Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Treasure Island

Growing up, Treasure Island for me was my best loved tale.  My edition was illustrated by NC Wyeth, and I destroyed 2 copies with constant reading. I've never tired of it, and the movies never captured the magic of the tale for me...until 1990.

Home from college, my brothers and I saw what I consider to be the best version ever.  It blew me away how great the adaptation was and how much of the story they stayed true to.  Better yet? CHARLTON HESTON is in it as Long John Silver...along with Oliver Reed, Christopher Lee, Pete Posthelwaite, and Christian "Batman" Bale as Young Jim Hawkins.  Add in musical score by The Chieftains and you have one of the best pirate movies ever.

I had the VCR tape, and wore it out with viewings...and finally the day I never thought would arrive is here...21 years later, the DVD just released.  I've yammered endlessly to my wife about the film for ages and tonight it arrived, and we are settling in to watch it.

If you are a fan of pirate movies, Hornblower, Patrick O'Brien, or Treasure Island... do yourself a favor and get it while you can. I bought two as I have learned my lesson, and won't repeat the mistake of not having it.

FYI-Fraser Heston (son of Charlton) directed and wrote this version, because his dad read it to him as a boy, the illustrated N.C. Wyeth edition. Those Wyeth illustrations formed the look, feel , and overall cinematography of the film.  A commentary by Fraser is an option on the disk...and it reinforces why this filmed version rings so true to me and why I still love this story.

Don't make the mistake of missing it.



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6 comments:

  1. Theodric the ObscureDecember 13, 2011 at 6:15 PM

    Somehow, I never saw this version. I, too, have loved TI since I was little. Added to queue: thanks for the rec!

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  2. Fenway5December 13, 2011 at 6:17 PM

    @Theo, you won't be sorry my friend!

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  3. KaijuDecember 13, 2011 at 7:18 PM

    I haven't seen this one...sounds good!

    And N.C. Wyeth's work is awesome.

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  4. Fenway5December 13, 2011 at 7:23 PM

    @Kaiju, N.C. Wyeth's art is still one of the greatest treasures I still have from my childhood. Their magic has not dimmed as I have grown older. 21 years later, I can say the same for Heston's film version of this classic story.

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  5. Zenopus ArchivesDecember 16, 2011 at 10:43 PM

    Added to my Netflix queue. Thanks.

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  6. JBDecember 17, 2011 at 11:53 AM

    I still remember my mother reading me Treasure Island when I was 5 or 6 years old, and ever since having a son I've been looking forward to the day I can read him this classic (I don't know if its because of my affinity for pirates or the fact that I share a birthday with Robert Louis Stevenson).

    The only film version I'm familiar with is the old Disney one...I'll have to check this one out (though I have to say I quail at the thought of Heston as LJS..."aargh" indeed!).

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