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Haunted History - Haunted Histories Collection (Hauntings / Vampire Secrets / Salem Witch Trails / The Haunted History of Halloween / Poltergeist) (History Channel)
Actor: Haunted Histories Collection
ASIN : B000S0GYMK
Sales Rank : 4159
Director : n/a
Brand : A&E
Studio : A&E HOME VIDEO
Region Code : 1
Format : Box set, Black & White, Color, DVD-Video, NTSC
Binding : DVD
EAN : 0733961773491
UPC : 733961773491
Release Date : December 25, 2007
Publisher : A&E HOME VIDEO
Manufacturer : A&E HOME VIDEO
Availability : Usually ships in 24 hours
Label : A&E HOME VIDEO
Running Time : 300
Product DescriptionHAUNTED HISTORIES COLLECTION - THE REAL STORIES BEHIND HISTORY S SPOOKIES PHENOMENA: HAUNTINGS, WITCHES, POLTERGEISTS, VAMPIRES, AND MORE!
The HAUNTED HISTORIES COLLECTION takes viewers on a spine-tingling tour of truly frightening phenomena. Uncover the real stories behind the Salem Witch Trials, vampires, demon spirits, and haunted houses. From interviews with victims who have been attacked by evil spirits to eyewitness accounts of corpses with pulses and graves where nothing will grow, you don t have to believe in ghosts to be spooked by these chilling tales.
Featuring in-depth profiles of the world s scariest stories, including: Hauntings, Vampire Secrets, Salem Witch Trials, The Haunted History of Halloween, and Poltergeists.
Reviews for the Haunted History - Haunted Histories Collection (Hauntings / Vampire Secrets / Salem Witch Trails / The Haunted History of Halloween / Poltergeist) (History Channel)
List Price: $24.95Price: $19.99You Save: $4.96 (20%)
How the Earth Was Made (History Channel)
Actor: How the Earth Was Made
ASIN : B00126808K
Sales Rank : 2779
Director : Peter Chin
Brand : A&E
Studio : A&E HOME VIDEO
Region Code : 1
Format : Color, DVD-Video, NTSC
Binding : DVD
EAN : 0733961110548
UPC : 733961110548
Release Date : December 15, 2008
Publisher : A&E HOME VIDEO
Manufacturer : A&E HOME VIDEO
Availability : Usually ships in 24 hours
Label : A&E HOME VIDEO
Running Time : 94
Product DescriptionFrom a once seething, hellish mass of molten rock to the world that inhabits life today, take a rollercoaster ride through the entire history of Planet Earth. Its 4.5 billion year epic, a story of unimaginable timescales, earth-shattering forces, incredible life forms, radical climates and mass extinctions. Discover how the continents were formed, canyons were carved, and why the world's animals live where they do.
DVD Features: Additional Scenes; Bonus Documentary Inside the Volcano Amazon.comThere's a lot of information in How the Earth Was Made, but perhaps the most interesting relates to time. Quite often, the numbers are so staggering that scientists refer to it as "deep time," an appropriate term when one grapples with the notion that our planet is 4.5 billion years old, or that the oceans were formed by rainfall that lasted literally millions of years, or that 700 million years ago, Earth was completely covered by ice that was a mile thick, with surface temperatures reaching minus 40 degrees Fahrenheit. On the other end of the scale are numbers that seem surprisingly small: for instance, it wasn't until 220 years ago that the accepted church doctrine regarding the planet's age (no more than 6000 years, according to the Bible) was seriously challenged and that the key to its past was found in rocks, not scripture, while the discovery that dinosaurs once ruled the Earth came considerably later than that. Using a combination of computer graphics and animation, various drawings and diagrams, photos, location footage, and expert commentary, this fascinating, 94-minute History Channel production takes us from the very beginning, when the planet was formed by meteors colliding in space, through numerous major events (including the appearance of water, granite, and oxygen) and mind-boggling catastrophes (such as mass extinctions caused by volcanic eruptions or the enormous meteor that wiped out 75% of all living things, including the dinosaurs, some 65 million years ago), right up to the present; there's even a glimpse into the future, when Earth will likely end up as barren and lifeless as Mars (no need to hit the panic button yet, though--a few billion more years will pass before that happens). Bonus features include additional scenes and a documentary entitled "Inside the Volcano." --Sam Graham
Reviews for the How the Earth Was Made (History Channel)
New Price: $33.16
Horatio Hornblower Collector's Edition
Actors: Ioan Gruffudd, Robert Lindsay, Dorian Healy, Michael Byrne, Robert Bathurst
ASIN : B000AYEIW2
Sales Rank : 2445
Director : Andrew Grieve
Studio : A&E Home Video
Region Code : 1
Format : Box set, Closed-captioned, Collector's Edition, Color, DVD-Video, NTSC
Binding : DVD
EAN : 9780767087285
ISBN : 0767087283
UPC : 733961740721
Release Date : December 25, 2005
Publisher : A&E Home Video
Manufacturer : A&E Home Video
Label : A&E Home Video
Running Time : 800
DescriptionFrom midshipman to commander, experience the thrilling escapades of the ultimate high-seas hero with the HORATIO HORNBLOWER COLLECTOR'S EDITION, an eight-volume treasure chest of sweeping naval adventure and lavish historical drama. Joining the British Royal Navy at the outset of the Napoleonic Wars, the enterprising Horatio Hornblower rises quickly from raw recruit to seasoned sailor, charting a course from the West Indies to the coast of Africa in the name of the Crown. Along the way he encounters roiling sea battles, mutiny, plague and love, but always proves himself equal to the task. Gorgeously filmed and richly produced, A&E's Emmy®-winning adaptations of C.S. Forester's classic novels star Ioan Gruffudd (Fantastic Four, Black Hawk Down) and a stellar supporting cast that includes Robert Lindsay (Wimbledon), Jamie Bamber (Band of Brothers) and Paul Copley (Queer as Folk). The HORATIO HORNBLOWER COLLECTOR'S EDITION contains all eight feature-length Hornblower films (with many a bonus material below deck): The Duel The Fire Ships The Duchess and the Devil The Wrong War The Mutiny Retribution Loyalty Duty DVD Features: Exclusive Interview with Ioan Gruffudd; Filmmaker Commentary on "Loyalty" and "Duty"; 3 Bonus Programs: "England’s Royal Warships," "Sail 2000: Aboard the Eagle," and "The Making of Horatio Hornblower"; About C.S. Forester; Nautical Terms and Definitions; Interactive 3D Naval Cannon; Guide to Royal Warships; C.S. Forester Biography; Cast and Crew Biographies; Photo Gallery; Interactive Menus; Scene Selection
Reviews for the Horatio Hornblower Collector's Edition
List Price: $149.95Price: $109.99You Save: $39.96 (27%)
Benny Hill - Complete & Unadulterated Megaset (1969-1989)
Actor: Benny Hill
ASIN : B000T28PGA
Sales Rank : 3891
Director : n/a
Brand : A&E
Studio : A&E HOME VIDEO
Region Code : 1
Format : Box set, Black & White, Color, DVD-Video, Full Screen, NTSC
Binding : DVD
EAN : 0733961775433
UPC : 733961775433
Release Date : December 30, 2007
Publisher : A&E HOME VIDEO
Manufacturer : A&E HOME VIDEO
Availability : Usually ships in 24 hours
Label : A&E HOME VIDEO
Running Time : 2900
Product Description58 Full-Length Episodes. 585 classic sketches. On 18 DVDs.
The undisputed Funniest Man on Television Benny Hill pioneered a naughty new direction for the sketch-comedy variety show and pushed TV broadcasting to new levels of bawdiness as he electrified audiences all over the world with The Benny Hill Show. This show-stopping collection on 18 DVDs captures every classic comedic moment from the Merry Master of Mirth in his hey day!
BENNY HILL: COMPLETE AND UNADULTERATED: THE COMPLEAT COLLECTION contains Benny s raucous 20-year reign over television s-sketch variety genre, from the naughty early years to the debut of the nubile Hill s Angels through the final episodes. Witness to the birth of crazy caricatures like Fred Scuttle, Chow Mein, and Pierre de Terre. Laugh out loud as Benny and his bevy of buxom babes flaunt their racy rowdiness and tongue-in-cheek satire in characteristically outrageous sketches like The Little Dimpton Street Party and The Crook Report. These 58 vintage episodes originally aired from 1969 to 1989, contain nearly 600 memorable sketches and deliver a comedy high kick that is quintessentially Benny.
Never aired in the U.S. in full-length form, this complete collection of the Thames episodes of The Benny Hill Show presents a rare opportunity to view every saucy, unforgettable moment from one of the most uproarious and celebrated programs in television history.
DVD Features: Bonus Documentary: The World s Favorite Clown; The Benny Hill Cheeky Challenge Trivia Quiz # 1-6; Benny Hill: Laughter and Controversy Episode of A&E s Award-Winning Series BIOGRAPHY; Eddie in August; I Was A Hill s Angel Featurette; Hill s Angels: Off the Record Featurette; Hill s Angels: In Conversation Featurette
Reviews for the Benny Hill - Complete & Unadulterated Megaset (1969-1989)
List Price: $19.95Price: $10.49You Save: $9.46 (47%)
Life After People (History Channel)
Actor: Life After People Dv
ASIN : B0012IV3PU
Sales Rank : 2436
Director : David de Vries
Brand : A&E
Studio : A&E HOME VIDEO
Region Code : 1
Format : Color, DVD-Video, NTSC
Binding : DVD
EAN : 0733961110906
UPC : 733961110906
Release Date : December 18, 2008
Publisher : A&E HOME VIDEO
Manufacturer : A&E HOME VIDEO
Availability : Usually ships in 24 hours
Label : A&E HOME VIDEO
Running Time : 94
Studio descriptionIf humans were suddenly to disappear, what would happen to our planet – the structures we've built, the everyday items we take for granted, domesticated and wild animals, plants, trees? What would become of the things that define our species and leave our mark on this Earth? Visit the ghostly villages surrounding Chernobyl (abandoned by humans after the 1986 nuclear disaster), travel to remote islands off the coast of Maine to search for abandoned towns that have vanished from view in only a few decades, then head beneath the streets of New York to see how subway tunnels may become watery canals. HISTORY® takes you on an amazing visual journey in LIFE AFTER PEOPLE, a though-provoking adventure that combines movie-quality visual effects with insights with insights from experts in the fields of engineering, botany, ecology, biology, geology, climatology, and archeology to demonstrate how the very landscape of our planet will change in our absence. Amazon.comThe very notion is deliciously ghoulish: What happens to earth if--or when--people suddenly vanished? The History Channel presents a dramatic, fascinating what-if scenario, part science fiction and part true natural science. "Welcome to Earth, Population: 0" is the catchy tagline, Life After People's 94 minutes are so gripping you nearly forget while you watch that you, yourself, will be gone too. It turns out that earth can go along very nicely without us. The hardest part of the special is probably in the first 15 minutes, when pet owners confront what likely will happen to their dogs (thankfully, the show follows those dogs who break out of their houses, and the prognosis for them to survive as scavengers is good). As the fictional days and weeks tick by, the process of nature's reclaiming the planet becomes less grim and more fascinating. The impact of the lack of people will be noticed right away, as most power grids shut down around the planet. The one holdout: Hoover Dam, whose hydro power lights up the American Southwest. Scientists say the dam can continue to operate on its own for months, maybe years, keeping the Vegas Strip alight. Only the eventual accumulation of quagga mussels, an invasive species, in the cooling pipes of the power plant--currently being cleaned by humans--will shut down the dam. Elsewhere, critters and plants will have their run of Manhattan and every other previously "civilized" spot. Inventive photography shows bears clambering out of subway stations, and vines pulling down brownstones, then skyscrapers. It may not be a surprise when the Eiffel Tower and Space Needle meet their eventual fates, but the scenes nonetheless provide a pleasant sting of shock. Life After People is humbling, yet exhilarating. -- A.T. Hurley
Reviews for the Life After People (History Channel)
List Price: $99.95Price: $98.99You Save: $0.96000000000001 (1%)
The Avengers - The Complete Emma Peel Megaset (2006 Collector's Edition)
Actors: Diana Rigg, Patrick MacNee
ASIN : B000CCW2VQ
Sales Rank : 2034
Brand : A&E
Studio : A&E Home Video
Region Code : 1
Format : Box set, Black & White, Collector's Edition, Color, DVD-Video, NTSC
Binding : DVD
EAN : 0733961745825
UPC : 733961745825
Release Date : December 28, 2006
Publisher : A&E Home Video
Manufacturer : A&E Home Video
Availability : Usually ships in 24 hours
Label : A&E Home Video
Running Time : 2913
DescriptionShe is the perfect balance of sexiness and sophistication, wit and whimsy. The object of many prepubescent lads’ desires, Mrs. Emma Peel dazzled television screens on both sides of the Atlantic from 1965-1967. Starring Dame Diana Rigg as Peel and Patrick Macnee as John Steed, the Emma Peel era of THE AVENGERS was the high-water-mark of the groundbreaking series, with adventures more fantastic than ever. A one-stop haven for DVD collectors, this special 17-disc Collector’s Edition features all 51 digitally remastered Emma Peel episodes plus a new bonus disc containing three "lost" episodes from the debut season of THE AVENGERS, a ‘making-of’ documentary film, a classic Emma Peel cameo episode from THE NEW AVENGERS ‘77, and more. Amazon.comAlong with Monty Python's Flying Circus, The Avengers practically defined British cult television, and it was never better than during the three years that Diana Rigg's Emma Peel character tossed out her witty barbs and karate kicks. The supercool 2006 edition of The Complete Emma Peel Megaset encompasses all 51 episodes from 1965-66 (in black and white) and 1967 (in color) plus a new bonus disc, all in 17 space-saving Thinpaks. Paired with Patrick Macnee as the dapper, umbrella-wielding John Steed, Rigg's Mrs. Peel turned heads with her sexy outfits, then broke skulls of the various would-be world-dominating bad guys who crossed her path. Like the mixed crime-fighting teams who came after them in shows like Moonlighting and The X-Files, Steed and Mrs. Peel had a constant platonic playfulness. In one episode when Mrs. Peel is working undercover at a department store, Steed drops in for a visit, remarking, "They told me 'Mrs. Peel is in Ladies Underwear.' I rattled up the stairs three at a time." However, unlike their spiritual successors, Steed and Mrs. Peel never jumped the shark; instead she bid a fond farewell as she passed the torch to Steed's next partner, Tara King (Linda Thorson), just as she had been passed the torch from Honor Blackman. (Blackman left her Kathy Gale character to go on to fame as Pussy Galore in Goldfinger--in one episode, Steed receives a postcard from Gale sent from Fort Knox.) But although Macnee had some enjoyable moments with other partners throughout the series' run, it's the Emma Peel years that fans remember most fondly, not only for the great chemistry between the lead actors, but the superb writing and distinctly British, and distinctly '60s, quirky charm. The 216-minute bonus disc is the new addition to the 2006 set. Completists will appreciate the "lost" episodes from the first season. Of the very first episode, "Hot Snow," however, only the first 15 minutes were recovered. "Girl on the Trapeze" features a vanilla-esque Ian Hendry as Dr. David Keel investigating the death of a circus performer, while "The Frighteners" perks things up considerably with the addition of Macnee's Steed character, who displays a bit of the comedic twinkle that would be the cornerstone of the series through its entire run. All in all, the episodes aren't nearly as watchable as the peak years of the series. Of greater interest to fans is "Avenging the Avengers," a 1992 documentary recapping the series through clips and interviews with Macnee, crew members, and actresses Honor Blackman (Cathy Gale, 1962-64) and Linda Thorson (Tara King, 1968-69). Diana Rigg appears briefly in older interview footage. The documentary lasts 25 minutes, and an additional nine minutes of interviews are added to the end. There's also a three-minute promotional film that Macnee and Rigg made to promote the series' switch from black and white to color, an alternate opening sequence, and a 1977 episode in which Mrs. Peel makes a cameo appearance. The bonus disc is also available separately for those who already have the 2001 Megaset and don't want to upgrade just for the sake of saving shelf space. --David Horiuchi
Reviews for the The Avengers - The Complete Emma Peel Megaset (2006 Collector's Edition)
List Price: $39.95Price: $31.99You Save: $7.96 (20%)
The Jewel in the Crown (25th Anniversary Edition)
Actors: Peggy Ashcroft, Charles Dance, Art Malik
ASIN : B001AXL67W
Sales Rank : 3356
Brand : A&E
Studio : A&E Home Video
Format : Box set, Color, DVD-Video, NTSC
Binding : DVD
EAN : 0733961134575
UPC : 733961134575
Release Date : December 30, 2008
Publisher : A&E Home Video
Manufacturer : A&E Home Video
Availability : Usually ships in 24 hours
Label : A&E Home Video
Running Time : 778
Album DescriptionAdapted from Paul Scott's The Raj Quartet, The Jewel In The Crown focuses on the human and cultural entanglements of the men and women struggling to adjust to the drastic changes brought about by the end of the colonial regime. From Gandhi's call on the British to "Quit India" to the birth of an independent nation, this magnificent eight-part series is brought to life through intricate storylines and a sterling British cast including Academy Award-winning, legendary British actress Dame Peggy Ashcroft (A Passage to India) and Emmyr nominee Charles Dance (Alien).Filmed on location in England, Wales, and India, and rich in mid-twentieth-century historical detail, this best-selling series narrates a stirring finale to the British Empire in India. Amazon.comThe Jewel in the Crown, adapted from Paul Scott's Raj Quartet novels, tells the story of the final years before India gained independence in 1947. It is rare for a filmed adaptation to successfully preserve the richness and complexity of a great novel, but this epic miniseries succeeds both as personal drama and historical panorama. In 1942 Daphne Manners, a naive young woman newly arrived in the town of Mayapore, befriends Hari Kumar, an Indian-born journalist who has spent most of his life in England. With his dark skin and educated English accent, Hari feels like an outsider wherever he goes, but Daphne understands his plight and they become romantically involved. Their developing relationship is jealously observed by local police chief Ronald Merrick, a man haunted by his own demons. When the lovers are attacked in the gardens of the ruined Bibighar palace and Daphne is raped, Merrick seizes his opportunity, pins the crime on Hari, and has the young man jailed. Distraught, Daphne flees to her aunt's home in Kashmir, where she dies giving birth to a half-caste child. The focus then shifts to Sarah Layton, a young Englishwoman who becomes fascinated by the story of Daphne and Hari, and who will have her own encounter with Ronald Merrick. The events in the Bibighar gardens become a symbol of the violent struggle for Indian independence, and other symbols--Daphne's bicycle, a length of butterfly lace, a picture of Queen Victoria on an Indian throne--appear and reappear, linking people and events. This helps to give coherence to the plot even as it spans five years and expands to include many characters whose lives intersect in complex and unexpected ways. With a huge cast and breathtaking location photography, The Jewel in the Crown was an enormous undertaking when it was made in the early 1980s. Twenty years later it has lost none of its power, and it remains one of the best films ever made for television. --Simon Leake
Reviews for the The Jewel in the Crown (25th Anniversary Edition)
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A History of Britain - The Complete Collection (2008 Repackage)
Actor: History of Britain
ASIN : B0016OKR34
Sales Rank : 2846
Director : The History Channel
Brand : A&E
Studio : A&E Home Video (New REleaset)
Region Code : 1
Format : Box set, Color, DVD-Video, NTSC
Binding : DVD
EAN : 0733961116793
UPC : 733961116793
Release Date : December 29, 2008
Publisher : A&E Home Video (New REleaset)
Manufacturer : A&E Home Video (New REleaset)
Availability : Usually ships in 24 hours
Label : A&E Home Video (New REleaset)
Running Time : 900
Product DescriptionFrom the dawn of civilization to the 20th century, A COMPLETE HISTORY OF BRITAIN re-animates familiar tales and illuminates overlooked aspects of Englnd s past. Written and hosted by historian Simon Schama (the bestselling author of Rembrandt s Eyes and The Embarrassment of Riches), this monumental BBC production has been hailed by critics for its colorful--and controversial--approach.
Discarding timelines and tiresome lineages, HISTORY provides a liveley look at the personalities and cultures that infuse Britain s past and examines the impact of this extraordinary heritage on the modern nation. From India to Ireland, the Norman Invasion to the American Revolution, Schama spotlights the epic themes and towering figures that transformed an island at the edge of the world into the greatest empire on earth.
All 15 episodes of the landmark series are available on DVD in this comprehensive collector s set. Amazon.comWhat do you get when you combine the resources and ethos of the BBC with the literary panache of one of the world's best narrative historians? The answer is Simon Schama's History of Britain television series. In this well-written and thoughtfully crafted survey, Schama, the bestselling author of books on European cultural history such as The Embarrassment of Riches and Citizens, has managed to be both conventional and provocative. He tells the official version of Britain's story--Roman Britain, the Norman Conquest, the struggles of the Henrys and Richards, Elizabeth I, Scottish rebellions and the English Civil Wars, the American Revolution, the growth of the British Empire, Queen Victoria, the industrial age, and Winston Churchill. But while sticking to a script familiar to anyone who sat up and listened during history class, Schama brings it all alive with memorable prose and presence--Simon de Montfort's rebel parliament is described as inaugurating the "union between patriotism and insubordination"; with Henry VIII, Schama says, "you could practically smell the testosterone." Schama is also particularly enlightening on the symbolism of buildings, memorials, language, and ceremonies, and on the complex relations between England and its Celtic and Catholic neighbors. If history must have gloss, then let it be presented like this. --Miles Taylor
Reviews for the A History of Britain - The Complete Collection (2008 Repackage)
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The Lost Battalion
Actors: Rick Schroder, Phil McKee, Jamie Harris, Jay Rodan, Adam James (II)
ASIN : B00005U8F4
Sales Rank : 1714
Director : Russell Mulcahy
Brand : A&E
Studio : A&E Home Video
Region Code : 1
Format : Closed-captioned, Color, DVD-Video, NTSC
Binding : DVD
EAN : 9780767043878
ISBN : 0767043871
UPC : 733961703993
Release Date : December 29, 2002
Publisher : A&E Home Video
Manufacturer : A&E Home Video
Availability : Usually ships in 24 hours
Label : A&E Home Video
Running Time : 100
Product DescriptionStudio: A&e Home Video Release Date: 01/29/2002 Run time: 100 minutes Rating: Nr Amazon.comThe true World War I story of an American unit that was surrounded by German troops and pounded mercilessly for days (at times even by its own artillery) is vividly portrayed in this made-for-television film starring Rick Schroder. Playing a patrician New York City lawyer commissioned a major and sent into combat, Schroder commands a battalion composed of New York wiseacres as well as so-called "apple knockers" from the West. The plot is straightforward (and will be familiar to those who know World War I history), but the film rises above what could have been a clichéd telling of the story of Major Whittlesey and his heroic men. The action sequences, shot tightly with hand-held cameras, owe a debt to Saving Private Ryan, and the surreal horror of World War I, in which armies killed with machine guns yet communicated by carrier pigeon, is conveyed very well. --Robert J. McNamara
Reviews for the The Lost Battalion
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Marple Classic Mysteries (Caribbean Mystery/4:50 from Paddington/Moving Finger/Nemesis/At Bertram's Hotel/Murder at Vicarage/Sleeping Murder/They Do It with Mirrors/Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side)
Actors: Joan Hickson, Michael Culver, Elizabeth Counsell, Deborah Appleby, Lucy Gleeson
ASIN : B000CRR36K
Sales Rank : 2471
Director : Christopher Petit, David Tucker, John Davies, Julian Amyes, Martyn Friend
Brand : A&E
Studio : A&E Home Video
Region Code : 1
Format : Box set, Color, DVD-Video, NTSC
Binding : DVD
EAN : 0733961747096
UPC : 733961747096
Release Date : December 28, 2006
Publisher : A&E Home Video
Manufacturer : A&E Home Video
Availability : Usually ships in 24 hours
Label : A&E Home Video
Running Time : 936
DescriptionReturn to post-war England for mystery and a cup of tea with Agatha Christie’s most popular creation. The consummate prim and proper crime-fighting spinster, Miss Jane Marple sets down her knitting needles to unwind the most ingenious crimes. As she travels from city to countryside and even the Bahamas, murders, missing bodies and haunted dreams have a habit of falling across Miss Marple’s path--which is precisely when, "tail up and head down," the beloved aunt and godmother goes into action. Digitally re-mastered and faithfully adapted from Agatha Christie’s best-selling novels, THE CLASSIC MYSTERIES COLLECTION features Joan Hickson (Christie’s personal choice to play the spinster sleuth) in over fifteen hours of suspense, misdirection, rich period detail, and the cleverest solutions imaginable. DVD Features: Complete Index of all Miss Marple Stories; Agatha Christie Bio; Joan Hickson Biography/Filmography; Interactive Menus; Scene Selection Amazon.comJoan Hickson is the epitome of Agatha Christie's spinster sleuth in this DVD boxed set of nine Miss Marple movies from British television. "Little grey-haired cobra," mutters Detective Inspector Slack (David Horovitch), the hard-slogging policeman who finds himself humbled, again and again, by the frail woman's shrewd insight and dogged determination. Whether on a tropical island, in a grand hotel, or on a bus tour of historic sites, Miss Marple never fails to uncover the buried secrets, illicit affairs, tangled finances, and boorish Americans that abound in Agatha Christie's mysteries. Hickson is said to be Christie's own choice for the role (though when Christie told her this, Hickson was taken aback, as she was still fairly young at the time), and it's easy to see why: Hickson is physically unassuming, a perfect village busybody, yet her eyes contain a constant flicker of curiosity and keen intelligence. This set includes all but three of Hickson's outings as Miss Marple: A Caribbean Mystery, in which an old bore's death on an island resort sets the plot in motion; The Mirror Crack'd From Side to Side, which features an aging movie star and sumptuous marble bathrooms; in 4:50 from Paddington, the launch of Sputnik is accompanied by a strangling on a train; The Moving Finger begins with poison pen letters, but poison and bludgeonings soon follow; At Bertram's Hotel is one of the most unusual stories, as murder doesn't happen until more than 3/4 of the movie has unfolded, and the ending features a dynamic rooftop chase; Murder at the Vicarage, a definitive village mystery which finds Miss Marple solving a killing on her home turf; Nemesis, in which a wealthy old friend of Miss Marple's orchestrates, after his own death, the investigation of a murder long gone cold; Sleeping Murder, one of the best, starts out as more of a ghost story than a mystery and culminates in genuine suspense; and They Do It With Mirrors, in which misdirection--the cunning art upon which any murder mystery depends--is part of the plot itself. There are a few famous names sprinkled among the casts (among them Donald Pleasance, Halloween, Jean Simmons, Spartacus, and Joan Greenwood, The Importance of Being Earnest, who has one of the most wonderful voices in the history of British cinema), but these BBC dramas depend mostly on solid, enjoyable character actors--actors much like Hickson herself, who labored for decades in bit parts before finding her plum role. The compression necessary to turn a book into a movie sometimes makes sussing out the murderer simpler, but fans of the genre will still be delighted by Miss Marple's perceptive investigations. --Bret Fetzer
Reviews for the Marple Classic Mysteries (Caribbean Mystery/4:50 from Paddington/Moving Finger/Nemesis/At Bertram's Hotel/Murder at Vicarage/Sleeping Murder/They Do It with Mirrors/Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side)
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