The Taming of the Shrew

By:  William Shakespeard &
BBC Time Life Films
Rated 5+
From:  Library

This play is my favorite Shakespeare comedy. And, as a fan of Monty Python having John Cleese play Petruchio makes it all the funnier.

Product Description:

Baptista will not allow his saccharine younger daughter Bianca to marry until someone can rid him of his obstreperous older daughter Katherine. The swaggering Petruchio (John Cleese) , eager to wive it wealthily in Padua, agrees to do just this. He proceeds to break her. First, he cools her scalding wit by putting his tongue in her tale; nearly jilts her on her wedding night and then shows up at the church in antic garb; forbids her food, sleep and the beautiful clothes he himself had tailored for her, all on the pretense of providing for her; lastly, commands that she call the sun the moon, the moon the sun, an elderly gentlemen a fresh virgin and then refute her own assertions, all according to his whim.

Meanwhile, Bianca has three suitors: the gray-bearded Gremio, the youngish Hortensio and the young and handsome Lucentio. Lucentio disguises himself as a tutor named Cambio. Hortensio disguises himself as a tutor named Litio. Tranio, Lucentio's servant, disguises himself as Lucentio, at Lucentio's request. A traveling pedant disguises himself as Vincentio, Lucentio's father, also at Luciento's request. Later, the real Vincentio shows up.

Sharpe's Company - VIDEO

Rated 5 stars
From Netflix


This is the most exciting so far.  I had to watch it twice because the first time I got distracted trying to remember what I had seen Maj. Windham (Clive Francis) in before and then after some major stewing I finally remembered that I had seen him in Strong Poison, another BBC production.


Then there was Sgt. Hakeswill (Pete Postlewaite) who reminded me so much of the very villainous indian Magua (Wes Studi) in The Last of the Mohicans.  I had to put the video on pause and go check and make sure they were not the same person.  Then I had lost the thread of the story and had to start the video over.  *g*


PRODUCT DESCRIPTION:
Sharpe discovers that he is a father and desperately attempts to rescue his spanish lover teresa and their daughter from the enemy.

Sharpe and his men are fighting not only the French in this tale but an evil and devious sergeant as well who has some history with Sharpe.The battle and action scenes are top notch again and the characters are grand and heroic. The settings and costumes make it all very colorful and real.

The actors again do a great job with Sean Bean, Asumpta Serna and Daragh O'Malley giving us wonderful heroic performances. Special mention has to go to Pete Postlethwaite who delivers a scenery chewing performance as the evil Sergeant Hakeswill. Marvelous!

Sharpe's Eagle - VIDEO

Rated 5 stars

Video

Excellently done. This really is a quality series. And I'm not quite as put out about the kissy face stuff since it has started to make a little more sense. Love interest I can handle. Wandering Lothario I really could not as I think it would cheapen a series of this type. Just MO.

Product Description

Sharpe commands a band of war-hardened riflemen behind enemy lines. Determined to capture the french mascot a carved eagle which is carried into combat sharpe brings to the screen the continued action danger and romance that surround the british officer & his chosen men

Sharpe's Rifles - VIDEO

Rated 4.5
From Netflix

I just finished watching the first episode. EXCELLENT. However I have a few comments. Lots of swashing and buckling, some violence - this about war after all-but not none of it was the in-your-face kind. Little bits of very funny dry humor popped in when you were least expecting it. The acting and filmography was really, really good. Sean Bean couldn't have been better

BUT

I hated that they threw in Sharpe and the Spanish girl playing kissy face and then when they starting rolling around in the hay with her half dressed that pretty much tore it for me. Have you ever rolled around in the hay? I have had a passing acquaintances with hay lofts in my life when and the last thing you would do in one was take half your clothes off and roll around in it. Hay is very scratchy. They just tossed that in and it didn't add a thing to the story except make the ending a little silly. Luckily it was at the very end so it didn't distract from the story. 

Other than that I have no complaints. Oh wait, I forgot. The French Army hats. I can't imagine any one designing such a stupid looking hat at any time in history. I thought the French were supposed to have a sense of style. Obviously that is not always the case.


PRUDUCT DESCRIPTION:


Richard Sharpe (Sean Bean), a maverick British army officer fighting against Napoleon in 19th century Spain. In Sharpe's Rifles, the first movie of the series, Sharpe saves Sir Arthur Wellesley's life and is promoted to lieutenant. But when he's put in charge of a company that doesn't respect him, his dangerous mission behind enemy lines could be compromised.