Rating: 
Summary: A BRILLIANT ALICE
Review: Despite what a previous long winded, word regurgitating review said, the cast and direction is phenomenal, AS is the girl who plays Alice. Of all the Alice interpretations I have seen, this girl was the first to have the bored, world weary attitude that fits so perfectly in this film and in the book. FURTHERMORE, the cover art on this dvd is appalling, AND you will spot Monty Python's Eric Idle as an extra in the trial scene.
Rating:
Summary: Be Prepared to Be Enthralled and Slightly Baffled
Review: What a surprise that a gem like this exists!! I had never even heard that this was created until just recently. The 4 previous reviews all have very good points so I won't go into great detail. It is a disjointed affair, but well worth the trouble to delve into. The girl chosen as Alice seems years too old for the role though. If bizarre 60's movies are not something you are into, then I would advise those people against getting it. If you like weird films like Wonderwall or shows like The Prisoner, you may be able to enjoy this film. I find it fascinating and it is highly psychedelic. There is no doubt that this is a 60's take on Alice. Incredible camerawork with much detail put into camera angles and setting really add to the surreality of this work. Leo McKern is hysterical as the Dutchess. Peter Cook and Peter Sellers have some fun with their roles as do all the cast. No one has a very large role. This looks like it was a blast to make and should entertain anyone with an open mind. I would say that it is not geared toward children as many versions of Alice are. Most little kids will be confused and possibly disturbed. This is much more fun for grown-ups. See if you can spot the Monty Python cameo.
Rating:
Summary: A Darker Wonderland
Review: This release of BBC-TV's 1966 black-and-white Alice in Wonderland is very fine indeed. The film is a surreal, theatrical, and dark "Alice," designed as a dream version of Victorian life - there are no animal costumes here. The caucus race is a scene in a public school, the Caterpillar is a sort of headmaster, the trial is a massive church setting, and so on. Alice herself is almost completely impassive, and rarely speaks aloud; I found myself interpreting the whole thing as an autistic girl's skewed and nonsensical view of the world around her. Despite its short length, the film takes its time, and has a very dry sense of humor; I found it endlessly fascinating once I got into it, though. It's almost hypnotic - something greatly helped by Ravi Shankar's sitar music. The picture quality is excellent, unusual for British TV of this period. Director Jonathan Miller personally contributes an excellent commentary track, discussing the film's themes, his actors, and why he felt a darker "Alice" needed to be made. The disc is rounded out with a short picture gallery, and a real surprise: the first-ever "Alice" film, a 10-minute silent from 1903, with commentary. Really my only complaint is the lack of subtitles for the feature film; Alice's own dialogue is frequently whispered, and to the casual ear can be hard to decipher. Otherwise, this is a great film with an excellent DVD presentation that demonstrates quality over quantity. I recommend it very highly.
Rating:
Summary: A Darker Wonderland
Review: This release of BBC-TV's 1966 black-and-white Alice in Wonderland is very fine indeed. The film is a surreal, theatrical, and dark "Alice," designed as a dream version of Victorian life - there are no animal costumes here. The caucus race is a scene in a public school, the Caterpillar is a sort of headmaster, the trial is a massive church setting, and so on. Alice herself is almost completely impassive, and rarely speaks aloud; I found myself interpreting the whole thing as an autistic girl's skewed and nonsensical view of the world around her. Despite its short length, the film takes its time, and has a very dry sense of humor; I found it endlessly fascinating once I got into it, though. It's almost hypnotic - something greatly helped by Ravi Shankar's sitar music. The picture quality is excellent, unusual for British TV of this period. Director Jonathan Miller personally contributes an excellent commentary track, discussing the film's themes, his actors, and why he felt a darker "Alice" needed to be made. The disc is rounded out with a short picture gallery, and a real surprise: the first-ever "Alice" film, a 10-minute silent from 1903, with commentary. Really my only complaint is the lack of subtitles for the feature film; Alice's own dialogue is frequently whispered, and to the casual ear can be hard to decipher. Otherwise, this is a great film with an excellent DVD presentation that demonstrates quality over quantity. I recommend it very highly.
Rating: 
Summary: Curiouser and Curiouser...
Review: In Lewis Carroll's original work, Alice is a charming, witty and precocious 7-year old, engaging in sparkling point-counter-point exchanges with all manner of strange characters and situations as she wanders from one scene to another, not always predictably and not always to her liking or desire. This reviewer is unfamiliar with Victorian English society of the period, but surely these encounters are brilliantly realized satire, the animal characters selected to portray various characteristics of the nobility and commoners. So it should be no surprise that this low-budget (£32,000 and a 6-week shooting schedule) 72-minute BBC B&W production is done with all live actors, no animation, yet is faithful to the book. . Quoting from the enclosed folder, "...there was no script; Miller (the director) simply typed out the dialogue from Carroll's book each day and presented it to the cast on the set, and after a few rehearsals, they would do a take." Principal characters are portrayed in human form in Victorian period costume, making full utilization of the Tenniel illustrations where possible. For example, the white rabbit (Wilfred Brambell in an outstanding portrayal) is a fussily dressed, brisk-gaited English gentleman with pocket watch, top hat, braided uniform with tails, bow-tie, white gloves, and a white fan. Alice's dress and hair style is perfectly realized. Some of the key scenes are shortened. For example, the pool of tears leading to the caucus race (to dry off) was created by a giant Alice crying in frustration, not shown, so the sudden appearance of water is confusing. The recitation of Father Williams to the Caterpillar (an excellent Michael Redgrave) was regrettably truncated to only a verse or so. And when the Duchess throws Alice the squalling brat, it is not completely clear that the brat became a piglet only after she received it. Only someone thoroughly familiar with the original work would be able to fill in the blanks in such cases. Another aspect of this production is the use of voice-over whispered thoughts and recitations to convey various poems, conversations with the Cheshire Cat, or Alice speaking or musing in dream conversations where her lips don't move. One must strain very hard to pick up the gist of many of these whisperings (reviewing helps), which detracts from the viewing experience. Perhaps the audio recording equipment of that day wasn't up to the job. Or more likely the diction of the persons doing the voice-overs wasn't up to the task. Yet this reviewer finally realized on subsequent viewings and after being initially annoyed, that these whisperings are an innovative way of conveying in an efficient manner elements of the book not otherwise expressed. In retrospect and because of devices like this, a surprising amount of Carroll's original work survives. Among the best scenes are Peter Cook (superb!) as the Mad Hatter, and Leo McKern (absolutely fantastic as the Duchess!) with Avril Elgar (superb) as the Peppercook in the kitchen scene right out of the Tenniel drawings. Other characters include Michael Gough as the March Hare, Wilfred Lawson as the Dormouse, Peter Sellers as the King of Hearts, John Gielgud as the Mock Turtle, Malcolm Muggeridge as the Gryphon, John Bird as the frog footman (his performance gets progressively better with each viewing!), and a huge supporting cast of lesser players. Most characterizations are admirable, though the Queen of Hearts (Alison Leggatt, who does a pretty good job) was not quite the intimidating and threatening dominatrix this reviewer remembers. And the Cheshire Cat - alas - what a hokey disappointment! Why wasn't this crucial character portrayed by an actor just as all the other characters were? Yet all the brilliance of this cast is barely sufficient to rescue the production from its' major and near-fatal flaw. Regrettably the young actress playing Alice (Anne-Marie Mallik) was not up to this most difficult central role, and almost succeeds in sinking the entire production. This Alice is by turns a snotty, sullen, blasé, and detached (11-year-old) girl. The director never seems to get enough of having interminable full-face close-ups of her filling the entire screen or major portions thereof, whose visage is devoid of expression or reaction and during which, little if anything else happens to advance the rest of the story. (Meanwhile all this precious screen time goes down the tubes when it could have been used so profitably elsewhere! Aarrgggghhhh!) Lewis Carroll, whose whole focus revolved around Alice, must surely have turned over in his grave. This work was done for BBC. Using color video-tape was rejected by the director because he felt B&W camera work would better simulate a daguerreotype atmosphere characteristic of the Victorian period. (This writer's opinion is that having the Wonderland portions in color with a younger and better considered Alice, and a better Cheshire Cat, would have made this production a major classic.) Repeated viewings led this reviewer to have a progressively higher regard. Indeed, this is THE definitive version! The excellence of the satire; the cleverness of the word-play; the care the director lavished on effects and his dedication to the letter and spirit of the original work; and the highly concentrated information density (when one is not viewing Alice's complexion, that is) make this a mandatory experience for mature Lewis Carroll fans and the mature intellectually curious person. (Others need not apply.) The DVD is well packaged in a quality case, with an enclosed three-page folder giving an interesting history of the production. Production values of picture and sound are exactly as the director intended. An optional informative voice-over commentary track by the director is also provided, as are an (un-previewed) still scene gallery and a 1903 film production.
Rating:
Summary: BBC present wonderfully dark version of WONDERLAND
Review: This 1966 BBC-TV version of Lewis Carroll's classic story is, no doubt, one of the more strange and unusual versions of this tale that one is ever likely to see on film. Filmed in black and white, and given a Victorian Gothic look; director Jonathan Miller voted against the usual presentation of talking animals and flashy visuals. Instead, he presents a Wonderland firmly rooted in reality as seen through the distorted vision of a child's dream. Instead of a fuzzy White Rabbit hopping hurriedly to keep his appointment, we get a fussy, hyper, and wild-eyed Victorian gentleman in white top hat and coat with bristling mutton-chop sideburns and mustache. Also, some of Alice's dialogue is presented as a voice-over, as if we're reading her thoughts. Alice herself rarely looks anyone in the eye and the conversations are very fractured. Even her classic conversation with the Cheshire Cat leaves a sense of discomfort as we only see Alice, and not the Cat,during the scene. Indeed, this Wonderland is a dark and sinister place compared to the brightly colored versions of Disney and Hallmark. For the most part, the cast of this version reads like a Who's Who of British theatre and film. Peter Cook makes for a delightfully daft Mad Hatter, while Peter Sellers makes for a loopy King of Hearts. Sir John Gielgud is a dignified Mock Turtle, while Sir Michael Redgrave is a wonderfully pedantic Caterpillar. Anne-Marie Mallik is solid as a somewhat distant Alice. Leo McKern is definitely fun to watch as he cavorts in drag as the ugly Duchess. Ravi Shankar's score perfectly captures the mood of this dark and wonderful film. This DVD also has insightful commentary by the director, as well as an early 1906 silent film version of the story. Overall, this is an excellent film version that captures the darker elements of Carroll's classic tale and is definitely worth your while. However, this version might not appeal to youngsters who may be more inclined to the Disney or Hallmark versions.
Rating:
Summary: A VERY odd version of Alice in Wonderland
Review: If you are expecting a light cartoon version of Alice and Wonderland, you won't get it with this. This is one of the wierdest versions of the story I have seen yet. It is somewhere between a dream and a nightmare. The story flows like a dream where scenes jump from one spot to another in a sort of almost episodic flow. This version is also a satire of the British aristocracy and culture. This was made for the BBC as a Christmas special in 1966. The soundtrack is by Ravi Shankar. The cast is composed of some of the best known names of British comedy and theatre. Among the cast Peter Cook plays the Mad Hatter, Peter Sellers is the King of Hearts, But the real scene stealer is Leo McKern as the Duchess(!). All in all, this is a pretty dark version of the story. It is also one of the more "British". The British release also has an 8 minute silent version from 1903, director's comentary, production stills and cast bios. The American release may have more or less of these things.
Rating: 
Summary: Amazingly Appallingly Awful
Review: The worst version I've ever seen. The story is constantly modified to avoid special effects$$. The Alice actress was instructed to be deadpan throughout, which is just as well because I get the impression she can't act anyhow. About the only fun is spotting Eric Idle (future Python) as an extra a couple of times. Some of the changes seem amazing to me: at the
beginning the sisters go into the field alone - no rowboat with Dodgson and Duckworth.
Rating: 
Summary: I found this to be rather poor
Review: It seems I stand alone in not liking this version of Alice in Wonderland. Having read the book, I know what is happening, yet I feel people not exactly fimilar with the story (Disney's version isnt good enough)would find it dry and lacking in a good solid story persay. Things are very quickly jumped into, and hardly any lines on the part of Alice. She is compleltly out of it and stares blankly off into space most of the time. Over all I found this version of Alice lacking and dull.
Rating:
Summary: Most bizarre Alice I've seen
Review: My brother and I have been searching for a black and white version of Alice in Wonderland/Through the Looking Glass that we saw on television as children in the 70's and was hoping this might be it. Alas, it was not.
Instead, what I found was probably the most bizarre version of Alice in Wonderland that I have seen to date. In fact, it starts out as downright creepy in the beginning. And, quite honestly, if you had never read the book or seen other truer-to-the-book versions of Alice in Wonderland, you would have a difficult time understanding what is going on. There are not really any fluid segways between the scenes.
Granted, while the scenery is quite enchanting at times, it can be difficult to feel like you are in Wonderland when none of the magical characters are in costume. I know that the director did this so that you could see who the famous British actor was without he/she being covered up in elaborate make-up. However, to me, using this direction method made it seem more like Alice had wandered onto the grounds of an insane asylum rather than into the fantastic world of Wonderland. I mean, that whole scene with the Caucus Race -- what in the world was going on there?!
And maybe Alice was really in a mental institution, because most of the time, Alice appears as if she is on some type of medication as she just stares off in the distance with a blank look on her face not really focusing on anyone yet perfectly engaged in the conversation.
Overall, my recommendation is this: If you are a huge Alice in Wonderland fan and enjoy seeing different versions of the story put on film, then you will probably want to add this DVD to your collection. Otherwise, skip it.
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