Michael Collins

Amazon.com

Irish writer-director Neil Jordan followed up his surprise hit The Crying Game with this controversial biography of IRA leader Michael Collins (Liam Neeson), one of the most important political leaders of the 20th century. The film follows Collins as he matures from guerrilla leader to national hero and statesman. Jordan's take on Collins is that he was set up by Irish president Eamon De Valera (Alan Rickman), who was jealous of Collins's legendary popularity. De Valera puts Collins in the position of negotiating a peace treaty that would never satisfy the Irish hero's hard-core followers. When the IRA leader returns with a first-step compromise, De Valera undercuts Collins's popularity by refusing to support the revised treaty. And the civil war continues for decades. Michael Collins occasionally loses focus and momentum, but is the kind of exciting historical drama that deserves to be called "sweeping." It is also one of the most beautifully photographed films in years: cinematographer Chris Menges uses color and texture to set moods and accent emotions. The movie also stars Aidan Quinn, Julia Roberts, and Stephen Rea. The digital video disc includes a 50-minute BBC documentary on the making of the movie. --Jim Emerson

Description

Neil Jordan returns to the strife-torn Irish political landscape for this real-life epic set in 1920 and starring Liam Neeson as the legendary Irish revolutionary leader and Julia Roberts as his headstrong fiancee.

Customer Reviews:

Michael Collins Was A Pragmatic Man.......2007-09-09

Since few Americans know who the Irish Republican hero Michael Collins was, I guess it's pointless to go too far into the fact that now and again this film departed from reality for the sake of drama. Still, I enjoy Neil Jordan's movies and this was no exception. The man Michael Collins in the film of the same name comes off well here, far less of a terrorist than a freedom fighter turned statesman, basically the way he is regarded in Ireland to this day, and Eamon De Valera (just Google him and save time) is presented as a villain and a spiteful, petty man, willing to use his power to settle personal differences. Maybe that's true he did. In any event, this is a motion picture that barely made a ripple in America but was received by most of my family in Ireland with about the same surge of grateful joy that Braveheart got in Scotland. Its depiction of the violent Irish struggle for political autonomy was well told and frequently presented scenes of lasting impact. Collins' bravado, good humor, ingenious strategic savvy and ultimately his pragmatism in doing what needed to be done in his meetings with former enemies is all covered here, as is his treacherous murder at the hands of his own one-time comrades in the IRA. Had more of Ireland's people been as broad-minded as Michael Collins, the history of their island in the century just passed might have been far less tragic.

michael collins.......2007-08-12

this dvd brings michael collins back to life.a life that was remarkable.actually way beyond that.a great person.

"Who'll Take My Place?" ~ The Art Of 20th Century Warfare And Doing The Unexpected.......2007-05-20

The '96 release of `Michael Collins' chronicles the life and death of the famous, or infamous depending on your perspective, of the Irish freedom fighter Michael Collins. I can't vouch for the historicity of the events chronicled in this film since I know very little about the early years of the IRA, I can only judge it for its entertainment value and message.

First, the cast is excellent with the likes of; Liam Neeson (as Michael Collins), Aidan Quinn, Alan Rickman, Stephen Rea and Julia Roberts. There's even a short appearance at the end of the film by Jonathan Rhys Meyers. With such a cast in place it's no wonder that the acting superior and highly believable. The storyline is also superior and perfectly captures the angst of a country in turmoil. It clearly and expertly shows that the problem is not simply black and white, England versus Ireland. This multi-faceted and layered plot also explores the divided loyalties and passions of a people in search of a cohesive vision of freedom.

Factual or not `Michael Collins' is a stirring and emotional story that explores a form of warfare that is essential to understand in today's world, giving some clarification to the all important question, "Who is the patriot and who is the terrorist?

Fact and Fiction.......2007-05-13

I love this movie. Not just because Liam Neison is just so cool. The story line has a lot of fact and if you remove the love angle you have a peek into the Irish Rebellion.

Great movie, poor, poor, poor dvd.......2007-04-22

Have to flip the disc to see the last 15 minutes? give me a break. Wait for the special release. I should've.

Average customer rating:

Oh well
I FIRMLY believe this movie proved Tom Cruise COULD actually act !
A Little Disappointed
Legal Thriller
What was Sidney Pollack doing in directing this?

The Firm
Starring: Tom Cruise , Jeanne Tripplehorn , Gene Hackman , Hal Holbrook , and Terry Kinney
Director: Sydney Pollack
Manufacturer: Paramount Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: 0792164962
Release Date: 2000-05-23

Amazon.com essential video

By far the best adaptation of a John Grisham bestseller, this smart, fast-paced 1993 film--directed by Sydney Pollack (Out of Africa)--offers up the dilemma of a young lawyer whose life is turned upside down when he takes a job at a Southern law firm owned by the mob. Mitch McDeere (Tom Cruise), having just graduated from Harvard Law, is besieged with offers but takes a job, too good to be true, with a small Memphis firm. He and his wife, Abby (Jeanne Tripplehorn), are sucked in by the seemingly close-knit, collegial nature of the firm's partners and the expensive perks that come with the job. His mentor, Avery (Gene Hackman), teaches him the ropes, but Mitch and Abby begin to sense there's something wrong with this idyllic life. When a couple of associates turn up dead, Mitch begins to investigate the history of the firm; and when the FBI asks him to spy on the firm for them, Mitch realizes his life will never be the same and that, if discovered, he, his wife, and his long-lost brother will be in mortal danger. Mitch must use all his talents as a lawyer to outsmart the firm, the FBI, and the mob in order to reclaim control over his life. A very entertaining thriller that engages the audience at a breakneck pace while not taking itself too seriously. It also features some fine writing and strong performances from a large cast of exceptional actors. --Robert Lane

Customer Reviews:

Oh well.......2007-06-25

This is a mediocre film mainly of interest as a stepping stone in Cruise's career. While the screenplay is not bad, Pollack never manages to convince me about evilness of "The Firm" - a law firm serving mafiosi from Chicago. The Firm characters never come alive either as lawyers or as bad guys; their sinister-edness has a cartoonish character rather an an aura of real menace.

By far the best part here was played by Hackman. Great acting - subtle, forceful and nuanced.

Cruise's acting shows the beginnings of the (rather predictable) stereotype that we get to expect afterwards: the (fake) sensitive macho, the signature running with rigid and puffed-out torso and, especially, the inability to feel. When an actor has to simulate feeling rather than actually acting THROUGH feeling, the viewer subconsciously gets funnies in the stomach, like watching a conman trying to persuade others of his honesty. Cruise emotes well but can't convincingly express affection or even sexual interest. he is good at expressing hate, as shown in Magnolia.

The actors, screenplay and the director never achieve a rapport required to convince the viewer - and themselves! - that they have a quality product. Pollack is not the Top Gun kind of guy and he never will be. Oh, well.

I FIRMLY believe this movie proved Tom Cruise COULD actually act !.......2007-03-09

Great Movie ! If You like mystery drama's or if you like Tom Cruise get this movie. He actually PROVES he CAN actually ACT and is really pretty good at it ! Just watching a man fight for his freedom to LIVE and keep his Law Degree and his Wife makes it more than a chic flick. I enjoyed the movie and personally own it ... so i would definately recommend it. U won't know what hit you ! Law and Justice, many grey lines ! A Great rainy evening at home movie.

A Little Disappointed.......2007-02-22

I like John Grisham, but this movie did not follow the book very well and an actor other than Tom Cruise would have been better.

Legal Thriller.......2007-02-21

Almost gave this 4 stars, leaning that way only because of the ending. Seemed slightly improbable, the sudden brilliant legal maneuver the main character makes at the end to evict himself and his wife out of the gangster-fed dillema his life has been thrown into. Then having thought about his brilliance at the Harvard Law School, it reduced the improbability and thus five stars.

This movie does grab you, and pulls you in so that you're always wondering what is coming next. Cruise does good job as well as Hackman.

Have not read the book yet, maybe someday. Still enjoyed the view and if the book is better, it would make a good read as well.

What was Sidney Pollack doing in directing this?.......2007-01-31

The first sign that this movie was going to be well below the book's quality level was the jazzy piano music from the first step. The early scene was a lot weaker than the book's. It continued from there. This did not need to be an R-rated movie, but some Hollywood idiot thought better.

There had been several actresses who received both best actress and best supporting actress (different roles) the same year, and the norm was typified by Jessica Lange in '82, when she lost the best actress but won the best supporting actress. The next actress in that position (Sigourney Weaver, for "Gorillas In The Mist" and "Working Girl" failed to win either. Holly Hunter was nominated in '93 for "The Piano" as best actress, which she won, and this movie for best supporting actress, which I did not believe she was as worthy of.

I like Wilford Brumley, but I cannot think of anything in this movie that is worth recommending to you.

The Fighting Sullivans - Commemorative Edition

Average customer rating:

One of the Best!
The Fighting Sullivans
Fighting Sullivans
The Best
Amazing

The Fighting Sullivans - Commemorative Edition
Starring: John Alvin , Anne Baxter , Ward Bond , Johnny Calkins , and John Campbell
Manufacturer: Vci Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000BQ5J4A
Release Date: 2005-11-22

Description

The Guts and Glory of the Navy! This is the movie that inspired "Saving Private Ryan." It's the true story of five brothers who fought and died together when their ship, the American cruiser Juneau, was sunk in the South Pacific during World War II. The Fighting Sullivans is something more than a worthy tribute to a pair of small town parents and the five sons they lost when the Juneau blew up in a battle off Guadalcanal on November 13, 1942. It is a heartwarming slice of Americana that will fill in the background of any number of Americans on the fighting front. The audience's awareness of the news in store for the Sullivan family adds considerably to the film's effect. The Fighting Sullivans generates emotion strictly on it's own terms and without bidding for tears. This Commemorative Edition marks the 63rd anniversary of the sinking of the Juneau. DVD features: 2005 Interview with Frank Holmgren (last living survivor of the sinking)| Video Inside the 5 Sullivan Brothers Veterans Museum| A message from Bob Neymeyer of the Grout Museum| Family Photos| Last Muster List| Memorials from family members| Survivor List| Juneau Action account letter by Lieutenant Roger W O'Neil - Mc-V (G) U S Naval Reserve| Personal Letters| Letter from President Franklin D Roosevelt| New Digital Transfer| Original Theatrical Trailer.

Customer Reviews:

One of the Best!.......2007-07-18

This is one of the best true stories war movie thatI have seen in a very long time. I recommand this to anyone that likes a serious but sometimes funny true story movie.

The Fighting Sullivans.......2007-07-16

I loved this movie since I was a little girl.. A movie with good family values and morals . And it's fun to watch the siblings get along so well with everything they do.

Fighting Sullivans.......2007-05-13

JUST WONDERFUL, GREAT. The BEST!!
My father who was also in Navy WWII says very accurate, after he watched, several other WWII Vets' he sees also asked to borrow it, as they had all been discussing it prior to my buying the movie. Show's family life prior to war also. Just a great film, my children watched it occassionally on T.V. growing up, and now my older grandchildren are able to watch since it's on CD's.

The Best.......2007-05-12

This is one of the great classic movies of all times, I loved it for years and I am so glad that Amazon finally carried it. Based on a true story it had great depth and compassion, the best ever.

Amazing.......2007-01-04

Seen this movie on televison years ago and it stood in my mind. It's an amazing movie about brotherly love through the years. I cried years ago as a child watching it and I still cry now. I recommend it for all ages.

Average customer rating:

Bust a Gut Funny!
AGED
Wayne's World
Mike Myers and Dana Carvey at there best
EXTREME CLOSE-UP! AAAGGGHHH!!!!

Wayne's World
Starring: Dan Bell , Lara Flynn Boyle , Colleen Camp , Tia Carrere , and Dana Carvey
Manufacturer: Paramount
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00005JH9J
Release Date: 2001-07-10

Amazon.com

TV's Saturday Night Live has been like the evil twin of the legendary alchemist's stone, which supposedly could turn lead into gold. SNL usually does the opposite, taking rich comic premises from short skits and extrapolating them into overblown and unfunny full-length films. ("The Coneheads"? Puh-leeze!) But this film proved to be the exception, thanks to Mike Myers's wonderfully rude lowbrow humor and his full-bodied understanding of who his character is. Wayne Campbell (Myers) and his nerdy pal Garth (Dana Carvey) are teens who live at home and have their own low-rent cable-access show in Aurora, Illinios, in which they celebrate their favorite female movie stars and heavy-metal bands. When a Chicago TV station smells a potential youth-audience ratings hit, the station's weasely executive (Rob Lowe) tries to coopt the show--and steal Wayne's new rock & roll girlfriend (Tia Carrere) at the same time. It's filled with all kinds of knowing spoofs of movie conventions, from Wayne talking to the camera (and forbidding other characters to do so) to hilariously self-conscious product placements and labeling a moment a "Gratuitous Sex Scene." Dumb--and very funny. --Marshall Fine

Customer Reviews:

Bust a Gut Funny!.......2007-08-23

I have been watching this movie since I was young and everytime I watch it I can't stop lauging. It's a cult classic, my family and I can do whole scenes from the movie by heart. You have to like juvenile humor though, it is not a movie to be taken seriously at all. Great for an afternoon when you want to kick back and not have to think too much. You won't be disappointed.

AGED.......2007-08-01

Wayne's World was funny in 1992, but now, not so much. The jokes and references are stale, and often redundant. What a shame. I thought this would be a timeless piece. I WASTED my money buying it, thinking that it would still be funny, but this has to be one of the most unfunny pieces of trash out there. DATED.

Wayne's World.......2006-11-16

"Wayne's World" was Mike Myers and Dana Carvey's first proper movie, and features their characters Wayne and Garth. It's fairly entertaining, and it's the sort of film that can be watched a few times here and there with friends. It's got an interesting atmosphere, this film.

Wayne and Garth have a cable show, hosted from their parent's basement in Aurora, a suburb of Chicago. It catches the eye of a TV executive, who thinks it will tie in perfectly with a prospective sponsor, "Noah's Arcade". Wayne and Garth, who are a bit strapped for cash, jump at the contract, but soon discover that it is full of compromises. Will Wayne and Garth sell out? Will Wayne be able to escape his deluded ex? Will Garth get his dream girl?

The DVD menus are done like the menu of a cable TV network, which scrolls up and down when you select something. Kind of an odd look I thought. Special features include a director's audio commentary and interviews with the cast and crew, which was interesting.

Mike Myers and Dana Carvey at there best .......2006-10-04

I have to say out of all the Mike Myers and Dana Carvey movies I've seen this has got to be the best. Straight from Saturday Night Live Wayne's World delivers laugh after laugh.Join the fun as you watch Wayne and Garth go from public acess cable show to a huge late night show, and encounter the problems that come along with it. I just love this movie. I can't even estimate how many times I've watched since I got it on DVD last year. No matter how many times you watch it, It'll always find a way to bring a smile to your face.

EXTREME CLOSE-UP! AAAGGGHHH!!!!.......2006-08-29

Man, this movie is pure gold. Mike Myers is, as always, hilarious, and Dana Carvey, who I once thought sucked after seeing The Master of Disguise, earned my respect. This movie is just painfully funny, extremely fun and never crosses the line of what's funny and what's not. Don't even think about renting it; just pick it up at the store. Most places have it for under $10! I can't wait to see Wayne's World 2!

Barbershop 2 - Back in Business (Special Edition)

Average customer rating:

*CUBE* Does It Again For The 2nd Time Around
back to da bin-ness
2nd rate cash in version of the original........
[3.5]--Barbershop 2 Cuts a little bit deeper towards your scalp.
Barbershop 2

Barbershop 2 - Back in Business (Special Edition)
Starring: Ice Cube , Cedric the Entertainer , Sean Patrick Thomas , Eve (II) , and Troy Garity
Director: Kevin Rodney Sullivan
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0001Q4BOE
Release Date: 2004-06-29

Amazon.com

Ice Cube triumphantly returns as Calvin Palmer, proud proprietor of a neighborhood barbershop in Barbershop 2. The first Barbershop was a surprise smash; even more surprising is how good this sequel is. The plot isn't much--there's a corporate haircutting chain opening across the street, leading to the usual sentiments about the importance of small businesses and neighborhoods--but the well-conceived characters and the loose, genuine banter give this movie a striking richness of feeling. Barbershop 2 cuts back and forth in time, flashing back to when Eddie (garrulous Cedric the Entertainer), the shop's oldest and most outspoken barber, first came to work for Calvin's father. Glimpses of black history give weight to the modern-day struggles; most impressively, this device doesn't feel forced or cynical. Also returning are Eve, Troy Garity, and Sean Patrick Thomas; Queen Latifah (Bringing Down the House) is a new face on the block. --Bret Fetzer

Customer Reviews:

*CUBE* Does It Again For The 2nd Time Around.......2007-03-27

I love this movie. It had a great story line. The acting was great.
I like the fact that it used, the very same cast members from Part 1.
Also if you are aware of, what really happens in a barber shop then you can relate to this movie. It's really FUNNY!!!!

back to da bin-ness.......2007-01-21

why do i want to watch lazy people act lazy on camera. The formula is for uneducated people to think they and their homies are cool for watching this movie. ice cube feeds of the poor and gets richer day by day.

2nd rate cash in version of the original...............2006-10-31

Loved the back and forth between Cedric's "Eddie" and Latifah's character.

[3.5]--Barbershop 2 Cuts a little bit deeper towards your scalp........2006-09-28

I loved the first "Barbershop" but to me the sequel has a lot more in depth with its characters and we learn a little more about each one and how they have improved since the first film. If "Back in Business" has any flaws, it's that there is not enough action inside the barbershop, where most of the action took place in the first film. The movie is a bit of a repeat of the first movie (the barbershop is threatened by closure, this time by competition). There is a little more drama with "Back in Business" that never slows the film down; a little drama never hurt anyone, did it? Either way, I did thoroughly enjoy it because it sprinkles some soul-pleasing themes about community, loyalty, and ethnic harmony.

Queen Latifah makes a great addition to the cast, as the sharp-tongued proprietor of a beauty salon next door. Ice Cube, who I think has come along way, portrayed his character realistically and likeable but sometimes appear wooden at times. There is also a hilarious scene where the Alderman tries to have a photo opportunity in the barbershop and everything goes wrong. What's New to Barbershop 2 is the back story telling how Cedric The Entertainer's character came to be at the barbershop and the experiences of the barbershop back in the 50s and 60s (reminded me of an old "Good Times" episode). These scenes are well done and tells us whey Cedric The Entertainer's character is allowed to do virtually nothing at the barbershop.

There are so many other good characters: Isaac (Troy Garity), Terri (Eve), Jimmy (Sean Patrick Thomas)... Too bad so many of the supporting characters rely on stereotypes. For instance, we know that the Alderman is corrupt and a pervert within seconds of seeing him, and that the ridiculously uptight-looking white man sitting next to Eddie on the train is going to say something stupid and ignorant. During that part I just shook my head, for some reason we are unable to stay away from those predicament.

Barbershop 2: Back in Business' doesn't offer us anything new as far as content but I will recommend it because the shop scenes are just plain funny and sweet just like the first film.

Barbershop 2.......2006-08-28

Ice Cube, Cedric the Entertainer and Eve return, reprising their characters in "Barbershop 2: Back in Business". It's not as good as the first film, I didn't think, but it's still worth a look if you enjoyed the antics of the characters in the first film.

Calvin (Ice Cube) is proud of his barbershop, and of his community on the south side of Chicago. Guys can come in, get a hair cut, have a conversation, get some things off their chest. It's a great place, but it may not last. There's some new plans for their block. New types of stores, new types of customers. Doesn't bother Calvin and the gang too much until they hear of plans for a new "Nappy Cuts" hairdressing franchise to open across the street. They've got everything a guy could want in there, latest razors and scissors, a TV, fish in an aquarium. You can even play basketball in there! Will the local barbershop be able to handle the competition?

The characters are still as interesting, and there are a couple of nice jokes in there, but I didn't like this film as much as the first. It seemed a little more padded, I guess.

Still, it's worth a look if you enjoyed the first, it's all right.

Heat of the Sun Boxed Set (Private Lives / Hide in Plain Sight / The Sport of Kings)

Average customer rating:

Compelling stories and great acting combine for terrific entertainment
first sight of trevor eve
Heat of the Sun
Fantastic and Intelligent - Compare to Foyle's War
Excellent, one of the best PBS Mystery! series

Heat of the Sun Boxed Set (Private Lives / Hide in Plain Sight / The Sport of Kings)
Starring: Trevor Eve , Susannah Harker , Akbar Kurtha , Lawrence Simbarashe , and Jimmi Harkishin
Director: Paul Seed , Adrian Shergold , and Diarmuid Lawrence
Manufacturer: WGBH BOSTON
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B0001WTUK8
Release Date: 2004-06-01

Amazon.com

Former Scotland Yard detective Albert Tyburn (Trevor Eve) finds himself in colonial Nairobi, the setting of Out of Africa, as head of a new criminal investigation unit. Imagine an athletic Hercule Poirot in the heat of the Kenyan sun. Superintendent Tyburn's unrelentingly independent policing style is remarkably effective against the murder, arson, blackmail, slave-trading, and other crimes that await him. The most serious impediments to Tyburn's investigations come from pompous Police Commissioner Ronald Burkitt (Michael Byrne) and the elitist, expatriate community's secret passions and vices. The outstanding cast includes Tyburn's talented crime-solving assistants, Constable Jonah Karinde (Freddie Annobil-Dodoo) and Assistant Superintendent James Valentine (Julian Rhind-Tutt), and his romantic interest, Emma Fitzgerald (Susannah Harker). The attractive, strong-willed biplane pilot Fitzgerald bears remarkable similarity to the real-life Beryl Markham, who recounted her experiences in West with the Night. The three episodes, "Private Lives," "Hide in Plain Sight," and "The Sport of Kings," are well written and action-packed. Mobil Masterpiece Theatre's Heat of the Sun will delight fans of fine detective work. --Tara Chace

Description

A tangled web of blackmail, murder, passion, and more awaits former Scotland Yard detective Albert Tyburn (Trevor Eve from The Politician's Wife) when he arrives in Nairobi. He has been sent to head up a new criminal investigation unit under the command of pompous local police commissioner Ronald Burkitt (Michael Byrne). In these three mysteries: Private Lives, Hide in Plain Sight and The Sport of Kings, Tyburn uses his cunning, courage and headstrong policing style to battle arson, drug-dealing, murder and the creeping colonialism of Kenya's hedonistic expatriate community.

Special DVD features include: link to the Mystery! Web site; scene selections; and closed captions.

On three DVD5 discs. Region coding: All regions. Audio: Dolby stereo. Screen format: Letterboxed.

Customer Reviews:

Compelling stories and great acting combine for terrific entertainment.......2007-07-04

I too saw this series years ago and loved it. It's an amazing treatise on how the British went to a certain part of the world and thought they owned it, and how Tyburn comes in and treats everyone equally, to most of the "polite society's" astonishment. I have followed Trevor Eve's career since then, since I like his work so well ... "Waking the Dead" is a wonderful series that he's been in for the last 3-4 years. I first saw Susannah Harker in "Jewel in the crown" and she impressed me there. I just wish that this series had been filmed in widescreen vs full screen to get the full impact of the cinematography and the wonderful vistas of Africa.

first sight of trevor eve.......2007-03-28

this was the first ever i had seen or heard of trevor eve, and quite by accident, surfing channels. excellent for the colonial times and quite apt i think.

Heat of the Sun.......2006-11-14

Excellent PBS Mystery series. A great period piece. Excellent attention to costumes and equipment. However, in an African colony, in 1931, one would hardly expect all of the autos to be the current models. All of the vehicles used are 1931s, except for one coupe, which is a 1932. But only a vintage car buff would notice.

Fantastic and Intelligent - Compare to Foyle's War.......2006-09-04

I have hoped that this series would be continued past the first three stories - in vain. If you like Foyle's War (which has, fortunately, been continued), you will like Heat of the Sun. It's realistic; it's intelligent. It can be uncomfortable because this is not a pretty world. On the other hand, there are "good guys", just like in the real world, and, just like in the real world, they are not cartoon cut-outs, but flawed humans who are heros nonetheless. I very much recommend this series.

Excellent, one of the best PBS Mystery! series.......2006-08-06

Excellent series set in beautiful Kenya in 1931, the time of Beryl Markham and Isak Dinesen. The protagonist, Tyburn, is attractive, intelligent, knows police procedures and refuses to back down when determining who is guilty of the crimes committed. He has the right attitude (including contempt) toward the so-called elite of England and of Nairobi. He believes that no one is above the law. He also is not a bigot and treats the native Africans as they should be treated, as equals. The relationship with Emma (a bush pilot) is just right as to intensity and scope; it blends in very well with, but does not detract from, the plot. The acting is excellent and the plots very interesting. Having been to Kenya, this series did appear to have been filmed there and the settings appeared authentic and the scenery beautiful. Anyone who enjoys mysteries set in interesting historic locations with romance will thoroughly enjoy this series. I wish more of this series had been done.

Average customer rating:

Good Picture Quality and Sound

1492 Conquest of Paradise
Starring: Armand Assante , Juan Diego Botto , Fernando Guillen Cuervo , Loren Dean , and Kevin Dunn
Director: Ridley Scott
Manufacturer: Garry's Trading
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B000A2VMV4
Release Date: 2003-12-08

Album Description

Asian exclusive DVD release of 1992 film directed by Ridley Scott, starring Gerard Depardieu, Sigourney Weaver, Armand Assante & Frank Langella. All code/NTSC. Original English dialogue. Six scene selections. Garry's Trading. 2003.

Customer Reviews:

Good Picture Quality and Sound.......2005-11-28

I just wanted to say I was pleasantly surprise with the picture and sound quality of this Asian Import. I'm very happy. THANKS

Average customer rating:

The Persecution and Assassination of Jean-Paul Marat as Performed by the Inmates of the Asylum of Charenton Under the Direction
Great for Theatre Students
Brillaint and intense
Citizen Marat, the hero and the butcher:
Almost as good as the audio recording.

Marat / Sade
Starring: Patrick Magee , Ian Richardson , Michael Williams , Clifford Rose , and Glenda Jackson
Director: Peter Brook
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00005BKZN
Release Date: 2001-07-24

Amazon.com essential video

In 1964, German playwright Peter Weiss wowed the international theater scene with his Berlin production of The Persecution and Assassination of Jean-Paul Marat as Performed by the Inmates of the Asylum of Charenton Under the Direction of the Marquis de Sade. An instant sensation, the play caught the attention of iconic theater director Peter Brook, whose own stage production captivated audiences in New York the next year. Brook then filmed his production in 1966, and the resulting movie, Marat/Sade, stands as one of the best-loved screen adaptations of a play, by both critics and theater fans alike. (The 1996 film Quills is a good example of the story's lasting resonance.) As can be surmised by the play's original title, the action focuses on the Marquis de Sade (Patrick Magee) circa 1808, who, while imprisoned at Charenton Asylum, writes and directs a play starring his fellow inmates. Dramatizing the final hours of French revolutionary Jean-Paul Marat (Ian Richardson) before he was killed by Charlotte Corday (Glenda Jackson, in one of the defining moments of her career), de Sade offers the play as an entertaining whim for the tiny audience of asylum director Coulmier (Clifford Rose) and his family. Utilizing the "theatre of cruelty" theory of avant-garde pioneer Antonin Artaud--once an asylum inmate himself--Brook's presentation of Marat/Sade confronts with jagged language, sounds and visuals, in an attempt to shock the movie audience into dissatisfaction and action against the status quo, mirroring the way de Sade's play within the film stirs the asylum inmates to high dudgeon and revolution. --Heather Campbell

Description

Directed by Peter Brook and based on the TonyÂ(r) Award-winning play by Peter Weiss, this spellbinding tale of 'slashing power and disturbance (The Film Daily) bristles with the riveting energy and excellent (Variety) performances by the Royal Shakespeare Theatre Company, including Ian Richardson and Patrick Magee. Brimming with raving lunatics, crackling whips, catatonicseizuresand even musical interludesMarat/Sade is an exciting, overwhelming [and] stunning tour de force (Boxoffice)! When notorious social criticand inmate of Charenton's asylum for the insanethe Marquis de Sade (Magee), stages a play about the murder of the French Revolution's Jean-Paul Marat, the production takes on an alarming life of its own. And as tempers flare,arguments rage and chaos engulfs both the sane and the mad, the inmates finally turn against their keepersin a brilliant, breathtaking and completely bizarre conclusion'that will leave you raving for more!

Customer Reviews:

The Persecution and Assassination of Jean-Paul Marat as Performed by the Inmates of the Asylum of Charenton Under the Direction .......2007-05-31

This is an amazing film along with being an amazing play. Peter Brook, who is one of the world's most renowned theater directors, has made an excellent adaptation of The Persecution and Assassination of Jean-Paul Marat as Performed by the Inmates of the Asylum of Charenton Under the Direction of the Marquis de Sade (the gloriously long official title). I saw this film in college, and love the intensity of the whole thing. Now that I am older and have read de Sade and a touch of Marat (which I didn't read in college, imagine that), things actually make more sense now, and the film/play resonates more deeply. Patrick Magee and Ian Richardson are phenomenal in this film, and Brook's direction manages somehow to incorporate the best of the film aesthetic and theater aesthetic. It is an amazingly intense experience, one that will sear itself in your memory.

A note on the transfer. The current edition is by MGM/UA, and while it isn't great (the film elements are a little worn out), it is letterboxed and the audio is decent. There was a haphazard, sloppy DVD put out by Image in the early days of DVD. That version was pan and scan and looked wretched. The Image DVD is thankfully out of print. So go ahead and partake of the MGM/UA DVD of Marat/Sade.

Great for Theatre Students.......2007-05-14

I have to say I enjoyed this one more when I was a theatre student and obsessed with theatre of the absurd. Its still a fun one, but not for just anybody....

Brillaint and intense.......2005-04-22

Marat / Sade is an incredible theatrical production that was captured well in this film. Complaints that has been made about the sound quality of the DVD though is well founded but unfortunately this was a problem with the movie when it first appeared in theatres.
The movie takes place on a stage behind bars in asylum of Charenton. Behind the bars as well sit confident arrogant and ignorant asylum's director and his family. Performed is a play written and directed by the Marquis de Sade (Patrick Magee).
In point of fact plays written by de Sade and performed by the inmates of Charenton actually took place. But Peter Brooks takes things to another level as he through the character of Sade poses many questions to the viewer while at the same time shocking the sense. Cleverly the actors are given parts that have something in common with their mental disorder.
This is a musical but probably like no other musical you have ever seen. It is somewhat like some of the Mystery plays of the Middle Ages. There are plays with in plays, clever references made and word play, as like are found in the Mystery plays, to and regarding the actors themselves and the surroundings where they are performing.
The play is about the death of Marat but it is within it is a larger play about the French Revolution. But the play is more than a history lesson. All through it the character playing Marat sits in a bathtub as Sade taunts him. Much of his taunts take the form of long philosophical soliloquies belittling Marat, the Revolution and society in general. Through out the play the inmates fall in and out of character to the symptoms of their various mental illnesses.
The songs are incredibly well integrated into the play and are quite witty and enjoyable -some of them almost joyous.
Comically the director of the asylum, a condescending buffoon, interrupts the play time and again when statements are made that go against the current ideology.
As the play about a revolution concludes a real revolution starts behind the bars and the film ends in chaos.
The final scene is a pan back showing the audience at the bars in which the stage is enclosed. Are they clamoring to get in? Do they too want to be inmates? Do they want to become part of the free for all?
Peter Brooks offers up a beautiful but disturbing movie and vision of the world.

Citizen Marat, the hero and the butcher:.......2005-03-01

Peter Weiss' Marat/Sade as performed by the Royal Shakespeare Company under the direction of Peter Brook. (1966)

The cast and a history thereof:

The Marquis de Sade, as performed by Patrick Magee.
What needs to be known of de Sade involves, primarily, his second stay at the asylum at Charenton, although, it an idea of his philosophy should be displayed here. de Sade was a hedonist who had been to the Bastille and Charenton before, namely, for abuse towards prostitutes and various others of either gender. He was viewed as a dangerous sexual deviant and spent a good portion of his life imprisoned, until the start of the French Revolution of which, he supported (possibly to prevent his own death.) He was a nihilist, but also supported a certain Utopian socialism, and had effectively became one of the earliest existentialists, though he is rarely regarded with such a title.
At the start of the nineteenth century, Napoleon Bonaparte had him, again, imprisoned, residing in Charenton under the asylum's director

Abbe de Coulmier, as performed by Clifford Rose.
Monsieur Coulmier was very liberal in dealing with the treatment of patients, allowing de Sade to set up a series of plays that were available for public viewing, within the fictional content of Marat/Sade the play in question is The Persecution and Assassination of Jean-Paul Marat as Performed by the Inmates of the Asylum of Charenton Under the Direction of the Marquis de Sade. The play takes a novel approach to theater, allowing de Sade to interact and converse directly with the fifteen years deceased

Jean-Paul Marat, as performed by Ian Richardson.
Marat is, of course, the focus of this play and his role in the French Revolution and the subsequent Reign of Terror are vital facts. Marat was a member of the Jacobin Club, a group of radical republican thinkers, directly responsible for these events, with the help of Girondists, less a political party and more of a group of like-minded thinkers.
His body racked with a fever he threw himself into writing for the revolution, creating policy on dealing with enemies, declaring traitors and spurring the masses on in their bloodbath in the name of freedom. Much of Marat/Sade deals with the questions of de Sade concerning whether or not this bloodshed was worth it, or the right way to go about it. Many considered Marat a hero, though there were more than a few who considered him a butcher.
Following the Revolution, Jacobin's spurred on the Terror, claiming that the enemies of France were not eliminated and were, in fact, in hiding. In summary (or rather, not quite in his exact words,) Marat claims that they wear the cap of the people, but their underwear is embroidered with crowns and that the lot of them are the first to scream beggar, thief, or guttersnipe when a shop or two is looted. This is what leads him to the idea that the new aristocracy is any who owns more than any other. He points out that one will keep a horse, another his house in the country and another his army. This, he claims, is contrary to liberty and freedom. These, he goes on, are the new enemies of France and the bloodshed continued, numbering anywhere from eighteen thousand to forty thousand dead.
His writing would go on until he was visited three times by the assassin

Charlotte Corday, as performed by Glenda Jackson.
Who had decided to assassinate him due to the mass atrocities he and his faction had caused, though, the final decision would lie with the arrest of twenty-two Girondists and, later, the denouncing of their leader Jacques Pierre Brissot. She was successful in her endeavor, as might be anticipated by the full title of Marat/Sade.

Major themes throughout:
From the beginning, it becomes clear that this is no standard play, being a work of metafiction and delving into a play within a play. Through this medium, it allows Peter Weiss make light of the standard structure of theater and display a level of creativity, in the case of the film, that often goes unseen.
Additionally the (approximately) true history behind this work is intriguing, bring to the foreground a brutality that is generally ignored in French culture. Furthermore, French society becomes reflected within the asylum at Charenton, the down-trodden going through a similar metamorphosis as the upheaval of their very society not two decades earlier.
The real treat, the audience will find, is the rhetoric between de Sade and Marat throughout the play, each attacking the philosophy of the other, presenting questions each other and the audience. This inevitably leaves the audience to decide.

Marat/Sade is a rhapsody that should be made more available to a larger audience, creating within them worthwhile question and providing an interesting history at the same time: allowing the audience to see the brutal legacy of France, drowning the preconceived stereotypes of the country (at least within the United States.)

Almost as good as the audio recording........2004-10-20

The only problem that I have with this production is that, for some inexplicable reason, they do the scene of "Marat's Nightmare" in pantomime, completely wasting one of the great portions of the play. The audio recording of this production, which used to be available on Caedmon, includes the scene with the dialogue intact. I would have given the movie version 5 stars but for this disappointing omission. Otherwise, it's an all time classic.

Average customer rating:

A sober history lesson
Not to be missed
Excellent
An American Horror Story
History...Hollywood style

Guilty by Suspicion
Starring: Robert De Niro , Annette Bening , George Wendt , Patricia Wettig , and Sam Wanamaker
Director: Irwin Winkler
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: 6305162034
Release Date: 2004-06-01

Amazon.com

A fictional dramatization of the anti-Communist witch-hunts that plagued the U.S. during the late 1940s and early '50s, Guilty by Suspicion examines one of the most shameful periods of American history. After producing such prominent films as Rocky and Raging Bull, Irwin Winkler made his directorial debut with this 1991 drama, basing his screenplay on the harsh reality of the blacklisting era. Set during 1951, when the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) held hearings to target alleged Communist affiliations within the Hollywood filmmaking community, the film stars Robert De Niro as a prominent director who is urged to "name names" to appease the committee. Rather than betray one of his closest friends, he refuses to "cooperate" with the committee and is quickly blacklisted, his entire career in jeopardy. Costarring Annette Bening as the director's sympathetic ex-wife, the film doesn't pack the emotional punch of The Front (another blacklisting-era film, starring Woody Allen), but Winkler captures the paranoid anxiety of the period with a wealth of authentic detail. Because the De Niro character underestimates the power of the HUAC, we share his shock and dismay when he must finally face the committee. Without seeming like a dry history lesson, Guilty by Suspicion illuminates the unconstitutional evil of the blacklist era while offering a glimpse behind the scenes of Hollywood's past. Adding to the realism, director Martin Scorsese makes a rare cameo as another filmmaker under fire. Although Winkler's script and direction are perhaps too melodramatic, Guilty by Suspicion was clearly made with noble purpose and intention. For anyone interested in the blacklisting era and Hollywood history, this movie's a must-see. --Jeff Shannon

Customer Reviews:

A sober history lesson.......2006-06-07

Before you know it our rights can be taken away. Don't believe it? It happened before...watch this movie to find out how easily it happened.