Foyle's War: Set 2 (4pc) (Ws) (2003) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I'd previously rated Series 1 of FOYLE'S WAR at four stars. I'm happy to report, after finishing the Series 2 discs, that the ongoing British telly miniseries has graduated to five stars. It's superb, and I'm desolate that I must wait until 2005 for the release of Series 3 that's airing now in the UK. (Of course, if I move to England ... Nah, the wife would never go for it.)
Michael Kitchen is Detective Chief Superintendent Christopher Foyle, who's been ordered to remain at his post as homicide investigator for Hastings and its environs; he'd much rather be doing his bit for King and Empire fighting the Nazis across the Channel. Indeed, his son Andrew (Julian Ovenden) is a flying officer with the RAF. The two other series regulars are Samantha "Sam" Stewart (Honeysuckle Weeks), the army's Auxiliary Territorial Service enlistee assigned as his driver, and Paul Milner (Anthony Howell), Foyle's assistant inspector returned to home front duty after being wounded during the disastrous British invasion of Norway.
The delight to be found in the four episodes of Series 2 is the underlying complexity of each plot, the tip of which is a murder being investigated by Foyle and Milner. Yet, even as the layers of the onion are peeled away, the viewer is still surprised at the intricacy of the solution, most of which is unraveled in the depths of Foyle's mind and revealed to the audience at the end, and which has ramifications that ripple far beyond the simple presence of a local corpse.
As in Series 1, the storylines of 2 encompass so much more than a tawdry homicide or two: homosexuality in the RAF, collaboration between British Big Business and the Nazis, black market commerce in luxury food and petrol, and skullduggery by Franklin Roosevelt's personal emissary sent to negotiate the Lend Lease.
My personal favorite episode is number four, "Funk Hole", wherein Foyle is relieved of his duties after being reported as having expressed seditious and defeatist statements while cowering in a London air raid shelter during a Luftwaffe bombing attack. The labyrinthine explanation for that was totally unexpected. Moreover, it looks like Sam and Andrew are to be an "item" - surely to be continued in Series 3. Indeed, at one point when Sam accompanies Andrew to a showing of "Gone With the Wind", we see her out of uniform, dressed in civvies, and with a smashing hairdo. Blimey, what a bird!
FOYLE'S WAR is sumptuously fleshed out with period costumes, automobiles, hairstyles, and commercial brand names. This is first class, period entertainment. Would that American TV was so good.


Click Here to see more reviews about: Foyle's War: Set 2 (4pc) (Ws) (2003)

The critically acclaimed PBS series that weaves mystery with real historical events returns with four stories set in September and October 1940. Winner of the Audience Award at the British Academy of Film and Television Arts in 2003, the series stars Michael Kitchen (Proof of Life) as quietly enigmatic detective Christopher Foyle whose territory on the south coast of England is rocked by the chaos and danger of World War II. Also starring Anthony Howell, Honeysuckle Weeks, Julian Ovenden, and featuring Nicholas Farrell, Alan Howard, Corin Redgrave, and Amanda Root. The Mysteries: Fifty Ships-Foyle's determined investigation of a body on a deserted beach puts at risk the donation of American Aid and the crucial start of Lend-Lease in the war. Among the Few-Pilots and their girlfriends live fast and die young in a story of greed and passion where Foyle finds appearances are deceptive. War Games-Divided loyalties lead to revenge and murder when a businessman puts profits before principles in a secret pact with the Nazis. The Funk Hole-Foyle finds himself accused of a serious offense, which complicates his hunt for a ruthless murderer at a sinister hotel. "Brilliantly explores the moral gray areas of war"-San Francisco Chronicle "For mystery fans, Foyle is a must-see" -The Houston Chronicle "A series to be relished" -Radio Times

Get 61% OFF

Click here for more information about Foyle's War: Set 2 (4pc) (Ws) (2003)

NOVA - Hitler's Lost Sub (2000) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)This two hour DVD traces the history of submersibles through WWII and details the dramatic U-Boat campaign off the US.
It follows the story of wreck divers Ritchie Kohler and John Chatterton as they spend years identifying the wreck of a German U-Boat they were put onto by Capt. Bill Nagle of the dive boat "Seeker". Three divers, including a father and son team, were lost in this quest.
It travels from archives in the US to Germany where poignant stories of the U-869's crew are revealed.
A nice tour takes the viewer through a Type 9 U-Boat in a museum. The video also has some amazing high quality underwater footage taken by veteran wreck diver Bill Delmonico. This footage of the U-869 in spectacularly clear water conditions was shot long before the submarine wreck was actually identified. Strangely, Mr. Delmonico does not receive an artist's credit for this work.
As a wreck diver and charter boat skipper who has dived on U-Boat and other submarine wrecks for many years this video was doubly interesting to me. It should fascinate any diver or historian. Really does bring out enough stuff to scare you.
It is a must have companion to Robert Kurson's superb "Shadow Divers" and Bernie Chowdhury's sad account of the fate of Chris and Chrissy Rouse, "The Last Dive: A Father and Son's Fatal Descent into the Ocean's Depths". The Wreck Hunters: Dive to the Wreck of the USS Bass

Click Here to see more reviews about: NOVA - Hitler's Lost Sub (2000)

The true story behind the cataclysmic World War II naval battle that took place just off American shores. 1941. America had just entered World War II, but terrifying unseen weapons were stalking US targets, sinking over 400 ships just miles from American shores in the worst naval defeat in United States history. The stealthy predators were German U-boats, Hitler’s deadly warships of the deep.It was cataclysmic-with bodies and wreckage washed ashore on the eastern seaboard. But the Allies ultimately triumphed, sinking over 700 enemy submarines.Fifty years later, the personal drama behind this wartime state of siege resurfaced when a team of divers discovered an unidentified German U-boat deep in the waters off the New Jersey coast. What boat was it? And what secret mission brought it there? The divers embarked on a dangerous, six-year quest to uncover the secret of the mysterious wreck. Three divers lost their lives in the search, but the clues uncovered have shed remarkable new light on the struggles and triumphs from this undersea war.There’s more in this spectacular two-hour video journey. Trace the history of submarines and undersea warfare from the American Revolution through World War II, and tour the sophisticated-and cramped-interior of a captured U-boat. Dive in dangerous waters with deep sea detectives as they attempt to retrieve clues that will reveal the decaying U-boat’s identity. See how the breaking of secret Nazi codes by the Allies altered the outcome of the war-and helped unravel the mystery behind this German U-boat. And finally, travel to Germany with the divers as they rewrite a part of World War II history, bring closure to families of the lost crew and discover how one man’s life was spared.

Get 10% OFF

Click here for more information about NOVA - Hitler's Lost Sub (2000)

Downfall (2004) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)One of 2004's best films, DOWNFALL (DER UNTERGANG), recreates the last days of Adolph Hitler and his sycophants in the Fuhrer's bunker below the Reich Chancellery as the noose drawn by vengeful Soviet armies gets ever tighter.
The film actually opens in 1942 at Hitler's East Prussia command post as Adolph (Bruno Ganz) meets several young woman brought from Berlin to be interviewed for a job as his personal secretary. Young Traudl Junge (Alexandra Maria Lara) lands the plum assignment, and it's mostly from her perspective that the remainder of the story is told as the scene shifts to Berlin in April 1945.
DOWNFALL is based on Joachim Fest's book, Inside Hitler's Bunker: The Last Days of the Third Reich, and the volume BIS ZUR LETZTEN STUNDE by Traudl Junge and Melissa Muller. Indeed, the real Junge, by then an old woman, provides voiceovers both at the beginning and end of the film, and appears in person before the final credits. (The 2002 documentary, Blind Spot - Hitler's Secretary, is an extended interview with Traudl, in which she expresses "plausible deniability" for the atrocities perpetuated by her employer.)
All of the major and minor players familiar to students of the period are represented: Joseph and Magda Goebbels and their offspring, Eva Braun, Speer, Fegelein, Weidling, Mohnke, Himmler, Krebs, Burgdorf, Keitel, Jodl, Gunsche, Bormann, Göring, Hewel, Ritter von Greim, Reitsch, Stumpfegger, Kempa, Manziarly, Christian, Haase, Schenck, Linge, and Blondi (Hitler's German shepherd). DOWNFALL seems a faithful representation of all I've ever read about those last days in Hitler's hidey-hole.
DOWNFALL has been coined a "German film for Germans", perhaps thinking that the despicability of the Nazi hierarchy will somehow be toned down for a home audience. True, the film's creators show heroism and selflessness where they can find it: the dogged and brave defense of Berlin's city center by Generals Mohnke (André Hennicke) and Weidling (Michael Mendl), the concern for the civilian population and wounded by Doctors Schenck (Christian Berkel) and Haase (Mathias Habich), and even the bravery of Speer (Heino Ferch) in disobeying Hitler's orders to reduce Germany's infrastructure to scorched earth. But DOWNFALL also depicts Der Fuhrer's antipathy for the Jews and his volcanic, recriminatory outbursts against his generals and the German people for their ostensible treachery and cowardice, the self-serving conniving of Himmler (Ulrich Noethen), the actions of the assassination squads above ground seeking out perceived malingerers and deserters, the to-the-death fanaticism of defenders no more than children, and the blind and irrational loyalty of Joseph (Ulrich Matthes) and Magda (Corinna Harfouch) Goebbels to Hitler. Indeed, perhaps the hardest sequence to watch is that of Magda killing her own children - Helga, Hilde, Helmut, Hedda, Holde - with cyanide capsules after first drugging them with a sleeping potion. She'd decided that they didn't deserve to live in a world devoid of National Socialism. At one point, the oldest girl, Helga, sensing something is amiss with her mother's intentions, resists taking the soporific, but is forced to submit by Magda and Dr. Stumpfegger (Thorsten Krohn). The Goebbels children, along with Hitler's dog Blondi, who was poisoned by his master to test the effects of the cyanide capsules provided by Himmler, are the only innocents here, and the viewer's heart may well bleed for them.
The performance by Bruno Ganz was of Oscar caliber. He was certainly more deserving of a nomination than a couple of the actors so honored at the recent Academy Awards ceremony. However, can you imagine the wailing and gnashing of teeth by the Politically Correct had Bruno's ADOLPH HITLER been acclaimed for the brilliant rendition it is?
For those who'd criticize DOWNFALL as humanizing Hitler and his cronies, I have a breaking news flash. Hello!?! These men and women were defective, but still Homo sapiens all. Those who'd put these deviants beyond the pale of the species are just as deluded as those who'd deny that the Holocaust ever took place, and they may just as well put their heads back under the sand. It's a tired adage, but, forget history and you'll repeat it.
My only complaint was that many of the characters, unless introduced to the audience by having their names verbalized in the dialogue, are left too long unidentified. There should have been visual captions at the first appearance of each. Himmler, Goebbels, and perhaps Speer, are immediately recognizable, but it took too long into the run time to identify such as Bormann, Gunsche, Weidling, Krebs, Burgdorf, Keitel, and Jodl.
DOWNFALL is a must-see film for anybody interested in the death throes of Hitler's Reich. It was nominated for an Academy Award as the Best Foreign Language Film of 2004. It lost out to THE SEA INSIDE, a lesser movie. The fact that the latter was itself exceptional should be an indication of how superb a production DOWNFALL is.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Downfall (2004)

Charting the final days of World War II in Nazi Germany, DOWNFALL shows what went on in the bunker where Hitler (Bruno Ganz), his secretary (Alexandra Maria Lara), and a few close colleagues waited for their inevitable demise.

Click here for more information about Downfall (2004)

Warlords (2005) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)We know the generalities of WWII, but this set of DVDs shows the subtle power play between the warlords that we didn't know. We find out through diary entries of aides, cabinet members, and principals just what thoughts were behind the actions taken. Personalities played an important role in trust and alliances and those alliances were constantly shifting and being tested. There are many pivotal points on which the outcome of the war and the divisions of Eastern Europe might have been very different had different tacks been taken.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Warlords (2005)

While nations battled with bombs and guns, their leaders dueled with subtler weapons-charm, flattery, and deception. The outcome reshaped the world. This critically acclaimed four-part documentary examines the 20th century’s bloodiest conflict from a completely unique perspective: the mind games played by its principals. Taking you inside the heads of historical figures, Warlords analyzes four psychological duels-Hitler v. Stalin, Churchill v. Roosevelt, Churchill v. Stalin, and Roosevelt v. Stalin-each marked by mutual suspicion, false promises, and hidden agendas. What delusions drove Stalin to sign a pact with Hitler, his ideological enemy? How did Roosevelt boost Churchill’s resolve early in the war, without committing U.S. troops? Why did Churchill argue so vehemently for a southern invasion of Europe, and why did his two allies refuse? And why did Roosevelt trust Stalin more than he did Churchill? Using the leaders’ own words-as well as the personal recollections and private diaries of their most intimate advisors-Warlords provides surprising answers to these provocative questions. The four warlords emerge as fascinating, flawed, and fully human.

Get 10% OFF

Click here for more information about Warlords (2005)

Varian's War (2001) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)This movie is loosely based on the life and work of Varian Fry, an American intellectual who went to Vichy France to save European cultural luminaries from fascist persecution and death. The movie simplifies a complex person and situation, and, as such, falls short of the true history. I do think William Hurt does a good job portraying Fry. I have shown this movie to history classes, but found the pacing is a little slow for most high school students (although a minority appreciated the fact that an American also played a role in saving Jews). To people interested in learning more about Varian Fry, I highly recommend Andy Marino's fascinating character study, A QUIET AMERICAN: THE SECRET WAR OF VARIAN FRY. To history teachers looking for good (and appropriate) films to show students on rescuers during the Holocaust, you might consider the RESCUERS: STORIES OF COURAGE series.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Varian's War (2001)

This is the untold story of Varian Fry (William Hurt), a forgotten hero of World War II. He built an elaborate underground rescue network that managed to save some of the most influential cultural figures of our age. He saved artists (such as Marc Chagall), writers, and scientists. The safe arrival of these treasured individuals in the United States permanently changed the face of American culture and enriched all of our lives forever.

Get 70% OFF

Click here for more information about Varian's War (2001)

Dogfights - The Complete Season One (History Channel) (2006) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)The History Channel's "Dogfights" series is a huge step forward for air combat documentaries. Rarely can gun camera footage capture what actually happened in a dogfight. Instead you just see the final couple seconds before the target explodes. The "Dogfights" episodes overcome this limitation by adding in computer-generated reenactments of the air battles that make you feel like you are there watching it all unfold right in front of you. You come away with a much better appreciation of the tactics. For archival footage fans, don't worry--there is still plenty of that in these programs. But because they also have the vivid computer imagery, the episodes don't have to rely on showing the same stock footage over and over and over. I especially appreciated this for the jet era battles, where there is generally a short supply of good footage. In particular, I thought the "Mig Alley" episode was a tremendous improvement over previous pre-CGI documentaries about the air war in Korea. And in that episode, the reenactment of Robby Risner's epic mission is the most incredible air battle story I have ever seen.
The whole series is amazing. It is absolutely essential viewing for anyone interested in air combat. That said, let me also offer three minor warnings:
1. Air battles in Europe during World War 2 get surprisingly little coverage in Season 1--only a episode of "Greatest Air Battles" bonus episode and a flashback in the "Air Ambush" episode about Robin Olds. Likewise, World War I air combat is not covered except at the beginning of the "Greatest Air Battles" episode.
2. There is a glitch on the "Greatest Air Battles" episode. When I hit 'play all' or 'introduction' for that episode, it starts with Rickenbacker's mission. It seems like the logical starting point, but that isn't actually the start of the episode. There is a lot of interesting material before that, but you have to manually rewind in order to get the real beginning of the episode.
3. When last I checked, you could get "Dogfights" for much less money from Deep Discount.
Finally, if you want to learn more about the dogfights of World War 2, I strongly recommend VICTORY ROLL by William Wolf. This massive book (460+ pages with over 600 photos) is the most comprehensive history of all the US aces from World War 2 that I have ever encountered.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Dogfights - The Complete Season One (History Channel) (2006)

DOGFIGHTS:COMPLETE SEASON ONE - DVD Movie

Get 68% OFF

Click here for more information about Dogfights - The Complete Season One (History Channel) (2006)

BBC History of World War II: Hiroshima (2005) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I am from Hiroshima. My father was 15 years old and was deployed as a student worker at a ship yard at the time. He does not talk much about his experience, but told me bits and pieces about what he saw. When I was an elementary school student, we had to watch the video footage of the victims that was extremely graphic. So nothing in this program was new to me, although it was very interesting to see how nuclear fusions started inside the bomb.
Having said that, I think this program is a good overview for people who are not familiar with the event. It talks about how the bomb was developed, the political circumstances, the US military mission, GIs who engaged in the mission, and of course, the effect on the people in Hiroshima. There is little criticism or political overtones in the way the program was made, although it is clear that there were terrible misunderstandings between Japanese and US leaders, and that a handful of Japanese extremists led the country into ruins.
I wish the program talked more about the way the atomic bomb affected people long after the event. There is one section that describes the "mistery illness" that plagued the survivers, but it did not talk about the deformed babies born to the mothers who were pregrant at the time, or the cancers that many of the survivers suffered later in their lives. The program also did not mention anything about the American POWs who were detained in Hiroshima at the time. They all perished along with thousands of people of Hiroshima. I am not sure how many Americans know this.
My father is fine. His family lived in the suburbs so none died because of the event although some of the family heirlooms had burn marks that were visible even decades later. My mother's grandparents, however, lived right by the T-shaped bridge that was used as a target so no remains were found. I remember my grandmother used to go to the annual memorial service every year. Although it was somewhat difficult for me to see the suffering of people reenacted in the program, the stupidity of the leaders, and the happiness and the joy that Americans were feeling after the bomb was dropped (not because I am bitter or critical of their actions, but because they really did not realize what was going on in Hiroshima and that they opened the door to a new era of nuclear threats), we need programs like this so we can learn from the history and remember that the war is savage, no matter what side you are on, and that the war should really be the last resort to resolve a conflict.

Click Here to see more reviews about: BBC History of World War II: Hiroshima (2005)

It was the defining moment of the 20th Century - the scientific, technological, military, and political gamble of the first atomic attack. This drama-documentary attempts to do what no other film has done before - to show what it is like to live through a nuclear explosion. Set in the three weeks from the test explosion in New Mexico to the dropping of the bomb, the action takes viewers into the room where the crucial political decisions are made; on board the Enola Gay; inside the bomb as it explodes; and on the streets of Hiroshima.

Get 43% OFF

Click here for more information about BBC History of World War II: Hiroshima (2005)

Little John (2002) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I bought this as a gift for my parents and they haven't stopped talking about it. My 'busy' uncle even stopped to enjoy this one. It is AWFULLY GOOD!!!
BUY and add to your collection, you won't be sorry. All the actors were great.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Little John (2002)

Get 70% OFF

Click here for more information about Little John (2002)

Warner Bros. and the Homefront Collection (Irving Berlin's This Is the Army / Thank Your Lucky Stars / Hollywood Canteen) (2008) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)These are three musical comedies from the WWII era. It's been some time since I've seen "This is the Army". I've seen the other two pretty recently. I intersperse the press releases with my own remarks.
This is the Army (1942)
Press release:
Irving Berlin showed his abiding love for his adopted country with, among other cultural accomplishments, decades of Broadway hits, the unofficial national anthem "God Bless America" and the World War II spirit-lifter This Is the Army. On stage it featured 350 real-life GIs, giving their singing-and- dancing all to raise nearly $2 million (then an astronomical sum) for Army Emergency Relief.
My remarks:
Irving Berlin actually sings in this one - and not too well. According to one story, after Berlin sang "Oh How I Hate To Get Up In The Morning", one stagehand was overheard saying to another, "If the guy who wrote that could've heard how this guy just sang that song, he'd roll over in his grave." I got this story from someone over at imdb, but I can believe it happened. Great music, but a rather weak storyline. However, you have to remember at this point it was early in the war and the outcome was yet unknown. With everything on the line, people needed this kind of escapist entertainment.
Thank Your Lucky Stars (1943)
Press Release:
Bette Davis, Humphrey Bogart, Errol Flynn, and Dinah Shore come out to play in the joyous World War II-era Thank Your Lucky Stars. A breezy, behind-the-Hollywood-scenes story about young talents hoping for a big break glitters with specialty numbers featuring Golden Era greats.
My remarks:
The best of the three films in the bunch, this film does something that nothing else on DVD does to my knowledge - gives us a large dose of Eddie Cantor. Eddie Cantor insists upon being chairman of the Cavalcade of Stars benefit show, in return for the use of his vocalist, Dinah Shore. Eddie keeps disrupting the show and insisting on doing things his way. To complicate matters, there is a certain cab driver who very closely resembles Eddie. In fact, he can't get hired as an actor because of the close resemblance. Eddie does a great job of playing both roles. Other stars performing in the film as themselves include Olivia De Havilland, John Garfield, Ida Lupino, Ann Sheridan, and Jack Carson.
Hollywood Canteen (1944)
The real Hollywood Canteen was the invention of John Garfield and Bette Davis. It was a place where the stars did not only the performing but also waited on the troops. This is a light romantic tale involving a couple of soldiers spending three nights at the Canteen before they must return to duty. As with the other movies, the main reason to watch is the great entertainment provided by the Warner stars.
BONUS FEATURES
New Warner at War Documentary
Star/Historian Commentary
Outtake Song and Restored Overture
Exit Music on Irving Berlin's This is the Army
PLUS - On All Three: Warner NIght at the Movies:
Gallery of Music/Patriotic Shorts
Cartoons
Newsreels
Trailers
This looks to be a great collection and I'm looking forward to viewing both the movies and the extras.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Warner Bros. and the Homefront Collection (Irving Berlin's This Is the Army / Thank Your Lucky Stars / Hollywood Canteen) (2008)

Genre: War/MilitaryRating: NRRelease Date: 11-NOV-2008Media Type: DVD

Get 15% OFF

Click here for more information about Warner Bros. and the Homefront Collection (Irving Berlin's This Is the Army / Thank Your Lucky Stars / Hollywood Canteen) (2008)

Modern Marvels - The Manhattan Project (History Channel) (2005) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)History Channel's "The Manhattan Project" offers a concise, nicely balanced history of the making of the atomic bomb in just under 50 minutes. This 2004 episode of Modern Marvels manages to explain the physics and the technology behind the bomb in layman's terms, while crafting a suspenseful narrative around the costly ($30 billion in current dollars) military-civilian collaboration.
"Manhattan Project" begins with the state of atomic science as the Second World War got underway in 1939, and why the United States decided it should build a bomb before Nazi Germany could. At the center of the narrative are Army General Leslie Groves and scientist Robert Oppenheimer, a yin and yang combination who together solved the technical problems of building a bomb, then in record time put together the industrial resources to provide the necessary uranium and plutonium. "The Manhattan Project" concludes with the Trinity Test of July 1945 and the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945.
The narrative benefits from interviews with some of the surviving personnel who worked on the project. These interviews put a human face on a massive industrial effort. Some prominent historians offer a larger perspective on the project. The narrative does not shy away from the moral implications of use. Some of the concluding comments suggest that warfare has been changed forever by the invention of a weapon that could annihilate millions in a major exchange.
This short feature on the Manhattan Project is highly recommended as a concise but reasonably comprehensive survey at the popular history level of the making of the first atomic bomb.


Click Here to see more reviews about: Modern Marvels - The Manhattan Project (History Channel) (2005)

At 5:30 a.m., July 16, 1945, scientists and dignitaries awaited the detonation of the first atomic bomb in a desolate area of the New Mexico desert aptly known as Jornada del Muerto--Journey of Death. Dubbed the Manhattan Project, the top-secret undertaking was tackled with unprecedented speed and expense--almost $30-billion in today's dollars. Los Alamos scientists and engineers relate their trials, triumphs, and dark doubts about building the ultimate weapon of war in the interest of peace.

Get 48% OFF

Click here for more information about Modern Marvels - The Manhattan Project (History Channel) (2005)

Uprising (2001) (2001) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)"Uprising" is a story of the Holocaust that really could not be told until NBC showed this two-part made-for-television movie in 2001. The story of the Warsaw ghetto uprising has been told before. In the 1978 mini-series "Holocaust," a major subplot had to do with Moses Weiss (Sam Wanamker), who becomes active in the uprising before being caught and shot by the Nazis at the end. Other movies dealing with the Holocaust have touched on this heroic but futile act of resistance against Hitler's army. This time, however, the point is to cast the uprising in terms that count for more than a moral victory.
When Poland fell to Nazi Germany the city's Jewish population was put into a walled in section of the city, thereby creating the ghetto. In the summer of 1942, after 300,000 Jews were deported from Warsaw to Treblinka the first reports of mass murder were heard in the Warsaw ghetto. Mordecai Anielewicz, then 23-years-old, and other young Jews formed the Zydowska Organizacja Bojowa (Jewish Fighting Organization), issuing proclamations calling for the Jewish people to resist being sent away in railroad cars to the death caps, and firing upon German troops trying to round by Jews for deportation.
The "Uprising" began on April 19, 1943, when German troops and police entered the ghetto and were repulsed by the fighters. It is believed that less than a thousand such fighters held off the heavily armed and better trained Germans for almost a month, using mostly pistols and Molotov cocktails, but on May 16 the revolt was finally crushed. Seven thousand of the 56,000 Jews captured were shot, and the rest were deported to either killing centers or concentration camps to be exterminated by the Nazis. At one point the Warsaw ghetto consisted of 450,000 human beings.
The point of "Uprising" is not only that for the first time somebody stood up against German occupation, but that some of the fighters did indeed survive. Mordechai Anielewicz (Hank Azaria), Yitzhak Zuckerman (David Schwimmer), Tosia Altman (Leelee Sobieski), and many others depicted in "Uprising" are historic figures. Azaria and Schwimmer obviously stand out, not because of the roles they play in the narrative but also because the actors are going to great pains to remind fans they are not just comic actors. Also standing out are Sadie Frost as Zuckerman's wife, Zivia, and Stephen Moyer as freedom fighter Kazik Rodem, who wrestle with the hard questions of not only knowing what to do, but how to do it. Director and executive producer Jon Avnet has recreated the ghetto in great detail and makes full use of cinematographer Denis Lenoir and composer Maurice Jarre to make sure this television movie looks and sounds like a theatrical film.
"Uprising" repeatedly asks the question of how a moral person can sustain a moral code in an immoral world, and the uprising serves as the obvious answer. Where "Uprising" is different from its predecessors is how Avnet recasts history to emphasize a sense of how the Jews "win" here. Even though the Nazis will kill 99% of the Jews in the Warsaw ghetto, they did not get them all and they did not get them fast enough to please Himmler and Hitler. Nazi General Jurgen Stroop has to endure being out thought and out fought by a bunch of rabble, all the way having his failure filmed by documentarian Fritz Hippler, who is working on "The Eternal Jew" because for some reason the Nazis do not find the German people to be anti-Semitic enough. The Nazis continue to commit atrocities throughout this movie, but the emphasis is clearly on what the other side is doing.
"The Grey Zone," which also came out in 2001, is of a similar mind in terms of presenting Jews fighting back, and depicts the October 7, 1944 uprising when members of the 12th sonder-kommando succeeded in blowing up two of the four crematoria at Auschwitz II-Birkenau. The sonder-kommandos were the ones who escorted their fellow Jews to die in the gas chambers, then took the bodies to the crematoriums, and disposed of the ashes. For four months the sonder-kommandos carried out their duties, and enjoyed certain privileges (compared to the other inmates), and then were executed. This group of Jews also decided to fight back and like those who resisted the Nazis in the Warsaw ghetto, deserve to be remembered. But only once we have accepted the total horror and scope of the Holocaust can we tell stories such as these, ever mindful that they represent a minority report. How many of you were stunned with a train full of Jews left Auschwitz in "Schindler's List"? The incident was true, but it becomes difficult for us to accept that other side of the story given the overwhelming death count of the Final Solution.
The two commentary tracks are a mixed bag. Avnet spends too much time commenting on the historical accuracy of the action and not enough talking about his decisions as a director, particularly with regards to what changes he had to make when his planned theatrical film was downgraded to a television movie. Azaria, Schwimmer, and Voight recorded their commentary two weeks about September 11th, and engage each other to talk about the production and their performances. Sobieski's comments were recorded separately and edited in, and like Avent, she has a hard time going it alone. There are two documentaries accompanying "Uprising." "Resistance" is a too brief look at the history of the resistance movement in the Warsaw ghetto, although it does provide background on the characters and interviews with some of the surviving fighters. "Breaking Down the Walls: The Road to Recreating the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising," is a behind the scenes featurette with clips and interviews. However, anyone inspired to find out more about the history of the events dramatized here will find plenty of resources easily accessible on the Internet.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Uprising (2001) (2001)

After Germany invades Poland in 1939, the Nazis decree that 350,000 Warsaw Jews be forcibly moved into a cordoned area known as the Warsaw Ghetto. Idealistic teacher Mordechai Anielewicz (Hank Azaria) decides the Jews must rise up against the Nazis and creates the Jewish Fighting Organization (JFO).He tries to secure the support of Adam Czerniakow (Donald Sutherland), the morally conflicted head of the Warsaw Ghetto's Jewish Council, but Adam declines because he knows that any act of resistance will provoke the Germans to retaliate by killing innocent Jews.Determined to mobilize a resistance alone if he has to, Mordechai recruits his friends and covert couriers whose ability to pass as Aryan helps them smuggle in arms and explosives from the Aryan side of the city, building up an arsenal to fight the Nazis. When the Germans begin deporting 300,000 Jews to the Treblinka death camp, the JFO begins acts of resistance that culminate with ghetto fighters firing their first gunshots against the Nazis.When it becomes clear that the JFO is a force to be reckoned with, the German High Command sends in General Stroop (Jon Voight), who is determined to end the uprising in two or three days. Capturing the horror that unfolds is Fritz Hippler (Cary Elwes), a filmmaker assigned by Hitler's chief propagandist to promote anti-Semitism with a film about Jewish life in the ghetto. When the Nazis continue to suffer more casualties in their battle with the ghetto fighters, General Stroop decides to raze the ghetto.But even that can't stop the JFO.Forced to go underground into bunkers but energized by their success, the resisters fight on, ultimately holding off the Nazi army longer than the entire country of Poland.They're determined to live with honor--and if need be, die with honor--while lighting the torch for resistance in the occupied territories.

Get 91% OFF

Click here for more information about Uprising (2001) (2001)

Lust, Caution (Widescreen Edition) (2007) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Ang Lee breaks through again with a masterful adaptation of Eileen Chang's short story, Lust/Caution (like what he did with Annie Prolux's similarly brief story, Brokeback Mountain). While the hype seems to be mostly misplaced on the controversial acrobatics displayed by Tony Leung and Tang Wei in bed, Lee's storytelling leaves one breathless.
The love story unfolds against the backdrop of 1930's Japanese-invaded Shanghai where tyranny and suffering were synonymous. Nubile Wang Jia Zhi played by Tang Wei joins the resistance movement and gets herself drawn into the role of a spy to crumble the traitor, Mr Yee. In between the espionage and wild climatic trysts, both of them unknowingly embroil themselves in love and deceit, much deeper than they would have liked themselves to.
Tang Wei, as a newcomer to cinema, is impeccable. Her evolution from a wide-eyed country girl to a seductive temptress is enough to make the hardest of most men, in this case, the distrusting Mr. Yee fall for her. Wei acts pretty much on instincts and her body language does wonders at seducing the somewhat vulnerable Mr. Yee played by multiple-award winner Tony Leung. Wei breaks down in the memorable scene where she's talking to the resistance leader on her unyieldingly sacrificial role that is both a torment and insidious attack to her emotions.
As usual, Tony has the penchant for playing dark brooding men and in this instance, an evil Chinese traitor. He does not act. His presence already commands attention as the cynical no-nonsense minister. The pivotal sex scenes, split into three parts, are not just there for visual enhancement. They actually convey the shift in roles between the two throughout their complex relationship. The raw emotions displayed on their faces were enough to convince anyone hard-hearted to think twice about the essence of love. I must say these are some of the best bed scenes you'll ever witness on film.
Of course, the supporting cast of Joan Chen as Mrs Yee and Wong Lee-Hom as Tang Wei's resistance compatriot, Kuang Yu Min, is every bit just as spectacular. In the end, the story about love is bittersweet. You'll also see how fervent the resistance movement, which puts the enemy above self and others, was through Wang Jia Zhi's eyes. Lust Caution is 157 minutes' of rewarding watch that will linger on in your minds well after the credits roll. (A+)


Click Here to see more reviews about: Lust, Caution (Widescreen Edition) (2007)

Provocative, thrilling and passionate, Lust, Caution is the daring new film from acclaimed Academy Award®-winning director Ang Lee (Brokeback Mountain; Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon). Set against the backdrop of a transforming country,a young woman finds herself swept up in a radical plot to assassinate a ruthless and secretive intelligence agent. As she immerses herself in her role as a cosmopolitan seductress, she becomes entangled in a dangerous game that will ultimately determine her fate. Erotic, breathtaking and suspenseful, this award-winning film is being called "exquisitely beautiful" (Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times) and "lushly sensual" (Leah Rozen, People).

Get 37% OFF

Click here for more information about Lust, Caution (Widescreen Edition) (2007)

The History Channel Presents Shootout - Seasons 1 and 2 (2005) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)This was a great series!! However, buyer beware. My copy is missing Episode 3 on disk three(episode - WW2: Storming france). Although it is listed on the CD package, it is not on the CD itself, or the menu. I've encountered this type of thing before (not necessarily on "History Channel" items). We should expect the same problem will occur on other sets in the same run. Be sure to check your CDs immediately after purchase (I do as a general rule). I intend to return mine and wait a while for this problem to be worked out of the system. Highly recommended series apart from this "technical glitch". UPDATE JUNE 15, 2007. I PURCHASED A SECOND COPY OF THIS SET AND THE SAMR ISSUE WAS MISSING. DEFINITELY SOMETHING WRONG HERE!!!

Click Here to see more reviews about: The History Channel Presents Shootout - Seasons 1 and 2 (2005)

With stunning clarity, veterans of the world’s most memorable conflicts tell never-before-heard stories of rescues, sniper attacks, ambushes, and hand-to-hand combat. Through such state-of-the-art technology as aerial terrain mapping and 3-D animation sequences, legendary battles are recreated shot by shot in vivid, crisp detail. Coupled with eyewitness reports from military experts and soldiers from World War II to Iraq, these blow-by-blow re-creations of history’s bloodiest confrontations take viewers to the front lines of historic military operations from the perspectives of both sides of the fight, making SHOOTOUT! the most accurate gun battle series ever created.

Get 78% OFF

Click here for more information about The History Channel Presents Shootout - Seasons 1 and 2 (2005)

Hitler - The Rise of Evil (2003) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I gave "The Rise of Evil" 5 stars because that's what it deserves. The show is extremely well-constructed, cast, and directed, even if the screenplay takes some liberties with history along the way. Yes, the story could have gotten along without the dog beating scene, the one where Hitler's father abuses him violently, and probably a few others. But the dramatic effect would have been impaired.
I watched the "making of" documentary that came with my DVD before I sat down to view the 3-hour movie. Then, I watched the documentary again after seeing the show. I'd recommend this approach to others to understand why the producer and director were subject to such criticism before and after the film was finished.
When this miniseries first came out we going out of town and totally missed it. My wife and I watch very little network TV because it doesn't seem like it's designed for thinking adults. This program is very much the exception and should be a must for anyone interested in world events and the dangers of facism.
Any review of this program must include comments on the performance of Robert Carlyle who plays the adult Hitler. Although the very Scottish Mr. Carlyle may be small in stature and far-removed from Hitler's teutonic roots he is mesmerizing as der Fuehrer. Carlyle captures the part so well you worry about what he could possibly do in the future to escape type-casting. It's all there: the iron will, the vicious temper, the evil political genius. Scary, truly scary.
The other actors in the show do very well, too, and there are a lot of well-defined characters. Peter O'Toole's role in the movie is limited but he does a fine job as President Hindenburg. The decent people who are steam-rolled by the 3rd Reich were sorry victims, indeed, but that's the way it must have been.
There were some characters who were notable by their absence, like Heinrich Himmler, Reinhold Heydrich, and Martin Bormann. Also missing was much on Nazi mysticism and the occult. Maybe these missing pieces are being held for a sequel. I'd certainly be interested if there were one.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Hitler - The Rise of Evil (2003)

Featuring a star-studded cast, this epic mini-series traces the mind of a burgeoning madman as he begins his ruthless climb to power. From his emergence out of the ashes of World War I through the birth of the Nazi Party, acclaimed actor Robert Carlyle portrays Adolph Hitler in a performance that "conveys the depths of the tyrant’s evil" (San Francisco Chronicle). Includes the Bonus Documentaries: "Hitler and I: Reflections of Evil" (directed by David Cherniack) "Hitler: A Career" (written and directed by Joachim C. Fest)

Get 52% OFF

Click here for more information about Hitler - The Rise of Evil (2003)

The French Revolution (History Channel) (2005) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)There is a vast amount of information on the French Revolution that can be found in scholarly texts, recreational articles, Internet sites, as well as a large selection of documentaries that have been produced over the years. A great number of these sources are well worth a look at for the serious student as well as the part time historian. Without hesitation, this documentary should be at the top of the list, because it is not only a perfect introduction, but also an extremely well produced and informative film.
The History Channel has produced many well-made and educational documentaries over the years. One would have to admit that their Biography Series is second to none. But they have really out done themselves with The French Revolution, as it covers the numerous causes of this important insurrection, focusing on major personages in the aristocracy, the enlightenment and the key political insurgents, painting excellent portraits of Maximus Robespierre and the mad journalist, Marat, leading to their ironic and bloody ends. The Reign of Terror is depicted particularly well with all its high drama, intrigue and endless flow of blood. Interestingly, these portraits of the major players in the revolution, Robespierre, Danton, Marie Antoinette and Louie the 16th, were all done with such pathos, that I came away from the film feeling real empathy for these people, especially Marie Antoinette. This is the way history, as a subject, should be taught, evoking feelings for the people and the times under study.
The documentary combines images, well-acted scenarios and informative interviews with academics including a compelling narration - it is also very well written, as it is tremendously difficult to cover such a complex event in a short time and do it any justice. If you have any interest in The French Revolution, an event that virtually changed the world, this documentary would be a suitable starting point. It would also be a worthwhile teaching resource for students in the middle years and above.

Click Here to see more reviews about: The French Revolution (History Channel) (2005)

On July 14, 1789, a mob of angry Parisians stormed the Bastille and seized the King's military stores. A decade of idealism, war, murder, and carnage followed, bringing about the end of feudalism and the rise of equality and a new world order. The French Revolution is a definitive feature-length documentary that encapsulates this heady (and often headless) period in Western civilization. With dramatic reenactments, illustrations, and paintings from the era, plus revealing accounts from journals and expert commentary from historians, The French Revolution vividly unfurls in a maelstrom of violence, discontent, and fundamental change. King Louis XVI, Marie Antoinette, Maximilien Robespierre, and Napoleon Bonaparte lead a cast of thousands in this essential program from THE HISTORY CHANNEL®. Narrated by Edward Herrmann (The Aviator, Gilmore Girls),The French Revolution explores the legacy that--now more than ever--stands as both a warning and a guidepost to a new millennium

Get 26% OFF

Click here for more information about The French Revolution (History Channel) (2005)

The Road from Coorain (2003) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I think this is a wonderful adaptation of a wonderful novel. The acting is superb. The cinematography exquisite. Juliet Stevenson and Tim Guinee are extraordinary. It is well worth your time.

Click Here to see more reviews about: The Road from Coorain (2003)

Click here for more information about The Road from Coorain (2003)

24 Hours After Hiroshima (2009) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)On August 6, 1945, the B-29 "Enola Gay" dropped the world's first atomic bomb on the city of Hiroshima. Many thousands of Japanese died instantly from the resulting blast, shockwave, and firestorm. Others lingered for years with radiation sickness. This fine documentary explores the atomic mission itself, along with the aftermath.
What I found so interesting about this documentary was the fine use of experts. I found the officer who rode in the bomb bay of the B-29 and helped with the arming process to be very interesting. Richard Rhodes' insight into the development and use of the atomic bomb was also good. But perhaps the most insightful and poignant views were expressed by the Japanese survivors themselves. These people had to deal with the effects of the bomb for their entire lives.
I was also impressed with the discussion of how the bomb was designed. Th computer illustrations did a good job of explaining the operation of the bomb, from how the firing mechanism worked to the decision to have the bomb detonate at 1,900 feet rather than exploding on impact: (the ground would have absorbed much of the explosion, while an air burst would achieve maximum damage to the city).
I'm very familiar with the atomic bomb missions, having read several books on the topic. This fine documentary enhanced my earlier readings. National Geographic has done a very good job of explaining the bombing of Hiroshima, and the personal interviews explain the story of the bomb even further. Highly recommended.

Click Here to see more reviews about: 24 Hours After Hiroshima (2009)

On August 6th, 1945 a weapon unlike any other before wasunleashed on the Japanese city of Hiroshima. Four days later, the Japanese surrendered having been subjected to horrors and devastation previously unknown and unimaginable. But beyond the horror and human toll, real scientific questions remained unanswered. In 1945, a team of scientists and experts from the Manhattan Project was ordered by President Truman to investigate the facts of what really happened when the atomic bomb exploded over Hiroshima. National Geographic reveals the incredible science behind what happened moment by moment in the 24 Hours After Hiroshima.

Get 12% OFF

Click here for more information about 24 Hours After Hiroshima (2009)