Rating: 
Summary: Behold the beauty that was Valentino
Review: My only real glimpses of Rudolph Valentino were through movie stills and clips and couldn't see what the fuss was about. After taking an interest in silent films, I decided to buy this dvd and see what he was all about. Needless to say, I wasn't disappointed. The Shiek and The Son of the Shiek are two amazing and surprisingly intriguing films though the latter is superior and was definitely my favorite. The first is the story of a shiek who becomes entranced by a strong-willed woman he kidnaps and from there on the story unfolds. In the second, he plays dual roles, father and son, and there is quite a bit more action. Still, both movies are great and worth watching. As for Valentino, he was an amazing presence on film. To me, he is "the" sex symbol that is incomparable to any from his era to now. In the first movie, his mannerisms and facial expressions are more dramatized, but the second film, he is more natural and its in that one he was even more beautiful. I can see why people are still entranced with him after all this time. Count me in as one of those. As for the DVD, both of the films are good prints and the music fits the film. You also get to see the Pathe newsreel showing his funeral which is very sad. Most interestingly you get to see him judge a beauty contest and there is a clip called "The Shiek's Physique" which is a clip of him sunbathing on the beach. He is gorgeous in that as well. All in all, its a great deal and a good bargain to get to see one of the most amazing actors. Great!
Rating:
Summary: This digitally remastered double feature DVD is awesome!!
Review: Remember this is circa 1921 Hollywood. Before CGI (Computer Generated Images), Television, Technicolor, WideScreen & Sound. Movies & Movie Idols were Hollywoods dream machine results. One of the first male stars to mesmerize and fantatize womens hearts was "Rudolph Valentino". The "Sheik" (1921) & the sequel "Son of the Sheik", immortalize Valentino & Hollywood begins its dreammaking machine. Millions of women world wide spent their hard earn money going to the movies over & over to see this Heart throb. Valentino even went on a national tour covering 88 cities to promote & select the most beautiful woman in the world. (Special Feature feaurette in this DVD). This matinee idol became a phenomenon, an icon. Now through this magnificent DVD can we witness an see how Valentino dominated the screen and how these lavish Hollywood silent classics ruled the hearts of so many women. At the least you must rent this outstanding collectors DVD to enjoy Rudolph Valentino's performance. The musical score is grand and the movies very entertaining. Many extras are included even his spectacular funeral. (He died very young from appendicitis) This too was a very sad day in the hearts of millions. Enjoy the mystery and the brief cinamatic life of Rudolph Valentino!!
Rating:
Summary: This digitally remastered double feature DVD is awesome!!
Review: Remember this is circa 1921 Hollywood. Before CGI (Computer Generated Images), Television, Technicolor, WideScreen & Sound. Movies & Movie Idols were Hollywoods dream machine results. One of the first male stars to mesmerize and fantatize womens hearts was "Rudolph Valentino". The "Sheik" (1921) & the sequel "Son of the Sheik", immortalize Valentino & Hollywood begins its dreammaking machine. Millions of women world wide spent their hard earn money going to the movies over & over to see this Heart throb. Valentino even went on a national tour covering 88 cities to promote & select the most beautiful woman in the world. (Special Feature feaurette in this DVD). This matinee idol became a phenomenon, an icon. Now through this magnificent DVD can we witness an see how Valentino dominated the screen and how these lavish Hollywood silent classics ruled the hearts of so many women. At the least you must rent this outstanding collectors DVD to enjoy Rudolph Valentino's performance. The musical score is grand and the movies very entertaining. Many extras are included even his spectacular funeral. (He died very young from appendicitis) This too was a very sad day in the hearts of millions. Enjoy the mystery and the brief cinamatic life of Rudolph Valentino!!
Rating:
Summary: This digitally remastered double feature DVD is awesome!!
Review: Remember this is circa 1921 Hollywood. Before CGI (Computer Generated Images), Television, Technicolor, WideScreen & Sound. Movies & Movie Idols were Hollywoods dream machine results. One of the first male stars to mesmerize and fantatize womens hearts was "Rudolph Valentino". The "Sheik" (1921) & the sequel "Son of the Sheik", immortalize Valentino & Hollywood begins its dreammaking machine. Millions of women world wide spent their hard earn money going to the movies over & over to see this Heart throb. Valentino even went on a national tour covering 88 cities to promote & select the most beautiful woman in the world. (Special Feature feaurette in this DVD). This matinee idol became a phenomenon, an icon. Now through this magnificent DVD can we witness an see how Valentino dominated the screen and how these lavish Hollywood silent classics ruled the hearts of so many women. At the least you must rent this outstanding collectors DVD to enjoy Rudolph Valentino's performance. The musical score is grand and the movies very entertaining. Many extras are included even his spectacular funeral. (He died very young from appendicitis) This too was a very sad day in the hearts of millions. Enjoy the mystery and the brief cinamatic life of Rudolph Valentino!!
Rating:
Summary: here's your chance to see what all the fuss was about
Review: Rudolph Valentino made only five films, but he was idolized by millions of women the world over. Here in a fun double-bill, are The Shiek, which made him a household word, and his last film The Son of the Sheik. Each revolves around a romance between a beautiful young girl and Valentino's sultry man of the desert. There are lovely shots of horses running across the sands, delicious eyebrow raises from the sheik, and such memorable reader cards as: "The night was young at the Cafe Maure. Not a knife had been thrown---so far." The prints are very nice, though The Sheik is heavily tinted and runs 86 minutes instead of the 80 minutes it should. The music tracks are alright, using a small orchestra, with an alternative updated track available for the second film; I was disappointed because I had seen The Sheik on television several years ago and the accompanying synthesizer track was remarkably beautiful -- but that is not on this disc. Three shorts are included: "Rudolph Valentino and His 88 American Beauties", in which the star judges a beauty contest (1923, 13 minutes); "The Sheik's Physique", in which the star takes a nap in his swimsuit (not dated, 3 minutes); and the Pathe News coverage of Valentino's funeral (1926, 4 minutes). If you are interested in silent films or in Valentino, this is a terrific package.
Rating:
Summary: here's your chance to see what all the fuss was about
Review: Rudolph Valentino made only five films, but he was idolized by millions of women the world over. Here in a fun double-bill, are The Shiek, which made him a household word, and his last film The Son of the Sheik. Each revolves around a romance between a beautiful young girl and Valentino's sultry man of the desert. There are lovely shots of horses running across the sands, delicious eyebrow raises from the sheik, and such memorable reader cards as: "The night was young at the Cafe Maure. Not a knife had been thrown---so far." The prints are very nice, though The Sheik is heavily tinted and runs 86 minutes instead of the 80 minutes it should. The music tracks are alright, using a small orchestra, with an alternative updated track available for the second film; I was disappointed because I had seen The Sheik on television several years ago and the accompanying synthesizer track was remarkably beautiful -- but that is not on this disc. Three shorts are included: "Rudolph Valentino and His 88 American Beauties", in which the star judges a beauty contest (1923, 13 minutes); "The Sheik's Physique", in which the star takes a nap in his swimsuit (not dated, 3 minutes); and the Pathe News coverage of Valentino's funeral (1926, 4 minutes). If you are interested in silent films or in Valentino, this is a terrific package.
Rating: 
Summary: Pristine "Shiek," Son also rises
Review: The print of "The Shiek" in this DVD edition is as good as it gets, although the tinting was a bit overdone, to the point of becoming distracting - I turned down the color intensity of my set and found it much more enjoyable. For "Son...," the 1936 reissue print has been used, which means this film - by far the more entertaining of the two - has been transferred at the wrong speed, quite a disservice. The original scores for both are very good; the thing to do here would have been to slow down the reissue to the proper speed and then match the score to the action. Oh, and Rudy? He's a God. I'll spend the extra bucks to get Kino's restored DVD of "Son..." and enjoy it all over again.
Rating:
Summary: No One Does It Better
Review: There is absolutely no one past or present who does to women on screen what Rudolph Valentino does. He is the ultimate lover. Just watch his hands. Gentlemen of today! Take lessons! This DVD is a very high quality restoration with a beautiful musical score. Although the charismatic Valentino dominates every scene in which he appears, I also enjoyed performances by Agnes Ayres and the beautiful Vilma Banky (She was called the Hungarian Rhapsody for good reason!). Beautiful costumes and sets make for magical viewing of times gone by.
Rating:
Summary: No One Does It Better
Review: There is absolutely no one past or present who does to women on screen what Rudolph Valentino does. He is the ultimate lover. Just watch his hands. Gentlemen of today! Take lessons! This DVD is a very high quality restoration with a beautiful musical score. Although the charismatic Valentino dominates every scene in which he appears, I also enjoyed performances by Agnes Ayres and the beautiful Vilma Banky (She was called the Hungarian Rhapsody for good reason!). Beautiful costumes and sets make for magical viewing of times gone by.
Rating:
Summary: Comanding!
Review: This was my first silent film I bought. I thought silent films were going to be very unentertaining. The Shiek proved me wrong. Between Valatino's heart powered performances and the exotic atmosphere of the desert I was enthralled. Plus, the DVD comes with The Son of the Shiek. As technology improved so did the films. I'm now a devoted silent film lover! Thanks!
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