As long as young hearts endure, so will National Velvet and movies like it. In her ... more
starmaking role, Elizabeth Taylor plays Velvet Brown, a wide-eyed adolescent who, assisted by her jockey pal (Mickey Rooney), trains Pie, a horse she won in a raffle, for the Grand National Steeplechase.
A classic story of dreams ambition and one girl's belief in a horse. 'Velvet'll sit on a ... more
horse like a shadow and breathe her soul into it...I never seen such a creature on a horse.' Velvet is mad about horses. When she wins a piebald horse in a raffle she knows he's something special. His heart is as big as the five-foot fences he jumps and he'll do anything for Velvet. Soon she and her friend Mi have their sights set on the biggest race in England. But can a girl win the Grand National?
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National Velvet is the poignant family story that made a young Elizabeth Taylor a star. ... more
Taylor excels as Velvet Brown a 1920s working-class girl whose dreams of owning her own horse become a reality when she wins Pie a wild and unruly horse in a raffle. With the help of Mi Taylor (Mickey Rooney) a skittish gun shy ex jockey Velvet trains Pie to be a race champion despite the wishes of her loving but cautious parents (Donald Crisp and Ann Revere). Velvet's determination pays off and the Brown family (including Angela Lansbury as Edwina Velvet's sophisticated older sister) pools its money and enters the family pride and joy in the prestigious Grand National race only to have its hopes dashed when the rider reneges--leading Velvet to do something extraordinary. This uplifting adaptation of Enid Bagnold's novel features stunning photography of coastal England and acclaimed crosscut editing that heightens the tension in the famous race scene. Young co-stars Elizabeth Taylor and Mickey Rooney are fabulous together full of youthful charm and exuberance ably supported by a first-rate ensemble cast.
Postage & Packaging:£0.00 Availability:3-5 working days
Although National Velvet was the first starring role for11-year-old Elizabeth Taylor, the ... more
early part of the film belongs toMickey Rooney in the showier role of Mike Taylor, a headstrongEnglish ex-jockey. Soured on life by a serious accident, Mike plansto steal from the country family that has taken him in, but hisresolve is weakened by the kindness of young Velvet (Taylor). Thetwo find a common bond in their love of horses. Velvet wins an"unbreakable" horse in a raffle, and enters the animal in the GrandNational Sweepstakes. Though Mike is unable to ride the horse, heaids Velvet in her plan to disguise herself as a jockey; she winsthe race...but the story isn't over quite yet. Co-starring asVelvet's mother is Anne Revere, who won a Best Supporting ActressOscar for her performance. National Velvet is based on the novel byEnid Bagnold.
Velvet is mad about horses. When she wins a piebald horse in a raffle, she knows he's ... more
something special. His heart is as big as the five-foot fences he jumps, and he'll do anything for Velvet. Soon, she and her friend Mi have their sights set on the biggest race in England. But can a girl win the Grand National?
Advantages: A brilliant Cult Classic Disadvantages: Brutal Sex Scenes.
- BLUE VELVET -
Blue Velvet was released in 1986. Written and directed by David Lynch (Eraserhead). Blue Velvet is an American neo-noir, mystery/thriller. Starring Isabella Rossellini, Dennis Hopper, Kyle MacLachlan, and Laura Dern. BBFC Rating: 18. Running Time: 120 minutes.-
The film opens to a large pair of crushed blue velvet stage curtains gently moving in the breeze. As the credits roll we are treated to a very serene rendition of the song 'Blue Velvet', sung by 60's singer Bobby Vinton. The cameras close in onto a stunningly clean, pure white painted picket fence. In front of that some very long stem red roses are swaying in time to the music. Everything is going in slow motion, lazy hazy kind of feel. Kids are skipping across along the street, without a care in the world, and a woman is sitting in front of her TV ...
Morning_Becomes_Electra 01.04.2008 (02.04.2008)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Blue Velvet (DVD)
Advantages: Interactive fun Disadvantages: Quite hard questions
Test the NationDVD is based on the BBC1 TV show, which started in 2002 as an IQ test to see which area of the country and types of people had the highest IQ. Since then there have been many varieties of Test the Nation, including entertainment tests, tests about what has happened during the year and now... the Great British Test.
Over the years, Test the Nation also developed by how one could test themselves. You could do it using pen and paper or record your score interactively on digital TV or by text message then after the actual even- the test becomes available online. This is the first Test the NationDVD which works in a similar way to recording your score on digital TV except you can use it when you want and there is not only one set of questions but a huge database of questions, which are randomly selected.
It is ...
Advantages: Great casting, brilliant script, great story Disadvantages: Lesbians (not a disadvantage for me but could be to others), a few focal themes from the book lost
Tipping the Velvet was a BBC series based on the novel of the same name by Sarah Waters.
The story line follows the tale of Victorian lesbian Nan Astley, who falls in love with a male impersonator from her local music hall and after befriending her, follows her to London. There they fall into a relationship, and Nan becomes a part of the show under the name Nan King. Their love, however, if not meant to be, and the plot continues...
I personally adored this and thought it a brilliant adaptation from the book, which I read after I saw the series.
The acting is superb and the casting is some of the best I've ever seen. Nancy herself is fantastic, with a cherubic sort of face and a slight androgyny to her body she is perfect for the role, especially since she has such a low voice. Kitty is stunning, and it's easy to see why Nan falls ...
A horse-mad young girl named Velvet Brown enters her horse, The Pie, in the Grand National. Based on a novel by Enid Bagnold.
Release details
DVD Region
DVD
Studio(s)
WARNER HOME VIDEO; CINRAM LOGISTICS
Languages
Main Language
English
Technical information
Sound
Dolby Digital
Award information
OSCAR
Best Actress In A Supporting Role 1945 (Anne Revere)
DVD Description
NATIONAL VELVET is the poignant family story that made a young Elizabeth Taylor a star. Taylor excels as Velvet Brown, a 1920s working-class girl whose dreams of owning her own horse become a reality when she wins Pie, a wild and unruly horse, in a raffle. With the help of Mi Taylor (Mickey Rooney), a skittish, gun-shy ex-jockey, Velvet trains Pie to be a race champion despite the wishes of her loving but cautious parents (Donald Crisp and Ann Revere). Velvet's determination pays off, and the Brown family (including Angela Lansbury as Edwina, Velvet's sophisticated older sister) pools its money and enters the family pride and joy in the prestigious Grand National race, only to have its hopes dashed when the rider reneges--leading Velvet to do something extraordinary. This uplifting adaptation of Enid Bagnold's novel features stunning photography of coastal England and acclaimed crosscut editing that heightens the tension in the famous race scene. Young co-stars Elizabeth Taylor and Mickey Rooney are fabulous together, full of youthful charm and exuberance, ably supported by a first-rate ensemble cast.
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