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The Mists of Avalon

The Mists of Avalon

List Price: $14.97
Your Price: $11.23
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Horrible
Review: This movie is horrible. Mist of Avalon is one of my favorite books and they completely ruined the entire plot. They left out important characters(Kevin) and important events (Morgaine returning to Avalon at the end). My recommandation is to read the book and forget that the movie exists.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Made me Want to Cry in Frustration
Review: Let, me first list a few things that I found wonderful about this movie:
1. It was Visually stunning, with its lovely costumes and sets. I believe that Marion Zimmer Bradley would have been pleased with the choice.
2. I believe that Morgaine was wonderful, and the actress did a fair job with the roll.
That's it, only 2 things I felt were decent about this movie. "Mist of Avalon" is an amazing story, told through the eyes of women. It shows the progress of Christianity, Paganism, Love and Change in one of the world's most famous stories. And yet, the movie was a hacked job of this Story. In some aspects it felt like it was simply a movie called the same thing as Marion Zimmer Bradley's Book.
Though Marion Zimmer Bradley was a Christian woman, this story is not "pure" Christian believes. This story was more then just about "religion" (unlike what the movie would have you believe) it was the turn of an age and belief system. Yet, this movie twisted it, and made it have a Christian "theme" instead of a Pagan one. Example when she tossed the sword back into the lake, it never glowed into a symbol of a cross, that was disgusting. Excalibur was a created by the Old Ones, never by the Christians.
I could go on and on, about how disappointed I was in this movie. I hope that one day a director of great talent will take this story, and tell it like it is suppose to be told. In an honest and truthful light, not twisted by religious beliefs.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Oh, please
Review: You gotta be kidding me. This is one of my favorite books so cruelly mutilated and disgraced--TNT should be destroyed. Now, the cast was all right--I was impressed with Julianna as Morgained and enthralled with Anjelica as Viviane, etc but what was up with the plot? It's taken so long for a good version of the Arthurian legend to come about, and how do we honor one of the greatest books ever written? We violate it, hack at it, fudge all the scenes and then display it in four miserable hours. I weep for the late and brilliant author, for I know she must be turning violently in her grave.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Whaaa?
Review: As one of my dear friends said, this movie should have been called "Some Stuff About Arthur MZB Might Have Been Thinking About While Considering Writing The First Draft Of The Mists Of Avalon Before Discarding It All As [Bad]." Folks, this was NOT the book that Bradley wrote. There were a few very, very important scenes and plot points that were deliberately left out for network TV (although I am rather shocked that they put the threesome scene in. I thought that if anything was going to go, it would be that).

Since sooo many people today cannot be bothered to read this magnificent, albeit long, book, I shall relate to you a few grievances here: Lancelet and Arthur had issues. Issues of the sort that tend to make the censors go mad, which is why I'm surprised that the threesome scene went in there. Sadly, though, we were deprived of a brilliant moment where Gwen, in one of her typical hysterical whiny fits that made the book so entertaining, reveals the truth about the *ahem* nature of Lance and Art's relationship...as well as revealing the truth about Arthur's feelings for his sister. That would be another fantastic bit left out--the morning after Beltane. In the book, Arthur and Morgaine recognize one another. It is actually a very, very moving passage. But noooo...that's officially "Too Hot For TV."

On the flip side, there were a few things that I must say were okay. For one, everyone who watched this who had not read the book seemed to understand it, which is more than I can say for most epic miniseries adaptations. For another, the casting, scenery, and costuming was by and large excellent. (Although having the same actress play Morgause at 14 and Morgause and 65 was [bad].) Viviane, Morgaine, Igraine, Lancelet, Arthur, and Uther were pretty much exactly as I had always thought of them in the books. Gwen was not nearly whiny enough, but that's the fault of the writers--really, folks, if you think I'm being too hard on poor Gwenwyfar, read the ... book.

All in all, you'll have to use your own discretion. I must warn you, though: if you read the book and liked it, you will hate this movie. You will not understand it, because there are VERY CRUCIAL ELEMENTS missing. If you have not read the book, and don't really want to, and are content to think of Lancelet and Gwen as a sweet and star-crossed pair that could have been SO HAPPY together, knock yourself out. But if you do decide to read the book...well, don't say I didn't warn you.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Great costumes and sets, but.....
Review: Having read the book, Mists of Avalon, I was extremely disappointed that the folks at TNT didn't keep one of the most essential parts of the story intact, that of Morgaine and Arthur knowing each other right after the Beltaine ceremony. The guilt Morgaine feels and the illicit love Arthur feels are part of what drives each of them in the story. The other essential details at the end of the movie that were changed also made the story less than it would have been if left the same as the book.

Those folks that do screenplay adaptations from books really need to know their audience before butchering a story like this one. Read the book. Rent the DVD to see the beautiful sets and costumes.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: The Mists of Avalon - AWESOME!
Review: Okay, this is for ALL the reviewers who complain about the movie not living up to the book. I have a copy of the book AND video. I also read the book BEFORE seeing the movie. Of course, there is ALOT left out of the movie! The book is VERY BIG ( at least, my copy of it) and if they took everything from the book and put it into the movie, can you IMAGINE how LONG the movie would be? The miniseries itself is nearly 4 hours! Seriously, it would be TWICE as long or even LONGER! Now, would you sit through an 8 + hour movie? I wouldn't! I read the book BEFORE seeing the movie and, yes, I was a bit disappointed that they left out parts, but, hey, the movie was still GREAT and the costumes, the atmosphere and the acting were superb! Also, the actresses and actors in this movie weren't just picked up off the street! Anjelica Huston, Julianna Margulies and Joan Allen put out stellar performances! For those who HAVEN'T read the book, this movie will tweak their interest to do so. I highly recommend it as well. The majority of books to movies end up the same way, with missing parts, possibly due to time limitations, budgets or whatever the case may be.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Drawing the Mists
Review: This movie was absolutely the antithesis of everything Bradley wrote in her novel. None of the characters were portrayed accurately and none of the events matched completely with those in the book. Haphazard, the movie is more confusing than ever the closer it comes the the end. Everything become Christian and that is not what happens. Read the book - avoid the movie.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: How does this happen??
Review: It's amazing that the book was so enjoyable, and interesting...then somehow when the movie comes out, it's nowhere close to being accurate to the book. I don't mean simple changes, but drastic changes in the story, characters doing things they never did in the book! Don't waste your money on the DVD, buy the BOOK and enjoy an incredible story!

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Absolutely Terrible
Review: I was really excited to see the movie version of one of my favorite book. In the first 5 minutes of the movie I was sorely disappointed. It was horrific. Maybe I was spoiled by Harry Potter and the Lord of the Rings movies in that they stuck to the story line. It seemed as if none of the actors read the book before the screenplay. Don't watch it, read the book instead!!!!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Mists of Avalon - A Fantasy.
Review: This video had me captivated for the entire three hours. I am of strong celtic descent, and even though it was not 'to the book,' it was an entertaining viewing experience!

To see this, is to be entertained. That is what the film industry has given to us since its inception.
It is a different slant to the Arthurian legend we have been taught about, and 'Excalibur' was a different slant again.

Give this video a try. You may be pleasantly surprised!


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