Thursday, May 25, 2023

A Small Light- a Biographical Drama

 


Miep Geis Shines

A Small Light is a riveting intensely emotional dramatic telling of the Anne Frank story focused on the moral courage of the Viennese-born Miep Geis who helped hide and support the Frank family and four other Jews in an annex above the offices where Miep worked for Otto Frank.

A Small Light is an eight-episode series. In the beginning, Miep is 24 and living with the Dutch family who adopted when she was a sick child. The family encourages her to marry Cas. The parents are serious. Cas is her nonbiological gay brother. Miep goes in search of employment, which is hard to come by in 1930s Amsterdam, nevertheless, Otto Frank takes a chance on her lack of experience and hires her as a secretary for Opekta, which produces pectin for making jam.

Otto Frank had moved his family to Amsterdam from Germany to escape Hitler’s treatment of the Jews. When the Nazis arrive, Otto Frank, his wife Edith, two daughters Margot and Anne and four others hide above the business.

Miep Geis shines. Her moral compass is guides her by compassionate caring and loyalty. Through the harrowing survival experiences of Miep, her husband Jan, and others in the Dutch resistance, we see the flipped moral foundations of degradation, gross unfairness, and severe loss of liberty. And we rally in support of subversion. In Haidt’s language, Miep and Jan have righteous minds.

A Small Light is not a smarmy salvation project. We see real people struggling against a cold-as-steel evil power, struggling to come to grips with the moral choices of their fellow citizens, struggling to cope with overwhelming stress that threatens to tear the fabric of friends and families, and struggling with worry, anxiety, and self-doubt. Yet in the darkness, a small light shines.

The story of Anne Frank and her family is well-known. We know the tragic ending. Somehow, the actors, writers, and producers keep us emotionally engaged through eight episodes as if we were co-conspirators. I hope it’s not overreaching to say, we have a glimpse of what it means to have a meaningful life.

Learn More

Anne Frank Remembered: The Story of the Woman Who Helped to Hide the Frank Family.

 

 

Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl By Anne Frank

 

Series Notes

English actor Bel Powley shines as Miep Geis and American actor Liev Schreiber is the dignified Otto Frank. English actor Billie Boullet portrayed Anne Frank so well.

The writers were Tony Phelan, Joan Rater, William Harper, and Ben Esler.

The executive producers were Susanna Fogel, Avi Nir, Tony Phelan, Joan Rater, Alon Shtruzman, and Peter Traugott.

The eight-part series appeared on the National Geographic channel in May 2023 and is currently available on Disney+ and Hulu. It’s also available on AMAZON.

 

 

 

Saturday, March 25, 2023

Treasure Island by Stevenson

 


Treasure Island

   By

Robert Louis Stevenson


My eldest granddaughter is practicing for her part in a musical version of Treasure Island so, I downloaded a copy, which I had not read since childhood. It's been called a boy's adventure story but nowadays, that stereotype no longer applies. Following is a summary and a description of the key characters.

Treasure Island is a children's novel by Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson, first published in 1883. Set in the 1780s, it tells the story of Jim Hawkins, a young boy who finds a treasure map while working at his parents' inn. With the help of his friends, he sets out to find the treasure, which is hidden on a remote island. Along the way, they encounter a variety of obstacles, including pirates, mutiny, and the natural dangers of the island. In the end, Jim and his friends are successful in finding the treasure, but they must also learn to deal with the consequences of their actions.

 The main characters in Treasure Island are:

 Jim Hawkins: The protagonist of the novel, Jim is a young boy who is eager to go to sea and find adventure. He is brave and resourceful, but he is also impulsive and sometimes reckless.

Long John Silver: The cook on the voyage to Treasure Island, Silver is the secret leader of the pirates. He is a complex character, capable of both great kindness and great cruelty.

Doctor Livesey: A local doctor and friend of Squire Trelawney, Livesey is a wise and compassionate man. He is also a skilled sailor and navigator.

Squire Trelawney: A wealthy landowner who finances the voyage to Treasure Island, Trelawney is a flamboyant and eccentric man. He is also a skilled sailor and navigator.

Captain Smollett: The captain of the Hispaniola, Smollett is a strict and demanding man. He is also a skilled sailor and navigator.

Billy Bones: An old seaman who resides at Jim's parents' inn, Bones is a mysterious man with a dark past. He is also a skilled sailor and navigator.

Black Dog: A pirate and enemy of Bones, Black Dog is a vicious and cruel man.

The characters in Treasure Island are all well-developed and believable. They are also well-suited to the story, which is a fast-paced and exciting adventure. The novel is a classic of children's literature but is sure to entertain readers of all ages.

Availability

Several versions can be found on AMAZON. This illustrated copies has high ratings. 

Treasure Island with over 140 Illustrations.


This is a product of Geoffrey Sutton and Bard. Please comment if there are corrections.






Wednesday, March 15, 2023

The World at War Restored Edition

 




The World at War

The Ultimate Restored Edition

The World at War is a popular documentary of World War II produced by Thames Television in 1973. The war is presented as a series of stories in 26 episodes with narration by Laurence Olivier.

The World at War is more than a collection of combat scenes. Interviews with soldiers and civilians offer a glimpse of the effects of war on the people who lived through it in the cities and villages of Europe and Asia. Of course there are interviews with high level American, British, German and Japanese leaders. Some of the featured interviewees include:

Mark Clark

Jock Colville

Karl Donitz

Karl Wolff

James “Jimmy” Doolittle

Lord Eden of Avon

Averell Harriman

Toshikazu Kase

Vera Lynn

Lord Mountbatten

Albert Speer

James Stewart

Paul Tibbets

Takeo Yoshikawa

Stephen Ambrose

Of particular note are the insights of Gertraud “Traudl” Junge who served as a personal secretary to Adolf Hitler. She remained in his bunker until his death in 1945.

 The World at War is a British production. Given the origins of the war in Europe and the later entry into the war by the US, it is not surprising to see the emphasis on Europe. The interviews are presented without criticism thus we viewers get to consider the truthfulness of their claims. For example, was it really possible that Albert Speer did not know of the Nazi death camps?

The United States has produced many documentaries on WWII, The World at War offers a Eurocentric perspective. I found it particularly meaningful since my parents and grandparents survived the German blitz of London and many relatives fought the Germans and Italians in Europe as well as the Japanese in the Pacific. Thus, for those of us whose parents lived through the war in Britain and other parts of Europe, it is a particularly helpful context to appreciate their experiences. 


 The World at War is available on AMAZON.

 Disc and Episodes

1

A new Germany

Distant War

France Falls

Alone

2

Barbarossa

Banzai!

On Our Way

The Desert

Stalingrad

3

Wolf Pack

Red Star

Whirlwind

Tough Old Gut

It's a Lovely Day Tomorrow

4

Home Fires

Inside the Reich

Morning

Occupation

Pincers


5

Genocide

Nemesis

Japan

Pacific

The Bomb

6

Reckoning

Remember


Extra Features


7

Hitler's Germany

Two deaths of Adolph Hitler

8

The Final Solution

9

Making of the series

Experiences of War

Restoring the World at War


 

Details

Producer: Jeremy Isaacs

Some footage and video is in colour.

Blue-ray with 5.1 DTS in 16:9 format

9 Disc Collector’s Set by Freemantle Media

Running time about 1408 minutes + extra features 769 minutes

 

Saturday, January 28, 2023

Jurassic Park Series

 The Jurassic Park film series began in 1993 and ended in 2022. There are six major films in the series.

1. Jurassic Park 1993

2. The Lost World: Jurassic Park 1997

3. Jurassic Park III 2001

4. Jurassic World 2015

5. Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom 2018

6. Jurassic World: Dominion 2022

About the Series

Box Sets Available

Six Movie Collection 4K Blu-Ray ON AMAZON

Six Movie Collection Blu-Ray DVD and Digital    on AMAZON


Genre: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi

Origins: Jurassic Park is a novel created by Michael Crichton. John Hammon is a wealthy investor whose company, InGen, owns Jurassic Park, which is a theme park on a beautiful island with dinosaurs created by geneticist, Dr. Henry Wu. Crichton's second book is Jurassic World. The film series is based on the characters created by Michael Crichton.


Jurassic Park Trilogy


  1. Jurassic Park 1993

Novelist: Michael Crichton (1990) wrote the first of two books available - on AMAZON

Film Director: Steven Spielberg

Some lead Characters: Dr. Alan Grant (Sam Neil). Dr. Ellie Sattler (Laura Dern), Dr. Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum), John Hammond (Richard Attenborough), Dr. Henry Wu (BD Wong)

Location: Isla Nublar - T-Rexes and velociraptors escape their enclosures.

  2. The Lost World: Jurassic Park 1997

Novelist: Michael Crichton (1995) wrote the second of two books - on AMAZON.

Director: Steven Spielberg

Some Characters: Dr. Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum), John Hammond (Richard Attenborough), Dr. Sarah Harding (Julianne Moore)

Location: Isla Sorna - a family vacations on the dinosaur breeding grounds

  3. Jurassic Park III 2001

Director: Joe Johnston

Some Characters: Dr. Alan Grant (Sam Neil). Dr. Ellie Sattler (Laura Dern), Paul Kirby (William . Macy), Amanda Kirby (Tea Leoni)

Location: Isla Sorna - rescuing a boy trapped among roaming dinosaurs


Jurassic World Trilogy


  4. Jurassic World 2015

Director: Colin Trevorrow

Some Characters: Dr. Henry Wu (BD Wong), Owen Grady (Chris Piatt), Claire Dearing (Bryce Dallas Howard)

Location: Isla Nublar - a new theme park and a newly created dinosaur has been added to attract new guests

  5. Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom 2018

Director: J. A. Bayona

Some Characters: Dr. Henry Wu (BD Wong), Owen Grady (Chris Piatt), Claire Dearing (Bryce Dallas Howard)

Location: Isla Nublar - rescuing the animals from extinction from an active volcano.

 

  6. Jurassic World: Dominion 2022

Director: Colin Trevorrow

Some Characters: Dr. Alan Grant (Sam Neil). Dr. Ellie Sattler (Laura Dern), Dr. Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum), Dr. Henry Wu (BD Wong), Owen Grady (Chris Piatt), Claire Dearing (Bryce Dallas Howard)

Location: The world- humans and dinosaurs are living together but there are problems linked to a DNA error.

Video Trailers for the Series


1. Jurassic Park 1993



2. The Lost World: Jurassic Park 1997



3. Jurassic Park III 2001



4. Jurassic World 2015



5. Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom 2018



6. Jurassic World: Dominion 2022



Sources: I've read the two books by Crichton and watched the six films.

Post by

Geoffrey W. Sutton suttong.com