King David - BluRay [Blu-ray]

Actor Richard Gere (Chicago, Pretty Woman) gives a bravura performance as the lowly shepherd boy who ascends to the throne of ancient Israel in this compelling, thrilling biblical saga directed by acclaimed filmmaker Bruce Beresford (Tender Mercies, Driving Miss Daisy ). This panoramic drama brings David and his legendary Old Testament adventures to life, from his confrontation with Goliath to his self-destructive desire for Bathsheba.

Industrialist Cornelis van Doorn (Kees Brusse) got so filthy rich because he wasted nothing... as demonstrated by how he turned the animal hormone waste from his slaughterhouses into a side business of birth control pills. The time came, though, when he had to choose a successor from amongst his kids, legitimate or otherwise-and the only competent candidate (Rudolf Lucieer) was cursed with ethics. Sexy satire co-stars Andrea Domburg, Hugo Metsers, Sonja Barend. 107 min. Widescreen; Soundtrack Dutch; Subtitles English; audio commentary; bonus short InchFestival of LoveInch (1969); image gallery; theatrical trailers. In Dutch with English subtitles.

Tolable David is a magnificent film, carefully transferred from the best available elements, and starring the great Richard Barthelmess (Broken Blossoms) in the title role. This rural adaptation of the David and Goliath tale chronicles the heros passage into adulthood as he confronts three crooks looking for trouble. When the story opens, David Kinemon, the youngest son of tenant farmers living in small-town West Virginia, yearns to be seen as an adult. His youthful antics, however, prevent his family from seeing him as such. As his mother often tells him, You're not quite a man yet - you're only tolable. Over the course of this coming-of-age tale, the young David overcomes grief, poverty, heartache, and danger to prove he is no longer merely tolable, but a man. Gladys Hulette is charming as Esther Hatburn, the pretty girl next door, and Ernest Torrence gives a tremendous performance as the malicious Luke Hatburn. Edmund Goulding (Grand Hotel) adapted Joseph Hergesheimers short story for the screen. Shot on location in Virginia, director Henry King (Carousel) delivers a delightful gem from film's early years. This edition has been mastered from a compilation of the best surviving footage in two 35mm prints and a 35mm duplicate negative and is presented at the visually correct speed. The musical score is compiled and conducted by Robert Israel, with a small orchestra of piano, violin, cello, flute, clarinet, trumpet, trombone, drums, banjo and harmonica such as might have been heard when this film was performed theatrically in the 1920s. In 2007, Tolable David was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant. Contains a rare, bonus interview with director Henry King talking about his life, his films, and specifically his work on Tolable David. Year 1921 Length 94 min