Reviews

I happened to order online a DVD version of The Taming of the Shrew. When I received the packet the day before yesterday, I found out that it was not the film directed by Franco Zeffirelli that I originally wanted, but some stage production by whoever... I was disappointed that I had made such a silly mistake with ordering something else than I wanted. However, only after a minute or two of watching the performance, I was not entirely sure if it was really a mistake, and when Petruchio stepped on the scene, I suddenly realised that this was actually the luckiest choice of DVD I have ever made. Petruchio and Kate are both so lively and wilful. (I do not want to say that the other actors did not do their best - they are ALL wonderful, but Petruchio and Kate are my favourite characters.) When Kate is weary and sad, Fredi Olster has tears in her eyes... The whole cast are playing for the audience, not for the stage, and they do not miss a chance to communicate with the people. It must have been an exceptional and unforgettable experience to see this performance live. For me, it was exceptional even on the screen, and I am sure I will not forget it - I have already seen it twice...

In 1993, when I was a little girl, my father brought this game home. In those times I did not understand English very well (actually, I did not know more than a few words and a couple of phrases...), so I did not know what was going on there. But I loved Simon anyway. It was colourful, hand-drawn, the wizard moved in a funny way and it had this fairy-tale atmosphere. Even though I was not able to play this game without the help of the directions in a computer magazine (remember - English is not my mother tongue), I loved to walk around exploring various locations - the village, the forest, even the swamp... Now, 13 years later, I can appreciate other aspects than the graphical design. This game is a great fun to play. You will find yourselves walking around talking to other characters just for the sake of talking. Various half-hidden hints will make you ask other characters more questions than you actually need to get to the end (you will end up asking each character ALL of the possible questions, as far as I can judge from my own experience), and it is worth the time. If you do not insist on 3D action and film-like rendering of the characters in the games you play, I can only recommend Simon the Sorcerer. And its sequel, Simon the Sorcerer II, as well!

By the way, did you know that a reference to this computer game was used by a Czech translator in his translation of one of the books by Terry Pratchett? Obviously, I was not the only one in this country who loved Simon...