Tess (Special Edition)

Starring:Nastassja Kinski, Peter Firth, Leigh Lawson, John Collin, Rosemary Martin, Carolyn Pickles, Richard Pearson (II), David Markham, Pascale de Boysson, Suzanna Hamilton, Caroline Embling, Tony Church, Lesley Dunlop, Sylvia Coleridge, Fred Bryant, Dicken Ashworth, Patsy Rowlands, John Barrett (III), Brigid Erin Bates, Patsy Smart
Director: Roman Polanski
Studio: Sony Pictures
Product Type: DVD

Amazon.com

Determination, faith, and optimism are powerful forces that enable individuals to positively affect the lives of themselves and others. Christy, a captivating 1994 television series based on the book by Catherine Marshall and reminiscent of the Anne of Green Gables and Little House on the Prairie series, is the story of an idealistic 19-year-old woman named Christy Huddleston (Kellie Martin) who sets out for the wilderness of the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee in 1912 on a mission to educate the children of the remote community of Cutter Gap. A well-to-do girl raised in the city, Christy is shocked and completely unprepared for the extreme poverty, ignorance, and superstitious tendencies of Cutter Gap's people, but resolves to persevere in her commitment to better the lives of her young students. Each day brings a fresh lesson for the children and a new struggle that inspires Christy to draw upon and re-examine her own faith while striving to disprove local superstitions and replace long-held animosities and prejudices with virtues like forgiveness and respect. Christy is surrounded by a handful of allies in Cutter Gap that include fellow missionary Miss Alice Henderson (Tyne Daly), whom she idolizes for her strength, resolve, and mentorship; Fairlight Spencer (Tess Harper), a local woman who offers Christy the rare gift of friendship; mission preacher Reverend David Grantland (Randall Batinkoff), a hard worker who immediately becomes smitten with Christy; and local Doctor Neil MacNeill (Stewart Finlay-McLennan) whose gruff manner and atheistic beliefs both confuse and excite Christy. Eventually, Christy finds she's fallen in love with both Reverend Grantland and Doctor MacNeill and embarks on a very personal journey toward maturity while simultaneously succeeding in her quest to educate the children of Cutter Gap and affect significant positive change throughout the entire community. (Ages 9 and older) --Tami Horiuchi

Customer Reviews:

Wonderful.......... Just a Wonderful Production.......2007-07-03

This TV series is a wonderful production. I as the rest of the world first saw this on TV in the 1990's and was delighted when it was put out on DVD. I am so glad that they put such wonderful productions on DVD for both young and old alike to enjoy for years to come.
This production is a must have in you private collection it is truly a delight to own and watch whenever one would like.

Christy The Complete series .......2007-06-27

I have watch them before when they were on TV but I got lost when it when off the air.

Excellent.......2007-06-27

They just don't make good family programs like this anymore. My whole family has really enjoyed this series.

Great family series.......2007-06-14

The original Christy series with Kelly Martin is the best and while this is a great set to own and watch over and over again, it's disppointing that the story was never finished until much later, and with another star playing Christy - just not the same! Despite that, these episodes are worth owning to watch over and over again. Christy struggles with spiritual issues just like the rest of us and the best lesson learned from all this is despite our flawed humanity, God still loves us and wants to use us for His good.

Christy - The Complete Series.......2007-06-11

An enjoyable family series to watch. It would have been nice if the producers could have finished the series instead of leaving you hanging. The replacement series did not do this justice as the characters, location and theme felt like another story altogether.

Average customer rating:

a great team
Tess has the power!
Guarding Tess is a joy!
SHIRLEY & NICHOLAS
Unexpectedly satisfying

Guarding Tess
Starring: Edward Albert , Susan Blommaert , Nicolas Cage , Stephen S. Chen , and Mark Conway
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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The American President

ASIN: 076780676X
Release Date: 1998-04-15

Amazon.com

Nicolas Cage stars in this drama-comedy about a Secret Service agent unable to get out of his assignment watching over an exasperating former first lady (Shirley MacLaine). The two get along like oil and water, but when MacLaine's bored widow ends up kidnapped, Cage's agent becomes a determined avenger. While the pairing of these two actors in a movie isn't something most audiences would ever have considered, that's what makes it so much fun. Cage and MacLaine are brilliantly focused in their respective parts, and filmmaker Hugh Wilson brings an unusually solid and urgent feeling to a story that might have become a dismissible light comedy in another director's hands. --Tom Keogh

Customer Reviews:

a great team.......2007-06-28

I became a Nicholas Cage fan after "City of Angels" In this movie ,he shows he can be sensitive as well as funny.The pairing of Nicholas Cage and Shirley MacLaine is brilliant.The chemistry between these two actors is wonderful and belivable as the relationship between them goes from tolerance to friendship and love

Tess has the power!.......2007-06-28

I hadn't heard of Guarding Tess until i found it in my parents movie collection. I was maybe eleven at the time and only picked it out because it had my nickname, Tess, in the title. Since then i have become a N. Cage lover. So i brought the movie because i forgot what it was about.(i just remember i liked it). The only reason why i say this is because by reading the other reviews, it hasnt been teens buying this movie which is a shame. You could really feel Cages emotions through the screen and Cages and Maclaine has a relationship that was pleasant to watch since you don't really see that kind of loyality anymore. And how couldn't you love the ridiculously bossy widow who everyone is afraid to say no too. Which is always a great element of a good comedy.

Guarding Tess is a joy!.......2007-01-03

Never got tired watching it over and over and over again, same as Dave of similar genre!!!

SHIRLEY & NICHOLAS.......2007-01-03

TWO OF OUR FAVORITE ACTORS ARE SHIRLEY MACLAINE AND NICHOLAS CAGE. THIS TWOSOME HAS PAIRED IN A FUNNY AND HEART TOUCHING MOVIE CALLED GUARDING TESS. WHAT A GREAT MOVIE. OUR WISH IS THAT THESE TWO GREAT ACTORS WILL PAIR IN MORE MOVIES THAT WILL KEEP US ENTERTAINED AS ONLY THEY CAN.

Unexpectedly satisfying.......2006-12-16

Doug Chesnick, played by Nicolas Cage, is the secret service agent assigned to protect President Carlisle's widow Tess, played by Shirley MacLaine. He chafes at the unimportance of his assignment but he especially would like to get away from her! She's difficult, rude, arbitrary, and won't let them do their jobs effectively. But when his current assignment is over and he gladly returns to Washington, he is told he has to go back. Tess called the president and wants him to stay. It is an almost constant battle of wills between them, with Tess usually winning.

A key scene is of her wheeler-dealer businessman son (Edward Albert)coming to ask her to endorse a high-end golf club/housing development. He simply came there to use her. It is there in her face that she knows this, as she turns him down. Later, she is viewing video of television coverage of her husband's funeral, during which her son appears to be feeling nothing, while Doug's composure breaks. Brief, and covered quickly, but there's no doubt how he felt. Nicolas Cage is certainly a very good actor. We understand that Tess wants Doug close to her because he loved her husband and is the son she wished she had. Also, no one knows that she has an inoperable brain tumor and does not have long to live.

Suffice it to say that her affection for him is justified when she is kidnapped. To Doug's great professional humiliation, top agents descend from Washington and take control; but Doug, unlike anyone else in the agency, realizes almost at once who is responsible and stops at nothing to extract the information he needs to save Tess's life.

In the hands of two less-edgy actors it would probably be completely forgettable; but it works. Highly recommended.

Average customer rating:

Great movie @ a great price
Gentle, dignified love story
The cup which runeth over
Tender Mercies
Wish there were more movies of this quality

Tender Mercies
Starring: Robert Duvall , Tess Harper , Betty Buckley , Wilford Brimley , and Ellen Barkin
Director: Bruce Beresford
Manufacturer: Starz / Anchor Bay
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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The Apostle
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ASIN: B00005R246
Release Date: 2002-04-16

Amazon.com

Sometimes everything comes together in a movie and it becomes something so much greater than the sum of its parts that it can only be described as a miracle. That's the case with Tender Mercies, a quietly luminous character piece about an alcoholic, washed-up country singer named Mac Sledge (Robert Duvall in an Oscar-winning performance) who hits bottom in a motel room one night and then slowly finds his way back into the land of the living with the help of the widow (Tess Harper) and her young son. It's a low-key, contemplative film that feels like a rural American family comedy in the vein of the great Japanese director, Yasujiro Ozu. Tender Mercies was directed by Australian Bruce Beresford (Driving Miss Daisy, Breaker Morant), written by Horton Foote (To Kill a Mockingbird), who won an Oscar for his screenplay, and has an unbeatable cast. This is one of Duvall's most intimate and deeply personal performances, matched only by his debut 14 years later as actor-writer-director in The Apostle. --Jim Emerson

Customer Reviews:

Great movie @ a great price.......2007-05-30

Have been looking for this movie for years and finally found it on DVD. It is a good story line with a great performance from Duvall. A good family movie.

Gentle, dignified love story.......2007-05-29

I appreciate the gentle, dignified writing style of Horton Foote. I first experienced his unique style of writing in his Oscar-winning screenplay for To Kill a Mockingbird. In that film, he confronted racial injustice, and in the end challenged our answer to the question, "What is justice?" without clunking us over the head. Robert Duvall made his big screen debut in Mockingbird.

In Tender Mercies, Foote and Duvall team up again, and both men win Oscars. This time Foote takes us on the journey of a famous country singer/songwriter, Mac Sledge (Duvall), down on his luck due to years of alcohol abuse. Broke, and with a motel room to pay for when a friend skips out, Mac experiences the tender mercies of the kindly innkeeper, Rosa Lee (Tess Harper in her big screen debut). Again, Foote doesn't clunk us over the head with overt displays of affection, but this is a love story nonetheless, and a good one.

The cup which runeth over.......2007-05-25

Alcoholisim, loss of a daughter to a senseless traffic accident, sense of failure in a relationship, but life still goes on. In this case to a happy ending.

Tender Mercies.......2007-05-14

I happened to catch this movie on cable one evening...and decided to buy the CD. What a treasure!

Wish there were more movies of this quality.......2007-05-09

A friend loaned me their DVD of this movie earlier this year. I'd never seen it. I enjoyed it so much, that I had to purchase it myself. The bonus footage of the up to date interviews with the stars of the movie adds so much meaning to the movie -it is so well done. Every actor/actress in this movie did such a great job in portraying their characters and making them so believable.
I HIGHLY recommend this movie if you like a movie with quality actors, meaning, & real life situations.

Average customer rating:

Toby sure can pick 'em can't he ???
Well Worth Your Time
Toby Keith
see below
imaginary

Broken Bridges
Starring: Toby Keith , Kelly Preston , Lindsey Haun , Tess Harper , and Katie Finneran
Director: Steven Goldmann
Manufacturer: MTV
ProductGroup: DVD
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Broken Bridges
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ASIN: B000JLTRKO
Release Date: 2007-01-09

Amazon.com

Broken Bridges, starring country superstar Toby Keith, is the Country Music Channel's debut entry into the world of feature films. Though it plays more like a televised movie of the week--complete with an opaque plot, much tears, and a happy ending--Broken Bridges is a guilty pleasure, thanks in large part to the surprising likeability (though not believability) of Keith. The tall singer plays Bo Price, a struggling musician who heads back to his small hometown for his younger brother's funeral. There, he runs into his high-school sweetheart Angela Dalton (Kelly Preston) and her teenage daughter Dixie (Lindsey Haun, daughter of Air Supply guitarist Jimmy Haun). It comes as no surprise to the viewer that Dixie is Bo's child--a daughter he never knew he had. Though she doesn't share her father's gruff personality, she did inherit his musical aptitude and stage presence. While Burt Reynolds chews up the scenery as Angela's father, Tess Harper--playing his wife--doesn't get much to do other than look worried. Look for BeBe Winans and Willie Nelson to make guest appearances as themselves. As for Bo and Angela? She makes a feeble attempt to resist her ex's charms by laying down the law. "I came out here to lay down the ground rules," she tells him. "Don't speak to my parents. Don't speak to Angela. And don't speak to me." Rules, of course, are meant to be broken, especially in feel-good movies such as this. --Jae-Ha Kim

Description

In this bittersweet story about family, love and redemption, the death of a loved one brings fading country music star Bo Price (Toby Keith) back to his hometown where he is reunited with his childhood sweetheart (Kelly Preston) and meets his 16-year-old daughter for the first time. Can Bo mend the bridges that were broken when he up and left his home and loved ones for fame and fortune?

Customer Reviews:

Toby sure can pick 'em can't he ???.......2007-06-15

Toby Keith's first foray into acting is an unqualified success. With a great story and a great cast of actors, Toby couldn't miss on this one. CMT must have been smiling from ear to ear when this premiered. A superstar doing a movie.... and it's good too ??? Toby admittedly, played it close to home, as a country music star, playing a country music star, but it's written so well I didn't care. Kelly Preston is, as always, a solid, steady quality actress, who is easily likable in any role she chooses to play. Lindsey Haun is a find. Cute, talented and believable as the daughter not too happy with her family situation. Burt Reynolds is still an actor with star power, although this isn't a big role for him.
All in all I was very pleased with this movie, give it a chance and I think you will be too.

Well Worth Your Time.......2007-06-15

This was one of the most meaningful movies I have ever seen. It touched my heart. I highly recommend this movie for all audiences. It is definitely a movie the entire family should watch together.

Toby Keith.......2007-06-12

Who doesn't love Toby!!!!! Even my daughter watche this with me. A must have for every Toby lover. I watch it over and over.

see below.......2007-06-11

Toby Keith (Covel) is my second cousin. I thought he did a very good job at his first attempt being an actor. He looks almost exactly like his Father, Jr. Covel, when Jr. was about 14. I hope all his reviews are good, and I wish him well. I have never met him. But maybe someday. I know he will be sweet like all the Covel men.

Barbara Ash
8712 N Magnolia, spc. 216
Santee, Ca 92071
619-562-4706

imaginary.......2007-06-09

well, my review well the DVD has not turned up therefore i am having difficulty coming up with an appropriate review, but your lucky as out of all the movies i've bought from amazon this is yhe only one to go astray i previously rented this movie from blockbuster so i new i liked the movie it is a little weak in the story line but i like the songs

Average customer rating:

Excellent movie
Great Love Story
Great Movie!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
A Wonderful Movie
A coming of age

The Man in the Moon
Starring: Sam Waterston , Tess Harper , Gail Strickland , Reese Witherspoon , and Jason London
Director: Robert Mulligan
Manufacturer: MGM
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B000053VB2
Release Date: 2001-01-09

Amazon.com

A jewel of a sleeper, The Man in the Moon comes off as a nearly perfect short story of two sisters' first competition in the field of love. In a 1950's small Louisiana farm town, 14-year-old Dani falls for Court, a 17-year-old engaging neighbor boy. The two become great friends, but Court is more interested in Dani's 17-year-old sister, Maureen, who is blossoming. Dani will look for any justification why she should be with Court, but as human law dictates, there is no cure for a 14-year-old with a crush.

The film is another winning portrayal of small-town adolescence from Robert Mulligan (To Kill A Mockingbird). His eye for casting is impeccable, with Sam Waterston and Tess Harper as the earnest parents and newcomer Jason London as the dreamy Court. The real find, though, is Reese Witherspoon as Dani. Her timeless work here is magical. The PG-13 rating is a bit heavy-handed--although the film does not shy away from its look at budding sensuality, or a horrific and emotional accident. Mature 10-year-olds may find one of their favorite films here. --Doug Thomas

Description

Oscar(r) nominees* Sam Waterston and Tess Harper and veteran actress Gail Strickland (Norma Rae) join three talented newcomers in this deeply moving film (Los Angeles Times) about coming of age and sexual discovery in rural, 1950s Louisiana. Brilliantly directed by Robert Mulligan (To Kill a Mockingbird, The Summer of 42), The Man in the Moon is a poignant and bittersweet tale Roger Ebert calls a wonderful movie...a victory...a meticulously prepared masterpiece. Fourteen-year-old Dani (Reese Witherspoon) and her older sister Maureen (Emily Warfield) have always shared everything. But when Court Foster (Jason London) moves in next door, the sisters become rivals as Dani experiences her first feelings of affection and Maureen finds the true love she's longed for. But with love comes heartache, and the sisters soon learn a tough life lesson when tragedy strikes and the strength of their bond is the only thing that will keep theirhearts from breaking. *1984: Actor, The Killing Fields; 1986: Supporting Actress, Crimes of the Heart

Customer Reviews:

Excellent movie.......2007-05-15

This movie was a joy to watch. NO nudity, NO bad language, just a simple story line about a family, a real family, and how they handle life. I have seen this movie more than once and will probably see it again.

Great Love Story.......2007-05-08

This movie is a great love story (love triangle). Most guys would call this movie a chick flick. It has great stars in it such as Reese Witherspoon, Sam Waterson, Jason London, and Tess Harper. This movie is a real tear jerker! A must see!!!

Great Movie!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.......2007-04-10

I really like this movie! I just saw it two days ago,and I didn't like it that much.But,now that I think about it,I decided it was really great!!! It's about two sisters,Dani and Marueen.Dani is 14.First of all,she is in love...with ELVIS PRESLEY!!!!! But then,she falls in love with the boy living next-door.They go swimming ALOT together.They really like eachother.... until..... Court [which is the boy Dani likes]see's Dani's older sister Marueen,and falls in love with her.Then,Court becomes Marueen's boy-friend.Dani can't belive it! Near the end of the movie,an unexpected death takes place.I don't want to spoil it,so thats all I'm telling you.Buy it,rent it,it's SOOOO WORTH IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A Wonderful Movie.......2007-03-16

Absolutely excellent movie about a teenage kid (Reese W) who falls in love with a boy 3 years older who in turn falls for Reese's older sister, the acting is superb and Reese shows us in her debut movie what we have seen for many years now - that she is a great actress. this is a film for all ages that everyone can identify with - the teenage crush and subsequent heartbreak when things go wrong. the screenplay is exceptional and director Mulligan keeps the film interesting at all times.

A coming of age.......2007-01-11

Dani is in love with a boy next door, heartaches too.

Average customer rating:

What's wrong with it?
Fine acting and locales
no where as good as the origanal but still fun if you let it
See the great 1970's Day Of The Jackal instead
Make It Charlie Eh?

The Jackal - Collector's Edition
Starring: Steve Bassett , Jack Black , Maggie Castle , John Cunningham , and Richard Gere
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: 0783226888
Release Date: 1998-04-28

Amazon.com

The best way to enjoy this 1997 thriller is to forget the much better film that inspired it (1973's The Day of the Jackal) and get whatever kicks you can from this heavy-metal remake. It's not bad as hokey thrillers go, but all of the original film's suspenseful finesse has been traded in (not traded up) for bigger, bolder action and nonsensical plotting. It's as if Hollywood had forgotten to create excitement without resorting to overblown action and heavy hardware, but there's ample compensation in the casting of Bruce Willis and Richard Gere. Willis is the elusive assassin known only as the Jackal, whose latest target (he uses a cannon-sized gun that's anything but inconspicuous) may be the first lady of the United States. Gere plays a former IRA terrorist who is recruited by the deputy head of the FBI (Sidney Poitier) to trace the Jackal's maneuvers, and Diane Venora offers some gutsy support as a Russian-born agent who assists Gere on his mission. The movie has fun turning Willis into a master of disguise, and Gere adds much-needed gravity to counter the plot's escalating absurdity, but this is the kind of film that falls apart if you think about it too much. Still, that doesn't stop the Collector's Edition DVD from offering an impressive array of bonus features, including a director's commentary, a "making of The Jackal" documentary, deleted scenes, an alternative ending, cast interviews, and more. --Jeff Shannon

Customer Reviews:

What's wrong with it?.......2006-11-23

Personally, I thought this was a great movie. Well written, full of twists and turns, and contrary to many of the reviews I've read on here, has a nearly flawless plot. The only reason I'm writing a review for this movie is to clear up what some of the other people have said about it.
People have written things like "Why did that Jackal make it so complicated" or things similar to this. First of all, the giant gun he uses and the public place he attacks at are all part of what he was paid to do, and if you people would have paid attention to the story you would have known that.
Second, he wasn't "Already in the U.S." as at least one reviewer put. He was in Russia! Yes, he was an American, but he was in Russia discussing the terms of his job, from where he traveled to Canada and THEN the U.S.
And another thing, it was questioned why he took a ship to enter the U.S., and one reviewer put that he could have used his van or taken a bus. He used a ship to avoid border patrols in his van, and HOW IN THE WORLD WAS HE SUPPOSED TO GET THAT GUN AND MOUNT ON A BUS???

Fine acting and locales.......2006-10-01

A big budget action flick here with FBI agent Sidney Poitier enlisting IRA prisoner Gere to stop a high tech assassin (Willis) from completing a high level assassination. All 3 leads are very good and especially Poitier with Gere mananging an acceptable Irish brogue. It's a very watchable movie but one wishes the plot holes weren't so obvious. This was made in 1997 so it was pre 9-11 but even still, it's a little silly to believe that an FBI agent would leave the First Lady up on a platform to give a speech just to try to capture the villain.
The many disguises of Willis and the many locales add spice to the story and it almost moves along quick enough that you miss some of the holes in the story. Still very watchable and entertaining- 3.5 Stars.

no where as good as the origanal but still fun if you let it.......2006-02-17

bruce willis and richard gere plus sidney poitior in the story of an hit-man out to kill someone in the u.s. and we don't know who. russiaian mob men are looking for payback after u.s. and russian police kill one of the mobs boys in russia. they hire the "jackel" a hit-man who no one has ever seen and ask him to do the job. willis is the killer and he looks mean and enjoys killing. gere is an i.r.a. killer in jail who also has seen the "jackel" and poitior is the f.b.i. man that is tracking the hit-man down. logic never gets in the way of the action as this movie pulls out all the stops to tell this story. i makes no sence at all but it is fun if you let it be. willis is ok , gere's accent slips as much as his acting and poitior is his fine acting self and he never lets his age keep him out of the action . not great but fun .

See the great 1970's Day Of The Jackal instead.......2006-02-11

This movie is not a thriller or thrilling like the 1970's Day Of The Jackal. It's mostly dumb action pre-teen boy stuff with little suspense or interesting plot.

Make It Charlie Eh?.......2006-01-30

One of my most watched DVDs. This movie is ingenious. The mix of sarcastic/subtle humor and action is what keeps drawing me going back every few months to watch it again. Maybe it's the cool soundtrack or the over the top but hilariously timed choreography. The director knew what he was doing. Those that get it will love the movie and watch it again and again. Those that compare it too the original or get their meat torqued over anything they think is implausable or those that consider themsleves too 'sophisticated' are better off staying away. This is a great movie. I like it in a similiar way as I do The Saint with Val Kilmer. It would appear that unless a movie has a 80 pound woman with a large cranium skilled in martial arts or a gay cowboy or a rapper turned actor, it will be looked down upon over an upturned nose.

Shirley Temple - America's Sweetheart Collection, Vol. 5 (The Little Princess / Stand Up and Cheer / The Blue Bird)

Average customer rating:

Great Service!
Definitely the weakest set...
DVD Titles

Shirley Temple - America's Sweetheart Collection, Vol. 5 (The Little Princess / Stand Up and Cheer / The Blue Bird)
Starring: Warner Baxter , Madge Evans , James Dunn , Sylvia Froos , and John Boles
Director: Hamilton MacFadden , and Walter Lang
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Shirley Temple: America's Sweetheart Collection, Vol. 4 (Captain January / Just Around the Corner / Susannah of the Mounties)
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Shirley Temple - America's Sweetheart Collection, Vol. 2 (Bright Eyes / Baby Take a Bow / Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm)
The Shirley Temple - America's Sweetheart Collection, Vol. 1: Heidi/Curly Top/Little Miss Broadway
The Doris Day Collection, Vol. 2 (Romance on the High Seas / My Dream Is Yours / On Moonlight Bay / I'll See You in My Dreams / By the Light of the Silvery Moon / Lucky Me)

ASIN: B000LC4ZDU
Release Date: 2007-03-27

Description

Disc 1: THE BLUE BIRD Disc 2: THE LITTLE PRINCESS Disc 3: STAND UP AND CHEER

Customer Reviews:

Great Service!.......2007-07-05

The tapes arrived very quickly and were in perfect condition. My daughter has been very happy with her new videos.

Definitely the weakest set..........2007-04-30

As a Shirley Temple fan, I have purchased each one of these new DVD sets so far. This one is definitely the weakest.

The one strong movie of the three, "The Little Princess", cannot make up for the other two. Though all three movies look good, it is the story/plot of each that is either their saving grace or their downfall. (Note that two of these movies - "The Little Princess" and "The Blue Bird" are in colour, while "Stand Up and Cheer" has been left in its original black-and-white state without a colourized version.)

"The Blue Bird" is weak, and it is understandable that this film was the one generally viewed to have ended Shirley's career as a child actress. The story is boring and drawn out, and one cannot help but think that it would be much better as a play (and, in fact, it was originally a play). Shirley is unappealing as a selfish child, and the acting on the part of her co-stars is not very good. Young children would probably not understand some of the underlying themes, and might get bored. I certainly did...

"The Little Princess", made a year earlier than "The Blue Bird", is a much better film. Based on the book by Frances Hodgson Burnett, the movie tells the classic story of little Sara Crewe and her undying belief that her soldier father is still alive. This version looks great; the colour is wonderful. The sound didn't seem quite right (loud ambient noise and too-quiet voices), but that may be my DVD player.

"Stand Up and Cheer" is just a weird movie. It's not for children, and it barely has enough of a plot to keep adults entertained. It's a mish-mash of song-and-dance numbers, and Shirley barely features in it at all. Luckily, with DVD technology, we can skip right to her special scene (and it is a good one... it's no wonder the 1930s movie-going public fell in love with this child!).

I am still waiting for some of my other favourites to be released as part of this series, but I don't know how many more 3-disc sets there will be, as there are five movies (by my count) left to be released: "Our Little Girl", "The Poor Little Rich Girl", "Stowaway", "Wee Willie Winkie", and "Young People".

So, for this set, three stars. The films have been restored nicely. They're just rather weak on content.

DVD Titles.......2006-12-12

The 3 titles in this collection are:

Stand Up And Cheer
The Little Princess
The Blue Bird

Average customer rating:

Hardy kills another romance novel
Beautifully done
Beautiful, Faithful Adaptation of Hardy's Masterpiece
Hardy and Tess
This is one good movie

Tess of the D'Urbervilles
Starring: Justine Waddell , Jason Flemyng , Oliver Milburn , John McEnery , and Lesley Dunlop
Director: Ian Sharp
Manufacturer: A&E Home Video
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ASIN: B000089QEM
Release Date: 2003-03-25

Amazon.com

No one does tragedies as well as Thomas Hardy, and this new BBC production of his 1891 novel is a peach. Tess is a teenager captured between happiness with an educated man (Oliver Milburn) and a dreadful existence with a scheming aristocrat (Jason Flemyng). Compared to Roman Polanski's 1980 Oscar-winning film Tess, the BBC version is far more interested in Hardy's text than in directorial exportations. Hence, the famous strawberry scene in which the aristocrat seduces the young Tess is just long enough to plumb the emotions; Polanski's version made the scene into a miniature classic of innocence and seduction. Both versions are worth seeing.

Star Justine Waddell gives Tess more pluck and less innocence than Natassja Kinski does. She makes Tess a character to root for, which can lead to your own tragedy when working through Hardy's tale. The film doesn't have the drop-dead gorgeousness of Polanski's version but is quite beautiful. Director Ian Sharp keeps in line with Hardy's affection for rural settings and vistas. Flemyng is such a great cad it leads one to wonder what he might have done with Billy Zane's role in Titanic. Another winning adaptation of a classic from the BBC. --Doug Thomas

Customer Reviews:

Hardy kills another romance novel.......2007-06-24

Well adapted, true to the story, but honestly: Of all the books out there, why would they film this? It's depressing, dismal, and desperate. There are NO heroes in this. I would compare it to Vanity Fair but at least in Vanity Fair there is a good guy to get a silly girl in the end.
This is what happens when men write romance novels. If you don't believe me watch his other "classic": The Major of Casterbridge.

1 star for Music
1 star for Acting and adaptation

0 for brilliant story

If you want to watch a good romance that has depth, makes you weepy, and that ends well, watch the BBC adaptation of Elizabeth Gaskell's North and South.

Beautifully done.......2007-06-09

My 17 year old granddaughter and I watched this lovely movie together. The acting was superb and the scenery gorgeous. Definitely a keeper.

Beautiful, Faithful Adaptation of Hardy's Masterpiece.......2007-03-10

I watched the movie yesterday, one week after I finished reading the book "Tess of the D'Urbervilles." I was blown away by the acting and the faithfulness of the movie to the book. Some minor scenes were cut, but only lines were added in, not scenes, and even then the added lines did not detract from the integrity of the story.

That said, the movie follows the story and events pretty much flawlessly, and I would say, presents the characters' personalities and feelings flawlessly as well. But that, or course, is mostly all because of the talent of the actors involved, especially the main three. Also, by the strength of the novel alone, you could tell that if the movie followed the book in both characterization and plot, it couldn't go wrong. And since the movie does just that, it's just right. You ache for Tess because of what she has to go through, yet you admire her because of her strength in the face of so many obstacles. Such a lovely, lovely movie. Tragic and so bittersweet.

Hardy and Tess.......2007-03-03

Claire Tomalin's recent biography of Thomas Hardy prompted me to look into not only re-reading Hardy's best novels after many years but also seeing what was available on DVD. I was pleased to see a production of "Tess of the D'Urbevilles" as I always associate Hardy with this work more than any other.

It's easy to see why "Tess" is so popular among Hardy fans. It's Victorian, autobiographical and just what one might expect of the author. This production (1998) is a good representation and with some wonderful cinematography proves itself. However, the role of Tess is curiously underplayed by actress Justine Waddell to the point of any lack of sympathy for her character. What saves the film is a terrific performance by her main love, Angel Clare, as portrayed by Oliver Milburn. He manages to convey every emotion in dealing with Tess and he succeeds brilliantly. The supporting cast is excellent.

If you enjoy Hardy I would suggest a better DVD that has stood the test of time..."Jude the Obscure" from 1971. It's a couple of hours longer than "Tess" but far more emotionally charged.

This is one good movie.......2007-01-03

This version is soooooooooooo much better than the polanski one that one was boring this Tess has much better acting and is much more interesting. One day I was in the mood to watch this with my hubby at the starting of the film my sister& mother & neice came over they(all of them including hubby who has never seen it before ended up on really getting into it my mom was even talking about it the next day( if you knew my mother she is not that type of person) itis really a good movie

Average customer rating:

shazam! them southern gals sure is a caution, aint they?
Great Service, Great Product
Very entertaining!
Three Unlikely Sisters make Fun
Crime of the Heart

Crimes of the Heart
Starring: Diane Keaton , Jessica Lange , Sissy Spacek , Sam Shepard , and Tess Harper
Director: Bruce Beresford
Manufacturer: Fox Home Entertainment
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Crimes of the Heart.
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ASIN: B00013RC6Q
Release Date: 2004-02-03

Amazon.com essential video

Three Oscar-winning actresses have a go at one of playwright Beth Henley's southern-fried comedies, and cook up an agreeable gumbo. In the town of Hazelhurst, Mississippi, Diane Keaton dithers her birthday away as one sister (Jessica Lange) returns from a flopped attempt at a singing career in Hollywood, and the other sister (Sissy Spacek) languishes in jail after shooting her abusive hubby. Truth be told, all three have been a little touched in the head ever since the long-past day when their mother hanged herself along with the family cat. Bruce Beresford provides the workmanlike direction, and Sam Shepard and Tess Harper contribute supporting turns. But this one's all about the three skillful stars, who eschew showboating and defer to each other with real grace--they have the rhythms of family conversation down pat, and they embody the glances and sighs of sisterhood, rather than acting them. --Robert Horton

Customer Reviews:

shazam! them southern gals sure is a caution, aint they?.......2007-05-12

ok, i dont wanna pick on jessica lange and sissy spacek, but why didnt they get sally field to play the third sister instead of diane keaton? huh? then we could have had all three of the country tragedy troika of a year before. instead we only get two, but together with diane they manage to star in one of the most oppressive adaptations of a play you will ever see. not that beth henleys play was much better (and she IS responsible for the screenplay as well), but at least at a play you can get out at intermission. i am soooo tired of southern women being portrayed as whining (yet oddly sophisticated) harpies. artificial dialogue, ugly to watch, i would rank this among the worst ive ever seen if not for the fact its too forgettable to make the list.

Great Service, Great Product.......2007-01-04

Although it has been a while since I made this purchase I do remember that I was well pleased with the prompt delivery and the excellent condition of the DVD upon its arrival.

Very entertaining!.......2006-07-20

Typically films that blend comedy and drama don't come off very well. They have a tendency to swing from one extreme to the other without establishing a happy medium. "Crimes of the Heart" is not like that at all. The blend of comedy and drama is smooth and effortless. Basically the premise is a look at the relationship between the quirky Magrath sisters in the small town of Hazlehurst Mississippi. Elder sister Lenny (Diane Keaton) is an aging spinster with little experience with men. Middle sister Meg (Jessica Lange) has had more than her fair share of men and scandals that result. Youngest sister Babe (Sissy Spacek) has just shot her abusive husband and is facing a lengthy prison term if convicted. It is this event that brings the sisters together where their idiosyncrasies and past resentments surface and set the stage for some amusing confrontations and revelations. To me this film is synonymous with a warm hug as the atmosphere is very welcoming and familiar and as viewers we can really feel like a part of the Magrath sister's world. The performances are terrific and very natural. There's no impression of upstaging or attention mongering. The three leads act with each other as opposed to acting "at" each other. Tess Harper and Sam Shepard complete the film with their supporting turns. This is a great film that gets better with additional viewings and interestingly enough becomes more compelling and entertaining. Lots of fun!

Three Unlikely Sisters make Fun.......2005-12-19

Crimes of the Heart is the screen adaptation of the hit Beth Henley play. The McGrath sisters are an unlikely a set of sister. Their family was once the pillar of society but now they have fallen from grace.

Lenny (Diane Keaton) is the oldest sister, Meg (Jessica Lange) is the middle sister and Babe (Sissy Spacek) is the baby sister. Each is very different. Lenny has become a spinster (well she was a spinster even before she was old.) Meg has always been a free spirit and has fled the small southern town (well, she left a under a cloud.) Babe had everything come easy to her and married a successful lawyer. Also, there is cousin Chick (Tess Harper) who married above her station and is quick to point out the sisters faults.

As the film starts Lenny is celebrating her birthday, alone. Babe returns to the family home after shooting, but not killing, her husband. Meg also returns for a reunion under these unpleasant circumstances. Of course, what follows is the sisters reopening old wounds. Meg also opens up one of her own old wounds by reuniting with her high school sweetheart, Doc (Sam Sheppard or Mr. Jessica Lange). But the big question is why did Babe shoot her husband (Beeson Carroll)? She won't even tell her own lawyer (David Carpenter).

This is a brilliant comedy with great performance by all. Sissy got the Oscar nomination but all three sisters were great. This is a great look at the early eighties mores from a small town point of view.

DVD EXTRAS: None

Crime of the Heart.......2005-12-13

This is the one of the funniest movies I have ever seen. If I didn't know better, I would say the author knows me and two of my sisters. In fact, I am sending each of my sisters this DVD for Christmas. (I have searched for years for this movie. The rental movie places do not carry it which is such a shame. Diane Keaton is one of my favorite actresses. Gosh, amazing talent in this movie. The lemonade scene is so much like my sister!!!!! I would recommend this movie to anyone. This movie will never be outdated!!!!!!!!! GPC Panama City Beach, Fl

Average customer rating:

Not Masterpiece Theater- but well done
Achingly sadly beautiful
Genealogy gone berserk
Not such a special edition
One of the most beautiful films ever, faithfully told.

Tess (Special Edition)
Starring: Nastassja Kinski , Peter Firth , Leigh Lawson , John Collin , and Rosemary Martin
Director: Roman Polanski
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
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Tess of the D'Urbervilles
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ASIN: B0002O7XVI
Release Date: 2004-09-28

Amazon.com essential video

Roman Polanski adapted Thomas Hardy's novel Tess of the D'Urbervilles and came up with this moody, haunting film starring Nastassia Kinski as the farm girl who is misused by the aristocrat for whom she works and who is then caught in a marriage where her initial happiness soon turns to grief. Fans of the novel may feel unpersuaded by Polanski's effort to marry Hardy's Dorset vision with his own fascination with psychosexual impulses toward survival, but the film is an often stunning thing to see, and Kinski's sensitive, intelligent performance lingers in the memory. --Tom Keogh

Description

First time on DVD! Academy Award®- winning timeless adaptation of Thomas Hardy's classic romance! A rural clergyman in 19th-century England tells a simple farmer that he may be descended from the illustrious d'Urberville family. The farmer sends his daughter Tess to check on a family named d'Uberville living in a manor house less than a day's carriage ride away. However, her so-called cousin purchased his ancestral name and coat of arms. Tess plays her own game of illusion when she finds, loses, and finds again her true love. Starring: Nastassia Kinski, Peter Firth. Directed by Academy Award® winner Roman Polanski (The Pianist, Best Director - 2002).

Customer Reviews:

Not Masterpiece Theater- but well done.......2007-05-28

While taking artistic liberties from the novel , Polanski's Tess is a very entertaining and beautifully filmed movie. The settings and costuming recreate the feeling of Hardy's Wessex as well as any filmed version of his works ever has.
Nastassja Kinski was beautiful in the role and although her acting can be somewhat wooden at times she does make a memorable Tess. The rest of the cast make up for her shortcoming by providing outstanding performances.
The pace tends to slow in certain parts of the film but if you are a fan of period films loosely based on classics you can do worse than spending some time watching this.

Achingly sadly beautiful.......2007-05-01

I didn't read the novel so I have no comments about the accuracy of the adaptation. I had no problem understanding it. (Some reviewers said that it was necessary to read the book in order to follow the film.) I had no problem, either with the length. In fact I was glad it was so long; I wanted to get "the whole story" not a compressed version.

The photography, as others have mentioned is exquisite. It's worth seeing again, with the sound off, just to see the gorgeous country shots.
The music was perfect too--just right for the mood of the film--not too intrusive.

Nastassja Kinski was perfect as Tess. I can't imagine anyone else playing the role. All of the other principle actors were just right and gave excellent performances. How we loved the divine Angel until his rejection of Tess on their wedding night!

The whole film is gorgeously earnest and deeply felt. The only reason I subtracted one star is that the story is just so damned depressing! Knowing what we do of Polanski's life, one can see how he'd be attracted to such material, but for me...I would have preferred some happiness and joy for poor Tess.

Genealogy gone berserk.......2007-01-25

I like to think of the novel's premise as genealogy really going to someone's head. When John Durbeyfield is informed by the town historian that his family used to be a noble one (and the original name was "D'Urberville"), he sends his daughter Tess (Teresa) to rich relatives in the English countryside for financial help. It's there that she meets with Alec D'Urberville, effectively beginning a downward spiral for everyone concerned.

As always, one can trust a book adaptation in Roman Polanski's more than capable hands. He faithfully adapted Ira Levin's "Rosemary's Baby" in 1968 and Roland Topor's "The Tenant" in 1976 before tackling Thomas Hardy's 1891 novel "Tess of the D'Urbervilles" in 1979.

It's common knowledge that Roman adapted the book to honor Sharon Tate's memory (it was reportedly the last book she read. She put a copy on his night-table with a note suggesting that it would make a good movie). The continuous personal attacks on him are really unnecessary (and, f.y.i., they make the attacker look really dumb ... especially when their missive is a grammatical masterpiece).

For having just learned English during preparation for her role in the title part, Natassja Kinski managed very well. She conveyed the vulnerable and melancholy Tess appropriately. At times during the course of the movie, one can almost feel themselves being sucked into Tess's depressing vortex, snapping out of it with her ... only to fall right back in again.

Leigh Lawson played a right-on Alec D'Urberville. He was the monster I envisioned Alec to be while reading Hardy's novel. Peter Firth as Angel was also excellent in his role. Roman nailed the English countryside dialect and he always does a fantastic job with Victorian England scenery (he repeated that success with 2005's "Oliver Twist").

Roman did an excellent job, as always, with "Tess of the D'Urbervilles." The book could be adapted a thousand times after his version and they still couldn't match up to his vision. Roman took Thomas Hardy's always depressing vision and turned it into a beautiful movie (for further proof of Hardy's depressive novels, check out his final book, "Jude the Obscure").

The DVD and Book collection series was a great idea to try to get people to read the classics alongside the movie.

"Tess" is a must-have for the DVD collection. - Donna Di Giacomo

Not such a special edition.......2006-12-17

Columbia's DVD of Tess is doubly disappointing - not only is it a disappointing transfer but it's also the cut version of the film, which tends to lose a little heart and more than a little irony. There's still much to admire, from the beautiful Scope cinematography and Phillipe Sarde's superb score to Polanski's feel for time and place (even if it is shot in France rather than Wessex) and, ironically, sexual prejudice, although Nastassja Kinski never really convinces in the lead and Leigh Lawson's despoiling cad seems constantly on the verge of twirling his moustache. The murder still seems a plot contrivance, although it does throw in one great moment of vintage Polanski with a spot of blood on the ceiling.

Still, at least the 72-minute documentary is very good.

One of the most beautiful films ever, faithfully told........2006-10-24

Every once in awhile a film comes along that it should only be spoken of in hushed tones. Roman Polanski's TESS is one of those films. To place it in context, there are moments in the film DR.ZIVAGO that are some of the most beautiful on film... they are a stark relief to the majority, which is snow covered and bleak. , Being set in lush countryside, 80% of TESS is that gorgeous, making it one of the most visually beautiful films ever made. It won Geoffrey Unsworth & Ghislain Cloquet 1981's Best Cinematography Oscar. (Unsworth died of a heart attack ½ way through production.) It also rightfully won for Art Direction and Costume Design.
Like DR.Z., this film tells the story of the downfall of a lower class girl who has neither the schooling or upbringing to fight for herself, in Hardy's unrelenting sad story (written after he had become depressed in the wake of reading Darwin, and saw the dying way of life that industrialization was bringing about).
Natassja Kinski is luminous and looks a bit like Sharon Tate, and reminiscent of young Ingrid Berman here, in look, but also very much in persona and even her voice. Now wonder it has been hard for her to follow this film. Few roles could match it, few productions have gelled this completely. Peter Firth as her misguidedly moral husband is perfectly matched with her, and they both give richly felt performances.
The musical score is soaring and melancholy, the costumes are just right, whether they be the muddy field workers or the finery of a fallen woman, and the shades of class within different farms are delineated here, too, in costumes and set, and the golden days of the happy farm to the grey skies of the sad. All elements are in perfect accord in this literary adaptation that necessarily cuts a few scenes from the novel, but keeps the story amazingly intact.
I've read the book twice. The BBC did a Miniseries of TESS OF THE D'URBERVILLE'S in the late 1990s, and while it's length maintains some of the details of the story, neither it's somnambulent leading lady nor it's visuals can compare to the wonderful performance here of Kinsky, and the constantly awe inspiring visuals, scene after breathtaking scene.
Polanski tells us that Tate had given him this book, as she had been told it would be perfect for her. He did not read it until after her death, so this film is a fully realized bittersweet chanson d'amour. A classic of cinema in every sense of the word.

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