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“A DANGEROUS MAN - LAWRENCE AFTER ARABIA”


What happened to T.E. Lawrence after he led the Arab tribes to beat the Turks in World War I, so magnificently filmed by David Lean in “Lawrence of Arabia” in 1962 and starring Peter O’Toole and an incredible all-star cast (the Oscar-winning movie was recently restored on DVD by Columbia Pictures). The fascinating rest of the story of Lawrence is told in this little-known gem made in 1991 by Anglia Films and released now on DVD by Granada and BFS Video.
Ralph Fiennes, perhaps the best and most versatile actor in movies today, portrays Lawrence as unforgettably as O’Toole did. When Steven Spielberg was looking for a young actor to cast as the trigger-happy Nazi in “Schindler’s List,” he saw Fiennes in this film and signed him immediately, creating a new star. Newsweek said “Fiennes has intensity, force, a kind of grinding dynamism,” not even mentioning his incredibly penetrating blue eyes. Buy or rent this one. Just don’t miss it. It’s not just “ancient history,” it tells us a lot about our involvement in the Middle East then and now.
Max’s rating: The highest: two paws up, lots of “Woo Woo Woos!”

Runners Up :

“PASSIONADA”
Handsome gambler-loser Jason Isaacs sees sultry widow Sofia Milos and hears her sing sensuous Portuguese Fado songs in a two-bit nightclub and falls for her, hard. Their bumpy road to romance makes for an enjoyable two hours of romantic comedy on DVD from Columbia Tri-Star. One critic rightly called it “wildly passionate with seething sensuality.” Another said “A gem. It could have been ‘My Big Fat Portuguese Romance,” which also gets it right.

“SCOOP”
Evelyn Waugh, the brilliant British social satirist famous for “Brideshead Revisited” also wrote about the often improbable world of foreign correspondents. “Scoop” is a spoof of the world of journalism, following a mild-mannered wildlife writer (Michael Maloney) as he is mistaken for a foreign correspondent and sent to East Africa on the eve of World War. One critic said “Scoop was to a generation of journalists what Catch-22 was to World War II vets. Maloney is excellent, with strong support from Denholm Elliott, Herbert Lom, Nicola Pagett, and Donald Pleasance.
From Granada and BFS Video.


“HOMICIDE: LIFE ON THE STREET” Season 4
Crime on the streets of Baltimore unfolds in this 6-disc boxed DVD set from A&E. There’s a lot of it in Season 4 of what the Los Angeles Times called “one of the best television series of the decade.” All 22 episodes from the Emmy and Peabody award-winning series’ fourth season of cases in the Baltimore Police Department’s Homicide Division run over 17 hours. It is very good crime stuff, as Stuff Magazine said: “If claiming that Homicide: Life on the Street is the best cop show ever to appear on TV is a crime, then lock us up!”

“A TALE OF TWO CITIES”
My master, being an old geezer, said he could never see a movie of this Charles Dickens classic without thinking of Ronald Colman as the tragic hero of the 1935 film version. But he and I both liked this Masterpiece Theater mini-series version very much, probably because the story needs to be told more fully than it was in the earlier movie which ran just over two hours. The two DVD set from Granada and BFS Video runs 3 hours, 17 minutes and kept us engrossed all the way with the timeless love story set against the French Revolution. James Wilby, John Mills, and Jean-Pierre Aumont head a strong cast. As The Boston Globe critic said, “If you’re looking for an intelligent adaptation of A Tale of Two Cities, this is the one for you.”

“AFTER THE WAR”
Life is not easy for a Jewish boy, a refugee from Nazi-occupied Europe who finds himself living with a middle-class English family in 1942. It isn’t made any easier by the family’s son, but the two boys’ shared Jewish heritage creates an unbreakable bond between them over the next 25 years as their paths repeatedly cross while being “friendly enemies.” The greatest challenge to their friendship becomes their love for the same woman. Susannah York, Art Malik, and Michael Gough are among the strong cast. Filmed as a Masterpiece Theater mini-series, the 3-DVD set is from Granada and BFS Video.

Delicious Documentary

“JANCIS ROBINSON’S WINE COURSE”
A very painless way to learn all about wines is in this 2- disc DVD set from World Film Services and Wellspring. The noted wine columnist and editor of The Oxford Companion to Wine takes you on a beautifully filmed and entertaining journey through the world of wine, from aperitif to sauvignon blanc, with chardonnay, shiraz, Riesling, merlot and other stops along the way.

“SOMETHING’S GOTTA GIVE”
Jack Nicholson and Diane Keaton make about the perfect movie couple -- if it’s romantic comedy -- and this is one of the best in years. Jack plays his typical aging playboy again, but this time he falls for his much-younger girlfriend’s mother (Diane) who becomes his nurse when he develops chest pains that go right to his heart. Imagine the possibilities, but be prepared for lots of surprises. From Columbia Tri-Star.



“JERSEY GIRL”
While looking for Prince Charming, Jami Gertz literally crashes into him. Dylan McDermott doesn’t ride a white horse, but works at a Mercedes dealership where she encounters him, in more ways than one. It’s a pleasant romantic comedy set in Manhattan. From Columbia Tri-Star.
“BABY THE RAIN MUST FALL”
Steve McQueen fans will like knowing this 1965 drama is out on DVD. He plays (what else?) a rootless drifter after being paroled from the state pen. The twist is, he wants to be a song-writer and sings his tunes in road houses. Lee Remick should know better, but can’t get him out of her heart, and sheriff Don Murray tries to save her from herself. From Columbia Tri-Star.

From TV to DVD

“MARRIED WITH CHILDREN”
Critics called this comedy series “too hot for TV.” The complete second season, 22 very funny episodes about a dysfunctional family, is out now in a 3-DVD set. One critic says “It’s even raunchier, trashier than you remember.” Well, maybe, but remember, it’s still a comedy. From Columbia Tri-Star.

MEL ANTIDOTE

“THE GOSPEL OF JOHN”
Another Biblical drama that is getting attention this Lenten season, although not the frantic media hype of Mel Gibson’s controversial take on the Crucifixion.
This 3-DVD set is a three-hour dramatization of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus that Variety says is “Dramatically powerful, surprising and bold.” The story is taken Word for Word based on the Good News Translation Bible, and reportedly has had more positive reaction from secular and religious national press coverage than any other Christian film to date. From Visual Bible International.

For Dogs and Dog-Lovers

Finally, a DVD about man’s (and women’s) best friend. Nova tells about us in “Dogs and More Dogs,” from WGBH Boston Video. John Lithgow narrates how dogs evolved from fierce wolves (grrrr!) to the playful, lovable house pets we are today. You’ll learn why some breeds of dogs developed spots, and what breed can beat any other mammal on earth in a three-mile race. Okay, we’ll tell you which breed: the Saluki. Take a look at us on this DVD.

“MARS DEAD OR ALIVE?”
The red planet is in the news lately, and NOVA’s documentary gives a behind-the-scenes look at NASA’s $820 million seven-month mission to Mars that made thrilling television last January 6. Is or was Mars lifeless? This documentary follows the space rover Spirit as it lands on Mars and starts sending back its first spectacular images of the Marian landscape. Is or was there ever life on Mars? You’ll get some exciting answers in this DVD from WGBH Boston Video.

For Kids and Puppies

“PETER RABBIT”
Perfect Easter timing: Peter Cottontail and his pals leap out of the cabbage patch and onto DVD in a 2-pack from Good Times Entertainment. All nine episodes of the animated Beatrix Potter stories make for a very happy Easter for kids.

“PAUL McCARTNEY MUSIC AND ANIMATION COLLECTION”
The Beatles’ talented Mr. McCartney wrote the songs for three delightful animated tales that make excellent Easter viewing for children. My favorite is “Rupert and the Frog Song,” with its award-winning song “We All Stand Together,” but the other two, “Tropic Island Hum” and “Tuesday” are also winners. On DVD from Miramax.

“BOBBY’S WORLD”
Howie Mandel’s Emmy-nominated kiddy television show arrives on DVD from Anchor Bay Entertainment in “Bobby’s World: Classic Scratch ‘n’ Sniff Episodes.” Sounds like something I’d like, since my master calls me a champion sniffer, but this DVD is about a 4-year-old who gets into adventures that teach kids about fun things like fishing, swimming, camping out. And the DVD package includes a scratch and sniff card for an extra-sensory experience.

Oldies on DVD

 

Studios are finally bringing more of the classics out on DVD in restored picture and sound. This month’s best include the Marx Brothers’ MGM comedies from Warner Home Video; the Johnny Weissmuller Tarzan adventures from MGM, and also from MGM one of my master’s all-time favorites, “Meet Me in St. Louis,” with Judy Garland and Margaret O’Brien going to the fair. Buy it now but don’t open it until Christmas for the best DVD present you could have under the tree. For Doris Day-Rock Hudson fans, their three best romantic comedies - “Pillow Talk,” “Lover Come Back,” and “Send Me No Flowers,” are in a DVD pack from Universal that includes a music CD with 8 of Day’s top song hits.

I bet you didn't know, but besides reviewing movies, I sing opera. Click here to see and hear me rehearsing the Barcarolle from "Tales of Hoffman."

Maybe you would like to visit my master's web site with highlights of his huge collection of old movie magazines, Bijou Follies
Two more web sites I recommend are: Errol Flynn and Jeffrey Hunter