The Evelyn Waugh Collection (A Handful of Dust / Scoop)

Have enjoyed both tapes but they are just a bit different. May not be everyone's taste.

Another disappointing Kristen Scott Thomas movie. She is too magnificent for such dribble

Perfect escape...just a great set of movies when you want to just sit and enjoy.

Very good service and great movie, five stars !!!

There were only two movies in this collection and both were boring.

Item as described.

Just great!

Brideshead Revisited, Evelyn Waugh's best known book, follows this set of DVDs from Mr. Waugh's other books delightfully done into film. "Scoop" is a marvelous comedy in the true British humor style, jolly good, bloody good cheer, frightfully jovial, & spot on. "A Handful of Dust" balances this paired genius of Waugh, by presenting a dark 1930's period romance drama. Top British stars permeate the casts of these stories creating an upper-4 to 5-star rating for each 2-hr DVD. Exceptional film achievement at turning classic books to entertaining films."SCOOP" is an unusual comic story from Waugh. Wm Boot, (Michael Maloney--"Bonekickers" "Painted Lady"; see my reviews) is a nature columnist who writes "Lush Places" for "The Daily Beast" of London. He is mistakenly sent to Jacksonburg, capitol of Ismaelia, Africa, by the paper chief, Lord Copper (Donald Pleasence--"Centennial" "Halloween") to cover Ismaelia's civil war. Mr. Salter (Denholm Elliott--"A Child's Christmas in Wales")the newspaper's foreign editor is Boot's London contact. Boot's Uncle Theodore Boot (Michael Hordern) is just one of Boot's quirky country family members who get involved in this farce. In Ismaelia, Boot meets lovely blond Garbo-like Katchen (Renee Soutendijk) who's alluring but beguiling.Scoop is from Waugh's 1938 novel, bonus includes a Waugh bio, filmographies of top cast members, and SUBTITLES."A HANDFUL OF DUST" a 1930s period drama (Waugh book released in 1934) stars Kristen Scott Thomas as Lady Brenda Last and her husband Tony (James Wilby) who are at work on refurbishing the family home, Hetton, to Brenda's boredom. She takes a flat in London for entertainment, which includes a gentleman friend, John Beaver (Rupert Graves--"Forsyte Saga"). It is a satire of the British idle rich, including the frivolity of Brenda accepting the not-rich-enough suitor in Beaver, aided by his mother, Mrs. Beaver (Judi Dench--"Cranford" "As Time Goes By") who is also Brenda's London landlady, not by chance. In the midst of the affair, son John Andrew Last is accidentally killed (the dark part). Brenda leave the estate for lover John (the romantic bit). Tony refuses divorce terms and begins a tour in Brazil (another dark drama bit). The ending will be left to your viewing, and the written mastery of Evelyn Waugh. Other stars include Angelica Huston and Alec Guinness.A Handful of Dust, DVD, includes Waugh's bio, stories main cast filmographies, and the ever-helpful SUBTITLES.No attempt is made in this review to compare book and film versions. Films can NEVER present all that is in a book unless done as a long series such as Brideshead Revisited. By the way, I recommend the much longer British TV version [Brideshead Revisited (25th Anniversary Collector's Edition)], over the shorter, newer theatrical presentation.Now that I've enjoyed Evelyn Waugh books adapted 3 times (those listed above) I shall have to order another already available, which was promoted on this listing's "Evelyn Waugh Collection." He (yes, true, Evelyn is a man) also wrote, "Sword of Honor", a rewriting of three earlier WWII books done into one volume, which was adapted to film under the same title. Can't wait, the previews look enticing, if you like period war stories. I do! Can't wait!..