10 years of my life I have waited for this film to come out on DVD. I first watched Yellowbeard 15 years ago on VHS and I have worn out two copies since. I have hidden the third and last VHS copy so well I cant find it! This shows how much I love this film. So glad I bought it on DVD.
Yellowbeard has me laughing out loud everytime I see it. It does have a certain Monty Python humour which may have been brought by John Cleese, Eric Idle and Graham Chapman who star in this feature.
The stars in this film are endless with the likes of James Mason, Peter Cook and Marty Feldman with a small role for David Bowie.
The amount of quotes that I (and all my friends) can say from this film probably beats all the other films I love.
The films story line is simple and to be honest I never really noticed until trying to review it. I just keep waiting for the next laugh to come along.
This film for me is one of my favourite if not THE favourite film of all time!
The BBC series All Creatures Great & Small, is a thrilling television series. I, being very critical about movies and television shows, found this one very pleasing. Though I am usually displeased by poor filming asspects in movies and series, I was not thrown off of by the poor quality in this series. The filming is not the best, but the acting is amazing and it makes up for that. This is one series that I can enjoy without thinking about the filming. Unlike many other films, I was able to beleive that the events were actually playing out before my as due to the extremely real acting (which in many cases it was) Bravo to the actors who had to stick their hands in the uterus of a cow, or sheep and still be able to focus and make me believe that they really were a vet. I normally do not like british films, but these are truely entertaining and all people of different cultures can understand it. This series has reminded me of my childhood dream, which was to be a vet, and hopefully in the future I will fulfill it, (I am 16 years old.) The television series remains true to the books which is very hard to find in America, that is probably why it is such an amazing series. This is a truely truely amazing, hilarious, calming, thrilling and touching television show which is unique and should be viewed by all.
Absolutely brilliant.
If you love only fools, then you MUST have this! So much more than just the dvds too.
Being from Hull and in my mid fifties I had hoped to see some archive footage mixed with the present day and topped off the history of the event. Sadly this dvd is reprentative of those Open University programmes from 20 years ago. The footage from 1953 is distant and cold, the footage from 1997 is of the contruction, aspects of health & safety and amenities. Interviews with councillors and fair people but not with the public. No intimate shots of families having fun. This along with an amateur commentating this is my worst purchase for as long as i can remember. A waste of money.
Shelley once wrote: "Lift not the painted veil which those who live Call Life", his pensive prose going onto inspire W. Somerset Maugham's novel about a cuckolded doctor's revenge against his unfaithful wife. I'm almost certain that both the great poet and author would've approved of John Curran's visually impressive, well-acted and, unlike Kitty Fane, admirably faithful adaptation. 'The Painted Veil' sees Ed Norton as the amiable' if unexciting' bacteriologist Dr. Walter Fane; who drags his cheating wife Kitty (Naomi Watts) into the middle of a cholera epidemic in China, circa 1920. Norton, doing a good English accent, is excellent as always and plays subtle duality to a hilt; it's a testament to his prowess as an actor that we barely notice how Norton makes an initially weak, stiff and cold character into a sympathetic, devoted and quietly courageous figure. Naomi Watts is sensuous socialite Kitty, whose marriage of convenience becomes a bond of love, not through the shame of her affair with British diplomat Charlie Townsend (a well cast Liev Schreiber, whose physical difference to Norton cleverly emphasises the often shallow nature of betrayal), but by the epic journey she makes with her husband. Watts masters accents with ease, and has an attractive exility that's just right for period drama, the pairing works exceptionally well and holds the film together in its slower moments. Sommerset Maugham claimed his book was inspired by Dante, though one can see shades of the writer's own life in both its structure and characters, for whilst 'The Painted Veil' isn't as explicitly biographical as 'Of Human Bondage' we can still make connections to Maugham's troubled childhood: Walter was what Maugham (a trained doctor himself) was forced to become in his time at King's Boarding School, Canterbury; orphaned at 11, he lived under the repressed regime of his uncle; the vicar of Whitstable. Sent back and forth to a school he hated and a vicarage he despised in a country he barely knew; Maugham, like Walter, became a withdrawn and maladjusted soul; bullied for his poor English (the writer was born and raised in France), small stature and stammer, he soon developed a knack for scathing one-liners and Oscar Wilde-esque comebacks. But like Kitty, was intrigued and ultimately governed by forbidden, destructive lusts (in Maugham's case; homosexuality). Its also interesting to note his past in espionage: the author was sent to Moscow in 1917 by MI6, and ordered to undermine the German pacifist movement to keep Russia in the war: this operation failed when Lenin and Bolshevik paramilitaries seized power in the October Revolution. Again, one can link that back to themes of deceit and the ulterior motives of numerous characters in this story. Another theme is the selfless desire to help others, as displayed by Walter, a stance which wasn't borne by taking a oath but by what the author saw during his years studying medicine: "I saw how men died. I saw how they bore pain. I saw what hope looked like, fear and relief...", noble sentiments almost paraphrased by Dr. Fane throughout the course of the story.
'The Painted Veil' also features some stunning cinematography which brings China's rural provinces to light in a manner not seen since Zhang Yimou's superlative wuxia 'Hero'. Art directors Mei Kunping, Xinran Tu, Yanrong Xing and production designer Juhua Tu help director of photography Stuart Dryburgh ('The Piano, 'Portrait Of A Lady') make this a truly beautiful film to look at. I wasn't expecting a great deal from 'The Painted Veil' and only saw it because Ed Norton is one of my favourite actors; Norton must be hold Maugham's work in high regard, I thought, or else he wouldn't have come on board as producer or championed this story for the better part of a decade. A story, that whilst good, most would envisage as a mini-series or one-off television drama, having now seen the finished product, I can safely say it wasn"t time wasted. One critic described Maugham's books as "such a tissue of clichés that one's wonder is finally aroused at the writer's ability to assemble so many and at his unfailing inability to put anything in an individual way", the self-deprecating author humbly agreed and claimed he was "...in the very first row of the second-raters", for there are some duff scenes that pay lip-service to colonial myths and clichés, but that aside, 'The Painted Veil' is a fine picture which pays loving tribute to best of 'Merchant Ivory'. Brilliantly acted and made to highest possible standards, I may not want to watch it again for some time, but its one that I can easily recommend to all. Enjoyably quaint.
Some movies tend to go on when they ought to stop, but 'Children Of Men' (here in its second incarnation as a 2-disc Special Edition) is one film that could have been longer; seeing as it seeks to address such weighty issues as infertility, oppression and that terrible, yet depressingly familiar, trinity of 'isms': fascism, racism and state-terrorism.
Its lean 97-minute running time, punctuated by some spectacular action sequences, leads me to suspect that director Alfonso Cuarón didn't find P.D. James's novel as illuminating or adaptable as he may've initially thought. Cuarón focuses on the book's 'Alpha' chapters, wisely updating the narrative; he sets his story in 2027 in an England plagued by infertility & totalitarianism, seen through the eyes of disillusioned Londoner and erstwhile political activist; Theo (Clive Owen). Initially the quintessential anti-hero, Theo (a not so subtle nod to God) navigates his way through a sinister world of shaky alliances and ulterior motives; a place where violence (quick & unsettlingly realistic) can strike anyone anywhere thus creating an atmosphere in which every character, no matter how important, is at risk of being killed off. Clive Owens's measured monotone and deadpan delivery, though not as well suited to this role as it was to his character in 'Inside Man, still works surprisingly well, particularly in the film's few scenes of humour: "My mum had a plastic one in the bathroom..." he remarks upon coming face-to-face with Michelangelo's 'David' "...it was a lamp".
'Children Of Men' is, on many levels, a masterpiece; though its reluctance to fully engage with the issues it raises makes it look as if it's pulling its punches or using an elliptical narrative where clarity and directness is required. I quite like Alfonso Cuarón, and loved his much maligned take on 'Great Expectations' but I was watching 'Sólo Con Tu Pareja' the other day, and realised that he's far too breezy a director to handle the kind of themes at work in 'Children Of Men'. A film of such significance and magnitude requires the kind of auteur Hollywood rarely, if ever, supports anymore; and its because of this that 'V: For Vendetta' remains unchallenged as the best film about Big Government gone mad in Blighty. 'Children Of Men' is still better than most and boasts some fine performances from Clive Owen, Julianne Moore, Michael Caine, Pam Ferris an hilarious cameo by Ken Loach regular Peter Mullan and an exceptionally powerful, complex turn by Chiwetel Ejiofor. Extras on this 2-disc set include a short making of, three deleted scenes, a few words from bumbling celebrity philosopher Slavoj Zizek and a roundtable discussion where some pretentious, stuffed shit boffins sound as if they've been paid to plug Malthusian theory. 'Children Of Men' definitely deserves to be seen, but here's hoping for an extended director's cut sometime in the future.
This has got to be the best Monty Python film ever, if there was any crew that could take the @~@~ (mickey) out of the Christian faith this has to be it.
I am A Christian by the way, also my father was a Catholic so it's no wonder I don't know right from wrong......but please just sit back and enjoy a truly funny funny film
An excellent DVD boxset of the first series of this popular UK firefighting. This 1988 series launched the successful series, and it is here you see how different firefighting is compared to today. This boxset also includes the original pilot of London's Burning, written by Jack Rosenthal. And it also includes the 1988 Christmas Special, that followed the first series.
Visually stunning "The Isle" is set on a tranquil and beautiful fishing lake dotted with colourful little floating huts. Set against this backdrop is the intense and haunting story of Hee-Jin the guardian of this fishing oasis. Hee-Jin has some issues and the balance between sanity and the dark and twisted reaches of her mind is a tight one, these issues also stretch to her being mute but is it self imposed? Running away from his life and a terrible mistake is Hyun-Shik, he hires a float but his own mind is not what it should be with suicidal thoughts running amok. There is a meeting of somewhat crazed minds amongst the emotionally charged bitter events that slowly unwind, sometimes brutal but then twisted with a perverse sense of humour. We watch almost voyeuristically as the two contrasts of visual beauty and psychosis of the mind entwines, delivering an excellent viewing experience and one that won"t be forgotten quickly. This is an extremely good film which can be watched many times and still leave you with something different after each viewing. Tremendously acted so that you feel the minds of the two leading characters as they struggle between madness with what you feel is a longing for peace. Slow moving but perfectly in tune with it"s self and as half the main characters are mute the subtitles are few and far between, so please don"t let subtitles put you off this treat of a film.
A 150 minute, 70s set police procedural focused on the Zodiac serial killer may sound a little too much like work to warrant a look. But don't let the epic length, measured pace and grim subject matter put you off, for David 'Fight Club' Fincher's latest is an engaging, well written and technically proficient picture that harks back to another era in filmmaking; an age when characters were the focus, and a film's worth wasn't judged solely upon Monday's net profits after opening weekend. 'Zodiac' isn't a serial killer movie per say, in fact, it doesn't have much in common with Fincher's genre masterpiece; 'Seven' at all, whilst the tagline: 'There's more than one way to lose your life to a killer' pretty much sums it up. 'Zodiac' takes an unusual creative position in depicting an unsolved case, presenting in great detail the devastating physical & psychological impact of pursuing something to the ends of the Earth. We watch in sympathetic frustration as a creeping languor descends upon our heroes, their fall from eager pioneers of truth & justice to bleary eyed burnouts & enquêteurs manqué all too real and sobering an outcome. Based on a true story, screenwriter James Vanderbilt's adaptation of Robert Graysmith's book begins as San Francisco falls into the grip of a ruthless, seemingly random, assassin. The Zodiac killer's rule lasted over a decade; tirelessly investigated by 'SF Chronicle' crime reporter Paul Avery (some fine method mumbling from Robert Downey jr.) and soft spoken cartoonist Robert Graysmith (an excellent, understated performance by Jake Gyllenhaal) before Inspector David Toschi (the brilliant Mark Ruffalo) led an extensive, but inconclusive, manhunt. Zodiac, in spite of taunting police with clues & complex ciphers, was never caught and thus became the focus of many a Hollywood movie, the most memorable being 'Dirty Harry'; where the Scorpio sniper (based on Zodiac), was blown away by Inspector Callahan, but reality offers no easy solutions. And here; Fincher takes the masterly step of having different actors play Zodiac in each of the murder reconstructions, cinematic shorthand that highlights the sometimes unreliable nature of witness testimony, police procedure & recall. Spike Lee aficionados may notice structural similarities between 'Zodiac' and 'Summer of Sam' (1999), another film where the killer's shooting spree served as a backdrop to highlight the insecurities and obsessions of a victimised community. 'SOS' is, in some ways, a better film in terms of how it synchs the 1977 heatwave with a New York, exploited by tabloid misinformation, about to reach boiling point, ensuing blackouts used to illuminate each character's modus operandi & second reality. The principal difference being that whilst the lovable layabouts in 'Summer Of Sam' had absolutely no idea how to handle David Berkowitz's reign of terror, 'Zodiac's' protagonists are, at the very least, professionals who have a clear, albeit highly elusive, objective infront of them.
In a world where the police procedural is all about the next snazzy jump cut, its quite refreshing to see a bunch of old-school, talented but distinctly amateur gumshoes having a go. Harris Sevides, Fincher's cinematographer from 'The Game', arrives having lent his grimy, lived-in aesthetic to films like 'The Yards' & Gus Van Sant's 'Last Days'. Fincher has worked with some excellent cinematogrpahers (e.g. Darius Khondji on 'Seven' and Jeff Cronenweth for 'Fight Club') but I think bringing back Sevides was the right choice here, for he enlivens the environs to great effect: the SF skyline, the fantastically disorganised press office and Graysmith's home, all shot in a soft sepia filter which successfully evokes the period, complementing this dark and lurid tale of obsession. More 'Colombo' than 'CSI', 'Zodiac', despite a few scenes of levity, is a sombre, realistic and heavy going adaptation of historical events. Keep the coffee nearby and prepare to give yourself over to a rich, excellently realised world of danger, suspense and intrigue. Not for everyone, but a must for Fincher fans or those with an interest in character development and genre dynamics.
I want these films to be so good (for childhood comics memory at the very least), but they just keep turning out OK..
The banter between The Thing and The Human Torch is as funny and infectious as ever, Jessica Alba is woefully underused again and Mr fantastic is still yet to convince and turns out to still be a bit drippy.
As for the 'bad guys', well you'll be left wondering how they could make the classic baddie Dr Doom into such a panty-waist. The Surfer is admittedly cool and I'll keep my fingers crossed for his solo project, but Galactus? Well, if you are scared by a big cloud, then you better prepare yourself I suppose - we all wanted to see his purple/blue pyjama suit and massive head, but no joy I'm afraid...sigh.
This franchise has yet to strike the balance between family friendly fun (still too much) and earnset superhero adventures (not enough)...roll on number 3 though, I'm still prepared to give it a chance!
After all of us getting used to Timothy Dalton's style of Bond, Pierce Brosnan arrives. The action was terrific, reminding me a little bit of Pirates of the Carribean Dead Mans Chest and The Mummy. Izzabella Scorupco plays the new Bond girl. Bond faces evil from every angle. He must be careful Evil lurks in every corner. James Bond teams up with the Russian research center. Alec (Sean Bean) tries to kill Bond, so he can suceed with his plan. Also Bond must dodge Xenia Onnatop (Famke Janssen) who will do anything for a squeeze. Also starring Judi Dench, Joe Don Baker, Robbie Coltrane, Desmond Llewyn and directed by Martin Campbell. Watch this movie as it is a good one and you will never get tired of it.
Father Ted: To me it seems that there is one comedy series per decade that is so excellent that it goes beyond classic and becomes, somewhere that defies easy definitions or superlatives. Father Ted is one such series. It is legendary. So well scripted, so wonderfully performed, timed, and directed, that it is as perfect as a comedy series could be. Absurd, surreal, irreverant and so very quotable. Go on, go on, go on, go on...
A movie to make you think and gain understanding of a much forgotten piece of WW2 - many turns in the plot and lots to talk about when watched -brilliant images and movie.. so worth the effort of a film with subtitles!
This 1980 Disney film really is a true horror classic! It contains plenty of authentic scares and jumps, creepy locations, frightening reflections in the mirrors and the pond and even 'Red Rum' style mirror writing. It stars Bette Davis as Mrs. Aylwood, a rather strange and at times extremely frightening old woman who lost her daughter, Karen, in paranormal circumstances 30 years ago. Jan and Ellie, two young American sisters who move into the creepy house next door, unravel the mysteries of Karen's unexplained disappearance, and attempt to bring her back from her trapped past. Amazingly, although a Disney movie, this eerie film sent shivers down my spine as a child, and forced many a night slept with the landing light switched on. Bette Davis steals the show in this supernatural haunting thriller - though I do warn you, don"t be fooled by the Disney label - this one is not for kids!
For lovers of Aladdin and Disney in general, this boxset is perfect. Including the 2 disc special edition of Aladdin and the 2 films that followed. The animation makes the films good fun for both children and adults.
The story of Aladdin is typical of any aladdin based story with great voice acting from Robin Williams. Fun songs makes children want to watch it over and over. The extras of this film are good fun for all the family.
The Return of Jafar isn't quite as good as the first as it lacks the comedy from Robin Williams as the Genie is voiced by another actor. The story starts off from the first and again leaves enough room for another sequal.
The third film finishes off the trilogy well with Robin Williams returning to voice the Genie. The story is fun and starts off with the wedding of Aladdin and Jasmine. Aladdin's father comes into this with a story of the 40 thieves. More great songs and much more fun for all the family.
Wow!! Just finished watching the last series last night, and the ending is really good with quite a few twists and turns. If you watched the first series you will not be disappointed with the 2nd, there is an ending but there is also scope for more series. I am just gutted that HBO have not commissioned a 3rd series, please please please!! definitely recommend.
Amazing film. Beautiful to watch, scary and sad. Although this is in Spanish it is soon very easy to forget you are reading subtitles.
The characters are wondeful. This is the best child/adult fantasy film since The Dark Crystal.
This is a very gripping film and I would recomend it to any film buff.
Brilliant film, always has been!!
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