Mapp & Lucia: Series 2

Starring:David Gooderson, Carol MacReady
Director: Donald McWhinnie
Studio: Acorn Media
Product Type: DVD

Editorial Review:
Description
The teacups of Tilling rattle once again as Mapp and Lucia continue their elegantly bitter rivalry for social advantage. On battlegrounds such as politics, weddings, finances, and art, the adversaries clash in a contest of wits rich with intrigue, scandal, and hilarity.

Adapted from E.F. Benson's delightful stories set in provincial England of the 1920s, the series stars Prunella Scales (Fawlty Towers), Geraldine McEwan (Barchester Chronicles), and Nigel Hawthorne (The Madness of King George).

Amazon.com essential video

Lizard-like Draconian Louis Gossett Jr. and his mortal enemy, earthling Dennis Quaid, crash-land on a hostile planet during a brutal space battle. Forced to rely on one another for survival, they overcome their differences and become fast friends. You can almost hear them break into an off-key version of "It's a Small World." German director Wolfgang Petersen, so brutally honest with his film Das Boot, turns warm and cuddly on us with this intergalactic buddy movie. Much of the problem, though, is that the script sets us up for an intriguing encounter, then settles for a simple and sentimental resolution. Noteworthy set design and strong performances, especially by Gossett, push this beyond mere mediocrity. His performance is fascinating, as he must speak in an alien tongue, which he maintains with artistry and consistency. --Rochelle O'Gorman

Description

In this visually stunning sci-fi adventure, two warriors engaged in a savage, futuristic war between Earth and the planet Dracon. Crash-land on a desolate, fiery planet. At first, the human, (Dennis Quaid) and his reptilian, alien opponent (Louis Gossett, JR) are intent on destroying each other, the two stranded pilots gradually realize that the only way either of them will survive is to overcome their undying hatred.

Customer Reviews:

Nostalgia.......2007-06-21

Excellent story line. However, you may be turned off by the old props and sets. Nothing close to what we have today. I'd buy it only if I wanted to take a stroll down memory lane.

Different sci-fi story..........2007-04-04

This film teaches a lesson from the other side of the political isle than I usually sit, but it tells it well. It is vaguely reminiscent of other films from the 1940's but I can't remember a title. It is a "know thy enemy" film, and teaches about culture clash. I'm not one to respect another culture if it demands it, but if it earns it I do. This film is about two warriors that get stranded together on a dangerously hostile world and have to work together to survive. They learn each other's languages, and culture in a way even a die-hard conservative like me cannot argue with. Perhaps everyone can learn something from this. The film is about right and wrong, and it can change one's perspective. In the end, I remember the audience cheering in the theatres.

I loved it.......2007-03-09

What a great movie. good time you have watchign this one.
Its a one of a kind movie.
if your a star wars or star gate fan like my girlfriend, you will truly like this movie. its the only sci-fi movie with ''sad'' part in it. really good movie suited for nearly anyone. watch this one with your girlfriend rather then your beer drinking pals.

A must-see for SF lovers.......2007-01-11

Great touching story of friendship between enemies and in this case, species.
Good lesson to learn an apply.
A classic movie I wanted to own and show to my kids.

Different .......2007-01-08

I have seen this movie many times while growing up. Its definately a different approach to Science Fiction, but not too bad. Basically, you get to see how mortal enemies can work out their differences, and work together. A movie with a message.

Average customer rating:

Alien Nation/Enemy Mine
They have landed.
2 Flics on 2 discs.....
a classic

Alien Nation / Enemy Mine
Starring: Dennis Quaid , Louis Gossett Jr. , Brion James , Richard Marcus , and Carolyn McCormick
Director: Wolfgang Petersen , and Graham Baker
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
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Alien Nation - The Complete Series
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V - The Original TV Miniseries

ASIN: B000KGGIV4
Release Date: 2006-12-05

Amazon.com

Alien Nation: They get drunk on sour milk. They have two hearts and bald, spotted heads. They're highly intelligent, but if you drop them in seawater they'll melt into a puddle of goop. They're "Newcomers," and they arrived as refugees in a massive alien slave-ship, quarantined for three years and then reluctantly accepted as citizens of Earth. To some humans--including seasoned Los Angeles cop Matt Sykes (James Caan)--the Newcomers are unwelcome "slags." Sykes's own virulent "speciesism" intensifies when Newcomer thugs kill his partner, but he sees logic in teaming up with Sam Francisco (Mandy Patinkin), the first Newcomer detective in the LAPD. Francisco's Newcomer knowledge is vital to their investigation of an alien drug ring, and a friendship grows from life-or-death circumstances.

A routine cop thriller with a comedic sci-fi twist, Alien Nation has two things working in its favor: Caan and Patinkin form a memorable duo, and the basic premise--as conceived by Rockne S. O'Bannon (who later developed the film as a TV series)--intelligently accounts for the sociological impact of an alien population. The subtle point is made that humans are extraordinary beings who squander their potential, and the evil of drugs--as dealt by a social-climbing Newcomer played by Terence Stamp--leads to a crisis that threatens to generate global intolerance. These points are well presented in a context of overly familiar plotting and standard-issue sarcasm. It's entertaining for a brisk 90 minutes, but in its attempt to be widely appealing, Alien Nation glosses over issues that might have made it more uniquely provocative. --Jeff Shannon

Enemy Mine: Lizard-like Draconian Louis Gossett Jr. and his mortal enemy, earthling Dennis Quaid, crash-land on a hostile planet during a brutal space battle. Forced to rely on one another for survival, they overcome their differences and become fast friends. You can almost hear them break into an off-key version of "It's a Small World." German director Wolfgang Petersen, so brutally honest with his film Das Boot, turns warm and cuddly on us with this intergalactic buddy movie. Much of the problem, though, is that the script sets us up for an intriguing encounter, then settles for a simple and sentimental resolution. Noteworthy set design and strong performances, especially by Gossett, push this beyond mere mediocrity. His performance is fascinating, as he must speak in an alien tongue, which he maintains with artistry and consistency. --Rochelle O'Gorman

Customer Reviews:

Alien Nation/Enemy Mine.......2007-05-25

Alien Nation is actually a good movie... I really enjoyed it... It was a bit like the days of the "X" files movies... It was good to watch. Enemy Mine is a fantastic Movie... I can watch this one over and over again.. Its really well made and Dennis Quaid is a little Hottie in it, I think its prob his best movie.. Its a movie you can watch anytime.

They have landed........2007-04-10

This is a good combo if you are into aliens and space movies. Although my children were not born when they made these they still enjoyed the movies. It is fun watching the reaction on the faces who are seeing the movie for the first time. I recommend this for family night.

2 Flics on 2 discs............2007-02-07

Hey, these are both classic SciFi movies! I really like that they are on seperate discs, in a slim-pack, AND the price would be nice for each, BUT NO!, you get 2 for the price of 1!!

a classic.......2007-01-10

Loved it, and so did my boyfriend. They're better as they get older.

Average customer rating:

Enjoy another world
Anglophiles, Salute!
Highly recommended
Quai Hai!
Mapp and Lucia Series 1 and 2

Mapp & Lucia: Series 1 (2pc)
Starring: Geraldine McEwen , and Prunella Scales
Director: Donald McWhinnie
Manufacturer: Acorn Media
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Similar Items:

Mapp & Lucia: Series 2
Queen Lucia: A Novel (Lucia)
Mapp & Lucia
Miss Mapp
Lucia's Progress: A Novel (Lucia Series)

ASIN: B00006RJ63
Release Date: 2002-11-12

Amazon.com

Based on E.F. Benson's stories, this beloved 1986 British miniseries makes its long-awaited DVD debut in a two-disc set that contains all five episodes from the first season. The incomparable Prunella Scales (best-loved as dragon lady Sybil Fawlty in Fawlty Towers) and Geraldine McEwan star as Mapp and the recently widowed Lucia, who has come to the provincial English village Tilling-on-Sea. Lucia rents a house from Mapp for the summer. Almost immediately, the battle lines are drawn between these two formidable adversaries, who vie for control of Tilling society. Mapp and Lucia plot and counterplot against each other with such unconventional weapons as a conflicted gardener and a disputed lobster recipe. Adding to the fun is a gallery of eccentric characters, including Georgie (Oscar® winner Nigel Hawthorne), Lucia's fey confidante and co-conspirator, as well as the local minister, who insists on speaking with a Scottish accent, and Irene, a pipe-smoking artist who paints pictures of lady wrestlers. For those who have yet to make their acquaintance, Mapp and Lucia is a dishy delight. --Donald Liebenson

Customer Reviews:

Enjoy another world.......2007-05-13

If you like outstanding acting, gorgeous scenery, brilliant dialogue, and simply an evening of living (or at least imaging) another era, then Mapp & Lucia is for you. To truly enjoy this series, you should commit to the complete series (1 and 2), add them to your CD library, and watch them over and over again. Here is England post-WWI, perhaps at the dusk of refined living by individuals and couples who appeared to have no profession other than the good life with servants, plenty of time and money, and magnificent large saloons to drive about the pastoral English countryside. The snobbery, scarcasims, put-ons, and put-downs are all good fun to watch. Times were indeed good for those with means; life would profoundly change when the Depression struck. In the meantime, sit back and enjoy the lush interlude between war and dissipation. This series, made by the late 1980s, will never be out of date even if it is a period piece.

Anglophiles, Salute!.......2007-03-08

For fans of British Comedy, this mini-series is absolutely priceless. McEwan's portrayal of Lucia, the wealthy widow with too much time on her hands and too small a stage for her dominating intimidation, is a splendid opportunity to see this actress [the current "Miss Marple,"] in her prime. Her war of wills with Mapp [from "Fawlty Towers"], whose seaside home she rents for the summer, provides all the delight Anglophiles need to satisfy their lust for British comedy at its best. I watch it about twice a month.

Highly recommended.......2007-02-05

I own the whole series, though I think series two is better. The acting is superb, a model of subtlety even though the characters are indeed over the top. The voice inflections, the poses, the facial expressions,even the costumes, all become part of the truth of the characters. The episodes really should be seen all in order, as the plot does have a bit of development and continuity.

Quai Hai!.......2006-12-22

Anybody with the capacity to enjoy whimsy will probably come to see pretty quickly what a treasure this series is. At the outset, it's true, both Lucia and Georgie, with their baby talk, may seem too over the top, too precious to endure over five episodes. But such a worry is quickly put to rest, and by the time, early in Episode 1, when Lucia and her chum Georgie motor to the seaside village of Tilling in search of summer rentals, as characters they've become wonderfully infectious.
The town of Tilling itself features an equally remarkable collection of British eccentrics, most of whom tolerate each other's oddities engagingly, and who grow as well upon the affections of the viewer. Major Benjy, Mr. and Mrs. Wise, Quaint Irene and company are quite a memorable crew.
What we have in the representation of Tilling is essentially the vision of Jane Austen, but on vacation here from true comic seriousness, and reveling instead in the amusingly farcical. People's foibles are presented, for the most part, as endearing rather than diminishing of their characters. Malice goes no further than the stealing of a recipe. Disaster threatens only when the chief women characters are swept out to sea, ludicrously enough, aboard a kitchen table. This is a series that can be viewed again every so often with great pleasure. In its case, familiarity definitely does not breed contempt.

Mapp and Lucia Series 1 and 2.......2006-11-10

E.F. Benson's Mapp and Lucia characters are brought to life with this fantastic series. Geraldine McEwan captures the essence of Mrs. Emmaline "Lucia" Lucas and Prunella Scales proves to be an excellent Elizabeth Mapp. This is an entertaining, intelligent, well done series. I enjoying watching it over and over again. Any Geraldine McEwan fan will enjoy her comedic performance here.

Average customer rating:

mapp and lucia--a classic social comedy
Mapp & Lucia 2
Mapp and Lucia continue the battle
Better for you than a box of chocolates.....
Machinations in Tilling

Mapp & Lucia: Series 2
Starring: Geraldine McEwen , and Prunella Scales
Director: Donald McWhinnie
Manufacturer: Acorn Media
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Similar Items:

Mapp & Lucia: Series 1 (2pc)
Queen Lucia: A Novel (Lucia)
Mapp & Lucia
Miss Mapp
Lucia's Progress: A Novel (Lucia Series)

ASIN: B0001ZWY6W
Release Date: 2004-06-22

Description

The teacups of Tilling rattle once again as Mapp and Lucia continue their elegantly bitter rivalry for social advantage. On battlegrounds such as politics, weddings, finances, and art, the adversaries clash in a contest of wits rich with intrigue, scandal, and hilarity.

DVD SPECIAL FEATURES INCLUDE cast filmographies, E.F. Benson biography and booklist, and scene selection.

Customer Reviews:

mapp and lucia--a classic social comedy.......2007-02-21

This series had me constanly chuckling and in some instances howling at the wild turns in this beautifully photographed and mounted production.
Each character has a lovable kind of eccentric behavior from the Benjy's tippling to Georgie's fussing with his toupe.
The writing is top drawer, witty and literate.The cast seems as if they were born to play their roles. First rate light entertainment.

Mapp & Lucia 2.......2005-07-20

I find this Second series of Mapp & Lucia very entertaining and relaxing viewing. It is of course not to everybody's liking. But for those who like this tongue in cheek type of writing I recomend this whole heartedly.

Mapp and Lucia continue the battle.......2004-12-16

Mapp and Lucia was the well-mannered - (well at times well-mannered) but determined combatants of Tilling-on-the-Sea and at stake is nothing less than to crown of Queen Bee of TOTS! Mapp has rules the tiny hamlet with an iron fist as lady of the village and has everyone dancing to her tune, until Lucia enters the pictures. Recently widowed, Lucia has come to summer in Tilling-in-the-Sea. Mapp has rented out her less than humble abode to Lucia, but still wants to hold control of the house and the village. Lucia, however, sees as this as her chance to bring class to the tiny village of eccentrics. A battle to the death - literally - well, almost.

It's based on E.F. Benson's stories and is loving brought to life under the talented performance of Prunella Scales (Mrs. Fawlty in Fawlty Towers) as Lucia and Geraldine McEwan star as Mapp.

In the second series, the gloves are off and this is a no holds barred battle for rule, as Tilling-on-the-Sea ain't big enough for the battling socialite mavens.

It's Brit Com at it's very best.

Better for you than a box of chocolates............2004-10-08

MAPP AND LUCIA each spend an inordinate amount of time plotting ways to get themselves in the spotlight while casting the other in an unfavorable light. This series is about as socially redeeming as JEEVES AND WOOSTER, however, watching it is like eating chocolate - you can't eat just one piece. Certainly, you won't find much of a moral to this series of tales, unless it is do unto others before they do unto you. In all likelihood, these stories like those of J&W were used by the communists to demonstrate Western decadence.

Lucia kills with kindness, doing what is best for Mapp despite Mapp's continuous rivaly and attempts to "best" Lucia. Lucia isn't really mean, but she is definitely capable of finding the perfect place to insert the rapier blade. All in defense mind you as Mapp brings it on herself. If she would just accept Lucia is her better all would be settled. Most of the townspeople have done just that, and that of course makes matters even worse, for Mapp was the big cheese before Lucia came to town.

Mapp has tried everything from falsifying her knowledge of a foreign language to getting married in an effort to outshine Lucia. Lucia always manages to undo and outdo Mapp, however. The fun of course is feeling the frisson of fear that Lucia may be foiled, only to see how she cleverly foxes Mapp time and again. Usually, I am sympathetic for the underdog, which is clearly Mapp, but surprisingly, I don't feel sorry for Mapp. Mapp usually hatches a plot to embarrass Lucia only to have it blow up in her face when Lucia turns the tables. Just how she will do this and how Lucia will react in each instance is the basis for the series. For example, if Mapp sells Lucia her disintegrating house located in a flood plain to Lucia, Lucia will probably find Roman ruins underneath and be featured as the house's owner in the Times of London.

Lucia is supreme at turning lemons into lemonade revealing Mapp as the disgruntled looser she is.

Machinations in Tilling.......2004-07-31

This has to be one of the best series ever produced by the BBC and that is high praise indeed. E.F. Benson's books are perfectly realized in this series and the cast is perfect for this adaptation of the last three books in the series.
Lucia is the main character of a series of books that Benson produced in the 20's and 30's. The first two books chronicle her efforts to retain her status as "Queen Lucia" in a village in the Cotswolds. In the fourth book, she goes on holiday to the village of Tilling (actually Rye, the home of Benson) after the death of her husband and meets her match in Elizabeth Mapp, a worthy foe in every respect. In the village of Tilling, Lucia meets her match (almost) and herein is the basis of the subsequent stories. It is this mix of the two that the series really takes off as both jocky for social influence while preserving a veneer of politeness.

The books were popular in their day, but really took off when the BBC made the first series (also available in DVD). A great deal of humor rests in the ambitions of the characters and the situations that they find themselves in as a result. This second series, which is not as detailed as the first (it covered one book in six episodes, this covers the remaining books in the series in six episodes).

While the production values are of the highest order and the script a delight, this series would have fallen flat if it wasn't for the superb cast. First there is Geraldine McEwan as Lucia, a part she was born to play. She uses her voice like a musical instrument, raising and lowering it to produce different comic effects. Anyone who sees the second episode where she keeps insisting that they must dig "deeper" will know what I mean. She really captures the invincible Lucia in all her intellectual pretensions and airs and graces.

Second, there Prunella Scales. Known far and wide as Mrs. Basil Fawlty, she is excellent here as well. As always the comedic timing is wonderful. Watching her attempts to undercut Lucia continually frustrated is pure pleasure. I have seen her in other productions and I do not think that she is capable of giving a bad performance. She and McEwan and particularly good in the scenes that they play together.

One other cast member is worth mentioning (although everyone associated with this production is nothing short of excellent)and that is Nigel Hawthorne. In the role of "Georgie," he really shines. One can appreciate Hawthorne's performance if one has seen him in other things, such as "The Madness of King George" and "Yes Minister."

I can only hope that McEwan, Scales, Hawthorne and all the others associated with this production had as good a time making this series as they appear to have as we watch them hatch their plots and scheme their schemes in the village of Tilling.

Average customer rating:

if you dig Iceburg Slim this is your film
Pretty Good
The Sydney Poitier type of screen character is excellently demonstrated in "Trick Baby."
Trick Baby
Get this and the book

Trick Baby (Soul Showcase)
Starring: Kiel Martin , Mel Stewart , Dallas Edward Hayes , Beverly Ballard , and Vernee Watson-Johnson
Director: Larry Yust
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
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Willie Dynamite
Trouble Man
Education of Sonny Carson (Ws)
The Spook Who Sat by the Door
Black Sisters Revenge

ASIN: B0006FYOVA
Release Date: 2005-01-11

Customer Reviews:

if you dig Iceburg Slim this is your film.......2007-05-07

if you dig Iceburg slim and Donald Goines then you are gonna be feeling this film. a Brother who can Pass for White and a Older soul Brother who has Schooled the Younger Cat on the Street Hustle in Philly. there are so many twists and turns in this film and the Big Heist near the end makes you wonder can they make it back to the Bank in time? if this Film was Up-dated it would be outta control on the Real. the soundtrack was tight as well. the Preacher had me rolling as well. i was feeling that Hog in the Film. right on that film will take you back and make you think and this is the kind of film that had so much cleaverness going on it wasn't even funny. that toliet paper roll that passed for dollar bills would make Sheryl Crow even squeeze the charmin.

Pretty Good.......2007-04-30

I wanted to read the book, but it's always checked out so I decided I might as well watch the movie. It was pretty good, despite the unhappy ending. But that's real life though. The characters were sophisticated and knew how to carry out their hustles, even though in the end Blue was too obsessed with the money and lost focus. Other than that, there was none of that sloppy, ill-mannered, dumb thug stuff that seems to be popular these days.I really love movies from the 1970s and this one will definetly be added to my collection.

The Sydney Poitier type of screen character is excellently demonstrated in "Trick Baby.".......2007-01-16

The Sydney Poitier type of screen character is excellently demonstrated in "Trick Baby," a film which seemed to slip by the critics...

The story is that of two con-men: White Folks (Kiel Martin), who, had a black mother and a white father and whose skin is white; and Blue Howard (Mel Stewart), a gray-haired black veteran who has taught the younger man everything he knows about the art of the confidence trickster...

Together they tricked the Mafia and the police; they make $10,000 and have to give some of it away to the local black protection merchant; they set up a confidence property deal to swindle some over-greedy white businessmen out of $150,000, but cannot quite get hold of the loot...

The quality of "Trick Baby" is that not all the blacks are all good, and not all the whites are all bad... What is more, it makes a point of showing that black men can play on their color to gain their own ends...

Trick Baby.......2006-11-03

I was sadden by the fact that the movie seemed to be incomplete. I recently compared the movie to the book and everything in the movie seems to be in the first two chapters.

Get this and the book.......2006-01-01

A must have for any Iceberg Slim fan, and also for those that are not. This is well done, definitely not your average "blaxploitation" film. With a bigger budget it would have been truly great.
Imagine Johnny Depp as White Folks, man that would be nasty. Anyway, the story strays from Slims tale, a bigger budget could have gotten a better screenplay adaptation, but it is still definitely a must have and a must see; especially for anyone who likes seeing urban movies set in the actual heart of the city.
The acting is good, production is solid, and the story is untold. Once you see the movie you're gonna have to read the book though, or maybe read the book first. The book is the real deal, ask me I'd get them both, and I have.

The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp - Criterion Collection

Average customer rating:

The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp
Outstanding film for then and now. But about that title...???
You've won the war but have not learned anything
An irrepressible and perennial classic
remarkable on a number of counts

The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp - Criterion Collection
Starring: James McKechnie , Neville Mapp , Vincent Holman , Roger Livesey , and David Hutcheson
Director: Emeric Pressburger , and Michael Powell
Manufacturer: Criterion
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ASIN: B00005JL0W
Release Date: 2002-10-22

Amazon.com

Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger's first Technicolor masterpiece, The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp (1943), transcends its narrow wartime propaganda to portray in warm-hearted detail the life and loves of one extraordinary man. The film's clever narrative structure first presents us with the imposingly rotund General Clive Wynne-Candy (Roger Livesey in his greatest screen performance), a blustering old duffer who seems the epitome of stuffy, outmoded values. But traveling backwards 40 years we see a different man altogether: the young and dashing officer "Sugar" Candy. Through a series of affecting relationships with three women (all played to perfection by Deborah Kerr) and his touching lifelong friendship with a German officer (Anton Wallbrook), we see Candy's life unfold and come to understand how difficult it is for him to adapt his sense of military honor to modern notions of "total war." Notoriously, this is the film that Winston Churchill tried to have banned, and indeed its sympathetic portrayal of a German officer was contentious in 1943, though one suspects that Churchill's own blimpishness was a factor too. --Mark Walker

Customer Reviews:

The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp.......2007-06-25

The lengthy but immensely rewarding "Blimp" is a warm, fond salute to a colonial British Empire which would never exist again. Livesey is superb as the beloved central character who ages forty years over the course of the film, and Walbrook is equally astonishing as Wynne-Candy's German friend whom he's forced to oppose in wartime. And young Deborah was never more luminous than in this early role. Criterion deserves credit for a gorgeous high-definition transfer of this masterpiece, which makes the old new again.

Outstanding film for then and now. But about that title...???.......2007-04-10

As with the other reviewers of this film, I must agree that
in its restored and complete form, this is an outstanding
film. The supplemental material is also quite interesting.
The themes in this film are just as relevant today as they
were when it was made. Most anything else I could write would
be redundant with what others have written.

I will admit that at points I felt the film dragged a bit,
having made a point but not moving on. Maybe I am just too
much a product of watching too many fast paced films of today.

One thing I find curious about this movie is the title. Since
the main character is not Colonel Blimp and is really a much
deeper character than the cartoon character, I wonder why the
film was given the name it was. I wonder how many people went
to see this movie expecting a comedy based on a cartoon character.

My minor quibbles aside, this is really an excellent film and
worth seeing.

You've won the war but have not learned anything.......2007-03-03

A young military officer, "Spud" Wilson (James McKechnie), in the ecstasy of a mock war confronts an old officer Clive Candy (Roger Liveseys) who appears to be set in his way and unaware of today's (1943) attitude toward war. The young officer ridicules the older officer's ways and looks without giving a thought as to why or how the older officer became that way.

The explanation is through a flashback that Candy explains the apparent differences and that one day you may also find your self ridiculed. In the process we see how some decisions stay with us for life.

Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger are well known for movies that have a mythical deep meaning like "I Know Where I'm Going!" (1945.) In one film "One of Our Aircraft is Missing" (1942) the deleted scene of a confrontation between a younger and older officered was deleted. This scene was the seed for this movie "The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp" (1943.)

At first the film does not seem to have quite the stature of the earlier Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger films but as the personalities evolve and the story unfolds you see that they still maintain the magic.

Two performances I find of special interest are those of Anton Walbrook as Theo Kretschmar-Schuldorff (the Uhlan officer) as he goes through attitude changes in life, and that of Deborah Kerr who plays the three women (Edith Hunter/Barbara Wynne/Johnny Cannon) in the life of Clive Candy.

Last note be sure to get the restored Criterion presentation of this Janus film.

An irrepressible and perennial classic.......2007-02-02

I recently watched this film after having seen it for the first time 25 years ago when I was a young man. Simply stated, it held up on a second viewing and in fact confirmed my impression that it is one of the most magnificent films of all time. Restored to its original length and with newly enhanced color, the film has even more appeal now. The acting is superb, with Livesey, Walbrook, and Kerr all turning in great performances, with Livesey's being possibly the best of his very distinguished career. Walbrook is superb also and I wasn't familiar with him, being an Austrian actor mainly, until I saw this film, Kerr at only age 18 performs all three of the main women's roles and also does a terrific job.

The film's anti-war message was of course controversial at the time and Churchill unsuccessfully tried to get it banned. The film follows Livesey's 40-year career from the Boer War to WWII and shows how difficult it was for an officer from an earlier, more civilized age to adapt to the grim realities of World War II. He is a grand, honorable, dignified soldier of the "old school," the kind of disciplined but principled and compassionate man our civilization no longer has any use for. But WWII was a war that had to be won at all costs lest the Nazi's and Axis powers prevail, and the General's approach is now long obsolete.

The exigencies of WWII notwithstanding, half a century later, we can see even more clearly how far our civilization's values have deteriorated and can only imagine how Livesey's character would have fared in an age of terrorism--or an age in which it seems that there are no more true good countries left (including the U.S.)--only greater and lesser evils. Despite our greater scientific and technological achievements, we live in a less civilized and more barbaric age.

Overall it's still a great movie with a timeless message about the type of honor and values that existed once but that our "civilization" (if one can call it that) abandoned a long time ago.

remarkable on a number of counts.......2006-08-07

The film itself is compelling theater in its own right, even 60 years on, as a touching look at friendship, lost romance, aging, and personal obsolescence. Roger Livesay (Lt. Clive Candy) hands in a brilliant performance as he ages from a dashing young officer of the Boer War period to a dumpy, elderly warhorse in mid-WWII. Aging with him is Anton Walbrook as a German officer who was his friend, then his enemy, then his friend once more -- but even more displaced by time and circumstance. Deborah Kerr is splendid as three different romances in Clive Candy's lifetime.

Criterion, as usual, has restored scenes and visual quality. Its extras are important, as we see the context of the film and its controversy. The Colonel Blimp cartoons are worth seeing as how they might have damaged the film: the cartoon character was a blustery, stuffy duffer from the inter-war years -- dumpy, red-faced, white walrus mustache like the aged Clive Candy. Blimp was not really likeable in print, who could have easily made the movie character a forgettable cartoon figure as well. Powell, Pressburger and Livesey dodged that bullet. Blimp was not likeable, but the film makes you care about Livesay's character.

We also see the controversy around the film in the documentary. Easily enough imagined: it was 1943, the title character is both conservative and friendly to (one) German at the same time. The DVD includes memoranda to and from Churchill trying to stifle the film. Also, the film's message -- that Candy wanted to fight a gentlemanly war (although the real message was that the UK should not), was also something jarring in bomb-damaged Britain at that time. It's worth remembering that controversy and memoranda were raging in the same month (July 1943) that the RAF launched Operation Gomorrah, the horrific fire-bombing of Hamburg.

This film is worth having, and not just for buffs of film history or British cinema.

Average customer rating:

Superb Film
Great Family Movie
Empowering Family Video!!

No More Baths!
Starring: Victoria Jackson , Garrett M. Brown , Sydney Walsh , Andreas Michael Lamelas , and S.A. Griffin
Director: Timothy J. Nelson
Manufacturer: Bonneville Ent.
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

Drama | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

Comedy | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

( N ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
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Friendship's Field
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Split Infinity: A Gift from the Past (Feature Films for Families)
Who Gets the House?
Coyote Summer!

ASIN: B0001UNX58
Release Date: 2004-07-13

Description

"Am I my brother's keeper?" to 10-year-old Keagan, this isn't a question but a way of life. After learning to help others by watching his parents work as legal-aid attorneys in his youth, Keagan puts his lessons to good use by watching out for his aging neighbor Jake. Years ago, after a fire took his family, Jake opened up his home and heart to the children of Glenwood Springs who come to play on his lot each day. When Jake gets in the way of a greedy developer, government bureaucrats are content to push him aside, but they don't anticipate Keagan McPhie. Keagan organizes the Glenwood Springs Kids Corp into a powerful force of peaceful protest to help Jake and remind adults of their responsibility to a friend in need.

Customer Reviews:

Superb Film.......2005-12-28

Though the acting may not be the best, No More Baths sends an excellent message in regards to peacefully protesting to make a change. It was a good story, perfect for teaching young kids about the turbulent 1960s and the changes that occurred.

Great Family Movie.......2005-07-14

We really enjoyed this movie. It was wonderful to see someone stick up for what is right no matter what. It was great to see parents support their children's decisions, even when they didn't really agree! We love Jake!

Empowering Family Video!!.......2004-05-08

This is a very empowering family video set in segregated Alabama using non-violent demonstration.It's a must see!!

Average customer rating:

No comedy that
NEVER FORGOTTEN
It's NOT a comedy movie !
Great Movie!!

Homer and Eddie [Region 2]
Starring: James Belushi , Jim Mapp , John Waters , Robert Glaudini , and James Thiel
Director: Andrei Konchalovsky
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $14.99 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( H ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

The Associate
Eddie
Fatal Beauty
Jumpin' Jack Flash
Good Morning, Vietnam (Special Edition)

ASIN: B00005LAZ5

Customer Reviews:

No comedy that.......2006-11-15

I saw this when it was first out, and I was shocked that it was billed as a comedy (like Nicolas Cage's The Weather Man also was last year), when it was nothing at all like a comedy. In fact it was a quite depressing movie. I suspect that those responsible for writing movie posters just don't bother to actually watch the movie, and just guess on the genre, based on the starring actors.

NEVER FORGOTTEN.......2006-02-26

I still remember this movie after all theses years, and I believed I have only seen this once or twice. It was shown in the best atmosphere...I was up 2 AM or so, and everything is just so quiet at that time. I felt every emotion of this film thoroughly. This movie is one of those gems, and I'm not suprised, because the 80's produced several memorable movies for me. This movie deals with longing, hopefulness, virginity, and some fun. I used to try to look for this movie from time to time, and had forgotten the title. I was irritated , because I remembered the name Eddie, and everytime I'd look it up; the title; Eddie, that basketball movie w/ Whoop would show up, and I'm like NOoooo!!! Well I will continue my search for a dvd, and if not I'll just order the VHS, there is still many good movies which haven't made the switch: The Dummy (starring Levar Burton), Leadbelly, and some others I'd really like to own.

It's NOT a comedy movie !.......2003-07-03

Don't get mistaken. It is NOT a comedy movie. Rather a road movie with a bitter taste to it. As Whoopie Goldberg plays a vagrant with a tumor in her head which is slowly killing her and Belushi plays a retard who's in search of his parents who have left him behind in hospital 14 years ago.

This is rather a drama and shows superior acting skills by both main characters. Definitely worth an oscar (but never nominated). So don't go thinking this is a family movie that you can watch during christmas eve !! It is NOT.

Great Movie!!.......2003-02-13

If you like James Belushi and Whoopi Goldberg then you'll love this comedy that's about 2 travelers.It's a must see!!

Average customer rating:

The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp
Outstanding film for then and now. But about that title...???
You've won the war but have not learned anything
An irrepressible and perennial classic
remarkable on a number of counts

Colonel Blimp [Region 2]
Starring: James McKechnie , Neville Mapp , Vincent Holman , Roger Livesey , and David Hutcheson
Director: Emeric Pressburger , and Michael Powell
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

( C ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

I Know Where I'm Going! - Criterion Collection
Black Narcissus - Criterion Collection
A Canterbury Tale - Criterion Collection
The Red Shoes - Criterion Collection
49th Parallel - Criterion Collection

ASIN: B00006424A

Amazon.com

Customer Reviews:

The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp.......2007-06-25

Outstanding film for then and now. But about that title...???.......2007-04-10

You've won the war but have not learned anything.......2007-03-03

An irrepressible and perennial classic.......2007-02-02

remarkable on a number of counts.......2006-08-07

Average customer rating:

Life and Death of Colonel Blimp
Director: Michael Powell , and Emeric Pressburger
Manufacturer: LW
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

DVDs Under $14.99 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video
ASIN: B000MOXMRC

Product Description

Brazilian edition, artwork and sleeves in portuguese. Removable subtitles in portuguese and spanish, ausio in englih, region all will play on you DVD player

DVD:

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