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Price: $346.00 as of 11/25/2009 16:01 EST details
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Binding: DVD
EAN: 5014503121426
Format: PAL
Languages: EnglishSubtitles For The Hearing ImpairedMonoEnglishOriginal LanguageMono
Number Of Discs: 3
Region Code: 2
Theatrical Release Date: March 07, 1978
Editorial Review:
Amazon.com:
Dennis Potter's astonishing six-part miniseries remains one of the edgiest, most audacious things ever conceived for television. The story tells of one Arthur Parker (Bob Hoskins), a sheet-music salesman in 1930s England. Beaten down by economic hard times and the sexual indifference of his proper wife (Gemma Craven), Arthur cannot understand why his life can't be like the beautiful songs he loves. On a sales trip through the Forest of Dean, he meets a virginal rural woman (Cheryl Campbell) he suspects may be his ideal. Ruination follows. Punctuating virtually every scene is a vintage pop song--lip-synched and sometimes danced out by the characters. This startling innovation makes the contrast between Arthur's brutish life and his bourgeois dreams even more dramatic.
Potter's dark vision digs into British stoicism, sexual repression, the class system, and even the coming of fascism in Europe. But it is especially poignant on the subject of the divide between art and reality. Piers Haggard directs the long piece with deft transitions between songs and story. (It was shot partly on multi-camera video, partly on film.) The cast is fine, especially the extraordinary Cheryl Campbell, who imbues her character with keen intelligence and no small measure of perversity. Bob Hoskins triumphs in his star-making part, bringing a demonic energy to his small-time Cockney, nearly bursting his button-down vests with frustration and appetite. Pennies from Heaven was remade in 1981 for the big screen (with Steve Martin), an interesting, Potter-scripted adaptation; it's one of the reasons the original has been unavailable on home video for so long. --Robert Horton
Average Rating: 
Rating:  -
I love this version of Pennies from Heaven. Made me a Bob Hoskins fan.
Rating:  -
Dennis Potter is perhaps not a household name in the US, despite notable successes like his two landmark miniseries, namely Pennies From Heaven ($49.98; BBC Video) and The Singing Detective ($39.98; BBC Video). But he towered over the UK TV industry with the combined genius of, say, Steven Bochco, David Lynch and Joss Whedon. In fact, his last work was shown by both the BBC and Channel 4, which is like ABC and FOX airing the same TV movie, which is unimaginable. Despite overwhelming acclaim, far ... Read More
Rating: -
I believe this series is one of the great artistic achievements of the age! I'm a fan of the period music which forms the soundtrack, so perhaps that prejudices me, but I think that, even if you don't know much about hot dance music of the '30's, you'll find yourself loving it very soon. The concept of the series is quirky, but it doesn't take long to find yourself mesmerized by the stunningly drawn characters, the dark plot line, the amazing production values and.....the music. It may be one ... Read More
Rating: -
A long time ago, television stations would take great chances and produce TV that was intelligent, thought provoking, and profound. This is one of those examples. Dennis Potter's Pennies from Heaven is one of the greatest TV miniseries ever made. While not as good as The Singing Detective (which is Potter's masterpiece), this is still magnificent and worth investing all 7 hours or so. This is far superior to the film version. The film isn't terrible, but taking a 7 hour miniseries and condensing ... Read More
Rating: -
I've been looking for this series on DVD for YEARS! It's finally available, and it was definitely worth the wait. Dark, poignant, and funny all at the same time, this series uses poopular music from the 20s and 30s -- often inappropriately -- to express the inner heart of the characters. A young Bob Hoskins plays the lead: a sleezy traveling salesman who is hard to love, except that he does such a wonderful job of playing this character. Writer Dennis Potter is at the top of his form.
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![: Pennies from Heaven [Region 2]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51YR2FQ19YL._SL160_.jpg)
