I, Claudius

Rating:
Summary: The snake bit her and it died!
Review: With such classic lines like that is it any wonder that I, Claudius was and is such a popular miniseries. My boxed set came with 5 DVDs, clear video and clear audio. (The audio is recorded a little softer than most DVDs so you have to turn the volume up a little higher than you normally would.) My 15 year old daughter and I have become hooked on the series. Since it arrived two weeks ago, we have watched 10 episodes and are both a little sad that it all ends in only 3 more episodes. It is fun watching actors who today are "power" actors but 25 years ago were still making names for themselves. I didn't know Patrick Stewart could make such a fiendish bad guy. The only negative comment for this set is the hard-to-follow menu system.

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Summary: New Claudius Box Set
Review: For those who read my 5 star review of the 3 DVD set of this wonderful BBC/Masterpiece Theatre classic, I feel you all should be made aware of a new 5 disc set that I have seen in several online and offline stores. This set is identical is the same set as the other except that all 5 discs are single sided. Therefore Episodes 4, 5 and 6 are no longer on side 2 of disc 1, and Episodes 10, 11 and 12 are no longer on side 2 of disc 2, but are on separate discs. Personally I like my 3 disc copy because I bought it $8 cheaper than I've seen the 5 bagger going for in some stores (it is also $18 less than what the list price for the 3 bagger was when it first came out). Whichever set you buy, you are getting a product worth holding onto for generations. Enjoy.

Rating:
Summary: The glory of British rep.
Review: This remarkable TV miniseries, celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, is famous for its elegant, literate dialogue and infamous for its frankness in detailing the sordid doings of Imperial Rome in the 1st Century A.D. For me, however, "I Claudius" is most remarkable for the enormous number of juicy scenes it gives to a wonderful troupe of classically trained British actors. To say that these actors make the most of their opportunities is an understatement. "I, Claudius" is virtually a short course for theater students on the use and control of voice to create character. Whether it's Sian Phillips' contralto sneer, John Hurt's manic bleat or Derek Jacobi's golden, stammer-muted trumpet, you know you are listening to great soloists who unite to make a grand theatrical symphony.

Rating:
Summary: I took a chance...urgh...
Review: I have never seen this series (3 DVDs) before and took a chance at buying it due to the many 5 star comments here...for three times now, I CAN'T EVEN GET PAST THE FIRST DISC without falling asleep...the sound is muffled, no subtitles to even complement the poor audio, and the production is too stage-like...(so you will never see the huge crowds that would have made up Rome)... I think the only way you might appreciate this series, is if you have watched it a long time ago during your distant childhood...sorry, I just didn't like it enough to even go through to the next discs.

Rating:
Summary: Not to be missed
Review: I was nine years old when this first aired on PBS, and I didn't really appreciate the story until I was an adult. But, this drama is one of the best made for television miniseries ever. If you are interested in building a quality DVD collection, this belongs in it. The only way it could be better is if the Alistair Cooke commentaries had been included. After reading some of the other comments about the quality of the DVD format, I was a little apprehensive about buying it over the VHS. I am happy to report that the DVD format I received is perfect. There are three episodes per disc, with the documentary on the last disc. I haven't seen any of the problems that other DVD purchasers experienced. For those of you who have never seen it, Amazon provides a good synopsis. But be aware that this is a British BBC production; the emphasis is on the story. There are no "famous" actors, or elaborate sets. But it is good, quality entertainment.

Rating:
Summary: Don't Touch the Figs
Review: Words can't describe such a wonder. I'claudius is simply a thing of beaty. Comedic, cynical, and a plot that'll make your mouth twist. I began watching the movie in my high school Latin class. I noticed before the first episode was over that I was hooked and needed to see more. With each episode, I would drop whatever I was doing, and always hoped it wouldn't end just yet. I'm so glad that it is now being aimed at today's youth, because I think we all need to see a good movie. Superb acting and costuming for the time period. Jacobi's physical humor couldn't be copied. As for the set designs, always remember: Big things can come in small packages (small, 13 hour-long packages)!

Rating:
Summary: clearly a buy and hold title
Review: extraordinary tv series, one of the best ever. like someone said before, it really deserves the 6 stars. unfortunately the dvds have no extra features to offer. none at all: no subtitles, no other languages. and this dvd would simply be perfect if it had a dubbed latin version with english subtitles. what a perfect learning/teaching tool it would become...

Rating:
Summary: So THAT'S what Paul was raving about!
Review: Back in the 1970s, I stumbled onto "I, Claudius" halfway through, at the point when Piso's wife betrays and kills him. Even that second-string treachery was so "cold" that, like so many of the reviewers who have written here, I was hooked.

A couple of connections I haven't seen mentioned here yet:

I wonder how many "I, Claudis" fans were reminded by it of Paul's letter to the Romans. "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and wickedness of men," Paul says in the first chapter, and he launches into a tirade that's jaw-dropping in its intensity: "Claiming to be wise, they became fools ... They were filled with all manner of wickedness, evil, covetousness, malice. Full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malignity, they are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless." Paul goes on to show us we're all capable of such things, but I wonder if many of his original readers didn't take that diatribe as referring to the imperial family.

Secondly, many reviewers here have mentioned how much they liked Brian Blessed in the role of Augustus. They should check out the 1971 epic "The Last Valley," in which Blessed has a small but vivid (and much less lovable) role. That picture lacks the superior acting and great dialogue of "I, Claudius," but it makes up for it with spectacular Tyrolean scenery, and it gives a strong sense of the horror of Germany's Thirty Years War. Blessed has a good supporting role also in "The Last Days of Pompeii," a 1980s miniseries that also starred Lesley-Anne Down, Ned Beatty and Laurence Olivier. Unfortunately, that one's not out on video or DVD yet. Blessed also essays Squire Western, the role Hugh Griffith created in Tony Richardson's 1963 "Tom Jones," in the 1997 A&E miniseries remake. Sad to say, I can't recommend that version. Stick with Griffith, Finney, York, Warner, Greenwood, Bull & Co.

Anyway, yes, like everyone else who's written here, I love "I, Claudius."

Rating:
Summary: I CLAUDIUS A TRUE MASTERPICE
Review: 5 STARS FOR I CLAUDIUS,1 STAR FOR DVD. 1.THE SOUND IS MUFFLED. 2.NO SUB-TITLES.

Rating:
Summary: wickedly smart, dramatic and without a doubt classic
Review: I, Claudius was made some twenty-five years ago and was even viewed religiously by my father when it first aired...yet, despite deepened research, inevitable aging and dated effects, I find this series facinating.

I first checked out the miniseries from my local library thinking it would help me in reasearching for one of my many screenplays taking place in that era. Little did it occur to me that within the first hour I had dropped my pad and pencil and just watched the damn thing purely for enjoyment.

Enjoyment it was. With an absorbing story line, cute understated humor and marvelous sets, you begin to forget that you are actually getting a history lesson. Derick Jacobi as well as the entire cast preform superbly. I really found that it was kind of like an indie film...simple, smart and cerebral.

One thing that really struck my attention was the fantastic job done on aging make-up. It's really not that important or anything, but it sure does make the story seem so much more realistic. (Pardon me, please, for calling this a "story"...it's actually a kind of documentary thing, but "documentary thing" is very hard to type over and over...you know how it is, right?)

Anyhoo, it's very good. The whole thing. One person may watch it for the costumes, another for the set pieces and back drops, and some may just watch it to be entertained. It dosen't matter if you don't know diddily squat about ancient Rome, I, Claudius will set the record straight. And with seven max generations of the Augustian family you are sure to get the point sooner or later.

I, Claudius. Very good. Simple enough, eh?