Collecting Movie Reviews

1795 adventures continue in Dark Shadows DVD Collection 6 (VHS Volumes 37-44). In these episodes, Barnabas Collins rises as a vampire and unleashes terror throughout Collinsport. Knowing that he can't go on hurting people, Barnabas begs family servant Ben Stokes to drive a stake through his heart. Ben can't bring himself to do it, however. Barnabas secretly sees Josette and they agree to spend eternity together as vampires. Before he can take her away, Angelique lures her to Widows Hill, where Josette sees a vision of herself as a vampire and she jumps to her death. Naomi Collins attempts to prevent Lt. Nathan Forbes from marrying Millicent Collins (he only wants her for her money). In Victoria's witchcraft trial, Reverend Trask convinces Nathan to testify against Victoria. Nathan betrays Victoria and she is found guilty of witchcraft. Barnabas vows revenge against Trask.

Bonuses include interviews with Roger Davis (Peter Bradford), Lara Parker (Angelique), Louis Edmonds (Joshua Collins), and scenic designer Sy Tomashoff.

While the entire collection is wonderful, six is the best. Jonathan Frid is absolutely wonderful as Barnabas. His scences with Ben Stokes are great. You will watch this again and again.

With the sixth excellent DVD in the Dark Shadows series, Barnabas Collins continues his cursed existence as a vampire, and Victoria Winters is put on trial for witchcraft. For those who haven't seen the entire series, a few questions will be answered, like the origins of the ghosts of Sarah Collins and Josette DuPres. The 1795 saga really heats up in this DVD, and the next set will conclude it and begin the Adam and Eve / Dream Curse story. The sound and video on the DVD are as good as can be considering the age of the material, and as always we get four interviews with actors and crew members from the show. I can't recommend this series highly enough for those who enjoy gothic story telling. Of course for fans of the show these DVD sets are must-haves. Only about 4 more sets until fan favorite Quentin Collins makes his debut on DVD!

Warner Home Video has just released the 2-disc DVD "Lon Chaney Collection"; 3 complete films, scene selections, photo galleries, audio commentaries by Michael Blake, and an intimate Chaney documentary. The first film is Goldwyn Pictures' 1921 "Ace of Hearts", with Chaney at the center of a vigilante secret society. The second movie is MGM's macabre 1927 masterpiece "The Unknown", directed by Tod Browning. Chaney stars as a deranged carnival knife-thrower who sacrifices his human limbs to enter the arms of the young girl he loves. Co-starring is 23-year-old Joan Crawford. "The Unknown" was thought to be a lost film for many years. In the early 1970's, Cinematheque Francaise discovered metal cans containing unidentified reels of film. The canisters were marked "L'Inconnu", French for "Unknown". The third is MGM's 1928 "Laugh, Clown, Laugh", a mesmerizing love story with Chaney as Tito, a jovial circus performer. Tito finds a young baby girl by the river's edge(abandoned by her parents), and adopts the tiny waif as his own. This begins his life-long love of the girl, then the woman, known simply as Simonetta. Chaney's anguished portrait of the aging clown, transfixed by a lovely young woman, is charismatic and eloquent. Simonetta is played by an enchanting 15-year-old Loretta Young. "Laugh, Clown, Laugh" has never been released on video or DVD before. It was first seen on TV in 2002 on TCM cable. If you have never seen this film, I envy the pleasure you are about to enjoy. You also receive the photo gallery/continuity-script recreation of 1927's "London After Midnight". After 1930, the negative and print of "London After Midnight" was stored away in vault 7 at MGM. The print, still in good shape, was viewed along with Tod Browning's sound re-make, "Mark of the Vampire", in 1935. The last known record of the film was in a note in the studio files in 1955. Twenty years later, a fire in vault 7, caused by ignition of improperly stored nitrate film, destroyed the last known print and original negative. "London After Midnight" is the most famous "lost film" of all time. Born into poverty, the object of ridicule(his parents were deaf and dumb), Lon Chaney perservered. Juggling low-paying jobs and a new son, his first wife attempted suicide in 1913. The scandal collapsed Chaney's theater career, and he started over in the fledging L.A. movie business. Chaney would eventually triumph, transforming misfortune into a series of radiant, elegant silent film roles. In 1930, Chaney signed for his first sound movie, unaware that it would prove to be his last. Already afflicted with the lung cancer that would kill him, he starred in "The Unholy Three". Chaney finally speaks to his adoring fans. Chaney portrays a convicted jewel thief, and in the final reel, says goodbye to his girl. He cracks a joke. Suddenly the girl cannot control her joy. Should she laugh or cry? Chaney reminds her: "Why don't you do a little bit of both? You know the gag. That's all there is to life. Just a little laugh, a little tear..."

For those of you who only know Lon Chaney as The Phantom or Quasimodo and for those who don't know him at all, this collection is the ideal introduction to one of the most gifted artists to ever step in front of a camera. Start first with the British documentary on Chaney narrated by Kenneth Brannagh to give yourself some background. The first movie to watch is LAUGH CLOWN LAUGH (reportedly Chaney's favorite among his films) which ably demonstrates his ability to convey deeply felt emotions by the use of his body language and without heavy make-up although he does wear clown make-up at the end. Also the 15 year old Loretta Young is remarkable in her feature film debut. Follow that with THE ACE OF HEARTS which is the weakest of the three but still a pretty good film that allows Chaney the opportunity to shine in a fascinating storyline that is still of interest today. Save Tod Browning's THE UNKNOWN for last as it is truly a one of a kind film that will stay with you long after it's over. Chaney plays an armless knife thrower who isn't really armless while a young Joan Crawford has a phobia about being touched. Even more bizarre than it sounds with vivid performances and an astonishing visual composition. Each movie is taken from the best available source material and comes with a newly recorded score composed specifically for each film. View the other supplements whenever you choose to get a fully rounded picture of this incredible talent. All in all a remarkable set at a good price. Like the PHANTOM and METROPOLIS DVD's released earlier this year, this is how it should be done. Hopefully Turner Classic Movies can now turn their attention to the other classic M-G-M silents in their library (BEN HUR, GREED, THE BIG PARADE, THE WIND) and release them as well. For the next deluxe package how about "The Greta Garbo Collection". Thanks to efforts like this, the art of the silent film is alive and well and being passed on to a new generation of film lovers.

Lon Chaney was and is still built today as Hollywood's first horror actor. However, Chaney was much more than just that. He was Hollywood's first CHARACTER actor. He was a true acting master of his time. This DVD set shows you just why he is still thought of today as an amazing actor and man. Its features include:

The Ace of Hearts
Laugh Clown, Laugh (said to be Chaney's most favorite film)
The Unknown

*BONUS FEATURES:
Documentary - Lon Chaney: A Thousand Faces
London After Midnight (Still Photo Reconstruction)
Audio Commentaries by Michael F. Blake
Photo/Memorabilia Galleries
Behind the Scenes of the films' musical scores
Special Introductions by TCM host Robert Osborne

Overall, this two-disc set is an amazing package! I would have liked if they would have included another disc with possibly two or three more films, but the set as it is has plenty of footage and features to keep you coming back for more! No true Chaney or Horror-movie fan can pass up this great set!

I just wanted to mention that NTSC VHS videos are viewable
not only in USA and Canada but also in Japan.

Caution: This does not apply to DVDs.

Hercule Poirot is one of the most famous detectives in literary history. Yet, strangely, except for his portrayal by Albert Finney in the star-studded movie version of "Murder on the Orient Express," for a long time, there did not seem to be an actor who could convincingly bring to life the clever, dignified little Belgian with his unmistakable egg-shaped head, always perched a little on one side, his stiff, military, slightly upward-twisted moustache, and his excessively neat attire, which had reached the point that "a speck of dust would have caused him more pain than a bullet," as Agatha Christie introduced him through his friend Captain Hastings's voice in their and her own very first adventure, "The Mysterious Affair at Styles" (1920). But leave it to the BBC to finally find the perfect Poirot in David Suchet, who after having had the dubious honor of playing a rather dumbly arrogant version of Scotland Yard Chief Inspector Japp in some of the 1980s' movies starring Peter Ustinov as Poirot, was now finally allowed to move center stage.

And the match is spot-on, not only physically but also, and most importantly, in terms of personality. Suchet shares Poirot's inclination towards pedantry: "I like things to be symmetrical ... If I put two things on the mantelpiece, they have to be exactly evenly spaced," he once said in an interview, comparing his real-life persona to that of Poirot, but adding that unlike his on-screen alter ego, "I don't need the same sized eggs for breakfast!" Although previously not interested in mysteries, his habitually meticulous research allowed him to quickly become intimately familiar with Christie's Belgian sleuth and the workings of his little gray cells - and to slip so much into Poirot's skin that I, for one, can no longer pick up a Poirot book without instantly hearing Suchet's voice as that of the great little detective.

This collection contains feature-length dramatizations of four mysteries, supplementing the nine Poirot movies and the TV series' shorter episodes, which are currently (as of March 2003) being transferred to DVD, in twelve sets of three episodes each (Sets 1 - 3 have been released; Set 4 is awaiting release in April). As usual, Philip Jackson stars as a rather sturdy, down-to-earth incarnation of Chief Inspector Japp, Pauline Moran is Poirot's epitome of a secretary, Miss Lemon (whose role, like Japp's, is added into a number of stories not originally featuring them, thankfully without greatly disturbing the narrative flow and setting of Christie's originals); and Hugh Fraser takes on the role of Captain Hastings, whom the screenplays, unfortunately, make come across as more of a well-educated but vacuous gentleman than do the novels narrated from his point of view, such as "The Mysterious Affair at Styles" and "Lord Edgware Dies." (And this although the BBC did so well in debumblifying Sherlock Holmes's friend and chronicler Dr. Watson!)

"The Murder of Roger Ackroyd" (1926) is one of the most remarkable entries in all of Christie's collection, not least because of its completely unexpected turntable conclusion. The BBC version moves the story towards the end of Poirot's career to better explain his retirement to King's Abbot, an archetypal English village like those that later became so crucial to Christie's Miss Marple mysteries (the first of which, "Muder at the Vicarage," dates from 1930). Roger Ackroyd is an industrialist, the richest man around and "more impossibly like a country squire than any country squire could really be," as village doctor James Sheppard describes him in the novel. When he is found murdered, Poirot steps out of his retirement to investigate his death - and its connection to that of Ackroyd's friend, the recently widowed Mrs. Ferrars.

In "Lord Edgware Dies" (a/k/a "Thirteen at Dinner," 1933), Poirot is asked to intervene on behalf of beautiful young actress Jane Wilkinson, Lady Edgware by marriage, who now seeks her husband's consent to a divorce. When shortly thereafter Lord Edgware is found murdered, Lady Edgware is Inspector Japp's obvious suspect. Rightly so? Poirot, somewhat dazzled by the Lady, is not sure - and unfortunately, his little gray cells do not work quickly enough to prevent a second murder, that of American actress Carlotta Adams, and even a third one, of a young playwright.

"Murder in Mesopotamia" (1936) is one of several stories based on the impressions Christie gained while accompanying her second husband, archeologist Sir Max Mallowan, to the Middle East; and it features a classic "closed room" riddle: Poirot and Hastings are invited to visit an excavation site not far from Baghdad. During their visit, Louise, the beautiful wife of expedition leader Dr. Eric Leidner is found murdered - in her room, behind a closed door and closed window, and although nobody has been seen entering the courtyard and staircase leading to her room.

Lastly, "Evil Under the Sun" (1941) likewise features a now classic pattern, in assembling Poirot and all suspects in a hotel on a small island off the English coast, with no possibility to leave until after the murder it solved. Christie herself had already employed such a setup in 1939's "And Then There Were None," where the murderer killed one person after another in the style of the "Ten Little Indians" nursery rhyme, and she repeatedly returned to it, probably most famously in the 1965 Miss Marple story "A Caribbean Mystery," which - tropical setting aside - is similar to "Evil Under the Sun" not only in its primary setup but also in its solution; and which I find the more successful of the two stories: If there are ever easily-detectable red herrings *and* obvious hints in an Agatha Christie mystery, "Evil Under the Sun" is it; and it is probably one of the few stories where at least those familiar with Christie's writings have a decent shot at solving all or part of the mystery before the famous final conclave.

Nevertheless, in closing ... regardez, mes amis: There is something of great interest to our little gray cells here. Eh oui, yours, too!

This is Poirot at his finest! It is a great collection.

I love Charles S. Chaplin. In the sixties, TV sets were not so common as they are today and the only way for me to see films then was to be invited to go to the movies or to attend the weekly movie of the school's cine-club. Fortunately, our teacher had a good taste and I had the luck to discover Buster Keaton, Harry Langdon, Charles Chaplin and many others during this period. OK ! It was Nostalgy time and it's over.

The overall quality of Madacy's CHAPLIN #2 shows a little improvement in comparison with the #1 that was one of the worst DVDs I have seen in the streets. Not that Madacy has suddenly decided to clean the copies but because I suppose that the available copies were simply in a better shape. It's always under-average quality but let's rejoice anyway ! Furthermore, the music is rather agreeable this time. At last, the program presented here is very interesting and cannot be compared with the three shorts presented in the first volume.

CHARLIE'S RECREATION (1914) allows us to see Chaplin before the tramp disguise and creation that will make a star from him. But it's WORK (1915) that, alone, justifies the US$ 7 you will have to pay for the DVD. One of the first masterpieces of the genius.

A DVD for the archeologists ones.

First of all, I am reviewing the Image dvd of Chaplin's Essanay Comedies, Vol. 02. The Madacy product that this review might appear on is grossly inferior to this edition, and is to be shunned with all your might.

We have here five Chaplin films and a guest appearance. The guest appearance is forgettable, as is the rest of the movie that the appearance is in. Two of these films are Chaplin treading water, "By the Sea" and "A Woman". "A Woman" is only important for trivial reasons, because Chaplin makes his last appearance in drag, with astonishing results.

The other films, though, are key to the Chaplin legacy. "Work" is his most political statement yet, with it's condemnation of bosses and managers via Charlie's boss, who sits in the back of a cart while Charlie draws it forwardthrough streets and up impossible hills. This film is so ridiculous that you wonder how on earth it came together to fit so well.

"The Bank" is important in that we have a truly sad ending, with Charlie's unrequited love rejected twice, and reasons for his hopes to get up twice too.

"The Tramp" is Charlie's most important Essanay film, the one that establishes his tramp as a character with depth. This film is more than a collection of gags, it's a story, and the ending is a shock. Chaplin would later learn how to engender his audience's sympathies before the end of the film, but in this film, we cannot help but feel sorry for the tramp, as he walks out of the picture in one of his most famous scenes ever.

These films were painstakingly restored by David Sheperd's "Film Preservation Associates" after a ten-year search for footage. What we have is the most complete versions of the Chaplin Essanay films possible, something that hasn't been seen in almost 80 years. This means, however, that sometimes the scene in a film will change dramatically, from a clear, good print to a worse, grainy, and scratchy print, and back again. But we must put up with such defects if we expect to enjoy these films at all, for the alternative is to see prints which, while consistent, are missing somtimes 20% of the footage originally in the film

The scores are well done, and the video compression is excellent.

And now for the rant, hinted at above...

It is possible to see these same films in a much cheaper edition from Madacy or Koch video, or numerous other companies. Don't do it. These companies have taken poor quality sources, sometimes cutting out a fifth of the frame, added lousy soundtracks, and thrown their product out in nice looking packaging for low prices. This product is unsatisfactory, though, as it is difficult to watch, and really doesn't show Chaplin in a good light. Do search out dvds made by the Image company, or tapes made by Kino, becuase these companies have the restorations that are worth watching. You will be glad you did!

I am only a teenager and like most boys my age I love toilet humor.
So when my Social Studies teacher said we will be watching some Charlie Chaplin videos I was a little closed minded like everyone else.
The video we watched was Work, and just after about 5 minites of watching I was a Chaplin fan. The gags in the short little flim are ever bit as fun and funny as the day they were released. Some of my classmates just fell asleep, because they're too closed minded, but I would still recomened this stuff to any person young and old. He will give an ear to ear grin on the front of your melon. Chaplin rules.

With the exception of "A Dog's Life" (1918) and "The Kid" (1921), this DVD includes all of Charlie Chaplin's work for First National during 1918-23. Since the prints are from Chaplin's archives, the quality is excellent, with all films projected at the proper speed. Though "Sunnyside" (1919) and "A Day's Pleasure" (1919) are among the comedian's weaker efforts, the First National DVD contains much of Chaplin at his best. "Shoulder Arms" (1918) and "The Pilgrim" (1923) represent the high-water mark of this collection - both featurettes comparing favorably to Chaplin's groundbreaking work for Mutual. The Little Tramp's final shorts, "The Idle Class" (1921) and "Pay Day" (1922), are well worth having and display a stylish advance in cinematic technique. Admittedly, the Chaplin First Nationals do not equal the sustained brilliance of the Mutual period, but they remain a fascinating chronicle of his transition from shorts to features.

A First National Collection is a wonderful DVD. It includes six films made between 1918 and 1923 all of which are very funny indeed. These films show Chaplin's development towards the longer format of feature films and thus form a transitional period in his career. He would go on to make some great features, including City Lights, Modern Times and The Gold Rush, but the films he made at First National are the peak of his output of shorter films.

The films included in this collection are brilliantly clear. The restoration work cannot be praised highly enough. Of the six only The Pilgrim shows some slight damage and this damage is so minimal that it is not at all distracting. This DVD is really great value for the films themselves run 198 minutes and in addition there is over twenty minutes of bonus material. This extra material includes a very sophisticated 'home movie' called Nice and Friendly which is of interest primarily because it stars a twenty-year-old Louis Mountbatten, who was Queen Victoria's great-grandson, and an important figure in the British royal family. There is also a short film of a tour by a General Leonard Wood on the set of Sunnyside. The General looks rather embarrassed. Finally, and best of all, there is some unused footage from Shoulder Arms showing Chaplin prior to joining the army and explaining why he does so to avoid his nagging wife.

Fans of Chaplin will not be disappointed by this Image DVD and for those who are looking to discover more about the little tramp and why he was so popular this is a good starting point.

If you are a fan of Chaplin, chances are you will like this DVD. If you aren't familiar with Chaplin, this is a great collection to get started with.

This DVD collects Shoulder Arms, Sunnyside, A Day's Pleasure, The Idle Class, Pay Day, and The Pilgrim; all of which are excellent short films. The first four films feature The Little Tramp, Chaplin's best known character. Pay Day and The Pilgrim feature Chaplin as a humble working man and an escaped convict, respectively.

Special features on the DVD include a short "home movie" entitled Nice and Friendly, some unused footage from Shoulder Arms, music credits, and some footage of General Leonard Wood on the set of Sunnyside. The footage of General Leonard Wood is probably my favorite part of the DVD, simply because it shows Chaplin, out of character, giving the general a tour. I sometimes forget that Chaplin was an actor and not really The Little Tramp and it is amazing to see how easily he could slip into character.

I'm not a real videophile, so I'm not all that picky about video quality (if I can see it I'm happy), but I can say that all of the shorts on this DVD are very clear. The sound is good too (not that it really matters since these are silent films, though the music does create atmosphere). The only thing that annoys me about this DVD is the simple navigation system; it doesn't have the nice kind of menus I am used to with most DVDs. However, the content of the DVD is good enough that I can overlook the clunky navigation.

The bottom line: A great collection!

i only saw the cheerleaders and it was pretty good for a soft porn flick.

The Cheerleaders must be one of the most heavily censored erotic films around (I know of at least 4 different versions).That's amazing, given that there is no hard-core activity or male nudity. It may be testimony to the sheer erotic intensity the film generates. This is the so-called "hard R" version, the original release print, and it looks great. Included is a stills gallery of "Cheerleader Cheesecake", including what appear to be the motel room audition photos, and some incredible pooside shots of Stephanie Fondue. Fans of this film will be well rewarded.
The film's reputation as an erotic classic stems from numerous things that lift it above its competition: the girls are lovely, sexy and young (they actually look like high schoolers, not srippers); the photography is clear; the editing allows the action to unfold without a lot of jump cuts; the humor is genuinely funny; and the film develops a steady rhythm by quickly moving from one erotic scenario to another. In short, it delivers on its promise to be arousing, and it never lets up. If you liked the shower scene in Porkys, here's a whole movie's worth.
Like any truly great film, this one created a genre of imitations, none even remotely as good as the original. The other two films in this package are interesting only as examples of that, despite the presence of Rainbeaux Smith (Drum) in both.
The package includes a booklet with a good essay by Gary Hertz. All in all, a classy presentation, and thank you to Anchor Bay for doing a first-rate job with a deserving film.

Yes! The dialogue is korny, the acting amateurish, and the plot unrealistic. But that's what gives these 70's classics their appeal! If T & A is what you like, then this series is for you. You won't find any Academy Award nominees here, so don't expect it! Just enjoy the gratuitous nudity that gives these films their character and see if you can spot a VERY YOUNG David Hasselhoff. ENJOY!

Having had her life saved by Lord Peter Wimsey has been a mixed blessing for Harriet Vane. Not eager to cope with his obvious affection for her, she opts for a walking tour of England. On her way to Wilvercombe, a vacation spot for the slightly doddering, Harriet stops on the beach for a picnic lunch and a quick nap. She wakens to discover the tide coming in and a recently dead body with its throat cut on the nearby rocks. Fortunately, Miss Vane, like all good tourists, has brought her camera, and so is able to take pictures of the scene before the tide washes everything away.

Once Harriet has reported to the police, she succumbs to a writer's need for publicity, and leaks an exclusive to the London press. The resulting todo brings Lord Peter to the scene, prepared, with his usual combination of good manners and light-hearted banter to save the day if it needs saving. The police believe the death (of a local dancer) is suicide, but Lord Peter suspects murder. Various plot twists ensue and before long Vane and Wimsey have teamed up to solve what is a particularly devious and repellent crime.

As books, I prefer 'Have His Carcase' to 'Strong Poison,' and the same thing is true to of the BBC productions. This, the second novel in the developing romance between Harriet and Peter, is a much livelier story, from both a plot and a character standpoint. Sayers goes to a great deal of trouble to invent an archetypical British coastal town and people it with an entire cast of remarkable characters. The video manages to bring much of this to life without large quantities of ornate scenery or excess production. This is in contrast to 'Strong Poison' where we are constantly distracted by a historically correct 1930's London. This is a much cleaner performance.

In addition, both Edward Petherbridge and Harriet Walter have settled into their parts and deliver smoothly over a range of contexts. I still do not feel that Richard Morant's Bunter is quite right, but at least I have grown used to it. Good work comes from all, especially the actors who play the Weldon's, Jeremy Sindon and Rowena Cooper. Once again, however, director Christopher Hodson has given in to the need to muck with the ending to provide a romantic segue into the next in the series, 'Gaudy Night.' Sayers developed the Wimsey/Vane relationship in a very controlled fashion and I greatly dislike Hodson's unnecessary tinkering for little purpose. So this video also receives four stars where it should have risen to five.

Edward Petherbridge is brilliant!!

I recently acquired these DVD's (Strong Poison/Have His Carcass/Gaudy Night) and they are now my most treasured set. The performances by Edward Petherbridge and Harriet Walter are flawless!

This series is a MUST HAVE for all mystery buffs (especially Dorothy Sayer's fans!) For those who were disappointed in the Ian Carmichael series produced 10 years earlier, take heart--you have now found the answer to your prayers!

My only criticism is that there were no more titles produced in this series. I can't understand why they did not continue to make more of these wonderful productions. And furthermore, I can't understand why the BBC took so long to release this series onto Video/DVD. If I had known of the existance of this series sooner, I would have launched a campaign to demand that they make more episodes. Oh well...I guess we will just have to make do with the three gems that were made. (In fact you should probably buy two sets of these, as you may wear out your original DVD's from watching them over and over and over and ...ahem...oh yes back to the review...)

The first two films, Strong Poison and Have His Carcass, are faithful to the books and each is truly a pleasure to watch. The third, Gaudy Night (or "Gaudy Lite" as I have seen it referred to) skimps a bit in comparison to the novel. However, the extraordinary acting on the part of Edward Petherbridge and Harriet Walter more than makes up for this, ensuring that this version of Gaudy Night is a highly entertaining one. This series should have segued into "Busman's Honeymoon." However BBC dropped the ball on obtaining the rites and left us all hanging.

Perhaps it isn't too late for a continuation of this series after all. It has ONLY been 16 years since the last episode. Surely if Ian Carmichael could have the audacity to play Lord Peter Wimsey at his age, Edward Petherbridge could pull it off for at least another 20 years or so (and do it brilliantly I might add!)

Needless to say, I have become an instant fan of Mr. Petherbridge and can only hope I may find more of his work on film. (This is a daunting task since this distinguished stage performer seems to shy away from the camera. Something about acting for the love of the thing and not the money. Oh these serious actors!! By the way, isn't he WAY OVERDUE for some sort of Knighthood or something ...hmm??!!)

WARNING: Ordinary television will seem even more unsatisfactory after viewing these DVD's.

As I said before, you'd better get at least two copies of each of these DVD's (or to be on the safe side, you'd better make it three!!)

(NOTE: It seems that the UK version of the DVD's contain an interview with Edward Petherbridge as a bonus feature. Unfortunately for me, the American version does not. You lucky Brits!!)

Enjoy!

I never thought I'd see this series again, but miracle of miracles, The Powers That Be have released it and on DVD, no less! I first saw these episodes on PBS in the late eighties when I was entering junior high school. I've been watching those Friday night mystery programs on PBS for as long as I can remember, and no one can top these three adaptations of Dorothy L. Sayer's three most popular Wimsey novels: Strong Poison, Have His Carcass, and Gaudy Night. Absolutely brilliant performances by Edward Petherbridge as my quintessential Lord Peter and Harriet Walter as Harriet Vane. I hope that now this much-loved series will receive the long-awaited praise and recognition it richly deserves.

Alright, I dont usually review, but...Weiss is one of the best series out there. The plot and characters are good. Sure, the animation makes Aya-kun a little cross-eyed sometimes, and no one ever bleeds until the OVA, but it's still great. ^__^.
If you watch it (And I highly recommend it. I waited 4 years for it to come over to the US so I could buy it and am now converting all my friends to loving it.), you might also want to grab the OVA and Gluhen, the second series. Both are on animeart.com. Just check out the "shop" choice. Sure, the subs are a little off, but that's part of the fun!

Ok, first of all, in response to Casi, I have to say--don't pick at the subtitles until you think you can do better! Have you ever actually seen the people translate? Well, I have to tell you, they go mostly by the people's actions! I've seen it done! So don't pick at the subtitles! The animation was pretty good, except for the fact that there should have been more blood in places--but a lot of anime are like that. The storyline was sweet and the characters were awesome. The ending could've been a little more interesting, but how Weiss got out of the factory? That's for the watchers to imagine on their own. All in all, I loved all 8 hours (plus the outtakes) of this DVD and greatly anticipate the OVA.

Although the dubbing leaves something to be desired, the storyline of Weiss is extremely intriguing. There are a lot of loose ends that could be tied up, but the characters more than make up for it. The subbing is very well done, with only a few errors every now and then. The animation style, though it does not look as modern as some space or sci-fi anime, is very well done, especially for the characters themselves. If you like hot anime boys, this is the show for you. Also the interviews with the seiyuus, some of Japan's finest, are very amusing. Overall, an excellent anime with a great open ending for the Gluhen series as well as your own speculation.

I love this series of DVD's. But I wish that there was more of the talkies available on these. Perhaps they do not fit into the "Lost" category.

Can someone please tell me what that gray square on the bottom right of the screen during some of the movies is? Habeas Corpus has it.

Volume 5 of "The Lost Films of Laurel & Hardy" presents more "silent" classics from the late 1920s. "Wrong Again," a 1929 two-reeler directed by Leo McCarey, has Laurel & Hardy as a pair of stable hands who hear that the "Blue Boy" as been stolen and their is a huge reward. Of course it is the famous painting by Gainsborough that has been stolen, but the boys think it is the horse of the same name from their stable. When they go to the millionaire's home to claim their reward, the boys are instructed to bring Blue Boy in and put is on the piano: so they do. "Wrong Again" is another one of those early sound efforts where the record has been lost and we are left with the silent version. Consequently the pacing on this one seems off because the action is matching sound cues that no longer exist. "Habeas Corpus" is one of the best Laurel & Hardy two-reelers, also directed by McCarey. The set up this time around is simple enough: mad scientist Richard Carle has hired to the boys to steal bodies from a cemetery for his experiments. The end result is much more slapstick than we usually find with Stan and Ollie. My favorite is when the body in the bag is still alive and starts walking on its own. A first-rate two-reeler from the boys.

If you want to get technical, the first film in which both Laurel and Hardy appeared was "Forty-Five Minutes from Hollywood," a 1926 two-reeler that featured virtually every player under contract to Hal Roach including dinosaurs. In fact, Stan Laurel appears with an enormous mustache (a double for Jimmy Finlayson is my guess). However 1927's "Duck Soup," directed by Fred Guilo, has the distinction of being the first film in which you can really say Laurel & Hardy were a team. Stan and Ollie are a bit down on their luck and avoid the constable by stumbling onto the estate of a local millionaire. There they assume disguises as the master of the house and his maid. This is the least of the four comedies on this disc, but has "historical" importance. "Leave 'Em Laughing" is a 1928 film directed by Clyde Buckman but "supervised" by Leo McCarey with the story credit going to Hal Roach. This is the classic one where Laurel has a toothache and Hardy drags him to the dentist. After exposure to the "laughing gas," the boys cause a traffic jam and drive cop Edgar Kennedy to distraction. The solo shorts tacked on this time around are Hardy with Charley Chase in 1927's "Fluttering Hearts," and Laurel with James Finlayson in "Short Kilts" from 1924, which makes some interesting use of sound effects. Volume 5 is one of the better collections in the series.

I started collecting Laurel & Hardy films in 8 mm. back in the 1960s. Today, the video and sound qualities are better than ever and Volume 5 of the so-called Lost Films of L & H series in DVD is an absolute must for true fans. Among the many treats is the first "team" film, DUCK SOUP, that turns out to be the predecessor of their 1930 talkie, Another Fine Mess. In both cases, the plot - by Stan's father no less - gets in the way. But here, in DUCK SOUP, the Stan and Ollie characters are only partially developed and they just don't seem much like the Laurel & Hardy we know and love - sort of the way they became later in those awful 1940s films for Fox and MGM when they just didn't act like themselves.

Another highlight is the Charley Chase film, FLUTTERING HEARTS, that had me wondering why Hal Roach never gave him a chance in feature films during the sound era. This film is a surprise bonus if you expected to find only Laurel & Hardy.

The picture quality varies from very good to stunning. For whatever reason, WRONG AGAIN seems derived from two different sources. Various shots in the same scene will be sharp as a tack while others will appear soft. If there is one shortcoming, it's in the liner notes that should tell us more about the film sources. In both HABEAS CORPUS and SHORT KILTS, a small white box in the lower right of the screen is apparently hiding some logo; I suspect it's a cable station. But I'm just carping. It's a great DVD release and I had a ball.

DVD 1 - Have a Break:
Have a Break, Take a Husband
The R.A.F. Reunion
Cliffhanger
Motorbike (aka King of the Road)

DVD 2 - Job Interview:
Getting a Job (aka The Job Interview)
The Psychiatrist
George's House
Love Thy Neighbour

DVD 3 - Hospital Visit:
The Hospital Visit
Father's Clinic
Moving House

... don't overlook this set. I used to watch this program as a child on television and remember laughing hysterically with my parents. It didn't disappoint. Truly brilliant.

The premise is a bumbling married guy who means well but always seems to mess things up. He'll get the simplest of things wrong and the initial mistake will escalate into unbelievable proportions making you laugh so hard that tears will roll down your face.

There's a good deal of sexual innuendo in the sketches; Frank, the main character seems almost convinced that everyone wants him (including the military psychologist!) ... his wife balances him out with her tireless support, even though he messes up so often.

If you're looking for classic British comedy (or perhaps something you've never seen before), give this a try, you won't be disappointed. It's a cross between Black Adder and Monty Python, and even then it's not quite either of those two ... eh, you'll see what I mean when you watch.

Enjoy!

This british sitcom from the 1970's is absolutely wonderful. The title character performed by Michael Crawford is one of the best. His character, Frank Spencer ranks at the top of my list among the funniest television characters of all time!!!
Keep in mind that this is OLD television, so the picture and sound quality is not perfect. However, don't let that keep you from investing your money in this set. You will enjoy it and you will get many laughs from it.
This is a hilarious show that all should see, if they have not already seen it!!!
MICHAEL CRAWFORD IS THE TRUE GENIUS IN THIS GEM OF A SITCOM!!!!
So move over Mr. Bean- Frank Spencer is the new man in town!!!!