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I, Claudius by Herbert Wise
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Canada
DVD detailsActor: Derek Jacobi, Eileen Corbett, Emlyn Williams, Flora Robson, Si?n Phillips Director: Herbert Wise Brand: Image Entertainment DVD: Region Code 1 Audio: English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono Format: Box set, Color, Full Screen Picture Format: Pan & Scan Running Time: 740 minutes DVD Release Date: 2000-08-15 Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated) Studio: Image Entertainment
DVD Reviews of I, ClaudiusDVD Review: Remastered version is excellent! Summary: 4 StarsI thoroughly enjoyed this remastered edition of "I, Claudius." All of the cut scenes from previous DVDs/VHS versions have been restored. The picture and sound quality are both superior to older versions as well. This version also includes some cut scenes that were not aired on US TV (episodes 1 and 2 are now presented as one episode, along with a previously-unseen flashback sequence that explains the consolidated episode; additional material about Caligula's death in episode 10), which were a nice and unexpected treat.
The price is also great, well within a reasonable affordability range unlike older versions. If you enjoyed "I, Claudius" in the past but have been reluctant to buy it on DVD due to price or quality reasons, I encourage you to buy this version.
DVD Review: Why was this abridged? Summary: 1 StarsOne of my great joys is to find something I loved on TV decades ago, now available on DVD and be able to experience it all over again. I was thrilled to see this DVD set available. Then I started scrolling through the reviews, and was dismayed to see comments that it had had key scenes deleted and cut. Why would they do that? What is the reasoning? Is it censorship or stupidity? It's like spending money to buy a beloved book on tape to listen to in your car, and then finding out it has been abridged. I will not waste my money on a DVD set that has been altered, negatively and unnecessarily, from the original. No one else should either. Send them a message that we want it in the original form.
DVD Review: Classic tv Summary: 5 StarsThe original Brit tv series was landmark at the time, and worth it just to see Patrick Stewart with hair! View it with its date in mind; it's a Beeb costume drama, no slick Hollywood stunts or effects, it's more like attending a live theatre performance. Brian Blessed and Sian Phillips really shine as Augustus and Livia, and John Hurt is bizarre as Caligula (as he was meant to be). For Brits, it's an all-star cast but don't let unfamiliar faces put US viewers off - it serialises Robert Graves' books superbly, and incorporates large chunks of the book in dialogue. It informs as well as entertains; still good viewing after all this time.
DVD Review: This is the 21st century for god sakes whats the deal? Summary: 1 Starsi want very much to order i claudius but if series itself is not in its entirety then i won't waste my money. i mean for god sakes we are living in the 21st century and judging from whats being shown in movies today i hardly think the scenes deleted from this great series is anything to worry about.
DVD Review: Better Than HBO's Rome. Summary: 5 StarsI own the whole series and it was a fantastic ride to watch it. Very great show.
Description of I, ClaudiusRoman history comes alive in this magnificent 13-part series. "I, Claudius" (1976, 668 min.) ranks among the most acclaimed productions in BBC history. Tracing the lives of the last of the Roman emperors, it's an epic of ruthless ambition, shocking debauchery and murderous intrigue set in one of history's most fascinating eras. Bearing witness to the saga is Claudius, whose stutter and limp have marked him a fool--yet whom prophesies have foretold will one day rule Rome. This collector's edition set includes a unique documentary feature, "The Epic That Never Was" (1965, 71 min.), a remarkable behind-the-scenes look at Alexander Korda's ill-fated 1937 screen adaptation of "I, Claudius." Starring Merle Oberon and Charles Laughton, the chronicle of this uncompleted masterpieces is an unforgettable coda to one of the greatest stories ever told. This superbly acted, mordantly funny romp through 70?years or so of Roman history is one of the best-loved miniseries ever made, and deservedly so. Derek Jacobi plays Roman Emperor Claudius, who reflects in old age on his life and his remarkable family, giving us a history lesson that's unlike anything you learned in school. The story begins in 24?B.C. during the reign of Augustus Caesar, Rome's first emperor, and ends in A.D.?54 with Nero on the throne. In between, I, Claudius details the scheming, murder, madness, and lust that passed for politics in the early years of the Pax Romana. The biggest worm in the Roman apple is Augustus's wife, Livia (the superb Si?n Phillips), whose single-minded pursuit of power shapes the destiny of the Empire. With a carefully planted rumor here and a poisoned fig there, she gradually maneuvers her son, Tiberius, toward the throne, creating an atmosphere of suspicion and treachery that starts Rome on its helter-skelter slide into bloody chaos. Phillips somehow makes us understand this extraordinarily wicked woman. As she ages and her carefully wrought webs begin to unravel, it becomes clear that Livia has been as thoroughly poisoned by her own ambition as her victims were by her carefully prepared meals. Further acting honors go to George Baker as Tiberius, who resists but eventually succumbs to the destiny forced upon him by his mother, and to John Hurt as a hilarious and absolutely terrifying Caligula. In one breathtakingly tense scene, the mad Emperor performs a dance in drag, then asks Claudius to critique it, perfectly capturing the horror of a world where one wrong word means death, or worse. Jacobi is the perfect Claudius, hiding his intelligence behind a crippling stammer and shuffling around the edges of events--until he finds himself pulled to the very center. His wry comments give shape to the tangled story of his family and help the audience make sense of a dauntingly complex cast of characters. I, Claudius might seem a little studio-bound to viewers brought up on more recent big-budget costume dramas, but the topnotch cast and the incident-filled plot are more than enough to hold the attention through almost 11?hours of gripping, deliciously wicked Roman follies. This boxed set also includes a documentary entitled "The Epic That Never Was," about Alexander Korda's failed attempt to film I, Claudius in 1937. The film, directed by Josef von Sternberg and starring Charles Laughton as Claudius and Merle Oberon as Messalina, was abandoned unfinished, and it remains one of Hollywood's great lost movies. --Simon Leake
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