Forest Duel

Starring:Feng Hsu
Studio: Saturn
Product Type: DVD

The Adventures of Robin Hood (Two-Disc Special Edition)

Average customer rating:

All time Classic
Most Loved Movie
review of robin hood
Missing Features?
Perfect film, outstanding extras

The Adventures of Robin Hood (Two-Disc Special Edition)
Starring: Melville Cooper , Errol Flynn , Alan Hale , Ian Hunter , and Kenneth Hunter
Director: Curtiz, Michael
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00005JKEZ
Release Date: 2003-09-30

Amazon.com essential video

Dashing Errol Flynn is the definitive Robin Hood in the most gloriously swashbuckling version of the legendary story. Warner Brothers reunited Michael Curtiz, their top-action director, with the winning team of Flynn and Olivia de Havilland (Maid Marian) and perennial villain Basil Rathbone as the aristocratic Sir Guy of Gisbourne, and pulled out all stops for the production. It became their costliest film to date, a grandly handsome, glowing Technicolor adventure set to a stirring, Oscar-winning score by Erich Wolfgang Korngold. The decadent Prince John (a smoothly conniving Claude Rains) takes advantage of King Richard's absence to tax the country into poverty but meets his match in the medieval guerrilla rebel Robin Hood and his Merry Men of Sherwood Forest, who rise up and, to quote a cliché coined by the film, "steal from the rich and give to the poor." Stocky Alan Hale Sr. plays Robin's loyal friend Little John (a part he played in Douglas Fairbanks's silent version), Eugene Palette the portly Friar Tuck, and Melville Cooper the bumbling Sheriff of Nottingham. Flynn's confidence and cocky charm makes for a perfect Robin Hood, and his easygoing manner is a marvelous counterpoint to Rathbone's regal bearing and courtly diction. The film climaxes in their rousing battle-to-the-finish sword fight, a magnificently choreographed scene highlighted by Curtiz's inventive use of shadows cast upon the castle walls. --Sean Axmaker

Description

Errol Flynn is eternally charming as Robin, defender of the poor, in this rousing family adventure that co-stars Olivia de Havilland and Claude Rains. Year: 1938 Director: Michael Curtiz, William Keighley Starring: Errol Flynn, Olivia de Havilland, Basil Rathbone, Claude Rains, Alan Hale

Customer Reviews:

All time Classic.......2007-06-25

One of the great action- adventure movies of all time with healthy doses of comedy and romance thrown in to boot. Flynn is just perfect in the title role and the entire cast is great: de Havilland as Marion, Rains as Prince John, Pallette as Friar Tuck, Hale as Lillte John and Rathbone as the villain. It was said that the 2 best fencers at the time in Hollywood were Flynn and Rathbone and this shows in their climactic swordfight. Last but not least, the director Curtiz who would direct Casablanca in a few years, was one the great directors. One of the all time Hollywood classic movies!

Most Loved Movie.......2007-06-15

"The Adventures of Robin Hood" still comes across as fresh and entertaining almost 70 years after its release. It was nominated for Best Picture in 1938. Carl Jules Weyl won the Oscar for the film for Best Art Direction. The delightful look of the Nottingham Palace with the high stone walls creates the perfect period atmosphere. Ralph Dawson won the Oscar for Best Editing for the film. Some of the film sequences are astonishing. The scene where the whole hall breaks into sword fight has a continual clink of crashing swords as the camera shifts from duel to duel. Erich Wolfgang's score won the other Oscar for which the picture was nominated.

Errol Flynn's career is legendary as an action hero. He was never nominated for an Oscar. His personal life, particularly the statutory charges from 1942 that earned him the phrase "in like Flynn" could have wrecked a smaller star's career, but Flynn kept going. He's probably in his quintessential moment as Robin Hood, flashing smiles, romantic sparks flying with Maid Marian and his constant good humor. It's hard not to root for a hero like Robin.

I particularly like Patric Knowles as his sidekick Will Scarlet. From the costuming that places him in brilliant red to match his character name, Knowles flashes the smile, never stealing the spotlight, but always ready to fly to Robin's defense. Knowles had a long film career that included some gems like "Expensive Husbands" & "A Bill of Divorcement," but he shined brightly in this action adventure.

Olivia deHaviland plays Marian Fitzwalter, better known as Maid Marian. The costumer highlights her face in blues & lavenders. She radiates incredible charm & grace. The scene where she stands before Prince John and declares her disgust with his actions shows steel in her her feminine character. Olivia won two Oscars for "To Each His Own" in 1946 & "The Heiress" in 1949. Her role as Marian was believable. Her loving looks let you know that Robin was one lucky man.

Eugene Pallette plays Friar Tuck. This actor had an amazing career, acting in over 180 films! His resume lists some true classics like 1916's "Intolerance," the ghostly "Topper" from 1937, "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington" in 1939 & "Heaven Can Wait" in 1943. As the portly Friar Tuck, his swordfight scene with Robin is both entertaining and hilarious. He had a voice that sounded like a gravel road, but he was one of the actors that flourished in both the silent and sound eras.

Alan Hale Sr. who played Little John also had an amazing film career spanning from 1912 to 1950. His films include silent era "The Prisoner of Zenda" from 1913 to "The Inspector General" in 1949. As Little John, his burly build and contagious good humor makes him an ideal fit for Robin's band of Merry Men.

Our two main villains are both played by notable actors. As Prince John, Claude Rains is an underhanded two-faced back-stabber. He was nominated four times as Best Supporting Actor including for "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington" in 1939 & "Casablanca" in 1943.

Basil Rathbone who many associate as Sherlock Holmes plays Sir Guy of Gisbourne and vows to apprehend Robin Hood. The scene where Robin captures his entourage, takes his money & sends him back in rags is (for the audience) a joyful humiliation. Rathbone was nominated for Best Supporting actor in If I Were King, a film based on the stage play by Justin Huntly McCarthy. He had also been nominated for a similar award in 1936 for "Romeo & Juliet." Neither Raines nor Rathbone ever won an Oscar, as good as they both were.

Two other actors deserve special mention. Ian Hunter played Richard the Lionheart who returns home in the nick of time to reclaim his throne. Hunter won an Oscar in 1953 for Best Original Screenplay for "Roman Holiday." Una O'Connor plays Lady Marian's attending maid Bess. Her clever comic barbs made her screen time sparkle. O'Connor was in many other films including "The Bells of St. Mary's" from 1945 & "Random Harvest" in 1942. Some may also be interested to note that the palomino horse Olivia deHaviland rides in Sherwood Forest later would be seen as Roy Rogers' Trigger.

The theme of Saxons and Normans getting along despite differences, the treatment of women, fairness in taxation and care for the poor give the film a thematic backbone. As we near the 70th anniversary of this film, it deserves its place as one of the most watched & loved of the era's movies. Enjoy!

review of robin hood.......2007-06-12

This is the best family oriented swashbuckling adventure movie ever made! And this remastered two disc version with its superb picture and many extras is well worth the purchase price!

Missing Features?.......2007-06-10

I have this exact DVD set, but some features advertised on the packaging don't appear in the DVD menus...? Specifically, on disc 2, I don't see "A Journey to Sherwood Forest", "From the Cutting Room" (including the blooper reels), "Splitting the Arrow", and "Audio-Only Delights". Misleading packaging? Defective production? Clueless viewer?

Perfect film, outstanding extras.......2007-06-09

Warners have celebrated Errol Flynn's greatest film and one of the studio's greatest achievements with this spectacular 2 disc special edition. The merits of the film are well documented - perfect casting, perfect score, a timeless adventure, spectacular colour - but the extras on this DVD are overwhelming. Try this for starters:

- a beautifully paced and delivered commentary by Rudy Behlmer, filled with interesting information from the Warner's archives and production notes
- an hilarious Daffy Duck cartoon with Porky Pig as Friar Tuck.
- recently discovered outakes from the vaults with Rudy Behlmer explaining where they fit in
- home movies during taken production.
- a complete soundtrack of Eric Wolfgang Korngold's score
- a documentary on the history of the legend of Robin Hood including scenes from Douglas Fairbank's silent version

The is just a sample of material on this DVD. It is outstanding value and a wonderful legacy of this timeless classic.

Average customer rating:

DVD movie: BLOWN AWAY
Sort of ok - watchable definitely
What a weird Irish accent
Not up to Hopkins' usual standards.
"I'm not a destroyer, I'm a creator."

Blown Away
Starring: Jeff Bridges , Tommy Lee Jones , Suzy Amis , Lloyd Bridges , and Forest Whitaker
Director: Stephen Hopkins
Manufacturer: Twentieth Century-Fox
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Amazon.com

Before he made the man-eating lion thriller The Ghost and the Darkness and the special- effects-laden Lost in Space, director Stephen Hopkins helmed this ludicrous and critically panned thriller pitting a cop on the Boston Police bomb squad (Jeff Bridges) against a mad Irish bomber (Tommy Lee Jones) who's still holding a grudge from their early years in the Irish Republican Army. A showcase for the explosive skills of demolitions experts, Blown Away has got some impressive action sequences, although the story is somewhat convoluted and mean-spirited. Suzy Amis (Titanic) costars as Bridges's endangered girlfriend, who becomes a target of Jones's destructive scheme. --Jeff Shannon

Customer Reviews:

DVD movie: BLOWN AWAY.......2007-01-16

The DVD movie: Blown Away, starring Jeff Bridges & Tommy Lee Jones arrived @ my shipping address in good condition. The DVD movie is in great shape.

Sort of ok - watchable definitely.......2006-08-17

Ok - this would come under your typical action movie, where the effects and stunts are perfect excuses for seemingly glaring loopholes in characterization and plot. A bit of stereotypes too make their presence in this movie, in terms of character and situation. For example, the character that Jeff Bridges plays is often a bit artificially constructed - its like building it in blocks. So what we have is a kind of jerky movement of character-creation, from loving-husband-to-be, to superhero ultracool fireman plagued with an inexplicable revulsion to his job, to son of an Irishman, to detective blessed with omniscience, to I-see-flashbacks-in-black-and-white; you get the drift! The plot is your typical "I'm your friend, now back for revenge" & how Jeff Bridges overcomes all the hurdles and faces his tormentor. Throw in some pretty interesting camera angles (outdoors especially) and some interesting fireworks, you've got the movie wrapped up.

What makes this movie really nice and rescues it from a probable disaster is Tommy Lee Jones & U2. Jones' character is built right from the first scene where he escapes from prison till the very end. He also plays the role well, acting menacingly insane and dedicated to revenge. That he builds complex bombs with U2 in the background is a real interesting treatment & this movie is worth watching for just those sequences, if not anything else - especially if you're a U2 fan!

Blown Away - definitely watchable once, dont expect much and just sit back and relax and enjoy this movie.

What a weird Irish accent.......2005-09-10

Am I reviewing the right film? Definitely not the Corey Haim film? Right, lets get started.

This was released at the same time as Speed, and did not fare as well. Which is understandable considering it doesn't have a certain Keanu Reeves in it. Instead we get the guy who will forever haunt my nightmares when he was naked during Starman, and a weird but funny, leprachaun-esque accent from Tommy Lee Jones. I challenge you not to smile when he's dancing around making a bomb (?) singing a U2 song.

Although not as fast-paced as Speed, it's a slow ticking bomb, just waiting for the right moment to explode. With a reasonable cast, including Suzy Amis, who I actually had to ask who she was. Duh, she only stars in my favourite film, Titanic! She's virtually unrecognisable.

The only thing I wasn't keen on about this movie was I did not think Jeff Bridges' character's background was well-explained. I didn't understand what happened in his past, or what really was the connection between him & Tommy Lee Jones. And the fact that he kept most of his past secret from his wife, Suzy Amis. Some relationship.

It's not a movie I'd particularly watch again, but it was enjoyable at the time. I'll always prefer Speed over this, but I'll stick to my Starman nightmares thank you.

Not up to Hopkins' usual standards........2005-06-02

Blown Away (Stephen Hopkins, 1994)

Blown Away is a rare thing, a moment in Stephen Hopkins' career where he dips below the standard he has set for himself throughout his career. Blown Away is surrounded by better films in the director's oeuvre, coming just between the underrated Judgment Night and the mediocre, but fun, The Ghost and the Darkness.

Jeff Bridges stars as Jimmy Dove, a member of Boston's bomb disposal unit who has a shady past. That shady past, in the guise of Ryan Gaerity (Tommy Lee Jones), catches up with him after Gaerity escapes from prison in Northern Ireland and tracks Dove down, starting to play a deadly game of one-upsmanship with him while the Boston bomb squad tries to bring Gaerity down.

It'd be your typical fun, mindless thriller were it not for some really, really badly overlooked details, like Jeff Bridges' accent. It's about the worst it could be for a person trying to imitate half-Irish half-Boston. Tommy Lee Jones' brogue isn't all that much better, but Jones is playing such a stereotype that one's not really noticeable. (A mad Irish bomber who's obsessed with U2? Oh, please.)

Not a bad way to kill two hours if you want to turn your brain off, but you'll have to turn it farther off than normal for this one. **

"I'm not a destroyer, I'm a creator.".......2005-04-17

Liam McGivney (Jeff Bridges) learned how to be an expert in bombs as a member of the IRA in Belfast, North Ireland. But when his best friend (an IRA bomb maker) Ryan Gaerity (Tommy Lee Jones) went out of control, tragedy resulted and Ryan was arrested and sent to Castle Gleigh prison in Northern Ireland. Liam, who then changed his name to Jimmy Dove, fled to the United States where he became a respected member of Boston's bomb removal squad. He also married a beautiful woman (Suzy Amis) and started a family.

But now Ryan Gaerity's escaped from prison and has come to Boston looking for "Jimmy", and revenge. Refusing to forget the past, Ryan starts killing Jimmy's closest friends with bombs, and it doesn't take Jimmy long to figure out that these killings aren't the work of an amateur, but of his former friend, now an out-of-control killer and psychopath. Ryan gives Jimmy a chilling phone message after killing one of his best friends:"I've come here to create a new country for you called chaos, and a new government called anarchy...all for you." Jimmy then tries desperately to find and stop Ryan before anyone else is murdered. The ending is one of the best showdowns ever!

Although slammed by critics and ignored by many viewers, I found this explosive thriller very entertaining, keeping me on the edge-of-the-seat right up till the end. Tommy Lee Jones gave an extraordinary and chillingly realistic performance and really stole the show from Jeff Bridges, who wasn't very believable as an Irishman but was nevertheless cool. Also, the music, special effects, and cinematography were very impressive. Highly recommended.

Average customer rating:

Forest Duel
Starring: Feng Hsu
Manufacturer: Saturn
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

( F ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

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Independently Distributed | Indie & Art House | Stores | DVD | Video
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