Lost Empires found on DVD

     Lost Empires is a six-time BAFTA award-nominated 1986 Masterpiece Theatre mini-series with a new DVD release. Based on a novel by J.B. Priestly, Lost Empires begins just before World War I in England, and follows Richard Herncastle (Colin Firth, The King's Speech) as he longs to see the world and become a famous painter. To accomplish this goal, he joins a group of travelling performers led by his vaguely sinister magician uncle Nick (John Castle, I, Claudius). Richard not only gets to see a great deal from back stage, but also meets a number of women who spark his interest. This doesn't fully satisfy his desires, but it gives him an experience that he will never forget, and that will shape his life forever.

     It comes as no surprise that Firth is excellent, given his pedigree, and the many well-respected roles he will go on to play after this one. Castle holds his own nicely, his character serving as quite the influence on the naive young Richard, and with an air of magic about him onstage and off. There are several great supporting players populating the cast, like Jim Carter (Downton Abbey, Cranford) and Pamela Stephenson (Ryan, Saturday Night Live).

     Also in the series is the legendary Laurence Olivier (Spartacus, Hamlet, Sleuth) as an aging comedian well past his prime who just will not retire, despite a declining mental condition. Olivier's character may have lost his edge, but the thespian sure has not. Fans of Olivier will want to see this, one of the last performances he ever gave. He's not in as much of the show as one might like, but his presence certainly elevates the production, and he commands the screen whenever he is on it.

     It's a good thing there are such excellent actors involved, as the overall arc does tend to drag a bit in the middle. Clocking in at around eight hours, Lost Empires may be a fitting adaptation to the book, but could use a little bit of work on the pacing. However, with the mostly high quality of the series, it's easy to forgive a little bit of slowness.

     Lost Empires is sad because it is not only about what Richard finds, but what he doesn't. It's also about a great loss in the world, as the old gives way to the shiny and new, not always an improvement. Sometimes this cannot be controlled by individuals, something Richard will realize. There is a melancholy tone to the piece, which is moving in of itself. The story is told from an older perspective, with Richard looking back at the events in wistful retrospect, lending a weight to what has happened.

     Sadly, Lost Empires has no special features. This three-disc set merely contains the seven episodes in 4:3 full screen, appropriate for an older show. But it would be nice to have heard what Firth thought about working with Olivier, or how the book was adapted into this television event. None of that is present, nor are any commentaries or deleted scenes. Whether this is because there was little material to draw from, or no funding or interest for new bits, is unclear.

      Lost Empires is available now from Acorn Media.

     Click here to order Lost Empires on DVD.

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Article first published as DVD Review: Lost Empires on Blogcritics.

Oscar stars also grace smaller screens (part I: the guys)

     The line between television and movies has been getting thinner and thinner for years.  While once movie stars were seen as something above their television counterparts, that has long since ceased to be the case.  There is so much crossover now between the two groups, that it is almost unnoticeable.  Furthermore, the awards shows for movies are carried on television.  Movies air on television all the time, especially on premium channels such as HBO and Showtime, which in turn now make their own television shows.  Although all of this year's Oscar male nominees have some television parts in their past, here are some of the strongest links:

George Clooney (Best Actor: Up in the Air) ~ The ultimate crossover, Clooney had his big break  starring in a popular television show called ER, before moving on to the cinema hits such as Ocean's Eleven, Good Night and Good Luck, and O Brother Where Art Thou?  Before any of that, he played recurring guest roles in shows such as Roseanne and The Facts of Life.

Colin Firth (Best Actor: A Single Man) ~ While many people know Firth from Bridget Jones's Diary and Love Actually, don't forget that he was Mr. Darcy in the television miniseries Pride and Prejudice, which is still arguably his best-known role.

Morgan Freeman (Best Actor: Invictus) ~ Freeman's defining part in The Shawshank Redemption may have been impressive, but he got his start on The Electric Company in the 1970's, appearing in almost eight hundred episodes.  He also guest starred on Ryan's Hope and portrayed Frederick Douglas in the 1990 award winning miniseries, The Civil War.

Woody Harrelson (Best Supporting Actor: The Messenger) ~ Harrelson is well known for his role on Cheers and his seven episode stint on Will & Grace.

Christopher Plummer (Best Supporting Actor: The Last Station) ~ Long after he starred in The Sound of Music, Plummer played a number of roles on the small screen, including starring in the early 90's series Counterstrike, appearing in the miniseries The Thorn Birds, and a guest spot on The Cosby Show.

Stanley Tucci (Best Supporting Actor: The Lovely Bones) ~ Tucci was in ten episodes of ER, starred in the very short-lived series 3 lbs. and did twenty-three episodes of Murder One.

     The Oscars will be given out during the Academy Awards ceremony Sunday, March 7th at 8pm on ABC.