived it up in sunny California, with gorgeous houses, glamorous careers, and sexy wardrobes. Ironically, though, The L Word adhered more to the everyday drama of ensemble shows like thirtysomething than the soap opera antics of QAF, and the results were surprisingly heartfelt and effective, appropriately stylish but never over the top. There was plenty of room for titillation, but creator Ilene Chaiken fashioned from the start a show centered on characters and not just sex, aiming for the heart rather than... well, other places.

The L Word focused primarily on committed couple Bette (Jennifer Beals) and Tina (Laurel Holloman), a former power-career duo who've decided to have a baby; however, artificial insemination and the changing dynamics of their relationship throw their previously happy existence off-kilter. Within their orbit are spunky journalist Alice (Leisha Hailey), sultry hairdresser Shane (Katherine Moenning), closeted pro tennis player Dana (Erin Daniels), and espresso bar owner Marina (Karina Lombard) who, in the show's most polarizing storyline, bedded the seemingly straight Jenny (Mia Kirschner) and shook up her heterosexual world. Jenny's am-I-straight-or-not? kvetching frustrated both her fiancé (Eric Mabius) and many viewers, who were alternately irritated and intrigued by her inability to decide one way or the other. But Jenny's weakness was part of The L Word's strength: in exploring many sides of many issues, both domestic and political, it never came up with an easy answer for any of them, making the show all that more fascinating--and compulsively watchable. --Mark Englehart ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Can't Get enough of the Girls
I absolutly can't wait for THE L WORD dvd set to some out on Nov 9th. This Show is history in the making. The cast and the characters storylines are remarkable. I recommmend the everyone watch the show on Showtime and to buy the dvd set. Bette and Tina forever

Fantastic - Can't Wait Until It's Out! (Pardon the Pun)
I saw the series on showtime and I was hooked since the first episode. The characters and their lives are detailed, complex, and very entertaining. They all have their quirks and it's great to see a collection portraying lesbians as normal people. The relationships between all eight woman (20s to early 30s)are complex yet you still "get" the feelings they encounter with eachother.

There is plenty of sexual scenes however you don't feel like your watching porn because it's filled with various emotions: passion, lust, desire, pain, and much more. It varies from casual sex to commitment so you're covered any way you go.

Anyone who's looking for something more than just girl on girl porn and movies that lack any plot please watch/buy this. You're gauranteed to love the characters and wish some of them were your own friends. Enjoy! ... Read more

Amazon.com

The Longest Day is Hollywood's definitive D-day movie.More modern accounts such as Saving Private Ryan are morevividly realistic, but producer Darryl F. Zanuck's epic 1962 account isthe only one to attempt the daunting task of covering that fateful dayfrom all perspectives. From the German high command and front-lineofficers to the French Resistance and all the key Allied participants,the screenplay by Cornelius Ryan, based on his own authoritative book, is as factuallyaccurate as possible. The endless parade of stars (John Wayne, HenryFonda, Robert Mitchum, Sean Connery, and Richard Burton, to name a few)makes for an uneasy mix of verisimilitude and Hollywood star-power,however, and the film falls a little flat for too much of its three-hour running time. But the set-piece battles are still spectacular, andif the landings on Omaha Beach lack the graphic gore of PrivateRyan they nonetheless show the sheer scale and audacity of theinvasion. --Mark Walker ... Read more

Reviews (131)

Comparisons are inevitable; they're also unhelpful
The comparisons are of course between THE LONGEST DAY and SAVING PRIVATE RYAN. The only similarities are: both movies depict the allied landings at Normandy on D-Day, they are tributes to the servicemen of WWII, and most importantly, both are good movies. That said, general comparisons are unhelpful because the realism that made Spielberg's movie so memorable is totally absent from THE LONGEST DAY; for two very good reasons: (1) technically, the capability was unavailable in 1962 and (2) morally, that level of graphic violence would have been unacceptable. Also, Mr Zanuck, as director, did not want to make bloody messes of his numerous stars.

Realism aside, on its own merits THE LONGEST DAY is a tribute that has stood the test of time. The huge collection of stars (over 40) and the near 3 hour length qualifies it as epic. On an emotional level, it is a patriotic salute to the soldiers who went ashore. With a scope larger than Omaha beach, the focus is not exclusively American; the movie depicts the role of the British, and other allied troops, as well as the work of the French resistance. German dialogue is subtitled to add some realism. Perhaps the best aspect of the movie is that as an adaptation of Cornelius Ryan's book of the same name, it is based on a historically accurate account of the battle.

For realism, patriotism, and a sentimental heroic story, only partially based on real events of D-Day, watch SAVING PRIVATE RYAN. For an old fashioned, "clean" war movie based on history with good acting (Henry Fonda, Robert Mitchum, John Wayne, Curt Jurgens) watch THE LONGEST DAY. Better yet, view both, just don't spoil the experience with a lot of comparisons.

The Longest View
Unlike Saving Private Ryan, The Longest Day was filmed to dramatize the true, unfolding story of the invasion of France beginning several days before the invasion, which was documented for all time by journalist Cornelius Ryan. Ryan did something few historians have successfully accomplished since the end of the war. He compiled thousands of interviews and wrote a realistic account of the invasion which reads like a suspense and action novel. The movie seeks to combine many characters taken from Ryan's book, and is therefore fiction as well as history, but it is masterfully done and is otherwise true to history. Stereotypes of incompetent German officers and troops, so common in film and television of the early 1960's was not a problem in this movie, nor is the graphic violence of Private Ryan observable. The true story is the focus of the movie, and it was made primarily for veterans who had seen the real violence and had fought tough, intellegent and brave Germans, and had no need to be reminded of those horrors. They did have a desire to see their sacrifices and trials acknowledged alongside the background of historical context. It is a gripping movie. A side note for those who might want to compare The Longest Day with Saving Private Ryan. These should compliment each other, not be compared with each other. The audience for The Longest Day was primarily the veterans, their peers and children. The audience or Saving Private Ryan is primarily the grandchildren of the veterans, young people who are in the main, quite ignorant of history. There is no doubt that Saving Private Ryan is more accurate a portayal of historical American and German weapons and villages, but this was not even attempted in the Longest Day. If you will read The Longest Day before watching Saving Private Ryan, you will see that the sites and sounds remembered by many of the interviewed veterans who were at Omaha and Utah beaches somehow happened at the same time and place in Saving Private Ryan. That makes Saving Private Ryan as inaccurate for what it shows, as is The Longest Day, for what it doesn't show. Both movies are excellent, and both are moving.

IT HAS NOT STOOD THE TEST OF TIME
Director Darryl F. Zanuck tried his best with the technical resources at his dispostition at the time and using the narrative standar for epic movies of that time. But watching this movie today is a really act of courage. It drags and drags, the three hours seem to never end. Also, even if they tried to give a view of the global situation, they failed miserably.

The movie is an endless sequence of shell and fire sounds, a really pain. I simply don't like the movie, although I understand what they tried to do.

Only a Partial View of D-Day and Operation Overlord
Although this film is certainly worth watching, the viewer who has little idea of what Operation Overlord was about won't learn very much about it. Of course, we see many examples of heroism, but so much was left out that one can easily get a distorted view of things.
(1) Contrary to the impression that the Hollywood movie industry gives, the Americans and British did not defeat Germany alone. Three-quarters of the strength of the German Wehrmacht was destroyed by the Soviet Union. I realize that this film was made a the height of the cold war, but still some mention should have been made of their contribution to victory.
(2) The most impressive part of Overlord were the meticulous preparations made. Some mention of it was made, but more of it should have been shown, such as the various special weapons and ships that were made to ease the assault on the fortified beaches. Archive film could have been easily procured to show the various devices used to clear mine fields and barbed wire.
Most crucial was the development of the "Mulberry" artificial ports.
(3) This film used several Germans as advisors such as Blumentritt who were in the Wehrmacht High Command. They use this film as a vehicle for pushing the now largely discredited line that "if only Hitler had let the Generals run the war, they would have won it for him", and the also the myth that they opposed Hitler and held nothing but contempt for him (von Rundstedt calls Hitler "that Bohemian Corporal" in the film). In reality they were all very loyal to him and they really strongly supported him and his criminal policies when they were winning the war.
(4) The importance of the deception campaign making the Germans think the assault will be at the Pas de Calais and not a Normandy was very important and continued even after the landing on D-Day to make the Germans think Normandy was just a diversion.
This was not mentioned. A whole "virtual army" was created with fake radio traffic opposite Calais. This could have been shown as well.
(5) Although I have nothing personal against the man, John Wayne is a very poor actor and I have no idea where he got his reputation as one of Hollywood's leading men!

The Longest Movie
I watched on June 6th 2004 "The Longest Day" to learn about D-Day June 6th in 1944. In general it was a painfully boring movie. I accomplished my goal of learning about D-Day, but it was at a cost of wasting about three hours of my life. It is my belief that this story could have been told in one and a half hours instead of three. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Jeremy Brett's portrayal of Sherlock Holmes is perhaps the best filmed version of Arthur Conan Doyle's famous detective, showcasing Holmes's dazzling brilliance without ignoring his unnerving intensity or drug dependencies. First aired on Britain's Granada Television in 1984, the series offered perfect casting (David Burke, replaced later in the run by Edward Hardwicke, played Dr. Watson as Holmes's sturdy companion and chronicler rather than as a buffoon), marvelous period music by Patrick Gowers, and a running time of almost an hour per story, which allowed superior detail and faithfulness to the original source.

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes marked the beginning of the long-running series. Highlights of these 13 episodes include "A Scandal in Bohemia," which introduces Irene Adler (Gayle Hunnicutt), whom Holmes uncharacteristically describes as having "a face a man might die for"; the chilling locked-room mystery "The Speckled Band"; the introduction of Sherlock's brother Mycroft (Charles Gray) in "The Greek Interpreter"; and "The Final Problem," in which Holmes confronts his arch-enemy Professor Moriarty (Eric Porter) at Reichenbach Falls in Switzerland. The five-disc boxed set is a great bargain compared to previous VHS releases, although bonus features are limited to English subtitles and galleries of Sidney Paget's famous illustrations. The series would continue on Granada with The Return of Sherlock Holmes, The Casebook of Sherlock Holmes, and The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes as well as the stand-alone treatments of The Sign of Four and The Hound of the Baskervilles. --David Horiuchi ... Read more

Reviews (59)

Wonderful series -- disappointing DVD
Grenada's Sherlock Holmes series are, for my money, the finest adaptations of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's detective stories ever filmed, or likely to be. The casting, locations, scripting, direction and atmosphere are beyond reproach. Grenada's aim was to create the definitive Sherlock Holmes, and so they did. Sadly, Jeremy Brett passed away with some twenty of the stories remaining to film, and in the last several shows his illness made him almost painful to watch.... but in this first series of Adventures, he's at the top of his game, as is David Burke, who is the perfect Watson to go with Brett's perfect Holmes.

I wish I could be as enthusiastic about MPI's treatment of the series on disc. The extras are all fine, but Disc One has some distressingly bad sound quality, and the video transfer quality on all the discs is uniformly poor. It makes one wish very strongly that A&E had gotten the DVD rights, as their treatment of such classics as MONTY PYTHON and THE AVENGERS is top-notch. It is the quality control problems on these discs that keep me from awarding the full five stars.

That having been said: for the Sherlock Holmes fan, this series is worth having on disc whatever the shortcomings.

Get it for the episodes, not the special features
Sherlockians everywhere: Jeremy Brett is the Master. If you haven't seen these episodes, or any of the others featuring the late Mr. Brett, you're missing a treat. I was a great fan of Basil Rathbone until I stumbled upon the Brett/Burke duo some dozen years ago. Now I can't imagine anyone else bringing Sherlock Holmes to life.

This collection features thirteen great episodes actually based on what Conan Doyle wrote. This is Holmes in all his moody eccenticity, from the mouse coloured dressing gown to the seven percent solution. This is also a Watson I was relieved to see, not the bumbling idiot that Nigel Bruce made him, but a solid reliable citizen with his own sort of intelligence: the perfect foil for a Holmes who pointedly ignores social convention. (Edward Hardwicke took up the role of Watson after this season, but I really prefer David Burke's portrayal.) The translation from page to screen is not exact -- e.g., bits of conversation from "The Sign of Four" appear in "Scandal in Bohemia" -- but there's nothing that came out of the blue.

AS far as a DVD collection goes, this is an odd one. The special features are nothing to write home about and the 13 episodes are formatted weirdly onto five discs where 3 or 4 certainly would have done. In some of the early episodes the sound is quite distorted, as if the DVDs were copied from well worn video tapes without the copy being cleaned up in any way. But all of that made no difference to me, because I'm so pleased to have these episodes and be able to watch them any time I want.

NOw if only they'd release the rest of the series in DVD sets!

Superb Holmes and unusually good Watson
These are the first 13 episodes in the justly-famous Jeremy Brett series. To my mind, they're the best of the lot. "The Red-Headed League" and "The Blue Carbuncle" are Doyle at his very best. Jeremy Brett seems about the right age, a fit 40ish (though the actor was probably more like 50ish at the time). Brett's Holmes feels exactly right, complete with memorable mannerisms and Victorian grand gestures. It's hard to imagine a future actor ever trying his hands at it. David Burke is a better Watson than Cedric Hardwicke, who replaced him in the later episodes.

Watson is a tough guy to figure out. What kind of man would devote all his free time to following and assisting Sherlock Holmes? It doesn't help that Watson is under-developed in Doyle's stories, a sort of literary device that allows Holmes to verbalize his thoughts in ways comprehensible to us mere mortals, of which Watson is one. There's frequently a condescending tone in Holmes' remarks to Watson, though Holmes is clearly fond of Watson and actually relies on his help. Nigel Bruce made much too much of this condescension in the Rathbone films, in which he played Watson as a buffoon for comic relief. In the 1970s, someone named Rosenberg wrote a book, "Naked is the Best Disguise", in which he looked for signs of latent homosexuality in the Holmes-Watson relationship. I don't think we want to go there, do we? I think that the best way to flesh Watson out in a dramatization is to play him as, among other things, an adventure junkie. He loves the excitement, mental stimulation, and danger. Cedric Hardwicke's pudgy, middle-aged do-gooder doesn't work for me. David Burke's Watson is also a man of decency, a do-gooder (as is Doyle's Watson) who wants to see justice done, but he also seems rugged, physically fit, believeable as a man who saw combat in India and who now thrives on the adventure that his association with Holmes allows him to experience back home in London.

Worth it!
It is very gratifying to see so many younger people carrying on the Sherlock Holmes legacy. These period pieces are quite up to the task. My first viewing of these episodes on PBS were a bit of a disappointment as I thought Jeremy Brett's choices were too feminine too often. After three episodes, my opinion changed quite dramatically. Playing off an intelligent Watson...well, not intelligent so much as not the buffoon, Brett does major justice to the character. For all you "Rathbone is the only Holmes" types: Relax...Brett is a worthy Holmes. Costumes; Locations; and dialogue strictly Victorian. Enjoy

Jeremy Brett Is The One And Only Sherlock Holmes
I grew up watching this wonderful series. I honestly think that Jeremy was the perfect choice for Holmes. Unlike a lot of Sherlock Holmes I have seen. The one thing that I dearly love about Brett's performance. Is that he brings a sort of sweet touch of humanity to Holmes. That most actors do not.
I love every moment with Brett as the most famous fictional detective in the world. There is allows a sweet sense of humor that Brett gives Hlomes that a lot of actors do not do.
Most actors build around to Holme's intelligent and busy body side.
There is just something wonderful and real that Jeremy Brett brings to the long list of players as Sherlock Holmes.
If you want to get any set of movies on Holmes then please get this one, and if you plain on doing even more watching on Sherlock Holmes. Then I suggest the next great version is with Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce. ... Read more

Amazon.com

As another entry in the video-game-to-movie genre, Alone in the Dark certainly delivers in terms of its splattering gore and number of things that get shot or blown up with the kind of arsenal familiar to any fan of games that allow the player to shoot or blow things up. You could argue that some game-based movies have been big successes--gauged either by audience appeal or box office scores. Even though a lot of hardcore gamers probably won't care, Alone in the Dark is not of that ilk. At least the Resident Evil and Tomb Raider series had some interesting characters and locations (not to mention sexy stars). But Alone in the Dark is crippled from the first by a mundane setting of caves, laboratories, and street-fighting backgrounds as well as a cast (including Christian Slater, Stephen Dorff, and Tara Reid) that couldn't be less interested in the overly complex plot. The absurdity starts right away with a long expository pre-title text crawl that carries all the gravitas of a "Monty Python" sketch intro. The gist of the plot has a group of scientists, special-ops military guys, and paranormal freaks and geeks investigating evil creatures that were once harnessed by an extinct subset race of Native Americans. Unleashed again, the creatures must be destroyed, which is where the video game blasting and attendant gore comes into play. Considering the cult following the game series carries (the first installment is over a decade old), Alone in the Dark could find a nice little life on DVD, but theater-goers might discover the title's a little too literal. --Ted Fry ... Read more

Reviews (67)

crap
Things blew up, there was blood and aliens or something...fortunately, Tara Reid remained scantily clad for the majority of this film...other than that I have no idea what the point of this movie was. Plot hung on by a dangling thread, and was pretty much left unresolved, i guess. Please for the love of God, don't spend money on this, please. I'm telling you this for your own benefit. Do something more constructive with your money. Buy your girl something nice, take your mom out to lunch. Whatever you choose, i'm sure it will go towards something a little more worthwhile than this. 'Nuff said...Christ.

Great Plot - so-so acting - low budget=Coulda Been Better!
The overall plot and storyline were pretty good.Somewhat reminiscent of something like the movie Stargate or The Mummy.

The plot in a quick word, is this:In 1967, mine workers discovered artifacts attributing to an ancient Native American Civilization called the Abkani.The Abkani believed there were two worlds on this planet..one of light and one of darkness.To the darkness there was a door, and if that door was opened, something evil would slip through.

The Abkani abrubtly ceased to exist.Literally wiped off the face of the earth, overnight.

From there we have some artifact hunting that leads to clues (think National Treasure LITE) to a puzzle that when pieced together, solves the mystery of their disappearance..or very well opens a door for the disappearance of the human race!

As said before, I think the overall plotline and story are really good.I can see this movie actually being great with say, Jerry Bruckheimer directing it.Lots of action scenes and intense fighting, some histories mysteries, a little Alien/Predator feel to it as well.

Now for the cons, as other reviewers have also noted:Tara Reid did not help this movie.We needed someone who was exhilirating, realistic, and witty.For whatever reason, this role did not fit her.I could see Claire Daines in this role or perhaps Bridget Moynahan, but they probably cost to much payroll wise.

I thought Christian Slater did a decent job as well as Stephen Dorff.This movie is one of those that tried to work with the budget it had, and didn't do a terrible job.There are so many things in this movie that just didn't quite tie together, and I don't mean it didn't make sense, I mean there was a lot to the story and some better cast actors and better directing would have made it much more "solid" than "disconnected".We needed a Morgan Freeman...We needed a Donald Sutherland...

Overall it's okay, but I do feel it's much better than some of the lower budget movies out there on the shelf.The overall cinematic feel is good as well as the pace of the movie, the mystery, and the suspense.As said before, we needed Claire Daines...An Eric Bana...Perhaps Barry Pepper...

No video game story here.Only characters used.
This "Alone In The Dark" is based upon the video game series (1996-2001) beginning with "Alone In The Dark: One Eyed Jack's Revenge" (by Kokopeli) to "Alone In The Dark 4: The New Nightmare" (by Darkworks/Infogrames).
This story is meant to take place after "Alone In The Dark 4: The New Nightmare".The elements in the developing 5th game of the series were used in this film, however the video game was not ready at time of film's release. The video game, "Alone In The Dark 5" will be released in early 2006.
If you are unfamilar with "Alone In The Dark", I recommend you purchase "Alone In The Dark 4: The New Nightmare".
A stone begins to glow and a crate is opened by theives.We see some people doing very ordinary things in their home, but suddenly they drop whatever thay are doing and leave out the door.Nineteen people are now "missing" and the only clue Edward Carnby (Christian Slater) has is all the missing people were in the same orphanage he was in.Edward teams up with Aline Cedrac (Tara Reid) who works for a museum.They have teamed up bewfore during other adventures.They also have monsters to deal with.The missing people have become zombie-like and they have a larve attached to their spinal cord.Edward Carnby just found out he has a larve inside of him too, but he was electrocuted when he was young, so the larve is dead.
Easter Egg: Scroll down the "Special Features".Use the left/right button instead.As you slowly get to Trailer Gallery and then to Main Menu (may have to do this a second time), an outtake of Slater scaring Reid in bed is shown.

To make this film more fun to watch, in "Special Features", go to the "Trivia Track".You can turn this feature "On" for interesting facts while you watch the film.However, the blue seal that contains the trivia information is difficult to see.They should have used the color yellow.
Also in "Set Up", there is audio commentary with Director Uwe Boll.
You can play "Trivia Track" and audio commentary at the same time.

Alone In The Toilet
Once again the worst director in the world, Uwe Boll, delivers to us another log from the turd factory.Following up his previous crapfest 'House Of The Dead' is this film, 'Alone In The Dark'.And once again, he sodomizes us with one of the worst film ever put to celluloid.

Probably my favorite thing about Boll is his complete disregard for continuity or coherent story, and he desregards both in spades in 'Alone In The Dark'.There is no thread of a plot in this film's running time.Nothing makes any sense.People show up randomly to places that you have no idea why they are there.The special effects are marginally better than a completely low budget flick.The action scenes are absolutely pathetic.The acting is pathetic:Tara Reid is the worst scientist ever, Christian Slater is completely lame(any one who says here that he did the only good acting in this film is insane), and Stephen Dorff rocks a mullet.

Put in plain english:this movie is crap in its purest form.Now, while 'Alone In The Dark' is not quite as crappy as 'House Of The Dead', don't be fooled into thinking its better.It isn't.It just sucks in a slightly different way.Uwe Boll has tried to make a putrid pile of a film and he has truly done the job...again.Avoid this film like it is an infected turd.A little piece of you will die if you watch it.

On a sidenote, Boll is set to direct 'Bloodrayne', which be be his third straight film based on a video game.I'm sure it will suck too.

Horrible, horrible film with the most awkward sex scene ever
I remember reading all the horrible, horrible reviews for this film when it came out. I meant to go see how horrible it was but it was out of theatres in three weeks. The only other movie to manage that is Gigli.

When the movie came out on DVD, I bought it to see how awful it was. I couldn't think of the sheer horrorible attention that this film was getting was possible. After seeing it, I can understand.

First off, let me say that this film is not without some cool shots. There's a nice shot at the beginning that shows a bullet being fired from inside the gun, which I thought was neat. And the way the monsters in this movie die is sort of cool to look at; but it gets old after the first time you see it.

Let me start with the worst thing in this movie: Tara Reid. If bad acting was a sin, then Hell would've chucked Tara Reid right out since she's so unbelievably awful in this movie it's unthinkable. And of all the roles, she plays a curator. Now if she played a dumb, empty-headed sex toy then maybe I might be able to forgive her for how she treats her character. Apparently, Uwe Boll didn't realize that, although he did seem to think that if she took off her shirt in the movie, people would see it. He just didn't realize that making her do that in the middle of the film at the absolute wrong moment just made the movie even more hilariously bad. And is that a mexican song or something during the scene of dry humping? I couldn't tell.

Which brings me to my next complaint: Uwe Boll shows off some of the worst directing skills you'll ever see in a movie. I mean, I'd give House of the Dead an F (and I only do that for very few movies) but HotD would score at least a B compared to this screwed up piece of junk. The movie starts off with a very, very long narration that causes immediate confusion (and read by a horrible narrarator) and from there, the cuts are really, really dumb. There's this one point where Slater and Reid are looking around a building that's been destroyed and the screen blackens out. When it comes back, Slater and Reid are shotting everywhere and suddenly, an entire army has joined them. Huh?

And someone did NOT bother checking the mistakes in this movie. At one point, a team breaks through glass, but the glass breaks before they touch it. Tara Reid's earrings switch colors in the middle of one scene and after Slater walks away from a dead commrade, you can see her begin to get up.

As for the story... I was really lost. Something about an old tribe releasing darkness and someone "opens the path" or something and all the evil monsters pop out. It's just an excuse to have a lot of gun scenes (the technology is so advanced here that no character ever needs to reload in this film) that get, quite simply, BORING.

I bought this movie hoping to laugh at how incredibly stupid it was. I didn't laugh, but I still think it's stupid. Very, very, very stupid. ... Read more

Reviews (77)

A classic
I don't want to make a bigger deal out of this movie than it deserves. It's not a world-changer and the ending is a bit predictable, but it is a wonderful and charming coming of age story and an honest look at small-town America. And cycling and Italians play central roles -- a plus for an American cyclist living in Italy, like me.

But having an affinity for things Italian or for bike racing is not necessary in order to enjoy this 25-year-old classic. What is necessary is an appreciation for small things and memories about the mysterious period between adolescence and adulthood. If that describes you, then chances are you'll enjoy this touching film.

Amid the praise I should say that the DVD package is only average: the original trailer and teaser are there, but it would have been nice to have some commentary from director Peter Yates, some of the actors, or from critics who were fans of the film. A "Making of Breaking Away" mini feature would have also been a welcome addition.

One note: Breaking Away is a very American film, and so I'm not so sure how much of it will hit home with foreign viewers.

Inspiring Coming-of-Age Quirky Heartwarming Film
This is the story of four boys who have just finished high school and who live in Bloomington, Indiana. They are trying to figure out who they are and who they could be. They run up against the animosity of the college kids who look down upon the townies or "Cutters" (Bloomington is also a rock quarrying town) as inherently inferior.

The main character is irrepressible Dave Stohler (Dennis Christopher) who decides that he wants to be an Italian international bicycle racing star, even though he has never been out of his home town and doesn't happen to be Italian. He pours himself into the role of becoming Italian and becoming a star-quality cyclist. His loving parents are bewildered and worry if their son will ever be normal. He doesn't want to be normal; he wants to be outstanding.

This movie does a wonderful job of blending comedy, character development, and action. After watching it, you feel like you were there and you knew these people. I was inspired by this film to look for other Dennis Christopher movies (e.g., "California Dreaming") but none even approached this one. "Breaking Away", with the multiple meanings to its title, is one of the most likable movies I've ever seen. A great pick-me-up if you're down in the dumps.

Remember Being 18? You Will...
Watching "Breaking Away" is like visiting an old buddy in a familiar town. The film is about four friends who have graduated high school and aren't quite sure whether to embrace adulthood and the future or to shun it and cling instead to their childhood identities and each other. There is a great deal of warmth and gentle humor throughout the film, and the performances are winning.

Mike (Dennis Quaid), the leader of the group, clings to his friends as reminders of his days as high school quarterback and fears they will prove to be his best. Moocher is eager for adulthood and is planning to marry his girlfriend. The only problem is he cannot keep a job! Cyril (Daniel Stern) is resigned to the fact he may never leave Bloomington, but remains buoyant regardless. Dave Stohler is the main character, he knows exactly what he wants to be, an Italian Cyclist. There is only one problem- he isn't Italian! Dave learns through a young woman he meets and eventually through his father that simply being Dave is more than good enough, and that he must embrace his natural talents and the future. There have been countless "coming of age" pictures, but this one is the most enjoyable!

DVD: The production values of the DVD leave something to be desired and therefore I only give the product 4 stars. The lack of 5.1 surround is a disappointment, as well as the quality of the video. A commentary track featuring the four leads would have been an interesting addition. The only extras are a couple of trailers.

Wide appeal.
This film has wide appeal. At the outset it really seems to be one of those movies that were made specifically to cater to rising trends of the times -- in this case, the bike boom of the early 70's. And yet, even though our protagonist rides a Masi, this film has few things in common with other flicks like Torque, The Fast and the Furious, Top Gun, Wildstyle, Quicksilver and others that feebly attempt to elevate their respective scenes to almost mythical underground status by building stories and jargon completely around the sport or subject itself. Initially I watched Breaking Away because I was into bicycles. But bicycles in this movie surprisingly take somewhat of a backseat in relation to its main thrust; this film could be said to be not just about coming of age in small town America but more about taking pride in your own cultural identity while finding the courage to pursue your own dreams. And however cliche it might sound, the struggle is a real one, especially concerning the 'vicious cycle' that exists in our supposedly classless American society. And this I think, has a far more timeless appeal than a kid going around thinking he's a professional italian cyclist, however charming it may seem.

A classic
A sleeper that made the grade and graduated into the realms of Classic Flicks, Breaking Away is one of those wonderfully uplifting and subtly patriotic movies that champions small-town America. Steve Tesich won the screenplay Oscar for this semi-biographical story about four 19yo kids who can't quite decide what to do with themselves after high school. They live in Bloomington, Indiana, where the guys from the university look down on the townies and make derogatory comments about their rock quarrying forebears. One of them drifts, then runs, into the world of Italian bicycling, much to his used-car-salesman father's dismay and embarrassment.
You'll feel yourself pulled into rising excitement as the marvelous finale hoves into view, and, though sorry to see the film end, you'll hit the rewind button with a big smile on your face. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Always absorbing and frequently brilliant, Leonard Bernstein's TheUnanswered Question is a very lucid and convincing discussion of music'shistory and forms, with particular emphasis on modern music. It addresses theaverage intelligent listener who is not musically trained but wants to know whatmakes music work--what is meant, for example, by "tonal" and "atonal." Itrequires some concentration, but Bernstein, a superb teacher, keeps technicaljargon to a minimum, illustrates what he means with musical examples andgraphics, and repeats key points.

Delivered in 1973, the talks were transcribed for a book, but in it Bernstein insists"The pages that follow were written not to be read, but listened to," really anendorsement of the video edition. The talks are, in fact, performances.Television was always kind to Bernstein; he had magnetism and knew how to useit. To illustrate various points in his analyses, he plays the piano frequently,sings occasionally, and conducts significant works of key composers: Mozart,Beethoven, Berlioz, Wagner, Ravel, Debussy, Ives, Mahler, and Stravinsky.

Bernstein traces the development of music from its origins to the 20th-centurystruggle between tonality (championed notably by Stravinsky) and atonalism(represented mainly by Schoenberg). The last two talks, devoted to thesecomposers, are particularly enlightening, but all six are outstanding. He arguespersuasively that humans are born with an ability to grasp musical forms, andthat rules of musical syntax are rooted in nature--in mathematically measurablerelations between tones and overtones.

These talks are a key document. They coincide chronologically, as cause and/orsymptom, with the movement of America's leading composers back fromSchoenbergian forms toward a tonal orientation. Bernstein predicts and promotesthis movement, which is still in progress. He is clearly an advocate oftonality, but he discusses atonal music with sympathy and understanding. --Joe McLellan ... Read more

Reviews (9)

I'm glued to the screen
All technical and musical matters have been discussed by other reviewers, so I'm just going to say that this collection of lectures is a delight to watch and listen. Some of them run nearly 3 hours, but I never become bored of them. Bernstein, with his contageous energy, enthusiasm and excellent communication skills, shares his views and thoughts with such pleasant ways; it is just irresistible. Just to prove my point, my husband, who has no musical background and had no idea what the maestro was talking about when he watched the first lecture with me, gave a delightful cry of amazement each time Bernstein demonstrated on the piano. Needless to say, he was glued to the screen and watched it till the end without a hint of boredom.
The lectures are highly intellectual, and to understand what he's talking about, you need musical background, but even if you don't understand at all, it is still very enjoyable.
Humphrey Burton writes in his Bernstein's biography that Bernstein was having such good time being with young people at Harvard, he kept on delaying and delaying to complete these lectures. You can see that the maestro enjoys so much sharing what he knows with not only Harvard students but with all the world. His theme is universality of music and brotherhood of human kind through music. Some of his thoughts and ideas are so very unique and different; they amuse me at the same time make me think.

Even though the questions are not all answered (the more he talks, the more questions arise, I have to admit), his spirit is well delivered, and that alone makes this DVD a treasure worth having.

The theory of everything
Its quite interesting that in the late 20th century, there was a progresive tendency to look for a number of grand schemes, many of which would be familiar to you guys, perhaps some of which would not be. One obvious example is that tremendous effort to find an underlying theory of physics which would combine relativity and quantum mechanics - another are more obscure attempts to reconcile set theory with certain models within category theory which had been giving trouble to a certain set of number theoretians - etc, etc.

But the human dimension to this appeared, almost as one man in the form of Chomsky. His book, "Aspects of the theory of Syntax" was the tip of the iceberg of a huge number of papers published on the deep structure of language while he was working at MIT. This appeared to offer clues as to aspects of the structure of ANY human language, an utterly amazing claim. Some of his later works give clues to the possible existence of a universal paradigm for language which has massive implications for people in so many disciplines, I couldn't begin to enumerate.

This all started, by the way, on the route to attempting the final cataloguing of the North American indian languages, some of which had only one remaining speaker. The task was huge and unapproachable until Chomsky evolved a system for abbreviating certain grammatic structures, which, to his surprise, evolved into a powerful predictive theory.

Anyone exposed to this at the time would have been impressed, but what was to follow was even more amazing. Chomsky's ideas swiftly melded with other theories of semantics and syntax transformations in different fields, and became de-rigeour for many PhDs in computer science and anthropology, uniting what was up until that time two very, very different disciplines. Citations to his work began to appear everywhere, and in the most amazing places.

An illustration of what was to follow THAT is basically contained here. no less, a unified theory of language and music!

[You ought to get this - it is undoubtedly a brilliant scholarly work in any case, even if you don't concur with Bernstein on all points - and few would exactly agree with him on all, nor, importantly, would you need to, to benefit from this.]

The argument presented is quite intuitive, but is nontheless compelling. Music is shown as being a byproduct of our humanity, extended from need in whatever form, as an infant, or an adult, from utility into sophisticaion, and finally inspiration. Bernstein makes sure the listener is in no doubt that there is something way, way beyond necessity in our provision for the experience of music. His explanation of the physics of music is flawless, and ... awe inspiring. And, watching the man traverse this enormous gap between logic, physics, liguistics, and the unnameable majesty of Beethoven and Debussy (both of which he performs as a conductor, and is moved greatly and visibly) is utterly breathtaking. I would doubt that anyone watching his exposition of the 6th would be any less moved in this way.

Apart from any of this, Bernstein entertains enormously. There are parts of his explantions that truly defy you not to laugh. He has an honesty and self effacement that is quite unusual, this comes out particularly in his efforts to sing, which he pokes quite a bit of fun at. It's obvious how passionately his audience is involved. (He describes at length a discussion with a student after one lecture in the next one - and its clear that both student and teacher really have learned quite a bit but have obviously been a little combatative, at least, at first)

From there on, you might care to differ a bit. The history of the 20th Century is described rather neatly as the showdown between Schoenburg and Stravinsky, two schools of thought, two very different philosophies. He enters this very complex consideration fairly gently. I agree with his approach - and understanding of the environment of the early 20th century is essential if one is to understand its music - and so he described Debussy, who is ... sort of.. at the end of the Waagnerian era, stretching ambiguity and tonal resources to the uttermost. Can one go further? Yes indeed, and here we have the entry of the Viennese school of 12 tone technique, illustrated with Schoenburgs six little piano pieces. But oddly enough, Bernstein shows very clearly that the appearance of 12 tone technique is not unequivically Schoenburgs' alone, but appears in the guise of mists and mirages in Chopin, Wagner, even Beethoven, but grasped once and for all by Schoenburg.

Given another five or so lectures, one might imagine that one could explore the use of bitonality, not just in the context of the Rite of Spring (which is most EXCELLENTLY explained), but the mid century English composers, who use this technique. Such people as Holst, Grainger, Williams, Strauss, and of course, Britten. But there isn't time. The end point of these complications is the resolution into a robust defence of neo-classicism, such as the ebony concerto, and of course, Oedipux Rex. But I think that this is a sad way to end - Rex is a sombre, hard work, and doesn't quite illustrate the end that either Schoenburg or Stravinsky seem to have unknowingly appointed for that part of the 20th century. In this, Bernstein may have overlooked that really recent developoments in Europe, that of an emerging new impressionism (even, perhaps, Romanticism), exemplified by Xenakis, Maderna, Berio, and others, who in some sense share some parts of both ends of the bipolar world which was the basis for all this in the middle part of that century.

All this is debatable. For instance, not a mention is given to either those very radical spirits like Varese, who seemed to eschew both ends equaly - or those, like Sibelius, Delius or Neilson, who didn't seem to mind either way, and continued to write what is now known as the mid century symphonic repertoire.

That is a long, long story, and could form the basis of a lot of commentary. Where, for instance, is Shostakovich in all this? Or Bartok, for that matter? I think this is all dealt with elsewhere, but I would have given a great deal to have seen these composers discussed at length.

But this set of lectures is so valuable as a signpost, I would never do anything other than highly, highly recommend it.It's absolutely magnificent.

In some ways brilliant, yet the sum isn't up to the parts
This series of talks presented by Leonard Bernstein at Harvard in 1973 has many fascinating components, but the overall thesis seems like an argument in search of a point. Bernstein is always interesting and enthusiastic in these sorts of things, but he also tends to ramble and drag in everything but the kitchen sink in order to buttress his points. He attempts to connect his musical theory of "innateness" to the development of speech patterns--unnecessarily in my view, and the connection is never really fully explained. In the end he concludes the 20th century characteristics in art--of irony, existentialism, and self-reference--are a result of the horrors of modern times, of the Holocaust, the two world wars, and the nuclear age. It's a premise put forth in his "Age of Anxiety" Symphony and I didn't buy it then either. Never does he explain *why* one leads to the other, he just seems to assume the relationship is evident. And, I hate to appear to be upstaging Bernstein, but I think I have a simpler and easier-to-defend thesis (and it's not my original idea, either).

I agree the modern artistic age is characterized by irony, references (self and other) and a revisiting of the old in new clothes. However, I don't see any link to the "horrors of the 20th century" as to why we can't directly say "I love you" when we mean "I love you." Rather, I think the reason irony and assorted deconstructionist techniques sprang up in the 20th century is because we finally had the history and the heritage for them to exist and make sense. Musical language was direct in Mozart's time, in Bach's time, in Beethoven's time, because they were inventing it. By the time we reach Mahler, it is fully developed and we find ourselves in the process of "deconstructing" it (or he did). Before that time, there wasn't the heritage and history *to* deconstruct. To make my point, jazz, despite coming of age in the ashes of World War I, didn't become ironic and deconstructionist through the first half of the 20th century, until the 1950s. Its deconstruction was borne not from any of the horrors of the Holocaust or the atom bomb, but from its own accumulation of tradition and technique. Ditto the cinema. In short, you can't deconstruct until the construction is complete.

So Bernstein's argument, in my view, doesn't hold water, but is the very sort of Romantic and poetic vision that appeals to him. (On another documentary I have, he waxes poetic on the anguish and turmoil trapped in the person of Gustav Mahler while never bothing to back up his thesis with a shred of documentary evidence.) However, while I don't agree with his conclusion, the journey he takes to get there is fascinating, filled with analyses of such landmark works as Mozart's Symphony No. 40, Beethoven's Pastorale Symphony, Wagner's Tristan and Isolde, Berg's Violin Concerto, and Stravinsky's Le Sacre, just to name a few. Also, his discussions of tonality, the "Circle of Fifths" and the evolution of Western harmony are fascinating. There's a certain amount of annoying preening--there are times when he's really milking his little Harvard audience for applause, and you'd think that by that point in his career he wouldn't need it--but this is easy to overlook. The video is clean and the audio is quite good for the time. Overall this is a set worth getting, despite my reservations about Bernstein's overall argument and his attempts to strengthen it by linking it to linguistics, a melding I think is artificial and unnecessary. (It reminds me of early jazz scholars trying to make their work appear more solid by forcing analogies between jazz and classical music.) I do recommend this set, but beware Lenny's excessive Romanticisms!

This is awesome...
This lecture series is great for all levels of music lovers, from the beginner to the expert, because of the broadness of material covered. Bernstein is captivating, the lectures are wonderful. It is a delight. You will want to have been there, that is for sure. Recommended highly.

Wow.
I originally viewed these lectures on vhs, and found the content very interesting, and the resolution adequate, but the dvd version is very crisp, visually.

Content - 5
Video/Audio - 5 ... Read more

Description

The Academy Award winner for Best Original Screenplay, Gosford Park is a whodunit as only director Robert Altman could do it.As a hunting party gathers at the country estate, no one is aware that before the weekend is over, someone will be murdered - twice!The police are baffled but the all-seeing, all-hearing servants know that almost everyone had a motive.
This critically-acclaimed murder mystery features a who's who of celebrated actors.With a diverse cast of characters - all with something to hide - it'll keep you guessing right to the surprising end.Gosford Park proves that murder can be such an inconvenience. ... Read more

Reviews (343)

Not for 14 year old boys?
While taking all those guided tours through cavernous estate houses in England and Ireland (and even a few on the north shore of Long Island), I always wondered what it was like to live that lifestyle. But of course, walking around those still houses doesn't really tell you about the people who lived there anymore than a stage tells you about its actors. However, Gosford Park was a great way to fill in those blanks. The way it pulls you into the world of 1930's English high society and all its pretense and hypocrisy is great. This movie definitely enlivened my understanding of class in old European societies.

The reason Gosford Park has such great insight is the film's screenwriter, Julian Fellows who himself grew up as part of the English aristocracy. Much of what makes this film fun is the idiosyncrasies of its characters and their world that Fellows has personal experience with. A maid and driver stand in the pouring rain until their mistress gets in the car. Servants only refer to each other by their master's name, and they maintain the same hierarchy as their masters so that a duke's servant is treated better by other servants than a baron's. Only married women are allowed to have breakfast in bed; unmarried women must go to the dining room. What a strange world they lived in, especially to someone like me who grew up in a middle class New York neighborhood.

The spine of Gosford Park is, without question, NOT the murder mystery. In fact, the murder mystery plot is about 5% of the movie-if that. It's what's known in film lingo as a McGuffin, a device that helps propel the plot in a story but is of little importance in itself. If a viewer turns to the murder mystery plot for what this movie is all about, they will most likely be sorely disappointed, seemingly like many of the negative reviewers here were.

The key to enjoying this movie is to think about what it's like to live in a society that is extremely oriented by class. What must it take to keep it going? As I alluded earlier, pretense and hypocrisy grease the gears of high society. From scene to scene, we peep around corners and into bedrooms to see characters trying to hide one secret or another. And in the end, we see the unpleasant consequences of this duplicity.

This is definitely not a film that lays out its purpose before the audience. Since the almost 60 characters (for a chuckle, look under product details above for the colossal cast list) each add something unique to the larger picture, and since the audience is usually only told something once, you definitely have to be your own detective. However, Julian Fellows does a brilliant job interweaving these characters into a solid whole, and he definitely deserves the Oscar he received for the screenplay.

Since this is a complex and subtle film, multiple viewings are helpful, but unlike some other reviewers, this is something I really enjoyed. Like a good album, each time with it reveals another layer and increases your appreciation. Robert Altman, the director, says in his DVD commentary (which was boring except for a few insights, but Julian Fellow's commentary was excellent) that the film is "like looking in through the windows of a house, you only get part of the picture at a time." I think this analogy fits nicely, especially since the film is set in a house. Altman also acknowledges what some of the negative reviewers complain about, saying he meant the audience to be left wondering after the first viewing. He didn't intend this movie for the "wham, bam, thank you ma'am" set. In fact, Altman went out of his way to insert curse words, guaranteeing an R rating so that "14 year old boys couldn't walk off the street and watch it."

And of course, last but not least, the acting was great. Gosford Park has an excellent ensemble cast with not a single weak link. Maggie Smith as the snobbish Aunt makes you smile; Kelly MacDonald as the Aunt's young, innocent maid makes you want to give her a big wet kiss (maybe that's just me); and Clive Owen's cool restraint as a mysterious footman keeps you following him around the screen.

All through, Gosford Park is a movie very well done.

Buy this DVD and watch it again and again....
because you miss most of the film the first time around!

On the surface this appears to be a very formulistic murder mystery. It has the classic setting, 1930's period, an isolated English manor house filled with guests for a weekend shooting party, and all of the servants both resident and visiting. Everybody has secrets, the tension is so thick it could be cut with a knife and there is conveniently one missing from the kitchen. For more than half the film we see motives offered and wait for the murder and yet after it occurs it becomes evident that this is NOT a murder mystery at all!

The film has been compared to Upstairs Downstairs and it does involve the lives of those both above and below stairs, but it is much more than that. The various stories are added layer by layer some, such as the imposter in the servants' hall are obvious while others like the secret abortion are only alluded in a couple of lines. The various stories are, while interesting, not really the point of the film either. This is a beautifully drawn portrait of a way of life that is long gone and will probably never return. Almost everyone has read about or seen depictions of English Country Life in the '20's and '30's. It is a setting that has been used in drama, comedy, romance and of course mystery genres for years but Gosford Park makes it clear that we have only the faintest ideas of what that life was really like. The genius of this film is that it takes all the information that could have been spread out in a PBS documentary series and used fiction to illustrate the same points in a much more effective and enjoyable way.

The cast is huge and filled with actors, both well known and soon to be well known. No one is given such a large role that it becomes their film and yet each performer manages to turn their scenes into a polished little gem.

The extras included in the DVD are wonderful. They include deleted scenes (with commentary), features on the making of, and authenticity of the movies as well as Q & A with cast and filmakers. The best of the extras by far are the commentaries with the director, Robert Altman and screenwriter, Julian Oscar.

I highly recommend the purchase (as opposed to the renting) of this film. It is so packed