Truman Capote's a Christmas Memory (1967) Review

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(More customer reviews)"Whether baking a cake, prattling like two wise children or raiding a
pecan orchard, young Donnie Melvin and the remarkable Miss Page are
unforgettable. The authentic Southern setting looks so real that it
hurts, at least to one who raided a pecan orchard or two in his own
time. The color photography of the entire picture is muted and excellent."
-- from Howard Thompson's review of A Christmas Memory (in its
theatrical release) from the November 7th, 1969, New York Times.
It's a rare pleasure to watch this dramatization of a piece of great
American literature, and it has become a ritual in my home to watch
this movie with friends and family each year. Donnie Melvin and
Geraldine Page work so well together, they truly bring the story to life.
Hard to imagine, but the original short story was written while author
Truman Capote was vacationing in Hong Kong.
A Christmas Memory was filmed in direct collaboration with Mr. Capote,
and it won many awards, including a Peabody and three Emmys, after it
first aired on ABC Television's Stage67 series.
One problem: This VHS cassette is in black and white and thus offers a
diminished experience from what was created in the 1966 color original.
The story still shines through, but this small masterpiece deserves
better. A color copy of A Christmas Memory of equivalent quality to the
above can be found online elsewhere.
If you wish to someday see a restored version of this movie on DVD,
won't you please logon to The Criterion Collection site and submit a
title suggestion on their Ask Jon Mulvaney page? Maybe with enough
interest expressed to Criterion for a restoration, this dream of many
will one day come true.



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Item Name: Truman Capote's A Christmas Memory - ABC Stage 67 (l966); Studio:abc tv

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Crossroads - A Story of Forgiveness - Hallmark Review

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(More customer reviews)I found this to be a very moving film that I think many people (especially teens) should see as it might just make them think twice about speeding and dangerous driving. Its also quite inspirational as what the main character (and real father) did seems impossible to most of us but he managed to do it. Makes you wonder about the silly grudges we all have. Also thought Dean Cain was brillliant. I'm a huge fan of his anyway but thought this was one of his best performances.

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The History Channel Presents The Revolution (2006) Review

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(More customer reviews)A great examination of the American Revolutionary War by the History Channel. Includes interviews with historians, battlefield maps and examinations of troop movements, letters from the battlefields, and actor portrayals of battles and historical figures.
The Revolution starts out with the examinations of the cause of the revolution, such as colonial resentment of taxes levied after the Seven Years' War without any representation. It follows this through the forging of the Declaration of Independence and the battles of the Revolutionary War. It finishes up with the problems facing the nation after the war.
I don't think I had a good enough realization in school with how hard times were for these soldiers as they waged war. This video goes into detail with the troubled supply lines that plagued Washington's army, the heavy desertion and mutiny (which Washington clamped down on with some extraordinary tactics), and the many failed battles that occured in the first few years of the Revolutionary War. It covers internal conflicts between such characters as Horatio Gates and George Washington.
Also discussed are Benjamin Franklin's efforts in France to recruit the French navy and John Paul Jone's foray into Britain and Ireland.
The first half of the series covers the battles in the north and the remaining few episodes discuss how the battles move south into Savannah, the back woods of the Carolinas, and finally Yorktown.
One problem with the series is that they tend to recycle the interviews and footage throughout.
US history books tend to lionize the founding fathers, but this series (and books such as the Founding Brothers) show how none of these people was perfect, and shows their faults as well as their strengths. I came away with this series (which I downloaded from iTunes, BTW) with a much better understanding of the Revolutionary War.

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