I am having trouble finding many Shakespeare plays on DVD. Which have you found and which do you prefer?

IMHO - The Taming of the Shrew directed by Zeffirelli, with E. Taylor and R. Burton. There is another version of this play on dvd, but way too inferior to the above.

Criterion: Henry V

------------------
http://www.dvdtracker.com/~hanami2000.asp

hanami: you're right, I forgot about the Henry V. It's great!

Well It might be very acurate in some points but I really enjoyed Much Ado About nothing by Kenneth Branagh...

n8fire

Besides the aforementioned Taming of the Shrew, Henry V, and Much Ado About Nothing, you can also find the 1999 version of a Midsummer Night's Dream on DVD and Othello (with Laurence Fishburne) is coming out in mid-January. Any other Shakespeare films haven't come out yet, to my knowledge

------------------
I can't believe I ate the whole thing

Well, there's also Orson Welles's version of Othello which I have, but haven't had time to watch yet so I don't know how the DVD turned out. Image planned a whole line of Shakespeare DVD's that have been cancelled, so be careful before you order King Lear, MacBeth. or Hamlet from their label.

Well there is also a Hamlet(1964) pulled out by image. Also there is fox's remake of Romeo & Juliet (with modern settings) but I think this is all.

Ciao

n8fire

Well Joel

Dvdexpress seems to have stock of Hamlet by Image...

William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet (1996)

I stand corrected. I had been looking around for Shakespeare on DVD myself a bit lately and I had noticed that just about everything from Image was listed as cancelled. Guess that version of Hamlet was one of the few that slipped through.

If you're interesting in Much Ado About Nothing...wait! They are putting out a SE in the next few months, so wait until that one comes out...

While not really a "Shakespeare" play, the movie "Shakespeare in Love" was very fun to watch. Miss Paltrow looked stunning!! I am not much of a Skakespeare fan, but was talked into seeing this one and I ended up really enjoying it. Funny and fast paced with a very good cast. Not sure if it is available on DVD yet, but I will certainly see it again.

I anticipate Richard III coming to DVD (the 1954 version with Laurence Olivier, of course.)

paullt64, Shakespeare in Love is one of the big things that people hold against Disney. It's definitely available on DVD. Twice in fact. One regular edition and one special edition that was announced at the time the regular movie only edition was released.

The 1995 version of "Richard III" with Ian McKellan is due out in March. I haven't seen it, but it got pretty good reviews.

I saw Richard III back in 1996, and my remaining impression is Ian was marvelous, but I found the whole "Nazi" backdrop very distracting.

I have to agree with classicman, go for Sir Laurence!

What about the 1989 version of Henry V with Kenneth Branaugh? I thought the movie itself was stunning, especially the "rallying the troops" speech.... Even made ME want to go out and kick a few French backsides!

The DVD is to be released next month (7/18). $14.88 pre-order at TWEC, $11.16 (!!) with the 25%-off coupon. Can't wait...

[This message has been edited by kenbuzz (edited June 24, 2000).]

[This message has been edited by kenbuzz (edited June 24, 2000).]

Olivier's Hamlet (1948), probably the best cinema Shakespeare, is due out sometime this year by Crierion.

------------------
"Editing is the foundation of the film art." --V. Pudovkin.

[This message has been edited by Sykes (edited June 26, 2000).]

What about "Tromeo and Juliet"? Surely that is one of the most compelling interpretations of the Shakespearean tragedy, no?

Well, since we've gone beyond plays and gotten into adaptions, I've got to recommend "Tempest". Directed by Paul Mazursky and starring John Cassavetes, Gena Rowlands, Susan Sarandon, Raul Julia and Molly Ringwald. Thought provoking, funny and beautifully executed. Raul Julia as Kalibanos (Caliban...) steals the movie.

TJ

Criterion's Henry V looks magnificent, and Branagh's Much Ado About Nothing is great fun! These are both highly recommended. Branagh's Henry V is coming in the 4th quarter of this year at a bargain price (even though it's bare bones). I haven't heard about the Much Ado SE, but if there is one in the works, that's excellent news. Now if they'd just release Branagh's Hamlet I'd be a happy man. Good luck!

------------------
"Home is where the theater is!"

For an alternative to the Hollywood blockbuster adaptations, you folks might want to check out Image's recent release of Silent Shakespeare, which is a collection of seven short Shakespeare's made between 1899 and 1911. Most of them average just about 10 minutes, and for films this old, they're in pretty good condition (they've been restored as best as possible too). You can read more in my review at www.digitallyobsessed.com.

------------------
My DVD's