Showing posts with label miniseries. Show all posts
Showing posts with label miniseries. Show all posts

Thursday, December 23, 2021

[DVD Review] - The Spanish Princess: Part 2


Philippa Gregory is one biggest names in the historical fiction game. She has written nearly fifty novels, including The White Queen and The White Princess. These two novels got adapted into STARZ miniseries in 2013 and 2017. STARZ adapted The Constant Princess and The King's Curse into the limited series The Spanish Princess. Part 1, consisting of eight episodes, aired in 2019, and Part 2, consisting of eight more episodes, aired in late 2020.  

Wednesday, August 7, 2019

Blu-ray Review: Lonesome Dove Steelbook


*This is a sponsored review. All opinions are 100% mine.

Mill Creek Entertainment; Amazon
I know for a fact there are many fans of Larry McMurtry's novels, especially the Lonesome Dove series. For those of you don't already know, the 1989 miniseries adaptation of Lonesome Dove was recently released on a Blu-ray Steelbook (Not Rated; 6 hrs 13 mins; $34.98) from Mill Creek Entertainment. Additionally, it comes with a movieSPREE digital code.

Directed by Simon Wincer, the miniseries featured a star-studded cast including Robert Duvall, Tommy Lee Jones, Diane Lane, Danny Glover, Anjelica Huston, Robert Urich, Steve Buscemi, D.B. Sweeney, Rick Schroder, and Chris Cooper.

Told in four parts, Lonesome Dove centers around two former Texas Rangers and lifelong friends, Gus McCrae and Woodrow Call (played by Robert Duvall and Tommy Lee Jones), going on one last adventure together - a cattle drive from Texas to Montana.

Bonus Features include:
  • The Making of an Epic
  • Cast Interviews
  • Original Sketches and Concept Drawings
  • On Location with Director Simon Wincer
  • Interview with Pulitzer Prize-Winning Author Larry McMurtry


Final Thoughts

Saturday, February 9, 2019

DVD Review: Lonesome Dove


MILL CREEK ENT. * AMAZON
Thanks to an ice storm, I had nothing better to do in last two days than to watch the miniseries Lonesome Dove (6 hours 13 minutes; $14.98), which will be re-released on a 2-disc DVD from Mill Creek Entertainment on February 19th.

The 1989 miniseries is based on the novel of the same name by Larry McMurtry, which was inspired by failed movie script McMurtry had co-wrote with Peter Bogdanovich that originally attended to star John Wayne, Henry Fonda, and James Stewart. Of course the "film version" never occurred resulting in McMurtry writing the novel, which was published in 1985. William D. Wittliff adapted the book for television with Simon Wincer in the director's chair.

The miniseries' cast includes Robert Duvall, Tommy Lee Jones, Diane Lane, Danny Glover, Robert Urich, Diane Lane, Anjelica Houston, Steve Buscemi, Tim Scott, D.B. Sweeney, Rick Schroder, Chris Cooper, and Frederic Forrest.

Lonesome Dove centers around two former Texas Rangers, Gus McCrae and Woodrow Call (played by Duvall and Lee), leading a cattle drive from Lonesome Dove, Texas to Montana. Along for the ride with them is Jake Spoon (played by Urich), an ex-Texas Ranger; Lorena Wood (played by Lane), a prostitute trying to escape to a better life; Joshua Deets (played by Glover), a former Texas Ranger scout; Pea Eye Parker (played by Scott), another ex-Texas Ranger; Newt Dobbs (played by Schroder), Call's illegitimate son; and Dishwater Boggett (played by Sweeney), the ramrod of the trail herd.


Final Thoughts

Thursday, December 6, 2018

DVD Review: The Lady Musketeer


Mill Creek Entertainment; Amazon

Probably almost everyone has heard of The Three Musketeers. And, no, I'm not referring to the candy bar. I'm talking about the 1844 novel of the same name by Alexandre Dumas père, which has spawned over twenty film adaptations and thirteen animated adaptations. 

My favorite Three Musketeer movie is the 1973 film directed by Richard Lester and starred Oliver Reed, Frank Finlay, Richard Chamberlain, and Michael York. Two sequels, The Fourth Musketeer and The Return of the Musketeers, were later made. Michael York played Jacques d'Artagnan in those three films and would later reprise the character for the 2004 miniseries The Lady Musketeer (La Femme Musketeer), which was released to DVD + Digital from Mill Creek Entertainment earlier this year. 

Directed by Steve Boyum, the film centers around
Valentine D'Artagnan, Jacques' daughter, traveling to Paris to become a musketeer. Thanks to an introduction letter written by her father, she is easily accepted as a new recruit by Commander Finot (played Roy Dotrice). However, due to her gender, the original three musketeer son's (Etienne Aramis, Antoine Porthos, and Gaston Athos) aren't as accepting.

A woman has never been titled a "swordsman," so Valentine must prove to everyone that she is just as good as her father.



Final Thoughts

Wednesday, November 14, 2018

DVD Review - Buffalo Girls


Mill Creek Entertainment * Amazon

Do remember when CBS cranked out one Larry McMurtry miniseries after another?

While I do recall the Lonesome Dove miniseries and its sequels/prequels, I have never seen any of them. And I have never read any of the books they are adapted from. The only Larry McMurtry novels I have ever read are the four books in The Berrybender Narratives.

Mill Creek Entertainment recently released Buffalo Girls (NR; 182 minutes; $14.98) to DVD + Digital, which is a 1995 two-part miniseries based on the 1990 novel of the same name by Larry McMurtry. Directed by Rod Hardy, the miniseries starred Anjelica Houston, Melanie Griffith, Sam Elliott, Gabriel Byrne, and Reba McEntire.

Buffalo Girls is the fictionalized story based on the real-life Calamity Jane (played by Anjelica Houston), a woman who dressed, talked, and acted liked a cowboy. She's most famous for being "linked" to Wild Bill Hickok (played by Sam Elliott in the miniseries). In McMurtry's version, Calamity gave birth to a daughter after Hickok was murdered and later gave the child to a British couple.

Part One of the miniseries centers around Calamity, who regrets giving up her daughter, and Dora DuFran (played by Melanie Griffith), a madam of a brothel/hotel in Deadwood, who has an on-again off-again relationship with Ted Blue (played by Gabriel Byrne). Part Two mostly centers around Calamity joining  Buffalo Bill's Wild West show, which takes her, along with her friends Bartle Bone (played by Jack Palance) and Jim Ragg (played by Tracey Walter), to England, where she gets to visit her young daughter.


Final Thoughts

Monday, October 29, 2018

DVD Review: Jack London's Sea Wolf: The Complete Mini-series



Mill Creek Ent., 185 mins; Not Rated; Amazon

Does anyone remember the countless miniseries that aired on network television and cable channels throughout the 1990s?

Well, I remember them. Miniseries were the big "events" for television back then. Nowadays, miniseries have long since disappeared, except for the few campy ones on cable. 

Recently, I watched Jack London's Sea Wolf: The Complete Mini-series DVD, which was released earlier this year from Mill Creek Entertainment. Directed by Michael Barker, the two-part miniseries stars Sebastian Koch, Neve Campbell, Stephen Campbell Moore, and Tim Roth. 

Based on the 1904 novel The Sea-Wolf by Jack London, the 2009 miniseries centers on the harsh captain of the seal hunting schooner the "Ghost," Wolf  Larsen (played by Sebastian Koch), who rescues a castaway poetry critic, Humphrey Van Wyden (played by Stephen Campbell Moore) from the high seas. Humphrey quickly learns that Wolf is a horrible captain, who puts him and the rest of the crew through hell.

The Ghost comes across another castaway, a beautiful woman named Maud, who had barely escaped the clutches of Wolf's crazed brother, Death (played by Tim Roth). After falling in love, Humphrey and Maud escape on a rowboat in the middle of the night. Unfortunately, they will once again intertwine with both Wolf and Death in a final confrontation.

Thursday, July 5, 2018

Jules Verne's Mysterious Island DVD Review

Mill Creek Ent., 171 minutes; $14.98

Do you remember watching those low-budget Hallmark-produced television miniseries?

Well, I do! I have fond memories of watching campy miniseries on network television and cable channels during the late 1980s and throughout the 1990s (aka - during my childhood). Miniseries are pretty much a thing of the past now, though a new one does show up on cable once in a great while.

Anyway, the only reason why I'm talking about miniseries, is because I watched Jules Verne's Mysterious Island a few nights ago. It's a 2005 miniseries that aired on the Hallmark Channel, and as you can probably tell by the title, it's based on the Jules Verne's 1874 novel "Mysterious Island," which is a crossover sequel to Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea and In Search of the Castaways. Mill Creek Entertainment re-released the miniseries on DVD. There are no special features or bonus extras, but the DVD does come with a Digital code that can be redeemed at www.milcreekent.com/redeem.

Directed by Russell Mulcahy (Highlander 1 & 2), the miniseries centers on Captain Cyrus Smith (played by Kyle MacLachlan), his ex-slave Neb (played by Omar Gooding), a nurse named Jane and her teenage daughter Helen (played by Gabrielle Anwar and Danielle Calvert), and a thief named Pencroff (played by Jason Durr) escaping a Confederate prison camp by stealing a hot air balloon. Eventually, the balloon crashes on a uncharted island in the Pacific, the exact same island that occupies the mad inventor Captain Nemo (played by Patrick Stewart).

To survive on the island, Cyrus and company have to outrun giant-size creatures and battle pirates who are searching for buried treasure.



Final Thoughts

Friday, September 16, 2016

Popcorn & Coffee: Hans Christian Andersen Double Feature


Mill Creek Ent.; Not Rated; 354 minutes; $14.98; Amazon

Now available on a 2-disc DVD set from Mill Creek Entertainment is the Hans Christian Andersen Double Feature, featuring the 2001 2-part mini-series Hans Christian Andersen: My Life As A Fairytale and the 2002 2-part mini-series Snow Queen.

Produced by Hallmark Entertainment, Robert Halmi, SR., and Robert Halmi, JR., Hans Christian Andersen: My Life As A Fairytale was directed by Phillip Saville. It stars Kieran Bew, Emily Hamilton, James Fox and Simon Callow.

The real Hans Christian Andersen created many fairy tale classics, such as The Little Mermaid, The Snow Queen, Princess And The Pea, The Ugly Duckling and The Emperor's New Clothes. The mini-series is a fictionalized biography starring Kieran Bew in the title role, where the viewers get a glimpse of author's younger years. At the same time, his fairy tale characters are weaved into the story.


Snow Queen is based on Hans Christian Andersen's "The Snow Queen" and is produced once again by Robert Halmi, JR. and Hallmark Entertainment. Directed by David Hu, the film stars Jeremy Guilbaut, Chelsea Hobbs and Bridget Fonda.

Thursday, September 15, 2016

Popcorn & Coffee: The Devil's Mistress


Mill Creek Ent.; Not Rated; 190 minutes; $14.98; Amazon

I have always ignored films, mini-series and television series that have a historical setting in the 1600s and 1700s. I can't explain it, but those eras just never appealed to me. However, after getting addicted to Starz's Outlander in 2014, I'm now trying to give these types of productions a try; which lead me to review The Devil's Mistress.

Originally titled "The Devil's Whore", it was a four-part British mini-series that aired in 2008. It was later retitled as "The Devil's Mistress" when it was released to the United States in 2011 as two 2-hour episodes. In early August, Mill Creek Entertainment released the mini-series to DVD, but it's been edited to 190 minutes (shown in two parts).

Written by Peter Flannery and directed by Marc Munden, the mini-series stars Andrea Riseborough, John Simm (Life on Mars), Michael Fassbender (X-Men flicks), Peter Capaldi (Doctor Who), and Dominic West.

Set during the English Civil War, The Devil's Mistress centers on the fictional character Angelica Fanshawe (played by Andrea Riseborough), a young woman who is forced to marry her cousin Harry (played by Ben Aldridge). Their marriage isn't great, but she tries to make the best of it. Harry gives up his manor to the enemy, which was the worst thing he could do as the King Charles I (played by Peter Capaldi) has him killed by a firing squad.


After her husband's death, Angelica is kicked out of her home and is forced to live on the streets as a beggar. Eventually, she decides to take her life into her own hands and joins the rebellion. She later marries Thomas Rainsborough (played Michael Fassbender), a former Royal Navy captain turned Roundhead. However, despite being in love with Rainsborough, Angelica must deal with her feelings for her friend  Edward Sexby (played by John Simm).

Wednesday, February 24, 2016

DVD Review - Frankenstein: The Complete Mini-Series Event



177 minutes; NOT RATED; Amazon
Mary Shelly's Frankenstein is one of the most popular horror novels, though in reality the book is less horror and more of a Gothic-romance. Since it's first publication in 1818, the novel has been adapted into plays, books, cartoons, films and television mini-series. The most popular being the Universal Pictures' monster flicks in the 1930s and 40s.

Now available to own from Mill Creek Entertainment is the 2004 Hallmark 2-part mini-series Frankenstein. Directed by Kevin Connor, the mini-series starred Alec Newman, Luke Goss, Julie Delpy, William Hurt, Ian McNeice and Donald Sutherland.

Frankenstein centers on Victor Frankenstein (played by Alex Newman), a young man who has been obsessed with death ever since he was a child. After his mother (played by Julie Delpy) dies of scarlet fever, he is determined to attend the University of Ingolstadt in Germany to learn everything he can about science.

Upon arriving at the school, Victor is mentored by Professor Waldman (played by William Hurt), who sees great potential in him. However, after witnessing the death of a dog that brings back a bad childhood memory, Victor begins to tamper with electricity in the hope it will bring life back from the dead.

Shutting himself off from his friends and family, Victor begins his experiment by stealing body parts from a cemetery; resulting in his "creature" being nearly eight feet tall. Shortly after bringing the "creature" (played by Luke Goss) to life, Victor becomes repulsed by his creation and flees from his laboratory. When he later returns, the "creature" has disappeared.

Friday, December 4, 2015

Holiday Gift Guide 2015: The 10th Kingdom: 15th Anniversary Special Edition


The 10th Kingdom 
15th Anniversary Special Edition
 Studio:Mill Creek Entertainment
Release Date: November 3, 2015
Retail: $24.98
Running Time: 447 minutes
ASIN: B0159B1HKQ

Product Description:

Join an all-star cast as they find fantasy, action, romance and adventure in the Emmy winning® The 10th Kingdom! Beyond the mortal world lies Nine Kingdoms where the fantastic land of fairy tales and magic are brought to life – and reinvented. The themes and ideas of folklore and mythology perform fully as the classic characters enter a vortex at the edge of the mortal world which leads them to The 10th Kingdom…Central Park!

This ten part mini-series tells the tale of Prince Wendell (Daniel Lapaine) and the evil queen (Dianne Wiest) who has doomed him to spend the rest of his life as a dog. In order to recapture the throne Prince Wendell travels through the portal to the mythical kingdom of Manhattan and finds two ordinary mortals Virginia (Kimberly Williams-Paisley) and Tony (John Larroquette). Together they battle the evils of the parallel universe, and defend themselves from vile trolls, goblins and every fairy tale character imaginable! Stunning visual effects and a stellar cast create an epic adventure that will enchant audiences of all ages!

An all-star cast featuring a wealth of Emmy®, Oscar®, and Golden Globe®-wining and nominated talent including: John Larroquette (Boston Legal, The Practice), Kimberly Williams-Paisley (Nashville, Father of the Bride), Scott Cohen (Love and Other Drugs, Jacob’s Ladder), Ann-Margret (Bye Bye Birdie, Tommy), Rutger Hauer (Batman Begins, Sin City), Daniel Lapaine (Double Jeopardy), Camryn Manheim (The Practice), Ed O’Neill (Modern Family, Married with Children) and Dianne Wiest (Edward Scissorhands, Parenthood)!




Billy's Thoughts:

Wednesday, November 11, 2015

DVD Review: Son of the Dragon



Son of the Dragon
Director: David Wu
Cast: David Carradine, Rupert Graves, John Reardon
Studio: Mill Creek Entertainment
Release Date: July 21, 2015
Retail: $9.98
ASIN: B00XK713SS
Running Time: 178 minutes
Rating: Not Rated
Buy Link: Amazon

Review:
 
I'm trying to catch up on several reviews that I've delayed for one reason or another, including a few Mill Creek Entertainment titles.

Son of the Dragon was re-released to DVD this past summer. It originally aired on the Hallmark Movie Channel in 2008, which was first film to be shown in HD on the cable channel. Directed by David Wu, the film stars the late David Carradine, Rupert Graves and John Reardon. There are no special features or extras on the two-disc set.

The film puts a new spin of the classic "The Thief of Bagdad" story. It centers on a young thief named D.B. - "Devil Boy" (played by John Reardon) and his teacher Bird (played by David Carradine). Ever since he was a kid, D.B. has stolen goods from the rich and given them to the poor.

D.B. and Bird make plans to steal the royal court's jewels. Well, that is until D.B. sets eyes on the Governor's daughter, Princess Li Wei (played Desiree Siahaan) and quickly falls in love her. Unfortunately, the Princess has another suitor, Prince of the North (played by Rupert Graves), whom wants to make sure that D.B. stays away from her forever.


Tuesday, July 14, 2015

DVD Review: The Summit



The Summit
Director: Nick Copus
Starring: Bruce Greenwood, James Purefoy, Rachelle Lefevre, Mia Maestro, Christopher Plummer.
Studio: Mill Creek Entertainment
Release Date: July 21, 2015
Retail: $9.98
ASIN: B00XK713T2
Running Time: 179 minutes
Rating: Not Rated
Buy Link: Amazon

Review:

Arriving on DVD on Tuesday July 21st is the 2008 Canadian miniseries The Summit. Directed by Nick Copus, the miniseries stars Bruce Greenwood (Star Trek), James Purefoy (TV's The Following), Rachelle Lefevre (TV's Under the Dome), Mia Maestro (TV's The Strain) and Christopher Plummer (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo). There are no special features or extras.

The Summit centers on an upcoming annual G8 Summit meeting that is taking place in Canada. After a biological weapon experiment goes terribly wrong, politicians try to cover up the incident. A documentary filmmaker (played by Rachelle Lefevre) and a mother (played by Mia Maestro) losing her son who was exposed to bio-terror, combine forces to try to unravel the mystery of whom is behind the possible outbreak. They must race against time before the G8 Summit meeting starts as the U.S. President and the Canadian Prime Minster are set to appear at the event.


Thursday, October 3, 2013

DVD Review - The Secret of Crickley Hall

*This is a sponsored review. All opinions are 100% mine.

"They Came To Escape The Past, The Past Had Other Ideas." - DVD Cover

On Tuesday, October 8, 2013, BBC Home Entertainment will release last year's creep mini-series The Secret of Crickley Hall on a single-disc DVD, which is based on the novel of the same name by author James Herbert. The ghostly mini-series is coming out just in time for Halloween and stars Maisie Williams from HBO's Game of Thrones and Olivia Cooke from A&E's Bates Motel.

The mini-series aired in three one-hour parts last fall on BBC America and on UK's BBC One. It switches back and forth from the year 2006 and 1943. It begins in London, where Gabe and Eve Caleigh's young son, Cameron (or as they call "Cam"), vanishes without a trace. Eleven months go by and there is still no sign of the boy. Wanting to get away from the one-year anniversary of Cam's disappearance, Gabe, Eve and their two daughters, Loren (played by Maisie Williams) and Cally, move to the north part of England, aka Crickley Hall - a former orphanage.

Flip back in time to 1943, Nancy Linnet (played by Olivia Cooke) begins teaching school at the Crickley Hall, which is owned by the strange Augustus Cribben. A young Jewish German student named Stefan refuses to speak English and Nancy notices unusual markings on Stefan's hands, markings that match the size of the cane that belongs to Mr. Cribben. To make matters worse, she begins to believe Mr. Cribben's sister, Magda, is a little to close to a teenager student, Maurice Stafford. Nancy tries to get others to believe the children are in danger, but no one believes her, except for the ground keeper, Percy Judd. The children are in danger and Nancy will give her life to save them.

Monday, January 28, 2013

DVD Review - Dinotopia & Journey to the Center of the Earth - Fantasy Double Feature

Dinotopia & Journey to the Center of the Earth - Fantasy Double Feature
Directors: Marco Brambilla, George Miller
Starring: Tyron Leitso, Wentworth Miller, Katie Carr,
Treat Williams, Jeremy London, Tushka Bergen

Studio: Mill Creek Entertainment
Release Date: January 8, 2013
ASIN: B00A2XQTV4
Retail: $9.98
Running Time: 430 minutes
Not Rated

Review:

It seems that lavish television mini-series is a thing of the past, except for the occasional western or period miniseries on cable. As a kid I look forward to watching them, normally airing during the sweep months on February or May. Mill Creek Entertainment has recently released the three-part Dinotopia and the two-part Journey to the Center of the Earth in a 2 disc set. Both miniseries were produced by Hallmark Entertainment (now known as Sonar Entertainment).

Dinotopia is based on the children books by James Gurne. It aired on the Wonderful World of Disney in 2002 and later spawned a short-lived spin-off series. The miniseries drops the books' steampunk atmosphere and focuses on two half-brothers, Karl and David Scott, who finds themselves stranded on the strange land of Dinotopia after their plane crashes into the sea with their father. They meet a mysterious man, Cyrus Crabb, who leads them to the capital of Dinotopia, Waterfall City. David wants to try and learn the ways this new world, where as Karl just wants to find a way back home. They befriend Zippo (a Troodon) and a young woman, Marion. As Karl and David are assigned dinosaurs to bond with, their new home may become extinct.