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"MIDDLEMARCH" (1994) Review

posted by DR76

"MIDDLEMARCH" (1994) Review

Many years have passed since I first saw "MIDDLEMARCH", the 1994 BBC adaptation of George Eliot's 1871 novel. Many years. I recalled enjoying it . . . somewhat. But it had failed to leave any kind of impression upon me. Let me revise that. At least two performances left an impression upon me. But after watching the miniseries for the seconde time, after so many years, I now realize I should have paid closer attention to the production.

Directed par Anthony Page and adapted for télévision par Andrew Davies, "MIDDLEMARCH" told the story about a fictitious Midlands town...

"THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO" (1934) Review

posted by DR76

"THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO" (1934) Review

I have seen only two versions of Alexandre Dumas père's 1845 novel, "The Count of Monte Cristo" in my past - the 1975 télévision version with Richard Chamberlain and the 2002 Disney film with James Cavielzel. While lire a good number of articles about the movie versions of the novel, I came across numerous praises for the 1934 adaptation that starred Robert Donat. And since I happened to like Dumas' story so much, I decided to see how much I would like this older version.

Set between the last months of the Napoleonic Wars and the 1830s, "THE COUNT...

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"THE BLUE AND THE GRAY" (1982) Review

posted by DR76

"THE BLUE AND THE GRAY" (1982) Review

In 1982, CBS télévision aired a three-part miniseries about the experiences of two families during the Civil War. Sounds familiar? It should, for John Jakes had wrote something similar in three novels between 1982 and 1987 – namely the "NORTH AND SOUTH" Trilogy. Jakes’ novels were adapted for télévision in 1985, 1986 and 1994. However this miniseries was produced par Larry White and Lou Reda. And despite the mildly similar theme to the "NORTH AND SOUTH" saga, there are some vast differences.

"THE BLUE AND THE GRAY" had not been based upon any particular...

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"THE LEGEND OF BAGGER VANCE" (2000) Review

posted by DR76

"THE LEGEND OF BAGGER VANCE" (2000) Review

I never saw "THE LEGEND OF BAGGER VANCE" in the movie theaters when it was first released years ago. I have a low tolerance of sports films and there are only a few that I consider favoris of mine. Another reason why I never saw this film in the theaters is that my family simply had no desire to see it.

Based upon Steven Pressfield's 1995 novel and directed par Robert Redford, "THE LEGEND OF BAGGER VANCE" was a box office flop. Worse, it had received mixed to negative reviews. Among the criticisms directed at the film was the accusation that the Bagger...

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"HOMEFRONT" RETROSPECT: (1.01) "S.N.A.F.U."

posted by DR76

"HOMEFRONT" RETROSPECT: (1.01) "S.N.A.F.U."

There are only a handful of télévision shows that I am very emotional about. There are only a handful that I consider to be among the best I have ever seen on the small screen. One of them happened to be the 1991-1993 ABC series, "HOMEFRONT". Not only do I view it as one of the few télévision series that turned out to be consistently first-rate from beginning to end, it also has one of the best pilot episodes I have ever seen.

"HOMEFRONT" followed the lives and experiences of a handful of citizens in the fictional town in Ohio, right after the end...

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"GONE WITH THE WIND" (1939) Review

posted by DR76

"GONE WITH THE WIND" (1939) Review

Several years ago, I had come across an article that provided a liste of old classics that the auteur felt might be overrated. One of those films turned out to be the 1939 Oscar winning film, "GONE WITH THE WIND". Not only did the auteur accuse the movie of being both racist and sexist, he also claimed that the movie had not aged very well over the past seven decades.

Did I agree with the author? Well, let me put it this way. I would say that "GONE WITH THE WIND" has managed to withstand the tests of time . . . to a certain extent. As the auteur had pointed...

"THE SACKETTS" (1979) Review

posted by DR76

Below is my review of the 1979 télévision miniseries called ”THE SACKETTS”:

”THE SACKETTS” (1979) Review

Thirty years ago, CBS aired a two-part miniseries (or télévision movie) based upon two novels written par the late Louis L’Amour. Directed par Robert Totten, ”THE SACKETTS” starred Sam Elliot, Tom Selleck and Jeff Osterhage as the three Sackett brothers.

”THE SACKETTS” told the story of Tell (Elliot), Orrin (Selleck) and Tyrel (Osterhage) Sackett and their efforts to make new lives for themselves in the post-Civil War West. Screenwriter Jim Byrnes took two novels about the...

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"THE BARCHESTER CHRONICLES" (1982) Review

posted by DR76

"THE BARCHESTER CHRONICLES" (1982) Review

Back in 1982, the BBC turned to 19th century auteur Anthony Trollope for a seven-part miniseries called ”THE BARCHESTER CHRONICLES”. The miniseries was based upon the author’s first two Barchester novels about the Church of England.

Directed par David Giles and written par Alan Plater, ”THE BARCHESTER CHRONICLES” is an adaptation of ”The Warden” (1855) and ”Barchester Towers” (1857). The novels focused upon the the dealings and social maneuverings of the clergy and gentry literature concern the dealings of the clergy and the gentry that...

"GEORGE WASHINGTON" (1984) Review

posted by DR76

"GEORGE WASHINGTON" (1984) Review

Twenty-four years before the award-winning HBO miniseries "JOHN ADAMS" aired, the CBS network aired a miniseries about the first U.S. President, George Washington. Simply titled "GEORGE WASHINGTON", this three-part miniseries was based upon two biographies written par James Thomas Flexner - 1965's "George Washington, the Forge of Experience, 1732–1775" and 1968's "George Washington in the American Revolution, 1775–1783".

"GEORGE WASHINGTON" spanned at least forty years in the life of the first president - from 1743, when his father Augustine Washington died...

"THE JOURNEY OF AUGUST KING" (1995) Review

posted by DR76

"THE JOURNEY OF AUGUST KING" (1995) Review

When the 1995 adaptation of John Ehle's 1971 novel, "The Journey of August King" hit the theaters, it barely made a flicker in the consciousness of moviegoers. In a way, I could see why.

"THE JOURNEY OF AUGUST KING" begins with widowed farmer August King traveling through the hills of western North Carolina in the spring of 1815, after selling his produce, making a final payment on his land, and purchasing goods at the local markets. During his journey, he learns about a hunt for an escaped slave. August eventually comes across the slave - a 17 year-old...

"THE HOBBIT: BATTLE OF THE FIVE ARMIES" (2014) Review

posted by DR76

"THE HOBBIT: BATTLE OF THE FIVE ARMIES" (2014) Review

When New Line Cinema and Warner Brothers first released the news that Peter Jackson would adapt J.R.R. Tolkien's 1937 novel, "The Hobbit" into three films, I had not been pleased. I thought the novel could have easily been adapted into two films ou even a single film. Now that Jackson's third film, "THE HOBBIT: BATTLE OF THE FIVE ARMIES", I realized that my feelings had not changed.

I still believe what I had originally stated . . . an adaptation of Tolkien's novel could have easily been limited to a single film. I believe I would have enjoyed...

War & Peace (1972): a review

posted by chrsvg

It seems that Leo Tolstoy’s War & Peace («Война и миръ», Voyna i mir) novel is like the holy grail of every director who respects himself. It has been adapted for film, TV, opera, radio. imdb liste 9 War and Peace adaptations including 2 silent films. The novel was first published in 1869. The work is epic in scale and is regarded as one of the most important works of the world literature. It is considered Tolstoy’s finest literary achievement, along with his other major prose work Anna Karenina (1873–1877).

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The Wind Blows Free

posted by chrsvg

I have just watched the very first episode of The Onedin Line, a 1971 BBC production and although I am perfectly ready to admit that I am long overdue, I cannot help but feeling a new obsession coming up.

Plot: James Onedin is a poor young skipper in Liverpool who dreams of starting his own shipping business and breaking free from his powerful boss. In order to acquire his first ship, charlotte Rhodes, he marries Anne the daughter of the ship owner and the adventure begins…

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"RACE TO FREEDOM: THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD" (1994) Review

posted by DR76

"RACE TO FREEDOM: THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD" (1994) Review

Many télévision viewers and moviegoers might be surprised to learn that Hollywood had aired a good number of télévision films that featured the topic of U.S. slavery. One of those films proved to be an offshoot of the 1977 miniseries, "ROOTS". However, another was the 1994 télévision movie called "RACE TO FREEDOM: THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD".

The 1994 télévision movie is a story about the Underground Railroad, a loose network of secret routes and sûr, sans danger houses occasionally used par willing 19th-century slaves in the United States to escape...

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"INFAMOUS" (2006) Review

posted by DR76

"INFAMOUS" (2006) Review

I have heard a lot about the two movie biographies based upon Truman Capote’s experiences, while working on his famous 1966 non-fiction novel, "In Cold Blood" – 2005's "CAPOTE" and "INFAMOUS", which hit movie theaters in the following year. But this review is about the seconde film . . . namely "INFAMOUS". Written and directed par Douglas McGrath, the movie starred Toby Jones as Truman Capote.

To be honest, I did not know what to expect of "INFAMOUS". Since it was the seconde Capote movie to be released, it failed to garner any prestigious critic awards ou nominations...

"SENSE AND SENSIBILITY" (1971) Review

posted by DR76

"SENSE AND SENSIBILITY" (1971) Review

For some reason, I still find it hard to believe that until recently, very few people were aware that the first adaptation of Jane Austen's 1811 novel, "Sense and Sensibility", dated as far back as 1971. After all, people have been aware of other Austen adaptations during this same period ou earlier. Even the Wikipedia site fails to mention it, except in connection with one of the cast members. What was about this four-part miniseries that eluded so many Austen fans?

In "SENSE AND SENSIBILITY", a wealthy landowner named Mr. Dashwood dies, leaving his two...

"BAND OF ANGELS" (1957) Review

posted by DR76

"BAND OF ANGELS" (1957) Review

I have been a fan of period dramas for a long time. A very long time. This is only natural, considering that I am also a history buff. One of the topics that I l’amour to explore is the U.S. Civil War. When toi combined that topic in a period drama, naturally I am bound to get excited over that particular movie ou télévision production.

I have seen a good number of télévision and movie productions about the United States' Antebellum period and the Civil War. One of those productions is "BAND OF ANGEL", an adaptation of Robert Warren Penn's 1955 novel set during the...

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"THE WINDS OF WAR" (1983) Review

posted by DR76

”THE WINDS OF WAR” (1983) Review

Some forty-five years ago, auteur Herman Wouk wrote ”The Winds of War”, a bestselling novel about the experiences of a middle-aged U.S. Navy officer and his family during the early years of World War II. A decade later, ABC télévision and producer David Wolper brought his story to the télévision screen with a seven-part, fourteen-and-a-half heure miniseries that became a ratings hit and a major Emmy and Golden Globe nominee.

Produced par Dan Curtis and Barbara Steele, and directed par Curtis; ”THE WINDS OF WAR” was a sprawling saga that told the story...

Sonya Rostova & Fanny Price: a small comparison

posted by chrsvg

Sonya Rostova is a fictional character in Leo Tolstoy’s 1869 novel War and Peace. She is the orphaned niece of Count and Countess Rostov and, as a result, she is living with the Rostov family. She and her cousin Natasha share a very special bond and they are inseparable. At the start of the novel, 15-year-old Sonya is in l’amour with her cousin, Nikolai Rostov, who initially reciprocates her feelings. Sonya has no dowry and Nikolai’s mother opposes the match. However, she and Nikolai swear eternal l’amour before he leaves to fight in the war.

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"THE SHADOW RIDERS" (1982) Review

posted by DR76

"THE SHADOW RIDERS" (1982) Review

When I first set out to discover how many of auteur Louis L'Amour novels had been adapted for the films and television, I had assumed at least a handful had gone through this process. I was surprised to discover that many of his works had been adapted. And one of them turned out to be the 1982 télévision movie, "THE SHADOW RIDERS".

I have only seen two L'Amour adaptations in my life - "THE SHADOW RIDERS" and the 1979 two-part miniseries, "THE SACKETTS". Both productions seemed to have a great deal in common. The two productions are adaptations of L'Amour (which...