Anne of the Thousand Days / Mary, Queen of Scots (2-DVD) PG-13

ANNE OF THE THOUSAND DAYS: This lavish costume drama with rich performances to match tells of King Henry VIII's infatuation with eighteen-year-old Anne Boleyn. For her hand, the king defied the Vatican, destroyed a ruling caste, and established the church of England in order to obtain a divorce from his wife. Burton is appropriately swaggering and Bujold more than worthy of her king's notice. Academy Award Nominations: 10, including Best Picture, Best Actress--Genevieve Bujold, Best Actor--Richard Burton, Best (Adapted) Screenplay. Academy Awards: Best Costume Design.

MARY, QUEEN OF SCOTS: Political intrigue, strong women, weak men, and countless conspiracies fuel this beautifully staged--though not completely accurate--historical drama about the life of "Fiery" Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots (Vanessa Redgrave). In the wake of the Protestant Reformation, Mary Stuart becomes enmeshed in a labyrinthine power struggle to determine the fate of the British throne. Heads roll and dynasties crumble when Mary, her unctuous husband Lord Darnley (Timothy Dalton), her jealous half-brother James Stuart (McGoohan), Scotland's rebellious nobility, the Church of England, the Pope, and England's "Virgin Queen" Elizabeth I (Glenda Jackson) all vie for control of the crown.