Barrymore [Blu-ray]

Author! Author! And a Problem Addressed
I have to ask, WHY is there nowhere on this page, or in any of the customer reviews (as yet), ANY mention of WILLIAM LUCE, the talented WRITER of this wonderful play which Christopher Plummer so brilliantly and unforgettably brought to life on the stage? Mr. Luce is also the author of (among many other plays) 'The Belle Of Amherst' for which Julie Harris won a richly deserved Tony Award (as did Plummer for 'Barrymore') for her luminous portrayal of Emily Dickinson. And it's a pity that the writer of such superb material is often not given adequate -- or ANY -- credit for their marvelous craft, without which it is doubtful that those Tony awards would have been forthcoming. After all, no actor performs in a vacuum, without the benefit (or sometimes hindrance) of the play in which they are appearing. So here's a huge "BRAVO" to William Luce for his glorious WORDS! Take a bow, sir!

An important addendum: Now that I have received the DVD I am delighted to report that it...

Barrymore - "I Need To Be Taken Seriously"
One person drama is very tricky stuff. There has to be an outstanding script - and an actor or actress that delivers the lines like an electric current. For most of this piece, well, Christopher Plummer pulls it off.

The time is 1942. John Barrymore is a hopeless alcoholic literally on his last legs. His mind is a swamp of lost and confused memories. But (as he says) he needs to be taken seriously so he arranges to play Shakespeare's Richard III, a role he once made famous. As Barrymore, when Plummer recites the Bard with feeling, he is darn effective. Then he lapses into an alcoholic reverie that offers less rewards. What we experience, and experience is the word, is a glimpse of a great man sinking into wretchedness. Lines of Shakespeare and episodes of Barrymore's life are pieced together the way a drunk stumbles down a street. But I felt that Plummer captured some of Barrymore's greatness. He makes you believe he could have been the actor at the end of his...

Wow!
Not very eloquent, but after seeing this movie in the theatre, that was pretty much all I could say. I've been a huge fan of Christopher Plummer for years and this is by far the best performance I have ever seen from him. Makes me kick myself for not traveling whatever distance I had to, to see it live. I'm grateful they decided to film it. This performance should not be missed! If I could give it 10 stars, I would!

Click to Editorial Reviews

The Twilight Zone: The Complete First Season

You don't have to buy it, but you'll want it nonetheless
Right around the time of their release a couple years ago, I invested in Image's series of five 9-Disc box sets that collected every Twilight Zone episode from the original '59 series. From a collector's standpoint, this seemed like a great move, as these sets turned out to be much more affordable than the previous releases, which were 45 individual volumes. I figured I had the collection and could sit back and relax. I really enjoyed the sets (my reviews of them can be found here, as a matter of fact) and watched them ritually once I owned them.

In March 2004 when the rumors first hit that definitive season-by-season sets were to hit, I put my collection on e-bay and received almost all the money I invested in them in return. Yes, as a diehard TZ fan, I support the definitive releases wholeheartedly. Part of being a DVD collector is knowing that upgrades are imminent. In fact, this may not be the last time I invest in the series... experts forsee Blu-ray coming into play...

The Twilight Zone 1959 gets some new features for fans
This new DVD version of The Twilight Zone 1959 Season One is remastered from the original camera negatives and the original magnetic soundtracks. It has the best picture quality ever and is a great set for fans.

This six disc set is packed with some wonderful extras-
*Audio commentaries by Earl Holliman,Martin Landau,Rod Taylor,Martin Milner,Kevin McCarthy,Ted Post and William Self.
*Vintage audio recollections with Burgess Meredith,Douglas Heyes,Richard L Bare,Buck Houghton,Ann Francis and writer Richard Matheson.
*Rod Serling audio lectures from Sherwood Oaks College.
*Isolated music scores from Bernard Herrman,Jerry Goldsmith and more.
*Rod Serling promos from "next weeks show".
*The original unaired pilot from "Where Is Everybody?" with Rod Serling's Network pitch.
*Rare Rod Serling blooper.

Some information about the above audio commentaries- Ann Francis starred in the classic 1950's movie "Forbidden Planet,Kevin McCarthy...

THIS SUBMISSION MEETS WITH MY APPROVAL
It is absurd that this title has an average rating of below 5 stars. The low average rating is based on reviewers who are upset that they purchased older Twilight Zone collections that are now inferior to this superb collection. They feel they were ripped off by CBS video as if CBS planned on doing this all along. I doubt this was part of some plot. When first issued on DVD, the shows were randomly put together on single discs. Then these single discs were randomly put together in box sets. CBS finally wised up and realized that fans want it all. They want entire seasons on DVDs with extras. So now CBS Video has done it right.

While I understand the frustration of seeing the older collections become obsolete, that should NOT be a basis for reviewing this new collection. A review should be based on the product to be reviewed. Not on the company who issued it and not be prejudiced by frustrations of feeling the need to rebuy something. My review is based on what I received...

Click to Editorial Reviews