Civil War Diary (Across Five Aprils) (1990) Review

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(More customer reviews)Civil War Diary is the story of Jethro Creighton and his family living in Southern Illinois at the begining of the American Civil War. It is based on the Newberry Prize winning book Across Five Aprils written by Irene Hunt. Jethro is a ten year old boy who's family is divided by the war with one brother going to fight for the Confederacy, while the others fight for the Union. It is a great story full of insight and makes one think about how to deal with such differences. Being a U. S. History teacher, and also a Civil War historian I find the film most useful in a classroom to support the novel. It is a great story and the film sticks to the book.

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The Alamo - Thirteen Days To Glory (1987) Review

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(More customer reviews)When you're from Texas and have spent many years studying and knowing about the Alamo, it gets pretty hard to stomache some of the more historically inaccurate videos. (i.e. the John Wayne version, et al.) They simply don't sit right with you. The TV version of the Alamo we have here isn't the best movie ever made. Nor is it the worst. Far from it in fact. This version manages to get rough historical facts in order. The siege lasts the right number of days, the attack happens at the right time, Wm. Travis isn't a 50 year old man, D. Crockett isn't Fess Parker. Seeing as how so much of the Alamo legend is, in fact, myth, demanding that a film remain true to hard fact is ludicrous. Sure, parts are embellished. Parts are skipped over. Sometimes it's overly sentimental, but hey--we're talking about a pretty sentimental subject in the eyes of some. It's not perfect, but it's sure a step up from what we're used to. And until someone gets together and makes Steven Harrigan's new novel into a movie, I think it's probably my best bet for a "pretty good movie about the Alamo". If you're an Alamo buff, I'd certainly suggest you see it. It's well cast and weaves a pretty good emotional plotline, including a lot of points from Travis' supposed life. Alec Baldwin does very well in the role, as do the rest of the major supporting cast. If you're not an Alamo buff, then you're probably not reading this review anyhow. I say we all probably take what we can get, and this certainly could be a whole heck of a lot worse.

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Buccaneer (1958) Review

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(More customer reviews)A swashbuckler with pirates, smugglers and patriots, this is marvelous entertainment, with two actors who are riveting to watch, and some history, which though embellished in some places and condensed in others, is in essence correct.
Jean Lafitte was flamboyant and a favorite of the ladies, and with his horde of sea robbers had his headquarters on an island in Barataria Bay, and controlled the waterways known as the bayou. As Lord Byron wrote of Lafitte,
"He left a Corsair's name to other times-
Linked with one virtue and a thousand crimes".
Yul Brynner is terrific as Lafitte, with swagger and strut, and even singing a beautiful Creole ballad, which Lafitte was known to do. The Costume Design in this film received an Oscar nomination, and should have won for the way they managed to fit Brynner's numerous outfits.
In the smaller but pivotal part of Andrew Jackson, Charlton Heston is downright magnificent and looks fabulous. With thick white hair, his resemblance to General Jackson is a marvel. Both Brynner and Heston, who two years earlier had starred in C.B. DeMille's "The Ten Commandments", have command and presence that fills the screen and is a joy to watch.
Others in the cast are Charles Boyer, charming and humorous as Brynner's friend and fellow pirate, Inger Stevens as Brynner's love interest and the daughter of Governor Clairborne (E.G. Marshall), and Claire Bloom as tough girl Bonnie Brown. The score by Elmer Bernstein is wonderful, and cinematography by Loyal Griggs very good, especially the scene of the British advancing, with bagpipes and drums, in the Battle of New Orleans, which took place in the Winter of 1814-15. The Red Coats falling to Jackson's troops was accurate, as the British lost an astounding 2,600 to the loss of only 13 of Jackson's men.
A remake of Cecil B. DeMIlle's 1938 film, this was supervised by him, and directed by actor Anthony Quinn. DeMille also gives us a small history lesson at the start of the film, with maps to demonstrate where the action takes place.
Total running time is 121 minutes.

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