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Review 2 Entertain Video / The Forsyte Saga
Actors & Directors
  • David Moore
  • Barbara Flynn
  • Christopher Menaul
  • Rupert Graves
  • Gina McKee
  • John Carlisle
  • Damian Lewis
Release date: 2002-05-13
Run time: 450 min.
RRP: £17.99
Price: £19.99

Review The Forsyte Saga / 2 Entertain Video:

Granada Television's adaptation of The Forsyte Saga achieved the seemingly impossible in Spring 2002, matching the BBC's 35-year-old black-and-white classic version with a richly cast and superbly directed take on John Galsworthy's first two novels. The success of these six 90-minute episodes proved that despite the current emphasis on mini-series and dramas developed around the "hot" actor of the moment, our appetite-and attention span-still craves ensemble pieces which are given the space and time to develop in today's focus-group-led scheduling. It also demonstrates that nothing generates television gold like a compelling family drama crammed with lust, rape, class conflict and the insuperable power of money. The Forsyte Saga is nothing if not superior soap opera. It could all have gone horribly wrong, haunted by the spectre of its BBC predecessor-a television legend for anyone over 40. Instead, it succeeds entirely on its own merits with scarcely a weak link; from Stephen Mallatratt's taut and fluid script to David Moore's carefully measured, seamess direction. Risks were taken to banish the old ghosts, particularly in the casting. In the event, Damian Lewis' repressed Soames and Gina McKee as his ill-matched bride, the enigmatic Irene, are inspired choices delivering complex portraits of unhappy, damaged human beings who deserve our sympathy. In a sea of marvellous cameos and splendid acting, the top honours go to Corin Redgrave and Rupert Graves for their hauntingly sensitive interpretations of Old and Young Jolyon, as well as to Amanda Root's increasingly exasperated Winifred; and Gillian Kearney's sharply intelligent and worldly June. All rounded characters without a weakly written cipher in sight. [+]
-Piers Ford.

Review Platinum Disc / In the Presence of Mine Enemies [1997] (REGION 1) (NTSC)
Actors & Directors
  • Elina Löwensohn
  • Joan Micklin Silver
  • Charles Dance
  • Chad Lowe
  • Tony Nardi
  • Armin Mueller-Stahl
Release date: 2005-02-08
Run time: 96 min.
Price: £7.22

Review In the Presence of Mine Enemies [1997] (REGION 1) (NTSC) / Platinum Disc:


Review Universal Pictures UK / A Room With A View [1986]
Actors & Directors
  • Helena Bonham Carter
  • Julian Sands
  • Denholm Elliott
  • Maggie Smith
  • Simon Callow
  • James Ivory
Release date: 2001-03-19
Run time: 113 min.
RRP: £9.99
Price: £19.99

Review A Room With A View [1986] / Universal Pictures UK:

The prestigious film-making trio of producer Ismail Merchant, director James Ivory and screenwriter Ruth Prawer Jhabvala had made other critically acclaimed films before A Room with a View was released in 1985, but it was this popular film that made them art-house superstars. Splendidly adapted from the novel by E. M. Forster, it's a comedy of the heart, a passionate romance and a study of repression within the class system of manners and mores. It's that system of rigid behaviour that prevents young Lucy Honeychurch (Helena Bonham Carter) from accepting the loving advances of a free-spirited suitor (Julian Sands), who fears that she will follow through with her engagement to a priggish intellectual (Daniel Day-Lewis) whose capacity for passion is virtually non-existent. During and after a trip to Italy with her protective companion (Maggie Smith), Lucy gradually gets in touch with her true emotions. The fun of watching A Room with a View comes from seeing how Lucy's thoughts and feelings finally arrive at the same romantic conclusion. Through an abundance of humour both subtle and overt, the film rose to an unexpected level of popular appeal. The Merchant-Ivory team received eight Academy Award nominations for their efforts, and won the Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay, Art Direction and Costume Design. -Jeff Shannon.

Review MGE / Pan Tadeusz [1999] (REGION 1) (NTSC)
Actors & Directors
  • Andrzej Wajda
  • Daniel Olbrychski
  • Boguslaw Linda
  • Marek Kondrat
  • Grazyna Szapolowska
  • Andrzej Seweryn
Release date: 2005-02-22
Run time: 154 min.
Creator: Piotr Weresniak
Price: £41.00

Review Pan Tadeusz [1999] (REGION 1) (NTSC) / MGE:


Review Dreamworks Video / Perfume: The Story of a Murder [2006] (REGION 1) (NTSC)
Actors & Directors
  • Gonzalo Cunill
  • Tom Tykwer
  • Dustin Hoffman
  • Francesc Albiol
  • Alan Rickman
  • Ben Whishaw
Release date: 2007-07-24
Run time: 147 min.
Creator: Patrick Süskind
Price: £8.47

Review Perfume: The Story of a Murder [2006] (REGION 1) (NTSC) / Dreamworks Video:


Review MGM / Tea With Mussolini [1999] (REGION 1) (NTSC)
Actors & Directors
  • Judi Dench
  • Lily Tomlin
  • Cher
  • Maggie Smith
  • Franco Zeffirelli
  • Joan Plowright
Release date: 1999-11-23
Run time: 117 min.
Creator: Marco Chimenz
Price: £5.19

Review Tea With Mussolini [1999] (REGION 1) (NTSC) / MGM:

In filming this semi-autobiographical account of life in Italy during the dawn of World War II, director Franco Zeffirelli imbues Tea with Mussolini with the mixed blessings of fond reminiscence. It's a warmly inviting film, as impeccable as any Merchant-Ivory production, but like a hazy memory it's uncertain in its narrative intentions. And yet with an exceptional cast to compensate, the film's as engaging as it is inconsequential. Zeffirelli's alter ego is Luca (Charlie Lucas in youth; Baird Wallace as a teenager), who is raised in Florence by Mary (Joan Plowright), the middle-aged secretary of his absentee father. Luca lives among a loose band of British and American women, nicknamed "Il Scorpioni" for their stinging wit in the shadows of Mussolini's thuggish dictatorship. Along with Mary there's Hester (Maggie Smith), a crusty ambassador's widow; Arabella (Judi Dench), a lively bohemian; lesbian archaeologist Georgie (Lily Tomlin); and Elsa (Cher), a flamboyant American who quietly finances Luca's education. Il Scorpioni witness the rise of fascism and the dangers of resistance, weathering dictatorial custody and (in Elsa's case) falling prey to heartbreaking betrayal. But Tea with Mussolini carries little dramatic weight; you have to forgive its unfocused structure to appreciate its merits. Zeffirelli gently conveys the passage from pleasantry to wartime, and he's drawn uniformly fine performances from this seasoned cast. If the film is vaguely unsatisfying, it's only because it had the makings of greatness and settles instead for an ethereal quality of anecdotal enchantment. [+]
-Jeff Shannon, Amazon. com.

Review Acorn Media / Island at War [2004] (REGION 1) (NTSC)
Actors & Directors
  • Sean Ward
  • Thaddeus O'Sullivan
  • Rupert Young
  • Peter Lydon
  • Owen Teale
  • Marshall Griffin
  • Julia Ford
Release date: 2005-02-15
Run time: 398 min.
Creator: Stephen Mallatratt
Price: £25.29

Review Island at War [2004] (REGION 1) (NTSC) / Acorn Media:


Review Universal Studios / Leatherheads [Region 1] [Blu-ray] [2008] [US Import]
Actors & Directors
  • George Clooney
  • Jonathan Pryce
  • Renée Zellweger
  • George Clooney
  • John Krasinski
  • Stephen Root
Release date: 2008-09-23
Run time: 114 min.
Creator: Rick Reilly
Price: £23.66

Review Leatherheads [Region 1] [Blu-ray] [2008] [US Import] / Universal Studios:


Review Warner Home Video / The Last Samurai [HD DVD] [2004] [US Import]
Actors & Directors
  • Chad Lindberg
  • Ken Watanabe
  • Tom Cruise
  • William Atherton
  • Billy Connolly
  • Edward Zwick
Release date: 2006-04-18
Run time: 154 min.
Creator: John Logan
Price: £25.91

Review The Last Samurai [HD DVD] [2004] [US Import] / Warner Home Video:

The Last Samurai gives epic sweep to an intimate story of cultures at a crossroads as Japan undergoes tumultuous transition to a more Westernised society in 1876-77. In America, tormented Civil War veteran Captain Nathan Algren (Tom Cruise) is coerced by a mercenary officer (Tony Goldwyn) to train the Japanese Emperor's troops in the use of modern weaponry. Opposing this "progress" is a rebellion of samurai warriors, holding fast to their traditions of honour despite strategic disadvantage. As a captive of the samurai leader (Ken Watanabe), Algren learns, appreciates, and adopts the Samurai code, switching sides for a climactic battle that will put everyone's honour to the ultimate test. All of which makes director Edward Zwick's noble epic eminently worthwhile, even if its Hollywood trappings (including an all-too-conventional ending) prevent it from being the masterpiece that Zwick and screenwriter John Logan clearly wanted it to be. Instead, The Last Samurai is an elegant mainstream adventure, impressive in all aspects of its production. It may not engage the emotions as effectively as Logan's script for Gladiator, but like Cruise's character, it finds its own quality of honour. -Jeff Shannon.

Review Warner Home Video / The Last Samurai [2004] (REGION 1) (NTSC)
Actors & Directors
  • Edward Zwick
  • William Atherton
  • Ken Watanabe
  • Tom Cruise
  • Chad Lindberg
  • Billy Connolly
Release date: 2004-05-04
Run time: 154 min.
Creator: John Logan
Price: £4.47

Review The Last Samurai [2004] (REGION 1) (NTSC) / Warner Home Video:

The Last Samurai gives epic sweep to an intimate story of cultures at a crossroads as Japan undergoes tumultuous transition to a more Westernised society in 1876-77. In America, tormented Civil War veteran Captain Nathan Algren (Tom Cruise) is coerced by a mercenary officer (Tony Goldwyn) to train the Japanese Emperor's troops in the use of modern weaponry. Opposing this "progress" is a rebellion of samurai warriors, holding fast to their traditions of honour despite strategic disadvantage. As a captive of the samurai leader (Ken Watanabe), Algren learns, appreciates, and adopts the Samurai code, switching sides for a climactic battle that will put everyone's honour to the ultimate test. All of which makes director Edward Zwick's noble epic eminently worthwhile, even if its Hollywood trappings (including an all-too-conventional ending) prevent it from being the masterpiece that Zwick and screenwriter John Logan clearly wanted it to be. Instead, The Last Samurai is an elegant mainstream adventure, impressive in all aspects of its production. It may not engage the emotions as effectively as Logan's script for Gladiator, but like Cruise's character, it finds its own quality of honour. -Jeff Shannon.

Review Acorn Media / The Irish R.M. - Series 3
Actors & Directors
  • Christopher Casson
  • Gabrielle Keenan
  • Marie Conmee
  • Stanley Illsley
  • Eamon Morrissey
Release date: 2000-02-07
Run time: 310 min.
Creator: Barry Blackmore
RRP: £16.99
Price: £19.98

Review The Irish R.M. - Series 3 / Acorn Media:


Review Acorn Media / A Horseman Riding By - Vol. 1 [1978]
Actors & Directors
  • Glyn Houston
  • Madge Ryan
  • Prunella Ransome
  • Nigel Havers
  • Fiona Gaunt
Release date: 2004-07-12
Run time: 250 min.
RRP: £19.99
Price: £12.54

Review A Horseman Riding By - Vol. 1 [1978] / Acorn Media:


Review Live/Artisan / Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights [2004] (REGION 1) (NTSC)
Actors & Directors
  • Jonathan Jackson
  • John Slattery
  • Romola Garai
  • Diego Luna
  • Guy Ferland
  • Sela Ward
Release date: 2004-07-20
Run time: 86 min.
Creator: Peter Sagal
Price: £5.76

Review Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights [2004] (REGION 1) (NTSC) / Live/Artisan:

The sinuous world of 1950s Cuban dance halls provides the setting for Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights, a "re-imagining" that shares with the original movie a deep love of sexy young people pressed tightly together on the dance floor. Fresh from New England, bookish and lovely Katey (Romola Garai, adorable in the charming but little-seen I Capture the Castle) meets a fiery young busboy named Javier (Diego Luna, Y Tu Mama Tambien) at a snooty hotel. Before you can say Tito Puente, the two have found a common language in the sensual swaying of their limbs, despite the resistance of Katey's mother (Sela Ward). It's all ridiculous, of course-the dialogue is atrocious, the characters tortilla-thin, and the politics embarrassing-but that's hardly the point. Luna is dreamy, there's lots of sweaty dancing, and Patrick Swayze makes an appearance-what more can you ask from a movie called Dirty Dancing? -Bret Fetzer.

Review Cinema Libre / America So Beautiful [2001]
Actors & Directors
  • Shohreh Aghdashloo
  • Belinda Waymouth
  • Mansour
  • Babak Shokrian
  • David Fariborz Davoodian
  • Atossa Leoni
Release date: 2004-05-25
Run time: 91 min.
Creator: Brian Horiuchi
Price: £5.34

Review America So Beautiful [2001] / Cinema Libre:


Review Image Entertainment / The Legend of 1900 [1999] (REGION 1) (NTSC)
Actors & Directors
  • Bill Nunn
  • Giuseppe Tornatore
  • Mélanie Thierry
  • Pruitt Taylor Vince
  • Tim Roth
  • Clarence Williams III
Release date: 2002-06-04
Run time: 165 min.
Creator: Alessandro Baricco
Price: £6.25

Review The Legend of 1900 [1999] (REGION 1) (NTSC) / Image Entertainment:


Review MPI Home Video / The Turn of the Screw [1974] (REGION 1) (NTSC)
Actors & Directors
  • Megs Jenkins
  • Dan Curtis
  • Anthony Langdon
  • Jasper Jacob
  • John Barron
  • Eva Griffiths
Release date: 2002-08-27
Run time: 120 min.
Creator: William F. Nolan
Price: £6.83

Review The Turn of the Screw [1974] (REGION 1) (NTSC) / MPI Home Video:


Review HBO Home Video / Starter for 10 [2006] (REGION 1) (NTSC)
Actors & Directors
  • James Gaddas
  • Alice Eve
  • Joseph Friend
  • James McAvoy
  • Rebecca Hall
  • Tom Vaughan
Release date: 2007-07-31
Run time: 92 min.
Creator: David Nicholls
Price: £5.42

Review Starter for 10 [2006] (REGION 1) (NTSC) / HBO Home Video:

Compared to James McAvoy's previous picture, The Last King of Scotland, this comedy may seem trivial, but trivia has its pleasures. Produced by Tom Hanks and adapted by David Nicholls from his 2003 novel, Starter for Ten doesn't tackle major historical events, but it also takes place in the past. After a prologue establishing his childhood in provincial Essex, Brian (McAvoy) takes off for Bristol University in 1985 and immediately sets his sights on the campus quiz team. If he makes the cut, he'll get to compete on University Challenge, a show he used to watch the show with his late father, who encouraged his son's quest for knowledge. For all his book smarts, though, Brian is rather naïve about the ways of the world, unlike his friend Spencer (Dominic Cooper, The History Boys), who remains in town. As Brian and his teammates prepare for the competition, he falls for co-eds Alice (Alice Eve) and Rebecca (Rebecca Hall, The Prestige), struggles to repair his fraying friendship with Spencer, and confronts feelings of betrayal over his mother's new boyfriend. For the most part, Starter for Ten explores standard-issue college concerns, but with abundant wit, whimsy, and a soundtrack stuffed with Thatcher-era favorites, like the Smiths and New Order. While the resolution to Brian's romantic dilemma hardly comes as a surprise, the climactic quiz show is a nail-biter. Mostly, the film is a fine showcase for the multi-talented McAvoy, who confirms that he can handle light comedy as gracefully as dark drama. -Kathleen C. [+]
Fennessy END.

Review BBC Warner / Jane Austen's Mansfield Park [1983] (REGION 1) (NTSC)
Actors & Directors
  • David Buck
  • Sharon Beare
  • Giles Ashton
  • Samantha Bond
  • David Giles
  • Robert Burbage
Release date: 2004-08-24
Run time: 312 min.
Creator: Jane Austen
Price: £5.34

Review Jane Austen's Mansfield Park [1983] (REGION 1) (NTSC) / BBC Warner:


Review Warner Home Video / Samantha: An American Girl Holiday [2004] (REGION 1) (NTSC)
Actors & Directors
  • Mia Farrow
  • Jordan Bridges
  • Nadia Tass
  • AnnaSophia Robb
  • Olivia Ballantyne
  • Jackie Brown
Release date: 2004-11-30
Run time: 86 min.
Creator: Valerie Tripp
Price: £8.29

Review Samantha: An American Girl Holiday [2004] (REGION 1) (NTSC) / Warner Home Video:


Review Palm Pictures / Summer Palace [2006] (REGION 1) (NTSC)
Actors & Directors
  • Xiaodong Guo
  • Lei Hao
  • Lin Cui
  • Xueyun Bai
  • Long Duan
  • Ye Lou
Release date: 2008-03-11
Run time: 158 min.
Creator: Ma Yingli
Price: £11.38

Review Summer Palace [2006] (REGION 1) (NTSC) / Palm Pictures:


Models & Brands:
The Forsyte Saga, In the Presence of Mine Enemies [1997] (REGION 1) (NTSC), A Room With A View [1986], Pan Tadeusz [1999] (REGION 1) (NTSC), Perfume: The Story of a Murder [2006] (REGION 1) (NTSC), Tea With Mussolini [1999] (REGION 1) (NTSC), Island at War [2004] (REGION 1) (NTSC), Leatherheads [Region 1] [Blu-ray] [2008] [US Import], The Last Samurai [HD DVD] [2004] [US Import], The Last Samurai [2004] (REGION 1) (NTSC), The Irish R.M. - Series 3, A Horseman Riding By - Vol. 1 [1978], Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights [2004] (REGION 1) (NTSC), America So Beautiful [2001], The Legend of 1900 [1999] (REGION 1) (NTSC), The Turn of the Screw [1974] (REGION 1) (NTSC), Starter for 10 [2006] (REGION 1) (NTSC), Jane Austen's Mansfield Park [1983] (REGION 1) (NTSC), Samantha: An American Girl Holiday [2004] (REGION 1) (NTSC), Summer Palace [2006] (REGION 1) (NTSC)

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