Customer Reviews

American Film Theatre: Collection 3

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(0)
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KINO'S AMERICAN FILM THEATRE is a pricey, space-consuming three volume collection of 14 movies. That's the down side. The rest is all good! These stage plays (adapted to film between 1970-'75) are nothing short of superb. You get the finest works of the greatest playwrights, as rendered by top-notch actors and directors. Audio and video transfers of the restored movies is also first rate. It's a collection ideal for lovers of theater or for any fan of classy cinema. Highest recommendation!

The entire AMERICAN FILM THEATER collection (14 titles) is available in a single box set. This stage-to-film series includes works by Chekhov, O'Neill, Albee, Ionesco and others.


SYNOPSES:

GALILEO-- Adaptation of Bertolt Brecht's story of the later life of the Italian Renaissance philosopher/scientist who was persecuted by the Church for his support of the Copernican theory that the Earth revolved around the sun.

JACQUES BREL IS...-- A show woven around 35 songs written by the famous mid-20th Century French troubadour.

LOST IN THE STARS-- Kurt Weill's last stageshow is a musical influenced by Porgy & Bess. Adapted from Alan Paton's "Cry the Beloved Country" by Maxwell Anderson.

PHILADELPHIA...-- Serio-comedy about the last few hours a young man spends in Ireland prior to his emigration to America.


Parenthetical numbers preceding titles are viewer poll ratings found at a film resource website.

(6.6) Galileo (UK-1975) - Topol/John Gielgud/Patrick Magee/Tom Conti/Edward Fox/Mary Larkin/Michael Lonsdale

(6.3) Jacques Brel Is Alive and Well and Living in Paris (France/Canada-1975) - Elly Stone/Mort Shuman/Joe Masiell/Jacques Brel

(6.3) Lost in the Stars (1974) - Brock Peters/Melba Moore/Raymond St. Jacques/Clifton Davis/Paul Rogers

(5.5) Philadelphia, Here I Come! (Ireland-1975) - Donal McCann/Des Cave/Siobhan McKenna/Eamon A. Kelly

I now own all three collections of these films. They are splendid. The "extras" on each DVD--interviews, reviews, etc.--are also very interesting. I am so glad that these films, which supposedly were never to be released again, have appeared on DVD.