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The Adventures of Robin Hood (1955)
McCarthy-era significant; 1953 or 1955?
News, BBC , co, UK (slash)2 (slash)hi (slash)uk_news (slash)magazine (slash)5378872.stm Around a year ago (mid to late 2009) in Walmart's $5 DVD bin was a "thick" DVD case (suggesting more than one disc, I THINK 32 episodes(?)) of The Adventures of Robin Hood, case notes saying from 1950s TV. I didn't recall the program personally. I thought maybe was the year(s) family TV "broken" 1951-1953 or so -- likely only a 69c tube, but TV left facing the wall for SOME time including early Micky Mouse Club years. But since I DIDN'T recall the program, left it lie. Nearly a year later I heard a BBC program addressing a Robin Hood TV program, the first UK-produced show on American TV, which hired as writers many Hollywood writers blacklisted because of the McCarthy era "Commie hunts." AHH! "Historical significance" could be interesting to add to DVD collection. But NOW no longer in Walmart at ALL, and online sites list as "out of production" or such. Yet Nov.'10 found an extra-thick case "all 143 episodes" among Cracker Barrel restaurant "memorabilia" DVDs; $19.95. But unsure whether this WAS "the" Robin Hood, I postponed purchase. STILL unsure, IMDb lists both IM database title 0047706 (1955~1960; 143 episodes) AND IM Db title 0423726/ (1953) -- ALSO UK produced, and to MY thinking, more the time-period **I** recall for HUAC (House Un-American Activities Committee) hearings on TV. News, BBC , co, UK (slash)2 (slash)hi (slash)uk_news (slash)magazine (slash)5378872.stm speaks of the Robin Hood and Hannah Weinstein as producer (thus apparently referring to the 1955~1960 version). I'm still unsure "which is which," but silverscreen888 detailed review/remembrance at IM database title 0047706 user comments with reference to Maid Marian's archery skills tweaked a memory; maybe I DO recall a bit of the 143-episode version. A trip back to Cracker Barrel to get their Mill Creek multi-disc edition is in order.
The War of the Worlds (2005)
As with Wells' book, exercise Suspension of Disbelief
This War of the Worlds looks like a 1920s or early 1930s B&W version which has been amazingly well colorized; even beginning with archival clips of early B&W cinematography. Many of the effects, seeming without benefit of "modern technology," appear 1920s "crude" such as pyro effects from the martians' weapons. As this film's tag line "The first authentic movie adaptation of the 1898 H.G. Wells classic novel" claims, the film remains essentially faithful to turn of the 20th century sounding text/dialogue and Wells' depiction. This film obviously is not trying to be a "modern remake" and it achieves that goal. One might view this version in the same way one reads the book; with some application of the suspension of disbelief. To pick-apart achieves little. If one were to get into nit-picking, few persons EVER see "Big Ben" for Big Ben is the bass bell, not the tower. A flag or pennant CAN "precede" a power ship, when prevailing wind is a strong tailwind faster than the ship's forward speed. Likely available in "bargain bins," this DVD is exactly that; a bargain and a fun view.