Anthony's Desire

Starring:Kevin Abosch, Anastasia Alexander, Debra K. Beatty, Tom Boka, Nicole Broderson, Steven Burkholder, Stephanie Champlin, Doug Demarco, Zsuzsa Fontner, Miklos Fotos, Michele Jaffe (II), Kelly Jaye, Patrick Lim, Ashlie Rhey, James Scanlon, Owen Sitribman, Gwen Somers, Mark Stansbury, Michaela Stoicov, Richard Troncone
Director: Tom Boka
Studio: DVD Ltd
Product Type: DVD

Average customer rating:

A history lesson.
A True Story of Mexican Revolution.
Poetic, powerful and moving...
negleted masterpiece
poor editing of the film

Viva Zapata!

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ASIN: B000B63Q36

Product Description

This is the second in the magnificent series of films by director Elia Kazan (On the Waterfront, A Streetcar Named Desire, East of Eden, Baby Doll). PLOT SUMMARY: Branded an outlaw after helping Mexican peasants reclaim their stolen land, Emiliano Zapata (Brando) retreats into the mountains with his brother Eufemio (Quinn). Then Zapata's love interest takes priority over his revolutionary activities, as he courts Josefa, who refuses his offer of marriage because he's poor and lacks standing in the community. When he rises to the rank of general, she deems him a worthy suitor and they marry. Later Zapata becomes president, but by then, he's greatly disillusioned and ends up being used as a political pawn. ++++ DVD FEATURES: This officially licensed Asian import is NTSC Region 0 (All-Region) with 4:3 Full Screen display, Dolby Digital Sound in ENGLISH with optional English subtitles.

Customer Reviews:

A history lesson........2007-06-30

The review by 'Maxi' shows the value of movies like "Viva Zapata". Most people, Americans, have very little knowledge of important moments in the history of our neighbors to the south. Or Canada for that matter. Brando, as his usual brooding self is outshone by Anthony Quinn. Nobody plays a Mexican better than Mr Quinn. The storyline is fairly close to the true historical life of the title character. I've seen several Mexican movies about Zapata but I like this one better. Mostly for the production values I think.

For years, on the radio, I listened to "La Hora National" They had 1/2 hour plays about historical events from the past. I wish that we had something like that. It pays be aware of historical events that developed the character of our neighbors. I'd like our people to be more informed about heros from our past, too. Most Mexicans, even after many years of living here, are still Mexican at heart. This is a very good movie about a worthwhile subject.

A True Story of Mexican Revolution........2007-01-18

Actually this was the film that triggered my interest on the Mexican Revolution.
I've seen it many times and always found new details to take into account. As I read more and more on the subject my appreciation of this movie increases.
It presents the viewer with a big fresco of the Revolution that convulsed that country for more than ten years.
I admire the strange capacity of the film to show condensed in each scene, many key issues of why and how the Revolution exploded and continue growing along the years, with an immitigable fire.

Director Elia Kazan has been criticized for his appearance on the Un-American Activities Committee that lead many people related to cinematography to be ostracized.
This been said, regardless of his political stand, he had directed many great Oscar winner films as: "Gentleman's Agreement" (1947), "Streetcar Named Desire" (1951); "East of Eden" (1955); "Splendor on the Grass" (1961) and the present "Viva Zapata!" (1952).
He had directed two "Movie Icons" as Marlon Brando (more than once) and James Dean obtaining the best from them. All his films explored the inner depth of human soul with unflinching stare.

Since the first shot, showing a very accurate characterization of President Porfirio Diaz (Fay Roope) and giving an inkling of the type of ruler he was, an enormous gallery of Mexican historical figure are made known.
Francisco Madero's (Harold Gordon) personality and idealistic naïveté is depicted with very few strokes.
Huerta's (Frank Silvera) wickedness and treachery is shown too.

Above all of them Emiliano Zapata's figure impersonated by an inspired Marlon Brando stands with an epic height. His ideals, stubbornness, charisma and internal sorrows leading him to the final sacrifice, are shown convincingly.

A special mention must be done of Anthony Quinn's superb performance, which entitled him to win the Oscar. He not only has the physique du role, but an internal conviction to give flesh to Eufemio, Zapata's brother, a semi cultured and brave centaur, product of his times and environment.

Josefa (Jean Peters) the fiancée and later wife of Emiliano shows all the traits of a high middle class woman romantically requested by a rural hero. The scene played with Brando in the church's atrium is wonderful.
The only character that gives a discordant note is the fictional Fernando, representing an addict to revolution for revolution in itself.

Joseph MacDonald's black and white photography is very beautiful. Steinbeck's screenplay has a solid internal coherence that shows all along the film.

A Classic Movie not diminished by the more than fifty years passed.
Reviewed by Max Yofre.

Poetic, powerful and moving..........2007-01-17

Elia Kazan will be remembered as the director of some of the most vivid film performances of the fifties... In 'Viva Zapata', Kazan's 'Method' style of acting is applied to John Steinbeck's screenplay that power inevitably corrupts, with Brando again charismatic as the doomed Mexican revolutionary...

Kazan, not only shows us the extremely unpleasant world of poverty where life is hard, short and brutish, but also the story of the agrarian rebel who was Pancho Villa's first revolutionary ally...

Kazan paints a convincing emotional portrait of a mythical figure, who is considered as the 'Wind that swept Mexico.' Kazan explores a facet of the Mexican history, describing the reasons for the revolution fought by Zapata, and works on basic emotions as passion, anger, fear, aggression, ignorance and wisdom...

Brando projects the dedication and the anguish of an inspiring rebel... He portrays the illiterate Mexican peasant revolutionary who for ten years led Guerilla uprisings against dictators and presidents... Brando plays the part with fervor and passion, even transforming his features with special makeup and fake mustache to look amazingly like the Guerilla leader... For his performance, he was nominated for his third consecutive Oscar, but Gary Cooper won for 'High Noon'.

Anthony Quinn gives an effective portrayal of Eufemio Zapata , the swaggering, lecherous, bullying brother, and wins his first Academy Award as Best Supporting Actor... Through his consummate acting skills, Quinn creates in Eufemio a strongly characterization which, despite its brevity, was not overshadowed by Brando's Zapata...

Jean Peters portrays the typical educated girl of the village who falls in love with the wild man of the hills and marries him...

The film begins near the close of the 34th year reign of President Porfirio Diaz (Fay Roope) where a delegation of Indians from the State of Morelos have come to the capital for an audience with the great dictator... There they make known their strong objections over the stealing of their lands by the wealthy, powerful estate barons... Diaz addresses them paternally and instructs them they must examine their boundaries before they bring legal action, something he knows they are incapable of doing...

Burning with a sense of injustice, the simple Emiliano Zapata directs the president's attention to this point, requesting his consent to cross the railing of wires...

President Diaz was disturbed by the persistent Zapata and on the sheet of paper listing his visitors, he unpleasantly circles the name of this one humble man who has really came for 'something.'

Some time later Emiliano and his brother lead the farmers in a general inspection through their expropriated fields and as they do so, a squad of Diaz militia attack them, shooting and cutting down men, women and children indiscriminately...

Zapata and some of his followers fight back, and retreat to a mountain hideout... There they are located by a sly political agitator, a newspaperman named Fernando Aguirre (Joseph Wiseman), who brings news of Francisco Madero (Harold Gordon), exiled in Texas...

Zapata sends his friend Pablo (Lou Gilbert) to interview Madero and find out if he is worth following...

One day, and in a church, Zapata risks his life to speak of truth, and of love... But the pretty brunette Josefa (Jean Peters) rejects him, even though she admits to being attracted to him, and tells him he must improve his social position before she might think out his proposal...

When Espejo (Florenz Ameo) refuses to consider him as a suitor to his daughter, Zapata angrily leaves his house... He is immediately arrested by policemen and led away with a rope around his neck...

As the mounted police walk him behind their horses through the countryside they are gradually joined by peasants, who silently march along... The group increases into a huge number of farmers... Zapata comes to a realization, that the peasants have chosen him as their leader and that he has no course but to accept... Destiny has singled him out...

'Viva Zapata!' received 5 Academy Award Nominations...It is a greatly entertaining film, excitingly directed by Kazan who made its action sequences so intense and who permitted his actors full scope in developing their characters...

negleted masterpiece.......2006-12-28

Viva Zapata is one of the three or four movies that made Marlon Brando the best actor of his generation -- "the Men", "Streetcar---", "On the Waterfront" and "Godfather 1", being among the others. Scripted by Nobelist John Steinbeck, directed by Elia Kazan, featuring bravura performances by Anthony Quinn and Joseph Wiseman, and winner of many international and US awards for acting, directing and scrit, Viva Zapata should rank among the top 100 movies (it did make the NYT's recent top 1000). Yet,it's been sadly neglected -- not even released on DVD is the USA, and to my knowledge unseen on TV. Viva Zapata is a masterpiece lost for suceeding generations.

poor editing of the film.......2006-12-13

the dvd that i recieved through AmaZon was poorly edited. both the beginning and the end of the movie was cut off. I had seen this picture years ago and remember it very well.I will not return it since i didnt pay very much for it.The dvd was distributed through Sam Luu.

Previn - A Streetcar Named Desire / Previn, Fleming, Gilfry, San Francisco Opera

Average customer rating:

Desire
Wonderful modern opera
A Great Disappointment
A Wasted Opportunity
Loved it!!!

Previn - A Streetcar Named Desire / Previn, Fleming, Gilfry, San Francisco Opera
Starring: Renée Fleming , Elizabeth Futral , Judith Forst , Rodney Gilfry , and Anthony Dean Griffey
Director: Kirk Browning , and Debbie Palacio
Manufacturer: Image Entertainment
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Dvorak - Rusalka / Robert Carsen, James Conlon - Fleming, Urbanova, Diadkova, Larin, Opéra de Paris
Massenet - Manon / Fleming, Alvarez, Vernhes, Chaignaud, Lopez-Cobos, Paris Opera
Film By Tony Palmer
Previn - A Streetcar Named Desire / Fleming, Futral, Gilfry, Griffey, SF Opera, Previn
R. Strauss - Capriccio / Fleming, von Otter, Finley, Trost, Henschel, Hawlata, Dell'Oste, Banks, Tear, Schirmer, Paris Opera

ASIN: 6305639744
Release Date: 1999-11-30

Amazon.com

There are those who believe (whether they admit it or not) that opera is an exclusively European art whose history ended with the death of Puccini. They are, of course, entitled to this delusion, but it creates serious obstacles for a vital form of new music and it deprives opera fans of some memorable theatrical experiences. For most of the 20th century and very intensively in its last half, American composers have been transforming literary masterpieces into operas that deserve and are gradually winning a place in the repertoire with the European classics. With A Streetcar Named Desire (1998), André Previn is the latest addition to the list of these composers, with Gian Carlo Menotti, Dominick Argento, John Corigliano, Carlisle Floyd, John Harbison, William Bolcom, Mark Adamo, and others.

Previn came to classical music from a background as a jazz pianist and soundtrack composer, credentials that may raise a few eyebrows but obviously developed his sense of what works dramatically in music and a knack for regional flavor in an opera set in New Orleans. The libretto preserves the impact of the original Tennessee Williams play about the fragile Blanche DuBois (brilliantly portrayed by Renée Fleming) and the loutish Stanley Kowalski (sung with precision and a subtle sense of character by Rodney Gilfry). There are no weaknesses in the supporting cast and there are particularly fine performances by Elizabeth Futral and Anthony Dean Griffey. Previn, a world-class conductor, is of course an expert in his own music, and Kirk Browning has a convincing approach to the opera's visual elements. Highly recommended to anyone not allergic to modern opera. --Joe McLellan

Description

Recorded live with the San Francisco Opera, the world premiere production of Andre Previn's A Streetcar Named Desire. For his first-ever opera, Previn turned to one of the most celebrated plays in the history of American theater, Tennessee Williams' Pulitzer Prize-winning A Streetcar Named Desire. He saw the haunting story of lost youth and innocence in the romantic, shadowy world of New Orleans as ideal material. Collaborating with librettist Philip Littell, Previn has captured all the claustrophobic tension, volatile emotion and sexual undertow of Williams' original in his own Streetcar. This world premiere recording took place in September 1998 at the spectacularly renovated War Memorial Opera House, with Previn conducting. The cast includes Renee Fleming as Blanche DuBois, Rodney Gilfry as Stanley Kowalski, Elizabeth Futral as Stella Kowalski, and Anthony Dean Griffey as Mitch. Nominated for a 1999 Emmy Award. English: Stereo. 167 minutes.

Customer Reviews:

Desire.......2007-06-12

The fact that a life can be ruined by a series of unfortunate events becomes realistic, as Blanche becomes a victim. At first, I despised her because of her promiscuity, but afterwards I noticed that her actions were rooted from her inescapable past.
During the 1940's and after the World War II, many people were in desperation trying to find jobs and create a better life. However, as a result of this mindset, some did not succeed and ended up living in a life of disaster. Such calamity resulted in not only financial misfortune, but also social and mental failure. Everyone seemed to scramble to quickly find a great life, but little did they know, the truth of the reality was that not everyone could succeed at the same time. As a result, many hoped for too much, plunging in a world of delusion. Avoiding reality, several other were just assuming fortunes would find them, creating self-fulfilling prophecies.
In A Streetcar Named Desire, Tennessee Williams wants to depict exactly that tragedy resulted from constant escapades to fantasy by employing Blanche as the typical woman who just lost her grip on reality. Blanche has lost control ever since she found out that her husband was homosexual. Unable to cope with that reality, she just drifted onto another world. She refused to believe that fact and continued to fulfill her desires elsewhere. Everywhere she went, she looked out for ways to satisfy her sexual pleasures. In one instance, she had an affair with a student, as a schoolteacher. Such activity was frowned upon by society, but she did not mind, because she was looking for a way out. After moving to her sister Stella's house, she quickly spots a male named Mitch. In hopes of finding her knight in shining armor, she tried to woo him into getting married. However, Stanley quickly disclosed all Blanche's dirty, stained history in order to stop Blanche and Mitch from going any further. Afterwards, Stanley decides to rape her, and even then, Blanche seems to be lost in world of fantasy. She is unable to stay compose and cope with reality. Everybody seems to think she is crazy, including her sister Stella. At the end of the play, she admits to the doctor she is too gullible and trusting of everyone, assuming everyone would make her life better, creating a false reality that would only make matters worse, revealing the notion that the escape to fantasy would only ruin one's life. Tennessee Williams argues that fantasy is only a false depiction of the world in its most rudimentary image, which causes one to lose control of the complications of reality, inevitably resulting in a disaster.
Despite the mature content, this book should be read, because it exposes an intriguing take on life.

Wonderful modern opera.......2007-04-09

I was really not sure from the previous reviews whether or not I would like this modern opera version of "Streetcar Named Desire". Personally, I just had to watch it because of the outstanding cast including Renee Fleming, Elizabeth Futral and Rodney Gilfry. Although there were moments when I longed for a beautiful aria instead of recitations, I did enjoy this opera. The cast were all in outstanding voice and Rodney Gilry has tremendous charisma. What a body too! Oh, there I go being superficial. He was perfect as the smirky, mean and arrogant Stanley. Fleming displays fragile and sensitive beauty in her portrayal of Blanche. Futral is lovely as the sweet Stella. I think the libretto could probably have been better written which is why I give it 4 stars. The music was lovely and the SF Orchestra is a perfect accompanist.

A Great Disappointment.......2006-03-01

I am crazy about Renee Fleming, admire Tennessee Williams, and can enjoy, say, Lulu -- so why did I dislike this so? The sets and cast look great; the acting is good enough. The fault, I suppose, lies primarily with the composer: he captures some of the desperation of Blanche, but not the (faded) beauty. Apparently, he wrote this part for Renee Fleming; but, for one thing, I would like to hear it sung more softly -- with slower tempos! Maybe there is vocal beauty here that this performance fails to capture because it doesn't let the music sufficiently "breathe." Renee Fleming has a wonderful melancholy look, which her at times almost Wagnerian vocalizing belies -- Isolde, fallen on hard times.

A Wasted Opportunity.......2005-10-24

Andre Previn and his librettist, Philip Littell have performed a remarkable feat: they have taken what could have and should have been a tremendous opera, and managed to do everything wrong that could possibly be done wrong. Here is one of the greatest plays ever written, which in its power and intensity is basically an opera already. Now - music presumably enhances the drama in an opera, intensifying the dramatic highlights, so if anything, this should have had twice the power. Instead, Previn and Litell have concocted an "opera" entirely devoid of either dramatic or musical impact.

Start with the libretto. The "librettist" has for all practical purposes merely taken ninety percent of the play script verbatim, and called it a libretto. Previn might just as well have written the music straight from Williams' script - it could not have come out much different. A libretto is supposed to be an adaptation: the librettist should condense the drama while maintaining the dramatic highlights, and then add some original material to suit the purposes of a libretto, and to give the composer the proper material to work with. One of the main aspects of this new material is the writing of arias, which of course cannot be found in the original.

Arias did not come about as some arbitrary formula imposed from without. They evolved as the most natural and logical development of the previously mentioned function of music enhancing the dramatic highlights. If music in general enhances the dramatic highlights, an aria does it to an even greater degree, being longer, broader, and very specific to the particular moment. This "Streetcar" has not one single aria as such. There are four passages which the audience dutifully applauds as though they are arias, but they are merely sections of verbatim play dialogue, and to make matters worse, they seem arbitrarily chosen, not even of any special dramatic strength or importance. One waits and waits for an aria, but alas, none are forthcoming. More frustrating yet, no end of potentially powerful dramatic moments arrive, and one says, "At last, here will most certainly be an aria, the moment cries out for one." But no, the moment is allowed to simply peter out, and golden opportunity after golden opportunity is lost, and powerful dramatic passages that should have been expanded and intensified evaporate, rendering the entire opera dramatically and musically homogeneous.

Furthermore, while the music is not atonal, Previn, in three hours, not once manages to find the tonic. When music accompanies drama, there is no neutral or middle ground - if it does not enhance the drama, it diminishes it by its very presence, which then becomes merely intrusive and essentially gratuitous. Such is the case here. Whatever drama manages to emerge, which isn't much, is solely the drama inherent in this great play. The question then arises: why did Previn bother to write this in the first place. Since the music neither improves the drama, nor can stand alone as music, it becomes an utterly pointless and futile exercise, and we are left with only the drama, severely diminished. It is clearly preferable, then, to simply go see the original play on stage if one can find a performance, or watch the film. Either of these two alternatives will show the great and powerful drama of this play, and will demonstrate just how inept is Previn's attempt to turn it into an opera.

Loved it!!!.......2005-09-30

Andre' Previn did a wonderful job turning this wonderful play into an opera. Renee Fleming was absolutely wonderful as Blanche DuBois and Elizabeth Futral was exquisite as Blanche's sister Stella...their voices were just beautiful. Ms. Fleming's voice soared with great power and beauty. Ms. Futral's had such ring in her tone and such pleasantness of tone. The cast was great...my only objection was the voice of Rodney Gilfy, Stanley. He acted wonderfully and his physique was perfect for the role, but his voice was not the most beautiful. I'm still giving it five stars, because I don't think Stanley's voice needed to be beautiful. The music is not clearly melodic, but dramatically it is fantastic. I recommend this DVD.

The Six Wives of Henry VIII - Complete Set

Average customer rating:

People Actually Liked This?
Intelligent, unforgettable, unmatched
the best around
The Six Wives of Henry VIII - Complete Set (1971)
An Excellent Production, But DVD Quality Is Sorely Lacking

The Six Wives of Henry VIII - Complete Set
Starring: Keith Michell , Annette Crosbie , Dorothy Tutin , Anne Stallybrass , and Elvi Hale
Director: Naomi Capon , and John Glenister
Manufacturer: Bfs Entertainment
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Elizabeth R
I, Claudius
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ASIN: B00004U3UI
Release Date: 2000-07-25

Description

Few television series have attracted as much critical and public acclaim as these six triumphant plays, now preserved on video. Written by six different authors, each play is a lavish and authentic dramatisation, produced with style and quality. Binding them together with his magnetic and dignified performance as the mighty monarch is Keith Michell--the definitive Henry VIII.

Customer Reviews:

People Actually Liked This?.......2007-04-22

Good God was this terrible. Just awful. The acting, the writing, even the LIGHTING was bad. I usually don't notice things like lighting, but the excessive shadows everywhere sort of made me take notice. The sets are virtually non-existent. All the walls are bare - they didn't even have the decency to hang up some tapestries. I only made it through Catherine and Anne but the actresses were WAY too old for their parts. Catherine looks at least 30 at the beginning when she is supposed to be 16. And the worst part was that this series was downright boring. I can live with all of the above so long as they tell a good story. The producers didn't even need to come up with a good story - they had one, right in front of them, and this is what they did with it.

Intelligent, unforgettable, unmatched.......2006-09-05

I saw this series as a child, and it profoundly influenced my life, making me an eager historian and costumer ever after. Just a year or so ago, my brother gave this series to me as a gift, and it is even better than I remembered it.

The reign of the Tudors followed the War of the Roses, a bloody, chaotic part of British history, characterized by civil war and royal asassinations. The two little princes in the Tower, murdered by order of Richard III, were Henry VIII's uncles. His father, Henry VII, ended the strife by defeating Richard III, and marrying the Yorkist heir, Elizabeth. Their union brought stability to England.

You have to keep these events in mind when watching this series, because they make Henry VIII's actions understandable. His seemingly monomaniacal need for a son was his effort to ensure that nothing like the War of the Roses would happen again.

This series is for the serious Tudor buff. It comes from the era of BBC productions that were richly intellectual, subtly acted and true to the original material. Also, looking at it again after so many years, I realize what a parade of first class British actors participated: Annette Crosbie, Dame Dorothy Tutin, Patrick ("Dr. Who") Troughton, Bernard Hepton, and even Mollie ("Are You Being Served") Sugden.

Keith Michell delivers a Henry VIII whom you can hate and yet sympathize with--very human, sometimes weak, sometimes funny. He is a scholar, musician, knight, statesman, victim, tyrant, penitent, cuckold, and philosopher, as events dictate. His Henry is very complex; and one of the pleasures of this production is that you find yourself watching to see which Henry is going to emerge. One can imagine that his wives and courtiers also walked on eggshells, not knowing which facet of his personality might turn itself in them at any given time.

Of the six episodes:

CATHERINE OF ARAGON: Though Catherine is my favorite of the wives, I don't think this is the best episode, because it has to cover over 25 years of history in a few hours. Annette Crosbie does a fine job of portraying the proud, honorable Catherine. She even resembles portraits of the amber-haired princess. This should really have been 2 episodes. What is there is excellent. What's missing is more of Catherine's large part in the govenment of the realm, a more thorough characterization of Wolsey, of Catherine's father Ferdinand's duplicity, and how both of them in their different ways helped undermine her relationship with Henry. It's a pity Catherine was short-changed in this series, because she's the most interesting of the wives--the only woman Henry VIII really feared, and the only one who could have taken his throne away from him, had she chosen.

ANNE BOLEYN: Dorothy Tutin does an excellent job of portraying the historical Anne--not the romance-novel heroine, but the bitch-siren-victim who comes through from contemporary documents and accounts. Without ignoring the ruthless side of her character, she is able to also show a sympathetic Anne as she realizes that her star is on the descendant, and that she is following in the footsteps of Catherine, her deposed predecessor. Anne's notorious rages and hysterical fits are brilliantly done by Ms. Tutin--the terror of a woman who realizes that she's caught in a trap of her own making.

JANE SEYMOUR: This is the episode that won an award. It is sensitively done. Very little is known about Jane Seymour, beyond the fact that she was basically a pawn for her powerful family, and that she bore Henry the son he longed for. However, Anne Stallybrass renders a deeply-felt portrait of the kind woman who made peace between Henry and his daugther Mary, and somehow left an unforgettable impression on Henry himself. In this episode, too, we get an interesting view of the cryptic character of Thomas Cromwell (as portrayed by Wolfe Morris) --an urbane, nervous little man with an unsettling habit of suddenly turning lethal.

ANNA OF CLEVES: So little is known about this wife that I can't justly complain over the liberties the script writer took with her story and character. I think this is the weakest of the series, because it tries too hard to turn Anna into a modern woman. It seems that they were inspired by "The Private Life of Henry VIII"--the wedding night scene owes some of its comedy to Elsa Lancaster and Charles Laughton. That said, it's thoroughly enjoyable. I also enjoy the final dinner scene between the happily to-be-divorced couple. In historical fact, once they were divorced, they became good friends. A nice sideline is Mollie Sugden's turn as Anna's maid Lotte. There are one or two scenes where you can see that Mrs. Slocom look on her face, and I quite long to hear her tell Henry to "Shut your cake hole!"

CATHERINE HOWARD: This was the sleeper for me. I'd fogotten how good Angela Pleasance was in the role of the teenaged girl who is made the pawn of the Howard family, and married to the aged Henry VIII. Her monologues are intensely felt and thrilling--reminiscent of her dad's account of first meeting Michael Meyers in "Halloween". Patrick Troughton as the hard-edged Duke of Norfolk is brilliant, too. And the broken-down Henry, thoroughly pathetic.

CATHERINE PARR: Henry finally acts his age, and marries a widow, the covertly Protestant Catherine Parr. She is portrayed by the classically beautiful Rosalie Crutchley, who is convincing as the stable, kind woman who brought Henry's family all together again, and won the love of his children. One of the best dialogues is at the very beginnng of this episode, between Henry, who is trying to ask Catherine to marry him, and Catherine, who is trying to dodge the question. It's so well-written and funny, that after 10 viewings, it still makes me laugh.

This is a long review, but the gist of it is this--somehow, get a hold of this monumental production, and watch it. You'll learn something, not the least of which is-- What makes great drama.

the best around.......2006-03-12

Keith Michell's Henry VIII bests all others hands down. Step by defiant step, he creates a Henry unsaved by his rich sadness. It's got to be the performance of a lifetime! Six episodes, six writers, a mini-play for each wife, the result is a towering theatrical experience. Almost imperceptibly, Catherine of Aragon's shadow drifts across the film, an unadorned presence, indicating the pungent intelligence behind the whole enterprise. English theatre alone makes magic like this - brilliant and intimate and addicting. This one ranks on a par with the BBC's Elizabeth R. They are brother and sister films in tone and mood. Keith Michell is just ferocious throughout, You can't imagine the pleasure. Don't miss it.

The Six Wives of Henry VIII - Complete Set (1971).......2005-10-30

Contrary to the outrageous prices that are listed on the "these sellers" list, this title may be purchased from www.pbs.org for only $55 (plus $7 s&h) for the entire set!!!!

An Excellent Production, But DVD Quality Is Sorely Lacking.......2005-08-07

"The Six Wives of Henry VIII" is the original BBC series of six 90 minute plays chronicling the reign and marriages of England's King Henry VIII. Each of the six plays or segments, "Katherine Aragon", "Anne Boleyn", "Jane Seymour", "Anne Of Cleves", "Catherine Howard" and "Catherine Parr," is written by a different author. The series was released to great popular and critical acclaim in 1971 and televised on PBS' Masterpiece Theater. This is a three-disc DVD boxed set, with two 90-minute teleplays per disc (one per spouse). Keith Michell is outstanding as the multiple-married monarch. From a boisterous, athletic, handsome Hal, at the time of his marriage to Katherine of Aragon, (Annette Crosbie), the superb Michell, and make-up, transform the king before our eyes to a porcine, tyrannical, and sickly ruler. Although each drama is limited in scope due to time restrictions, the monarch's personal and political reasons for selecting and/or rejecting, (or beheading), his spouses are depicted to some extent.

"My, you ought to seen old Henry the Eight when he was in bloom. He was a blossom. He used to marry a new wife every day, and chop off her head next morning. And he would do it just as indifferent as if he was ordering up eggs." Thus Mark Twain describes our protagonist in "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn." As this series demonstrates, Henry was not quite the womanizer he is reputed to be. He was married to Katharine of Aragon for over twenty years and had just a few mistresses before this - unusual for a prince. He waited years to physically consummate his relationship with Anne Boleyn, and remained faithful to her until marriage.

Each of the actresses who play Henry's wives was able to find the core of her historical character, her queen, and lend the woman an air of dignity and individuality. Annette Crosbie is magnificent as Katherine of Aragon, the first wife. Her role is the largest as her relationship with Henry VIII was the longest. Dorothy Tutin is a most credible Anne Boleyn, but little time is spent on her very romantic courtship by the king. Most of Anne's story is focused on the role her marriage played in Henry's divorce and the split with the Catholic Church, which sets the stage for the English Reformation. Anne Stallybrass is Jane Seymour, who is extremely important in Tudor history because she is the only wife who gives Henry a male heir. He always said he loved Jane the best and was buried beside her. I wonder if she was so favored because she played such a small part in her husband's life, not only time-wise - she died from puerperal fever after only seventeen months of marriage - but because she was a sort of "homebody." After some minor political meddling, Jane was warned by the king to stay away from politics, and reminded of her predecessor's fate. She learned her lesson and no longer interfered in the monarch's affairs. Elvie Hale is Anne of Cleves, the most politically astute of Henry's wives, and certainly the one with the best survival skills. She was glad, ultimately, to be cast-off and allowed to keep her head. Catherine Howard, Henry's "blushing rose without a thorn," is played to the hilt by Angela Pleasence, and her's is a terribly tragic tale. And Rosalie Cruthley plays the part of the brilliant and intellectual Catherine Parr extremely well. She was fortunate to become aware of a plot against her before she met the same end as Queens Anne and Katherine. The supporting cast is also noteworthy, especially Bernard Hepton as Archbishop Thomas Cranmer, Wolfe Morris as Thomas Cromwell, and Verina Greenlaw as Princess Mary.

I think, overall, that this is an excellent production, although not perfect. There are some silly errors that could have been prevented with more attention to detail, like visible microphones. It is also evident the quality of technology we take for granted today was not available in the early 1970's. Thus, the DVDs are not very good. In fact, I would recommend that you purchase the VHS edition, if you have a DVD/VHS player. The DVD set is much more expensive and the options one usually expects with DVD, like the scene index, are not offered.
JANA

Average customer rating:

A Dark and Disturbing Classic Tragedy by famous Playwright
So-so adaptation of O'Neill's play
Shallow
dark but compelling!

Desire Under the Elms
Starring: Sophia Loren , Anthony Perkins , Burl Ives , Frank Overton , and Pernell Roberts
Director: Delbert Mann
Manufacturer: Paramount
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0002ERWZU
Release Date: 2004-08-31

Description

In DESIRE UNDER THE ELMS, Anna poses tough competition to Ephraim's bitter sons from his previous marriages, who believe they, not their new stepmother, should inherit all his land. Things heat up when Anna and Ephraim's son, Eben spend a night of passion together.

Customer Reviews:

A Dark and Disturbing Classic Tragedy by famous Playwright.......2004-10-23

I think this is one of the best Sophia Loren movies I've ever seen. It is very dark and disturbing. The cast is great, Anthony Perkins (Psycho) Sophia, Burl Ives. When it first came out I think people were a little put off that Sophia Loren, considered more of a Pin-Up was given the role of Mrs Cabot (not originally written as a foriegner). She does outstanding though and both her and Perkins play well together. They fight over the farm, here are some quotes:
"Say it Eban! Everything here is mine and some day I'll take it!" -
"Your Farm! You mean MY FARM!"
There is good support cast too. "So this is our new Ma huh?(refering to Sophia Loren) Why don't you put her in the pen with the other sows?"
The don't make movies like this anymore - Classic! Get it now while you can! The Transfer is very good. Its not perfect but as far I'm conserned it is a perfect release for this era of picture. Good clear picture (B&W,mono ect) and you can hear it fine. Not much for extra features but price is good. It is the first time I've seen it Widescreen. Bravo for Paramount.

So-so adaptation of O'Neill's play.......2004-09-19

Burl Ives plays Ephraim Cabot a greedy miser of a man who has managed to estrange his sons Peter (Pernell Roberts), Simeon (Frank Overton) but most especially Eben (Anthony Perkins) who wears bitterness like an oversized suit. When Ephraim brings home a new, young step-mother for the boys and wife, Anna (Sophia Loren) causes rivalries to begin anew between the brothers, their father but most especially Anna. It seems Ephraim has made the decision to leave the farm Anna when he dies. Eben confronts Anna but their confrontation erupts into passion as the two sleep together.

Eugene O'Neill occupies the same place in American Literature as a playwright as, say, Sophocles did for the Greeks. While Sophocles told of great and heroic characters who fall from grace with the gods, O'Neill focuses on anyone from the average American to the celebrity (I suppose in our screwed up world that's what passes for a "heroic" figure now). O'Neill's best plays ("The Iceman Cometh" and "Long Day's Journey into Night") tend to focus on the everyman and his or her struggles with temptation and how they seek their redemption. While "Desire Under the Elms" isn't O'Neill's best work, it still resonates with a number of difficult and forbidden themes. It's O'Neill's version of "Oedipus" but with characters that for all their heroic qualities, are flawed and simple human beings.

That said this is a so-so film adaptation of O'Neill's play. The fault lies in making the film a "star" vehicle more than anything else. The script compromises the integrity of O'Neill's original play and the direction, although imaginative at times just doesn't bring the drama to life. Mann's opens up the play a bit but some of the sequences still have a static quality to them. The performances range from decent to so over-the-top that they add a campy quality to the film and bring out the soap opera elements of O'Neill's plot. This is definitely an O'Neill play that deserves a reinterpretation despite the fact that it's a fairly minor work in his canon.

Shot in Vistavision one of the earliest widescreen processes, the black and white images would probably have been a bit sharper and with better clarity if there was some sort of full scale restoration done on the film. As it is, "Desire" looks decent although some of the sequences look a bit muddy while other parts look a bit washed out. There's also quite a bit of analog blemishes. Given the age of the film, the black and white images look pretty decent. It's unlikely that Paramount gave the producer responsible for this film-to-DVD transfer the budget for the necessary restoration of this film. The sound is pretty decent although the frequency response isn't as good as it could be. Still, Elmer Bernstein's striking score comes across with good presence and the dialogue is fairly clear.
There are no extras included. There is no commentary track.

Although not a complete disaster, this adaptation of O'Neill's play leaves a lot to be desired. Basically a star vehicle for Sophia Loren and Anthony Perkins, the fine moody cinematography and director Delbert Mann's imaginative direction can't overcome a script that takes a piece meal approach to O'Neill's play.

Shallow.......2001-12-06

Loren, Perkins, and company reduce one of the American Theatre's masterworks to overwrought trivia in this lifeless adaptation of the Eugene O'Neil classic. Given the obvious talent of the cast, one expects considerably more--and although the basic story of a wife who betrays her much older husband with her step-son remains more or less intact, the film version entirely misses the spirit of the original. Those who have not seen nor read the original may find the film entertaining as soap-opera; those familiar with the original, however, will be outraged.

dark but compelling!.......2001-03-03

The tape quality is excellent and the fact that's it's in black and white enhances the somber tones of the story and stark contrast of the characters. The highlight of the film is a fine (however brief) performance by a pre-Bonanza Pernell Roberts whose portrayal of a spirited brother lifts some of the oppression that runs throughtout this tale. I've watched this film more than once for it's cinematic beauty and the quality of acting...but this is not a love story, rather a story about love at it's darkest. If I were a fan of Eugene O'Neill I probably would have given this 5 stars.

Average customer rating:

A lot of skin but not the usual skin flick
Steamy and Erotic!

Anthony's Desire
Starring: Kevin Abosch , Anastasia Alexander , Debra K. Beatty , Tom Boka , and Nicole Broderson
Director: Tom Boka
Manufacturer: DVD Ltd
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: 6305280592
Release Date: 1998-12-02

Customer Reviews:

A lot of skin but not the usual skin flick.......2003-12-10

In the usual skin flick, a female staffer and the male director(?) don't occasionally step into the scene and comment on making the movie. Another viewing may help me figure out what these people are down to.

Steamy and Erotic!.......2003-11-19

This is an excellent love story and very erotic! Lots of steamy action and an actual plot. The seduction scenes and explicit nature of this movie may offend some but the "deviate" actions in some scenes are a real turn on. I loved the openess of this movie and it is somewhat of a "cult" picture.

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