Beyond the Golden Compass: The Magic of Philip Pullman

Beyond the Golden Compass: The Magic of Philip Pullman
by Jean-Pierre Isbouts

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DVD details

Actor: James Hayward Brinkley
Director: Jean-Pierre Isbouts
Brand: Koch International
Audio: English (Original Language)
Format: Color, DVD-Video, NTSC, Widescreen
Picture Format: 1.77:1
Running Time: 72 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2007-11-20
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: Koch Vision

DVD Reviews of Beyond the Golden Compass: The Magic of Philip Pullman

DVD Review: failed to meet potential
Summary: 2 Stars

A good example of a movie that failed to live up to it's potential. Too much fluff was added - making it drag in places - so that they could make a multiple release out of the material.

DVD Review: Beyond's Golden Compass
Summary: 3 Stars

Good DVD to view before watching the big screen movie.
Will give you a better idea on how and why it was made.

DVD Review: Better off reading the book first
Summary: 4 Stars

The documentary actually gives away the whole plot in a non-linear sound bite format. This makes a good supplement and adds a little insight to the story as we get interviews with Philip Pullman himself along with people that interpret his knows and actors enact the British version called "Northern Lights."

One important point made by Philip Pullman just as with the "Lord of the Rings", this is not really a trilogy (meaning three stories) but one story in three books. You will be better off buying all three or at least the net book before finishing the first.

The so called extras are mostly re-hashed or rearranged versions of the main presentation.

Lyra's Oxford

DVD Review: DVD may not ship as expected
Summary: 3 Stars

This DVD may be held up this week from shipping, based on the hearing before a judge in the copyright infringement claim.
New Line Cinema Corp. has sought a court injunction in its $10 million copyright infringement suit to block this documentary from being released.
This is not a review but I thought it may be helpful to customers to follow the news on this interesting story.

DVD Review: I've been reading
Summary: 5 Stars

I recently read information about this production and from what I can tell, this looks like it ought to be fantastic for Pullman fans. It's not planned as a 'behind the scenes / making of the movie', but instead is planned as a background historicial exploration of the characters, demons, and general storyline development, delving deeply into the work of Philip Pullman's "His Dark Materials". It should provide a solid understanding for anyone planning on either reading the book or seeing the upcoming film release in Decemeber of Gold Compass.

Updated: 12/16/07

All the hoopla, the New Line suit mentioned in the other review, and this DVD HAS come to the market. It's exactly what I thought/heard it would be, a deeper exploration into Pullman's literature that provides further understanding of the characters, plots and sub-plots. All great literature deserves third party analysis, and this DVD is the first to provide such in good fashion, opening up thought, debate, etc. I do hope New Line makes more of this trilogy, as it's great reading, and well worthy of the kind of discussion that this KOCH Vision outsider's view is then peremitted to provide.

Cheers from across the pond!

Description of Beyond the Golden Compass: The Magic of Philip Pullman

Unlock the astonishing truths and hidden meanings inside the pages of Philip Pullman's The Golden Compass, the best-selling fantasy novel that has captured the imagination of millions worldwide. This cutting edge documentary examines the secret codes and symbols of Lyra's world - a parallel universe where each person is guided by their animal daemon and where dark, evil forces lurk behind facades of piousness and beauty. Utilizing the latest CG animation and rare archival footage, Beyond The Golden Compass: The Magic of Philip Pullman also includes revealing interviews with historians and experts as well as an exclusive talk with the author himself.

Includes over 60 minutes of bonus features including:
Exclusive interview with Philip Pullman
Extended Interviews with Professors and Scholars
Slide Show with Jean-Pierre Isbouts (director of Beyond The Golden Compass: The Magic of Philip Pullman)
Walk-Around Interview with Nicholas Tucker (author of Darkness Visible: Inside the World of Philip Pullman)

Documentary: Not Associated with the New Line Motion Picture
This production was not authorized, prepared, approved, licensed or endorsed by New Line Cinema or any other individual or entity associated with the His Dark Materials books, except that Philip Pullman authorized his appearance.

Separated into short segments that would be perfectly suited to a classroom setting, Beyond the Golden Compass not only serves as plot explication for the one third of Philip Pullman's sci-fi trilogy, His Dark Materials, but also introduces scientific, religious, and historical background that will enhance one's understanding of the book's themes. Though cheesy special effects litter the documentary, this filmic guide contains interviews with Pullman, British literature professors, and with Golden Compass expert Laurie Frost, spliced between scenes from the upcoming film and related archival footage and photographs, such as that of zeppelins, aurora borealis, and the Industrial Revolution. Focusing in the beginning on character and plot, one wonders if this film will spoil imagined visions constructed from reading the book, though later forays into the principles Pullman aims to discuss, such as the difference between corrupt organized religion and spirituality, serve to clarify tension developed in his epic story. Helpful background information, for example the history of astrolabs and compasses, offers learning material to those who are already expert, though one needn't have read the book to benefit from viewing. Towards the end of the film, the trilogy's themes are contextualized in a fascinating section about the history of Oxford University, which inspired so many great fantasy stories, such as Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland. Beyond the Golden Compass, though slightly dry at times, does a good job of showing how Pullman's conflation of good and evil transforms the archetypal format into something that urges children to make their own informed decisions in an increasingly complex world. -Trinie Dalton

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