The Black Orchid [1958] (REGION 1) (NTSC)

Customer Reviews:

Black Rose.......2006-11-06

A pair of Oscar-winning actors, and a comedy about two widowed people finding second love. Not much can go wrong, right? Well, sadly Anthony Quinn and Sophia Loren are the main good things about "The Black Orchid," which desperately tries to cover up its shortness of plot.

Rose (Loren) is a young Italian-American mother, widowed when her husband was killed by mobsters. Since her love of luxury drove him to crime, Rose blames herself, and tries to amend by making artificial flowers to support herself and her young son. She isn't interested in anyone else... until she meets the wealthy, widowed Frank Valente (Quinn).

Rose and Frank soon fall in love and become engaged, and Rose's young son is delighted to find that he will have a father at last. But Frank's daughter Mary (Ina Balin) becomes distraught when she hears the news, and Frank reluctantly breaks up with Rose. Will there be a happy ending for anyone?

"Uninspired" is the best word for "Black Orchid" -- nowhere in the movie does anything really make sense. It's a purely by-the-numbers romance flick, which putters along with little enthusiasm, right up to the predictable conclusion. There isn't even any sense of tension, except for Loren's dramatic way of speaking.

The plot itself unfolds in basic movie fashion, but is way too short. Apparently realizing this, the makers threw in a plot twist -- Mary inflicting her Electra complex on dear Daddykins. It's very contrived, and at times it's almost comical. But of course, expect all twists to be untwisted in a matter of minutes, and with only a few heart-to-heart talks.

The only good things about this tepid film are Quinn and Loren. Loren exudes passionate penitance and love as Rose, who is determined to make things right this time around. And she has amazing chemistry with Quinn, who has a rough, jovial charm that was quite different from the smooth guys who populated Hollywood.

"The Black Orchid" is a forgettable and contrived little romance, but Loren and Quinn are delightful. Too bad they weren't given a worthy script to follow.

Average customer rating:

It reduced me to tears...

A real lifesaver!

Breast Feeding Without Tears With Clare Byam-Cook
Starring: Clare Byam-Cook
Director: Steve Gammond
Manufacturer: Green Umbrella Productions
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0001Z64KO
Release Date: 2004-05-10

Customer Reviews:

It reduced me to tears..........2008-02-26

I was unlucky enough to watch a portion of this DVD during a peer-to-peer breastfeeding support training day recently. In this clip we witnessed the case study of a young lady having difficulties breast-feeding after a c-section. The mother was treated like a cow, her breasts pulled this way and that, the baby was flung around like a piece of meat. Everything we witnessed went against current guidelines for supporting breastfeeding. It was degrading, distressing and dehumanising for all concerned. I'm sorry to say 'Breast Feeding Without Tears' reduced me to tears just watching it.

A real lifesaver!.......2007-08-09

Like many people, I was of the impression that breastfeeding would be easy, natural, and intuitive. Unfortunately, my wife and I discovered that it is anything but. "But how is it that our species survived for thousands of years without formula and bottles?" It is our loss of cultural knowledge and wisdom that has done us in in this case. It was once the job of the female members of a woman's family to pass on the knowledge. Lacking this, Clare Byam-Cook fills in the gap with this outstanding video.

Using rapid-fire factual information and clear case studies and demonstrations, Byam-Cook shows anxious mothers that 1) Breastfeeding SHOULD NOT HURT, and 2) the vast majority of problems can be solved by proper positioning and latching. The DVD gives you the tools to accomplish this. She has strong opinions about breastfeeding, and differs on several topics with La Leche, the NHS (for whom she worked as a midwife for 20 years), and other popular gurus. However, her methods work, and are both practical and realistic.

I highly recommend this book to anybody expecting a child, especially if they will be facing the poor information you can expect from the average NHS midwife in hospital.

Customer Reviews:

Better and Better with Repeated Viewings.......2008-03-02

The first time, this movie can seem disjointed and the main character unlikable. But by the second or third viewing, the disjointedness becomes complexity and the growth of Robert's character evident. The characterizations are fairly rich and beautifully acted by a fine cast, in beautifully shot sets and costumes. (Unlike the previous reviewer, I think the second half is wonderfully written and generally better.) If I say it reminds of truths of living a good life, that sounds preachy and is misleading; this movie is inspirational in the best sense as well as engaging and entertaining.

A missed opertunity.......2001-11-11

I want to give this movie 5 stars. I want to love this movie. And its possible to, but you have to forgive a huge number of flaws in order to do so.
The film starts well. The opening minutes show us an opulant 16th century London, complete with a royal palace lifted straight from the arabian nights. With its mix strange decadence, open sexuality and (shockingly for a Hollywood movie with Meg Ryan in) even full frontal nudity (!) it plays like the Caligula that you know Tinto Brass wanted before Penthouse re-edited it for him. Downey Jr delivers his finest hour as Robert Merivil, a man with a talent for healing, who is seduced by the King (Sam Niel, who also is on top form) into leaving his life of medicine and marrying his (the kings) mistress in order to remove her from the gaze of court.
This is the basic plot detail for the first part of the film, and it works very very well. However the second part of the film (the bit with Meg Ryan in) is clumsily handeled, badly cast, laughably scripted and saccarine to the point of evil. In spite of this I forgive the film its sins (perhaps because i am so shocked the Downey can act) and would reccommend it (especially at a budget price).

Are we the masters of our soul?.......2000-09-24

Yes this is a period piece and the movie was beautifully costumed and the colors were brilliant. But a lot of movies can say that. These were great actors. They all made memorable movies before and after this one. Not all movies can say that they are more than the sum of their parts and that the characters were great enough to outshine the actors. But this one is one of those movies. It really doesn't fit any category of movie unless you can call it inspirational.

Robert Merivel was the master and the sum of his choices. Even the circumstances that looked like he had no control over were the results of previous choices. This also applied to the other characters that surrounded him. The end is the results of the means. This is one movie that could not be remade.

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