Reviews (34)

I've loved this movie for over 20 years and now I own it!
This movie had characters that were very human and even the "wicked" mother had redeeming qualities. You looked for reasons which drove her to behave the way she did. Kathleen Quinlan, a very beautiful and emotion-envoking actress, has stayed in my mind for twenty years! Stephen Collins is always a pleasure to see. Beatrice Straight did the mother with such emotion in her face. This is a movie to watch again. I hadn't seen it for 20 years, I just bought it. Some critics would rather see all the war and killing movies and not appreciate "A Genuine Love Story"!

An original love story overlooked by the press
I remembering seeing this movie, years ago. I was so impressed with the originality that was created in this love story. I remembered the name, and when I saw it in the video store, I was so happy. I immediately rented it.

There is no comparison of this to Love Story, or even Gone with the Wind. This movie is far better. It keeps you cheering for her lover, her husband to find her. You can not help but feeling the mother in law needs to allow her son a life. She has the "you are not good enough for my son, blues." All the actors and actresses were so great. I recommend this to everyone.

The Promise
I saw the movie - I want the video but I don't know how to get it. Please help me to purchase this on line. PLEASE PLEASE HELP
It is absolutely the best book I have ever read and ultimately the best show I have ever seen.

One of the Best!
I read the book by Danielle Steele some twenty years ago and then saw the movie. I am such a romantic that I still go back and read the book again and again. Well written book and wonderful movie! I thought Stephen Collins was hot then and still is. Great love story with twists and turns....And true love always wins!

Get out the hanky
Not since the 5 star hanky movies from Lana Turner will you see such a romantic cry-you-eyes-out movie. This movie is GREAT and one of my all time favorites. This movie proves that if you are ment to be together,,,,,your ment to be together.The acting is wonderful, costumes great and the music score is unforgetable. The opening and closing scene standing by the rock has got to be the most romantic scene ever filmed. It is also the most gut-grabbing. I'm a guy and i still can't help getting all teary eyed especially during those scenes. Just wish this was on DVD and stereo sound. A great film for your collection. ... Read more

Reviews (11)

Fairie Tale Theater rocks, especially Cinderella!
I love Fairy tales. The first time I saw this movie (and thisone Cinderella especially) I was enchanted and I loved it from thenon. Jean Stapleton gives this movie humor, Jennifer Beals gives it enchantment, and Matthew Broderick gives it a taste of what is still a celebrity in the late 90's! This movie ROCKS!

Faerie Tale Theatre: Cinderella
One of the most romantic episodes in the excellent Faerie Tale Theatre series, this one is the classic rags-to-riches story of Cinderella. Jennifer Beals beautifully portrays the role of Cinderella, and Matthew Broderick makes a delightfully witty Prince Henry. The appearances of Jean Stapleton as the fairy godmother and Eve Arden as the wicked stepmother are superb. The costumes, sets and music are truly divine in this wonderful faerie tale.

Happily Ever After start HERE!
What happens when you have Jennifer Beals playing Cinderella and Jean Stapleton as the fairy godmother? MAGIC!!! This is a wonderful film in the Faerie Tale Theatre series. Each actor/actress gives very memorable performances from Matthew Broderick playing the prince who is looking for love to Eve Arden who plays the unfair dictating stepmother. A perfect family film. A movie that no family or fan of fantasy should be without!

Amazing!
These videos were my absolute favorite as a kid, and at 20, I'm still watching them! They're all so beautifully done and have such wonderful actors! I'm saving all of my copies to show my children some day!

Great Movie
Wonderfully modernized version of the classic tale of Cinderella brought to life with wonderful actors. Great movie . Highly reccomend. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Last Married Couple is a fun view
I remember seeing this film when it first came out when I was in my early 20's. In fact, the first place that I visited upon moving out to LA was "Tommy Original Burgers (discovered from this film)!" LOL

I personally find Natalie Wood wonderful in every film that she's ever done. And I particularly love seeing her looking good and as sharp as ever at 40! Heck, she's a pretty good football player too (see the film)!

Now its some 23 years later. I am now a few years older than Nat was when she made the film. I'm married with kids. This film means more to me now than ever!

NOW, I get the story! Heck, I'm livin it! LOL The protagonists that manage to destabalize the marriage between Nat and George's charcters make sense! Its more amusing than ever.

There are a few "period" side stories to the film (it was made in the late 70's), but everything that they present about marriage is true. And some of the side character's acting comes across as flat...still...

Valerie Harper is particularly good and funny as Natalie's friend who -- as Nat's husband later remarks -- is "not such a good friend" afterall!

AND, Natalie and George both shine in the film. Particularly on their night out for his birthday! Natalie's swearing and beating up George in the film makes me laugh too! Find it. See it.

NJ/Ordinaryfool

A Great Comedy!
An extremely funny film! A compilation of comedy that is hysterical from beginning to end! Dom Deluise is at his best in his supporting role as George Segal's good friend, and George Segal, as always, is wildly emotional! Valerie Harper is also on hand and gives a great performance as Natalie Wood's best friend. Natalie Wood is stunning and quite funny as the wife of George Segal. It shows her acting talents in a different light and gives us another side to remember her by. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

"Hobson's Choice" Is My Choice
A charming romance that has been one of my favorites from the first time it aired on TV. Sharon Gless and Richard Thomas show that the basis for a relationship doesn't have to be fire and passion, but understanding of each others needs. This film will make you feel good for the times when life was a little less complicated. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Excellent drama
Anyone who grew up in a difficult family, who is still dealing with those issues as an adult, and who is now confronted with the past as they deal with the present reality of aging parents should see this film. Stumbled upon it the other night on AMC.

There is *nothing* dated about the relationships and struggles portrayed. (I speak from experience.) The human element is right on target. The scenes when Hackman shops for a nursing home were particularly powerful, horror music appropriate. Been there recently, and things haven't changed much in 30 years...

What a gem!
I recently discovered this absolute gem, which seems to be totally underrated.

The movie features Melvin Douglas as the father of the title (Tom Garrison in the movie) and Gene Hackman as the son (Gene Garrison in the movie). Tom Garrison's drunken father deserted the family and his mother died when he was 10, leaving him to fend for himself and his siblings, which he did very successfully. He ends up hating his father, but nonetheless keeps his picture and the only note his father ever wrote him. He grows up a seemingly self-centred, cold, even mean and very dictatorial old man to his children, Alice and Gene. His background explains, however, why he finds it difficult, if not impossible, to show love. The dialogue reveals his hurt about his father and his lost childhood, as well as his very deep affection for Gene - but he cannot show it.

Gene tries everything to please his father to gain his approval and his love, but never seems to succeed, leaving him feeling inadequate. Tom still gives him directions to the house he grew up in! He doesn't really like his father, yet feels bad about it and still endeavours to somehow get the approval he never had.

The relationship reaches its climax when Gene's mother dies, leaving Tom Garrison alone, now starting to display the effects of early Alzheimers. Gene knows that he has to do something about his dad. He wants to get married again and move to California, Tom wants him to stay and support him. This leads to the powerful inner struggle Gene experiences: can he just leave his dad to fend for himself and how can he deal with the guilt he would feel if he pursues his own life? On the other hand, if he stays to support Tom, he will probably never really have a worthwhile relationship with his father and will give up his opportunity to live a meaningful life outside of the dominance of his father.

The horror music another critic complains about is perfectly functional here, playing whilst Gene visits an institution for the aged. The scenes of senile old people strikes a very false chord with Gene and he cannot envisage his powerful father in such an institution, despite the onset of Alzheimers.

The conflict between father and son (verbally and psychologically) is brilliantly acted out by Melvin Douglas and a young Gene Hackman. The final scene acts out the effects of Gene's eventual decision - and his father's reaction to it.

If you had a father figure who seemed rough and unloving, yet strong and somehow comforting - you will identify with this movie.

Find the movie and see it - it will enlighten you about parental and other relationships.

one of my favorites
Gene Hackman is simply astonishing in this film. It has to do with troubled relations with a father that doesn't know he's alive. It captures all the angst of middle age, combined with the heartache of trying to capture a parent's love. It isn't a happy film but I strongly urge you to see it if you like quiet, sensitive films- one of the best! I'm waiting for it to come out on DVD.

Tour Fe Force Acting.
Gene Hackman,s ending monologue is somewhat reminiscent of Tom Wingfield,s ( The Glass Menagarie). Its a downbeat film about real people..in terminal conflict.

Is there any doubt that Mr. Hackman is one of our finest film actors. Here, Douglas delivers as he did in films such as " Hud" 1962.

If your tired of FX, absurd ..high decibel film scores and you want to see a good drama...this is a good bet. Estelle Parsons is around as Hackmans sister whose realities in life are understood better than her brothers.

CP

Extremely dated but powerful at the end.
Really bad soundtrack with music playing at inappropriate times for way too long? Main character who is practically engaged but who has a bedmate when he needs it -- but somehow we are not supposed to question his commitment to his girlfriend? Sound like a typical early 1970s movie to you? Well, you're right, but this one has a powerful script involving a son (Gene Hackman) whose guilt over not loving his father (Melvyn Douglas) and his inability to stand up to his father threaten to keep him from moving forward with his life. This is a film that begs to be remade, but in the meantime, this version has great acting by Hackman and Douglas, and a truly powerful last scene. Yes, you have to suffer through some excruciatingly long dialogue-free scenes with the awful music mentioned above (Hackman walking around his parents' house with some God-awful ballad in the background; later taking a tour of an old age home with horror (no, I'm not kidding: HORROR!) music playing), but it's all worth it for the final confrontation. If you've ever had family problems, this movie will hit you hard. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

TheBoy Who Left Home to Find out Aboutr the Shivers
The Shivers is the greatest Faerie tale in the whole theatre.I grew up on these videos. I have been searching for a few years now to purchase these videos.I can't wait for them to become available. I would love to own the whole collection.These classic tales should be available for all children to see and enjoy.I must say The Faerie Tale theatre collection is the greatest among faerie tale production.

Utterly Enjoyable!
The Fairy Tale Theatre Series is wonderful. I watched them as a child, and still enjoy watching them. This one especially. It makes you laugh and at the same time has enough scare to it to make a child feel that they just watched their first horror movie. In actuality there there is nothing horrible about it. A perfect family entertainment movie.

Truly a classic!
Faery Tale Theatre movies are masterpieces! They follow the tales they tell fairly faithfully as they were originally written. I only hope they will soon be re-released as my children are now asking for copies, and I don't want to give mine up!

My favorite out of the Faerie Tale Theatre collection.
I am a collector of these series by Shelly Duvall. I have the complete 26 set of movies. It is a great set of movies for families, young and old alike. My sister's favorite is "Cinderella," starring Jennifer Beals and Matthew Broderick. My Mom's favorite is "Rumpelstiltskin," starring Ned Beatty. This is a great collection of movies and a must for every family. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Best Faerie Tale Theatre Ever!
I would have to agree with the previous review that this is the best episode of Faerie Tale Theatre. In adapting faerie tales for film or television, the biggest difficulty seems to be in capturing that sense of awe and wonder that the original stories invoke. Without picture illustrations and a child's imagination to fill in the blanks, the original stories often appear static and lifeless on the screen. At worst, the sublime becomes downright ridiculous. Faerie Tale Theatre is a great and entertaining show, but rarely has it captured that sense of magic. This episode is one time that is has, and the results are truly something to behold. Eric Idle is the only "name" here, but the rest of the cast is equally perfect in their roles. Nicholas Meyer creates an entire other world, utilizing medieval tones in setting and costumes, as well as an eerie score of pipes from composer James Horner. The effect is mesmerizing, and if the use of rhyme as dialogue takes some getting used to, it only adds to the haunting impact in the end. This episode may be too disturbing for the youngest children, but all lovers of faerie tales owe it to themselves to see this. It doesn't have the budget of big-screen fantasies, but I rank this right up there with the NeverEnding Story and the Dark Crystal. If you love those films, then you understand what I mean about the sublime.

Wonderful and surreal...as fairy tales should be.
In the early to mid eighties, Shelly Duvall produced a cable show for the then flagship HBO network called Faerie Tale Theatre. The intent was to bring classic childhood stories to an audience of young and old alike through big name stars, directors, and hip, irreverent writing. Without this series, there would not have been a "Princess Bride". Although many of these were excellent examples of the best television could offer, the finest hour (for me) was director Nicholas Meyer's interpretation of Robert Browning's "Pied Piper of Hamelin". Both faithful to the original poem and liberal in its creative embellishments, Meyer perfectly captured the eerieness of the story. The show starred Eric Idle and he makes a perfect Piper. Tall, pale, with piercing eyes and a hawklike nose, Idle looke every bit the character: part mystic, part mercenary. And his final march out of Hamelin with the children is truly the stuff of innocent nightmares. Without sentimentality, without any concession to cuteness, this episode proved that within all great children's stories lurked something magical and sinister...Just like adulthood. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

my personal fairy tale theatre movie
If your looking for a fairy tale for kids that can make even you laugh this is the one. Robin Williams will lighten the mood every time.

Bad for Children
This film contains language and sexual content. Robin Williams uses profanity and parental discretion is advised. It is a funny telling of the story for adults but not younger viewers... Parents should watch the movie first to decide if it is appropiate for their children, and trust me, it isn't!!!!

Undoubtably one of the best Faerie Tale Theatre videos.
This episode of The Tale of the Frog Prince, starring the hilarious Robin Williams and wonderful Teri Garr, is not only a very well told classic children's tale, but a comedy. It has plenty of bits an adult would find entertaining, none being underhand or crude, while still amusing to a younger audience. I grew up watching this series; I loved it then, and I still love it now ... A very good movie to see, and a deal if you can buy it anywhere!

Hilarious, but for adults
This is a hilariously funny version of a children`s fairy tale. Both Robin Williams and Teri Garr do a superb job in their portrayals of the frog-prince and the princess, but you will, most likely, be surprised at how well Rene Aberjonois (Clayton, fron the t.v. series Benson) does comedy. The only caveat is that because of the language and some the situations I would not recommend this video for pre-teens, but anyone else will definitely be amused! ... Read more

Description

God returns to Earth to reunite an advertising man and his real estate saleswoman wife who are separated. He asks their daughter to write a slogan to help sell Him to the public. A sequel to the movie "Oh, God!" ... Read more

Reviews (3)

God in the 20th century
I absolutely love this movie! One night when I was bored flipping the channels I found this movie and I am so glad that I did. It was a really creative twist on faith. A little girl thinks that God is telling her to post signs in her school saying "think God" and the whole rest goes from there. It is adorable, very creative and inspirational especially for people of faith; although it would cause some thinking in nonbelievers. The little girl is so cute and reminds me of myself when I was little. It's kind of funny how a little child was able to believe when the adults wouldn't. George Burns makes a great God in this movie. I'm going to make sure I own a copy of this movie. Make sure you watch it. The ending is really sweet. Also check out the first edition "Oh God" and Oh God, you Devil".

Cute For Little Kids But Boring For Adults!
I saw the movie Oh, God! Book II when I was a young girl and I loved it, I thought it was a very funny and cute story, I saw the movie again a while ago and though I still think it's a cute little movie I thought it was a bit boring and I had a hard time concentrating on the movie. In the movie God played by George Burns appears to a little girl named Tracey and with her Father being in the ad business she decides to start an ad campaign to spread the word, but all the adults including her parents think she's lost her marbles and she has to prove that she hasn't lost touch with reality. I thought then and still think that the actress named Louanne who played Tracey was adorable. I think it's a movie that children will probably like to watch but adults might be a little bored with it.

Another Ungodly Sequel
George Burns reprises his role of the Almighty in "Oh God! Book II", a 1980 sequel to the popular "Oh, God". Burns was great as an incarnation of the Deity in "Oh, God!" and with good direction by Carl Reiner, the movie was also good. He's still good in "Book II", yet the movie isn't.

Part of the problem is they didn't come up with a distinct and original story, a departure from what we got in the first film. The cover for the video reads "That's right, I made another movie," yet as far as I can see this is not another movie, but pretty much the same movie. It does (except for Burns) have different characters and therefore different situations, but from beginning to end "Book II" is all too similar to its predecessor.

Like its predecessor, the sequel has God coming back for the same reasons. "They are still not thinking about me," he says. "People have to be reminded I'm still around." This time, he chooses a young girl named Tracy (played by a where-is-she-now actress who just went by "Louanne") and like the late John Denver in the original, she is surprised when she gets a message to meet God. Also like Denver, she thinks it's a practical joke when she hears Burns' voice at the meeting place. But alas, like the first movie, she comes to believe and wants to get his message across.

Tracy's father (David Birney) is in advertising, so she tries to figure out a way to advertise God (as Denver did), finally coming up with the brilliant slogan "Think God". She then organizes a group of her fellow students in the school auditorium (how would be a good question) and proposes her plan to post signs and write "Think God" wherever they can.

Soon some kids can be seen crossing out some graffiti that says "Grass is good for you" to write "Think God". Later, Tracy's mother (Suzanne Pleshette) rationalizes to the school principal that "kids are going to write things on walls anyway, why not 'Think God'?" (What a dumb line. "Think God" is just as much graffiti as "Grass is good for you.")

Anyway, the similarity between the two films goes on right to the very end. I won't tell you the climax, but it's about as close as they could get within the context of the different characters. The denouement is also pretty much the same.

I liked "Oh, God!" but I can't recommend this sequel (reproduction) with its plastic characters and cutesy situations. George Burns is the standout, yet even he is just repeating his original good performance. They even have him spouting the same mistakes-of-nature type jokes. Warner Brothers really took the easy way out. They stayed with something that worked, and they played it safe. Don't fall for it. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Faerie Tale Theatre: The Three Little Pigs
Hilarious episode from the Faerie Tale Theatre series with an all-star cast. Billy Crystal as well as his on-screen brother actors are excellent as the three pigs, and Jeff Goldblum is show-stealing as the Big Bad Wolf. Valerie Perrine is a knock-out and makes a surprisingly sexy pig in this faerie tale. A great comedic hit for the entire family to enjoy!

I love this series!
My brother, sisters and I grew up watching the Faerie Tale Theatre collection, and loving them all. By the way, they're not just for kids! My mother loved them so much she went out of her way to find them for my little niece to enjoy. I highly recommend them to anyone with (or even without) children to view them!

cute and appealing
Billy Crystal, Valerie Perrine, Doris Roberts and Jeff Goldblum star in the new telling of the tale from FAERIE TALE THEATRE.

One of the more light-hearted entries in the series, its a delightfully comic piece, played out by master comedians Crystal and Roberts, with the beautiful Perrine cutting a mean figure as a porker indeed.

The series was a huge success, boasting a huge multi award-winning cast (Tonys, Oscars, Emmys, Grammys, Golden Globes, etc), and creator/producer Shelly Duvall has earned laurels for one of the finest family series in years.

Best of the Fairie Tale Theatres
I must have rented this video 40-50 times for my then pre-school age son and daughter. We all had the lines memorized. Billy Crystal is terrific as one of the pigs (Peter, Paul and Larry) and Jeff Goldblum is a howl as the wolf. The whole cast is great. This is truly a film that everyone in the family will love. The best.

As Unforgettable as Nat
This was a household staple rented over and over from our local video store, played over and over for all ages whenever our guests seemed willing. There was never ever anything but laughter and appreciation; I'm still trying to find the Samuel Barber music played just so. Please let me know if you know where I can get a copy... there are future grandchildren and grandnieces/nephews in my life whose lives will be incomplete without it. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Enough of Washington Irving's Magic Resonates
RIP VAN WINKLE is the kind of pseudo-fairy tale that can mean nearly anything that the reader wants. In the hands of director Francis Ford Coppola, RVW is a surprisingly entertaining version of the Washington Irving novel that was resurrected by the Fairie Tale Theater. A previous reviewer castigated Coppola for what he termed the cheapness of the sets. Yet, as I watched the film for myself (no children involved), I was carried along by what I saw as a deliberately surreal style that successfully mimicked the much more somber tone of the text. Rip (Harry Dean Stanton)is presented as a henpecked husband of wife Vilma (Talia Shire), a woman whose cacophanous shrewishness more clearly suggests Margaret Hamilton's Wicked Witch of the West than the shrill yelping of say Hillary Clinton. In such a non-threatening world, Vilma's harsh voice and equally harsh hairdo do little more than serve as plot devices to propel Rip into the haunted mountains of the Catskills, where the tale's true power resides. Rip leaves the outer level surreal world of his village to enter the inner level surreality of the Magic Mountain of Commander Heinrich. There he sees the magical ghosts whose own deaths 150 years ago prefigure his own looming sleep death of twenty years. Rip's return is a balancing of his own confusion of his long sleep with an equally confusing long sleep of the burgeoning united colonies. The silliness of the mayor (Tim Conway) suggests the subtext that the changes in Rip's village--astounding as they must seem to the bewildered Rip--are only the precursor to further changes that involve granting rights to women and people of color. When Rip finally accepts the reality of his new life, so does the viewer accept the notion that even the seeming reality of momentous changes must be viewed against future and even more momentous ones. RIP VAN WINKLE succeeds in resonating this message as well as far more "serious" films.

Faerie Tale Theatre: Rip Van Winkle
Atmospheric and delightful version of the Washington Irving classic from Faerie Tale Theatre. Francis Ford Coppola creates a spellbinding film with Harry Dean Stanton turning in a great performance as the man who liked to sleep alot! Talia Shire is wickedly funny as Rip's wife, Wilma. Alot of people probably think the same thing as I do, that the sets are a little too fake such as the sheet used for water when the goblins talk about their misfortunate shipwreck. Overall however, it's another excellent episode.

Francis Ford Coppola seems to be directing in his sleep....
First of all, let me state that Faerie Tale Theatre is one of the best children's series ever made. It walks the fine line of being entertaining for both children and adults without pandering to either. However, this is by far the weakest entry in the series and should be avoided by all but completists. The dark aspects of Washington Irving's book have been toned down in service of a bland script and oddly tacked-on environmental message. There are glimpses of the sort of magic and wonder the story invokes, but mostly this is a lifeless and static adaptation. Francis Ford Coppola is the most acclaimed director to work on the show, but he's directing on autopilot here. The script by Mark Curtiss and Rod Ash (who have notably written the most as well as the lamest scripts in the series) wanders aimlessly in the first half before crashing to a halt in the second. Harry Dean Stanton as Rip is one of the few good things here, but Talia Shire is woefully miscast (although I think that was the point) as Rip's overbearing wife. The series always runs on a shoestring, but here it really shows. During Hudson's flashback of the storm at sea, even young children will be rolling their eyes at the toy boat tossing around on a blanket. Some of the set pieces do deliver (most memorably the encounter with the ghosts) and Carmine Coppola's music is pretty enough, but I can find little else to recommend here. Maybe if you need help falling asleep.... ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Definite kid-pleaser
My three-year-old daughter fell in love with this the first time we borrowed it from the library. I enjoyed it myself; my only gripe is Conchata Ferrell's performance. This usually very talented actress seems bored to tears and injects absolutely no feeling into her role as Thumbelina's mother. It's as if she was directed to perform as stoically as possible. I don't get it at all. I am also not impressed with Carrie Fisher's singing here. I know she is capable of singing quite beautifully, I just don't think the folkish songs in this tale are well suited to her instrument. It's hard to pull off such dirges unless the singer has that ethereal, almost mediaeval quality to her voice (think Loreena McKennitt, Mediaveal Baebes). But those minor complaints are of no consequence whatsoever to the intended audience. Children will certainly be enchanted! It's witty script and a fun production.

The Little Thumb with a Big Heart
"Thumbelina" is a fantastic retelling of the classic Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale, "Little Thumb".

Produced in 1983 (and released the following year), as part of Shelley Duvall's charming live-action "Faerie Tale Theatre", the narrative is told with good humour, imagination, and a great sense of fun. The magnificent cast adds much colour and warmth to the proceedings. In particular, Carrie Fisher, in the title role, delivers a captivating performance. She makes an extremely attractive heroine, not to mention one who's "more than just another pretty face". She's an absolute delight, adding her unique qualities to the role. Not only is she pint-sized in real life (although not quite as tiny as a thumb!), she has a lovely, deep voice that is quite at odds with her diminutive stature. When she sings, it is a beautiful and rewarding experience. Indeed, she sings with "an angel's voice". (This is also a highlight for any Carrie Fisher fan, as she began her career as a singer, and yet she only sings briefly in "Hannah and Her Sisters", 1986, and in the Walt Disney live-action comedy, "Sunday Drive", also released in 1986.)

Carrie Fisher is supported by equally delightful character actors. The late Burgess Meredith is in top form as Mr Mole, the second would-be husband of Thumbelina. Likewise, William Katt makes a very positive impression as the Prince of the Flower Angels.

This wonderful fairy tale is further enhanced by excellent production values, including great music, atmospheric sets, and good costumes and creatures like Mother Toad, her hapless son, Herman, the Fieldmouse, and the Swallow.

The script faithfully follows the original story, although the gender of the Fieldmouse has been changed, making for a more convincing friendship with Mr Mole to exist, as well as creating a heartfelt guardianship of Thumbelina along strictly platonic lines.

This well-written and perceptive tale ("I'm always the bride, but never the bridesmaid") makes for enchanting family entertainment. "Thumbelina" delivers a great message, too, but above all, it's storytelling at it's most memorable.

I applaud executive producer Shelley Duvall, and all involved, for giving such a wonderful gift. It's up there with Jim Henson's equally engaging "Storyteller" anthology series, produced in the late 1980s, and the "The Doll", an Emmy Award winning episode of "Amazing Stories" (of the same era).

For me, it's an extra special treat because Carrie Fisher became much more than just Princess Leia with this performance. Besides, she continues to melt me every time she smiles as the Ultimate Flower Angel! Let's hope that this "Faerie Tale Theatre" production, along with my other favourites like "Beauty and the Beast", are re-released soon. Preservation on DVD for future generations is highly recommended. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Puss in Boots
This is a great movie. It's real light hearted and comical. The characters are all very love-able, except for the ogre of course! I also thought it was neat that all the main characters are African American. I highly recommend this film if you're looking for a good, clean, fun movie to enjoy. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Faerie Tale Theatre: The Nightingale
Mick Jagger stars as the Emperor of Cathay in this beautiful and lavish production from Faerie Tale Theatre. It's one of the most touching faerie tales, and it turns out to be one of the best episodes from this series. Jagger turns in an excellent performance as the Emperor, and Barbara Hershey is absolutely charming as the loyal kitchen maid. A spellbinding episode that is one of my favourites.

Sweet and affecting
Mick Jagger stars as the Emperor of Cathay in THE NIGHTINGALE, FAERIE TALE THEATRE'S great new telling of the tale.

He is quite good in his acting role here, although one can't help thinking that someone more suitable could have been found, considering the series' impeccable casting in all its productions.

Barbara Hershy plays the Little Kitchen Maid who opens the Emperor's heart by bringing him the magical Nightingale, who is voiced by Shelly Duvall (creator and producer of the series).

Also featured are Mako and Edward James Olmos. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

My favorite childhood movie!
My sister and I were recently discussing our favorite movies when we were little. And this one was it. We had the disney movies and stuff, but this movie is funny and a great story. We use to watch this movie a lot! A great, perfect movie for children.

Fond Memories
I rented every volume of the Faerie Tale Theatre that the video store had at least 100 times when I was a kid. All these years later, this is the one I remember the most. That must say something for the quality of this story. Kids and parents will love it.

The Princess Who Had Never Laughed
I really enjoyed this movie. It was very comical. It's the funniest Faerie Tale Theatre film I've seen yet. And it teaches a very good moral too! A great family film! ... Read more

Reviews (6)

A Sensitive "Made for Television" Movie
Most of the reviews of this film have been rather harsh. I remember watching this movie as a teenager in the 1970s on a black and white television, so I found watching this movie in color without commercial interruption a delightful experience. I think that Wood and Wagner handled a delicate relationship carefully. One must remember that the disability rights movement was in its infancy in the early 1970s, so persons with physical challenges and the social dimensions of living with a disability were not part of mainstream discourse. Wood and Wagner did an excellent job of portraying a number of emotional and social issues regarding the navigation of sexual relationships for a woman with a physical challenge. Many young viewers may also not clearly understand the impact that polio had on our whole society with many people dying from the disease or being left with a severe level of physical impairment. Time has marched on, many people who lived with the aftermath of polio have died, and some may have forgotten the impact that polio had on the everyday reality of people's lives. In all fairness to this film, I thought that the subject was handled with sensitivity by one of Hollywood's most beloved couples. If one is to judge art, the historic context, level of technology, and the target audience must be considered. "The Affair" was produced as a made for television film that enabled this couple to appear publicly, for a rare treat, on screen together during her pregnancy. 1970s technology was not superb and digitalized. Some of us still prefer records, too. As for criticism of fashion in the movie, well, styles do change... However, Ms. Wood's pants were not "bellbottoms." Anyone who has ever worn calipers or known someone who has...realizes that getting clothing to fit over braces does not provide a sleek and slender look. Pants are often baggy by necessity to fit over braces, and the metal often times still wears through the sides of slacks at the knee joint. That "look" was not retro...It was realism. Lastly, Wagner's character was not atypical of the times as men and women were struggling more over issues such as independence, sexual expression, commitment, and the accelerating divorce rate. I am certain that the notion of a man "stalking" a woman was not verbage typical of the period, nor was the gentility he displayed typical of "stalking" as it would now be defined. See "Ghostworld" and "High Fidelity" for a greater appreciation of works of art that can be appreciated for what they were meant to be. Classics are by nature supposed to be retro!

Made in 1973, and it shows
Sometimes a movie makes you take notice, ponder at the first-rate acting talent, and force you to wonder why anyone went to all the trouble to make it. Affair, starring Robert Wagner and Natalie Wood, the real-life couple-in-matrimony, have really strange on-screen 'chemistry.' Wagner comes across as Mr. Silent Stalker to Wood's character, almost forcing himself into her life. Wood's character, legs paralyzed from illness as a child, finally gives into his advances, and before you know it, he's proclaiming his love for her. Spelling must have financed this movie by the word --- and with a really tight budget.... I've never heard such abstract, unbelievable, and unnatural dialogue in my life.

The DVD itself has clear menus, and great packaging, however the film transfer looks like soemthing out of a high-school science class: grainy, dark, inconsistant coloring between reels, and flat sound.

This movie is straight from the 70s, and it shows. Bell bottoms, shag carpeting, and Elton John eyewear is shared by all in this completely forgettable and pointless anti-romance.... And I'm a huge Natalie Wood fan. Stick with Splendor In The Grass if you want to see Wood in a real romance; watch Wagner in Austin Powers (at least he's supposed to be funny in that flick).

Somewhat Blurry DVD, Definitely Flat Dialogue
Sometimes a movie makes you take notice, ponder at the first-rate acting talent, and force you to wonder why anyone went to all the trouble to make it. Affair, starring Robert Wagner and Natalie Wood, the real-life couple-in-matrimony, have really strange on-screen 'chemistry.' Wagner comes across as Mr. Silent Stalker to Wood's character, almost forcing himself into her life. Wood's character, legs paralyzed from illness as a child, finally gives into his advances, and before you know it, he's proclaiming his love for her.

Spelling must have financed this movie by the word --- and with a really tight budget.... I've never heard such abstract, unbelievable, and unnatural dialogue in my life.

The DVD itself has clear menus, and great packaging, however the film transfer looks like soemthing out of a high-school science class: grainy, dark, inconsistant coloring between reels, and flat sound.

This movie is straight from the 70s, and it shows. Bell bottoms, shag carpeting, and Elton John eyewear is shared by all in this completely forgettable and pointless anti-romance.... And I'm a huge Natalie Wood fan. Stick with Splendor In The Grass if you want to see Wood in a real romance; watch Wagner in Austin Powers (at least he's supposed to be funny in that flick).

The Affair
If you are looking for a feel good and cry movie this is it. A very touching story with two great stars. Natalie Wood just glows!

Quite possible the worst film I've ever seen...
If you're a die-hard Wagner or Wood fan you MIGHT be able to sit all the way through this movie, but otherwise, you'll turn it off within the first half hour. The acting is atrocious - not even close to the caliber that these two actors were capable of. The plot is weak and the characters grossly underdeveloped. It was unbelievable that I was looking at the same woman that played "Maria" in "Westside Story" so beautifully. Don't waste your time, or your money with this one... ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Tripe flavoured with good acting
Rita, the "snow queen" is another of Joanne Woodward's aging spinster virgin frumps, that she seemed to specialise in the early 1970's. Depressed and discontent, her mental state is symbolised by the nightmare plane crash that director Gilbert Cates opens the film with. Writer Stewart Stern - who also wrote Rachel, Rachel - loads on the psycho-baggage. She has a demanding mother (Sylvia Sydney), a fat daughter (Doris Brenner), a gay son, and has married a man she did not love (Martin Balsam). All this would be unbearable with anyone but Woodward playing the role since she lightens it with her natural intelligence and sly sense of humour. It's amusing to see Balsam and Woodward argue in their middle-class educated way, though Rita's wearing a mink clues you that she isn't about to scream abuse. Balsam's subtlety, in particular makes you regret his few screen appearances. The only character that isn't redeemed by the acting is that of the gay son, since he is a cypher, and Cates presents his coming out in a homophobic black-and-white expressionistic sequence. Cates is fond of these kind of theatrical flourishes. There is a death at a screening of Wild Strawberries, a spirited chase at a former European battlefield, a family bickering at a graveyard, and Rita has a breakdown in a crowded London subway, which is probably the most believable of them all. Johnny Mandel provides a lovely theme, in his understated way, and then embarasses himself with trumpets in the battlefield sequence. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

God in the 20th century
I absolutely love this movie! One night when I was bored flipping the channels I found this movie and I am so glad that I did. It was a really creative twist on faith. A little girl thinks that God is telling her to post signs in her school saying "think God" and the whole rest goes from there. It is adorable, very creative and inspirational especially for people of faith; although it would cause some thinking in nonbelievers. The little girl is so cute and reminds me of myself when I was little. It's kind of funny how a little child was able to believe when the adults wouldn't. George Burns makes a great God in this movie. I'm going to make sure I own a copy of this movie. Make sure you watch it. The ending is really sweet. Also check out the first edition "Oh God" and Oh God, you Devil".

Cute For Little Kids But Boring For Adults!
I saw the movie Oh, God! Book II when I was a young girl and I loved it, I thought it was a very funny and cute story, I saw the movie again a while ago and though I still think it's a cute little movie I thought it was a bit boring and I had a hard time concentrating on the movie. In the movie God played by George Burns appears to a little girl named Tracey and with her Father being in the ad business she decides to start an ad campaign to spread the word, but all the adults including her parents think she's lost her marbles and she has to prove that she hasn't lost touch with reality. I thought then and still think that the actress named Louanne who played Tracey was adorable. I think it's a movie that children will probably like to watch but adults might be a little bored with it.

Another Ungodly Sequel
George Burns reprises his role of the Almighty in "Oh God! Book II", a 1980 sequel to the popular "Oh, God". Burns was great as an incarnation of the Deity in "Oh, God!" and with good direction by Carl Reiner, the movie was also good. He's still good in "Book II", yet the movie isn't.

Part of the problem is they didn't come up with a distinct and original story, a departure from what we got in the first film. The cover for the video reads "That's right, I made another movie," yet as far as I can see this is not another movie, but pretty much the same movie. It does (except for Burns) have different characters and therefore different situations, but from beginning to end "Book II" is all too similar to its predecessor.

Like its predecessor, the sequel has God coming back for the same reasons. "They are still not thinking about me," he says. "People have to be reminded I'm still around." This time, he chooses a young girl named Tracy (played by a where-is-she-now actress who just went by "Louanne") and like the late John Denver in the original, she is surprised when she gets a message to meet God. Also like Denver, she thinks it's a practical joke when she hears Burns' voice at the meeting place. But alas, like the first movie, she comes to believe and wants to get his message across.

Tracy's father (David Birney) is in advertising, so she tries to figure out a way to advertise God (as Denver did), finally coming up with the brilliant slogan "Think God". She then organizes a group of her fellow students in the school auditorium (how would be a good question) and proposes her plan to post signs and write "Think God" wherever they can.

Soon some kids can be seen crossing out some graffiti that says "Grass is good for you" to write "Think God". Later, Tracy's mother (Suzanne Pleshette) rationalizes to the school principal that "kids are going to write things on walls anyway, why not 'Think God'?" (What a dumb line. "Think God" is just as much graffiti as "Grass is good for you.")

Anyway, the similarity between the two films goes on right to the very end. I won't tell you the climax, but it's about as close as they could get within the context of the different characters. The denouement is also pretty much the same.

I liked "Oh, God!" but I can't recommend this sequel (reproduction) with its plastic characters and cutesy situations. George Burns is the standout, yet even he is just repeating his original good performance. They even have him spouting the same mistakes-of-nature type jokes. Warner Brothers really took the easy way out. They stayed with something that worked, and they played it safe. Don't fall for it. ... Read more