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List Price: $39.99Price: $35.99You Save: $4 (10%)Adams: Doctor Atomic
Actors: Finley, Rivera, Owens, Fink, Maddalena
ASIN : B001BSH18O
Sales Rank : 1920
Director : Sellars, Renes
Studio : Bbc / Opus
Region Code : 0
Format : Classical, Color, DTS Surround Sound, DVD-Video, NTSC, Subtitled, Surround Sound, Widescreen
Binding : DVD
EAN : 0809478009986
UPC : 809478009986
Number Of Discs : 2
Release Date : December 30, 2008
Publisher : Bbc / Opus
Manufacturer : Bbc / Opus
Availability : Usually ships in 24 hours
Label : Bbc / Opus
Running Time : 230
Product DescriptionThe longing to overcome human boundaries lead the physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer to begin an experiment that formed a threat to the whole of humanity, and whose scientific results still do today. The question of the moral implications of the atomic bomb is raised in John Adams opera, just as much as that of the influence on the private lives of the main characters. Doctor Atomic is the fifth work to result from almost twenty years of collaboration between the American composer and his fellow American director and Erasmus Prize-winner Peter Sellars. Doctor Atomic concerns itself with the work of J. Robert Oppenheimer and his team of scientists at the test site of the first atomic bomb outside Los Alamos, New Mexico during the lead-up to the first detonation. As Zero Hour relentlessly approaches and conditions become less and less favorable, individual tensions build feverishly and Oppenheimer and his staff struggle with the moral implications of their work on 'the Gadget', and the strong possibility of global annihilation. Recorded in high definition video and true surround sound, John Adams' fascinating, overwhelming score and Peter Sellars' forceful staging (and TV direction) portray Oppenheimer, exquisitely sung by Gerald Finley, as a profoundly troubled man, at odds with himself but moving inexorably forward, representative of the great ethical dilemmas of humanity itself.
Reviews for the Adams: Doctor Atomic
List Price: $19.98Price: $15.99You Save: $3.99 (20%)Persuasion
Actors: Anthony Head, Alice Krige, Marion Bailey, Peter Wight, Rupert Penry-Jones
ASIN : B000YIGNKE
Sales Rank : 1624
Director : Adrian Shergold
Brand : Warner Brothers
Studio : BBC Warner
Region Code : 1
Format : Closed-captioned, Color, DVD-Video, Widescreen, NTSC
Binding : DVD
EAN : 0883929005475
UPC : 883929005475
Release Date : December 15, 2008
Publisher : BBC Warner
Manufacturer : BBC Warner
Availability : Usually ships in 24 hours
Label : BBC Warner
Running Time : 93
DescriptionJane Austen’s romantic masterpiece comes to DVD in a thrilling new production from the BBC and Masterpiece Theatre. Anne Elliot fell deeply in love with the handsome young naval officer Frederick Wentworth at the age of nineteen. But with neither fortune nor rank to recommend him, Anne was persuaded to break off her engagement. Eight years later, Anne has lived to regret her decision. She never stopped loving Wentworth, and when he returns from sea with a fortune and rank, she can only watch as every eligible young woman in the district falls at his feet. Amazon.com Jane Austen fans will delight in the sumptuous production design and first-rate acting in the 2007 Masterpiece Theatre version of Persuasion. Sally Hawkins is controlled and moving as Anne Elliot, the quietly heartbroken but sensible heroine who was "persuaded" (read: forced) to turn away her true love but still carries an unseen torch for him. Hawkins's performance is genteel yet steely, and the quiet strength of the entire production. Hawkins looks alternately quietly lovely and sadly pinched--as one might expect the long frustrated Anne to look. Other highlights include a post-Buffy Anthony Head, as Anne's clueless, blustery father, Sir Walter. Head gets to turn on his deft comic talent here in ways most American audiences have not yet seen him; he's clearly enjoying himself immensely, blustering about "my shrubberies" and other trivial affairs. The cinematography is lush (several breathtaking tracking shots are used, especially early on), as are the period costumes. The production was filmed exclusively on location, and the reality of the sets enforces the story. Some fans may prefer the 1995 Amanda Root version, for the casting of Ciaran Hinds as Capt. Wentworth, but this later effort is a worthy entry in the Austen film oeuvre--and Rupert Penry-Jones is a dreamboat in his own right. As the wistful Anne says, on behalf of all women, "We do not forget you, so soon as you forget us." --A.T. Hurley
Reviews for the Persuasion
List Price: $49.98Price: $34.99You Save: $14.99 (30%)Sense & Sensibility Collector's Set (Sense & Sensibility 2008 / Miss Austen Regrets / Persuasion 2007)
Actors: Anthony Head, Alice Krige, Marion Bailey, Peter Wight, Rupert Penry-Jones
ASIN : B0012Q3T6I
Sales Rank : 1199
Brand : Warner Brothers
Studio : BBC Warner
Region Code : 1
Format : Box set, Collector's Edition, DVD-Video, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
Binding : DVD
EAN : 0883929011476
UPC : 883929011476
Release Date : December 08, 2008
Publisher : BBC Warner
Manufacturer : BBC Warner
Availability : Usually ships in 24 hours
Label : BBC Warner
Running Time : 267
Description1) Sense and Sensibility From acclaimed writer Andrew Davies (BBCs Pride and Prejudice starring Colin Firth) comes this enchanting new adaptation of Jane Austen's classic novel about love and marriage. Marianne Dashwood wears her heart on her sleeve when she falls in love with the charming but unsuitable John Willoughby, ignoring her sister Elinor's warning that her impulsive behavior leaves her open to gossip and innuendo. Elinor, sensitive to social convention, struggles to conceal her own romantic disappointment, even from those closest to her. Will the sisters learn that sense must mix with sensibility if they are to find personal happiness in a society where status and money govern the rules of love? 2) Miss Austen Regrets A biopic unraveling the secrets of the elusive author based on Jane Austen's actual letters and diaries. 3) Persuasion Anne Elliot fell deeply in love with the handsome young naval officer Frederick Wentworth at the age of nineteen. But with neither fortune nor rank to recommend him, Anne was persuaded to break off her engagement. Eight years later, Anne has lived to regret her decision. She never stopped loving Wentworth, and when he returns from sea with fortune and rank, she can only watch as every eligible young woman in the district falls at his feet. Amazon.comLush, dramatic, and beautifully acted, the BBC's three-part miniseries Sense & Sensibility captures the languid urgency that resonates throughout the Jane Austen novel on which it is based. The miniseries begins with a seduction scene: As a young girl cautiously gives herself to a man, she asks, "But when will you come back?" He answers ominously, "Soon... very soon," and gallops off into the night. We know what she does not--that he will not return for her. But viewers do not learn until the end who the couple are, and how their actions set off a chain of events. It is inevitable that this period piece will be compared to the 1995 big screen adaptation that starred Emma Thompson, Kate Winslet and Hugh Grant, and won Thompson an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay. To its credit, this later version stands up incredibly well, with actors whose looks match Austen's written description. And due to a longer running time than the film version, there is more attention paid to detail and minor characters. Sense & Sensibility focuses on the longings of the Dashwood sisters Elinor (Hattie Morahan) and Marianne (Charity Wakefield). After their wealthy father dies, leaving his entire estate to their milquetoast half brother John (Mark Gatiss), Elinor, Marianne, their younger sister Margaret (Lucy Boynton), and their mother are left penniless. John and his shrew-like wife Fanny move into the manor, making the Dashwoods feel like unwanted guests. It is only after Fanny's handsome and kind brother Edward Ferrars (Dan Stevens) arrives for a visit that Elinor feels happy again. Marianne, too, has attracted the attention of two suitors: serious and shy Colonel Brandon (David Morrissey) and dashing Willoughby (Dominic Cooper). Learning that the 35-year-old colonel is interested in her, a stunned Marianne says, "You do realize that it will be impossible for me to speak to him again." Her actions are that of a little girl, running away and hiding when he comes to call on her. But her feelings for Willoughby are real: the kind of love a girl feels for the first time. The differences in the sisters' choices, actions, and secrets set the tone for an era when a perceived impropriety could ruin a woman's reputation and her family's standing in a community. Filmed in England with good use of aerial shots, the production has a sweeping feel that adds a distinct flavor to the drama. As with many Austen novels, the heroines in Sense & Sensibility go through many misunderstandings before their happily-ever-after ending. But that ending leaves viewers satisfied that things turned out just the way that they should. Austen fans will be delighted with the second disc in this set: Miss Austen Regrets is a perfect companion to the miniseries, starring Olivia Williams stars as the author, and Greta Scacchi--who could easily pass as Williams' real-life sibling--as Austen's sister Cassandra. The film takes a bittersweet look at Austen's life and hints at what could have been had she married one of her suitors. Smart and headstrong, Austen refuses to cave into society's notions of what a proper woman should do. While her famous heroines all paired up with dashing gentlemen, Austen found that the loves of her life were her written creations. --Jae-Ha Kim On the third disc of this set is the sumptuous production design and first-rate acting in the 2007 Masterpiece Theatre version of Persuasion. Sally Hawkins is controlled and moving as Anne Elliot, the quietly heartbroken but sensible heroine who was "persuaded" (read: forced) to turn away her true love but still carries an unseen torch for him. Hawkins's performance is genteel yet steely, and the quiet strength of the entire production. Hawkins looks alternately quietly lovely and sadly pinched--as one might expect the long frustrated Anne to look. Other highlights include a post-Buffy Anthony Head, as Anne's clueless, blustery father, Sir Walter. Head gets to turn on his deft comic talent here in ways most American audiences have not yet seen him; he's clearly enjoying himself immensely, blustering about "my shrubberies" and other trivial affairs. The cinematography is lush (several breathtaking tracking shots are used, especially early on), as are the period costumes. The production was filmed exclusively on location, and the reality of the sets enforces the story. Some fans may prefer the 1995 Amanda Root version, for the casting of Ciaran Hinds as Capt. Wentworth, but this later effort is a worthy entry in the Austen film oeuvre--and Rupert Penry-Jones is a dreamboat in his own right. As the wistful Anne says, on behalf of all women, "We do not forget you, so soon as you forget us." --A.T. Hurley
Reviews for the Sense & Sensibility Collector's Set (Sense & Sensibility 2008 / Miss Austen Regrets / Persuasion 2007)
List Price: $49.98Price: $30.99You Save: $18.99 (38%)The Sarah Jane Adventures - The Complete First Season
Actor: Elisabeth Sladen
ASIN : B001993YCM
Sales Rank : 2050
Brand : Warner Brothers
Studio : BBC Warner
Region Code : 1
Format : Color, Widescreen, NTSC
Binding : DVD
EAN : 0883929031344
UPC : 883929031344
Release Date : December 07, 2008
Publisher : BBC Warner
Manufacturer : BBC Warner
Availability : Usually ships in 24 hours
Label : BBC Warner
Running Time : 337
Product DescriptionStudio: Warner Home Video Release Date: 10/07/2008 Run time: 360 minutes Rating: Nr Amazon.comThe presence of Elisabeth Sladen in the role that made her famous--intrepid reporter-turned-space adventurer Sarah Jane Smith--is one of the chief joys of The Sarah Jane Adventures, a delightful Doctor Who spin-off for younger viewers from series producer Russell T. Davies. Sarah Jane, once and forever companion to Jon Pertwee and Tom Baker's Doctors, steps capably into the lead for this series, which finds her partnered with a young neighbor (Yasmin Paige) to investigate and combat alien menaces in their comfortable London suburb. Who fans will recognize many of the foes, including the chaos-driven Trickster and the unpleasant Slitheen, both of whom menaced David Tennant's Doctor, but the new villains make their mark as well, most notably the Bane, an alien forced disguised as an ingredient in a soft drink. It's bright, breezy fun, well played by its cast of younger and more mature performers, and quite true to the mix of cheeky charm and outright thrills that has been the earmark of Doctor Who since its origin. And it's a genuine pleasure to have Sladen back as Sarah Jane; her spot-on mix of absolute conviction and gentle tongue-in-cheek humor make her the dream aunt or teacher of every adolescent science fiction fan. Extras on the four-disc First Season set are plentiful, though perhaps not as in-depth as those typically found on Doctor Who DVD releases. The lack of commentaries is perhaps due to the concept that younger fans might not be interested in listening to them, though that strategy short-changes older viewers who have been charmed by the program. Also, the very active menu animation, which depicts the interior of Sarah Jane's house, tends to get a bit tiresome when one tries to navigate the various options. But the featurette "From Journalist to Time Traveller and Beyond" should be a real pleasure for the Who faithful; it's a 30-minute tour through Sarah Jane's adventures with the Doctor, complete with scenes from many Pertwee and Baker serials. Sladen is naturally featured in several interviews, and there are behind-the-scenes clips from the UK children's program Blue Peter, as well as a plethora of info-heavy character profiles and even clips from a pair of audio books. --Paul Gaita
Reviews for the The Sarah Jane Adventures - The Complete First Season
List Price: $179.98Price: $100.99You Save: $78.99 (44%)As Time Goes By - Complete Original Series
Actor: Elisabeth Sladen
ASIN : B0009S2SOY
Sales Rank : 1114
Brand : Warner Brothers
Studio : BBC Warner
Region Code : 1
Format : Box set, Closed-captioned, Color, DVD-Video, NTSC
Binding : DVD
EAN : 9781419815645
ISBN : 1419815644
UPC : 794051236227
Release Date : December 30, 2005
Publisher : BBC Warner
Manufacturer : BBC Warner
Availability : Usually ships in 24 hours
Label : BBC Warner
Running Time : 1920
DescriptionOnce upon a time, a dashing young British Army officer and a lovely student nurse fell deeply, magically in love. Then he was shipped off to Korea and they never heard from one another. Forty years later, fate brings them together again... with hilarious results. From the first moment Jean and Lionel meet again to the wedding of Alistair and Judith, all the classic moments are here for fans to enjoy. DVD Features:
Biographies:Cast bios
Interviews:Interviews with members of the cast (Geoffrey Palmer, Moira Brooker, Philip Bretherton)
Other:Excerpts from Judi Dench's BAFTA tribute, featuring personal anecdotes from Geoffrey Palmer
Reviews for the As Time Goes By - Complete Original Series
List Price: $14.98Price: $6.49You Save: $8.49 (57%)Charlie and Lola, Vol. 6 - How Many More Minutes Until Christmas
Actor: Elisabeth Sladen
ASIN : B000SULWL8
Sales Rank : 853
Brand : Warner Brothers
Studio : Disney Channel
Region Code : 1
Format : Animated, Closed-captioned, Color, DVD-Video, Widescreen, NTSC
Binding : DVD
EAN : 0794051416728
UPC : 794051416728
Release Date : December 16, 2007
Publisher : Disney Channel
Manufacturer : Disney Channel
Availability : Usually ships in 24 hours
Label : Disney Channel
Running Time : 97
DescriptionCharlie and Lola are everso extremely excited because Christmas is coming and they are taking it in turns to open the doors on the Advent calendar. After 24 days of hiccups and happy preparations, Christmas caroling and making things, everything looks set for the perfect Christmas until Lola notices that she sent Lotta's Christmas card to Santa and her Christmas wish list, with that especially special gift request for Charlie, to Lotta by mistake! Things couldn't possibly get worse!! Until...Lola discovers that there is no door on the Advent calendar for Christmas Day! Christmas has completely disappeared and definitely is not going to happen!!ÿ It's an absolute disaster! Or is it? DVD Features:
Featurette
Outtakes
Reviews for the Charlie and Lola, Vol. 6 - How Many More Minutes Until Christmas
List Price: $79.98Price: $59.99You Save: $19.99 (25%)Robin Hood - Season 2
Actors: Jonas Armstrong, Lucy Griffiths, Richard Armitage, Keith Allen, Sam Troughton
ASIN : B00123GQLG
Sales Rank : 1582
Brand : Warner Brothers
Studio : BBC WARNER
Region Code : 1
Format : Color, Widescreen, NTSC
Binding : DVD
EAN : 0883929018253
UPC : 883929018253
Release Date : December 29, 2008
Publisher : BBC WARNER
Manufacturer : BBC WARNER
Availability : Usually ships in 24 hours
Label : BBC WARNER
Running Time : 578
DescriptionThe contemporary retelling of the popular legend is back for a second series with more breathtaking archery, incredible swordplay, lots of humour, fun and energy, a smattering of brute force, and the raw determination to right wrongs. The Sheriff is in the final stages of a plot to kill King Richard upon his return from the Holy Land. The Sheriff also wants Robin Hood dead and with his devastating sister Davina, sets about catching him once and for all. It seems only a matter of time until Marian escapes to the forest and she and Robin can be together. Until that is, Gisborne turns up at Knighton Hall and razes it to the ground, seizing Marian and Edward and placing them under house arrest in the castle. Marian and Robin now separate for the good of England, Marian as the castle spy, and Robin leading his gang in the forest and villages of Nottingham... DVD Features:
Audio Commentary
Featurette
Amazon.comThe Sheriff (Keith Allen) puts Operation Shah Mat (translation: Kill the King) into action. He assembles a garrison of hundreds of men, the dread Black Knights. He commissions the development of indestructible armor that will turn his army into Iron Men. To fund his plans, he plots to cheat a high-rolling Bavarian aristocrat, while Robin (Jonas Armstrong) and company try to pull an Ocean’s 11 and rob his impenetrable Strong Room. But big picture: The Sheriff is determined to intercept King Richard upon his return to England and kill him. Robin receives the clandestine help of Marian (Lucy Griffiths), who, with her ailing father, is being held under house arrest in the castle. After the mostly rollicking romp that was Series One, Series Two of this royally entertaining BBC series takes a decidedly darker, Empire Strikes Back turn (let's just hope that next time around, Robin and his men don't find Ewoks in Sherwood Forrest). Along with the daring rescues, swashbuckling fights, and anachronistic dialogue ("Get with the program, Gisborne") that are this series' stock in trade, Robin’s tireless campaign against the Sheriff gets very personal. In the first episode, the Sheriff's snake-fancying sister is killed while trying to administer "death by fanging" to Robin, and Gisborne (Richard Armitage), still smarting from being jilted at the author, burns Marian's home to the ground. Later, Robin discovers that one of his men, not so merry, is a Gisborne spy. And there is a shocking death in the finale that will rock the series to its core. Despite several cheeky episode titles ("Booby and the Beast," "Show Me the Money"), Series Two mostly keeps a straight face. Purists may blanche at the liberties taken with this centuries-old legend, (Marian, moonlighting as the vigilante Nightwatchman, demonstrates some wicked martial arts moves). But for anyone who, like the kids in the exciting episode, "Child Hood," spent childhood afternoons dashing about the forest pretending to be the outlaw folk hero, then the Sheriff's departing words in the season finale will make you quiver with anticipation: "This isn't over, Hood." --Donald Liebenson
Reviews for the Robin Hood - Season 2
List Price: $34.98Price: $23.99You Save: $10.99 (31%)Life in Cold Blood
Actor: David Attenborough
ASIN : B0018F0QS2
Sales Rank : 1690
Brand : Warner Brothers
Studio : BBC Warner
Region Code : 1
Format : Color, DVD-Video, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
Binding : DVD
EAN : 0883929018413
UPC : 883929018413
Release Date : December 05, 2008
Publisher : BBC Warner
Manufacturer : BBC Warner
Availability : Usually ships in 24 hours
Label : BBC Warner
Running Time : 250
DescriptionWritten and presented by David Attenborough, Life in Cold Blood tells the epic story of the most enduringly successful animals ever to walk on land – reptiles and amphibians. The very latest technology enables extraordinary and previously unseen behavior to be captured in intimate detail, overturning the myth that cold blooded life is slow, solitary and primitive, and revealing these creatures to be as dramatic, social, sophisticated and passionate as warm blooded animals. As with Life in the Undergrowth, this series will change the audience's perceptions forever - giving them a new, warm-hearted relationship with Life in Cold Blood. With this series, David Attenborough completes his overview of life on the planet. Amazon.comBilled as the last in David Attenborough's series of Life nature documentaries, Life in Cold Blood leaves you hoping that proves not to be the case. For once more, as he has done many times in his distinguished career, Attenborough gently--and unobtrusively--delivers an utterly fascinating insight into the world in which we live. Life in Cold Blood looks at reptiles and amphibians, bringing into focus a series of creatures very much of all shapes and sizes. Across the episodes that make up the series, the filmmakers delve into the lives and mannerisms of its subjects with some quite stunning camera work, bringing to our screens things that have quite simply never been seen before. As much as perhaps we shouldn't take for granted the heights that Attenborough's work easily scales, Life in Cold Blood happily matches the standards of his earlier series. Often genuinely jaw-dropping, and never less than completely absorbing, the DVD set is rounded off with some equally intriguing bonus features that delve into the complex production of the program itself. If Life in Cold Blood really does bring the Life series to an end, then that's even more reason to cherish it. Regardless, this is an extraordinary series that'll make you look at snakes, frogs, crocodiles, and turtles in very different ways. Unmissable. --Simon Brew
Reviews for the Life in Cold Blood
List Price: $79.98Price: $54.99You Save: $24.99 (31%)Torchwood - The Complete First Season
Actors: John Barrowman, Eve Myles, Burn Gorman, Naoko Mori, Gareth David-Lloyd
ASIN : B000VWE5OY
Sales Rank : 1652
Brand : Warner Brothers
Studio : BBC Warner
Region Code : 1
Format : Color, NTSC
Binding : DVD
EAN : 0794051420527
UPC : 794051420527
Release Date : December 22, 2008
Publisher : BBC Warner
Manufacturer : BBC Warner
Availability : Usually ships in 24 hours
Label : BBC Warner
Running Time : 650
DescriptionSeparate from the government, outside the police, beyond the United Nations, Torchwood sets its own rules. Led by the enigmatic, ever watchful Captain Jack Harkness, the Torchwood team delves into the unknown and fights the impossible. Everyone who works for Torchwood is young. Some say that’s because it’s a new science. Others say it’s because they die young. Amazon.comMore than a spin-off of the Russell T. Davies incarnation of Doctor Who, the BBC series Torchwood is a wholly enjoyable blend of drama, science-fiction thrills, and mature subject matter that never fails to deliver its main purpose: to entertain on a weekly basis. John Barrowman, who captured the imagination of Who fans during the Christopher Eccleston and David Tennant eras as 51st-century adventurer Capt. Jack Harkness, returns as the dashing, immortal time traveler; here, he's the head of Torchwood, a covert organization that investigates extraterrestrial and supernatural events on Earth without the help of the British government or United Nations. Eve Myles is a police constable who joins the team after discovering them in the middle of bringing a stabbing victim back to life (in the debut episode, "Everything Changes"), and she brings a decidedly human touch to the Torchwood team's tech-driven investigations. Among the mysteries encountered over the course of the 13-episode series: an alien gas that absorbs humans during sex ("Day One"); a half-human, half-Cyberman female with a connection to Torchwood support man Ianto Jones (Gareth David-Lloyd) in "Cyberwoman"; a rash of cannibalistic murders ("Countrycide"); a very different kind of fairies than the ones of legend ("Small Worlds"); and most impressively of all, a skyscraper-sized demon that threatens to plunge the Torchwood team--and the world itself--into chaos ("End of Days," which features an off-screen cameo by a certain Time Lord). What separates Torchwood from the most modern television science fiction (save, say, Heroes and Battlestar Galactica) is the frankly adult tone of the series: The violence is plentiful and occasionally graphic, and there are frequent bedroom couplings between the team members and supporting players. There's also a maturity to the relationships that exceeds the usual scope of sci-fi, most notably in the affecting "Captain Jack Harkness," which sends him back to the London Blitz, where he meets and falls in love with a handsome American pilot who happens to share his name. Their love affair, like the majority of Torchwood's "grown-up" storylines, is handled with taste and real emotion. Extras on the First Series are remarkably plentiful; six of the seven discs include entirely new behind-the-scenes featurettes that explore the main characters and their major story arcs, location shooting, the impressive SUV that the team drives, and the show's extensive special effects and alien creations. Barrowman also contributes a very funny "Captain's Log," which invites viewers to join him on one of the final shooting days of the series. The entire seventh disc is given over to Torchwood Declassified, the 13-part program which explored each episode on BBC Three and the BBC's Torchwood website. Commentaries are offered for all 13 episodes, with Davies, Barrowman, Myles, Burn Gorman (who plays Torchwood's medical officer, Owen Harper), David-Lloyd, producers Richard Stokes and Julie Gardner, and various episode writers, directors, and producers all lending their voices. A small battery of deleted scenes and outtakes, as well as previews for DVD releases of other BBC programs, including Doctor Who and MI-5, round out this impressive set. --Paul Gaita Stills from Torchwood (click for larger image)
Reviews for the Torchwood - The Complete First Season
New Price: $42.51Jane Austen Collection (Sense & Sensibility / Emma / Persuasion / Mansfield Park / Pride & Prejudice / Northanger Abbey)
Actors: Doran Godwin, John Carson, Donald Eccles, Constance Chapman, Ellen Dryden
ASIN : B000244FFU
Sales Rank : 1560
Director : John Glenister, Giles Foster, Rodney Bennett
Brand : Warner Brothers
Studio : BBC Warner
Region Code : 1
Format : Box set, Closed-captioned, Color, DVD-Video, NTSC
Binding : DVD
EAN : 9780790770222
ISBN : 0790770229
UPC : 794051168221
Release Date : December 24, 2004
Publisher : BBC Warner
Manufacturer : BBC Warner
Label : BBC Warner
Running Time : 1336
Product DescriptionIncludes: sense & sensibility emma persuasion mansfield park pride & prejudice and northanger abbey. Studio: Warner Home Video Release Date: 09/27/2005 Amazon.comThe socially restricted lives of 18th-century women hardly seems like a subject that would inspire dozens of 20th (and 21st) century adaptations--but the brilliant novels of Jane Austen are flush with sparkling dialogue, razor-sharp wit, marvelously realized characters that range from adorably sympathetic to grotesquely comic, and--above all--ingeniously intricate plots, which arrive at a seemingly inevitable happy conclusion yet keep you seized with suspense every inch of the way. The Jane Austen Collection pulls together six BBC miniseries from 1971 through 1987, one for each of Austen's much-beloved books. Unsurprisingly, the gems of the lot are also the best of the novels: Pride and Prejudice and Emma. Pride and Prejudice, expertly translated to the screen by novelist Fay Weldon, skillfully chronicles the ups and downs of the sensible but quick to judge Elizabeth Bennet (the adorable Elizabeth Garvie) and the snooty Mr. Darcy (played with an imperious scowl by David Rintoul). Any adaptation of Emma rests firmly on its central character, and Doran Godwin wonderfully captures Emma Woodhouse's resilience, determination, and exasperating self-satisfaction. Definitely the funniest of Austen's novels, Emma's satirical humor is perfectly balanced with romantic yearning, and this 1972 version succeeds delightfully. Persuasion, though more melancholy in tone, has a wonderfully sympathetic heroine in Anne Elliot (played by the graceful Ann Fairbanks), who once turned away the man she loved but is given the chance, seven years later, to set things right. Sense and Sensibility suffers from comparison to the star firepower and cinematic sweep of the 1995 movie with Emma Thompson (a must-see for any Austen fan), but the dueling characters of gracious Elinore and headstrong Marianne, two sisters struggling with fallen fortunes, make for enjoyable viewing in this 1981 adaptation. Mansfield Park has perhaps the dullest hero and heroine of any Austen novel, yet the story zips along, powered by some of Austen's most outrageous supporting characters, here brought to deliciously comic life by Anna Massey and Angela Pleasence. Northanger Abbey satirizes gothic romances and the overheated imaginations that loved them; but though the tone is more broad and melodramatic than most of Austen, this 1987 adaptation suits the novel and rounds out this very satisfying boxed set. --Bret Fetzer
Reviews for the Jane Austen Collection (Sense & Sensibility / Emma / Persuasion / Mansfield Park / Pride & Prejudice / Northanger Abbey)
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