Mean Girls (Special Collector's Edition)

Customer Reviews:

Surprised.......2007-08-16

This movie is awesome. I love Lindsay Lohan but I refused to see it in the theatre because I thought it looked like another dumb teen movie. I was wrong, it was funny and clever.

Mean Girls hmm?.......2007-07-19

I really can't review this item as I have not seen it. My wife loves it so for her I'll give it 3 stars.

curious.......2007-07-17

Does anyone else find it interesting that the protagonist in this movie is named Janis Ian, when a song by Janis Ian in the seventies named 'At Seventeen' follows this movie very closely?

They may be mean but this teen comedy is a very nice surprise..........2007-07-02

What I love so much about `Mean Girls' is that it stays hip and young yet is mature enough to reach further than the teen audience it was aiming at. The performances are surprisingly top notch, and the script is so tight that it's almost a wonder to me it didn't receive at least a screenplay nomination. It seriously is that good. The plot is different while still juggling the same popular girl/unpopular girl mentality of many high school movies. What makes `Mean Girls' so amazingly wonderful is the stellar chemistry between teen queens Lindsay Lohan and Rachel McAdams (although McAdams is in her thirties). They are so in tune with their characters and even more so with each other that they feed off one another brilliantly and capture the pure essence of the script.

Lohan plays Cady (pronounced Katy), a young home schooled girl who's spent most of her life in Africa and is now thrown into the very foreign world of high school. She's the immediate outcast due to her social retardation, but she's quickly swept up by fellow social outcasts Janis and Damian. Cady also catches the eye of Regina, queen of the school and leader of The Plastics, teen royalty as their so affectionately coined (emote sarcasm). Janis and Damian devise a plan to infiltrate The Plastics layers using Cady as a pawn, getting her to become one of them in order to expose them for the evil they truly are.

The entire cast is truly up to the challenge, not just scene stealers Lohan and McAdams. Lizzy Caplan and Daniel Franzese are hilarious as Janis and Damian while Tina Fey is affective as Cady's teacher Ms. Norbury. To me though, one of the best supporting characters is Gretchen Wieners, played by Lacey Chabert. She has some of the best one-liners in the film and Lacey works wonders with creating a likable air-head with layers unlike the average stereotypical dumb girl. Tim Meadows works as well as he can with his character but he's not given much to work with so he comes off a little forced at times as if he's trying to make a big statement knowing he won't have many opportunities and it doesn't quite work as well as he'd like it to. Amy Poehler on the other hand uses her few minutes to work her comedic brilliance and makes a lasting impression.

The story unfolds effortlessly, taking us from Cady's first encounter with The Plastics to her eventual acceptance to her betrayal and to her redemption with such grace and elegance that the viewer is never left confused or put off. Another nod to the script is the fact that it makes narration tolerable. Some movies can pull it off but as a whole the idea of narration can get irritable and unnecessary. Here though some of the best lines in the film are just the words running through Cady's head and Lohan's voice over is natural and entertaining. One of the greatest teen comedies since `Clueless' and in my humble opinion it's even better than it's classic predecessor, `Mean Girls' is a triumph and a film that launched the careers of two of our most bankable teen leading ladies!

Funny.......2007-05-20

I thought this was a funny and clever picture. It also has a good message. Rachel McAdams is great as a "plastic".

Average customer rating:

What "The Tudors" can never hope to be
After all these years, it's still the best!
One of History's Most Interesting Loose Cannons
absolutely stunning
Masterpiece Theater masterpiece

The Six Wives of Henry VIII
Starring: Keith Michell , Annette Crosbie , Dorothy Tutin , Anne Stallybrass , and Elvi Hale
Director: Naomi Capon , and John Glenister
Manufacturer: BBC Warner
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000EBD9VM
Release Date: 2006-05-16

Amazon.com

A British television series originally broadcast on CBS (and rebroadcast on PBS) in America in 1971, The Six Wives of Henry VIII remains a painless way to learn something about royal history and its impact on the political and religious landscape of England. Keith Michell stars as King Henry VIII, who assumes the throne as a boy after the death of his older brother and inherits the latter's Spanish betrothed, Catherine of Aragon (Annette Crosbie), as well. Growing up and increasingly complicated in personality, with an ever-growing appetite for elusive happiness as well as power and food, Henry maneuvers (and is maneuvered by) forces around him to break from Rome and create the Church of England, in part to accommodate his wish for a divorce.

Each story of the king's successive brides takes up an entire episode in the series. Dorothy Tutin plays the doomed Anne Boleyn, Anne Stallybrass is Henry's favorite, Jane Seymour, Elvi Hale is Anne of Cleves, Angela Pleasence is Catherine Howard, and Rosalie Crutchley plays last-in-line Catherine Parr. A very large and fine supporting cast adds intrigue and extra layers of tragedy to the proceedings, especially John Baskcomb as Cardinal Wolsey, Wolfe Morris as Thomas Cromwell, and Ralph Bates as Thomas Culpepper. Each 90-minute episode was crafted by a different writer, but the series holds together very well under Keith Michell's dazzling performance as the despicable if sympathetic Henry, whose emotional arc over many years and losses is something to see. --Tom Keogh

Description

A chronicle of England's turbulent years of the early 16th century recounting the life and times of the vibrant and lusty King Henry VIII in a cycle of six plays. Stars Keith Michell in his Emmy Award-winning performance as Henry VIII and features a 90-minute "bonus drama", The Other Boleyn Girl, based on the popular Philippa Gregory novel.

DVD Features:
Biographies:Cast bios
Photo gallery
Scene Access

Customer Reviews:

What "The Tudors" can never hope to be.......2007-08-11

What can I add that hasn't been said already? Still the one and only depiction of King Hal and his six wives that does history justice. Sophisticated, nearly perfectly cast, acted and directed, this would make Henry himself proud. A thousand stars!

After all these years, it's still the best!.......2007-06-28

This is still the best telling of the story of Henry VIII and his 6 wives. I loved it when I watched it on Masterpiece Theater and I'm very glad I bought the DVDs. The quality was wonderful. I liked having the bonus "The Other Boleyn Girl". I read the book and thought this was an interesting production, although I'm sure the about to be released movie will be less amateurish.

One of History's Most Interesting Loose Cannons.......2007-05-19

I never let my graduate degrees in history spoil my enjoyment of historical drama, both on screen and in novels. True, I could pick nits in chronology and other areas but that would spoil the fun. So I watch them, or read them, and just plain enjoy most of them.

This one is a standout. Although it is impossible to show an entire reign in 90-minute segments, each of these six dramas does a great job of showing significant areas in the lives of Henry and his six wives. We see Henry grow from youth (but with an unfortunate wig) to old age -- his intellectual prowess in theology, languages, music; his physicality and athletic feats. In spite of his genuine intellectual gifts, however, he was erratic, temperamental, inconsistent, vain. Given the scope of events during Henry's reign, it is often difficult to realize how short his life was. He became king at 17, married Catherine of Aragon at 18, and died at 56.

I am always amazed at how well the British do these historical dramas, especially their ability to find excellent actors who can be made to look very much like the people they portray, down to details of clothing and jewelry seen in portraits.

Keith Michell is superb as Henry VIII -- but over the top? Well, it's an accurate portayal. Henry himself was over the top in everything he did, whether debating theology, coping with ambitious couriers, eating and drinking, in dress, chasing women, you name it -- a true loose cannon in every sense. The six wives are very good too, with Annette Crosbie a standout as Catherine of Aragon. The casts are full of wonderful character actors. The late Patrick Troughton, who played the scarily cold and ambitious Duke of Norfolk, is a favorite of mine. I first saw him as the scatty Second Doctor and didn't realize how good an actor he was until I saw him in other roles.

The stories themselves are well written, although I thought the one about Anne Boleyn dwelt too long on grisly torture scenes and her imprisonment and execution. It was probably also a little difficult to write about Catherine Howard, since we don't know enough about her to know whether she was motivated by lust or fear of not producing an heir or simply not being well enough educated to hold her own in Henry's court. She was also very young, probably not 21 yet when she was executed. It would have been interesting to show that Anne of Cleves survived Henry, living happily and peacefully in England for the rest of her life, long enough to see his daughter Mary crowned Queen.

The reason I didn't give this DVD set a 5-star rating is that it includes as an extra the soap opera-like episode about Mary Boleyn, sister of Anne, apparently filmed later. Mary was Henry's mistress before Anne, but she didn't last long. This was a bad choice for an inclusion and adds nothing to the series other than bad writing, a lot of nudity and sex, and poorly cast characters. It would have been far better to leave it out and include interviews with the actors or other material about the making of the series.

All things considered, however, I would highly recommend this set to anyone who loves lavish historical drama.

absolutely stunning.......2007-03-29

One of the undeniable marks of a true classic is how well it holds up over time; this presentation of six, ninety-minute plays about the six wives of the illustrious King Henry VIII is as riveting and relevant today as when it first aired in 1970(?). I actually saw this after the series that followed this, Elizabeth R with Glenda Jackson (another six part series that is extraordinary), so I did it backwards but it doesn't matter one bit. The historic accuracy (as can best be known anyway) coupled with very well written scripts, perfect casting (each actor captures the look and energy of their character beautifully) and a simple but lovely set all add to the realism. This is something that would be quite educational for high school students who are DREADING their history classes, as I did. Had I seen this at the time, I might well have rolled my eyes still and thought it silly (as all teenagers do incessantly) or I might have thought this Henry fellow to be rather a hoot.

Keith Michell is outstanding. Inspiring. Remarkable. He manages to portray the MAN as well as the icon so that throughout the series I found myself wavering back and forth between wanting to smack the man and honestly feeling for him. It was also interesting to get a feel for the women behind the infamous stories and see clearly how and why Henry kept making the choices he did.

There isn't much that I can expand upon that hasn't already been touched upon rather nicely by the other glowing reviews here. All I can say is that I gambled and bought the collection before I'd even seen it based on the reviews posted and my experience with Elizabeth R, which I will also be adding to my permanent collection. I am absolutely thrilled that I have this to watch again and again, which I know I will.

I should add that this also contains a wonderful bonus, which is a ninety minute film (more recently done) about Anne Boleyn and her sister Mary, "The Other Boleyn Girl." It's incredible. Very different and while I know nothing of its historic accuracy (who knew Anne even had a sister?) I found it enthralling, bold and mesmerizing. I'm really glad they added this to the collection.

And as I said of it's sister series, Elizabeth R, any aspiring classical actors/actresses MUST watch these for an incredible master class experience.

Masterpiece Theater masterpiece.......2007-03-09

I loved the casting for this series. Keith Mitchell is wonderful as Henry VIII--so believable as he changes in appearance and personality as he desperately wants to have a male heir and the lengths he will go to to achieve this. Henry did a lot of cruel, awful things but he also founded the Church of England and was the father of Elizabeth I who was one of Britain's greatest rulers. Loved this series!

Average customer rating:

Not Objective, But Still Wonderful
The pools are empty, but these Z-Boys still give us an Endless Summer...
Excellent Entertainment, well worth watching over, and over again.
Dogtown and Z-Boys
This is a "Must Have" for any skateboarder

Dogtown and Z-Boys (Deluxe Edition)
Starring: Tony Alva , Bob Biniak , Paul Constantineau , Skip Engblom , and Tony Friedkin
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
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Accessories:

Enduroshot Energy Shots, Maximum Energy, Orange Velocity, 15 drinks [33 oz (975 ml)]

ASIN: B0007V6IUS
Release Date: 2005-05-03

Amazon.com

In the early 1970s, a group of young surfers from a tough neighborhood south of Santa Monica took up skateboards and offhandedly changed the world. At least it appears so after watching Dogtown and Z-Boys, a documentary about how twelve "Z-Boys" (including one girl) resuscitated a dead sport and created a lifestyle that spread infectiously to become a worldwide counterculture phenomenon, namely high-flying "vert" (i.e. vertical) skateboarding and punk rock abandon. Director Stacy Peralta, one of the original Z-Boys, and Craig Steyck, the photographer whose publicity first made them famous, would have you believe that with empty pools as their springboard, the clan single-handedly carved a niche that grew into what is now referred to as "extreme sports" (snowboarding seems particularly implicated). Degrees of accuracy aside, the hoard of original footage Peralta and Steyck have access to makes for an engaging portrait of "accidental revolutionaries" whose mythology as expressed by themselves (all but one of the original crew give extensive interviews) and those they influenced (including Henry Rollins, Jeff Ament of Pearl Jam, and Sean Penn, who narrates) is far more entertaining than any evenhanded version could ever hope to be. --Fionn Meade

Customer Reviews:

Not Objective, But Still Wonderful.......2007-08-01

Through archival footage and extensive interviews with the subjects, as well as period music and the perfectly-matched aesthetic of the film, Peralta masterfully conveys the feeling of growing up skating in Venice Beach in the mid-70s. While neither the technical and historical details of skating nor the personal stories of the participants are given short shrift, the focus is on the passion of the skaters and the camaraderie of their team. The result is a story anyone can relate to and enjoy. But, while the film benefits from the unique perspective of the director and writers, the film never directly addresses the dilemmas of making a documentary about oneself. Although the director and writers appear on camera throughout the film, and the subjects often address them directly during interviews, the viewer is left to figure that out on their own and wonder about their objectivity. Nevertheless, this is a unique film that is well worth watching.

The pools are empty, but these Z-Boys still give us an Endless Summer..........2007-07-29

I remember my first skateboard. Odd, this is probably how every other review for this film probably goes, but being as I seem to watch quite a bit of cliché ridden drama these days, why not begin with this very simple memory. It was the summer of 1986, I was eight years old, my younger brother was six. Our grandparents found this board in their basement, possibly my mothers or fathers, and decided it was our time to feel the harsh times of the pavement. The board was nothing spectacular, a "Bun Buster" I believe, and it provided hours upon hours of scrapes, scuffs, and thankfully no broken bones as we sailed down the hills of Virginia. It was something that I believe my brother continued with, but I just never found it to stick. I pursued other hobbies, but I will always remember this little piece of wood with probably clay wheels that gave us the war wounds of life. Now, 29-years old, I had the opportunity to see where my fascination with this semi-sport (now full-fledged) arrived. While I have to admit that it took a second viewing with the audio commentary blasting through my ears to fully appreciate the film, I have to stand and applaud what these teens endured to raise the stakes, but go above the cliché of the average sports star.

I hate films about sports. I guess the pre-fabricated Hollywood sports film is a bit tough for me to swallow because it follows the most identical of ideas each year, what I am trying to say is that there isn't much creativity in this genre. Use exhibit "A" - "The Game Plan" as evidence of this if you want. So, needless to say, I was hesitant to watch this documentary because of the sports theme element, but at the same time I couldn't wait because I love surfing documentaries like "Step into Liquid" and "Billabong Odyssey". I took a step, I plunged into the unknown, and to be honest, at first I wasn't happy. I didn't like the direction, the people, or the style that the film encompassed to present these young sport entrepreneurs. With my first viewing, I thought that history couldn't be fully recorded, so I thought Stacy Peralta was splicing stock footage with faux-actors acting like they were from the late 70s. The music was intense, it matched well Peralta had made a mixed tape from this generation for our enjoyment, but the visuals were anything but stimulating. The elongated scenes, while using amazing music to support, just seemed flushed and too long for my attention. I wanted to get to know the pioneers, not just watch them skate for ten minutes in an empty pool. I wanted a combination of who these kids were, where they went during their rise of fame, and where they are now. It felt like I was watching the birth of our nation with a great score to the settlers just rowing their boats all day. I wanted to know the men behind the myths.

Then, with a thought that I would have another negative review under my belt, I watched the film again with Peralta's audio commentary. His passion, his voice, his knowledge of the people and what he had to do to get this film accomplished "wow-ed" me. This suddenly transformed into the film I wanted to see. Peralta lets us know more of where these kids are today, what they are still doing, and how difficult it was to get some of them onto the camera. He hadn't seen many of them in 20+ years, so to hear these challenges brought the human element back to the surface. He was sincere; he was sympathetic, yet he showed so much dedication to this project. While I do not agree with everything that he chose to do (i.e. the Sean Penn mess up is not PUNK ROCK), he revitalized this film for me. It was due to this commentary that I rate this film much higher than originally thought.

Jay Adams. Tony Alva. Jeff Ho. Peggy Oki. Wentzle Ruml. These are just a few of the name that need to be mentioned, and continually praised, if skateboarding is to continue the fast growing trend that it currently sees. While Tony Hawk's name sells products, it is these guys, these mild-mannered pavement slackers that redefined an entire sport. Sure, others were probably doing it in the stone ages, but these guys did it with style, grace, and moved it to the next level. This was a hobby for them, but it also propelled them in a direction I believe none of them were ready for. "Dogtown and Z-Boys" is the story of evolution, being in the right place at the right time, living in a generation without televisions to keep us planted, and about friendship. We have seen so many stories during the years that show the progression of humanity, and this is definitely a story that should be added to that. I cannot say that I loved this film, nor will I, but it should be standard viewing for everyone learning or wanting to experience the growth of the skateboarding trend. It was sad, it was emotional, and these guys aren't multi-millionaires over again - they are people with a passion, and very rarely do you see that in documentaries.

Overall, I cannot watch this film again, but I will suggest it to friends and family time after time. I think the downfall for this film, to me, was the filming - the attempts to be avant-garde with the style, which ultimately drew away from the characters and events. As mentioned before, there were some elements that dragged on too much, which left us with little to no time to know where these guys were now. Peralta obviously had a passion for this sport, for the people, but he seemed out-of-focus at times. The music was intense, and worked perfectly with the film. Sean Penn, while he was decent with his voiceover, wasn't needed at all. They could have spent the money elsewhere. On the positive, the audio commentary captures everything that the regular film was missing. Peralta's voice, instead of Penn's, brings a stronger human element to the scene, while he tells us better stories of the people, places, and events. Watch this film, but don't expect to be blown away. Listen to the audio commentary; I think you will be impressed.

Grade: *** ½ out of *****

Excellent Entertainment, well worth watching over, and over again........2007-07-26

This movies contains live footage that will never be repeated. This movie
should've been aired many more times than it was. I have the VHS version but will be investing in the DVD version soon. I recomend it to everyone that shows an interest in anything included in this doc.

Dogtown and Z-Boys.......2007-07-19

Narrated by Sean Penn, this unique, adrenalized documentary explores the grass-roots movement that resulted in "vertical" skateboarding. Arresting as pop culture history, jaw dropping as spectacle, "Dogtown" is crammed with footage of daring athletes on skateboards scooping up and down curved cement walls like lightning. You can't help but be glued to this one.

This is a "Must Have" for any skateboarder.......2007-07-12

Seldom does history need a review, I started skating in the mid 70's and grew up looking at magazines with pictures of this guys getting "radical".
I was lucky enough to become good friends with someone that came to live to Chile from Venice beach. His sister use to date Jay Adams, so I always had a very inside look at what was happening in Cal.
This Film is excellent, it clearly shows how the Z-Boys took skateboarding into a new dimention.

Average customer rating:

Surprised
Mean Girls hmm?
curious
They may be mean but this teen comedy is a very nice surprise...
Funny

Mean Girls (Full Screen Edition)
Starring: Lindsay Lohan , Rachel McAdams , Tina Fey , Tim Meadows , and Amy Poehler
Director: Mark Waters (VIII)
Manufacturer: Paramount
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B0002IQJ96
Release Date: 2004-09-21

Customer Reviews:

Surprised.......2007-08-16

This movie is awesome. I love Lindsay Lohan but I refused to see it in the theatre because I thought it looked like another dumb teen movie. I was wrong, it was funny and clever.

Mean Girls hmm?.......2007-07-19

I really can't review this item as I have not seen it. My wife loves it so for her I'll give it 3 stars.

curious.......2007-07-17

Does anyone else find it interesting that the protagonist in this movie is named Janis Ian, when a song by Janis Ian in the seventies named 'At Seventeen' follows this movie very closely?

They may be mean but this teen comedy is a very nice surprise..........2007-07-02

Funny.......2007-05-20

I thought this was a funny and clever picture. It also has a good message. Rachel McAdams is great as a "plastic".

Average customer rating:

Review of Wives of Henry Viii
David Starkey is Amazing
Good Movie, very informative
Entertainment and Education
Factual Narration & Dramatization Enliven the Wives of Henry VIII.

The Wives of Henry VIII
Starring: David Starkey
Manufacturer: Bfs Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00006L91Z
Release Date: 2002-10-08

Customer Reviews:

Review of Wives of Henry Viii.......2007-06-27

Dr.Starkey's narrative is a wonderful combination of historical facts presented on a background of good acting, beautiful period costuming, and accurate physical locations. It was also very intersting to me to see his use of original documents (letters and decrees). I had seen the series on PBS, but always fell asleep at some critical point. Having the DVD at my disposal at home didn't keep me from falling asleep, but I could always go back and review it to see what I had missed.

David Starkey is Amazing.......2007-06-01

David Starkey always does a wonderful job in bringing history to life. This DVD is a must have if you enjoy history along with a DVD of Elizabeth I also by David Starkey.

Good Movie, very informative.......2007-05-12

Two discs, interesting about the wives and not so much the king.

Entertainment and Education.......2007-03-09

This DVD is fantastic. I am a history buff - especially of Tudor and Stuart British history. The DVD is historically accurate and contains a ton of information. But it keeps the attention of viewer and even non-history-lovers enjoyed watching it.

Factual Narration & Dramatization Enliven the Wives of Henry VIII........2007-02-01

"The Wives of Henry VIII" is a historical miniseries produced in 2002 that has aired several times on PBS stations as "The Six Wives of Henry VIII". A companion book to the series by Tudor historian David Starkey has yet another title: "Six Wives: The Queens of Henry VIII". David Starkey narrates the series, regaling us with the backgrounds and personalities of the 6 women who married King Henry VIII and their experiences as his wife, as they navigated the monumental political power struggles and dangerous court intrigues of Tudor England: Catherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn, Jane Seymour, Anne of Cleves, Katherine Howard, and Catherine Parr -"queen, lover, mother, outcast, victim, and survivor" respectively.

Happily, the personalities and ambitions of these women are preserved in their correspondence and other documents, so their characters are not opaque. We can hear their own words and visit the places that their dramas played out. The wives' stories are told in David Starkey's narration as we watch dramatizations of the events. The dramatization serves as more of a punctuation to Starkey's compelling tale than as a source of information, which is unusual. Catherine of Aragon and Anne Boleyn are treated in more depth than the other wives. "The Wives of Henry VIII" succeeds in bringing these women and their time alive in the viewer's mind, reminding us that history is anything but dry. It's the greatest of all dramas, and the wife of King Henry VIII was a perilous role to play indeed.

Average customer rating:

B Movie Pride & Prejudice
A fun movie, loosely based on Jane Austen's book.
WATCH OUT!!!! LDS FILM!!!
Painful
Okay, for a modern version....

Pride & Prejudice (2003)
Starring: Kam Heskin , Orlando Seale , Ben Gourley , Lucila Solá , and Henry Maguire
Director: Andrew Black (III)
Manufacturer: Excel Entertainment Group, Inc.
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0002ZH5PQ
Release Date: 2004-07-27

Customer Reviews:

B Movie Pride & Prejudice.......2007-08-31

This is an incredibly badly acted movie. There are long scenes where nothing really happens. As a Janeite, I love all things Austen, but I will never rewatch this movie. The only way to enjoy it is for the B movie campiness. Character development and motivation are totally lacking.

A fun movie, loosely based on Jane Austen's book........2007-08-27

This movie is different than most. It's supposed to be. ;o)

This film is set in the LDS singles' scene in Provo, UT. But you wouldn't know that unless you had been there and lived in it. If you're LDS, and have experienced some of the singles' culture there, the film will be all the more rich and funny for you. If you're not, you'll miss some of the nuances, but it's still totally enjoyable. (Once you understand that there are strong pressures to marry in your early twenties, and that abstinence before and fidelity after marriage are highly prized, you're good to go.) The college Elizabeth (Kam Heskin) attends is never identified as Brigham Young University, but it's recognizably evident it was filmed there. I had a Physical Science class in the room where her English class is held, and the library scenes were unmistakable, as were the scenes filmed on West Center Street downtown, and at the hotel just west of the NuSkin building on Center Street. (There may have been one or two outdoor campus shots taken at UVSC down in Orem, as well.) When Elizabeth and Jack Wickham are walking back to Elizabeth's car after their dinner at the Indian Restaurant (where they were given the check by the Daniel himself (executive director and owner of the Bombay House where Jack & Elizabeth ate)), they're walking along the street right in front of the Utah County buildings there on Center Street and University Ave. It was a kick recognizing the various scenes and settings, right down to the tux shop where I rented tuxedoes for the groomsmen at my wedding, just two doors down from the bookshop where Elizabeth works.

As for the supposed religious slant of the film, the words "Mormon" and "LDS" are never mentioned, and there is very little reference to anything religious. They do mention "church" a few times in context, there is a scene in a religious service monopolized by Collins as he humiliates Elizabeth, and there's a 3-second shot of Elizabeth reading a slim, navy blue softbound book. (Btw, Collins would have not gotten away with that in real life. The bishop would have stopped him within the first few minutes. The things he was saying are totally skewed in regards to LDS doctrine concerning marriage, let alone how we're supposed to treat one another!) The biggest things that point out the faith of the cast and crew were the lack of cleavage, foul language and sex scenes. (If those are vital in order for you to enjoy a movie, then just skip this one.) I really enjoyed the fact that this film was about the characters themselves, without those distractions.

****Spoilers Ahead*****

Kam and Orlando (Elizabeth and Darcy), did a bang-up job on their parts. They're the only characters who were afforded the screen time to really develop much. (In a 104 minute movie, I'm surprised they did as well as they did. I would have loved to see this with an hour more screen time.) The rest of the cast (Kitty, Lydia, Charlie, Jack, especially Mary & Collins, and even Jane) were foils for those two, and did a great job in that capacity. (Remember, a "foil" is a one- or two-dimensional character meant to set off a lead role.) Mary is a nod to the old cultural idea of the "Molly Mormon," and Collins is the iconic male counterpart to that concept. The scenes where Elizabeth and Darcy are able to interact are magical to me. They say so much with their eyes and faces. Just after Elizabeth tells Darcy that she's leaving for London to TA for the next semester, her eyes are enough to make your own heart ache, waiting for her tears to spill. And when Darcy first tries asking Elizabeth out, you're just squirming inside . . . you can see that he knows that he's taking a long shot, but he's so inexplicably attracted to her that he's compelled to at least try. Then you want to throttle Caroline at several points in the film, and hug Charlie (Charles Bingham) because he's such a sweet innocent (and purposefully so--he's Jane's counterpart, remember?). Lydia and Kitty have their own cute moments, as well as a touching one at the end. There's a lot of depth to this film, if you take the time to really pay attention. You pick up a lot of hilarious details the second time through that you wouldn't catch the first time.

****End Spoilers****

This film has its limiatations--it was a tight-budget affair, with all kinds of hitches and obstalces along the way. A wrecked generator, the party set blew down the mountainside THREE times over the three days they shot there, extras leaving during the all-night shoots for the party scenes (they had 12 extras left during the punchbowl scene with Elizabeth and Collins), and other miscellaneous run-ins made for creative workarounds (like the low-angle shot in the punchbowl scene). But it's very well done nonetheless. I think that constraints like that make for a far more interesting film.

I think I'm going to watch it again tonight. :o)

WATCH OUT!!!! LDS FILM!!!.......2007-08-25

I'd give this a negetive rating if I could. It was the worst ever!! If you've ever seen a Mormon movie you know what I mean. I don't know what happened to the Mormon's where they take really good stories and then butcher them, but that's what they do. I mean, even if you are LDS, can't you tell a good movie from a bad one? They have bizzar squences that seem...wrong. They do scenes from weird angles and sometimes in the middle of a scene the backgroud will become totally black or white, for no reason. The good guys go to church and are perfect little Mormon's who never do anything wrong. The bad guys don't go to church, they don't even follow the church, they drink and/or smoke, and they sometimes have sex before marrige. Because, you know, if you do those things you're obviously a horrible person who needs to go to prison. They change the relationships in this story to work out the way they want them to. Everyone has a "happily ever after". If you've read the book or seen just about any other version of the film, you'll know that's not how it's supposed to go. They also feel the need to make sure you know that the characters believe in God and are going to church or are reading the Book of Mormon. They throw in lines here and there just to make sure you got it. Even though the book was never written like that. Bottom line; if you're a Mormon who doesn't care about quality and just wants to find a film that's rated G, PG, or PG13, you'll love this. But if you're not brainwashed into loving any film that mentions God and the Book of Mormon, DO NOT WATCH THIS FILM!!!

Painful.......2007-07-18

I love to watch different film interpretations of classic lit, and grabbed this off the shelf in Blockbuster as soon as I saw it. I should have known it was a questionable choice when I went to the check out, and the girl said, "There's a book? It's like a modern-day Cinderella!" A few hours later I'm bored and hugely unimpressed with the adaptation, and my family is all glaring at me for my pick. If you are a fan of Jane Austen, or prefer enjoyable movies, skip this one.

Okay, for a modern version...........2007-06-08

It is not a Jane Austen movie for sure but will do for a quick fix of a chick flick.

Average customer rating:

East Enders goes Tudorian...
An Interesting, But Not Historically Accurate, Perspective
What went wrong here?
Great but lacks luster.
Nope nope nope nope nope

Henry VIII
Starring: Ray Winstone , Joss Ackland , Sid Mitchell , Charles Dance , and Mark Strong (II)
Director: Pete Travis
Manufacturer: Hbo Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0002KPIR8
Release Date: 2004-11-16

Amazon.com

The tragic history of Henry VIII gets a brash, full-blooded treatment in this well-cast, two-part production for British TV. Having made a vicious impression in the acclaimed 2000 gangster film Sexy Beast, Ray Winstone plays Henry as a self-doubting, insecure brute with base instincts and a healthy suspicion toward his not-so-loyal subjects. Director Pete Travis and writer Peter Morgan can be forgiven for neglecting the greater scope of history; by leaving epic battles off-screen and focusing on the intrigues and betrayals surrounding Henry's infamous succession of six ill-fated wives, this authentic-looking melodrama succeeds as a tightly paced study of hidden agendas among the King's immediate staff. In a story that involves religious upheaval, infidelity, courtly corruption, and Henry's anguished obsession to sire a male heir to the throne, Helena Bonham Carter (as Anne Boleyn) is an obvious stand-out in an excellent cast that includes Charles Dance, David Suchet, and Sean Bean, while Winstone's volatile Cockney bearishness drew mild objections from royal-drama purists. The film doesn't flinch from the brutality of the early 1500s when Henry reigned with an iron fist (including several beheadings to drive the point home), so this Henry VIII is not for kids or the faint of heart. Taken on its own terms, however, it's a rich, irresistible example of superior British filmmaking. --Jeff Shannon

Customer Reviews:

East Enders goes Tudorian..........2007-04-24

For those of you who know about the BBC Series "The East Enders", about blue collar Britons in East London, this will be a clear message.

For those of you, who know nothing about this, let me just say, that although "East Enders" is a long running series on BBC, and very successful at that in its own right, it is the story of a working class community that shows everyday dramas of common "Cockney" people.

Although they do not speak too tight, they still preserve their working class accents.

And so it is here, in this version of "Henry VIII".

This is an insult to intelligence and good taste.

Not just history-wise, but also to all those working class people in the East End of London, who are in fact, far brighter and intelligent as to fall for this weak attempt to bring History to the "simple man".

How can you imagine that a man such as Henry VIII, brought up and educated by the Company of Jesus (a.k.a. Jesuits), both in rhetoric and fine literature, as well as mastering Ancient Greek, Latin and French, could still speak with a working class "Cockney" accent?

This alone should give you a hint on how bad and how ridiculous the entire movie is.

Nor does it help to have Charles Dance (who actually appears and disappears almost immediately) on board, or Helena Bonham-Carter, doing her own bit, as usual, but that has no connection to the true Anne Boleyn (neither physically, nor in personality), or again David Suchet, whose experience as an actor gets totally wasted, by making him too, into a "Cockney" Cardinal Wolsey... (better watch him in Poirot).

This film takes so many liberties with actual historic fact, such as actual historic feats and details, up to even having all the wrong hair styles, wrong costumes and completely wrong social behaviors of the time.

No one bothered to do in-depth biographical researches nor to stick somewhat, to actual court protocol and etiquette of the times.

It seems that all the producers, writer(s) and the director wanted, was to slam an MTV generation styled drama onto film, to entertain their own aficionados.

Unfortunately they actually managed to go public with this embarrassing product of ignorance, arrogant populism and primitive conception of history.

In one word: Revisionist.

Revisionism, as we all know, is the specialty of upstarts who never bothered to actually study about what truly came before them, and just love to rewrite history as they please, in order to make it more comfortable to them to justify their otherwise embarrassing and abysmal ignorance pervading the world they have built for themselves, out of accumulating money, but never having spent a minute studying the texts they claim they know, nor having set eyes on actual books of the period.

Some reviewers have criticized the 1972 produced movie "Henry VIII and his Six Wives" (starring Keith Michell as Henry VIII, reprising his role from the successful BBC series "The Six Wives of Henry VIII"), as being bad, but let me tell you, that the movie was made for U.S. audiences in mind, who either never got to see the BBC series in the first place.

In fact, the movie has a completely new cast, sporting actors such as Charlotte Rampling and Donald Pleasence (whose daughter was part of the BBC series also).

This movie was meant as a sort of a "compendium" to the BBC series, and both form a complete and almost accurate (except for some dramatic licenses here and there), history lesson and are far more biographically accurate than this present product.

Add also Richard Burton and Genevieve Bujold's "Anne of the thousand days" and Paul Scofield and Robert Shaw's appearances in "A Man for All Seasons" and you will truly have the complete Henry VIII's tale as it should be told in a movie.

This "Henry VIII" is pretentious and simplistic to say the least and it is not even "modern" as the director tries to defend himself.

Being modern can also mean to still have some taste and intelligence left to produce something of value, without treating history as trash.
But more important than anything else is that no matter whether you try to reach blue collar workers or white collar ones, a movie-maker ought to have some respect for them.

I do not get a great sense of this respect in this movie.
They liked it, so we have to like it.

No, this is not how it works my dear fellas. You are meant to educate and to bring awareness among people, especially when dealing with history.

IF YOU ARE NOT INTERESTED IN THIS, THEN GET YOUR PAWS OFF OF IT!!!!

Besides, Ray Winstone is the weakest Henry VIII I have ever seen walk the stage or the screen.

I still remember Charles Laughton or Robert Shaw playing him, or even Keith Michell (to me still the definitive Henry), and they all brought majesty into the character.

Ray Winstone, probably due to his background as an actor, and to his stocky appearance, but not stature, is constantly forced to yell and yell, but never really comes through as a Monarch.

He could at best play King John Plantagenet, but never, ever Henry VIII.

He is too weak and looks more like a "docker", than a true King.

Besides as far as Kings go, they would never shout in public. Their rants and their anger attacks always happen behind closed doors, away from the public eye.

I had hoped that this production be as good as its predecessors, or at least as its contemporaries with "Elizabeth I" (Helen Mirren) and "The Virgin Queen" (Anne-Marie Duff), but no such luck.

While I am at it, why did they not cast Robbie Coltrane ("From Hell" and "The World is Not Enough") for the role of Henry VIII?
He is a "Cockney" as well, but at least HE would have had the stature and I bet he would have played the role with more distinction and fervor than Ray Winstone.

The DVD transfer is OK, both in sound, as well as in its image quality, but as said, the movie is not worth a dime or a penny.

If you are seriously interested in History and want also acting skills and good writing going hand in hand, then go with the movies and BBC series I have mentioned above.

Leave this forgettable and empty-headed MTV-styled product to those who love to drink beer and eat popcorn.
They won't mind either way, since their attention span is as long as the length of a commercial break anyway.

I am sorry, but in order to produce a History movie, it takes far more talent than this.
Certain rules will always apply, but some people don't seem to really care nor do they seem to realize that their careers depend on this simple fact.

I cannot recommend this movie to anyone, not even to my dog, who seems to be far more intelligent than some people...

An Interesting, But Not Historically Accurate, Perspective.......2007-03-09

I've read all the other reviews and agree with them - by and large. If you know the history of the Tudor period, this program really ain't it - except in its sweeping overview of history.

What I thought was fascinating was that these people seemed more 'real' to me than in the other programs I've seen. Though it is infinitely better in terms of reporting history, Keith Michell's The Six Wives of Henry VIII seems antiseptic to me, like there's really nothing at stake.

While I agree with the others that Henry wasn't the kind of man who would personally treat his wives cruelly (raping, throwing them to the ground), this is the first rendition of him where I saw him as charismatic, a larger-than-life figure. I don't care that the actor playing him isn't the right height...

... I don't care that the wives don't have the right color hair. For the most part (Anne of Cleves the exception, she certainly wasn't on-screen for very long), the wives seemed more flesh and blood here than elsewhere. For once, I could see what Henry must have seen in Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard. Even if her death scene was woefully written (Catherine didn't throw a tantrum before being beheaded), this actress playing her was both beautiful and conveyed a sexual knowledge far beyond her years.

The historical accuracy problems have been well documented - and are endless. But for my money, this series gives a good overview of how dangerous life was in the Tudor court, and the types of personalities that thrived within it.

What went wrong here?.......2006-12-01

I do not expect historical accuracy in every movie about Henry VIII like we've seen it in the BBC production with Keith Michell. Even the BBC production bears some inaccuracies and changes in its script but they do not contradict history like this one!

Ah, where to begin? The actor chosen for Henry VIII was dreadfully miscast. The only resemblance was that he had red hair & that's it. The historical Henry VIII towered over everyone surrounding him at his court (He was 6''2, a very unusual height at the time), he didn't speak with a Cockney accent & didn't behave like a drunken brute. Henry VIII, for all that Hollywood attempts to change, was a king of refinement and knowledge. Despite being married to six women throughout his life he was a prude whose behavior towards women & the lords at his court was worthy of a king. I do not expect the genius of Keith Michell from every actor who portrays this role but here we've arrived at a new low! A Henry VIII hitting & raping his wives? Nothing we know of Henry (And his enemies would have been delighted to report such low behavior) suggests that he ever abused any of his wives in such a way. Not even Anne Boleyn or Catherine Howard suffered from his hands directly once he had chosen to send them to the block for whatever offense they may have committed but were left by him in cold blood.

Aside from this the wives were portrayed awfully. Has any of the writers here read a history book? Katherine of Aragon was fair & blue eyed (Only the BBC productions got that right) & not slender, dark eyed & dark haired. She never spoke in such a fashion to Anne Boleyn for it would have been beyond her dignity to address the matter to anyone, much less to the lady who caused it. Helena Bonham Carter was too old to play 19 year old Anne, plus she was obviously pregnant.

It goes on and on.... Breaches of etiquette, inaccurate costumes & hairstyles, overly corny executions...

These days it's in to rewrite history in Hollywood. But not in a way that produced enchanting little masterpieces like "Young Bess" or "The private life of Henry VIII"....no, history is reduced to a tabloid soap.

Great but lacks luster. .......2006-08-12

Henry VIII is a symbol of absolute despotism yet absolute grief. Let me be very clear, I am not condoning his actions but I am saying he is understandable. The man was a lover, fighter, mass murderer yet he was human. The obvious bias in favor of Henry VIII is so evident that it is laughable, and the attempts to create pathos for "Good King Harry" create more comedy than drama. Henry rapes and abuses Anne Boleyn yet the movie makers find it in their hearts to zoom in on his face and play sorrowful music to try and create sympathy for the abuser rather than the abused.The movie was saved by Henry VIII's wives, most notably his second, Anne Boleyn played in a masterful way by Helena Bonham Carter. In fact, the only reason I give this film four stars is because of Helena Bonham Carter and Emily Blunt (Katherine Howard). Both of these women gave stellar performances as did all the wives. Ray Winstone gave a good performance but did not opt for a regal accent. I strongly disbelieve that Henry VIII sounded like he came out of Cheapside.

Nope nope nope nope nope.......2006-07-23

This thing is three hours and twenty minutes long. An hour an ten minutes into it, Princess Elizabeth is born. That should give you some idea of the horrible pacing. Plenty of others have complained about the wild inaccuracies, from tiny things (headwear) to major world-changing events (the break with Rome skipped over in a heartbeat), so I'll sum up quickly. The dialogue and situations themselves seem forced and highly unrealistic--for instance, Henry VIII leans over others watching a joust, including Katharine of Aragon and Cardinal Wolsey, to flirt with Anne Boleyn. Other highlights: Wolsey personally torturing Buckingham in the Tower (wrong in at least 3 different ways), Princess Mary torn shrieking from her mother by brutal guards, Henry bending Anne over a table and raping her. I haven't even made it to disk 2. I think I'm done, though, and my copy is now for sale. If I have to hear "I can do anything I want--I'm the king of England; I'm the king of England--I can have anything I want" one more time, heads will roll.

On the other hand, you do get to see Henry VIII's bum. That rates one star on its own.

Average customer rating:

Way South Of Dixie...
This B movie earns a C
WAS VERY DISAPPOINTED.....
Don't look under your bed!
Dead Birds

Dead Birds
Starring: Henry Thomas , Patrick Fugit , Nicki Aycox , Michael Shannon , and Muse Watson
Director: Alex Turner (II)
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0007A0F4O
Release Date: 2005-03-15

Description

When a group of criminals on the run after a bank robbery take refuge in an abandoned house, they have no idea what evil they have come upon. Isolated and presumed deserted, the house is anything but safe...As the night wears on and a thunderstorm grows outside, each member of the group begins to have visions of the atrocities that occurred within the house, haunting it forever. Voices in the well, visions of mangled bodies and clawing under the stairs plague their waking hours. As the fear in the group begins to grow and the supernatural forces in the house start to manifest themselves, the group turn on each other and exact the wrath of the soul trapped within the walls.

Customer Reviews:

Way South Of Dixie..........2007-08-05

A band of confederate soldiers, led by Henry Thomas, rob a bank, killing everyone inside and out, and head for a plantation-home hide-out. DEAD BIRDS has an exquisite atmosphere of building dread, that starts right at the beginning. The ruthless robbers are soon thrust into a supernatural nightmare, and are ill-equipped to handle the terror that awaits them! One by one they meet the horrifying inhabitants of the house, as the dead reach for the living, and reveal their secrets. DB is oldschool scary w/ some surprising gore elements tossed in for added impact. Check out those things creeping around in the cornfield! Yikes!...

This B movie earns a C.......2007-08-01

The movie started out interesting and I have to admit I did enjoy watching it through. The setup was fair but about the mid-point things just start to go onto cruise control and become typical horror movie stuff. For me it felt like the movie started out with its own uniqueness and then that fell away later leaving this movie with nothing to set it apart. In addition, there were are couple of convoluted scenes and plot/story holes that I felt did not get resolved.

The movie opens with a group of men (well, one woman too) stealing some bags of gold coin from a bank in some southern locale (I'm sure it said where the story was supposed to be based in the opening somewhere) killing a large number of people in the process, many of the deaths unnecessary. Some reviewers have commented that this sequence was gruesome but I found it phony (don't worry, the special effects do get a little better).

So, after the robbery the group takes refuge in some abandoned plantation house surrounded by an eerie corn field. The movie stops in a couple parts to tell you how they knew of this plantation and who it belonged to, but I never found that story to be fully developed. Did the person that told them about the plantation tell them so in passing or did he expect them to eventually take refuge there? If the latter, why did he want them to go there?

Anyway, things are not as peaceful as they seem. Soon we meet ghostly manifestations that want to do harm to our bandits but always do so off the screen so we are left with an idea what happened to them but we don't actually get to see it. The motivation behind the ghosts threatening behavior is made known by one ghost in specific who tells one of our hapless robbers everything you had been asking yourself up to that point in a succinct and straight-forward "I had to do it" speech. Hmm, OK, so there is all the mystery gone. Now it is just a matter of killing people off and there isn't anything particularly original and scary about how that is done. I admit the beast in the corn field both at the beginning and then end was pretty cool though.

As far as acting goes, I thought it was on par with my expectations of what it should be. The gentleman who also starred in "Almost Famous" (I'm too lazy to look up his name right now) I felt especially did a fine job.

Overall, I wasn't impressed with the movie and didn't think it was the sleeper hit that much of the hype around it had led me to believe it would be.

WAS VERY DISAPPOINTED............2007-07-22

This movie sounded promising to me at first.
I was looking forward to the Civil War era setting and the atmosphere of the old plantation.
But I must not have read the other reviews closely enough.
I'm not a 'gorehound', and I found this film to be quite gory.
Showing victims being skinned alive and other graphic scenes are scary, but it's not the kind of suspense such as 'The Others', which I'm STILL trying to find an equal to.
The plot ending, which would explain exactly why the 'spirits' are there and why they're doing what they're doing - is hazy. And I don't understand what happened to the children.
I believe this could have been a film with more depth, if it hadn't been for all the gore.

Don't look under your bed!.......2007-06-06

I am a horror movie junkie and although I know I am about a year late catching this movie but I'm glad I watched it. I haven't jumped in my seat at a horror movie that much in long time. Dead Birds is a creepy good time. This movie has a great story. Set during the Civil War bank robbers hold up in an abandoned plantation. Well, it's abandonded for a reason. It's haunted! It's haunted but not just by ghosts but other worldly demons. Infact that whole part of the story has a very Lovecraftian feel to it which I really liked. This is a movie with genuine suspense and some great effects/gore. It has a great combination of suspense and gore. The cast is very good even though in my humble oppinion the female lead was the weakest. Two huge thumbs up in my book.

Be warned! Don't look under your bed.

Dead Birds.......2007-05-20

Dead Birds should have been entitled, Dead Ducks! It wasn't the actors, it was the plot! Something (skinned dog manufactured out of spent gum?) attacks the 5 people heading for the old farm and they are forced to kill it before they even get close. Hmmmm, not too promising in my book! Nevertheless, the group continues to the old farm and spend lots of time wandering around the interior (neat old house!) There is also the subplot of the original owner who turned his children into little sneaky things with sharp teeth via cutting up his slaves. Of course, we don't really know why he did this or for what purpose. The kids only show up two or three times to scare someone and their moment of glory is so fast you have to stop frame them to get the full effect. In spite of the feelings of unrest and the fact that characters regularly walk out of the house and disappear, the group continues to stay. Personally, I would have kept walking on down the road after the gumby dog showed up; go figure!

Average customer rating:

Not Objective, But Still Wonderful
The pools are empty, but these Z-Boys still give us an Endless Summer...
Excellent Entertainment, well worth watching over, and over again.
Dogtown and Z-Boys
This is a "Must Have" for any skateboarder

Dogtown and Z-Boys
Starring: Tony Alva , Bob Biniak , Paul Constantineau , Skip Engblom , and Tony Friedkin
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0000694WN
Release Date: 2002-08-06

Amazon.com

Product Description

The Dogtown and Z-Boys skateboarding DVD chronicles the overnight impact of the Zephyr team on skateboarding in the early 1970's and the eventual collapse of the team later in the same decade. This DVD is directed and co-written by skateboard legend-turned-filmmaker Stacy Peralta and narrated by actor Sean Penn. The DVD features bonus material including commentary, extended raw skate footage, deleted scenes, and more.

Customer Reviews:

Not Objective, But Still Wonderful.......2007-08-01

The pools are empty, but these Z-Boys still give us an Endless Summer..........2007-07-29

Excellent Entertainment, well worth watching over, and over again........2007-07-26

Dogtown and Z-Boys.......2007-07-19

This is a "Must Have" for any skateboarder.......2007-07-12

National Geographic - The Madness of Henry the VIII

Average customer rating:

Not That Bad...Pretty Accurate
The negative reviewers dont know what they are talking about
Lacks Intellect
History Made Flashy
Great work National Geographic!

National Geographic - The Madness of Henry the VIII
Starring: Madness of Henry the 8th
Manufacturer: Nat'l Geographic Vid
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000FL7C9G
Release Date: 2006-08-15

Customer Reviews:

Not That Bad...Pretty Accurate.......2007-08-03

This was a real-world representation of his monarchy. It concentrates on how the king started out as an excellent statesman and devout Catholic, but how his philandering and desire for a male heir (along with snubbing the church) led to his downfall. So what if the lady used the B- word? Get over it! This is the 21st century, and she was right. As for the reference to the fact that all of the people were interviewed were Americans again I say so what? I happen to think that some aspects of European histroy much more interesting that American history. Is the reviewer attempting to imply that Americans are not qualified to comment on British history?

Like I said, the story was pretty accurate, I have read many books on the subject. The tension between Boleyn and Wolsey was depicted very well. The only problem I have is the fact that they spent so much time on Katherine and how Henry was scheming to get rid of her that even the conflict with Ann (by far the most exciting) took a back seat, and his last four wives were crammed into about 30 minutes. Either the part with Katherine should have been shorter or the documentary should have been longer.

Just one American's opinion,

EW

The negative reviewers dont know what they are talking about.......2007-06-12

I read the negative views on this doc, and they do not know what they are talking about. I am a grad student in social psychology and I happened to run into this doc on NGC looking for something to watch. I was glued to the set after 5 minutes after seeing the special effects and how the narrator's voice was excellent. A lot of dramtic re-enactments, but they are so well done and entertaining. I used to hate history and most of all the history documentaries (since they had boring voices and turned into sleep aids in class), but the Icons of power series which includes this DVD has gave me an interest in history now and I enjoy going on the internet and learning more about Henry 8 and the tudor dynasty. This DVD might confuse OLD fashioned "BORING" speaking history buffs, but I think NGC made this to tailor interest to young viewers to keep it from being boring and they did their job perfectly!!!!!! Be happy that for once in a long long time that younger people are interested in 14th century history with the help of NEW AGE history documentaries!!!

Lacks Intellect.......2007-05-09

This was a good thesis for a documentary; Henry VIII could certainly be construed as "mad" by today's moral standards. But I found this documentary-which very well could be taken seriously to the common public(i.e., those who do not study history) to be lacking in real substance.

The commentators seemed to lack real intellectual prestige; there were several unheard of American Proffesors, which is odd considering Henry VIII was King of England-one would think National Geographic could employ at least one Britian scholar. One commentator was the author of "Sex With Kings"(drawing a blank on her name), a book which employed literally every tactic to "sexualize" many actions of long-dead Kings and Queens, using less information than one could find on wikipedia or any basic history book.

Another thing was the mixing up of dat