Reviews (20)

A Lovely, Sad Movie...woefully misleading adverts
This is an excellent film, moving, sad, even tragic. It is NOT a "warm hearted comedy," as it says on the back of the DVD. And it certainly is not "hilarious". The blurb on the cover is quite possibly the most misleading I have ever come across. Despite that, it is a lovely film. It is a solid, serious British drama, with an excellent all round cast. The humour where present is decidedly low key. Its predominant mood is one of sadness and loss, there is warmth to be sure, but certainly not what is projected on the cover or in the trailer. One wonders why the publicists chose to so misrepresent such a fine film. Was it because they were worried its serious and even dark nature would put off the popcorn munchers? Perhaps it would have been better if they had. Then we wouldn't have been saddled with so many negative reviews from viewers who naturally felt short-changed. Then again, this is not a movie that American audiences would readily take to.

Set in 1947, it tells the story of a 16 year old girl, Stella (Georgina Cates), abandoned at birth by a wayward mother and brought up by her aunt and uncle, who aspires to join the Theatre. Into this milieu she willingly plunges herself. She encounters sordid seedy characters. She takes on menial tasks without pay. She embraces all with a gushing eager naivete. She falls for the stage director (Hugh Grant) who in her young innocence she doesn't realise actually has a preference for boys. She then latches on to an aging Lothario (Alan Rickman) who does appreciate young girls. In this darkness in which she finds herself, past and present intersect. The absent mother she faithfully places a call to everyday, the same mother who gave her away years ago, becomes the silent confidant of her hopes and fears. The aging Rickman character constantly pines for his own past even as he happily deflowers the young girl. The stage director's sordid history of seducing and then spurning young men finally comes to a head. All combine to create an air of loss and decay. A nice touch was the use of a lone flute playing "The Last Rose Of Summer" whenever the Rickman character thinks back to his lost love. If you know the song, it perfectly encapsulates the mood of this movie. And yes there is a twist at the end, but if you have been paying attention, it won't come as too much of a shock. Although the prudes and the self-righteous will as usual recoil in moral outrage.

New Line Entertainment has given us a fine if bare-bones DVD. The film is transferred in it's original theatrical aspect ratio of 1.85:1 (enhanced for widescreen TV). Picure quality is good, clean and clear with natural warm colors. Black levels are just right. Audio includes the original stereo plus both DTS and Dolby 5.1 remixes. Excellent presentation. There are even optional English subtitles for people who can't get round the British accents. Thank goodness not everybody makes sanitized, Hollywood dross.

Definitely worth a second look...and a third...and a fourth
I first saw An Awfully Big Adventure on TV at two o'clock in the morning.It made very little sense, and I couldn't understand about a third of what was being said, but the movie still, as another reviewer succinctly put it, "hijacked my consciousness."It was subtle, honest, unforgiving, amazingly well-acted, and a lot of other good things that I can't find the words for right now.

I recently purchased a copy of the video, and realize now that while it loses nothing upon further viewing, An Awfully Big Adventure benefits greatly from a second watching.The dialogue becomes clearer the more you listen to it and the nuances of the characters and the story become more pronounced.Even though my first reaction to the film was favorable, I still think that one cannot judge this movie fairly after only seeing it once (although if you enjoyed it the first time, you probably will again).I have a feeling that nearly all of the reviews here are by first-time watchers, and while you shouldn't entirely discredit their remarks, keep in mind that, like most complex movies, An Awfully Big Adventure only gets better the more you watch it.

I also feel that it cannot be stressed enough that this is not a happy, uplifting movie."Disturbing" is a word used often to describe it, but the word that comes to my mind is "uncomfortable."There's really nothing at the end of the film to redeem all of the sadness, as is common in most movies.Thus, if you don't like to watch depressing movies, DON'T WATCH AN AWFULLY BIG ADVENTURE.And if you're an Alan Rickman or Hugh Grant fan (both of whom are great) and insist upon seeing it, don't write a review that discourages others from watching it just because it was too dark for your tastes.

*I haven't read the novel of the same title by Beryl Bainbridge, but I've heard that it helps to clarify the confusing points in the movie, besides being a good book.Just a thought...

Great film...highly inaccurate synopsis
First and foremost, I want to state that this is NOT a comedy.The summary on the back of the box, describing it as "hilarious," "warmhearted," and so forth, reads as though it was written by somebody who never saw the movie.It is about as much of a comedy as Hamlet is a go-kart race.

That said, it is a super film.Set in 1947, the story centers on sixteen-year-old Stella Bradshaw, who has lost her mother in the war and lives with her aunt and uncle.Stella joins an amateur theatre company and falls instantly in love with the company's slimeball of a director, Meredith Potter.It doesn't take long for her to be lured into the milieu's seedy underbelly, and eventually she has her first (and second and third...) sexual encounter with P.L. O'Hara, star of the company's production of "Peter Pan".

The end of the movie will certainly be found disturbing and/or sad by most (hence my omission of the fifth star in rating the movie), but it's still worth watching - most likely more than once, so you can start to fill in the details you might have missed before.(There's a whole lot of information packed into this plot, and it's very easy to let stuff slip by!)

The cast, of course, is wonderful.Georgina Cates is well cast as Stella, and very pretty too.Her characterization of the shy, unsure-of-herself girl is engaging and well thought out.(She looks about twelve until a scene where we see her topless.Then the illusion is pretty much shattered.) Alan Rickman, as P.L. O'Hara, is great as usual.The big surprise here for me was Hugh Grant's performance as Meredith Potter.He is actually playing a character here - and a nasty one at that.That alone is worth watching the movie!The supporting cast is terrific as well.It was fun to see such first-rate actors bringing such life to such teeny roles (for example, Edward Petherbridge, who has all of approximately fifteen seconds onscreen).

To sum up, An Awfully Big Adventure - though certainly disturbing in places - is an awfully good film.

Awfully difficult to describe this movie adventure
This is another in a long line of films I have viewed solely to enjoy Alan Rickman's performance, and what a performance; but more about that later.

Having read all the Amazon reviewers' comments and a multitude of professional critics' articles I was still unable to get a sense of this film.The plot was somewhat clear, some reviewers having given away the ending (shame on them and what a shame), but the true atmosphere of the film still eluded me.Frankly, I couldn't convince myself this was a film I would enjoy.Having now viewed this unusual but very interesting film, I find that nothing prepared me for what it truly was about and what it had to offer as real entertainment.

Lest I reveal more of the plot than I intend, I will instead stick mostly to my point and say that Alan Rickman is an actor of absolutely unbelievable talent.I say this after every film; he selects the widest range of roles of any actor, and he never gives a less than perfect + performance.His Captain Hook and O'Hara are sublime characters.He looks fantastic in both roles, of course. Again we get to see him dance, not the tango this time, but variety is the spice of his work.The love scenes, and I feel comfortable identifying them as 'love', because his character displays a sense of love despite his shallow nature; and also exhibits a desperate need for love that would be difficult to believe in this particular character if it were portrayed by a lesser actor.His comic reactions have perfect timing and his emotional reactions display feelings that overwhelm and pale the efforts of every other character in the film.This is a considerable feat because this film offers an usual, but solid, performance by Hugh Grant; a side of his talent I had not previously seen and which proved very intriguing.Georgina Cates as Stella, the naive young girl struggling to find both herself and her past, is flawless.She wears her feelings as open as a book on her sweet young face and states her thoughts as directly (and comically) as any adolescent innocent would.Apparently it is like learning the ukulele.

This film is not a comedy; if it were not British, there probably would have been no humor at all.The British it seems have a way of inserting their own manner of dry wit and humor into the most serious of situations without ever losing their direction.Perhaps I have been viewing too many English films of late; as I had no trouble with the accents and understood every word clearly.

There are other reviewers here who have certainly bested my efforts at describing Rickman's attraction in this film, as I think unfortunately my statements certainly fail to do justice to the work he does in 'An Awfully Big Adventure'.I continue to owe him thanks for the unusual scope of entertainment genres I have explored just because I am so awed by his abilities and do not want to miss of minute of an opportunity to watch him work.Others also have provided more of the plot and I too have fallen short of explaining the true nature of the film.All I am left to hope for is that I canencourage any fans of Rickman's or movie-lovers who enjoy the unusual, and who have not yet viewed this film, to get themselves a copy of this rare video and see just what the 'awfully big adventure' is truly all about.I think you will be awfully glad you did.

Tragedy or comedy? Fine actors, at least...
Ok, I wouldn't have wathed it, if it didn't have Alan Rickman. One sees his acting so little, Harry Potter -movies really are a waste of time for people like me, who appreciate the fine adult actors in them - and see them only briefly.

Again Alan Rickman has a difficult part and comes in late in the movie. But what the heck: the movie isn't bad. And Hugh Grant can be really sleezy! I can't tell how much I enjoyed his sexually vague, self-centered director. And Georgina Cates is really wonderful. She is the one that makes this a comedy. Stella (Cates) is so determined to become a real actress, that she hangs on every word the director says and writes down his pseudo-artistic ponderings - which he himself doesn't believe after he's said them. She worships even his nicotine-stained fingers, starts wearing a hidden cross after hearing all in the theatre are catholics - she is a protestant - and fakes a venerial disease, because everyone seems to have sex with everything that moves - except her. So she decides to get rid of her virginity as soon as possible.

Rickman enters in a scene that seems to be designed for someone like him, who can hold your attention without speaking or doing anything, just looking. He walks through the theatre, people come and talk to him, say things to him... He hardly stops or opens his mouth. The director isn't happy to have him back, but everyone agrees, that no one can play Captain Hook like he can, so he is invited to join the cast. Again: Captain Hook: who else? Rickman is the villain we love. And the glimpses of Hook are really delicious. It made me again think, how people send different messages, even professional actors playing the same part. When Grant does the Hook, the children are sitting silently, filled with suspence, even fear, whereas Rickman's Hook makes them laugh out loud. Of course it's been directed that way, but it has some truth in it.

I would also like to mention Alun Armstrong, uncle Vernon, who is always good, in this movie also.

And then... In case you haven't read other reviews: this is not an easy film to watch, even though it's at times very funny. Even though Stella almost demands Rickman's character to take her, it isn't always comfortable to watch their relationship. Even though Cates turns out some comedy in it and some kind of real love seems to be budding between them. And the end is tragic, though it didn't come to me as a big surprise after Rickman said - first seeing Cates -: "I know her." So I was pretty much aware of the real tragedy, but was still touched by the unnecessarily sad solution.

This isn't a feel-good movie. But it's a damn good one and I do like stories that unfold slowly to let you know bit by bit how things really are and where you thought wrong. But no, this really isn't easy. I suppose I should have expected it. When does Rickman play easy parts? ... Read more

Description

Discover the epic saga of love, marriage, heartbreak, and tragedy among the 19th-century Russian aristocracy in Anna Karenina. Young, vivacious, and breathtakingly beautiful, Anna (Nicola Pagett) seems resigned to a passionless marriage of convenience to a powerful older man, Karenin (Eric Porter). But when she meets the dashing soldier, Count Vronsky (Stuart Wilson), she risks scandal and ruin to pursue true love. Experience the unbridled passion of Anna’s star-crossed affair and its far-reaching effects on her family, friends, and social order in this stirring BBC dramatization of Tolstoy’s classic novel. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

The best that can be said for There's a Girl in My Soup is that it is not quite as bad as its reputation. A belly flop in the careers of Peter Sellers and Goldie Hawn (she was fresh off her Oscar® for Cactus Flower), this Boulting brothers production did nothing to showcase the sparkling comic talents of those two performers. Sellers has some nice moments early as a famous TV-host twit, whose career as a serial seducer is halted after meeting hippie chick Goldie. It's one double-entendre after another:"You only want one thing," says one of Sellers's conquests. "Yes, but what a lovely thing," he sighs. Seen now, the movie is most fun for its goofy look at the gestalt of swinging London: Sellers' automated bachelor pad was surely an inspiration to the Austin Powers folks, and his checkered beige suit must be seen to be believed. --Robert Horton ... Read more

Reviews (15)

A Woman of Substance
A Woman of Substance is an excellent story about the trials and triumphs of Emma Harte. I would highly recommend to anyone seeing this video and read the novels. I also enjoyed the sequel to the Woman of Substance saga ( Hold the Dream)in which the saga of Emma Harte continues through the live of her grandaughter Paula. I've seen this movie and I am going to purchase this video as soon as it becomes available.

Love this miniseries- cheesy, but engaging
Everybody has some miniseries they have to watch every now and then. "The Thornbirds" maybe? Or perhaps it's "The Manions of America". For me and my sister, it's Barbara Taylor Bradford's "A Woman of Substance". Emma Harte (the older version played by "The King and I"'s Deborah Kerr)is a multimillionare and head of her own corporation. Four of her 5 children are greedy little buggers, and Emma becomes aware of a plot they've hatched to render her incompitent and declare themselves the legal heirs of her massive fortune. As Emma contemplates this, she falls asleep in her armchair, and through her dreams, we're transported back in time when young Emma (Jenny Seagrove) is a scullery maid for the Fairley family in their posh mansion. Emma meets Blackie O'Neal (played by the yummy Liam Neeson, who alone is worth watching this)and strikes up a lifelong friendship with him. Blackie is the first person to help Emma see that she, too, can be the head of her own fortune with careful planning and saving. Meanwhile, Emma falls in love with Edwin, the youngest Fairely son, and he loves her as well. When Emma becomes pregnant with Edwin's child, however, he withdraws and offers no support. So, Emma packs her bags and, with Blackie's help, finds a woman to stay with until her baby is born. This is just the first in a series of difficult events that begin to shape the woman Emma is to become. Her hatred for the Fairley family evolves into a lifelong goal to ruin them. She eventually marries a man named Joe and opens her first store (in which she is confronted by Adam Fairley, Edwins bully older brother, who, unsuccessfully, attempts to rape her. It is here that we first hear Emma's designs: "Here this now", she says to Adam, "I mean to ruin you...the whole Fairley family."). When Joe is killed in the war, Emma plunges herself in her stores, now a successful chain, but tends to neglect her children. Through it all, Emma survives- from losing her parents, to watching her brother have his leg amputated after a war injury, to meeting and losing the love of her life, Paul McGill (played by a very tan Barry Bostwick of "Spin City", who is meant to be Australian, but could have used some help w/ that poor on again/off again accent). Through it all, Emma conquers her enemies and her demons, sometimes at the expense of others. But, as she says, the secret of life is "to endure", and she does. It's a bit cheesy, but I fall for it every time. The book is wonderful, too, but VERY LONG. This miniseries is a decent adaptation from novel to screenplay. Also check out the sequel "Hold the Dream".

great !!
A very good and entertaining story. Great acting by Jenny Seagrove and Deborah Kerr.

I must however, remain skeptical of how such things could actually place in conservative Victorian Britain, before WWI.

After all, in more liberal U.S., the women's lib movement didn't take place until 1960s and 1970s

Think You Can't Make It
The protrayal of Emma Harte in the movie A Woman of Substance, shows the viewer the struggle of a young teenage girl and the trials of growing up, the events of struggling to make a stand as a young business woman and mother and the endurance over the years to the become the pinnacle of greatness. This was an excellent movie. It helped me regain inner strength that my trials and struggles can be conquered. The only thing I wish was brought out more, was the different ages Emma was throughout the movie. It would help the viewer know at what age Emma was at during different segments of her life.

A Woman of Substance In The Best Sense
I thought that this was probably one of the most incredible stories of a very charismatic woman that I have seen in a movie. I loved the fact that the movie stuck so close to the book. This is an excellent "chick flick" - Emma Harte is probably someone that most of us would love to be like. Watch and enjoy! ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Viking Queen, simply fun...
Viking Queen is a low budget 60's film, with some great costumes, great dialog, and little historical accuracy.

Why did I give it a high rating? Viking Queen, is simply a hell of a lot of fun!

Carita stars as Celtic Princess, Selena, who must liberate her people, the Iceni tribe from the brutal control of the romans. Torn between her love for a roman general, and the needs to help her people, Carita dons a skimpy warrior's costume and leads her people into battle.

Historical purists steer clear of this one, but everyone else might enjoy this film. Be warned, there is a fair amount of gratuitous nudity and violence in this film, it may not be appropriate for all viewers.

Hmmmm...
Totally fails to live up to any SM expectations you may have.
Carita is an absolute honey, though.

Cheap and historically inaccurate...but fun to watch!
It's a damn shame that the average American is totally ignorant of the Celtic legacy of the western world; modern pop culture and three centuries of fundamentalist Christianity have done their part in obliterating all accurate memory of our northern European roots from the minds of the masses. That's why I applaud any movie that treats the subject of Celtic antiquity, even if most of these films are a far cry from historical reality. This is certainly the case with The Viking Queen: The Celtic Britons were NOT Vikings (a later Germanic people), the druids did NOT worship Zeus (the druid character in the film invokes this Greek deity), Brythonic Celts never had the name Angus (the name of a Briton prince in the film...the name itself is Gaelic Celtic), and on and on. However, the film does make a somewhat lame attempt to depict the political turmoil in the Britain of the first century of the Common Era; the invading Roman legions never did win the undying loyalty of the entire isle of Britain and uprisings were common throughout the remaining years of the empire. That being said, the film is otherwise good cheesy fun for the non-sticklers: hot chicks, lots of violence, humorous over acting, the typical Hammer offering (and I'm not at all surprised that a movie with this subject matter was produced in Britain and not the United States). Carita's "Viking" Queen character is loosely based on the historical personage of Boudicea of the Iceni tribe, who ravaged Roman occupied Londinium during the Briton uprising against the forces of the general Paulinus. So, this is not the worst film ever made, I'm just a little disappointed that we have countless biblical and Roman celluloid epics to choose from but precious few serious films about our own ancestors;The Viking Queen is hardly serious...it reduces a dynamic period of our history into a lusty comic book farce.

Historical Hammer Hilarity or something to that effect!
Roman Britain? Not quite. A fun foray into Hammer's skewed history? Definitely. This film works on the most basic level. Warrior chicks and Roman villainy with a mad druid for fun. The best acting in this little sizzler comes from that late great charactor actor Patrick Toughton. There are moments when it seems like he is in a completely different film...yes, he's that good. Andrew Keir is not to be missed as the scenery chewing evil centurion. A mediocre effort at historical film making, but a great deal of fun!

Gloriously Bad!
This is a thinly-veiled retelling of the real-life story of Boudicca, the British/Celtic Queen who led a failed rebellion against Roman occupying forces in the mid-1st century AD. Yes, thinly-veiled, with the names changed to protect the innocent.

This is b-grade movie sap at it's finest, complete with an unbelievable love story, fine British overacting, and... well, it's just plain silly. For instance: Blue-woaded bandits, looking like extras from a Caveman flick; Scythe-wheeled chariots, which neither the Celts, nor anyone else for that matter, ever used in real life; this whole "Viking queen" title -- what's up with that? This film has nothing to do with Vikings, who were Norse raiders starting in the 700's AD; Highly-trained Roman soldiers who let themselves get run down by the aformentioned chariots; And of course Selena, the "Viking Queen" herself, with that out-of-place German (?) accent and Xena-esque corselet... ah yes, the stuff of dreams... On a positive note, the equipment and armor of the Roman Troops are handled fairly well, considering the level of research available at the time the film was made. Not perfect, but not as bad as the rest of the movie!

So if it's so bad, then why do I give it such a high rating? Sentimentality. When I was a kid, I loved this film! And it's still fun. There are worse ways to waste a slow afternoon than popping this in the VCR and vegging out. No, it's not "Spartacus" or "Ben Hur", nor is it the wonderful British documentary of "Boudicca" which was released a couple years back, but hey, what do you expect, anyway? So, toss all your cares (and good taste) to the wind, and revel in this gloriously awful "celtsploitation" movie! ... Read more

Reviews (1)

"The Tropics gets 'em that way."
In a case of mistaken identity, a naive young columnist for the Daily Beast is sent to cover a war in Ishmaelia. A confused editor, Mr. Salter (Denholm Elliott) acting on the orders of his raving, deranged newspaper publisher, Lord Copper (Donald Pleasence) demands William Boot (Michael Mahoney) cover the war front. Boot normally writes about British country life, but he's too mild-mannered and polite to offer more than a whimper and a feeble protest when he's ordered overseas. Boot is soon up to his neck in intrigue. All the foreign journalists are confined to the country's capital, and they are not allowed to leave without the express permission of the Minister of Propaganda. The journalists all stick together, drinking and trying to pass time, but they watch each other jealously for signs that someone may have a story to send home. The illustrious Sir Hitchcock--who works for the Daily Brute--is noticeably absent, and this sends the reporters on an insane quest into the desert.

"Scoop" was made for British television and is based on the Evelyn Waugh satiric novel. The story is full of the most wonderfully bizarre characters. There's an insane Swedish diplomat who goes berserk when he drinks too much Absinthe, the mysterious Mr. Baldwin (Herbert Lom), and a German woman who claims she somehow or another lost her husband. The guileless William Boot appears to be completely out-of-his-depth in the middle of all this nefariousness.

Some of the funniest scenes take place at the Boot Manor. Life at Boot Manor is in complete contrast to the anarchy of everyday Ishmaelia. Boot's relatives are all completely dotty, and it's clear that a lifetime of living in Boot Manor has more than equipped Boot with the survival skills necessary to cope with a mere revolution. Donald Pleasence as Lord Copper delivers an outstanding performance when he gives his 'script for war' speech to poor Boot. Fans of Waugh's humour should delight in this DVD. Special features include a section on Waugh. If you enjoy this film, I also recommend "A Handful of Dust."--displacedhuman ... Read more

Amazon.com

Hey, troops, let's put on a show! Befuddled, uptight John Cleese reluctantly commands the Song and Dance Unit South East Asia, a motley troupe of barnstorming performers who dress in drag to entertain the commie-fighting British jungle troops in 1948 Malaysia. Based on the satirical stage revue by Peter Nichols (Georgy Girl), the oddball mix of Carry On farce, military buffoonery, and backstage shenanigans makes an awkward transition to the screen. Behind the double entendres and broad gay caricatures (especially Dennis Quilley, who embraces his flamboyance with gusto as the unit's musical director and star performer) rumbles a murky political satire of the British Empire in decline. The idea is better than the execution, but even as a curiosity it has its moments. Don't skip the credits--a musical reprise with Cleese's only song and dance: a gangly legged goof that draws upon his time with the Department of Silly Walks. --Sean Axmaker ... 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