Shakespeare's "Much Ado About Nothing" starring Kenneth Branagh and Emma Thompson,
today (Dec. 28) on Cinemax East HD, at 3:15 Central Standard time.
See your schedule for exact time your area.
1993 romantic comedy film based on William Shakespeare's play of the same name.
Posted by
OP
Nashville, TN, USA
3774 posts
Perfect Rom Com for a rainy day here.
Not a brand new film, but certainly a very good one from 1993.
Classic Shakespeare, with Kenneth Branagh, Emma Thompson;
Add Denzel Washington, Michael Keaton, Keanu Reeves, and Kate Beckinsale and you have here an all-star cast.
Have seen it before, but it's pouring down rain here and it's a good afternoon to watch it again!
Enjoy!
Posted by
northern CA
2465 posts
Emma Thompson does the best Beatrice that I've ever seen in this film.
For an interesting contrast, check out Joss Whedon's version of Much Ado from 2012.
Posted by
OP
Nashville, TN, USA
3774 posts
I absolutely agree about Emma Thompson!
"For an interesting contrast, check out Joss Whedon's version of Much Ado from 2012."
I will do that! Thanks Avi!
Posted by
Stratford upon Avon
470 posts
Just to say i went to the same school as Shakespeare
Posted by
OP
Nashville, TN, USA
3774 posts
Roger, cool!
Amazing that it is still in use.
I saw that schoolhouse when we were in Stratford-Upon-Avon.
Posted by
Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, USA
13968 posts
Well darn, Rebecca! I was not on the forum much today so missed this but I’ll keep looking!
Posted by
3122 posts
Wow I loved that film. It was extra special because the summer before it came out I'd visited a friend in Tuscany and he showed me the estate where some of it was filmed.
Posted by
northern CA
2465 posts
Here's a link to half a dozen other modern filmed versions of Much Ado besides the Branagh and Whedon productions:
Posted by
OP
Nashville, TN, USA
3774 posts
Many thanks, Avi.
Epitd, beautiful shots of Tuscany especially in the opening and first 20 minutes of the film.
More locations are listed at the IMDB page for the film.
Pam, hopefully it will pop up again on the TV schedule.
I have also seen it scheduled on PBS in the past.
Posted by
northern CA
2465 posts
I should also point out that Great Performances on PBS showed a 2019 production of Much Ado starring Danielle Brooks from 'Orange Is The New Black' as Beatrice which is also a great version:
https://www.pbs.org/video/much-ado-about-nothing-preview-idpn0g/
Posted by
OP
Nashville, TN, USA
3774 posts
Many thanks, Avi.
That reminds me of another of their series...
"Shakespeare Uncovered", a documentary series created by the BBC that ran in the 2018 season.
The set consisted of several Shakespeare plays, my favorite is "Richard III" narrated by the actor Antony Sher, who had played the part onstage at The Globe Theatre in London in his younger days.
This show consists of film clips of various productions of the play as it has been done by different actors at different venues.
Antony Sher takes us by the Tower of London at night to add an aura of spookiness to the story of Richard III and the murder of the two young princes.
He shows us film clips of himself performing the role, and comments as to how it felt to play the part, and what type of person he speculates that Richard III may have been.
He takes us into the wardrobe room at the theatre in Stratford-Upon-Avon to show us the costume he wore when he performed there.
All of the shows follow the same pattern of film clips of past performances and talking with the actors about their characters.
Other plays in this series:
"Measure for Measure"
"Much Ado About Nothing", hosted by Helen Hunt.
"The Winters' Tale"
"Julius Caesar"
"Hamlet"
"A Midsummer Night's Dream"
and a few others.
This series may be replayed some day on PBS in your area, but the best bet would be to stream it or buy the DVD set from PBS.
I recorded it when the series aired in my area, and I still enjoy watching one of these episodes on a cold winter evening.
They are excellent.