Isabella Rossellini

"I saw this movie again (after 16 years) with my Russian girl friend. Amazing that only a very few actually could speak Russian. Several so called Russians in this movie had such a bad foreign accent that she could hardly understand anything what they were saying... I guess back in those days in the cold war (1985) it was hard finding really good Russian actors. In any case, I have always liked the tension in this movie, the struggle to be free and the dancing as a way to demonstrate all the forbidden thoughts and feelings. Baryshnikov and Hines were great dancing partners. Actually, just the dancing alone is worth watching this movie. As a curiosity, I can add that the end scene (will not go into details here) seems to have been more or less copied in the latest James Bond movie."

"If you enjoyed Amadeus and Farinelli then surely you'll enjoy Immortal Beloved. The movie is brilliantly acted and directed. The cinematography is simply awesome on Blu-ray. The movie boasts an all-star cast and how do they deliver. If you enjoy period movies and stories in the tradition of the aforementioned Immortal Beloved is a great addition to the video library."

"This film is a complete disaster. What a waste of time expecting something grand like a big screen event after watching the eye-popping trailer on NBC. Merlin, as it turns out, is nothing more than a below average TV movie. Never in my entire life have I ever witnessed a more horrible miniseries. The film's title is a misnomer, as the depiction of Merlin here is about as accurate as that of the Police Academy movies on life in the NYPD. For the producers to put out sloppy dreck like this is totally unforgivable."

"I remember seeing this at the theatre so many years ago and even as a kid, I knew I loved it. I have always loved dance and so this back then was a main draw for me. But now as an adult, I can really truly appreciate the talent of Mikhail Baryshnikov ('Koyla') and Gregory Hines (Raymond). These guys are/were legends. As a kid, I didn't understand/care for the political side of the movie (why they wanted to get out of Russia), but I get it now and it makes the story so much more than about dance only. It is such a great film, that while dated now, is still very enjoyable and great to re-watch again and show to younger people as well to see these genius' dance together. I can't wait to throw away my VHS copy and replace it by this long awaited DVD edition."