****** - Verified Buyer
4.5
R.I.P. Shelley Duvall, and God Bless You! (July, 2024): 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. 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.
