Beowulf and the Anglo-Saxons (2003) Review

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(More customer reviews)This is a better than average educational video. It provides good background information on the culture of the Anglo- Saxons and the context of the Beowulf epic. Its best features are the recreations, the footage of the Sutton Hoo site and some of its treasures, and the actual recitation of some of the poem in the Old English ( very interesting to hear). The lecture that makes up the bulk of the narrative is of the type you might expect were you to attend a seminar at the Sutton Hoo site or some similar History for amateur enthusiast's event, but it is just enough material for a student starting to study this period or the poem. The only drawback is that the production company was obviously short on funds and towards the final third of the hour+ production, the visuals start to repeat- we see the same spinning helmet, the same burning lake, the same warriors tipping back the drinking horn once again-this is where my kids start laughing and go back to reading another book while I tell them to hang in there the material is worth it. But then, this isn't New Line Cinema, so you have to adjust your expectations. One especially good extra is the re-enactment segment. A representative of the society describes their efforts to rebuild a 10th C. Saxon Hall and this is very interesting and enough to tempt you to consider a trip across the pond to see it! All in all I would say this is worth your time- there isn't much out there on the subject and if nothing else will inspire the history/literature minded student to dig deeper!

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Miraculously preserved over the centuries, its artisticimportance was unrecognized until an essay by J. R. R. Tolkien (The Lord ofthe Rings) revealed its unity and multi-dimensional structure. Beowulf isnow regarded as the most important manuscript the Anglo-Saxons have handeddown to us, of immense linguistic as well as poetic value.This programsets out to trace the origins of the tribes that brought this epic intobeing, the war-like Norsemen from Sweden, Denmark and Germany who were toconquer and settle regions of a more clement and fertile island that wouldbecome known as England, named after the tribe of the Angles. Using 3-Danimation, location footage, archive materials and interviews, the Beowulfepic is examined in the light of the civilization that created it. Itinvestigates their religious beliefs as well as their everyday life, andsuggests that, old as the poem is, it may have roots in an even moreancient fertility cult.

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Russell Simmons Presents Def Poetry: Season 4 (2002) Review

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(More customer reviews)As a spoken word poet and literature professor, I love Def Poetry Jam as a source of inspiration and a touchstone for the state of spoken word poetry. An ecclectic mix of different styles, season 4 is another great collection of incredible poets and poems. These are taped live in a Broadway theatre with a live audience, so it's as close to the real thing as you can get on dvd. These episodes do well to balance male and female voices as well as representatives from many different races, ethnicities and points of view. Forget about the celebrity appearances- it's the poets youmay never have heard of that will blow your mind. My personal favorites appear early, including Black Ice and a husband/wife duo telling the raw truth about raising kids on low incomes. My community college students, whom I cannot wake up to discuss Dickinson or even Hughes, were wide-eyed and all ears while I showed selections from these discs. This season includes more episodes than any of the previous three as well.

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Def Poetry is one of the country's fastest rising performing-art forms, and recognizing the power of urban poetry on modern culture, rap impressario Russell Simmons teamed up with HBO to create Russell Simmons Presents Def Poetry. Season four of the improvisational, uninhibited late-night series features the spoken words of the biggest and most stellar talent lineup like KANYE WEST (6 time Grammy Award-winner), TRACY MORGAN (30 Rock) and MIKE EPPS (Host of Russell Simmons' Def Comedy Jam). Each episode is hosted by the highly regarded hip hop artist and actor Mos Def (hit album Black on Both Sides).

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North & South (2005) Review

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(More customer reviews)"North & South" was released in the UK in November 2004 and in the US in July 2005. Since its first broadcast, viewers across the globe have hailed it as one of the best - if not the best - British period miniseries ever produced. It was voted BBC's "Best of 2004" in drama, actor and actress categories, among others.
Many in the US will probably confuse Elizabeth Gaskell's "North & South" to John Jake's civil war drama of the same name. While Jake's tells the story of America's north and south, Gaskell's story is rooted in Victorian England. John Thornton, a handsome, stern, passionate manufacturer from Milton represents the north. Margaret Hale, an outspoken, beautiful and spirited young woman from Helstone represents the south. When the Hales move from the idyllic village of Helstone to the bustling, industrial city of Milton, Margaret and Thornton's lives collide.
John Thornton is instantly attracted to Margaret while she is repulsed by his haughty demeanor and the way he treats his employees. She develops a disdain for the wealthy 'masters' (manufacturers) and strikes a friendship with the daughter of the local union leader, much to Thornton's dismay. As Margaret becomes better acquainted with Mr. Thornton, she gradually comes to admire him. She discovers that he is hardworking, a devoted brother and son, generous and kind to Margaret's parents, and is loyal and honorable. However, when the workers in Milton strike, the turn of events that follow drive a wedge between Margaret and Thornton and eventually threaten to pull them apart.
"North & South" is produced by the excellent BBC and the screenplay was written by Sandy Welch, who also penned the outstanding "Our Mutual Friend." Everything you would expect from a topnotch BBC production is here - locations, sets, costumes, casting, direction, cinematography. The story is an adaptation of Elizabeth Gaskell's little known but well loved 19th century novel. Mrs. Gaskell also wrote "Wives & Daughters" which was turned to another superb miniseries starring Justine Waddell, Keeley Hawes and Francesca Annis in 1999.
I would be very remiss in writing a review for this miniseries without applauding the exemplary cast. The little known Richard Armitage has earned a throng of fans overnight because of his unforgettable portrayal of John Thornton. He has since replaced Pride & Prejudice's Colin Firth as my favorite brooding hero and infuses so much passion and charisma into his role. Daniela Denby-Ashe is wonderful and charming as Margaret Hale. Also excellent are Brendan Coyle as the gruff but good-hearted Nicholas Higgins, Sinead Cusack as John Thornton's haughty but devoted mother, Joy Joyner as the funny and superficial Fanny Thornton, Lesley Manville as Mrs. Hale and Tim Piggot-Smith as Mr. Hale.
"North & South" has since replaced 1995's "Pride & Prejudice" as my favorite miniseries. It tugs at the heart and sweeps the viewer off their feet. The relationships that develop between its main characters (notably, Thornton and Margaret; Thornton and Higgins; Margaret and Bessy Higgins) and the journey that Margaret and Thornton go through are truly unforgettable. In fact, you will wish that the ending didn't come so soon!
"North and South" went through a sad process of editing when BBC America aired it in July 2005. A full hour was cut from the miniseries to make room for commercials. Finally, with this dvd release US viewers now have a chance to see this instant classic as it was meant to be seen - with a 233 minute running time and with all the scenes intact. The dvd also includes a delightful interview with Richard Armitage, a handful of deleted scenes (including an extended 'proposal' scene), commentaries and cast biographies.
If you are an anglophile or a fan of high-quality period drama, you owe it to yourself to see "North & South." Fans of "Pride & Prejudice," "Wives & Daughters," "Middlemarch," Dickens / Austen adaptations and the like should not miss this. I have no doubt that most of you will fall in love with this miniseries as many of us have. Everyone whom I have recommended this miniseries to have at least liked it (and at most, are completely obsessed with it). This dvd is a keeper and deserves a place in any period drama fan's dvd collection.


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For Their Own Good (2006) Review

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(More customer reviews)Almost unbelieveable, this film is based on a true story about a Texas firm that demanded their female workers undergo sterilization because it dealt with toxic chemicals. Female workers had to choose between taking a job and a future with no possibility of children. Great all around cast (Elizabeth Perkins, Laura San Giacomo & Charles Haid) about a riveting story. Yes, it's another story about a woman facing humilation & scorn in her fight for justice but a very interesting one and one worth watching.

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The Mayor of Casterbridge (2003) Review

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(More customer reviews)When I saw Alan Bates act Michael Henchard, I thought that I would never see acting any better than his, but I guess it was the role that I was identifying with, for Ciaran Hinds is the perfect Michael Henchard. He was wonderful as Bois de Guilbert in IVANHOE. He was indeed the rugged Captain Wentworth in PERSUASION and many have claimed him to be the very best Rochester in JANE EYRE. I think that Mr. Hinds performance in this movie goes a long way to make it the best movie that I have ever seen.
Michael Henchard was a rugged selfmade man striving to follow his own star though that star is always the star of fate.
All that holds him back is the all encompassing past which wills him to destruction. He cannot escape himself or his fate.
To me he was Hardy's greatest creation. He is everyone.
Nearly every role that Ciaran Hinds has played has these same
dimensions and he handles each of them to near perfection which makes him my favorite actor and possibly the best actor of our time.
How can anyone love a character that would sell his wife and daughter even in a drunken state? Thomas Hardy and Ciaran Hinds
make us love this horrible man even as we love ourselves, and we
pray for his redemption. I think that Hardy himself wavered between redeeming Henchard or not.
It was not just Thomas Hardy and Ciaran Hinds that made this
incomparable movie. This is Mr. David Thacker's movie, and for a director with such a short list of credits, it is all the more astounding! He did it mainly with excellent casting. Jodhi May was great as Elizabeth Jane. Juliet Aubrey fantastic as the mother,James Purefoy wonderful as Donald Farfrae,and Polly Walker is the perfect Lucinda. He did it by pacing the movie a little faster than Hardy's literary gait. He made this movie happen by an unrelenting revelation of the time and of the nature of the land. Frame by frame, utterance by utterance, gesture by gesture,this movie marks excellence. There are many excellent people that made this happen that are not at the top of the credits, but we see their names over and over in great productions. We salute these great contributors, too, and selfishly wish them many more great successes.

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