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DVD Description
As one of Britain’s foremost film-makers and dramatists, Mike Leigh has enthralled, disturbed and provoked theatre, television and movie audiences for over 40 years. His first film, Bleak Moments premiered in 1971 to great critical acclaim, but he was not able to direct another feature film for 17 years. Instead he honed his skills on television, leaving an unrivalled legacy – from acclaimed five minute shorts to classic plays such as Abigail’s Party, and films like Nuts In May.
In his television work, Mike Leigh created the style that would make him unique among film-makers. The way he deals with issues of class, race, politics and sexuality in both poignant and comic terms; his working methods of evolving films from intense improvising rehearsals, and his collaboration with great actors – including Alison Steadman, Liz Smith, Lesley Manville, Phil Davis, David Threlfall, Brenda Blethyn and Stephen Rea – make his work instantly recognisable.
This collection includes all of Mike Leigh’s surviving BBC work from Hard Labour (1973) to Four Days in July (1985).
Disc 1: Hard Labour & The Permissive Society & 5 x Five-Minute Films
Disc 2: Nuts in May & Kiss of Death
Disc 3: Abigail’s Party & All About Abigail’s Party plus Welcome, Party
Nibbles, Intro & Goodbye
Disc 4: Who’s Who? & Grown-Ups
Disc 5: Home Sweet Home & Four Days in July
Disc 6: The Conversation, The Long Goodbye, Arena: Making Plays
In his television work, Mike Leigh created the style that would make him unique among film-makers. The way he deals with issues of class, race, politics and sexuality in both poignant and comic terms; his working methods of evolving films from intense improvising rehearsals, and his collaboration with great actors – including Alison Steadman, Liz Smith, Lesley Manville, Phil Davis, David Threlfall, Brenda Blethyn and Stephen Rea – make his work instantly recognisable.
This collection includes all of Mike Leigh’s surviving BBC work from Hard Labour (1973) to Four Days in July (1985).
Disc 1: Hard Labour & The Permissive Society & 5 x Five-Minute Films
Disc 2: Nuts in May & Kiss of Death
Disc 3: Abigail’s Party & All About Abigail’s Party plus Welcome, Party
Nibbles, Intro & Goodbye
Disc 4: Who’s Who? & Grown-Ups
Disc 5: Home Sweet Home & Four Days in July
Disc 6: The Conversation, The Long Goodbye, Arena: Making Plays
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
40 of 41 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
This collection has been a long time coming but I can at long last get rid of my ancient video tapes.
This set contains some of Leigh's best TV work - Grown Ups, Home Sweet Home, Nuts In May and Hard Labour have previously been available on awful quality DVDs - In this set they have been transfered from nice clean prints with decent sound. Abigail's Party looks the same as the BBC edition which is available on its own. These plays alone are worth the cost of this set.
I haven't watched the shorts or other plays yet but it's five stars for each of the plays listed above and great to have them looking better than ever!
This set contains some of Leigh's best TV work - Grown Ups, Home Sweet Home, Nuts In May and Hard Labour have previously been available on awful quality DVDs - In this set they have been transfered from nice clean prints with decent sound. Abigail's Party looks the same as the BBC edition which is available on its own. These plays alone are worth the cost of this set.
I haven't watched the shorts or other plays yet but it's five stars for each of the plays listed above and great to have them looking better than ever!
18 of 19 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
As stated by other reviewers this is a long overdue region 2 DVD release. But at last the early work of one this country's most talented film makers can now be enjoyed by British viewers. It's impossble to sum up the importance of this body of work in a few sentences. Suffice to say that the form and content is typical Leigh. The likes of Nuts in May and Abigail's Party are quintessential English pieces as is Who's Who. The black humour of The Kiss of Death and the stark sectarianism (made to look ridiculous) of Four Days in July, tackle difficult topics with great intelligence and insight. And Home Sweet Home and Hard Labour, for instance, captures Leigh's perennial favourite subject matter: the friction and tension of the class society. This collection also contains fantastic extras, particularly Leigh's interview with Will Self.
21 of 23 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
This is glorious. I have waited literally decades for the release of Leigh's BBC Play For Today output. It will sound cliched, but there really was nothing else like his plays on TV at the time. The warmth and humour, the excruciatingly realistic dialogue and recognisable characters (well, certainly from my experiences) are all here. They are, unsurprisingly, very cinematic in places and an absolute joy to watch in their entirety. Finally.
You'll laugh, you'll cry, you will bridle in embarrassment. Don't wait for BBC4 to broadcast them in the middle of the night.
You'll laugh, you'll cry, you will bridle in embarrassment. Don't wait for BBC4 to broadcast them in the middle of the night.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
Delights and disappointments
I bought this set on the strength of the incomparable "Abigail's Party", which is one of my favourite plays of all time, and has lost none of its magic, despite many viewings. Read more
Published 24 days ago by W. Gough
Couldn't Agree More
As stated in most of the other reviews, this DVD collection represents the long-overdue, (near)comprehensive consolidation of Mike Leigh's work for the BBC, and illustrates the... Read more
Published 8 months ago by Keith M
Classics
Mike Leigh: the BBC Collection DVD. We're very glad to have these two plays on tape so that we can share the dubious joy of Candice Marie and Abigail whenever we feel like it! Read more
Published 20 months ago by Mrs. M. D. Morgan
mike leigh at the bbc
excellent picture quality, have been searching from grown ups for ages! Forgotten how hilarious nuts in may was with Keith and Candice-marie camping in Dorset. Read more
Published on 3 Mar 2010 by Jo39
A Joy!
My boxed set arrived this morning and tonight I dived in. Greedily.
How many years since I last saw 'Grown Ups?' (Eek, not since the early eighties. Read more
How many years since I last saw 'Grown Ups?' (Eek, not since the early eighties. Read more
Published on 20 Jan 2010 by NorthBrit
Great
Just superb - a must for any Mike Leigh fan. Snuggle up and roar with laughter
Published on 8 Jan 2010 by Julia Simms
Classics
I bought this collection for " Nuts in May" as its a real classic (anally retentive male reaches boiling point! Read more
Published on 6 Nov 2009 by Mr. R. Hobbs
Lost Treasure
Most people would buy this collection for Abigail's Party or even Nuts in May, but I have been searching for years for a copy of Grown Ups, to replace an original video which I... Read more
Published on 16 July 2009 by Candice -Marie
Spoling the ship for a ha'porth of tar
While I cannot fault the visual content of this set, and applaud its appearence in good quality picture at last, I must say that the packaging on what is a premium-priced set is... Read more
Published on 27 Jun 2009 by The Slider
grown ups
Worth buying just for this one film grown ups is up there with secrets an lies its a great film with the wonderful brenda brethemn , shes on top form as GLO . Read more
Published on 1 Jun 2009 by B. Hatton
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