Jane Seymour's best performance EVER. So WHERE's the DVD???
Vorthog | Ontario, Canada | 10/23/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I am very happy to see that some of those wonderful mini-series that TV once upon a time used to be able to make, such as "Roots", "The Winds of War" and "North and South", have actually made it to DVD.
But unfortunately this one, which I also consider to be right up there among the very best I have ever seen, seems to have been totally forgotten by everyone (--well maybe not by the fans, but by everyone making those all-important marketing decisions as to what gets released and what doesn't).
All I ever see anywhere is the so-so James Dean movie which only covers part of the Steinbeck book. Yeah, yeah, so Dean is a cultural icon like Marilyn and Elvis and they figure his name alone will make it sell. But why not release this one as well? It deserves to be released for another very good reason: QUALITY!!
Forget Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman. THIS is the role that Jane Seymour deserves to be remembered for. She proved to doubters once and for all that she truly CAN act. It's a pity that younger viewers have never had the opportunity to see what I consider to be her finest performance ever.
So I send out a loud HELLOOOO~ to the marketing geniuses out there in DVD-makerland to try and wake them up and remind them of the greatness of this wonderfully sprawling mini-series. Yes there ARE people out here who remember it well and can't wait to see it again. Come on DVD-making people. Give us the FULL mini-series, uncut and remastered.
And after that, how about "Rich Man, Poor Man", "Captains and Kings", "Roots: The Next Generations" and "Centennial"? Ahh, I sure do miss those glory days of the heyday of the TV mini-series..."
Better than the Grapths of Wrath
pamelajsico | Lancaster, PA | 06/19/2003
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I never thought I would read a better book than the Grapes of Wrath, then I read East of Eden. I immediately ran out to get the movie and was so disappointed. Then I saw the mini-series and it was wonderful. Usually, these made for TV things don't work, but I have been trying to find it for years and was thrilled that it mimicked the book almost perfectly. The movie is haunting, beautifully done, and something that you will never forget. The original movie does absolutely no justice to this novel. This tape will keep you so absorbed, troubled and in tune with what is good and what is evil."
One of the greatest movies of all time!
Meredith Burton | Lynchburg, Tennessee | 04/16/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I had to read the book, "East of Eden," for an English class, and I absolutely loved it! That's why, when I saw this movie at the public library in my hometown of Lynchburg Tennessee, I just had to rent it. I had watched the James Dean version of the movie, and was extremely disappointed, because so much was left out. However, this miniseries adaptation is wonderful! Jayne Seymour does a superb job of portraying Cathy, the manipulative and seductive villaness. Whoever directed this movie had obviously read the book thoroughly, because of how closely the vidio followed it. I would thoroughly recommend this movie to anyone who enjoys true adaptations of classic novels, and who wants to listen to a story that will melt the heart."
One of the few truly good miniseries...
J. L. Roberson | Seattle, WA United States | 01/01/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)
"...especially for American TV. The 6-hour version is one of the most complete adaptations of a novel, ranking with the better BBC adaptations, like WAR & PEACE or I, CLAUDIUS. Also: the James Dean version covers the last 1/16th of the story in this one, a book Steinbeck meant as an attempt to structure American history along the Old Testament. See the other if you like Dean; see this for an adaptation of the book. Jane Seymour here, BTW, has never been so wicked & sexy; a great villainess. One of my favorite re-watchers."