Search - Epic Adventures: Robinson Crusoe, Hannibal & Long John Silver on DVD

"Treasure Chest of Castaways, Conquerers & Cannon Balls ...

J. Lovins | Missouri-USA | 12/11/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"VCI Entertainment presents "EPIC ADVENTURES: ROBINSON CRUSOE, HANNIBAL & LONG JOHN SILVER" --- (Dolby digitally remastered) --- It's all here in VCI's very own Treasure Chest of Castaways, Conquerers and Cannon Balls --- Classics as we relive those thrilling days from the early '50s and '60s to exciting action filled stories and tales --- Some of the best high adventures ever to grace the Saturday Matinee Screen --- Just remember triple the thrills, mystery and suspense --- Don't miss any of the features loaded with top notch directors and actors that will leave you wanting more of their adventures --- So pop some popcorn, sit back and enjoy the movie.

First up we have "ROBINSON CRUSOE" (1952) (90 mins/Color) --- (Dolby digitally remastered) --- Under Luis Buñuel (Director / Screenwriter), Oscar Dancigers (Producer), Henry Ehrlich (Producer), Daniel Defoe (Book Author), Philip Roll (Screenwriter), Alex Phillips (Cinematographer), Anthony Collins (Composer (Music Score), Carlos Savage (Editor), Alberto Valenzuela (Editor), Edward FitzGerald (Set Designer) - - - - Irish actor O'Herlihy's well-shaded Oscar-nominated performance never allows the first hour to pall - only with the entrance of Friday is it less absorbing --- Shot in Mexico during the director's long self-imposed exile there, The Adventures of Robinson Crusoe contains quite a few Buñel touches. Most of all, it subverts Defoe's Christian message by showing Crusoe wavering in his faith in religion, Western civilization and colonialism --- A film in which an actor is alone on screen for 60 of the 90 minutes' running time would seem a foolhardy venture, but Buñel overcomes most of the difficulties in this adaptation of Daniel Defoe's classic

the cast includes:
Dan O'Herlihy ... Robinson Crusoe (as Daniel O'Herlihy)
Jaime Fernández ... Friday
Felipe de Alba ... Captain Oberzo
Chel López ... Bosun
José Chávez ... Pirate
Emilio Garibay ... Leaders of the Mutiny

Second feature we have the original adventure restored to all it's theatrical glory "LONG JOHN SILVER" (1954) (Dolby digitally remastered) (photographed in Eastman Color), the original "Pirates of the Caribbean" that started it all...the most colorful pirate of all time, roaring across a boundless sea of spectacle in full widescreen Cinemascope --- Under Byron Haskin (Director), Joseph Kaufman (Producer), Martin Rackin (Screenwriter), Robert Louis Stevenson (Screenwriter), Carl Guthrie (Cinematographer), David Buttolph (Composer (Music Score), Manuel del Campo (Editor), Mark Evans (Associate Producer) - - - - our plot and storyline has to do with the continuation of "Treasure Island" based on the chronicles of Robert Louis Stevenson --- who is this rival known as the pirate Mendoza to Long John Silver --- what plan does Silver have to rescue the governor's daughter --- how can Jim Hawkins best serve Silver once again in obtaining a swift fast ship to return to the treasure that has been in the back of Silver's mind these past years --- And thus the adventure begins.

the cast includes:
Robert Newton ... Long John Silver
Connie Gilchrist ... Purity Pinker
Lloyd Berrell ... Capt. Mendoza, 'El Toro'
Grant Taylor ... Patch
Rod Taylor ... Israel Hands (as Rodney Taylor)
Harvey Adams ... Sir Henry Strong
Muriel Steinbeck ... Lady Strong
Henry Gilbert ... Billy Bowlegs
John Brunskill ... Old Stringley
Eric Reiman ... Lanky pirate
Harry Hambleton ... Big Eric
Syd Chambers ... Ned Shill
George Simpson-Lyttle ... Capt. Asa MacDougall (as George Simpson-Little)

Third and final feature is - "HANNIBAL" (1960) (100 mins/Color) --- (Dolby digitally remastered) --- Under Carlo Ludovico Bragaglia (Director), Edgar G. Ulmer (Director), Ottavio Poggi (Producer), Mortimer Braus (Screenwriter), Raffaele Masciocchi (Cinematographer), Franco Ferrara (Musical Direction/Supervision), Carlo Rustichelli (Composer (Music Score), Renato Cinquini (Editor), Ernesto Kromberg (Art Director), Carlo Gentili (Set Designer), G. Gentili (Set Designer), Giancarlo Bartolini-Salimbene (Costume Designer) - - - - our plot and story line follows the series of battles from 218 to 216 BC which culminated in Hannibal's victorious, heavy defeat of the biggest ever assembled Roman Army of 80,000 (Battle of Cannae) --- take note it mentions the siege of Saguntum (Rome's Ally in Spain) which brought on the second Punic War when the Carthaginian senate refused to surrender Hannibal Barca to them --- rather they would skirmish and harass Hannibal and not engage in open battle as the Roman senate tries to persuade after briefly showing the events of the Battle of Trebia (December 218 BC) and the battle of Lake Trasimene (June 217 BC) there are political scenes involving both the Carthaginians and the Romans as Fabius Maximus --- Victor Mature captures the character of Hannibal well --- the only draw back of the film was that it did not appear to command the same budget available for it's production as "The 300 Spartans" or "Spartacus" --- so the battle of Cannae, Hannibal's finest hour (or hours) did not come across as the battle would have done --- they would have needed to assemble AT LEAST 130,000 extras in order to portray the events at Cannae --- But it still came across in a fine fashion.

the cast includes:
Victor Mature ... Hannibal
Gabriele Ferzetti ... Fabius Maximus
Rita Gam ... Sylvia
Milly Vitale ... Danila
Rik Battaglia ... Hasdrubal
Franco Silva ... Maharbal
Terence Hill ... Quintilius (as Mario Girotti)

SPECIAL BONUS FEATURES:
1. Scene Selection
2. Bios
3. Hannibal: Anamorphic Widescreen Enhanced for 16x9 Monitors
4. Photo & Poster Gallery
5. Original Theatrical Trailer
6. RC: English & Spanish Languages
7. English Subtitles Optional
8. Audio Interview with Dan O'Herlihy by Film Critic David Del Valle
9. Before & After Restoration Video
10.Excerpt Reproduction of Original Press Book
11.Selected Filmographies
12.Photo Gallery
13.LJS: Original Trailer & TV Spot
14.Anamorphic Widescreen Enhanced for 16x9 Monitors
15.Digitally Re-mastered with Before & After Restoration

Great job by VCI Video --- looking forward to more Nostalgic Collections --- order your copy now from Amazon or VCI Entertainment where there are plenty of copies available on DVD, stay tuned once again for top notch releases --- where they are experts in releasing long forgotten films and treasures to the collector.

Total Time: 296 mins on DVD ~ VCI Entertainment ~ (11/13/2007)"