Wednesday, May 09, 2007

WON'T YOU COME HOME, ST. THOMAS. . .WON'T YOU COME HOME. It's with great pleasure that I announce the long-awaited DVD release of two films for which I've been waiting eons. Both are films I love and we're getting them on DVD at last! One just came out and the other will be released any day now.
First is that historical epic from 1964 that was nominated for 12 Academy Awards: BECKET. Yes, children, it's the story of England's King Henry II (Peter O'Toole) and his friendship with Thomas a Becket (Richard Burton) which turned a wee bit sour after King Hank made Tommy the Archbishop of Canterbury. Henry thought he'd have an Archbishop whom he could control but Becket proved to be his own man. All this naturally led to the murder in the cathedral. Burton and O'Toole are both at the top of their game in this wrenching clash between church and state. One of the spectacular sidebars to "BECKET" is the fact that Peter O'Toole would once again play the same character (King Henry II) 3 years later in the medieval masterpiece "THE LION IN WINTER" with Katharine Hepburn as his queen (Eleanor of Acquitaine). I can't wait to see the restoration job on this film; the DVD will be out May 15th.
Then, there's that OTHER movie I've been pissing and moaning about not being on DVD for years now: SHIRLEY VALENTINE. This hysterical comedy features Academy Award nominated Pauline Collins as Shirley Valentine; a middle-aged wife and mother who is taken for granted by her children and husband. One day she has enough and decides to go on vacation with her friend to Greece. But a funny thing happens once she gets there; Shirley is abandoned by her man-chasing friend and then decides that she's not going to go back home. Ever. She's going to stay in Greece where she can be "alive" again. Collins was nominated for an Oscar and a Golden Globe for best actress in "Shirley Valentine" and she won the BAFTA Award and the Evening Standard British Film Award for best actress in this wonderful comedy. The DVD came out May 1st.
Now, if we could ONLY get "PETER'S FRIENDS" released to DVD.

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