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DVDS SET IN THE ANCIENT WORLD

FEATURES
(Scroll down or click here for DOCUMENTARIES)

EMPIRE The teenaged Octavian turns to a burly gladiator for protection. Epic miniseries makes no attempt at serious history, but it’s great fun to watch. BEN-HUR: Collector’s Edition Deluxe 4-disk set includes the 1959 Oscar-winner, plus the silent version from 1925, plus many extras. Based on the novel by Lew Wallace.

GLADIATOR: Extended Edition Deluxe 3-disk set includes a new version with 17 added minutes, plus the original Oscar-winning version, plus many extras. HERCULES Brawny Paul Telfer heads a strong cast in an engaging, thematically complex new version of the ancient myths, from the director of Augustus.

NERO 3-hour epic from the producers of Augustus, starring Hans Matheson of Doctor Zhivago in a sympathetic portrayal of Rome’s most notorious emperor. AUGUSTUS Peter O’Toole gives a towering performance as the aged emperor reflecting on his remarkable life.

ALEXANDER Oliver Stone’s most controversial movie. Also available: Director’s Cut • Soundtrack CD by Vangelis • The Making of Alexander • Souvenir Program ALEXANDER THE GREAT (1956) Did the young Richard Burton make a more convincing Alexander than Colin Farrell? You decide!

KING ARTHUR Lucius Artorius Castus, a Roman warrior in 5th-century Britain, becomes the legendary Arthur. Extended Unrated Director’s Cut. TROY Brad Pitt makes an indelible impression as Achilles. Widescreen or Full Screen versions.

DRUIDS Christopher Lambert as Vercingetorix, leader of the Gauls against Julius Caesar (Klaus Maria Brandauer). Read the novel by screenplay author Norman Spinrad. I, CLAUDIUS All 11 hours of the legendary series, plus “The Epic That Never Was,” a doc about the previous, failed attempt in 1937 to film the classic novel by Robert Graves.

SEBASTIANE Derek Jarman’s homoerotic take on the tormented Roman soldier who became a martyred saint. In Latin with English subtitles. Music by Brian Eno.
BEST OF BOYS IN LOVE includes the extraordinary claymation short “Achilles” by Barry Purves about the love between Achilles and Patroclus, narrated by Derek Jacobi.

THE GIANT OF MARATHON The Persians invade Greece in this exceptional sword & sandal epic directed by Jacques Tourneur, starring Steve Reeves.
FELLINI SATYRICON Fellini was at the peak of his genius when he made this over-the-top epic based on the erotic novel by Nero’s arbiter of taste, Petronius.

MEDEA One of Greek mythology’s most powerful and problematic tales, as told by controversial director Lars von Trier.
HANNIBAL (1960) Smoldering Victor Mature stars as the Carthaginian general who crossed the Alps with elephants to threaten Rome.

THE 300 SPARTANS Stirring tale of Thermopylae, site of one of the world’s great battles for freedom (the subject of Steven Pressfield’s bestseller Gates of Fire).
SPARTACUS The complete TV mini-series starring Goran Visnjic as the gladiator who led a massive uprising against the cruelty of Rome.

THE TROJAN WOMEN Star power! Katherine Hepburn as Hecuba, Genevieve Bujold as Cassandra, Vanessa Redgrave as Andromache, Irene Papas as Helen.

ANTIGONE Is there a tragedy greater than Antigone? Was there ever a greater Antigone than Irene Papas?

ELECTRA Murder begets murder in the tragedy by Euripides, starring Irene Papas and directed by the great Michael Cacoyannis Zorba the Greek).

OEDIPUS REX Landmark performance of the Sophocles masterpiece, performed in masks as the Greeks did it.

HELEN OF TROY (2003) Sienna Guillory stars as the legendary princess whose face launched a thousand ships.

HELEN OF TROY (1956) Oscar-winner Robert Wise directed this lavish spectacle starring the stunning Rossana Podesta as Helen.

TITUS Anthony Hopkins and Jessica Lange deliver towering performances in this stunning screen version of Shakespeare’s tragedy “Titus Andronicus.”

JULIUS CAESAR: HIS TIME HAS COME The dramatic life of JC (played by Jeremy Sisto), with Chris Noth as Pompey and Christopher Walken as Cato.

TWO NIGHTS WITH CLEOPATRA Sophia Loren plays dual roles, as Cleopatra and as a look-alike slave girl, in this Italian comedy.

ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA Lynn Redgrave and Timothy Dalton take star turns in Shakespeare’s tragedy.

CLEOPATRA (1963) This restored version includes a 2-hour doc about the tumultuous making of the film — a story as epic as that of Cleopatra herself!

SPARTACUS Stanley Kubrick’s epic starring with Kirk Douglas and Laurence Olivier. Based on the brilliant novel by Howard Fast.

HERCULES The Disney version — Hercules as a wise-cracking teen, Pluto (James Woods) as his nemesis, and ancient Greece in acid-trip colors.

HERCULES The sword and sandal epic that launched a thousand imitators, starring the great Steve Reeves.

WARRIOR QUEEN Masterpiece Theatre presents the tale of Boudica (Alex Kingston) and her attempt to drive the Romans from Britain.

THE VIKING QUEEN Romans invade Britain and the Druids fight back — led by a warrior queen. British history through the lurid lens of Hammer Studios!

CONSTANTINE & THE CROSS Cornell Wilde stars as the emperor who made Christianity the state religion of the Roman empire.

CLASH OF THE TITANS Laurence Olivier is Zeus and Maggie Smith is Thetis in the adventures of Perseus (a buff Harry Hamlin), but the monsters steal the show.

THE ROBE Powerhouse cast (Richard Burton, Jean Simmons, Michael Rennie) search for spiritual redemption in the Kingdom of the Wicked — Caligula’s Rome.

DEMETRIUS & THE GLADIATORS Sequel to The Robe stars Susan Hayward as Messallina and Jay Robinson as Caligula.

A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO THE FORUM Stephen Sondheim’s bawdy musical captures the spirit of ancient comedies by Roman playwright Plautus. Terrific fun!

CALIGULA Gore Vidal wrote the screenplay and Malcolm McDowell was perfectly cast, but this X-rated epic became notorious for all the wrong reasons. Includes “Making of” doc.

JASON & THE ARGONAUTS (1963) Claymation and a score by Bernard Herrmann bring to life the quest for the Golden Fleece. Plus an interview with special effects wizard Ray Harryhausen.

JASON & THE ARGONAUTS (2000) Spectacular production and a cast including Derek Jacobi, Frank Langella and Dennis Hopper highlight this retelling of the quest for the Golden Fleece.

ULYSSES This 1954 Italian production stars Kirk Douglas as the long-wandering Ulysses, with Anthony Quinn, Silvana Mangano, and Rosanna Podesta.

THE ODDYSEY Andrei Konchalovsky directs an international cast headed by Armand Assante. Shot on Mediterranean locations with dazzling special effects.

ATTILA Gerard Butler as the leader of the invading Huns and Powers Booth as the Roman general Aetius, locked in a struggle for the fate of the Western World.

BARABBAS Anthony Quinn in a haunting performance — the story of the criminal freed in place of Jesus and his life thereafter.

XERXES A rare operatic venture by Handel in the realm of comedy, set in the Persian Empire of 475 B.C.

JULIUS CAESAR Handel’s opera of love and warfare on the Nile, sung in English with Janet Baker as Caesar and Valerie Masterson as Cleopatra.

LA CLEMENZA DE TITO Mozart’s opera finds conspiracy, love, and pardon in the history of the emperor Vespasian and his heir, Titus.

DUEL OF THE CHAMPIONS Alan Ladd stars in a legend of early Rome: The Oath of the Horatii. Three Romans brothers wage mortal combat against three Alban brothers.

LAST DAYS OF POMPEII Silent epic based on Bulwer-Lytton’s famous novel and produced in Italy in 1913. Intrigues and gladiatorial combats come to a halt when Vesuvius unleashes its molten fury!

CABIRIA Italian silent epic brims with melodrama and spectacle. As war rages between Rome and Hannibal, strongman Maciste must rescue Cabiria from human sacrifice in Carthage.

DOCUMENTARIES

SEVEN WONDERS OF THE ANCIENT WORLD Architect I.M. Pei leads a team of experts to envision these legendary marvels of construction. Narrated by Pierce Brosnan. ANCIENT CIVILIZATIONS 3-disk (6-hour) set: Rome & Pompeii, Athens & Greece, and The Land of The Pharaohs.

POMPEII: The Last Day / COLOSSEUM: A Gladiator’s Story Two docudramas capture first-hand accounts of the ancient world. Brit hunk Robert Shannon scores as Verus the gladiator! JULIUS CAESAR’S ROME Six episodes on 2 disks from The History Channel examine the lives and times of Caesar, Antony, and Cleopatra, the end of the republic and the birth of the empire.

IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF ALEXANDER A fascinating journey across 16 countries, tracing the route of Alexander’s journey of conquest from the Balkans to India. Read the companion book.
ALEXANDER THE GREAT: BEYOND THE MOVIE National Geographic examines the remarkable life of the world conqueror.

THE TRUE STORY OF ALEXANDER THE GREAT Special presentation from The History Channel, hosted by Peter Woodward.
THE SPARTANS Superior series from PBS about the elitist warrior culture of the Spartans, rivals of Athens and nemesis of Persia.

IN SEARCH OF THE TROJAN WAR Brilliant on-site exploration of the truth behind the legend. See also the companion book by Michael Wood.

TROY: BEYOND THE MOVIE National Geographic looks at the ancient myths and unsolved mysteries behind the epic tale.

CLEOPATRA: FIRST WOMAN OF POWER A sympathetic look at Cleopatra and the negative images perpetuated by historians and Hollywood movies. Narrated by Angelica Huston.

THE ROMAN EMPIRE IN THE FIRST CENTURY Augustus ends the civil wars, founds a problematic dynasty, and inaugurates the world’s most famous empire.

RETRO STUD by David Chapman Not a DVD, but a handy picturebook that pays homage to the delirious heyday of the Italian sword & sandal epics of the 1960s, when musclemen like Steve Reeves resurrected the cult worship of demigods like Hercules. Chockful of amazing images. High camp!

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	EMPIRE The teenaged Octavian turns to a burly gladiator for protection. Epic miniseries makes no attempt at serious history, but it’s great fun to watch.		BEN-HUR: Collector’s Edition Deluxe 4-disk set includes the 1959 Oscar-winner, plus the silent version from 1925, plus many extras. Based on the novel by Lew Wallace.
	GLADIATOR: Extended Edition Deluxe 3-disk set includes a new version with 17 added minutes, plus the original Oscar-winning version, plus many extras.		HERCULES Brawny Paul Telfer heads a strong cast in an engaging, thematically complex new version of the ancient myths, from the director of Augustus.
	NERO 3-hour epic from the producers of Augustus, starring Hans Matheson of Doctor Zhivago in a sympathetic portrayal of Rome’s most notorious emperor.		AUGUSTUS Peter O’Toole gives a towering performance as the aged emperor reflecting on his remarkable life.
	ALEXANDER Oliver Stone’s most controversial movie. Also available: Director’s Cut • Soundtrack CD by Vangelis • The Making of Alexander • Souvenir Program		ALEXANDER THE GREAT (1956) Did the young Richard Burton make a more convincing Alexander than Colin Farrell? You decide!
	KING ARTHUR Lucius Artorius Castus, a Roman warrior in 5th-century Britain, becomes the legendary Arthur. Extended Unrated Director’s Cut.		TROY Brad Pitt makes an indelible impression as Achilles. Widescreen or Full Screen versions.
	DRUIDS Christopher Lambert as Vercingetorix, leader of the Gauls against Julius Caesar (Klaus Maria Brandauer). Read the novel by screenplay author Norman Spinrad.		I, CLAUDIUS All 11 hours of the legendary series, plus “The Epic That Never Was,” a doc about the previous, failed attempt in 1937 to film the classic novel by Robert Graves.
	SEBASTIANE Derek Jarman’s homoerotic take on the tormented Roman soldier who became a martyred saint. In Latin with English subtitles. Music by Brian Eno.		BEST OF BOYS IN LOVE includes the extraordinary claymation short “Achilles” by Barry Purves about the love between Achilles and Patroclus, narrated by Derek Jacobi.
	THE GIANT OF MARATHON The Persians invade Greece in this exceptional sword & sandal epic directed by Jacques Tourneur, starring Steve Reeves.		FELLINI SATYRICON Fellini was at the peak of his genius when he made this over-the-top epic based on the erotic novel by Nero’s arbiter of taste, Petronius.
	MEDEA One of Greek mythology’s most powerful and problematic tales, as told by controversial director Lars von Trier.		HANNIBAL (1960) Smoldering Victor Mature stars as the Carthaginian general who crossed the Alps with elephants to threaten Rome.
	THE 300 SPARTANS Stirring tale of Thermopylae, site of one of the world’s great battles for freedom (the subject of Steven Pressfield’s bestseller Gates of Fire).		SPARTACUS The complete TV mini-series starring Goran Visnjic as the gladiator who led a massive uprising against the cruelty of Rome.
	THE TROJAN WOMEN Star power! Katherine Hepburn as Hecuba, Genevieve Bujold as Cassandra, Vanessa Redgrave as Andromache, Irene Papas as Helen.		ANTIGONE Is there a tragedy greater than Antigone? Was there ever a greater Antigone than Irene Papas?
	ELECTRA Murder begets murder in the tragedy by Euripides, starring Irene Papas and directed by the great Michael Cacoyannis Zorba the Greek).		OEDIPUS REX Landmark performance of the Sophocles masterpiece, performed in masks as the Greeks did it.
	HELEN OF TROY (2003) Sienna Guillory stars as the legendary princess whose face launched a thousand ships.		HELEN OF TROY (1956) Oscar-winner Robert Wise directed this lavish spectacle starring the stunning Rossana Podesta as Helen.
	TITUS Anthony Hopkins and Jessica Lange deliver towering performances in this stunning screen version of Shakespeare’s tragedy “Titus Andronicus.”		JULIUS CAESAR: HIS TIME HAS COME The dramatic life of JC (played by Jeremy Sisto), with Chris Noth as Pompey and Christopher Walken as Cato.
	TWO NIGHTS WITH CLEOPATRA Sophia Loren plays dual roles, as Cleopatra and as a look-alike slave girl, in this Italian comedy.		ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA Lynn Redgrave and Timothy Dalton take star turns in Shakespeare’s tragedy.
	CLEOPATRA (1963) This restored version includes a 2-hour doc about the tumultuous making of the film — a story as epic as that of Cleopatra herself!		SPARTACUS Stanley Kubrick’s epic starring with Kirk Douglas and Laurence Olivier. Based on the brilliant novel by Howard Fast.
	HERCULES The Disney version — Hercules as a wise-cracking teen, Pluto (James Woods) as his nemesis, and ancient Greece in acid-trip colors.		HERCULES The sword and sandal epic that launched a thousand imitators, starring the great Steve Reeves.
	WARRIOR QUEEN Masterpiece Theatre presents the tale of Boudica (Alex Kingston) and her attempt to drive the Romans from Britain.		THE VIKING QUEEN Romans invade Britain and the Druids fight back — led by a warrior queen. British history through the lurid lens of Hammer Studios!
	CONSTANTINE & THE CROSS Cornell Wilde stars as the emperor who made Christianity the state religion of the Roman empire.		CLASH OF THE TITANS Laurence Olivier is Zeus and Maggie Smith is Thetis in the adventures of Perseus (a buff Harry Hamlin), but the monsters steal the show.
	THE ROBE Powerhouse cast (Richard Burton, Jean Simmons, Michael Rennie) search for spiritual redemption in the Kingdom of the Wicked — Caligula’s Rome.		DEMETRIUS & THE GLADIATORS Sequel to The Robe stars Susan Hayward as Messallina and Jay Robinson as Caligula.
	A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO THE FORUM Stephen Sondheim’s bawdy musical captures the spirit of ancient comedies by Roman playwright Plautus. Terrific fun!		CALIGULA Gore Vidal wrote the screenplay and Malcolm McDowell was perfectly cast, but this X-rated epic became notorious for all the wrong reasons. Includes “Making of” doc.
	JASON & THE ARGONAUTS (1963) Claymation and a score by Bernard Herrmann bring to life the quest for the Golden Fleece. Plus an interview with special effects wizard Ray Harryhausen.		JASON & THE ARGONAUTS (2000) Spectacular production and a cast including Derek Jacobi, Frank Langella and Dennis Hopper highlight this retelling of the quest for the Golden Fleece.
	ULYSSES This 1954 Italian production stars Kirk Douglas as the long-wandering Ulysses, with Anthony Quinn, Silvana Mangano, and Rosanna Podesta.		THE ODDYSEY Andrei Konchalovsky directs an international cast headed by Armand Assante. Shot on Mediterranean locations with dazzling special effects.
	ATTILA Gerard Butler as the leader of the invading Huns and Powers Booth as the Roman general Aetius, locked in a struggle for the fate of the Western World.		BARABBAS Anthony Quinn in a haunting performance — the story of the criminal freed in place of Jesus and his life thereafter.
	XERXES A rare operatic venture by Handel in the realm of comedy, set in the Persian Empire of 475 B.C.		JULIUS CAESAR Handel’s opera of love and warfare on the Nile, sung in English with Janet Baker as Caesar and Valerie Masterson as Cleopatra.
	LA CLEMENZA DE TITO Mozart’s opera finds conspiracy, love, and pardon in the history of the emperor Vespasian and his heir, Titus.		DUEL OF THE CHAMPIONS Alan Ladd stars in a legend of early Rome: The Oath of the Horatii. Three Romans brothers wage mortal combat against three Alban brothers.
	LAST DAYS OF POMPEII Silent epic based on Bulwer-Lytton’s famous novel and produced in Italy in 1913. Intrigues and gladiatorial combats come to a halt when Vesuvius unleashes its molten fury!		CABIRIA Italian silent epic brims with melodrama and spectacle. As war rages between Rome and Hannibal, strongman Maciste must rescue Cabiria from human sacrifice in Carthage.

	SEVEN WONDERS OF THE ANCIENT WORLD Architect I.M. Pei leads a team of experts to envision these legendary marvels of construction. Narrated by Pierce Brosnan.		ANCIENT CIVILIZATIONS 3-disk (6-hour) set: Rome & Pompeii, Athens & Greece, and The Land of The Pharaohs.
	POMPEII: The Last Day / COLOSSEUM: A Gladiator’s Story Two docudramas capture first-hand accounts of the ancient world. Brit hunk Robert Shannon scores as Verus the gladiator!		JULIUS CAESAR’S ROME Six episodes on 2 disks from The History Channel examine the lives and times of Caesar, Antony, and Cleopatra, the end of the republic and the birth of the empire.
	IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF ALEXANDER A fascinating journey across 16 countries, tracing the route of Alexander’s journey of conquest from the Balkans to India. Read the companion book.		ALEXANDER THE GREAT: BEYOND THE MOVIE National Geographic examines the remarkable life of the world conqueror.
	THE TRUE STORY OF ALEXANDER THE GREAT Special presentation from The History Channel, hosted by Peter Woodward.		THE SPARTANS Superior series from PBS about the elitist warrior culture of the Spartans, rivals of Athens and nemesis of Persia.
	IN SEARCH OF THE TROJAN WAR Brilliant on-site exploration of the truth behind the legend. See also the companion book by Michael Wood.		TROY: BEYOND THE MOVIE National Geographic looks at the ancient myths and unsolved mysteries behind the epic tale.
	CLEOPATRA: FIRST WOMAN OF POWER A sympathetic look at Cleopatra and the negative images perpetuated by historians and Hollywood movies. Narrated by Angelica Huston.		THE ROMAN EMPIRE IN THE FIRST CENTURY Augustus ends the civil wars, founds a problematic dynasty, and inaugurates the world’s most famous empire.