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How Green Was My Valley, a review by KinkyCyborg

How Green Was My Valley



Title:How Green Was My Valley
Year: 1941
Director: John Ford
Rating: NR
Length: 118 Min.
Video: Full Frame 1.33:1
Audio: English: Dolby Digital: 2-Channel Stereo, English: Dolby Digital: Mono, French: Dolby Digital: Mono, Spanish: Dolby Digital: Mono, Commentary: Dolby Digital: 2-Channel Stereo
Subtitles: English, Spanish

Stars:
Walter Pidgeon
Maureen O'Hara
Anna Lee
Donald Crisp
Roddy McDowall [Master Roddy McDowall]

Plot:
Winner of five Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Supporting Actor (Donald Crisp), this "Hollywood milestone" (Halliwell's Film Guide) from producer Darryl F. Zanuck and director John Ford is "one of the finest" pictures ever made (Variety).

Seen through the eyes of a boy (Roddy McDowall), How Green Was My Valley is the inspiring yet heartbreaking story of young parents (Donald Crisp and Sara Allgood) struggling to keep their family together as they endure severe hardship in a small Welsh mining town. Co-starring Maureen O'Hara and Walter Pidgeon, this acclaimed classic captures the sentiments and issues of its time while reminding us of the dreams, struggles and triumphs every family that can touch every family.

Extras:
Scene Access
Audio Commentary
Feature Trailers
Featurettes
Gallery
Production Notes
Closed Captioned


Another golden oldie. This time it's the Best Picture winner for 1941, beating out the revered Citizen Kane. I haven't watched Citizen Kane so I can't make a comparison but most who have seen both feel that CK was robbed for the Oscar. That said, I thought How Green Was My Valley a terrific watch!

Some comparisons can be made between this film and Ford's other classic story of family hardship, The Grapes Of Wrath. This time a small Welsh coal mining town sets the stage for a look at the dismal trials and tribulations of a simple but proud family. We see a slow, downward spiral of this family and, in many ways, the entire community as it is beset by changing times, greed, old prejudices and gossip.

The story is told by the youngest brother, played by a 12 year old Roddy McDowell, now grown up, reflecting on his early years. He watches his family, happy and proud at first, gradually splinter as their gloomy prospects take their toll. Some of the young men leave to go to America, some continue to work the mines while their wages are continually cut, tragedy strikes others.

The only sister, played by a very young and beautiful Maureen O'Hara, falls for the town minister (Walter Pidgeon). Their impossible love eventually drives them apart as she would then unwillingly marry into money by way of the mine owner's son. Even in this early role for O'Hara already we can see the fiery disposition she would carry on through so many more films in her career.

They would give O'Hara and Pidgeon top billing for this but the true stars are Donald Crisp (he won Best Supporting Actor) and Anna Lee who greatly reminds me of Jane Darwell in The Grapes Of Wrath. These two play the traditionalist parents who can no longer keep their idealistic flock of children in check. I thought Crisp gave the most dignified performance I have ever seen.

Great movie, though not quite as good as The Grapes Of Wrath.

KC


Rating: and a half

(From KinkyCyborg's Random Reviews 2011 on May 29th, 2011)

Beetlejuice, a review by addicted2dvd

Title: Beetlejuice: 20th Anniversary Deluxe Edition
Year: 1988
Director: Tim Burton
Rating: PG
Length: 92 Min.
Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 1.85:1
Audio: English: Dolby Digital: 5.1, Spanish: Dolby Digital: 2-Channel Stereo, French: : , Music Only: Dolby Digital: 5.1
Subtitles: English, French, Spanish

Stars:
Alec Baldwin
Geena Davis
Annie McEnroe
Maurice Page
Hugo Stanger
Michael Keaton

Plot:Extras:
Scene Access
Feature Trailers
3 Episodes of Animated Beetlejuice series

My Thoughts:
I always found this movie to be a lot of fun. Geena Davis was great in the role. And even though I don't normally care for her... I also enjoyed Winona Ryder.  While this is a movie I like to watch a lot... so I am thrilled to have this Anniversary Deluxe Edition DVD. Though I am not sure that this release deserves such an edition. I mean how can you call this a deluxe edition? The fact that they added a few episodes of the animated series is cool... and then there is the theatrical trailer but where are the extras that more people want to see? There is no Commentary? What about a Featurette or two? Blooper Reel? Nope... we don't get none of that. Talk about a missed opportunity!  Oh well at least it is a movie I really enjoy... and there is a few episodes of the animated series... which I haven't seen any of in a very long time.



(From Movies of the '80s Marathon on May 8th, 2010)

"Due South" marathon, a review by Rick

Victoria's Secret - Part 1

From the very beginning you can tell this episode is going to be different. There was some comedy in it, the hat as Tom pointed out  I also got a chuckle at the vacuum and the TV Fraser borrowed, both were broken and HE had to fix them before he returned them  But it is for the most part all Drama.

I thought Ray acted kinda crappy when he came to Fraser's house to get the money, it did give them a chance for Fraser to leave the appartment I guess it worked. It seemed a bit out of character to me though.

The story is pretty predictible but still enjoyable. Great ending. The next episode is beginning right now 

Rating:


(From "Due South" marathon on July 28th, 2009)