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  I, Claudius
This slim new edition of I, Claudius, which presents the nearly nine-hour-long miniseries on three DVDs, is a true TV masterpiece in its best form to date: suitable for a bacchanal-cum-marathon. The story is narrated by Claudius, who lived between approximately 24 B.C. and A.D. 54. The twisting tale begins with the desperate search by Augustus Caesar for an heir, and his wife Livia's machinations to see that her favored son, Tiberius, takes the throne.
 The Egyptian (1954):
Early 'Monotheist', Pharoah Akhenaten, is central to the story of the Egyptian physician whose search for truth and the purpose of life leads him on a painful path. "Although the story takes place in ancient Egypt, the common human themes of unconditional love, unrequited love, fulfilled love, greed and hunger for power, the desire to find a universal truth, the narrow-minded bigotry of those in religious power, the pain of loss, the joy of inner peace all come through radiantly in the classic epic." Starring: Jean Simmons, Victor Mature, Edmund Purdom, Gene Tierney, Peter Ustinov. VHS.
 Egyptian
 Joan the Woman (1916):
 Joan the Woman
A sweeping chronicle of the life and death of Joan of Arc, the Maid of Orlean, this epic stands as one of director Cecil B. DeMille's finest works and offers film buffs a fascinating look into the early years of one of Hollywood's greats. With a cast of 1,400 extras, full-sized sets, spectacular battle scenes and hand-tinted prints, DeMille spared no expense with his epic and though the $300,000 seems paltry by today's filmmaking standards, it was a fortune in 1916. It was money well spent for Joan the Woman stand's times test as an exceptional example of the epic film. DVD.
 Lion In Winter:
Stars Peter O'Toole, Katharine Hepburn, Jane Merrow, Anthony Hopkins. The year is 1183. Britain's King Henry II (Peter O'Toole) hopes to maintain his stronghold on his Empire and to prevent the balance of power from shifting to Eleanor or to one of his sons: Richard the Lion-Hearted (Anthony Hopkins in his movie debut), Prince Geoffrey (John Castle), or Prince John (Nigel Terry). John is the King's favorite and Richard is favored by the Queen. The 'boys' each seek power. Talk about a dysfunctional family! The costumes, the gloomy castle, and the clip-clop of snorting steeds, all accent the period ambience, but in the end it is the wonderful acting -- in particular O'Toole's and Hepburn's -- that carries the day and makes The Lion in Winter a masterpiece worth viewing again and again. DVD - Also available on VHS.
 Lion in Winter
 Ben-Hur (1959):
 Ben-Hur
This 1959 version of Lew Wallace's best-selling novel won 11 Academy Awards, still the most Oscars won by any movie. Starring Charlton Heston and a cast of thousands, it is a renowned Biblical epic of enormous scale, about the adult enmity between boyhood friends. A character-driven, action-filled, star-studded extravaganza. Ben-Hur never gives up trying to find his family or exact revenge on Messala. At crucial junctures in his life, he also crosses the path of Jesus, and each time he benefits from it. A beautiful film about the human condition. The chariot race is the most exciting race, of any type, ever filmed. DVD.
 The Six Wives of Henry VIII:
This 9 Hour-long mini-series first aired on Masterpiece Theatre in 1972 and traces the monarch's lives and loves from age 18 to his dotage. (We watched it then and loved the finely written dialogue and historically accurate plots. Not to be missed.- EB, Ages Past) DVD / Dolby sound.
 0066805919022:Product Link on Barnes & Noble.com.
Vanessa Redgrave stars as Mary Stuart of Scotland, with Glenda Jackson co-starred as Queen Elizabeth I. Although not historically accurate in all respects, this is a finely scripted and well-acted production. Lavish sets, costumes and beautiful music are the backdrop for the war of wills between two queens. (On a recent visit to Westminster Abbey, standing next to the richly-decorated burial vault of Elizabeth 1st, I wondered how she would feel if she knew that her great "thorn in her side", Queen Mary Stuart, lay next to her now.- EB, Ages Past)
 Mary, Queen of Scots
 Julius Caesar (1953):
'Friends, Romans, countrymen - lend me your ears!' Joseph L. Mankiewicz directed this exquisite version of William Shakespeare's play. Stars Marlon Brando, James Mason, Edmond O'Brien & John Gielgud. Centers on the time before, during and after the assassination of Julius Caesar. VHS
 Julius Caesar
 Sign Of The Cross (1932):
Fredric March stars as Roman Prefect Marcus Superbus, a noble, debauched military leader of the year 64 A.D. and secret lover of the Empress Poppaea (Claudette Colbert). Emperor Nero (Charles Laughton) has just burned down the city and blamed the conflagration on Christians. Marcus encounters and lusts after a beautiful young Christian woman, Mercia ....When Nero orders that Christians are to be fed to the lions in the arena, Poppaea seizes the opportunity to get rid of her romantic rival, and Marcus pleads in vain with Nero to spare her life. Very "Cecil B. DeMille". We love it.
 Sign of the Cross
Cromwell:
Richard Harris as Cromwell, Alec Guinness as King Charles, Timothy Dalton and Robert Morley star. Historically accurate or not - you decide since opinions vary. 17th-century Protestant leader Oliver Cromwell, out of religious fervency, declares civil war against the weak-willed British monarch Charles I when the latter threatens to reinstate Catholic rule in England (a fatal mistake).
 Cromwell
 Ulysses (1954):
Italian adaptation of Homer's epic poem is a swashbuckling adventure based on Greek mythology. This very expensive Italian-made adaptation of Homer's "The Odyssey" stars Kirk Douglas as seafaring hero Ulysses. The story begins, as ever, with Ulysses leaving his faithful wife Penelope behind as he goes off to fight in the Trojan Wars. Along the way, our hero battles the one-eyed Cyclops, resists the fatal singing of the Sirens, and enjoys a brief romance with pig-fancying enchantress Circe. Years and years later, Ulysses returns to faithful Penelope, where he must meet and master a final challenge. DVD.
 Ulysses
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Political, romantic, and religious intrigue confront Elizabeth Tudor (1533-1603) in this acclaimed six-part television series chronicling her early life as a princess and her reign as queen of England. Good History and Good Entertainment. This is the all-time classic movie depiction of the life of Queen Elizabeth the First.  Elizabeth Rex:
Anyone with an interest in European history, or the history of the British monarchy would find many hours of enjoyment with this collection. (We watched the six part series on TV (Masterpiece Theatre) in 1971, and this set of 4 DVDs recently. It is still as enjoyable today as we remembered it being then.- EB, Ages Past) DVD 4-Pack - 9 Hours in length.
 Elizabeth R
 Becket:
A high-class costume drama with a substantive historical basis, Becket is the true story of the friendship between King Henry II (Peter O'Toole) and Thomas à Becket (Richard Burton), a royal courtier and confidant whom Henry appoints as Archbishop of Canterbury. As Becket takes his duties with the Church seriously, he finds himself increasingly at odds with the King, leading to a tragic outcome. The top-notch production values ensure Becket's place as one of Britain's better historical epics.
 Becket
 David and Bathsheba (1951):
Starring Gregory Peck and Susan Hayward.
A respectable, slightly stodgy treatment of the Old Testament story. King David sends a general into battle and romances his widow, Bathsheba, only to fear and suffer the wrath of God, and his people, for his transgressions. VHS
 David and Bathsheba
 Cleopatra (1963):
The drama follows the eighteen tumultuous years that led to the founding of the Roman Empire. Cleopatra (Elizabeth Taylor) meets up with Julius Caesar (Rex Harrison) and plans to lure Caesar to her boudoir in order to forge an alliance with Rome so that she may hold on to her Egyptian empire. When Caesar is stabbed to death in the Roman Senate, Cleopatra is left without an ally, and Egypt is up for grabs. When Roman general Mark Antony (Richard Burton) comes along, she seduces him in order to make him over into her new protector. But, alas, under the charms of Cleopatra, Mark Antony is reduced from an awesome and dominating general to a sniveling, drunken wimp...
What's so fantastic about the 1963 'Cleopatra' was the enormous amount of work, energy, talent, money that went into it's production that wasn't appreciated at the time, but is now. Visualizing the love affair between the Nile Queen and Marc Antony (Burton) enabled Mankiewicz to capture some sizzling scenes, and Taylor would never again look so alluring. But even her fabled beauty paled alongside the lavish sets, costumes, and hordes of extras deployed to re-create the splendor of ancient Rome. Derided by some as an overlong, kitschy mélange, Cleopatra has actually weathered the years quite well, and for many viewers it remains the epitome of screen spectacle. DVD Wide Screen / Dolby
 Cleopatra
Helen of Troy (1955):
 Starring: Stanley Baker and Rossana Podesta. Based on Homer's Iliad, this dramatic epic is the story of the woman so beautiful that her kidnapping caused a 10-year war between Greece and Troy. Helen is willingly "abducted" by Paris and spirited off to Troy, thereby sparking a long and bloody war, which culminates with the legendary Trojan Horse. Torin Thatcher costars as warrior leader Ulysses, while Sir Cedric Hardwicke plays Priam, the pacifist king of Troy. VHS.  Helen of Troy
Dangerous Beauty:
A look at life in 16th-century Venice, based on Margaret Rosenthal's 1994 book "The Honest Courtesan". Positioned outside of the Venetian court, Veronica Franco (Catherine McCormack) hopes to rise above her station, but her interest in nobleman's son Marco Venier (Rufus Sewell) is blocked since his parents forbid their marriage. Following the path taken by her mother, Paola (Jacqueline Bisset), Veronica becomes a courtesan, finding this gives her a niche in the male-dominated society. When Vatican emissaries accuse her of witchcraft, she lashes back, using the trial as a feminist forum to expose the hypocrisies of the period. Filmed in 1996 in Venice and Rome with a variety of working titles (Courtesan, Venice, and The Honest Courtesan). To read the original work, as written by the courtesan herself, Click Here. DVD.
 Dangerous Beauty
 The Ten Commandments (1923):
The film's first 45 minutes recap the struggle between Moses and Ramesses over the liberation of the Hebrews, and over the beautiful princess Nefretiri. Only after the Lord has imposed a series of plagues upon Egypt does Ramesses relent and permit the Exodus to take place--only to go back on his word a few moments later. Produced on a spectacular scale...but this is only the beginning. Just as Moses is invoking the Wrath of God upon the ungrateful Hebrews, the film dissolves to the present day (1923, that is). Partially filmed in Technicolor. Directed by Cecil B. De Mille, who did a remake of the story in 1956. Usually Available in 1-2 weeks. VHS
 Ten Commandments
 Rasputin:
A dramatization of the life story of one of the most intriguing figures in all history. A crude peasant from Siberia, Rasputin (Alan Rickman) was a self-styled charismatic holy man who traveled widely, openly engaging in drunkenness, sexual indulgences, and general debauchery. The film focuses on how he exercised power over Czarina Alexandra (Greta Scacchi) and her loving husband, Czar Nicholas II (Ian McKellen), by virtue of his mystical ability to stop the bleeding of their hemophiliac son. Originally made for cable television, the film features Emmy-winning performances by Rickman and Scacchi. VHS.
 Rasputin
  King's Whore
Historical drama starring Timothy Dalton as King Vittorio Amadeo, a 17th-century Italian monarch who becomes obsessed with the wife of one of his courtiers. DVD. Usually Available in 1-2 weeks.
 Biography: Solomon & Sheba:
This edition of Biography, the long running documentary series from A&E, explores the lives of biblical figures Solomon and Sheba. Sheba was a monarch mentioned in the Bible perhaps from Southwestern Arabia (modern Yemen). The video chronicles how she is said to have journeyed to Jerusalem to test the wisdom of Solomon and to exchange gifts.
 0733961141139:Product Link on Barnes & Noble.com.
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