Poldark Blu-ray Giveaway

Do you love Masterpiece: Poldark? How does a free Blu-ray disc set of your latest English obsession sound? Thanks to our friends over at PBS Distribution, I am honored to host a giveaway for 5 copies of Poldark on Blu-ray. Could it get any better? If you are new to Poldark, be sure to check out my review here.

© ITV plc (ITV Global Entertainment Ltd)

To enter the giveaway, just leave a comment below (be sure to link contact information or include some way for me to reach you in case you win! It’s easier if you sign in with Twitter or Facebook.) By leaving a comment on this post, you are agreeing to the following rules:

OFFICIAL RULES

• No purchase necessary
• One entry per person. An entry is a comment on this post.
• Entrants must be 18 years old or older and residents of the U.S.
• Giveaway entries will be accepted from Friday, July 10 until 11:59 p.m. Monday, July 20, 2015
• 5 randomly selected winners will win the Complete First Season of Masterpiece: Poldark on Blu-ray, including extra bonus features. The run time of this program is approximately 480 minutes on 3 discs. The Blu-ray SRP is $49.99.
• 5 winners will be selected at random from the comment section on this post. Only comments received before 11:59 p.m. Monday, July 20, 2015 will be entered. Winners will be announced Tuesday, July 21, 2015. Winners will have one week to claim prize.
• Prizes can only be shipped to addresses in the U.S.
• The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning
• By entering giveaway, you are submitting the right to access your name for the winning entries as well as for use in a post revealing winners
• If potential winner forfeits or does not claim prize, prize will be re-awarded in Sponsor’s sole discretion
• Neither Rose West nor PBS Distribution is liable for any negative impacts as a result of the prize or giveaway
• Prize is provided by PBS Distribution
• Giveaway is regulated in the state of Michigan
• Void where prohibited by law

So comment away! And don’t forget to share this post with your other Anglophile friends. Even if you don’t win, Poldark is now available on DVD and Blu-ray from PBS Distribution! So be sure to get in on the fun!

Follow me on Twitter for Giveaway updates!

Father Brown and Great Expectations

The crackle of leaves at night … the breath of darkness … the hum of dreams awakening. Days have been long of late, and long in the coming. But pull through we will, we must. And though I live in the world’s “paradise”, I still find it a relief to escape to the misty bogs, the stone houses, the afternoon tea of England.

The book form of my latest Anglophile escape:

Father Brown stories by the renowned G.K. Chesterton. I’m really surprised how long it’s taken me to jump on the Chesterton wagon, and I’m glad I finally have. His witty words feel rather comforting in a embers-on-the-hearth kind of way. I confess his stories as stories aren’t as stimulating as I was expecting. When I think mystery, I think Agatha Christie. Father Brown is much more under the radar. I don’t feel shocked or excited when I read these stories, just amused, entertained, and mildly surprised.

On the screen front:

Masterpiece Theater on PBS is airing a new BBC edition of Great Expectations (by, of course, Charles Dickens). It is in two parts, and the first part is now available for viewing online at PBS. I really enjoyed this first part and wishing I could watch the second part tonight. I’ll have to wait until Sunday, but I am very impressed by this new version. The costumes – love them. The setting is gorgeous, that is, if you’re into barren wastelands covered in fog. The actors are good for the most part, though I can’t help but be annoyed by Miss Havisham’s tiny squeak for a voice. Overall, I recommend watching! But what’s this, yet another version with Helena Bonham Carter in the works? Sounds great to me.

Back to my palm trees for now…

Upstairs Downstairs Sweepstakes

In the mood for some British television? Of course, you are! Be sure to check out the Upstairs Downstairs Sweepstakes from PBS and Masterpiece Theater! To celebrate the TV show’s 40th anniversary, PBS is offering a sweepstakes giveaway. By simply submitting your email address, you will be entered for a chance to win a DVD set of Upstairs Downstairs and a movie poster from the series. Runner-up will receive a $200 gift certificate for ShopPBS.org. Click here to enter!

Upstairs Downstairs updated:

“Emma” from BBC

Having grown up on Gwyneth Paltrow’s portrayal of Jane Austen’s Emma, I was a little skeptical about the latest version of Emma from BBC. After some minor shifting in my mind of what Emma looks like, I discovered that the new “Emma” wasn’t at all bad. In fact, I grew to love it. BBC has a talent for bringing beautiful British stories to the screen without being at all Hollywood about it. The nuances and details are often lost in our American movies.

The great thing about a mini-series is that, if you like the story, you have more hours than an average movie to savor all the delightful plots at a slower pace. It’s more like reading the actual book, in that way.

The Cast

Romola Garai, whom I recognized from “Nicholas Nickleby”, did a splendid job of acting all of Emma’s charm and cheerfulness and conniving. Jonny Lee Miller (from the film version of “Mansfield Park”) did a good job as well, though I confess I still favor Jeremy Northam as Mr. Knightley. And of course, the legendary Michael Gambon worried and fretted as a classic Mr. Woodhouse.

The Costumes

As usual with Jane Austen flicks, I found myself enthralled by the gorgeous costumes in “Emma”. The costume designer gave Emma an elegant look that fitted her social ranking and yet was sedate enough for the countryside. Romola Garai wore some lovely straw hats in the summer scenes and was dressed in yellows and blues and pinks that fit Emma’s carefree personality. The men were well-dressed as well, and the details in their outfits are quite impressive.

Emma is well worth the $18 on Amazon – that’s like 8 cents per minute of Jane Austen heaven! Also, be sure to check out the BBC page for more info on “Emma”.

This is my favorite scene – of course, it’s the proposal!