Amazon.com

The Key to Time: The Complete Adventure encompasses one of the more ambitious chapters in the history of the long-running BBC television series Doctor Who, and its landmark status, combined with the presence of the well-loved Tom Baker in the title role, should make this six-disc boxed set irresistible to Who fans. The 26-episode series was conceived by producer Graham Williams, who was intrigued by the idea of a season-long story arc, and after several setbacks he finally achieved it in 1978-79 for the program's 16th season. In The Key to Time, the Doctor and his new companion, the elegant and sharp-witted Time Lady Romana (Mary Tamm) are dispatched by the White Guardian to recover the six segments of the Key of Time, a powerful device with the ability to stop time. The Doctor and Romana must travel the universe to find the hidden segments before the nefarious Black Guardian discovers them. Their adventures bring them in contact with a host of unusual personalities and, in a time-honored Doctor Who tradition, a number of terrifying monsters.

Unlike the other Doctor Who DVDs from BBC America, The Key to Time: The Complete Adventure is debuting in North America rather than the United Kingdom, the reason being that the Baker serials have proven more popular with American audiences. And while offering somewhat fewer supplemental features than the previous releases, the boxed set is a rare opportunity to own an entire season of Doctor Who at one time. For fans of the series and Baker in particular, The Key to Time: The Complete Adventure is a must-have. --Paul Gaita ... Read more

Reviews (34)

A great way to spend ten hours or so ...
The Key to Time is an excellent series of adventures featuring everyone's favorite Doctor, Tom Baker (though in all truthfulness it's the other Doctor named Baker, Colin, who is my own personal favorite). This boxed set gives us all six adventures in that paricular season, divided out of twenty-six short-ish episodes (laying all the pieces together, end to end, will give you about ten hours of viewing time, not counting special features). This gives us a nice range of stories told in various different styles which means that who(m)ever gets their hands on this will have a nice sampling of the various different kinds of tales Doctor Who is capable of telling, while a common theme pervades throughout each one to unite them.

Through the course of six adventures, the Doctor and his new assistant, Romana (played by the gorgeous Mary Tamm), together with a robotic dog named K-9 (the pun has been completely lost on me, I realize now, after so many years of Who viewing) travel throughout time and the universe in search of six segments to a powerful artifact known as the Key of Time which is capable of providing it's keeper with absolute power over all that exists/has existed/ever will exist. Luckily, in order to use the key of time one has to be powerful enough to be able to put it to use, and out of all that exists there exist only two beings capable of doing this. Unforunately (and inevitably), one of them is pure evil, and if the Key falls into his hands... well, you get the picture.

Of the six, my favorite has to be the first, "The Ribos Operation", set on a Medieval-esque planet that is just on the verge of an astronomic revolution, while contrary to most people's opinions, my second favorite is the fourth, "The Androids of Tara", also set on a Medieval-esque planet but in specific, hidden ways technologically superior to our own time. Going onto a tangent that includes a minor complaint extending not just to these six stories but much of the entire series: a question arises when one considers just how earth-like each of the planets the Doctor visits, as far as flora and fauna and inhabitants go... How can we explain this? Either a tremendous coincidence is at work, or each planet was long ago terraformed or colonized by humans in the distant, distant past. I would have enjoyed at least some small attempt to make the sights and sounds of each less developed planet at least a LITTLE alien (the swamp environment of Power of Kroll was a step in the right direction, but what if the plants were all tinted blue or even purple? Why should the skies always be blue?). Of course, in letting this little factoid bother me I'm stepping away from the point of Doctor Who, which is of course good, imaginative, and exciting stories, all of which are entirely present in each of the stories we're given.

Incidentally, three and a half stories I realize now are excempt from my little complaint, at least only as far as the setting goes: "The Pirate Planet" (penned by "Hitch-Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy" author Douglas Adams) is fine because it's set on a technologically advanced planet quite a few steps ahead of present day earth; "Stones of Blood" is set on modern-day (read, mid-seventies) Earth; and the final tale, the extended epic "The Armageddon Factor", is once again set on a trio of planets with a highly developed technological society. The half comes with "Power of Kroll", as the fact that the humans in the story specifically are descendants of colonists from Earth is stated more than once as the narrative progresses.

Also, a familiar face guest stars as one of the villains in "The Armageddon Factor": the Marshall is played by John Woodvine, who(m) I immediately recognized as the doctor (lower-case "d") from John Landis' classic "An American Werewolf in London", one of my favorite movies. Just cool to see him, nothing really more than that.

The main reason to own these stories is for the stories themselves... extras aren't such a big deal to me, but we're still given a few, which I appreciate. Each story has a commentary track (with Tom Baker on three of them), plus a few actor bios and behind the scenes photographs. Good enough for me. I would like to mention the covers on each DVD case... my gosh but they're awful! Compare any of the covers from the Key of Time series with other DVDs from BBC's Doctor Who line... they could have done a lot better if they'd tried. But as it's what's inside that counts, that won't go against my perfect five-star rating.

All in all, "The Key of Time" is an excellent smorgasbord of Doctor Who adventures, with something unique to turn to for every day of the week. You'll get some great humor, some interesting ideas, and some lovely acting, and you will have a lot of fun in the process. Buy it today! (and thank you for reading these random, disorganized thoughts)

Carry on Carry on,

MN

An Ambitious Box Set Release: Includes Full DVD Descriptions
The BBC has gone all out with this Dr. Who DVD set of Season 16 "The Key To Time". The great thing about these DVDs is that they all have commentary and Tom Baker himself has done commentary on half of them. This is great compared to other show DVD releases. How many Star Trek Episodes or Movies have commentary by any of the actual stars of the show? (NONE) Here's a description of the stories and extras you'll get in this package...

The Ribos Operations- A pretty good Robert Holms Story about greed for a valuable mineral set in a medieval type culture.
Commentary by Tom Baker and Mary Tamm(Romana). Text commentaries/trivia and photo galleries.

The Pirate Planet- This is the Gem of season 16. One fo the great Douglas Adams Dr. Whos. It's about a planet that continuously experiences economic boons whose native's never bother to question why. The Doctor must face the extremely loud and boisterous Captain to find the answers. Wonderfully humorous dialogue and one of the few Whos that can hold the interest of non fans.
Commentary by Director Pennant Roberts and Bruce Purchase (the Captain) Text commentaries/trivia and photo galleries plus several minutes of additional footage from the location shoots.

The Stones Of Blood- Another excellent story (from a dialogue perspective at least). Satan worshippers pray to giant stones which can move across the countryside sucking the life out of people. There's even a decent slasher film type scene with a couple camping in the woods.
Commentary by Mary Tamm and director Darrol Blake Text commentaries/trivia and photo galleries.

The Androids of Tara- A swashbuckling adventure about an alien civilization who's garb look medieval but who also employ android technology. Kind of silly but kind of fun.
Commentary by Tom Baker, Mary Tamm and director Michael Hayes Text commentaries/trivia and photo galleries.

The Power of Kroll- The worst one of the season. Laugh as the green painted swampies worship the giant latex Squid. Be warned... at any moment the giant rubber tentacle could come and drag someone away! Kind of like the gong show.
Commentary Tom Baker and John Leeson (K9) Text commentaries/trivia and photo galleries.

The Armageddon Factor- The final battle for the Key To Time. Can the Doctor defeat the mysterious Shadow? I always found the Shadow to be incredibly scary although it doesn't make up for the fact that they could've probably cut a half hour out of this.
Commentary by Mary Tamm, director Michael Hayes and John Woodvine (the Marshal). Text commentaries/trivia and photo galleries.

Certainly the Doctors' LONGEST adventure...
When an actor such as Tom Baker stays with a show like Dr. Who for seven years, it's inevitable that the show will undergo a few changes and the biggest changes were the different producers. Phillip Hinchcliffe produced Bakers first three seasons, the best of the entire history of the show, in my opinion, which focused on the gothic horror elements of sci-fi and was top notch. John Nathan Turner produced Baker's last year, featuring a slightly more sedate and possibly more tired Doctor as he neared his regeneration into Peter Davison's version (also, Baker was in ill health for a stretch during the final season which accounted for his changed physical appearance). But Baker's 4th thru 6th seasons were helmed by Graham Williams, who had the unenviable task of veering away from the popular, scary and brilliant Hinchcliffe stories and had to go in a more slapstick, dumbed-down direction for the kids. Well, he succeeded. There are some nice elements in some of the different Key to time adventures and it was a bold move to do an entire season under the umbrella of one idea---the quest for the six segments to the key to time. I think I may have liked it even more if I hadn't been so used to the magnificent Hinchcliffe era shows. Williams era had a lot of silliness and of course, K9. It also featured some of the very lamest Who such as "Horns of Nimon". All in all, the Key to time is a good addition to the DVDs although I would have voted for many more early Hinchcliffe/Baker episodes to come ouot before these.

One of the greatest of the Doctor's adventures
There are a few Doctor Who story arcs which are inarguable classics. This one is possibly the best of them all. The Doctor, fresh from rescuing Gallifrey from invasion by the Sontarans and having just left his companion Leela there to marry Andred, is suddenly diverted to a meeting with the White Guardian of Time, who has a tremendously urgent mission: Find and assemble the pieces of the immeasurably powerful artifact, the Key to Time. To assist him, the Doctor is given a new companion, the Timelady Romanavoradtralundar (Romana for short), and the two begin a huge quest to locate the hidden pieces of the Key -- which can literally be anything, ranging from a creature to a stone to an entire planet. Once assembled, the Key will be used to make minor adjustments to Creation in order to keep things working smoothly... unless it is the Black, rather than the White, Guardian who gets hold of the Key first!

More hours of pleasure than I can calculate
The Dvd's have commentary, some with Tom Baker! That is endless enjoyment. Then you have the text commentary, fanstastic. The only thing I find missing is easter eggs. :( I hope they remember when comming out with future dvd's what fun those are to have. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Particularly significant in terms of Doctor Who's history, The Leisure Hive marked an end to Who's descent into vaudeville, and heralded the entrance of new hotshot series producer John Nathan-Turner. The opening long, slow pan across a wintry beach, on which an autumnal Doctor sits slumped, immediately declares the show's serious intentions. The narrative itself is an erudite discussion on fascism and racism taking in regeneration, megalomania, cloning, and a series of Agatha Christie-esque murders. It's the style, rather than the story, however, that's most prominent in The Leisure Hive: along with his new sober ambitious approach, Nathan-Turner brought a new theme tune, a new logo, a striking red costume, and a new title sequence--one that, tellingly, moved away from the enclosed time tunnel to show the vastness of space opening up. Productions values are also high: the Quantel effects are impressive even now, and the performances are quite stunning, particularly Baker's as the prematurely aged, infirm Doctor.

By dispensing with the clowning and with what he termed "Douglas Adams's undergrad humor," Nathan-Turner reinvigorated a show that was becoming stale. The diegetic rebirth brought about by the Regeneration Drive at the show's denouement is an apposite motif that was emblematic of the rebirth of the show itself--The Leisure Hive truly represented a new beginning for Who. --Paul Eisinger ... Read more

Reviews (12)

The Doctor is cool even when he's old n grey
Once again the Doctor seems to come charging to the rescue at the right time. The show's seemingly endless life brings us yet to another adventure filled with aliens, conquest, romance and action. But Doctor Who isn't about all that. It's the stories. Granted not every Doctor Who adventure is writen flawlessly. But on the whole, most Doctor Who stories are really addictive.
Tom Baker as the Doctor fills the air with energy and wonder. His companion, Lalla Ward as Romona fees off his energy and brings the duo together. Give this adventure a try, it's a good one. :)

The Dawn of the New Argolis!And the 18th season.
Romana on Argolis:"It's the first of the leisure planets.In relative Earth Date 2250, there's a hideous war against some reptile people called the Foamasi.Most of the planet gets wiped out by two thousand interplanetary missiles, but the survivors build a recreation center called a Leisure Hive.And there's something called an experiential grid.Cells of different environments designed to produce physical, psychic, and intellectual regeneration."

After not only missing the opening of the Brighton Pavilion but also getting the century and season wrong, the Doctor and Romana go to Argolis in 2290, forty years after that terrible war, and become involved in the intrigues of the native Argolins.Bookings to their hive are disastrous, as other leisure planets have anti-gravity swimming pools and speed learning.Brock, the initially pessimistic Earth agent who advises the Argolins to do something about their cash flow, accepts the position on the Board, but recommends they sell the planet and hive to the Foamasi, their ancient enemies, of which the Argolin survivors still have bitter memories.After all, selling them their own planet would be the ultimate defeat.Things have a chance when Hardin, an Earth scientist and lover of Argolin Chairwoman Mena, claims to have found a better use of tachyonics--to manipulate time.

The main attraction of the hive is the Tachyonic Recreational Grid, run by the youthful Pangol.The science of tachyonics, the manipulation of faster-than-light particles, involves temporary duplication of any physical object, and the manipulation of the duplicate object without harming the original, demonstrated by Pangol going into the TRG and his tachyon duplicate's arms and head coming detached while it's talking.Soon, the TRG becomes the site of sabotage, accidents, and later murder, as Hardin's assistant Stimson is found strangled by the Doctor's scarf.And guess who's suspected?

There's wonderful exchange when the Doctor, Romana, and Mena are gazing at the glowing red sands of Argolis."Radon 222 decays rapidly." says the Doctor.Mena says, "But not the heavy metal dust.It won't be habitable for three centuries. ... Now you understand the purpose of the Hive. ... to promote understanding between life forms of all cultures and genetic type.There must be no more such wars.Each race learns to understand what it is like to be a foreigner."And the Argolins have the helmet of Theron, a golden hooded helmet resembling a curved KKK hood as a reminder of what happened to them.

Adrienne Corri (Mena) is best known in Clockwork Orange as the ill-fated Ms. Alexander, the author's wife.David Haig does a good job as Pangol, being charming presenter, scientist, and Argolin patriot at the same time.

The first story of John Nathan-Turner's turn at producer heralded some changes that had some great consequences.He toned down the silliness of his predecessor, Graham Williams, and tried to rein in Tom Baker, whose hat, long coat and scarf are red instead of the familiar brown.In trying to get a Star Wars-style image to Dr. Who, he had the new digital Quantel special effects used, as well as an electronic revamping of the theme music.And he even recruited Barry Letts, who had produced Who in the Jon Pertwee era, as Executive Producer for Season 18.

The opening titles are changed, where instead of the bluish time tunnel, there was a galaxy of stars coming towards the viewer, with some in the center gradually forming the Doctor's face.The diamond logo was changed as well.

A story on the horrors of nuclear war and the necessity for cultural understanding between races, with stylish designs (the Argolins' beehive hairdo, flowing yellow robes, goatees for men, and plastic statues) and concepts, how Argolins turn from green to human colour when they grow older.A pity that this and the final season story, Logopolis, are the two best stories in Tom Baker's last season as the Doctor.

Not the best, but still underappreciated
Traditionally, although season 18 of the programme is oft-loved by fans (and deservedly so), "The Leisure Hive" is judged to be a story of merely 'okay' merits. I disagree - in the context of the series, it was a groundbreaking new look and feel for the show, taking it forcefully out of the 1970s and slamming it into the 1980s. Tom Baker, many fans' favorite Doctor, thankfully turns down the humor that made some of season 17's stories so annoying, and his new burgundy outfit is absolutely gorgeous. Joined by Lalla Ward as Romana, this is possibly the best Doctor/companion team ever seen on "Doctor Who". And I must say that Peter Howell's remix of the theme tune will forever be my favorite...it fills me with a sort of excitement I never get with the other versions.

All these points aside, "Leisure" itself isn't that bad. Sure, the plot is nothing terribly new, but the acting is credible and the special effects a definite step up from the previous year. Both the Argolin and the Foamasi are well-conceived aliens, even if the latter are somewhat ungainly. The incidental music deserves special note for being, in my opinion, some of the best heard throughout the 1980s era of the programme.

Although these factors don't all add up to make a classic story, they do make a solidly entertaining one; "Leisure Hive" definitely deserves re-evaluation. Even if you want to pick on a season 18 story (and IMO, none of them are really bad), this isn't the one to choose.

Not just the scarf changed.
The start of Tom Baker's season was interesting, but poorly written.

The basic plot was cool but I didn't think it was pulled off properly.The first and last parts of the story were entertaining.(I particularly liked the Beach Sequence.)Loosing the Randomiser was a good call.But something just didn't feel right here.

This was also the season where we saw a less physical Tom Baker, I don't know if it was a specific decision by the writers or just the way it worked out.

Lala Ward continues to grow in the role of Romana here.One would think they were preparing her for her own series.

Not the best of the Bakers by far, but still a good watch.

Tom Baker AND special effects
That's what makes this season so cool.Tom Baker who always steals the show(unlike his sucessors) and good flashy special effects to boot.There is only one setting throughout the whole show and it is the hive which can get boring(like a lot of so-called sci-fi shows nowadays which are single setting soap opras). But thier was that bit about the Doctor growing old which I thought was very well done.He appeared 103 but acted like a wize old 1250 year-old traveler of the universe.This wasn't Tom's best show(excellent acting though on his part) but it wasn't bad either and I had a feeling when I first watched it that things were only going to get better.I still think this season got progressively better, especilally the E-space Trilogy(another story). ... Read more

Reviews (34)

Wonderful, tragic, story
I love "Nicholas and Alexandra." I read the book when I was a teenager and it helped start me on my lifelong interest in Russian history and history in general. I saw the movie when it first came out in 1971-72 and have seen it many times since. The VHS version is OK but suffers by being too obviously edited down and shortened. The DVD version is much preferable because we now get all of the original film. The parts which were edited from the VHS version were not crucial to the story, but they add so much to it. We see Nicholas and Alexandra in a tender moment with their newborn son, before they learn of his hemophilia, Lenin with his wife helping to start the Bolshevik Party, the Tsar's daughters in a moment of light hearted play, a sweet family discussion between the Tsar, Empress, and their children, and a tense encounter between one of the daughters and a prison guard in Siberia, plus several more scenes. Furthermore, the DVD version has a "featurette" narrated by the actress who played Tatiana. This gives us some interesting behind the scenes looks at the movie's filming. So, even if you already have the VHS version, by all means buy the DVD too!

A spectacular yet flawed film
My beef about the film is that they took liberties in telling and condensing the story when it wasn't necessary. In Tobolsk the family lived in the Governor's Mansion - not a log cabin in the woods. Yekaterinburg looked like some Spanish town rather a city in the Urals. None of the movie was filmed in Russia or Finland (for obvious reasons). The execution involved eleven people - in the movie they cut down the number. Other scenes were outright inventions.

None of the church or religious scenes came off right. They seem more Catholic or Anglican than Orthodox.

Nicholas was taught English from the age of 8 by a Scottish teacher, Mr. Heath. He had an accent in English, but it wasn't identifiable as "Russian". They all would have sounded 'upper crust' so the accents were fine for me.

Suzmann and Jayston were superb. Suzmann was a little too glamorous and Hollywood looking for the role, but she pulled off the characterisation well.

I don't know if it's well known, but the Romanov family walked out on the premier because of the changes made to the story.

Elegant, Ambitious and, yes, Bloody
N&A, though over thirty years old, still plays with the bravura and sweep that a big historical film epic should and that we expect. It has ripened well with time and has lost none of its power. The fall of the Romanovs and the rise of the Soviet Communism would be an extraordinary cinematic undertaking in any age, but few contemporary film makers would attempt so ambitious a project. A shame really; our present epics are more about CGI instead of ... well, anything, and certainly not serious subjects like history. Looking at a film like Nicholas and Alexandra should make us realize how mainstream movies gave audiences credit for intelligence decades ago - and how they need to start doing so again.

Nicholas and Alexandra
I think that this movie was the best movie i have ever seen it was GREAT!!! i saw the pics. of the real Czar and his wife and the people playing the roles looks so much like them . i think that anyone would like this movie (even if they didn't like history)

The greatest story ever told
Wow! That pretty much sums up what i have to say about this movie, I liked it very much. This is a true classic, the movie tells the story of Russia's last Tsar and Tsarina very well. You get a feeling of sympathy for the family and you begin to feel every emotion along with them. Everything from the happy birth of the heir Alexei, to the trials of war and revolution, all the way till their end. The cast picked to play the characters were really great and I swear Michael Jayston(Nicholas)looks exactly like the real tsar. Janet Suzman,(Alexandra) plays a truly loving and devouted wife and mother, just like the real Alexandra. The four daughters are also great and play the real girls just as charming as they really were. Rodric Noble,(Alexei)plays the Tsarivich well also. They make you feel as if they are the real family.
I have seen both the VHS and DVD versions and i must say that the VHS tape is terrible. There is so much cut out, so many moments that contribute to the story of the last Imperial Family of Russia. I would buy the DVD, it is full length and even gives you a behind the scenes look into the making of the film. This is a great movie, I would really encourage everyone who loves the Romanov story to buy this DVD. ... Read more

Reviews (15)

Good Sunday Matinee
First let me say I own all of Harryhausen's movies. I love his work so if I seem a little critical on a couple it is only because I know how great he can be. This movie may not be Harryhausen's best stop motion animation, but it is still a fine film. The hair on the centaur seems to move a little odd and the motion in the Centaur and Griffon fight scene is not as natural looking as the skeleton fight scenes in "Jason and the Argonauts". Otherwise this movie is very well done and packed with creatures. I especially liked the job he did on the magicians familiars. It entertains and has good locations and a decent cast. Those fans of Tom Baker in Dr. Who will enjoy him as an evil magician. It is good Saturday afternoon fare for the entire family. I recommend it to anyone that enjoys movies like "The 7th Voyage of Sinbad", "Clash of the Titans", "Willow", and "Krull". I bought this on DVD in the Sinbad Collection set and I am very happy with how well the transfer to DVD was done.

Tie up your camel!
Sinbad embarks on another adventure of magic and monsters. In the pre-George Lucas/Steven Spielberg days, the greatest fantasy adventure films were the ones that featured the eye-popping special effects of Ray Harryhausen. This 1974 movie recalls the halcyon days of the late '50s and early '60s when Saturday matinees at the local movie theater ruled the entertainment world of pre-teens. Although this flick suffers in comparison with the superior "7th Voyage of Sinbad," there is enough to like about it to recommend viewing and ownership. The monsters are good, especially the centaur/cyclops that threatens the delectable Caroline Munro. The sword fight with the multi-limbed statue of the goddess Kali recall's RH's previous work in "Jason and the Argonauts" with the hydra-headed dragon and the army of skeletons. The animation and non-computerized FX are eye pleasing enough that one wishes for more screen time for the monsters. The plot occasionally gets in the way of the action. Once the FX kicks in, things get livelier. John Phillip Law is okay, if a little bland, as Sinbad. Caroline Munro in a slave girl costume distracts the male viewer from quibbling over minor faults along the way. Sometime Doctor Who, Tom Baker, is effective as Koura, the evil magician. This is good "G" rated entertainment that pleases Ray Harryhausen fans and pre-teens of all ages. Suspend disbelief and have fun. ;-)

Not as Good as the 7th Voyage.
Second Sinbad movie in the Ray Harryhausen film series (although it is not a sequal to the much superior 7th Voyage), kind of drags on it's heels and never quite takes off largely due to a poor script, the wooden acting of Law in the title role, and the absense of Bernard Herrmann not scoreing the music. The absense of him as well as a different film crew working on the movie never acheives the magic and sense of wonder that made 7th Voyage a special picture.

A Decent Harryhausen Flick
Before proceeding with the reading of this review, I have a message for those reading it: If you haven't seen "The 7th Voyage of Sinbad," go do that. Don't worry about this movie, just go buy that one right now. That is the best of the Sinbad movies (and, in my opinion, the best of the Harryhausen films, but I won't profess that above my own opinion.) It is worth owning regardless and you should own that before you even consider this installment.

With that out of the way, I will now begin the review of THIS Sinbad film.

This begins on a sunny day, when Sinbad's crew spots a little gargoyle monster flying over the ship, carrying a piece of gold. One man shoots the gold and Sinbad takes it, despite warnings of its evil, and wears it around his neck. That night, he has dreams of a woman with an eye on her hand, a man in dark clothing, the golden item, and the flying monster. There is also a storm that night, allegedly brought on by the bad luck of the gold. On shore the next day, Sinbad is confronted by Koura, an evil magician who owns the gargoyle creature and wants the gold piece back from Sinbad. The legendary sailor is chased into a keep, where he greets the golden-helmeted Vizier, whose face was burned by Koura's fire. He explains that the gold piece is one of the three that form a map to a place where they must be brought to recieve three powers. Koura listens in via one of the little monsters and hatches a plan to follow Sinbad and the Vizier to the island. Sinbad also picks up a lazy drunk and a slave girl who he sets free, who just happens to have an eye tatoo on her hand.

I'll let it be known now: aside from the homonculi (the flying gargoyle things), there really aren't any stop-motion monsters for a good 30-40 minutes, when the statue at the front of Sinbad's ship is controlled by Koura. The plot holds your attention throughout this, but just barely, as due to the complexities apparent, like the Vizier's face and Koura's aging with each spell he casts.

The acting is... it's ok. Nothing great, but not noticably bad. There are some very cheesy moments, mostly involving the above mentioned drunk whom Sinbad is paid to take on the ship as a sailor. The writing isn't all that great either, but it lasts enough for the stop-motion effects to take over. What I'm saying is, you won't be bored, but you'll be pretty near close.

As for the monsters, they're up to Harryhausen's usual calibur. This movie's grandiose feature is the six-armed Kali statue. The fight between the statue and the sailors is very impressive, especially with how the arms are constantly moving and fluctuating with the movements of the swordsmen. There's still a good 30 minutes to go after that, which are mostly taken up in pursuit of a cycloptean centaur who takes the slave girl away into the caverns of Marabia to eat, as she has been sacrificed by the natives due to the single eye on her palm.

The centaur is probably one of the few Harryhausen monsters (perhaps the only one) that I found mildly disturbing. It looks like it should have some form of speech, and it even sounds as though it could, but it makes the noise of monsters, as if it's a human shouting and screaming like an animal. It's a very creepy sound, and while Harryhausen wasn't responsible for it, he puts it to decent effect.

The centaur battles a griffin later on. The Vizier notes it that the two beasts had been battling eternally, symbolizing the endless struggle between good and evil. They had fought before, and the only reaosn the result changed from the two walking away neither winner or loser was because of the interference of humans.

This is a decent fim, but only worth buying if you are a Harryhausen fan. The DVD doesn't have many features compared to certain other Harryhausen DVDs (*cough*7thVoyage*cough*) but it's better than nothing, which is what many DVDs offer. The second best of the three Harryhausen Sinbad films.

The movie is hamperd by wooden acting and a bad script...
The casting of Law for the role was a bad choice. He really plays the sailor with little creditablity. Regretfully that is only one of a thousand things wrong with this movie in addition to the terrible music score and the below par effects work. Between the script and the bad acting by everyone, it shows that even a Ray Harrysausen film can not stand up with no one doing their best to make it look good. ... Read more

Description

This DVD contains an enhanced version of the Doctor Who 20th Anniversary Special, which features all five incarnations of the Doctor, nine companions, the Master and many vintage monsters.In the plot, the Doctor and his past selves are pitted against Daleks, Cybermen, a devious Time Lord traitor and others in their home world of Gallifrey. This gripping DVD includes a Dolby Digital 5.1 remix and character galleries. ... Read more

Reviews (43)

No, not the mind probe...
Yes, the one with all of them. Except that the first Doctor is recast and played very well by Richard Hurndall and Tom Baker, Doctor #4 chose not to take part. The producer bought Tom Baker many lunches and many drinks and in the end, he still refused to take part. So, bits from the unfinished story, Shada, were used for Tom's contribution.
In watching this story, it's important to not have extremely high expectations. It crams a lot into a 90 minute slot (100 minutes for the extended, special edition DVD). It's best to switch off your brain and let the images hit you. All of the Doctors are in fine form, and it's especially nice to have the lovely Patrick Troughton recreating the 2nd Doctor, since there is so little that exists from his original run as the Doctor in the late '60s. It's just a big celebration of Doctor Who and all (well, many) have been invited.
The Special edition works just fine and the new visual effects are a real enhancement to the story, in my opinion. None of the changes have drastically altered the story. In some cases, they have improved the feel of the story. For example, the voice of Rassilon has been enhanced in such a way that one believes that he is the most important figure in Time Lord history, rather than the game show host that was in the original version.
This first DVD is light on features, like the UK release. I was rather pleased that the US release got the commentary with Peter Davison and Terrance Dicks. They seem to have fond memories of the program, along with a few disappointments and frustrations.
I enjoyed the DVD enormously and hope that the Doctor Who releases on DVD continue.

Anniversary special
I think Doctor Who had been going for 25 years when they decided to do this, and it's certainly not bad. A mysterious enemy traps all five (so far) Doctors (well, three and a half, really; the first Doctor is played by Richard Hurndall instead of the much-loved "Billy" Hartnell, who is deceased, and the fourth Doctor's actor, Tom Baker, is unavailable and so the story simply has him trapped in a time bubble or something) in a giant landscaped arena and pits them against many old enemies: a Dalek, a platoon of Cybermen, a yeti, a lightning-fast warrior robot and, of course, the Master.
The plot is pure ..., but it really doesn't matter; unusually good special effects (updated & remastered recently) and great acting on the part of the lead characters (especially Patrick Troughton) make this story spectacular. The scenes of the Doctors teaming up is particularly warm, and great work is done by the companions, past and present: Susan (a grown woman now, but she still manages the silly feat of falling & spraining her ankle), Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart (who gets to give the Master a sweet right-cross), Sarah Jane Smith (who acts her part as if she never stopped playing it), the cynical Turlough and the acerbic Tegan, who gets to show the crabby first Doctor that she can scold as well as he can. Great photography, moments of deep suspense, and a fantastic action scene where the warrior robot coldly and efficiently slaughters at least a dozen Cybermen make this story very accessible to modern viewers. A good introduction to the series, really...even without Tom Baker. Come on, he's not the ONLY Doctor...

BETTER THAN THE ORIGINAL VERSION!
"The Five Doctors" was released on November 25, 1983 to celebrate the 20th Anniversary of "Doctor Who." The acting is top-notch, and the storytelling is remarkable.

Where the 90 Minute program fails is that the editing is off. You could tell that some scenes were cut right in the middle of them, going quickly from one to the other.

However, this DVD presents the 102-Minute Special Edition version of "The Five Doctors." New scenes have been added, and older ones extended, to make the program run more smoothly. The new visual effects are better than the old effects, but they still have the "bad taste" feel that was a vital part of the program.

Overall, "The Five Doctors - Special Edition" is far better than the version that was originally aired. Fans of the program will not want to miss this in their collections. Program/DVD Grade: A+

"...you've redecorated! I don't like it."
"The Five Doctors" is a very nice demonstration of how it is possible for a mediocre piece of work to appear to be better than it really is due to the high quality of the little pieces that compose it. If someone were to sit down with you and describe the mere plot and events of "The Five Doctors" I highly doubt you would be that impressed. The specific gathering of each of the previous Doctors is one thing (but why is no attempt made to kidnap any future Doctors? I know that it couldn't be done really, but so long as the possibility is there, shouldn't it be at least addressed?), but casting a net and hoping to rope in as many returning companions as possible is just taking it too far. The idea of immortality and possessing a special ring as a means of attaining it is interesting, I suppose, but the story leading up to the finding of that ring needs to be an interesting one too! Here, it's not; it's far too linear and simplistic. The ring is in the middle, three groups are walking toward that middle from three different directions, and some monsters get in the way. Yeeha.

In the meanwhile, there are a couple of related subplots trying to keep the story more interesting than it really is: first is an attempt to rope the Master into rescuing the Doctor (an interesting idea which I like) which ultimately (and sadly) goes nowhere, and for the second, we watch the Fifth Doctor cope with losing enourmous pieces of his past and discovering who the real bad guy is. Like I said, there's just not much there, which is even worse than it might normally be considering that this particular story was meant to be a special way of commemorating the show's twentieth anniversary.

But when you take a closer look at just what this story is made of, you'll be surpised to discover a lot of good things. Old characters (and old friends) meeting each other again (The Second Doctor's reunion with the Brigadier, together with Sarah Jane's with the Third Doctor, particularly stand out), classic lines of dialogue (the line I've used for my review title here, together with "Not allowed? ME?! I'm allowed everywhere!", both delievered by the Second Doctor), and excellent music (in particular, the mystical flute melody that plays while the Second Doctor and the Brigadier begin their journey toward the Tower of Rassilon and again the harp melody the Fifth Doctor plays in order to open a door with a musical lock). I've just scratched the surface with each of my examples... there's really just so much there.

The DVD is enjoyable, but I was disappointed to note that only the more recent version of the story was included. I had hoped that both the 1983 take as well as the Special Edition (with updated but not necessarily better) special effects would have been included on the disc, but this was not the case. In compensation, we're given a highly entertaining commentary with the Fifth Doctor himself, Peter Davison, and the author, Terrance Dicks. It was quite enjoyable, and I was actually happy to hear that both men were well aware of the flaws found in the story as they viewed it.

What can I say about "The Five Doctors" in the end? It's certainly not bad... but it really shouldn't be a classic either. The story is not at all impressive, and yet there are so many wonderful individual moments set within the story that make this a marvelously entertaining adventure in spite of this fact. To be honest, I would have much preferred a different story see DVD release before this one, but I on the other hand know that this is considered a classic story by so many people, as it's one of the rare times that more than one Doctor gathered together to do one adventure and was meant to commemorate the twentieth anniversary of the show. All things considered, it will get a high rating and a recomendation from me due to its fun and watchability factor, but won't get the full five-star treatment simply because the story really isn't all that great.

Carry on Carry on,

MN

A cosmic without the Doctor scarcely bears thinking about
The original version of The Five Doctors was the first story I bought on sale video, and I saw it before the normal sequence of Peter Davison stories that were being shown on PBS. It gave me a good look at Patrick Troughton, Jon Pertwee (the Second and Third Doctors), as well as Liz Sladen (Sarah Jane), and Nicholas Courtney (the Brigadier).

The Doctor, Tegan, and Turlough are resting at the Eye of Orion, a relaxing field with an effect like Earth after a rainstorm. An unseen black-gloved figure manipulating some controls and kidnaps the First Doctor, played with great William Hartnell-ness by Richard Hurndall. A miniature of the Doctor appears. Hmmm, who around here likes shrinking people? Familiar? This happens to the Second and Third Doctor, as well as other companions, but a glitch occurs with the Fourth Doctor and Romana II, who are trapped in a time vortex. With each attack, the Doctor suffers twinges of cosmic angst, and he must do something, lest he be pulled into the vortex and into oblivion. "Great chunks of me are being detached, like icebergs," he says. "I must become whole."

The High Council of Time Lords, still led by Borusa, summon the Master to rescue the Doctor from Gallifrey's Death Zone, "the black secret at the heart of your Time Lord paradise" which is "not the most hospitable of environments." He does so, but is rebuffed by two of the Doctors, understandable as he was full of tricks and traps before.

The Cybermen play a major role here, as three squads of them come out. However, they prove no match to the "most perfect killing machine ever devised," the sleek and featureless Raston Warrior Robot, who steals the show with its martial arts acrobatics and deadly lances and disks, and turns one squad into putty, impaling and decapitating away. Only one Dalek appears here, as does a creature from the Second Doctor's era.

There's plenty of fabulous dialogue here. The Master tells us why the Doctor is so endeared to fans: "A cosmos without the Doctor scarcely bears thinking about." Something the Beeb should have remembered in 1989.

The Time Scoop is seen as a spinning black obelisk here, and the Fourth Doctor and Romana's faces are swirling when caught in the time eddy. These were changed in the revamped edition of the Five Doctors, sold together as a two-pack with The King's Demons.

My favorite Doctor, Jon Pertwee, comes off the best here, "ever so resourceful," as the Master says. He's still the charming, improvising guy with ideas; it's as if he never left the series, and he's a calm counterpart to the strung out Sarah Jane. She's more wimpy here, and that's a big contrast to her earlier era, when she was more headstrong and self-assured.

An interesting double-entendre is when the First Doctor sees traces of two other Doctors. "Well, well, well, so two of them made it. I wonder what happened to the other." This last sentence spoken in such an acidic tone, might be a reference to Tom Baker's last minute refusal to participate in the story.

And the Second Doctor's solo presence implies that he came here inbetween the verdict and sentencing at his trial--there is a hint of that when he encounters Jamie and Zoe, his last travelling companions.

I was right on one thing. In the revamped version, the First Doctor's approximation of pi is 3.14287. Here, it's more accurate--3.14159265. Clearly they used an alternate take on the revamped version. Another is the Cybermen led by the Master--how could they note fail to spot the Doctor and Tegan in the chessboard room upon entering?

A welcome reunion from some Who alumni, past and present, (they even included some William Hartnell in The Dalek Invasion Of Earth and Tom Baker footage from the untelevised Shada) with old pairings up (Doctor Two and the Brigadier, Doctor Three and Sarah) bringing back fond memories of the past, as well as new pairings (Turlough and Susan). ... Read more

Book Description

Running from bullies at school, Eustace and schoolmate Jill unexpectedly find themselves in the enchanted land of Narnia and in the very presence of the Great Lion Aslan. Join Eustace, Jill, and their strange but courageous friend Puddleglum as they travel through dangerous and unknown lands in their quest to find and rescue the heir to Narnia's throne, Prince Rilian. ... Read more

Reviews (64)

Azlan sends two children off to rescue Prince Rilian
"The Silver Chair" is the four and final adaptation of one of The Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis, although I am surprised that this series was not able to complete the entire set of novels In this story Eustace Scrubb (David Thwaites) is being tormented at school and while looking for a place to hide from the bullies ends up entering the magical world of Narnia from a garden shed, along with another persecuted classmate, Jill Pole (Camilla Power). There Aslan gives them the task of rescuing Prince Rilian, the stolen son of King Caspian. This requires them to travel, along with Puddleglum the Marshwiggle (Tom Baker), north to the Deep Lands of the underworld belonging to the Green Lady (Barbara Kellerman). There they meet the Black Knight, who is under the enchantment of the evil Green Lady, who tortures him in a Silver Chair that sends him into a terrifying rage.

By the time you get to "The Silver Chair" you have either accepted the limited special effects of this production or not. Yes, the animatronics of Aslan are almost unbelievably simplistic, but the kids always talk to him like he was a real lion and ruler of Narnia and that is all that really matters in the end. The costumes and sets are pretty good and above all the story is faithful to the Lewis narrative. One of the things I enjoyed most about the "The Silver Chair" is the way that Lewis elegantly works in Christian elements into the story. Azlan works hard to have Jill learn a series of signs, by which she and Eustace will be able to achieve their goal. However, Jill has problems remembering the signs and Eustace does not really seem up to the challenge. Then again, most great children's literature works on two levels, although clearly "The Silver Chair" and the other chronicles will appeal more to the kids, which is fine, because that is really who they were intended for even though they are arguably too good for the little ones.

Book 6 - A guide to the unending enchantment of Narnia
"The Silver Chair" was the fourth book published in the Narnia Chronicles, but chronologically is the second last in the series and is published as such by most modern publishers. The story revolves around cousin Eustace (a familiar face from "Prince Caspian") and his classmate Jill Pole. Eustace and Jill narrowly escape school bullies and find themselves in Narnia. In Narnia, Aslan himself commissions them on a quest to find Caspian's missing son and heir, prince Rilian, who has been abducted by an evil witch posing as a beautiful woman and a horrible green snake. They are joined in their quest by Puddleglum, a charming Marsh-wiggle whose extreme pessimism ( "he's always expecting the worst and he's always wrong" p.93) is matched by his bravery. Together they escape the perils of giants, and by rescuing Rilian from his enchantment in the Underworld and restoring him to his father, they prevent the Green Lady from by achieving her evil ambitions in becoming Narnia's queen.

As with all the Narnia Chronicles, on the level of children the story functions as a perfectly comprehensible and exciting fantasy adventure, but on an adult level it imparts powerful spiritual truths about Christianity by means of numerous recognizable Biblical allusions. Lewis intended "The Silver Chair" to portray the ongoing war against the powers of darkness. He emphasizes the truth of Deuteronomy 6 that in this war the signs of God's Word need to be carefully remembered and obeyed: "And whatever strange things may happen to you, let nothing turn your minds from following the signs ... it is so important to know them by heart and pay no attention to appearances. Remember the signs and believe the signs. Nothing else matters." (p.24-26). Failing to follow these signs makes the task more difficult, but not impossible. These failures, however, constitute sin, which is clearly portrayed as the fault of man: "We must just own up" (p.123) and "We've brought the anger of Aslan on us. That's what comes of not attending to the signs." (p.132) The only solution is to drink from Christ the living water, for there is no other source of water apart from him "There is no other stream" (p.20-21). There are also strong allusions to the doctrine of predestination: "You would not have called to me unless I had been calling to you." (p.23) "There *are* no accidents. Our guide is Aslan; and he was there when the giant King caused the letters to be cut, and he knew already all things that would come of them; including *this*." (p.160)

As always, in all the upheavals and conflicts of Narnia, Aslan is the one constant, and it is his vital involvement that enables the children to complete their Narnian quest, just as it is Christ who inspires, comforts, guides, and saves in the real world. Narnia may exist only in Lewis imagination and ours, but these underlying truths about Christ ensure that a journey to Narnia is never without profit for the real world.

A classic story and a spiritual allegory
If you have not read any of CS Lewis classic book series about Narnia, please do so. The stories are wonderfully written and will engage you like few other works. Part spiritual allegory and part fantasy and adventure, these stories are timeless.

My personal favorite of the 7 stories is this one: The Silver Chair. Starting with the unexpected trip into Narnia, the story involves the search for a missing prince and a dangerous and exciting journey to find him. While the plot is quickly engaging and always enjoyable, even after dozens of readings, in this story Lewis uses some of the most powerful of Christian allegories to depict faith, deception, and courage. Choices made along the way are often disastrous and are the result of convenience and comfort over faith. Truly a sound statement into our own journeys, and a spiritual struggle depicted accurately.

I will not spoil the plot, but if you have not enjoyed this series, pick up any of the seven books, or better yet get them all at once. The story starts either with "The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe" which was the first published, or "The Magician's Nephew" which is chronologically the first. Either way, you won't be disappointed. Next to "The Silver Chair", I also found "The Horse and His Boy" and "Voyage of the Dawn Treader" to be absolute classics.

Buy this series, and enjoy one of the true treasures in literature from a fabulous writer, the world renowned CS Lewis.

Prince Rilian, Lost Forever or Found
The book The Silver Chair, by C. S. Luis is a great adventure story that is part of a seven-book series. The story has two main characters; Eustace Scrubb and Jill Pole. Eustace Scrubb is a schoolboy who goes to school at the Experiment House with Jill. He has actually been in Narnia before with his cousins; Lucy and Edmund. Jill Pole gets bullied around a lot at school, and didn't believe Eustace at first when he was trying to tell her about Narnia.
The book starts off at the Experiment House with Jill hiding behind a curtain crying because the bullies won't leave her alone. Eustace finds her and tells her about Narnia and how they might be able to get back there. At first Jill didn't believe him. Then bullies came in the room looking for her, so the made a dash for a door that isn't usually open but they tried it anyway because it was their only way of escape. To their surprise, the door was open, but not leading outside the school, but instead to Narnia.
Before I start telling you about Narnia and what happened there; I must give you some background information. The was a queen of Narnia (she was married to King Caspian the 10th) and she had a son named Prince Rilian. One day the queen and prince were out on a walk with some others. The queen was tired and decided to go asleep on the grass. The prince, not wanting to wake her, went off just a little way (so he could still see her) to play. After a little while they saw a green worm crawl out from the wood and bite her. The prince ran after the worm, but it got away. After a few minutes the queen was dead. After that the prince devoted his life to finding the worm and avenging it. After months of looking one of a lord suggested he stop looking for the worm. Prince Rilian told him for the past couple of weeks he no longer searched for the worm, but visited a lady in secret. The lord came with him one day and to his surprise, the lady was in the same spot where his mom died. She was a beautiful woman dressed all in green. The lord decided not to tell anyone because he thought there was no harm in it. The next day, the prince never returned from his journey.
They stepped into Narnia and found they were on the edge of a cliff. Eustace was afraid of heights and just stood there in shock. When he got away from the edge, Jill walked up even closer to the edge, trying to show off, and found she couldn't move and almost fell of the edge but Eustace saved her, and while doing so fell off the edge himself! The next thing Jill knew she was lying down in the same spot with a huge lion (Aslan, the 'Jesus' of Narnia) next to her blowing at something. Then she was Eustace floating, getting higher and farther away from her. She was terrified and very thirsty. Aslan soon left and she found her strength again to lift her-self up to go find some water. She finally found a stream, but Aslan was lying next to it. He said to her, "If you are thirsty, come and drink." She was to petrified to move, but eventually found her courage to go get a drink. He told her he needed her help. She was to, along with Eustace, find the lost Prince Rilian. He gave her signs and directions to recognize the prince; "First; as soon as the Boy Eustace sets foot in Narnia, he will meet an old and dear friend. He must greet that friend at once; if he does, you will both have good help. Second; You must journey out of Narnia to the north till you come to a ruined city of ancient giants. Third; you will find writing on a stone in that ruined city, and you must do what the writing tells you. Fourth; You will know the lost prince (if you find him) by this, that he will be the first person you have met in your travels who will ask you to do something in my name, in the name of Aslan."
Aslan soon blew her to where Eustace landed, and shortly afterwards, and owl came to them and told Trumpkin, the dwarf in charge, that they were there. He gave them good beds, food, ands baths. Jill was just about to go to bed when the same owl (Glimfeather) came tapping on her window and told her he would help them as much as the owls could, then went to tell Eustace the same. Glimfeather flew them both to the owls' meeting spot and got help from another owl to fly them to a Puddleglum's house.
Puddleglum is a marsh-wiggle, which is kind of like a very gloomy person, who always looks at the downside of things. He travels with them their whole journey. They started their journey north the next day. After a couple days of walking they came across what at first looked like boulders, then Jill noticed how they might look kind of like giants at night, then one moved. After a while they came to a bridge and decided to cross it. While they were crossing it they met a beautiful woman dressed in green riding along with a knight. She recommended the gentle giants' city near by to lodge in. After some arguing, they decided to take her advice.
When they arrived they were welcomed and treated nicely. Puddlegum tried to stay on the look out, but he got a little drunk and barely even knew who he was. It turned out the giants actually wanted to eat them, and kept them there for the Autumn Feast coming up. Will they ever escape? If they do, will they find Prince Rilian? To find out read the book The Silver Chair.

More of the same from Narnia - which is not a bad thing
Another installment in the classic children's series The Narnia Chronicles, "The Silver Chair" continues the pattern of presenting stand-alone stories that work within a grander story arc. Also like previous installments, "The Silver Chair" brings back familiar characters while also introducing new cast members, lending the story an air of familiarity while still remaining fresh.

In this installment Eustace, the ill-mannered lad who learned the error of his ways in "The Voyage of the Dawn Treader," along with his schoolmate, Jill, pair up for adventure. While fleeing bullies at their school - a progressive and modern (for its time) institution that Lewis openly and repeatedly scorns - Eustace and Jill find themselves thrown into the world of Narnia. Once there, Aslan gives Jill a series of vague instructions to follow during their adventure.

Eustace and Jill find themselves on a quest to find the lost Prince Rillian, the son of King Caspian (who in this tale makes two brief cameos as an old man). They team up with Puddleglum, a gloomy a creature called a Marsh-Wiggle who always sees the down side of things. Together, the three go in search of the Prince.

The setup tells the reader right off what sort of story it will be: a traveling adventure in which the group works through a series of dangerous situations and visits new and strange lands. The story takes a few chapters to get moving properly, shortening the main quest; there are only three or so key locations. Still, those locations are a mix of classic genre archetypes and fantastic settings. For an important segment of the story - a castle of giants - genre archetypes rule the day.

"Silver Chair," though it visits places in Narnia not previously seen, feels less epic than previous installments. However, a glimpse of a greater and more wondrous world near the end helps alleviate that failing.

The character of Jill undergoes almost the same transformation that Eustace did in "Voyage," while Eustace himself plays the role that Edmund, Peter and the gang did in earlier books. That's not altogether bad, but it's not altogether good, either, especially if you are reading the whole series straight through. because Jill's transformation immediately follows Eustace's.

All in all, "The Silver Chair" is not as engaging as others in the series, with a loose plot tied together largely by a "you must trust Aslan" theme, but does not fall nearly as flat as "Caspian." For a good stretch the story moves along at a brisk pace and offers a playful series of adventures, delivering just the sort of engaging story that makes the Narnia Chronicles such a beloved series. Sure it suffers from too slow a start and too slow a finish, both which drag the story down, but at its core it's more of the same from Narnia. And that's not a bad thing at all. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Love it or hate it.
Some have called this movie "Luther according to Freud." Luther's struggles (spiritual and psychological) are the focus of this film, which was originally a stage play. It is true, Luther did have his struggles, but he also had his triumphs, which are not shown much in this movie. The whole film is done on one set, which gives the viewer a feeling of isolation. Keach does give an amazing performance as Luther the struggling monk and preacher. The ending is puzzling. Though a bit more bookish, the 1953 B/W classic "Martin Luther" gives a broader and more balanced view of his life. 2003's "Luther" with Joseph Fiennes should be out on DVD in Spring of 2004. That one is better yet!

Martin Luther
There is supposed to be a new film on Martin Luther done by the director Till with Alfred Molinari, and financed by the Lutheran Churches. I think Martin Luther is one of the greatest historical figures, and few people today realise just how revolutionary it was to break away from the Universal Catholic Church which controlled Church and State throughout Western Europe, and before the split with the Orthodox Church, Christendom was quite monolithic.

For a man who did not want to break with Rome, but wanted Rome to be scripturally-based rather than a multinational commercial enterprise; he it was who brought individual conscience when relating to God in place of Church and a hierarchical priesthood to the apex of God's representative on earth, the Pope; who combined this with being a Prince amongst nations.

If the West and its industrialisation, liberty, and split between Church and State can claim any one man as its initiator, it was Martin Luther; but as we all know, Luther was but the leading actor in a cast of many. ... Read more

Reviews (27)

I've been searching for 26 yrs.!!!!!!! :)
I've finally found it! I saw this movie for the first time when I was 10 yrs. old. I had ran across it on tv just a scattered few more times in my life and had forgotten the name of it. Searching seriously for it in the last 5-10 yrs. through the video stores. It's my favorite Frankenstein movie of all time! Why isn't it on DVD and offered uncut to the public! What a waste! If I'm gonna see a good movie I want to see the full version!! How can we make this happen? I have three children and don't want them to miss this one...

The True(to the spirit of the novel) Story
Ok, I just had to write a review of this movie, since it is one of my most favorite all time horror films. As a child this deeply affected me. I loved the atmospher and the mood of the film. I was only 4 years old when NBC showed this on television, and I wish they would rerun it again in primetime like CBS did with Dracula, back in '92. First a lot has been made of the title of this film. Critics thought it was deceptive, because they expected to see a faithful adaptation of Shelley's novel. This is certainly a reasonable expectation, and I can surly sympathize with anyone wanting to see a faithful adaptation. I am one of those people. The only film in history to come close to the novel was a Swedish movie called "Victor Frankenstein". Many say "Mary Shelley's Frankenstein" was the most faithful version, but that was not true. The Swedish film mentioned above was. The title of this film is not so much insinuating truthfulness of plot and events of the novel, but more so the spirit of the novel. It retains the moral lesson of the novel that monsters are made, not born. And to take responsibiitly for what you do. Most movies stress the "man should not play God" moral, but Shelley's messages was not so much that as it was the other moral. Also most movies have the creature as being evil from the start, or evil by some other folly, such as a criminal brain being put in instead of a normal one. This film attempts to make the audience sympathize with the creature, as the novel did. It seeks to show that the creature was not really the monster, but that Victor was the true monster in this tale. Now normally, I hate movies that dont stick to the letter of the novel, but I was not bothered by this one's approach, because it got the main spirit of the novel right. The production values are top knotch for a tv film, and the actors are first rate. Leonard Whiting makes a perfect Victor Frankenstein and James Mason as Polidori was brilliant casting! His lines are some of the best in the film. When Victor is sewing up the female creature, Mason quips "and to think this afternoon you were cutting a wedding cake!" Jane Seymore plays the second creature to perfection. She is creepy and downright cruel and manipulative, but also beautiful. Her polar opposite is the Creature, played with sensitivity by Michael Sarrazin. He is gentle, kind, but alas, his features are deteriorating and he has been rejected by Victor. Victor was quiet happy with him until the process by which he brought him to life (solar engergy in this film) starts reversing itself. I was also intrigues by the homosexual undertones of this movie. All the strongest character bonds are between the males, and all the female characters are either portrayed as bitchy, dense, nosy, or evil. There is even an homosexual undertone to the relationship between Victor and his Creature, while he still retains his handsome features. This is probably due to the script being written by Christopher Irshwood and Don Barchardy. Irshwood, a gay playwright, also wrote Cabaret. This film is also the first Frankenstein film in history to actually use the Arctic for the setting at the end of the story. This is most important because Shelley's Arctic setting was to parallel the Creature's plights, alone, desolate, cold, and unfeeling, much like Victor. They need to get around to releasing the FULL 4 hour version of this great movie on tape. It is better seen in it's entirety. I am so glad the SciFi Channel showed the complete version a couple years ago. My brother taped it for me. And for that, I am grateful to him. See this film. I highly recommend it.

Great movie.
I first saw this movie when I was 14 years old. It's an incredible movie. But I was disappointed that the VHS copy had a lot cut out. I want the original, uncut version. If you do a search in the DVD section of Amazon, there's a possibility that the movie will come out on DVD. If anybody in the movie industry is reading this, MAKE THE DVD THE FULL, UNCUT VERSION!

This is the best version of Frankenstein to date
I saw this movie for the 1st time when i was around 12 years old. I thought it was the greatest movie to be on tv at that time. i remember asking my mom if i could stay up late because it was showing for 2 days. I remember seeing the previews of the movie and couldnt wait for it to come on tv. Michael Sarrazin played a great monster Jane Seymore was awsome as Agatha. James Mason was also great in his part. I hope this movie will come out on DVD. It would be an asset to anyones dvd collection.

the best ever
This is probably the best Frankenstein movie ever it has an all star cast and if the DVD show the entire movie it is over 4 hours long and worth every minute. I saw this movie as a kid in 1974 on TV and has loved it ever since. It is well acted and portays how it could have really happened if it were a a real life story. The cast includes Leonard Whiting, Michael Sarrazine, Jane Seymour in her second movie, James Mason along with Agnes Moorehead who played Samantha's Mother on Bewitched, David McCallum, with many more well know actors. I would recommend this movie to anyone no matter what their taste is. ... Read more