The Dark Ages (The History Channel ) (2007) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
The History Channel really delivers in this awesome documentary on the history of The Dark Ages, the period between the Fall of the Roman Empire and the rise of the Middle Ages. It is generally remembered as a bleak period when civilization in the West teetered on the verge of total collapse and barbarian warlords fought with each other when they weren't busy fighting Viking hordes, Muslim invaders, or Byzantine armies.
The Dark Ages uses recent scholarship and high production values to recreate the period just after the fall of Rome in the late 5th century A.D. The Roman Empire in the West had collapsed and a ragtag band of barbarians made up of Goths, Vandals, Franks, and Lombards wage bloody warfare against each other to divide up the pieces of the once-great Empire. In the East, the remnants of the Empire live on under the Emperor Justinian who becomes obsessed with recapturing Rome and reconquering the West. Meanwhile, the Franks, easily the most powerful of the post-Roman tribes, have begun to establish a great kingdom under the Merovingian dynasty, led by King Clovis, whose conversion to Christianity helps secure its place in the history of Europe. The documentary then touches on the Viking raids along the English and Irish coasts, the desperate struggle to crush the invading Muslim armies that threaten to capture all of Spain and France, and ultimately, the consolidation of Western Europe as part of the Holy Roman Empire under Charlemagne.
This is probably one of the best History Channel DVDs out there and shows that a good amount of time and effort went into create this production. While of course it cannot tell every detail of the nearly 500 year period of the Dark Ages, it does a good job of providing an excellent introduction to the subject. It is one which recommends itself to anyone who claims to be a student of history.


Click Here to see more reviews about: The Dark Ages (The History Channel ) (2007)

At its height in the second century A.D., the Roman Empire was the beacon of learning, trade, power and prosperity in the western world.But the once-powerful Rome--rotten to the core by the fifth century--lay open to barbarian warriors who came in wave after wave of invasion, slaughtering, stealing, and ultimately, settling. As chaos replaced culture, Europe was beset by famine, plague, persecutions, and a state of war that was so persistent it was only rarely interrupted by peace. THE DARK AGES profiles those who battled to shape the future, from the warlords whose armies threatened to case the demise of European society, like Alaric, Charles the Hammer, and Clovis; to the men and women who valiantly tended the flames of justice, knowledge, and innovation including Charlemagne, St. Benedict, Empress Theodora, and other brave souls who fought for peace and enlightenment. It was in the shadows of this turbulent millennium that the seeds of modern civilization were sown.

Get 48% OFF

Click here for more information about The Dark Ages (The History Channel ) (2007)

The Normans - The Complete Epic Saga (2008) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Well,I'll have to give this production a big thumbs up.
I enjoyed it immensely.
If you are an avid student of history-which many here are-I doubt you'll learn much that's new to you.
But,if for no other reason,the thing is worth owning for the visuals,which are magnificent.
And yes,this type of production will seem familiar to anyone that watches The History Channel.
They used re-enactment groups for the battle scenes,which of course are never very realistic.No actual heads and arms being lopped off.But the regalia is all authentic,so you get an excellent visual sense of the era.
The Bayeux Tapestry footage is superb.
The disc is actually presented in 3 installments.
It shows the progression from Rollo down through William and on through the end,under John.
The main thing I'd never seen much about was the stuff about Robert Guiscard and Sicily.Never have really looked at that too closely,as my interests lie mainly in the goings-on in Northern Europe.The architecture and artwork shown from each era is all breathtaking.
My main quibble-and I'll probably be in the minority-is the soundtrack.It's like they are afraid of leaving much empty space.I always find it distracting while listening to narration,to have period instruments playing-too loudly-and singers singing-too loudly.It's like-enough is enough,ya know?
But then again,I'd rather listen to Muddy Waters singing Hoochie Coochie Man.

Click Here to see more reviews about: The Normans - The Complete Epic Saga (2008)

This 3x60 minute major landmark documentary series presents the epic history of Normans in the round. They were the brutal band of thugs who civilized a nation, conquered a kingdom and uncovered a continent. They were at once the most civilized of statesmen, the most fearless and skilled of warriors and the most gallant and accomplished of explorers. Theirs is a saga of epic proportions. They were the pioneers of the New World and the trailblazers of our modern society. They rose through the ranks to reign in France; they conquered England through fear and terror then Scotland by way of invitation before they moved on to Ireland with Papal permission. Wherever they went they penetrated the power elite the dual axis of the Church and the Monarchy and left their mark. Born of Scandinavian roots, we chronicle their emergence from the forests and the fjords in search of a new homeland. With the inexhaustible energy of their Viking forefathers they sailed their longboats up the Seine into Northern France. They were the lawless bandits who embraced the French legal system, the heathens who infiltrated and dominated Christian Europe. But the law and the Papacy were slaves to the Normans and a strong slave is much better than a weak one. Northern France became the most progressive region of Western Europe while the Normans, hungry for Lebensraum and with a thirst for adventure, embarked on another epic voyage. This voyage led them across rugged terrain and high seas from Greenland and Iceland to Nova Scotia and New England they were the pioneers of the New World who faded from the memory of man to be replaced by the likes of Columbus and Cabot. Piracy, perjury, robbery and rape were staples of Norman rule and traveled with the accomplished statesmen and expert warriors as they worked their way across the continent and across the high seas. The other Norman Conquest in Southern Italy placed the Normans at the very hub of Papal Politics, cementing the unholy alliance between the Normans and the Pope. Before the southern sun had a chance to mellow the Northmen, they embarked on a campaign against the Byzantine Empire under the banner of the Pope, but with the Normans very much at the helm. The campaign resulted not in a Christian Eastern Europe but in the Islamisation of Eastern Europe and their terrifying use of force and efficient and deadly warfare set a chilling precedent for the Crusades. Conquerors of half the known world, New World pioneers, enemies of Islam: the Normans, once illiterate barbarian thugs, came to be the most civilized statesmen, the most valiant and skilled warriors and the most gallant and accomplished of explorers

Get 10% OFF

Click here for more information about The Normans - The Complete Epic Saga (2008)

NOVA - The Vikings (2000) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Right from the beginning I must tell you that I am from Ireland and have studied the history of the Vikings for over 30 years - so naturally I have a slight bias on this subject. This programme is really an overview and introduction of the subject rather than any attempt at intrepreting the influence of the Vikings in the modern world. The evidence stressed is on the material culture and doesn't trace the vestiges of the influence of the Vikings in Europe in any detail - Although Iceland is well represented as being the last home of the Vikings. For instance the latest genetic studies showing present decendants of the Vikings were not even considered - there are such studies. The people of the Orkney and Shetland Islands were notintroduced although they have their own unique Norse language - Norn. The exploration of the Rus is well done and the route of the Vikings to Bagdad was eye-opening. I especially liked the modern attempt to trace the journey by serious historians and archaeologists using boats constructed in the fashion of the age depicted. The Viking influence in France and their transition to Normans is cosidered but again not well developed. From this documentary one would hardly realise that the Vikings had quite an influence on the Mediterranean...Sardinia, Sicily and North Africa are not mentioned. Northwest Scotland was profoundly impacted by the Vikings but again we hear little mention of this...Danelaw in England while mentioned is not accorded its colonial status. One gets the impression that Dublin was the only town in Ireland founded by the Vikings and that aside from the bare mention of discovery of the largest Viking ship found thus far having been built in Ireland of native timber...the largest and possibly the most important Viking settlement in the world - Wood Quay in Dublin is not covered. The documentary does not cover very significant recent finds in Ireland of Woodstown caves and in Cumbria (Northwest England) of possibly Britain's most important Viking burial site...in addition to which another find in the same county close to Cumwhitton village.
History, out of necessity, needs to be interpreted with the most recent evidence available. I understand that a programme like Nova needs quite a lot of editing but seriously...hopefully Nova will revisit the subject of the Vikings again and this time address it from a more regional context. The reenactments are sparce and we see some scenes repeated...This programme could have used more reenactments to bring the subject to life. This show is still worth the money! I thoroughly enjoyed the production!

Click Here to see more reviews about: NOVA - The Vikings (2000)

This riveting two-hour special investigates a new image of the Vikings that goes far deeper than their savage stereotype as raiding marauders. Faithful replicas of their magnificent ships, life-like computer animation and fascinating recreations reveal the Vikings as canny merchants, expert shipbuilders, superb artisans, and bold colonizers of lands that lay beyond the edge of the known world.

Click here for more information about NOVA - The Vikings (2000)

The Kingfisher (2006) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)The previous reviewer clearly has a bigotted axe to grind. Why else would they use a line like "...appears to have as its point the fashionable cliche that homosexual love is as important as heterosexual love." And then follow it with, "Or something like that."
This film is based on the stage play. It is small. It is quiet. It is literate. And it is very funny. And yes, the acting is splendid. A great turn for actors in their seventies/eighties. Remember - it is next to impossible to find three lead roles when you're that age.
The sole complaint is that the transfer, from film to DVD, is not the best. For the first 20 minutes or so the film moves slightly up and down - a function of the film not being locked in its gate. This calms down soon after. Most people won't even notice it, with the proliferation of 'moving cow' camera techniques, these days.
Pay no attention to the homophobic, inappropriate remarks bizarrely expressed by the other reviewer. (What were they smoking when they watched this film?) The film is not about homosexual or heterosexual love. It's about growing old, about love lost, chances missed, and that it's never too late to seize the day - and to laugh!

Click Here to see more reviews about: The Kingfisher (2006)

"A delightful flight of fancy." – New York Post"Bewitching fun! ... Elegant, civilized." – Associated Press"Delightful comedy." – New York Daily NewsYou’re never too old to chance romance!Celebrated author Sir Cecil Warburton (Rex Harrison – My Fair Lady) is thrilled to read the obituary of an old rival, the dull and respectable man who married Lady Evelyn (Wendy Hiller – Separate Tables), the lovely girl he once kissed – and should have married himself – fifty years ago. Desirous of female companionship and feeling that this is his last chance to live life to the full, Sir Cecil is determined to woo and marry Evelyn before it’s too late. With singleness of purpose on his side and his devoted, but dubious butler, Hawkins (Cyril Cusack – Far and Away), at his back, Sir Cecil sets his sights on the unsuspecting Lady Evelyn – who is in for the courtship of her life! approx. 77 mins. col.Special Features: Cast Profiles

Get 25% OFF

Click here for more information about The Kingfisher (2006)

Lord Mountbatten - The Last Viceroy (2006) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)This is a splendid 6 part mini-series centering around the end of British rule in India and Lord Mountbatten's role in it. It's a superb production which successfully evokes the splendour of the last days of the British Raj followed by the turmoil and bloodbath of post-independence India. The splendour was deliberate. Mountbatten was adamant that the British would not just slink away. He saw what a monumental occasion this was. As he summed up in a private toast with his wife, this was about "the birth of India and the death of the British Empire."
The series covers the year immediately preceeding Independence and the year after, effectively Mountbatten's tenure on the sub-continent, as the last Viceroy and then the first Governor-General of India (1946-1948). There is an excellent all-round cast, even with non-Indians playing the major roles - Ian Richardson painted brown as Nehru and a similarly tanned Vladek Sheybal, a Pole by birth, as his arch nemesis Jinnah. History is decidedly seen from the British, or more precisely Mountbatten's, perspective. He and Nehru were close, his wife and Nehru closer still. That intimacy is alluded to very pointedly here. The villain of the piece, as the Amazon reviewer has stated, is clearly Muhammad Ali Jinnah, head of the Muslim League and the founder of Pakistan. Jinnah was someone Mountbatten couldn't get close to and didn't trust and he is portrayed here as a slithery snake who schemed and slimed his way towards the painful partition of India and the forced migration of some 14 million people, plus the deaths of up to a million Hindus and Muslims who had to flee to "their" side of the border - ethnic cleansing the likes of which dwarf that seen during the more recent Balkans conflict.
Such was their friendship that Nehru extended a personal invitation for Mountbatten to stay on as the First Governor-General of independant India. Jinnah on his part immediately installed himself as Governor-General of Pakistan. The series paints Jinnah as the instigator and behind-the-scenes manipulator of the Kashmir conflict which sparked off 2 full scale wars and remains unresolved to this day.
The series devotes equal time to both pre and post Independence India, the first 3 episodes revolving around the negotiations with the various factions (Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs and the Princely States) preceeding Independence, and the last 3 episodes chronicling the bloodbath that followed partition and the short-lived Dominion of India with Mountbatten as Governor-General before it achieved full republic status in 1950. The series ends with Mountbatten's farewell to India in 1948, including Nehru's touching farewell speech in which he makes plain his love for Lady Mountbatten and his final toast, "We will remember you... forever." As a reward for the successful transition to Indian independence, Mountbatten was finally granted an Earldom. He was made 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma, a title that was passed on to his eldest daughter upon his death in 1979. This was also in recompense for his having renounced his royal titles (he was the grandson of Queen Victoria and he was born Prince Louis of Battenberg) at the request of the Royal Family during the anti-German hysteria of the First World War.
Mention should also be made of the score written by John Scott, especially of the stirring opening theme which is very reminiscent of Elgar's Pomp and Circumstance Marches (the Fourth March in particular), which capture in music the splendour that was once the British Empire.
What a shame that this series has been released by Acorn Media. Acorn has a checkered history with regards to DVD quality, their transfers of newer productions looking pretty good but with older series fairing rather poorly. Unfortunately Mountbatten falls into the latter category. Your heart sinks at the opening credits, as the blurry looking Union Jack flutters under the orange glow of the setting sun. It looks like a mediocre VHS tape recording. The picture is soft and blurry, the colours which should have been resplendent (the brilliant crimsons of the Imperial troops, the lush greenery of the countryside) all look drab, dingy and lifeless. Quality improves slightly as the film progresses but not by much. Thankfully the later episodes do improve quite a bit especially at the end. By and large it's a disappointing transfer. It's hard to believe that this production actually dates from 1985. There are 1960s sitcoms that look in better shape than this. One can only hope that another company buys the rights to this series and gives it the proper restoration and remastering that it deserves.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Lord Mountbatten - The Last Viceroy (2006)

A great grandson of Queen Victoria, nephew of the Tsar, and cousin of the Prince of Wales, Lord Louis Mountbatten had proven his mettle as Supreme Allied Commander in Southeast Asia during World War II. But his toughest mission came after the war, when British Prime Minister Attlee tapped Mountbatten to oversee India’s transition to self-rule. This Emmy®-winning Masterpiece Theatre classic portrays the human drama behind the history. As blood runs in the streets, Mountbatten (Nicol Williamson) becomes the go-between for the charismatic leaders at the heart of the struggle: the Congress Party’s Pandit Nehru (Ian Richardson) and Sardar Patel (A.K. Hangal), the Muslim League’s Ali Jinnah (Vladek Sheybal), and the father of independent India, Mahatma Gandhi (Sam Dastor). The task is daunting, but the blue-blooded Englishman and his compassionate wife (Janet Suzman) soldier on, ending 200 years of British rule in India.

Get 10% OFF

Click here for more information about Lord Mountbatten - The Last Viceroy (2006)

Napoleon (TV Miniseries) (3-Disc Collector's Edition) (2003) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Apparently, many reviewers feel disappointed that the six-hour A&E miniseries on Napoleon did not include every battle, every major incident in the life of the famous Corsican. Let's be realistic for a moment. Even 1,000+ page books likes Chandler's The Campaigns of Napoleon do not cover all aspects of the Emperor's life. In order to provide the kind of in-depth coverage of Napoleon's 22-year career from Toulon to Waterloo, this mini-series would have to have been about 20-24 hours long and obviously cost about four times as much. Does anyone think that is going to happen in our quick-buck entertainment industry? Instead of grumbling about what the mini-series omitted, viewers should appreciate A&E's effort and recognize this mini-series for what it is: marvelous. My review of Napoleon: the Miniseries will discuss what material was included in these six hours, what was minimized, and what was omitted.
The producers of Napoleon get scant credit for packing six major Napoleonic battles (Arcola, Austerlitz, Jena, Eylau, Aspern-Essling, and Waterloo) into this six-hour format. Each battle gets at least 5-10 minutes of coverage, which is enough to convey at least some of the highlights; reviewers who expected a Bondarchuk-style coverage of each action are unreasonable (and even he omitted key details in his film on Waterloo). Key events that receive significant treatment in the mini-series include: Napoleon's suppression of the Paris uprising in 1795, the Coup of Brumaire, an assassination attempt, the murder of Duke d'Enghien, the Treaty of Tilsit, Marie Walewska, the imperial coronation, Napoleon's abdication, the Hundred Days, exile on Elba and St Helena, and his death. Key personalities who receive major speaking roles include Marshals Ney, Murat, and Lannes; Talleyrand, Fouche, Josephine, Marie-Louise, Joseph, Lucien, and the Tsar Alexander. All in all, this is a huge amount of material.
The mini-series covered five battles or campaigns in brief, usually with one quick scene or brief mention: the Egyptian Campaign, Trafalgar, the Peninsula War, the Russian Campaign, and the 1814 Campaign in France. A number of personalities, mostly military men, are also briefly depicted: Captain Muiron, Davout, Augereau, Berthier, Bernadotte, Soult, Grouchy, Eugene, Blucher, and Wellington. The only incidents briefly depicted are Napoleon's schoolboy days at Brienne, which are covered in two historically inaccurate scenes.
Obviously, a great deal of material just could not fit in the six-hour format. Ten major battles or campaigns were entirely omitted: the siege of Toulon, most of the 1796 Italian campaign, the Pyramids, the Syrian campaign, Marengo, Auerstadt, Friedland, Wagram, Borodino, and Leipzig. Omitted incidents include most of Napoleon's first 26 years, Napoleon abandoning armies in Egypt & Russia, and the Treaty of Campo Formio 1797. A number of significant marshals, such as Massena, Oudinot, and Junot are not mentioned once. I think the only valid criticism that can be made about these omissions is that the producers tended to enhance the importance of a few minor characters such as Muiron or Roustam, at the expense of historically more important figures like Berthier.
There are a number of criticisms that could be made about how the historical material is presented. First, the transitions between most of the major events are poor; this mini-series desperately needs brief narrative blurbs to describe what is happening or just happened (e.g. we see the retreat from Moscow, but there is no mention of the scale of this catastrophe. A brief slide could have said, "Napoleon invaded Russia with 600,000 men and only 40,000 made it back to Poland.). Second, there is a general failure to properly introduce Napoleon's family members or marshals properly. The result is that these characters keep appearing out of nowhere and viewers unfamiliar with this period will be wondering, "just how many brothers and generals does this guy have?" Finally, the mini-series makes no real effort to attempt to explain the reasons for Napoleon's rise or fall; things happen, one after another, until he ends up on St Helena. Obviously the 6-hour format is again partly the culprit for this failure to analyze or explain, but part of it lies in the fact that the film tends to see events though Napoleon's eyes (which helps to engender empathy in the viewer). Napoleon was indeed oblivious to many of the events and people working toward his downfall, and this mini-series imposes that same tunnel vision upon the viewer.
In sum, Napoleon: the mini-series could not possibly hope to cover all of this man's very busy life in only 6 hours, but A&E makes an honest effort and the result is the best portrayal of the Emperor's life to date. The writers should also be congratulated for depicting Napoleon in a manner that gains empathy for his insights while not hiding his misdeeds. If anything, this is the kind of film that should spur viewers to read more about Napoleon in order to find out more about omitted details. Thank you A&E!

Click Here to see more reviews about: Napoleon (TV Miniseries) (3-Disc Collector's Edition) (2003)

From the campaign that transformed the Corsican outsider into a French hero to his bitter, final defeat at Waterloo, NAPOLEON charts the course of the man who defied centuries of tradition and forced his will upon a continent. Adapted by Didier Decoin (LesMiserables, Jakob the Liar) from Max Gallo's bestselling novel, this epic production explores the private struggles, political intrigues and bloody battles that marked Napoleon's tempestuous rise and rule. Directed by Yves Simoneau (Nuremburg, Amelia Earhart), NAPOLEON boasts an extraordinary international cast featuring Isabella Rossellini, Gerard Depardieu, John Malkovich, and Christian Clavier.

Get 20% OFF

Click here for more information about Napoleon (TV Miniseries) (3-Disc Collector's Edition) (2003)