Greek Movie Reviews

While many famous actors have portrayed the detective quite well over the years, it cannot be denied that Jeremy Brett captured the very essence of the Sherlock Holmes character.

Christopher Lee, Christopher Plummer, Ian Richardson, and of course, Basil Rathbone all put their own spin on Holmes. For the most part, these interpretations are satisfactory and entertaining, but no one other then Brett had seriously attempted to portray the character as written by Doyle.

Here we have two of the very, very best of the Granada series (1984). Both "The Greek Interpreter" and "The Norwood Builder" have much to recommend them, including a fine performace by Charles Gray as Mycroft in the former, and an insufferable, never more smug Lestrade shown in the latter.

Incredible cinematography permeates "Interpreter," with excellent use of shadows aboard a blazing red, fire-lit train, in the Scotland Yard offices, and in the closed mansion that serves as a prison for a hapless Greek citizen.

"Builder" has other singular elements, such as the aforementioned smug Lestrade (Colin Jeavons putting his stamp on the character, just as David Burke and Edward Hardwicke did Watson, and Brett did Holmes). We also have a frustrated and depressed Holmes, desperate to solve a case where Lestrade seems to hold all the cards.

However, one element I would like to illuminate which bears out my sentiment of "true-to-Doyle" is how Brett "works the room."

In "The Resident Patient," (available in Volume 5 of this collection), Brett truly displays what it must have been like to actually see this amazing detective in his element, as he "works the room" in Blessington's home, decucing the facts that occured when that character met his death.

Never more brilliantly portrayed than in "The Resident Patient," we nonetheless have an excellent example of Brett using Holmes' methods here in "The Norwood Builder," while investigating the remnants of the fire, the upper floors of the house, and the surrounding grounds.

We see the intensity and frenetic energy of the famous consulting detective, crouching, scurrying, examining in minute detail the invisible evidence, hunting up the clues unobserved by others.

We also have samples of Holmes (and Mycroft) deducing the lives of people they observe both on the train and in Mycroft's club.

For those unfamilliar with the Granada series, this may not be the best place to start, because the cases are more obscure than the more famous "The Speckled Band" or "The Crooked Man." However, for those familiar with Brett & Co., this disc is indispensible.

One must give Granada Television credit for taking the time and especially the care to bring these DVDs of Jeremy Brett's excellent portrayal of Sherlock Holmes to the market.

Given that this is, at best, a rather specialist market, it is a huge investment by the makers of good faith. To take the time and money to produce these with the bonus material is fantastic.

Brett always wished to achieve his personal goal of recording every one of the Holmes stories before he finished his acting career. Sadly he was unable to achieve his ambition but he got most of them. In his first season in the role, he certainly portrayed Sherlock with a seriousness that no other has brought to the part. His fastidious attention to detail and his legendary readings of the original stories and taking voluminous notes gave him a deep insight which he was to inject into the future seasons of the Great Detective.

These two stories are both superb, with excellent perfomances by all concerned. One of the little things that I liked so much about these series is the care which went into details such as keeping the apartment as little changed as possible throught the life of the shows, not changing it like M's office, for every show.

Hopefully, the DVD series will continue until all of the stories are available. This is British drama at it's best and Jeremy Brett is the cream of the crop.

For my money, Jeremy Brett is the best Sherlock Holmes, complete with the high-strung nervous disposition & tics and eccentricities. David Burke is a solid, capable & intelligent Dr.Watson (no Nigel Bruce type bumbler & fool). The production values of the Granada series excellent & the stories told with fidelity. The 5 stars are therefore for Sherlockians!

The Greek Interpreter is notable for 2 things: the first appearance of Sherlock's older brother, the brilliant but sedentary Mycroft (wonderfully played by Charles Gray) and the fact that in this tale Sherlock is too late deducing and is further delayed in getting the authority to save one of the principles of the story (even Sherlock wasn't perfect).

The Norwood Builder has Sherlock unraveling a crime utilizing all his methods, including disguise, in an effort to save a wrongly accused man (something he does often, as in the Blue Carbuncle).

This series was notable for the care in its production and casting, re-telling the tales of the Sherlock canon with respect and reverence.

I watched this movie like everybody else expecting to see greek elements of life. But i did not see anything greek particularly. A mediterranian warm-blooded guy meets with a shy englishman and with the help of this likeable greek they have a friendship developed. Love of life, standing against society against hatred, naive and simple lives, no deep philosophy just life itself without thinking and hoping for happiness in any situation. Great movie.

Since I am leaving today for a trip to Greece I figured I should watch "Zorba the Greek" since this 1964 film is considered the quintessential "Greek" film. I have to admit my first reaction was to be glad I was not going to Crete, because the way the locals treated the beautiful widow (Irene Papas) and Madame Hortense (Lila Kedrova), the old prostitute, were outright horrific. But this is why people like us and young Basil (Alan Bates) need to meet up with somebody with a zest for life like Alexis Zorba (Anthony Quinn).

Basil is an Englishman of Greek extraction who goes to Crete to check out a mine he has inherited. Zorba attaches himself to Basil, ostensibly as a cook but clearly as a guide to the joys and tragedies of life. In terms of Quinn's performance the only thing you can really say is that before there was Robert Begnigni there was Zorba the Greek when it comes to Mediterranean men who provided inspirational madness. As Zorba tells Basil: "Dammit, boss, I like you too much not to say it. You've got everything except one thing. Madness! A man needs a little madness, or else...he never dares cut the rope and be free." +

When they arrive on Crete it becomes clear the mine is not going to pan out for anybody. They move in with Madame Hortense, who is wooed by Zorba, who insists Basil go after the beautiful local widow. After these tragedies all that is left is Zorba's plan for bringing trees down from the top of the mountain, an endeavor obviously equally doomed to failure. This is why in the end there is only one thing a man can do, and it is in this cathartic conclusion that any and all sins of this film are absolved.

"Zorba the Greek" is written and directed by Michael Cacoyannis, based on the novel by Nikos Kazantzakis. The film won three Academy Awards: Lila Kedrova for Best Supporting Actress, Best Art/Set Direction, and Best Cinematography. Quinn did not win the Oscar for what is clearly his most memorable role in a long and distinguished film career, but that is usually the case with actors and their greatest roles. Marlon Brando did not win for Stanley Kowalski and Quinn did not win for Alexis Zorba. What is a man to do in the face of such a fate but dance?

This is one of those movies that you appreciate them more the second time you see them. Very faithful to Kazantzakis' book, it represents the story correctly, without any exaggerations. It definitely makes you think and ask yourself some questions about life and cosmos. Great philosophy! Also, this is the movie that established Quinn as a famous actor! Enjoy!

I bought this for my son last Christmas. He & His friends have watched this over & over! It was well worth the purchase.

HEY! If you're considering paying $100 for this DVD, DON'T DO IT! The videos are certainly worth watching, but by November 2003 apparently there will be a new collection. One that will be digitally remastered and everything! So, just hold off until the Christmas season to watch all of the video genius of Al. Check out the official site for the details under "Ask Al" for Sept 2nd.

This is actually very cool. I am a huge "Weird Al" Yankovic fan, and I really think this is awesome. Of course it is only 74 minutes long (it would have been cool if they had stuck The Complete Al on here, too. I got this for fairly cheap when it came out, but if you don't want to pay the barbaric price for this disc, you can buy the individual tapes or, if they come on on VH1, tape that. The dvd isn't completely horrible. I've see all the behind the musics, so I don't need supplement. It would be cool if they could fit this, The Compleat Al, and "Weird Al" Live on one disc (probably double sided). But lets not complain about what we don't have. Lets feel happy for what we do have. You would have to look individuall for the following tapes The Weird Al Video Library, Bad Hair Day, and Alapalooza. Think about the space three video tapes take up compared to one dvd and it's case. It's uncomparable. Think of the quality. While some off the early ones may be very dull (Jeopardy), some of the newer ones go to lengths vhs could only dream of (Gump). The 2 interruptions. Self explanatory. Think of the wear and tear. For a guy like me who has literally seen this disc hundreds of times, it helps having dvd. Plus, the disc is easy to get to your desired song (without fast-forewarding or possibly switching tapes). Plus it just starts with Ricky. No commercials, no advertisements, nothing. Yes, it could be better. But I'm fine. Thank you for taking the time to read my review and feel free to leave me a hepful/not helpful feedback. God Bless America!

I have to admit I did not have high expectations when I first saw this movie. So imagine my surprise when I found myself laughing out loud. A definite must see. You'll never look at a Little Debbie cookie the same way again.

Going Greek had no right to be this good...but it was hysterical. Outside of Susan Ward & Sherman from American Pie, the next biggest actor in this movie was Simon Rex...which shows you it was a low budget movie. But never did you feel like you were watching anything low budget. In fact, I'd go so far as to say that this movie was only a notch lower than Old School or the American Pie movies. Top notch gross out humor.

Don't let the fact that Going Greek lacks a theatrical release fool you. It is awesomely funny from beginning to end, and especially great for anyone who's ever been to college. Before I continue my review however, I should note that I have a potential bias toward the film. I am in the film as a volunteer "extra" (one of the frat brothers). But I say potential bias, because I was a huge fan of the movie before most of the shooting ever took place. Before doing any work on the film, myself and a group of others were reading Going Greek and we couldn't help laughing convulsively as a huddled mass around the one script we obtained. The movie is truly hysterically funny, so I hope you understand that I write this review as a true fan of the work. Honestly, I feel that the fact it did not get wide theatrical distribution, truly bespeaks the straight forward aggressiveness of its antics and humor. It does not hold back its humor in any self-depricating attempt to "appeal" to the masses. This movie is straight up for those who have wanted a good college film with great laughs. Going Greek's first "cut" and its screenings had great responses and I know that if you ever enjoyed watching Animal House, Revenge of the Nerds, and American Pie, you will truly enjoy this film and put your copy of Going Greek right next to them on your shelf. I can't wait to get my copy and finally be able to share its genius with my friends and especially my old college buddies. Enjoy!

Shhhh. Listen...Hear that?! It's the sound of air escaping from the heads of those who rate these kind of assembly-line Hollywood wish fulfillment fantasies as "5-star" films.

While it's not exactly reinventing the wheel, this is definitely one of the far better romantic comedies I've seen in quite some time.

I'm not quite sure I would have sprung twenty bucks to buy it, but CHECK OUT THE USED PRICES!! You can own a copy of this for around six or seven bucks now! That's just a shade more then the cost of a rental! What a great value for your dollar!

Hey, it's not THE COLOR PURPLE, ok? It is however, a highly successful movie when you factor in how LITTLE money was spent to make the darn thing. Yes, there is a lot of hype, and, yes, that can turn you off--It turns me off a lot of the time. But, it is a nice film. Not great, no, but good. And the main character--who is also the writer of the movie and one-woman show that inpired the movie--is such a real life American Dream success story, how can you pss this up???

It's a sweet little funny romantic comedy--and you learn some stuff about Greeks to boot! Come on, what could be better? Just sit back and enjoy it and try not to think so much!

This movie is silly! It is about a wild cross country chase. Are you a Jackie Chan fan? Yes, well Jackie only has a few cameo appearences. I suggest renting it before buying it!

Whatever happened to movies that were just plain FUN?

This is a hilarious movie that never gets old, despite the fact that it was released in 1982. Big name starts (at the time) Burt Reynolds, Dom Deluise, Sammy Davis Jr., Dean Martin, Farrah Fawcett, Terry Bradshaw, Mel Tillis, Roger Moore, Jamie Farr, and...some unknown guy named Jackie Chan, all race against each other in The Cannonball Run, a race from sea to shining sea.

This movie is way better than its sequel, the Cannonball Run 2.
Fans of Smokey and The Bandit, also starring Burt Reynolds, will love this movie for the cars, the women, and the laughs. Buy this movie!

dean, sammy and dom are fantastic. everything dean has done has turned to gold; sorry jerry, lose some weight will ya? love ya dean.hugs, kisses and memories forever,rick

This is a Spanish mystery movie that reveals bits and pieces as the story develops but in the end builds up to a big let down. It is one of those that when all is said and done you say "That's it, it's over"! The story evolves around an attractive Spanish woman who is seeking an ex-lover who , you guessed it, happens to be Greek. In the opening sequence a robber is shot and it is thought it may have been the sought after Greek lover. The Spanish woman hires a rogue detective(a novel idea) to help her and of course he falls for her. The real reason for seeing (me anyway) this film is to get a glimpse a young Penelope Cruz. She is the daughter of the dectective and from the moment she enters the movie her presence is without doubt. Her opening scene is one which features a shot of faceless long legs descending a staircase to eventually reveal a scantilly clad Penelope Cruz in some the shortest short shorts imagineable. She plays the role of a precocious young daughter who has a thing for older men(plays into the plot) because her dad is always on a case. As for the storyline itself, it seems the mystery Greek is an artist with a lot of strange friends. As they search for the man they uncover homosexual lovers, drug addicts and old wild hippies who are still living la vida loca.The photography is interesting, especially in the more artsy scenes in the artist warehouse and the hippie party scenes. It is a somewhat convoluted plot at times,overall predictable and not very groundbreaking movie. As you go through the labyrinth you can quickly guess what has happened to the Greek artist if you've seen a mystery movie or two. Penelope Cruz and her pouting lips made the movie for me but otherwise it is an average movie. Recommended for fans of Penelope Cruz, even though she is not the leading lady, mostly to see her in one of her early roles.

Older Spanish mystery movie, almost appears "made for TV"... Great scenes with a young Penelope Cruz and Aitana Sanchez Gijon (A Walk in the Clouds; Celos). The DVD does not have any way to turn off the English Subtitles. The translating on the English Subtitles was not done by someone who knew Spanish, they completely miss all the connotative meanings and "inside" jokes. A movie is always best in it's original language, I have never liked subtitles. There is quite a few well known Spanish actors and actresses, this makes the movie for me.

After the success of "My Big Fat Greek Wedding", the success of "My Big Fat Greek Life" seemed almost assured. More than 22 million people tuned in on the first night. However, it barely managed to finish out its first season of 7 episodes before cancellation and spawned numerous "What happened?" articles throught the world of entertainment reporting come May.

So, in spite of this, the Columbia-Tri Star have pushed ahead with a DVD release of those seven episodes, possibly hoping to capitalize on the shreds of success still clinging to the name. Maybe they're hoping that people who never heard of the TV series will pick up the DVD?

Well, I for one have to admit that morbid curiosity got the better of me, and I got the DVD yesterday to see if I'd missed anything after watching only the first two episodes in first-run. Unfortunately, the answer is 'no'. The lines are still as un-funny in the later episodes, the characters continue to mug for the camera just as much, and Steven Eckholdt continues to be an exceedingly mis-matched choice for Nia Varadalos's renamed character Nia. To add insult to injury, there are no extras on the DVD worth mentioning, just a few trailers for other TV shows.

As with the release of "Iron Chef USA" on DVD, I really can't recommend this DVD to anyone that doesn't have a desire to own bad, failed programming. I wish I could, since I like the characters, the actors, the concept, and even the idea of a TV show based on "My Big Fat Greek Wedding". The execution, though, killed it all...

"My Big Fat Greek Wedding" is a wonderfully funny movie, a romantic comedy classic, and creator/star Nia Vardalos should've left it alone. But no, she tried to milk the "Greek Wedding" cow for all it was worth and came up with this woefully unfunny---and completely unnecessary---TV series, "My Big Fat Greek Life," which was promptly cancelled after only a handful of episodes (when asked why, the CBS president told TV Guide, "Well, you saw the ratings, and you saw the show"). The charmingly funny Greek family from the movie was reduced to doing pathetic sitcom shtick for the TV series, and I knew that something was very wrong when Vardalos changed her character's name from Toula to her own real-life name of Nia. Can you say, "ego"?You know what---I'll even go out on a limb and say that it was the TV show that costed Vardalos that much-deserved Academy Award for Best Screenplay for "Wedding," as the Academy must've thought to themselves, "We can't give an Oscar to something that's not good enough to win an Emmy." What a terrible, terrible shame. So, my fellow "Greek Wedding" fans, let's all keep the bloom on "My Big Fat Greek Wedding"'s rose: stick with the movie, and just forget that this lamebrained TV show ever came into being.

TV Execs... always foaming at the mouth, on the look-out for the next "big thing" to milk for all it's worth... I wonder if they ever consider the fact that it's trash. What do they care? It's all about the "CHING! CHING!". Horrid. You'd think with ALL those actors and crew members, at least ONE of them would KNOW how lame this project is (was). Even the boom-mic-dude was probably falling asleep. I hate these cheap spin-(rip)offs.