I have been a fan of 'Quantum Leap' since it was on TV 15 years ago or more. An unlikely fan, in a way, since I don't in general like science fiction or fast action. But somehow the theme - that of someone stuck in a time travel experiment, bouncing around the decades directed by God to sort out 'what once went wrong' appealed - and still appeals - to my imagination.
Scott Bakula as Sam is a wonderful hero in this series. Dean Stockwell as his holographic sidekick Al provides a lot of humour, although some of it is rather bawdy.
I was delighted to learn that all the Quantum Leap episodes are available on DVD. They are sold by the five different seasons for which the series ran on television (originally in the USA, but also broadcast in the UK).
We have managed to watch two or three episodes each month, and it has taken us nearly six months in all to see the fourth series. There are some excellent great episodes, including one where Sam becomes a chimp. We thought that one very well done. We particularly enjoyed the amazing finale to this series, when Sam leaps back into Al as a young man, caught up in a murder trial.
Unsurprisingly there are, if we thought about it in any depth, a few logic leaps. It's almost inevitable in any story involving time travel. But one has to suspend reality while watching this kind of show. More importantly from my perspective, there are also some amusing quips, and fascinating insights into both Al and Sam, as we explore a little of their past and get to know them better.
Definitely recommended. The UK rating is 15, probably due to some violence, bad language, and sexual references. Not intended for younger children.
Links to reviews of the other seasons of Quantum Leap:
Review copyright Sue's DVD Reviews
I very much like films with Steve Martin, which is probably how 'Parenthood' appeared on my wishlist. The blurb suggested something fairly light-hearted, and sure enough it made a good relaxing evening's viewing.
Steve Martin stars brilliantly as the father of three, trying to relate well to his children, juggling parenthood with his job and also his wife. He has three siblings with very different attitudes to family life. One of them has two rebellious teenagers, one is over-protective, and is hot-housing his small daughter, and the third pretty much ignores his delightful son.
The film is entirely character-based, like most of my favourite books, with plenty of interaction between the various siblings, cousins and other characters. Of course they’re mostly exaggerated, but nonetheless, I could see at least a grain of reality in everyone.
There's humour (some of it rather risqué), and some pathos too. I just wished the topic of home education had come up with Kevin, the sensitive child who was very unhappy at school.
Although Amazon UK lists this as PG, our version states that it is rated 15. I assume that’s because of several innuendos and sexual references. But there’s nothing explicit, no nudity, no violence, and – as far as I noticed – no bad language. Perhaps it was down-rated. In America, the rating is PG-13. Unlikely to be of much interest to young children anyway, but very enjoyable for adults wanting something light, not requiring too much brainpower, and yet surprisingly thought-provoking.
Recommended.
Review copyright Sue's DVD Reviews
I've liked all the books by Jane Austen, and 'Mansfield Park' is one of my favourites. It features the shy, well-behaved Fanny Price who hero-worships her cousin Edmund. However she faces grave displeasure from her cousins and friends when she stands up for something she believes to be right, despite their attempts to persuade her otherwise.
Jane Austen's novels usually translate well to the screen, particularly (in my view) when made for television. A TV series allows for longer versions than a film to be shown at the cinema.
So when we were given the 2007 ITV version of 'Mansfield Park' by a relative, who found it free with a Sunday paper, I looked forward very much to seeing it.
Unfortunately, this is by a long way the worst adaptation of a Jane Austen novel that I have seen. Billie Piper is a talented actress. But she is totally miscast as the demure, puritanical but kind Fanny Price, and this spoils the entire thing. Piper plays Fanny as a pouting, overly-prudish miss, whom nobody could possibly like.
While the film roughly follows the plot of the book (other than in Fanny Price's personality), there are too many missing characters, in my view. There are also other unnecessary changes which do not really make sense.
In addition, we did not feel that there was any sense of the 18th century at all. Yet it's not a deliberately modern interpretation - which might have been intriguing. Instead, it looks like modern people dressed up in costume. Even the camera work is bizarre at times.
It’s strange how the BBC can make such excellent period drama productions, whereas some of those made for ITV (such as this one) can be much poorer quality. I’m glad we got this free with a newspaper rather than being given it for Christmas or paying for it.
NOT recommended, unless you're a fan of Billy Piper and have not read the book 'Mansfield Park'.
Review copyright Sue's DVD Reviews
As far as I remember, this is one of many DVDs we were given by a relative, who acquired it as a free gift with a Sunday newspaper. I'm not sure we would ever have bought it; it's rather an under-rated version of a true story that would not naturally appeal to many people.
Moreover, 'The Miracle Worker', in this 1962 version, is in black and white, giving it a rather dated feel at first glance. However, we were very quickly drawn into the story. It's based on the life of Helen Keller, a girl in the USA who was both deaf and blind, due to a serious illness in babyhood.
With no way of communicating with Helen - and a great deal of sympathy for her plight - her parents had no idea how to handle her. She had become totally wild, prone to horrendous tantrums and, even more worryingly, was increasingly dangerous to herself and others. So eventually a young teacher (Anne Bancroft) was employed to try and bring some control to her life, and see if she could help Helen to communicate via signs, traced on her hands.
The acting was superb, particularly by Patty Duke who played Helen. She and her teacher dominated the film, with the other characters rather flat, but that didn't matter. My only minor gripe is that the film ended rather abruptly. I would like to have seen more of the story, as I know that Helen Keller went on to do amazing things with her life.
We were also disappointed in the sound quality of this particular edition; we had to switch on subtitles as we found we were missing so much of the conversation. But perhaps that was a problem with the DVD itself.
Highly recommended, in any case.
Review copyright Sue's DVD Reviews
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Having loved all the books by Rosamunde Pilcher, I was at first a little reluctant to get hold of the film versions of her saga novels. I felt that they would inevitably be disappointing. However, tempted by positive reviews, I finally put them on my wishlist. I was pleased to receive 'Coming Home' for my birthday.
This is a made-for-TV adaptation of Pilcher’s wartime novel 'Coming Home'. As such, it was longer than most films. It is on two DVDs of about 100 minutes each.
Admittedly it's a few years since I read the book. But I thought it was a very good adaptation, on the whole. There were some minor character changes, and alterations to the plot which I was aware of. But the bulk of it seemed to me to be pretty close to the book.
The actors were excellent. Joanna Lumley brings the materialistic (but caring) Diana Carey-Lewis to life, and Emily Mortimer is a most believable Judith. She is the main character, aged 14 at the start of the book. She is sent to boarding school while her parents and little sister return to a job abroad.
Like the book, this film is very emotional in places, and gripping throughout. There are some surprising nudity shots and non-explicit love scenes, which I suppose is why the UK rating is 12. Oddly enough, it is not rated at all in the USA.
Ardent fans of Pilcher's books might object to the changes made to this version. But I would recommend it in general to those who have not read the book as well as to those who have.
Review copyright Sue's DVD Reviews
