Greetings from Amazon.com Delivers Video Classics Editor, Simon Leake FEATURED IN THIS E-MAIL: * Word for Word: "My Fair Lady" * New Releases for Sale: "The Third Man," "Father Goose," and "The Fallen Idol" * This Month's Top Five: "Lost Horizon," "Dr. Zhivago," "White Christmas," "Winter Light," and "Nanook of the North" * "The Passion of Joan of Arc": Carl Dreyer's Masterpiece * The Essential Bette Davis * Advance Orders: "And God Created Woman" and "Woman in the Dunes" WORD FOR WORD ************* "Think what you're dealing with. The majesty and grandeur of the English language, it's the greatest possession we have. The noblest thoughts that ever flowed through the hearts of men are contained in its extraordinary, imaginative, and musical mixtures of sounds." --Rex Harrison as Henry Higgins in "My Fair Lady" "My Fair Lady" starring Audrey Hepburn, Rex Harrison, and Jeremy Brett; directed by George Cukor http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/6304178352/entertainmentsit NEW RELEASES FOR SALE ********************* "The Third Man" (50th Anniversary Edition) (1949) (VHS; not rated) starring Joseph Cotten and Orson Welles; directed by Carol Reed http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/630347327X/entertainmentsit Sometimes--but very rarely--every aspect of the process of moviemaking comes together perfectly. Script, direction, cinematography, acting, and music work in unison and the result truly deserves to be called a masterpiece. Carol Reed's "The Third Man" is such a film. Holly Martins (Joseph Cotten) is an alcoholic pulp writer who goes to postwar Vienna to visit his old friend Harry Lime (Orson Welles). What he finds in the shattered city is not what he expects. Superb performances and a gripping, intelligent script make this a cinematic landmark. "Father Goose" (1964) (VHS; widescreen; not rated) starring Cary Grant and Leslie Caron; directed by Ralph Nelson http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0782006760/entertainmentsit Cary plays against type in this delightful comedy. He's a boozy grouch stuck on a Pacific island during World War II who finds himself the reluctant guardian of a group of French schoolgirls and their teacher. When the teacher (Leslie Caron) tries to sober him up by dumping all his whiskey, you just know that the sparks are going to fly. It's fun to watch Grant go grunge, and his comic touch is as deft as ever. "The Fallen Idol" (1948) (VHS; not rated) starring Ralph Richardson and Bobby Henrey; directed by Carol Reed http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/6302969654/entertainmentsit This little-known gem from director Carol Reed, with a script by Graham Greene, is a story about the perils of hero worship told almost exclusively from the perspective of an 8-year-old boy. Phillipe, an ambassador's son, idolizes the family butler, Baines (Ralph Richardson), but when Baines becomes a murder suspect the child learns a devastating lesson about the moral complexity of the adult world. The film received two Academy Award nominations, for Best Director and Best Screenplay. THIS MONTH'S TOP FIVE ********************* Amazon.com's Classics Video editor, Simon Leake, selects five great films to buy. "Lost Horizon" (1937) (VHS; not rated) starring Ronald Colman and Jane Wyatt; directed by Frank Capra http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0000049FI/entertainmentsit Capra's gorgeous vision of Shangri-la is one of the most captivating films ever made. When five people find themselves in a hidden Tibetan valley where peace reigns and people live for hundreds of years, they must decide whether to stay, or to try to find their way home. The film was drastically trimmed after its initial release, but this edition restores several scenes to get as close as possible to Capra's original version. "Dr. Zhivago" (1965) (VHS; rated PG-13) starring Julie Christie and Omar Sharif; directed by David Lean http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/6303599109/entertainmentsit After the heat and sand of "Lawrence of Arabia," director David Lean headed north to adapt Boris Pasternak's bestselling novel of love and revolution in Russia. Although it's less psychologically complex than "Lawrence," "Dr. Zhivago" is both wonderfully romantic and epic in scope. Lean conjures up some breathtaking scenes, including an armored train thundering through a snowy landscape, and a house encased in ice, but there are also excellent performances to keep you involved. Tom Courtenay and Alec Guinness are particularly impressive in small roles. "White Christmas" (1954) (VHS; not rated) starring Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye; directed by Michael Curtiz http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/6300215695/entertainmentsit Although that other holiday favorite tugs more firmly at the heartstrings, when it comes to fun "White Christmas" wins hands down. The plot is lighter than a snowflake, but the performances from Bing, Danny, Rosemary Clooney, and Vera Allen are delightful and the music is terrific. Kaye shines in a couple of great dance numbers, and his irrepressible energy contrasts nicely with the laid-back Crosby. Watch for their semidrag version of "Sisters," when both actors try valiantly to suppress their giggles. "Winter Light" (1962) (VHS; English subtitles; not rated) starring Gunnar Bjornstrand; directed by Ingmar Bergman http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/6303107354/entertainmentsit Bergman's powerful study of a priest's loss of faith is the second part of a trilogy (with "Through a Glass Darkly" and "The Silence") that explores the nature of religion. Like most of Bergman's work, it requires concentration and a willingness to accept the stately pace at which events unfold, but the rewards are enormous. "Winter Light" takes place during a single Sunday, yet within this narrow frame Bergman creates a work that is both intellectually challenging and emotionally devastating. "Nanook of the North" (1922) (VHS; not rated) directed by Robert J. Flaherty http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/6305073708/entertainmentsit In 1920 exploring American anthropologist Robert J. Flaherty traveled alone, with camera in hand, to the remote Canadian tundra. There, for over a year, he lived with Eskimos, documenting their daily lives and returning to his editing studio with the raw footage. The result of his rigorous study was groundbreaking; with "Nanook of the North," Flaherty pioneered both a new cinematic genre, the narrative documentary, and created a timeless drama of human perseverance under the harshest conditions. "THE PASSION OF JOAN OF ARC": CARL DREYER'S MASTERPIECE ******************************************************* More than 50 years after the original negatives were destroyed in a fire, an almost perfect print of Carl Dreyer's magnificent and moving film "The Passion of Joan of Arc" was discovered in Norway. Now, amid a flurry of movies about the Maid of Orleans, we can appreciate the full glory of this superb film. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/redirect?tag=entertainmentsit&path=tg/feature/-/12833 THE ESSENTIAL BETTE DAVIS ************************* Hollywood didn't know what to do with the odd-looking starlet with the unusual eyes. After a successful career on stage, Bette Davis tried to break into film, and despite being told that she had "the sex appeal of Slim Summerville," landed her first role in 1931. With films frequently of less-than-stellar quality, Davis often outperformed her movies--that is, until she landed the role of Mildred in "Of Human Bondage," launching a long and successful career. We offer our selection of the best of Bette. Classics ADVANCE ORDERS ************** Order these titles now, and we'll ship them to you as soon as they're released. "And God Created Woman" (1956) (VHS; English subtitles; not rated) starring Brigitte Bardot; directed by Roger Vadim http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000025REA/entertainmentsit The quintessential Bardot film, "And God Created Woman" is more titillation than continental cool, but it broke box-office records and censorship taboos in its teasing display of sex and eroticism in the sunny vacation playground of the Saint-Tropez seashore. Director Vadim ushered in a new era of continental attitudes toward sex and christened the voluptuous Brigitte (his wife) the world's original sex kitten: earthy, innocent, and all fleshy curves. "Woman in the Dunes" (1964) (VHS; English subtitles; not rated) starring Eiji Okada and Kyoko Kishida; directed by Hiroshi Teshigahara http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/6305174024/entertainmentsit Teshigahara's powerful parable is one of those deceptively simple films that will haunt you long after the final scene. A man arrives in a village and spends the night in the home of a strange woman who lives at the bottom of a sandpit. When he wakes up the next morning, the ladder he used to climb into the pit is gone, and he has to help the woman shovel sand before the house is buried. Deeply metaphysical and visually stunning, "Woman in the Dunes" is a classic of Japanese cinema. ****** Looking for power tools? From screwdrivers to scroll saws, our brand-new Home Improvement Store offers the planet's best selection of tools and more. Home Improvement ****** You'll find more great videos, articles, and interviews in Amazon.com's Video Classics section at Classics ******
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