THE PLOT THUS FAR
Poet, actor, and playwright William Shakespeare is arguably the most famous dramatist in history. His many works are still widely read, performed, and loved almost 400 years after his death, with plays such as Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet, and Macbeth telling stories that resonate as much with audiences today as they did in Elizabethan times.
This stunning collection includes:
– The award-winning screen adaptation of Shakespeare’s epic tragedy Macbeth on DVD
– The documentary series In Search of Shakespeare on DVD
– A collection of rare Shakespeare memorabilia reproduced from original items held at the Bodleian Libraries, University of Oxford, England
– A complete reproduction of the play Macbeth, as published in Shakespeare’s First Folio in 1623.
WHAT WE THOUGHT
“William Shakespeare” has never had it as good as this PBS packed release. You get the stunning Macbeth staging that Patrick Stewart helmed not too long ago. If that wasn’t enough, you also get In Search of Shakespeare with a bit more footage. Throw onto that a ton of other reproductions of the Bard’s work. Plus, you get cheat sheets full of data to show off to the in-debt English majors working at Barnes & Noble. Buy them a coffee while you’re there, they need to drink something that doesn’t come out of a paper bag.
I love the trinkets that PBS crams into these things. Whether it’s historical or literature based, I find myself framing and moving around this next to my Mondo prints. If I ever publish the AV Theater pictures to Blu-Ray dot com, it’s going to make me look crazier than ever. But, these reproductions are my jam. Some people like the Sideshow Collectibles stuff, I like to show off the folio for Macbeth.
The DVD comes with bonus footage, tons of trinkets and booklets about the Bard of Avon. The A/V Quality is typical for a standard definition documentary. The transfer is a flat mix, but it supports the visuals. The same can be said for the Dolby Surround mixes. Ultimately, it’s worth a purchase for the Shakespeare nerds in your life.
RELEASE DATE: 06/10/2014