Search - Shelley Duvall's Faerie Tale Theatre: The Complete Collection on DVD

Samuel K. (Solvanda)
Reviewed on 7/9/2018...

My wife kept telling me about this series for years. She'd grown up watching it and said I had to track it down, which I eventually did, courtesy of the Wishlist Multiples thread in the Dvd Bazaar in the Discussion Forums of Swapadvd. I was a little suspicious beforehand. After all, Shelley Duvall and fairy tales, could anything good come of that?

Well, I was pleasantly surprised. There's a good mix of pedigreed American and British actors in these episodes, which total 26. And Disney they are not. Each well known fairy tale has been overhauled in certain ways which tend to introduce much humor, adult nods, and even horror. In fact a few of these episodes are so intense they may give children nightmares; and we're all for that, aren't we? Well, I am anyways. They don't have to go home with me, do they? :)

There is another related series available entitled "Shelley Duvall’s Tall Tales & Legends" which covers some popular American folk heroes. These are just as enjoyable and are worth seeking out if you find you enjoyed the fairy tale productions. I know I did!

"Faerie Tale Theatre (1982-1987) ... Shelley Duvall ... Koch

J. Lovins | Missouri-USA | 09/04/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Koch Vision presents "SHELLEY DUVALL'S FAERIE TALE THEATRE: THE COMPLETE COLLECTION" (1982-1987) (1387 mins/Color) (Dolby digitally remastered) -- Brought to you on seven discs the fairy tale event of the year arrives with Shelley Duvall's Faerie Tale Theatre: The Complete Collection, the ultimate DVD collection for both kids and parents alike --one of the most acclaimed and universally beloved series ever produced -- is family entertainment like none other --- From the Brothers Grimm to Hans Christian Andersen, twenty-six of the most beloved stories of all time are brought to life by A-list actors (in some of their most unique and memorable roles) as well as master directors including Tim Burton and Francis Ford Coppola among them --- You'll in seeing Robin Williams as the Frog Prince,Eric Idle as the Pied Piper, Billy Crystal as one of the Three Little Pigs,Jennifer Beals and Matthew Broderick as Cinderella and her prince, Bernadette Peters and Christopher Reeve as Sleeping Beauty and Prince Charming, Susan Sarandon and Klaus Kinski as Beauty and the Beast, Paul Reubens as Pinocchio, James Earl Jones as the Genie inside Aladdin's lamp, and Carrie Fisher as Thumbelina.

Each one of these stories is literally hand crafted by the directors (some of them famous directors like Francis Ford Coppella) and Shelley Duvall to reflect a certain style --- An example being the Sleeping Beauty tale was set in Russia with the sets and costumes designed to look like scenes from classic Russian motifs, the music from the Russian ballet --- Another being the direct rip off of the classic Jean Cocteau film "Beauty and the Beast".

All of these were designed with the intent of entertaining not only children but adults --- Some of the best moments in these are only things that adults will understand --- Christopher Reeve does a fantastic job in his multi-role part in "Sleeping Beauty" as does Malcolm McDowell as the Wolf in "Little Red Riding Hood" --- McDowell infuses the character with a subtle dark sensuality --- His chemistry with his then wife Mary Steenburgen is strong.

Probably the best one of all is the "Three Little Pigs" with Jeff Goldblum (as the Big Bad Wolf), Valerie Perrine (as a ravishing piglette), and Billy Crystal(as one of the three little pigs) --- The writing in this one is completely off the wall as well as it should be --- So enjoy with a loving heart and the mind of an innocent child.

Under the production staff of:
Series Directed by
Peter Medak (5 episodes, 1984-1987)
Gilbert Cates (2 episodes, 1983-1984)
Robert Iscove (2 episodes, 1985-1987)
Mark Cullingham (2 episodes, 1985-1986)

Series Produced by
Shelley Duvall .... executive producer / producer (7 episodes, 1983-1987)
Bridget Terry .... producer (5 episodes, 1982-1986)
Fred Fuchs .... producer (5 episodes, 1984-1987)

Series Writing credits
Rod Ash (7 episodes, 1983-1987)
Mark Curtiss (5 episodes, 1983-1987)
Charles Perrault (2 episodes, 1983-1985)
Mark Curtis (2 episodes, 1984-1986)

26 Spellbinding Episodes:
1. "Alladin and His Wonderful Lamp"
2. " Beauty and the Beast"
3. " The Boy Who Left Home to Find Out About the Shivers"
4. "Cinderella"
5. "The Dancing Princesses"
6. "The Emperor's New Clothes"
7. "Goldilocks and the Three Bears"
8. "Hansel and Gretel"
9. "Jack and the Beanstalk"
10. "The Little Mermaid"
11. "Little Red Riding Hood"
12. "The Nightingale"
13. "The Pied Piper of Hamelin"
14. "Pinocchio"
15. "The Princess and the Pea'
16. "The Princess Who Had Never Laughed"
17. "Puss in Boots"
18, "Rapunzel"
19. "Rip Van Winkle"
20. "Rumpelstiltskin"
21. "Sleeping Beauty"
22. "The Snow Queen"
23. "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs"
24. "The Tale of the Frog Prince"
25. "The Three Little Pigs"
26. "Thumbelina"

the cast includes:
John Achorn ... Comedian / ... (12 episodes, 1982-1987)
Shelley Duvall ... Host / ... (10 episodes, 1982-1986)
Patrick DeSantis ... Ensemble / ... (9 episodes, 1982-1987)
David McCharen ... Alfred / ... (7 episodes, 1984-1987)
Charlie Dell ... Arturo / ... (4 episodes, 1982-1985)
Donovan Scott ... Cubby Bear / ... (3 episodes, 1982-1984)
Mark Blankfield ... Derrick Van Bummel / ... (3 episodes, 1983-1987)
Jean Stapleton ... Fairy Godmother / ... (3 episodes, 1983-1985)
Bud Cort ... Music Master / ... (2 episodes, 1982-1983)
Maysie Hoy ... Housekeeper / ... (2 episodes, 1983)
John Salazar ... Juggler / ... (2 episodes, 1983-1986)
Vincent Price ... Narrator / ... (2 episodes, 1984)
Rene Auberjonois ... King Boris / ... (2 episodes, 1982-1983)
Joseph Maher ... Narrator / ... (2 episodes, 1985-1986)
Bobby Porter ... The Goblin (2 episodes, 1983-1985)
Jerry Hall ... Pansy / ... (2 episodes, 1983)
Anjelica Huston ... Marguerite / ... (2 episodes, 1983-1984)
Eric Idle ... Narrator / ... (2 episodes, 1982-1985)
Michael Richards ... King Geoffrey / ... (2 episodes, 1982-1984)
Paul Dooley ... Father / ... (2 episodes, 1982-1983)
Phil Fondacaro ... Bernard / ... (2 episodes, 1983-1984)
Jane Alden ... Agricultural Princess / ... (2 episodes, 1984-1985)
Tony Cox ... Bubba / ... (2 episodes, 1984-1985)
Daniel Frishman ... Boniface / ... (2 episodes, 1984-1985)
Brandis Kemp ... Mama Bear / ... (2 episodes, 1984-1985)
Nancy Lenehan ... Georgette / ... (2 episodes, 1984-1985)
Peter Risch ... Bruno / ... (2 episodes, 1984-1985)
Mitchel Evans ... Barrister Fish / ... (2 episodes, 1984)
Stan Wilson ... Jaques / ... (2 episodes, 1984)
Barrie Ingham ... Finnance Minister / ... (2 episodes, 1985-1986)
Roy Dotrice ... Peter Vanderdonk / ... (2 episodes, 1987)

SPECIAL FEATURES:
1. Bonus Shorts - Lost Episode: "Faerie Tale Theatre's Greatest Moments" ("Grimm Party")
2. Featurettes - Vintage Faerie Tale Theatre Presentation Reel (Hosted by Shelley Duvall)
3. Trailers - B-Roll Promo Footage
4. Collectible Book - 112-page Storybook with an Introduction by Producer Bridget Terry
5. Limited Edition - "3-In-1" Faerie Tale Theatre Game (Custom Playing Cards, Memory Match, and Trivia)

Great job by Koch Vision --- looking forward to more high quality titles from their film market --- order your copy now from Amazon or Koch Vision 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: 1387 mins on DVD ~ KOCH 6544 ~ (9/02/2008)"

Better than the first set issed...

J. Sekor | tacoma, wa, usa | 09/03/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I picked up this set today after having, unfortunately, to search numerous stores to find it. I already own the version released several years ago, and after sitting through several of the episodes in this set, I have to say, its MUCH better than the previous released set. Not only to you get a set of playing cards for the kids, there is a wonderful book which features a written synopsis of each show as well as air dates and several fun facts. The shows themselves look and sound wonderful. Much better picture and sound than on the previous release. The sound is in both 5.1 Surround and 2.0 Dolby Digital. Overall, if you have the previous set and have the money to spend, this is well worth the upgrade. If you missed it the first time around, this is THE set to pick up."

ENCHANTED WORLDS COME TO LIFE AND DREAMS COME TRUE IN COMPLE

DEWEY MEE | ELLENSBURG, WA, | 09/26/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Once Upon a Time (in 1980), Shelley Duvall went to the isle of Malta to work on the film "Popeye." There, she also conceived the idea for "Faerie Tale Theatre." "Popeye" has long since been forgotten, but Duvall's unique live-action faerie tale anthology series (originally produced for Showtime Cable Network) has endured beautifully.
The New York Times praised "Faerie Tale Theatre" as "a remarkable achievement." The series premiered on September 11, 1982 (my 17th birthday) with Robin Williams and Teri Garr starring in a loopy version of "The Tale Of The Frog Prince." 25 more enchanting episodes followed. The Disney Animated (Cartoon) Movie Versions of Classic Children's Literature may loom larger in the collective pop-culture consciousness, but Duvall and her production team (producers Bridget Terry and Fredric S. Fuchs) display far greater respect for the faerie tale genre than Disney ever did!!
Using 1980's "video magic" the remarkable "Faerie Tale Theatre" crew actually do whisk viewers away to enchanted worlds where dreams come true. Watching the entire series in one collection actually IS like watching a Storybook come to life on DVD. Praise is also due Robert C. Jones, Mark Curtiss and Rod Ash, who wrote most of "Faerie Tale Theatre's" best teleplays.
It is wonderful to see lesser-known tales (such as "The Boy Who Left Home To Find Out About The Shivers," "The Snow Queen", "Thumbelina", "The Nightingale" and "Puss In Boots") alongside the big faerie tale classics (Hans Christian Anderson, The Brothers Grimm) we all love and adore! Duvall, Terry, and Fuchs create a perfect mix of humor, horror, comedy, and drama here. Each tale has a different tone, and Duvall has an uncanny knack for knowing which tales should be played for wacky comedy ("Jack And The Beanstalk," "The Princess And The Pea," "Little Red Riding Hood", "The Three Little Pigs", "The Emperor's New Clothes") and which tales should be played more for drama and pathos ("Hansel And Gretel," "Beauty And The Beast," "Rapunzel," "Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs," "The Little Mermaid"). Notable directors included Peter Medak, Robert Iscove, Michael Lindsay-Hogg, Nicholas Meyer, Roger Vadim, Tim Burton, and Francis Ford Coppola.
Creator/Hostess (and occasional Tale Narrator) Duvall herself appears as the wobegone Miller's Daughter in "Rumpelstilskin" and the title heroine in "Rapunzel." The long list of other actors (in order of appearance) includes: Jeff Bridges, Gena Rowlands, Christopher Reeve, Jean Stapleton (as the Giant's Wife in "Jack And The Beanstalk" and Fairy Godmother in "Cinderella"), Malcolm McDowall, Mary Steenburgen, Joan Collins, Liza Minnelli, Michael Richards (before "Seinfeld"), Paul Reubens (using "Pinocchio" as a dry run for his "Pee-Wee Herman" persona), Carrie Fisher, Vincent Price, Vanessa Redgrave, Elizabeth McGovern, Rex Smith, Susan Sarandon, Christopher Lee, Billy Crystal, Lee Remick, Jennifer Beals (enchanting as "Cinderella"), Matthew Broderick, Eve Arden, Ben Vereen, Alan Arkin, Art Carney, Dick Shawn, James Earl Jones, Leonard Nimoy, Pam Dawber, Helen Mirren, Karen Black, Brian Dennehy, Treat Williams and Lesley Ann Warren. WOW! This diverse group of actors throw themselves into various faerie tale roles (be it comedy or drama) with stunning conviction. In the particular cases of Gena Rowlands, Jean Stapleton, Joan Collins, Vincent Price, and Vanessa Redgrave, "Faerie Tale Theatre" represents some of the best performances of their careers.
The 7 Disc Set presents each episode in the original broadcast order. Extras include: "Faerie Tale Theatre's Greatest Moments" (A.K.A. "Grimm Party)", Original Presentation Reel, B Roll Promos, a Collector's Storybook with color production photos, and a deck of faerie tale playing cards. This Complete Collection is obviously an ABSOLUTE MUST for Faerie Tale aficinodoes! God Bless Shelley Duvall!"