Reviews (436)

I love my kitty Cats!
I first saw Cats at my friends house, and I fell in love with it. I still do love it-- I watch it every single day, at least five times! It is the best musical in the entire world. The cast is absolutely SPECTACULAR!!!! Some of my favorites are Aeva May as Demeter, Rosemarie Ford as Bombalurina, Jo Gibb as Rumpleteazer, Leah Sue Morland as Electra, Jo Bingham as Etcetera, Veerle Castelyn as Jemima, Phyllida Crowley Smith as Victoria, Michael Gruber as Munkustrap, Jason Gardiner as Alonzo, Karl Morgan as Pouncival, Drew Varley as Mungojerrie, and, of course, John Partridge as Rum Tum Tugger!!! The twins rule too-- go Tommi and Kaye!!! Anyway....if anybody nice out there has any information about my beloved Cats, whether I listed them above or not, I would REALLY appreciate it if you sent it to me. By the way, did you guys notice that Elaine Paige wrote a little note on this review board?! That is so awesome! If any of you other cast members are out there reading this, I LOVE YOU!!! I would recommend this video to EVERYONE, but young children may require a little parental discretion, since there are a few, um, PG-13 moments. But otherwise, everything about this video is terrific. Gillian Lynne, Andrew Lloyd Webber, and T. S. Eliot are all geniuses beyond their time. This video is well worth the price, and it is a timeless treasure to be enjoyed over and over!!! I'm a jellicle cat--are you?

Excellent
"Mungojerrie and Rumpletezzer have a very strange way of working together and some of time you would say it was luck! and some of the time you would say it was weather"

"Macavity , Macavity theres not one like Macavity there never was a cat of such deceitfullness and suavity he always has an alabi or one or two to spare at what ever time the dead took place Macavity wasnt there"

These are only two of the great songs in the show! it is really really good; great songs, funny, good acting, good dancin!
all around excellent!

Perfect! Excellent! What else can I say...
I love ALW musicals of that includes JCS and many more. My favortie action/fantasy film is Lord Of The Rings, my favortie comedy would go to 13 Going On 30, my favortie romance is Alex & Emma, and my favortie horror-musical is Little Shop Of Horrors. But, my favortie musical would have to be "CATS." Here is the story of how I came to love it: We got this tape in '98 and for 4 yrs. I let it pass me by. It was sometime after my 13th birthday (oh...I'm 14 now!) and I found this sudden urge to watch it. I was a little scared of Macavity, I mean who isn't? But after watching it a few times, I became use to him and fell in love with the musical. Now today, me and my twin watch it all the time. My favortie characters are listed below and the reasons why.
FAVORTIE CHARACTERS
TOMS
_____
1. Rum Tum Tugger- Uh, hello? He's H-O-T, and I love his H-I-P_'-S.!
2. Mungojerrie- Hard to tell why I love this character, is it the way he jolts his tongue out? Or the way he smiles? Or maybe it's the fact that he is brave? Wait, it's all of that! I think it's sweet when he looks at Munkustrap after getting knocked down and then he turns to Macavity and hisses! Awww...He loves Munku. Speaking of which...
3. Munkustrap- He is another hot tom! I think him, Mungo & RTT are the hottest. Not to mention, I love the way he sings!
4. Pouncival- He is so cute! Adorable! And so precious!
5. Alonzo- He is Munkustrap's best friend, I think they might be brothers...Anyhoo, he probably has broken the flirting record, but who cares? I love this tom!
QUEENS
______
1. Demeter- She is everyone's favortie! Of that includes mine, she is so sexy!
2. Jemima- The prettiest kitten out of the tribe, and by- God the sweetest!
3. Rumpleteazer- Brother of Mungo, and so pretty. She has this cute little giggle..which is fun to hear in the video!
4. Electra- THE CUTEST KITTEN IN THE WHOLE TRIBE!!!!!
5. Victoria- She's the lucky one...Did you see who her mate was during TJB?
Well, this sums up my review! I love this musical! I LOVE the characters! And I ADORE the music in it! See this movie, you won't be sorry.
P.S I hate Cassandra!!!

Kids will love it!
I bought this DVD for my 7 year olds birthday, guessing that both she and her 8 year old sister would love it. I can tell you that I wasn't wrong. One week later they are still loving it, in fact they seem to get more out of it each time they watch it. The songs and dance routines are suberb, it's a lot better than I think I imagined it would be.

I'm no great Andrew Lloyd Webber fan, but that's not really the point. I don't think that you need to be to recognise when something is well done. And whilst it may help? to have seen the stage show before, it's clearly not essential to enjoy the DVD. Sometimes it can be the opposite, as people may feel a film version does not live up to their expectations/memories of the live show.

If you are considering buying this then please do, and for goodness sake, do not worry AT ALL about this being unsuitable for children. Some previous reviews commenting on it's unsuitablity for children are way off the mark. I can only imagine they live in households where table cloths are required to reach to the floor, lest young ladies in the house are offended by the sight of the table legs! Unreal...

Lovin the music!
hey musical-lovers,
Im actually yet to see the musical in all its wonders but am currently using one of the songs for a school project and am loving the music! Not to sure how I'd like the real thing but if the mystical tunes are anything to go by, you've got yourself a good source of entertainment. An amateur production of it was put on at my dance school a while ago and it was very impressive without the expenses so if you consider this a reliable source, I'd recommend you and even myself to get out there and see what 'Cats' is all about. Just venting my views. . . but feel free to protest! ... Read more

Amazon.com

Nunsense
The Little Sisters of Hoboken, residents of Mt. St. Helens Convent and teachersat the school, have a problem. It seems Sister Julia (Child of God) hasaccidentally killed off 52 sisters with a botulism-laced vichyssoise. But evenworse, the remaining nuns only had enough cash to bury 48 of the dearlydeparted; the other four are in the freezer. Nunsense is a benefitconcert staged by the Little Sisters to raise money for a proper burial (beforethe health inspector comes).

Mother Superior Mary Regina (Rue McClanahan) is determined to put on a good showand raise some money with the help of her faithful followers Sister Robert Anne(Christine Anderson), Sister Mary Amnesia (Semina De Laurentis), Sister Mary Leo(Christine Toy), and Sister Mary Hubert (Terri White). McClanahan knows how towork a live audience and keeps them laughing. Though she's not a singer, sheadmirably talks her way through DanGoggin's songs. The other sisters have terrific voices; while most of thesongs are chorus style, each does get a chance to shine. Streetwise SisterRobert Anne's number "I Just Want to Be a Star" is particularly good, and amedley by the "St. Andrews Sisters" exemplifies the sisters' lovely and strongharmony.

Nunsense, filmed off-Broadway in 1993, is good, clean fun filled withenthusiastic performers and well-done songs. The choreography, however, israther unimaginative. You don't need to have attended Catholic school to enjoyNunsense. There are a few pokes at the Catholic religion, but Nunsense is mainlya gentle send-up of the convent way of life, told through the lens of a zany musical comedy. --Dana Van Nest

Nunsense 2
After their hit benefit concert Nunsense, the Little Sisters of Hobokenhave caught the "theater flea," as Mother Superior Regina calls it. Just sixweeks later, they're back with Nunsense 2: The Sequel as a "thank you"performance. And this time the sisters are really giving it all they've got, asthey've heard there's a talent scout in the audience!

Nunsense 2: The Sequel has more of the same gentle humor (and Dan Gogginsongs) that made the original a hit and once again gives each nun a chance toshow her stuff. Sister Mary Leo is more determined than ever to be the firstBallerina Nun and Sister Mary Paul (AKA Amnesia) gets another chance to show hercountry-music chops. Though Sister Robert Anne (Christine Anderson) is stillMother Superior's understudy, this time she has several solo numbers. "Remembering Annie Greene," the story of a woman trying to meld her former selfwith life as a nun, is a beautiful and poignant song. After the rollicking "AConvent Song," Mary Paul (Semina De Laurentis) sings a heart-stirring goodbyewhen the Franciscans come to claim her (but luckily, it turns out theFranciscans are a sham and she gets to stay). Rue McClanahan as Mother Superiorgets a solo this time and sings/talks her way through it admirably.

If you liked Nunsense, you'll like Nunsense 2: The Sequel, filmedon tour in 1994. But don't expect anything new--the sequel repeats the structureof the first performance almost exactly--right down to the slightly naughtydouble entendres (nuns shouldn't say that!) and Catholic humor. --Dana VanNest ... Read more

Reviews (5)

ONE WORD!
There is only one word need to sum the whole thing up. PRICELESS!!!

Nunsense/Nunsense2
excellent video. absolutely hilarious, especially if you are
Catholic or ever went to Catholic school. Rue Mcclanahan is
an outrageous Mother Superior. I would highly reccommend this
to anyone.

A Disappointing Knock-Off
Having watched and loved Nunsense, I was prepared to enjoy Nunsense 2. Although there is a ton of talent onstage, the total effect is lightweight. I kept waiting for this video to get to the good part, but that never happened. I wish it had.

Wonderful, lots of fun!
I was lucky enough to see most of the cast in the video during a live performance in San Francisco. The video more than does justice to the live performance.

The plot is amusing, the music is simple yet fun, and the cast is wonderful in their portrayal of a group of "nuns on a mission." Particularly impressive is Semina De Laurentis, who plays Sister Mary Amnesia (she lost her memory when a crucifix fell on her head!) -- it's not enough that she has to sing (a wonderful soprano, by the way) and dance like the others, but her character also has to do a ventriloquist act. I won't give away the details, but it's a show-stopper!

I've seen theater presentations several times, and I've never been where I haven't seen at least a few sisters wearing habits in the audience, and laughing [maybe harder] along with everyone else. Once I went to a local performance wearing my clerical collar (I'm an Old Catholic bishop), and the cast pulled me up on stage during intermission to shoot baskets with "Father Mike," the sound man (also dressed in clerical collar)!

A fun, talented group of actors, and it shows in their performances. Highly recommended, and especially to anyone who ever went to Catholic school!

Hilarious!!! Gotta love these Sisters!
If you enjoyed the "Sister Act" movies, you will probably like this play. A group of goofy nuns find themselves in dire need of money to bury the last few nuns that died from eating some bad soup. Gathering the best of who is left, they are attempting to put on a variety show in the auditorium. Power struggles and a nun with amnesia complicate matters, making this quite an adventure! There are a few minor inuendos and a stray swear word or two, but in all, this is a play that most of the family will enjoy-Especially if you have personal experience with nuns and/or catholic school. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Fans of classic movie musicals will be in heaven with two five-video sets of the films of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, the quintessential dancing duo. In this second set, the pair is no longer restricted to frothy comedy revolving around mistaken identities; they occasionally explore deeper emotional threads with a bit of heartbreak. The first film is one many consider their most enjoyable, Swing Time, a dashing combination of great music, dance, and comedy. Favorite musical moments include the spectacular dance-studio number "Pick Yourself Up," the farewell ode "Never Gonna Dance," and the Oscar-winning "Just the Way You Look Tonight," from the team of Jerome Kern and Dorothy Fields. Shall We Dance features brilliant songs by George and Ira Gershwin ("They Can't Take That Away from Me," "Let's Call the Whole Thing Off" performed on roller skates) and a complex plot that has Fred and Ginger actually getting married before the final credits roll. The eighth and ninth entries in the series tried some different approaches, with Carefree more of a comedy vehicle for Ginger (yet still including some fine dances and Irving Berlin songs as well as their first onscreen kiss) and The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle portraying the pair as historical dancing stars and using a score of turn-of-the-century standards. This set also includes their 10th film, their 1949 reunion at MGM 10 years after their final film at RKO. While The Barkleys of Broadway falls short of their best work, it's a fond remembrance of the most glorious partnership in film history. --David Horiuchi ... Read more

Reviews (4)

when hollywood actually had a sense of style
there are plenty of negative things to say about the hollywood of old.
oh, like hollywood's inexcusable treatrment of artists like erich von stroheim, orson welles, val lewton, buster keaton, or edgar g ulmer. and we can mention a few powerful villians like irving thalberg or jack warner.
however, hollywood of the 20s and thirties had as definite a sense of style as the european films did, albeit a much different style.
this collection of the astaire rodgers films is a perfect example and a desert island collection.
watching these films today goes a long way to showing that hollywood really isnt the worlds leader in providing either artistic film or even etertaining movies.
there isnt much to add about the movies themselves, other than to say if youre looking for todays trend towards hyper realism or an abundance of plot, turn elsewhere.
this is magic pure and simple with the greatest dancing team in film history.
todays current crop of actors are bland in comparison.

Video masterpiece
If you are an Astaire and Rogers fan you must buy this collection! I have both volume 1 and 2 and now can watch them over and over instead of channel surfing hoping for a festival on Turner Classics. Definately lifts your spirits in these simple boy meets girl movie era. Their dancing is innovative and flawless even for this day and age. My 17 year old daughter gets a kick out of watching these as well. Good family fun!

All The Magic of Fred and Ginger in One Box
This set of movies shows the magic and excitement in Fred Astaire's and Ginger Rogers' dancing careers together. The best of it is The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle, this truly shows their talent. They made great movies together and this is something everyone should own.

A Fine Romance
This boxed set represents the second half of the Astaire/Rogers series, and in these five films the two stars have shed their early gauchness and uncertainty and become a real team capable of anything from high comedy to moments of tragedy. The set begins with what many (including Ginger) have regarded as their best film, "Swing Time," featuring exhilirating dances and maybe the best score in musical history. "Carefree" and "The Castles" are attempts to change the formula of the series that both have lovely moments. "Shall We Dance," the weakest movie here, still has stunning art deco sets and a classic Gershwin score. "The Barkleys of Broadway," the final film (a reunion at MGM) has a witty script, gorgeous color, and Rogers returning to musicals in brilliant form. And if you want to know how this professional partnership actually ended, there's this nice little postscript: 20 years after "The Barkleys," the two stars danced onto the stage of the Oscar ceremony and received an ovation so overwhelming they forgot to stop holding hands while they presented the awards. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Three of Frank Sinatra's best musicals are bundled together in one boxed set. Anchors Aweigh teams Sinatra with Gene Kelly in a musical about sailors on leave who get into all kinds of adventures (including Kelly dancing with Jerry the mouse of Tom & Jerry fame). On the Town is a variation on the same theme, but a much better movie; again, Sinatra and Kelly are teamed as sailors on leave (with Jules Munshin) for a day in New York. This time, however, they have music and lyrics by Leonard Bernstein, Betty Comden, and Adolph Green, New York locations, and direction by Kelly and Stanley Donen. High Society is theCole Porter musical based on The Philadelphia Story that teams Sinatra with Grace Kelly and Bing Crosby; one of the greats. --Marshall Fine ... Read more

Amazon.com

This lavish set contains film versions of the five major works by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II, who helped define the American musical landscape and rewrite the direction of musical theater. After enjoying extremely successful careers working with others, Rodgers and Hammerstein first teamed up in 1943 for the prairie tale Oklahoma!, with songs including "Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin'" and "People Will Say We're in Love." The subsequent 1955 film starred Gordon MacRae and Shirley Jones, who teamed up again for 1956's Carousel. While that film's dark nature made it less popular than its predecessor, the score ("If I Loved You," "You'll Never Walk Alone") was Rodgers's favorite. The King and I (also 1956) featured stage star Yul Brynner as the King of Siam and Deborah Kerr as schoolteacher Anna Leonowens, who must learn Asian customs even as she tries to instill some of her Western ones. The somewhat bloated version of South Pacific (1958) follows two couples during World War II and features standards such as "Some Enchanted Evening" and "I'm Gonna Wash That Man Right Outta My Hair" from stars Mitzi Gaynor and Rossano Brazzi. The last film, The Sound of Music (1965), proved to be the most popular, with Julie Andrews winning the hearts of seven children and their father with her blissful songs. And if the perhaps saccharine music and plot may test the patience of some, there's no doubt that songs such as "My Favorite Things" and "Climb Ev'ry Mountain" have charmed audiences around the world for decades.

Accompanying the Big 5 in this set is the relatively minor State Fair from 1945 (though it does have "It Might as Well Be Spring" and "It's a Grand Night for Singing"). Some may prefer other entries in the R&H canon such as Flower Drum Song or the television production Cinderella, but State Fair was included because it was one of the five films (not including Sound of Music) released in 1999 in sumptuous remasterings that allow their scores and locales to truly shine. The remasterings ensure good sound and picture quality throughout this historic collection. --David Horiuchi ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Great to share with your kids
I received this set of movie musicals as a gift last year and I have really enjoyed sharing these classic movie musicals with my kids. We've also purchased the sound track for The Sound of Music and at once point we rounded up theater tickets to a live performance of The Sound of Music -- something the kids really enjoyed. So don't assume that these classic movie musicals aren't going to have any appeal for today's generation of kids. They've certainly been a hit with mine.

Classic Musicals
Growing up in the 50s and 60s Rogers and Hammerstein musicals were the highlight of a trip to the theatre or the movies. Now they still provide great music and, even if the style of the drama seems a little outdated, a wonderful glimpse of the simpler genre that we had then. It seems that recent musicals such as Moulin Rouge and Chigago have taken many of the best features of the old R & H musicals and given them a new high-tech flair. It will be interesting to see if these modern productions are still as loved in forty or fifty years.
This boxed set gives a good balance of the R & H musicals and shows the creativity and flexibility that this duo added to theatre in their day.
Students of modern music and drama could do well to have these assigned as compulsory viewing.

Bravo for Rogers and Hammerstein!
The wonders of Rogers and Hammerstein are displayed beautifully in this DVD set. Sound quality and picture quality are excellent; I've even got my two young sons interested in musicals. I had seen all of the movies before except for Carousel, so I was very pleased with "Oklahoma!", "Sound of Music", "South Pacific" and "The King and I"; but my family and I didn't enjoy "Carousel" as much as we had hoped. While I read that it was Rogers' favorite, I found it dull and tedious. The songs were much too long, and the story moves on quite slowly. At a backwards glance, I may have saved money by purchasing the movies I liked separately.

Greatest Musical Collection of Movies, Poorest Presentation
This review is about the DVD presentation only. The movies are ALL CLASSICS and worth the price of admission. But I must caution the investor of the this Box Set.

THE GOOD NEWS: These are the greatest Rodgers & Hammerstien II musicals now in a Box set. They have all been digitally remastered both picture & sound. The colors, picture quality excellent and the sound crystal clear. THE BAD NEWS: All this work but "State Fair" is lost in the WideScreen aspect ratio presentation.

Qualifying Statement: I am a Home Theatre, HDTV - 55" x 16:9 WidesScreen, Progressive Scan DVD, Dolby Prologic Sound System owner. I have over 400 DVD movies ,mostly remastered, WideScreen (preserved in the original theatrical aspect ratio), Anamorphic or enhanced for 16:9 TV's.

NOTE: Full Screen - 4:3 (1:33 to 1 ratio) made for TV or film before 1953. WideScreen - 4:3 letterbox (horizontal top & bottom black bars adjusted for any aspect ratio 165/185/225 to 1 etc. It is still letterbox) are movies made after 1953. (to compete with the popularity of Television) ANAMORPHIC WIDESCREEN IS THE ONLY TRUE HDTV 16:9 PRESENTATION. This format automatically adjusts to the Television being used. To get the High Definition picture the DVD MUST BE ANAMORPHIC & ENHANCED FOR 16:9 TELEVISIONS!!!!!!

Now in SUMMARY: STATE FAIR Full Screen Technicolor is the best presentation and the movie. Oklahoma, Carousal, The King & I and South Pacific are WideScreen (4:3 Letterbox - small picture horizontal & vertical black bars) great color, music but small picture very disappointing. Finally the Sound of Music was adjusted to an Anamorphic WideScreen but was not enhanced for the HDTV 16:9 format. The results is a very grainy picture.

Bottomline - Now that the Home Theatre environment is becoming more common it is time to sort the GOOD from the BAD DVD's. This is only from a dedicated videophile of old classic movies who enjoys the total viewing & listening Home Theatre experience. The movies themselves are the main ingredient but unfortunately Film Studios don't always give us what we think we are getting. (Quality vs Quantity) Another words they are already re-releasing DVD movies with these mentioned enhancements & special features for WideScreen TV's etc SO WE NEED TO BUY RIGHT THE FIRST TIME & not repeat buying on the same movie as we upgrade our Televisions & Home Theatres. REMEMBER - ANAMORPHIC WIDESCREEN & ENHANCED FOR 16:9 TELEVISIONS adjusts automatically to any size aspect ratio television!!!!! ENJOY.

It's Some Enchanted Evening
The collaboration of Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein 2nd was for the 20th century what the genius of William Shakespeare was in the Bard's time. As the two songwriters moved from other collaborators to create what became "Oklahoma!" they took theater to a new height, by turning the musical play into the most effective, persuasive form of entertainment conceivable. (That is until the death of Hammerstein, and the inability of today's craftsmen of musicals to really understand the revolutionary nature of Rodgers and Hammerstein, the evolution of song styles, and the inability of the musical of today to associate itself with the popular music of our time.) These are the film versions of their major plays, and the 1945 version of "State Fair." For the most part, these are very good adaptations of the stage works, finally presented in their widescreen format so the viewer can see what it was that awed the audience of the 1950s. "Oklahoma!" is the Todd-AO version which, until now, had never been presented outside its initial 1955 theatrical release in specially-equipped theaters. "South Pacific," which like "Oklahoma!" Rodgers and Hammerstein produced themselves, finally gives the viewer the spectacular view of the Hawaiian scenery that supports the film. And, perhaps because it is widescreen (or perhaps because the 2001 remake stunk so bad), the film really seems finally to work for the home viewer, colored filters and all. In fact, the widescreen ratio of the film seems to make the colored filters of "South Pacific" less jarring. Some of the DVD's in this collection contain the original theatrical trailers, while others do not. "The Sound of Music" is a two-disc set which has more than enough supplemental material to please anyone. The problem is, "The Sound of Music," with all its niceness, has given Rodgers and Hammerstein a bad rap. All of their major works deal with political strife, murder,racism, war, death, or culture clashes. When Hammerstein's book and lyrics are coupled with Rodgers' music, they're able to present the most-effective indictments of whatever cause they're taking on. Rodgers and Hammerstein is not all bright copper kettles. The plays are about the dark side of humanity, and about that dark side eventually losing because of the basic human spirit. Characters in these plays and films are transformed much the way Prince Hal is transformed into King Henry. Any student of drama, music, literature, theater, or political science would be well-advised to study these films, learn from them, and then master their craft. ... Read more

Reviews (72)

An Absolutely Brilliant Adaptation Of Potter's Screenplay!
I'm hesitant to call this a musical, though that's precisely what it is. Dennis Potter wrote several musicals over the years, using different eras of music. This one is, by far, the best! The music here is from the 1940s. The drama, however, is actually a contemporary one. A (failed?) mystery writer named Philip Marlowe is hospitalized with a severe case of psoriasis...more corrrectly, psoriatic arthropathy (which Potter also suffered from). He has this one great novel in his past, though..."The Singing Detective." Marlowe's illness is terribly severe, and throughout the film we join his delirium as he relives events from his childhood, falls into a fascinating fantasy based on his novel, and comes back (from time to time) to the events currently happening in the hospital. These three streams are brilliantly intertwined, and the resulting story is absolutely THE BEST THING *EVER* TO HIT TELEVISION! This is *not* hype or exaggeration! The other reviewers are completely correct in making this same claim. If you've never seen this one...well, it's your loss....

Dennis Potter died a few years ago from pancreatic cancer. He was simply a GREAT writer. He wrote *many* screenplays...dramas for both TV and film, as well as the "musicals" noted above. He also wrote novels. His best, I think, are brilliantly detailed studies of a mind either gradually breaking down, or gradually coming back from some kind of breakdown. "The Singing Detective" falls into the latter category. That alone would be enough to recommend this video...but the fact that it's *also* a "musical" is what makes it utterly remarkable! I honestly don't think I have the words to be able to say just how it transcends to the level of something almost divinely inspired. At the risk of saying it one too many times, folks, this one is TRULY GREAT!

If you're able to find it, there's an interview with Dennis Potter that was originally broadcast on the Bravo channel shortly before his death. He was quite sick at the time, and he took occasional sips from his flask of pain medication during the interview. He talks some therein of "The Singing Detective." Yes, Marlowe shares the diagnosis of psoriatic arthropathy...but, he's an entirely different personality than Potter himself. Based on truth...expanding into the realm of the literary. It's an interesting insight into the brilliance of Potter as a writer.

Meanwhile, "The Singing Detective" is something you really *must* see! *VERY* HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!

Heartrending - compelling - brilliant - THE BEST EVER
For some years, I've been bending my friends' ears about "The Singing Detective". I entirely concur with those other reviewers who called it the greatest television production of all time. Potter used everything he had, most notably the long running time of the series, to create a one-of-a-kind masterwork that may never be topped. I've visited London many times since first seeing TSD, and every time I'm in the Tube, I find myself looking towards the tunnel entrance and hearing, "PHILLLLLLIIPPPP!!!" Aside from that, Michael Gambon may have many years of brilliant performances left in him, but this will be his monument. Robert Downey Jr., indeed. It is to laugh.

Release this film on DVD now! Are you listening, BBC Films? Give it to Criterion and let them do the job they do best - give us a "Singing Detective" set on DVD with a ton of extra material on Dennis Potter, too!

If you haven't seen this, drop what you're doing and order it. You definitely won't regret it.

Unbelievably good.
Marred only by it's curiously rushed ending. You need to stick with this because the story and its complexity grows slowly through the first few episodes. What it becomes is a complicated psychological thriller intertwined with hallucinations, a detective story and the goings on of the hospital ward denizens around our protagonist. Philip Marlow is revealed as a highly sensitive shell-shocked man residing within the physical body of an angry severe psoriasis patient. His return to humanity is the story that is detailed. This is a film for adults in the best sense of the word, exploring the complexities of what it means to have the accumulated experiences and wisdom that only come with time.
Excellent. Highly recommended.

Well Deserved Praise - A Masterpiece
Like all great masterpieces of television and film, "The Singing Detective" is not simple, one-dimensional, or thin-plotted. It is vastly complicated and often strange with it's several interwoven stories that reach monumental heights of suspense and intrigue. I say this because I have read too many reviews from people who stopped watching after the first or second episodes.

For my part, I barely understood anything at all until nearly half way through the series when all the pieces started coming together. As you get further along more is revealed to you, and thus the more rewarding each episode becomes. It is sad that American movies and television have sapped not only the intellectual substance right out of it's audience, but apparently the patience as well. Of course it is strange and confusing...it is a detective story! You aren't supposed to understand everything from the first frame.

So, for anyone who can sit still for more than twenty minutes without computer generated monkeys attacking exploding trucks or whatever makes it's way to the theatres these days, I strongly recommend spending a few days immersed in this fascinating mini-series.

Potter and Lynch?
I often see Dennis Potter's work compared to David Lynch's, so I'll weigh in: Dennis Potter was the artist that David Lynch wants to be when he grows up. Potter knew how to bring bizarre and even grotesque elements into the service of his story in a way that Lynch tried to do in "Twin Peaks," with uneven results. In Potter's work, every jarring image and odd tangent has a job to do. When you see, for example, an entire hospital ward break into a minstrel version of "Dem Bones," you can assume it reflects the protagonist's view of the British health care system. (Plus, it's hilarious.) If Lynch meant for us to learn something from the backwards-talking midget in "Twin Peaks," well, it went over my head. Potter's screenplay for "The Singing Detective" is funny, unsettling, heartbreaking, sweet and maddening, often all at once.

"The Singing Detective" may not play well in Fort Wayne: it's true, this isn't "Touched By An Angel." (Neither is it "Irreversible," by the way: you have to be pretty thin-skinned (so to speak) to find this material genuinely offensive.) But if you believe that art can be both shocking and thrilling, can provoke as it evokes, can and should take outrageous risks in order to take us someplace completely new, then you've got to find a way to see this series. If you love words, if you appreciate originality, if you want to see acting that ranges from excellent to relevatory, then rent or borrow "The Singing Detective." Once you've seen it, you'll want to own it. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Funny Girl
Ah, Barbra. Of all her onscreen personas, she sparkles in none as she does inher role as 1930s comedian Fanny Brice in the musical Funny Girl.Portraying the life of this star of stage and radio, Brice preens and prancesand sings, captivating her audience both onscreen and off. Fanny Brice startedlife on the Lower East Side of New York, the daughter of a Jewish saloon owner.Not the prettiest girl around, Brice still managed to quickly rise to stardom asa performer in the Ziegfield Follies. A shrewd, obstinate woman, Brice dictatedher own success story on stage; things were a different matter in romance.Falling hard for the stunning Nick Arnstein (suavely played by Omar Sharif),Brice must navigate a difficult marriage. While kids may love the tunes (whichinclude the now-infamous "People," as in "People who need people are theluckiest people in the world"), the plot is definitely adult-oriented. Enjoythis one, but don't go too far out of your way for the sequel, FunnyLady. --Jenny Brown

Funny Lady
When Barbra Streisand played Fanny Brice in Funny Girl, she brought tolife a sympathetic yet strong-headed performer of stage and radio. In thesequel, Funny Lady, Brice comes off as a harsher woman, slightly bitchy,without the tremendous charm she possessed in the first film. Herbert Ross takesover as director (William Wyler oversaw Funny Girl), and the film justseems to get away from him. This sequel picks up during the Great Depression,when even the great star Fanny Brice is suffering. Along comes Billy Rose (JamesCaan), a small-time hustler who's out to make it big in show biz. The two pairup, both professionally and romantically, although things are uncertain when herfirst husband, Nick Arnstein (Omar Sharif), reappears on the scene. Much to themovie's detriment, Funny Lady concentrates more on Brice's professionallife than on her personal life, as the first film does. The songs areelaborately staged numbers that Brice performs in the theaters, and while theyare visually lush and spectacular, they lack conviction. Caan is solid in hisrole as the bumbling producer, but overall, the film is a disappointment. If youwant more Barbra and Brice, rewatch Funny Girl. --Jenny Brown ... Read more

Reviews (2)

A Must for Collectors
These two movies are a must for any collector. Unforgettable music in both and fine acting, despite the critics panning of the sequel. Streisand and Caan are wonderful together.

Classic Striesand
Both Funny/Girl and Funny/Lady both tell the wonderful of the comediane Fanny Brice. Stiesand was born to play this woman. Great supporting casting from Omar Sharif and James Caan. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Sir Derek as Cyrano is THE BEST!!!!!
This video is based on the Royal Shakespeare Company's stage production of Cyrano that ran in London, New York and Washington DC 1983-1985. I saw the London and New York productions each several times, and, as phenomenal as they were, the video is in many ways better, if only because this version is more permanent.

I love this play. I've seen many renditions and adaptations of Cyrano over the years, and this one is by far the best I've seen. I'm a huge fan of Sir Derek Jacobi's work, and this rendition of Cyrano showcases his work at its pinnacle. Sinead Cusack is glorious in this production as the love-struck Roxane, John Carlisle is just dark enough as DeGuiche, Pete Postlethwaite is over the top as Cyrano's sidekick, Rageneau, Tom Mannion intelligently provides a beautiful and downright stupid-sounding Christian. The rest of the cast is equally fine (there just isn't time enough to list them all: sorry, Cast, you're all terrific). But of course this show is about Cyrano and Sir Derek keeps him (and his large but not obscene proboscis in the center of the viewer's attention from Cyrano's first chandelier-swinging entrance to his bittersweet death in the nunnery yard.

If you can find it, get this video, watch it and drool. Why the distribution company let it go OP is beyond me.

RSC Cyrano
Without a doubt,THE best Cyrano I've seen! The acting, the production; without equal! ... Read more

Reviews (221)

5 Star Movie Lowered (Slightly) By Disappointing DVD
I won't go into the plot here, because, let's face it, if you haven't seen Grease by now, you probably won't ever see it. And you are missing out on a really fun film. That is the secret to this movie's popularity. It's just plain fun! It doesn't have a really great script, none of the performancies (with the exception of Stockard Channing) is anything above run-of-the-mill, but it's got a lot of great, catchy songs, a very likeable cast, and is just a treat to watch again and again. I was disappointed by this DVD release though, because it's exactly the same as the laser disc, only smaller and you don't have to turn it over. The cast interviews at the end are four years old, and this is really just a delayed release of the 20th Anniversary Edition on DVD. And what fan of Grease needs a cheap, paper booklet of song lyrics? Believe me, we know them all by heart. Truly the most profitable and one of the most popular musicals ever made deserves a better DVD package. The fans certainly deserve it too, having waited so long for this. Boo! to Paramount for, apparently, wanting to wait and pick our pockets again some time down the road when they release the two-disc set with all the extras this movie should have. At least it's in widescreen, which is a totally different viewing experience for anyone who hasn't seen it letterboxed or on the big screen yet. The musical numbers have a much larger scope, with dancers and other action on the sides that had previously been cut off. You will be surprised how many previously unseen guys are on the bleachers with Danny and the gang for "Summer Nights". And to anyone who is planning to buy the full-frame DVD--shame on you! You are truly missing out.

You CAN right a movie about rock&roll!
Most people would think that you could'nt write a good movie about rock&roll. This movie sure proves them wrong. The songs are great, and the movie is great.
I said that the songs were a great part of the movie. Here they are.
1. Grease-5/0
2. Summer Nights-8/10
3. Hopelessly Devoted To You-3/10
4. You're The One That I Want- 10/10
5. Sandy-1/10
6. Beauty School Dropout-5/10
7. Look At Me, I'm Sandra D.-7/10
8. Greased Lightning-9/10
9. It's Raining On Prom Night-3/10
10. Alone at the Drive-In-Movie-1/10
11. Blue Moon-9/10
12. Rock "N" Role is Here To Stay-8/10
13. Those Magic Changes-10/10
14. Hound Dog-4/10
15. Born To Hand Jive-4/10
16. Tears On My Pillow-2/10
17. Mooning-2/10
18. Freddy My Love-0/10
19. Rock "N" Role Party Queen-8/10
20. There Are Worse Things I Could Do-3/10
21. Look At Me, I'm Sandra D.(Reprise)-5/10
22. We Go Togeter-10/10
23. Love Is A Many Splendored Thing-4/10
24 Grease(Reprise)-5/10

As you can see, there are some VERY bad songs, but for the most part, the songs are pretty good. The whole movie was even better than the songs. The whole idea of the movie is a senior high schooler comes to the U.S. and goes to a cheap high school. There, she runs into a guy she met in the summer, who is in a car gang that is against another car gang. Throughout the year, this girl ( her name is Sandy) and her friends deal with the guy(his name is Danny) and his friends. The movie pretty much told about the "typical" high scholl senior's problems, except in a more 60's background. The movie actually took place in the 70's. At the end, Danny's car gang beats the rival gang in a car race, and at the end of the movie, the whole gang of guys and girls gets back together without any problems at the end of the year. The movie is all in all VERY good. Buy it today.

Grease lightning!
(...)

Anyway, "Grease" is one of my favorite movies. It's just one of those timeless gems that will never die (can't say the same for the sequel, though). Every song is a joy and the film couldn't have been casted any better. John Travolta, Olivia Newton-John, Stockard Channing; all involved give indelibly charming performances. A lot of great films came out of the 70's (The Godfather, A Clockwork Orange, Taxi Driver, Chinatown, Jaws, One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest, etc., etc...) but "Grease" is still able to hold it's own after all these years. A quintessential film to add to your collection.

As far as the DVD goes, well... it's typical of Paramount to stiff us with what could have been a solid release. If you take into account that almost everyone who buys the disc already knows all the songs and dialogue by heart, the studio could have done lots of fun things with the material. Alas, we only get a songbook (which is admittedly kinda cool) and a documentary. Oh, yeah. And a theatrical trailer. How rare. *scoffs*

A half-assed effort to bring "Grease" to a great medium notwithstanding, I'd highly recommend buying this.

"Summer lovin'... had me a bla-haaast..."

I love this movie
Firstly because it reminds me of a carefree and happy time in my life. I saw this in the summer of 1978 when I was 12 years old and the only thing I had to worry about was making sure I didn't have any overdue library books, keeping the lawn mowed and starting ninth grade in the fall. Secondly because there's some great pop music in this movie, _Hopelessy Devoted to You_ is one of the best pop songs about unrequited attraction ever written. Thirdly because of the subtext of this movie, the lesson this movie teaches you is that in order to get ahead you have to be a slut, just look at the way Olivia Newton John (who was 30 when this movie was made) turns from a good girl at the beginning of the movie into a leather trouser wearing slut at the end. Fourthly I love this movie because all of the actors in it are so obviously too old to be in high school. I figured as a kid that this was because the lead paint factory at the town of Rydell was dumping a lot of stuff into the water supply in those halcyon, pre-EPA days of the 1950s and the resulting heavy metal poisoning made the children of Rydell somewhat slow, which was why they were all still in high school even though they were in their late 20s and early 30s.

Greasy John isn't my cup of grease
As an Australian I find this movie extremely offensive. Why should Sandie have to change and become a greasy fat rude American. She should haved stay the way she was I reckon.

There's a line in this movie about eating sh*t...I agree. ... Read more

Description

This spectacular 4-tape set includes: Great Tenor Performances, Opera Hits, Great Puccini Love Scenes, and Highlights from La Scala. Stars Luciano Pavarotti, Placido Domingo, Kiri Te Kanawa, Eva Marton, and many more! 340 minutes.

Great Tenor Performances
A glittering collection of favorite arias sung by the world's greatest tenors including Luciano Pavarotti, Placido Domingo, Jose Carreras, Roberto Alagna, Jon Vickers, Vladimir Atlantov, Neil Shicoff, and many more. Includes the first video release of Luciano Pavarotti's performance in Aida from the 1981 San Francisco Opera production performing Celeste Aida.

Opera Hits
An extraordinary compilation of opera's best-loved arias, duets, and choruses performed by the superstars of opera including Placido Domingo, Jose Carreras, Jon Vickers, Eva Marton, Janet Baker, Maria Ewing, and many more. Performances from La Scala, Milan, La Fenice, Venice, The Royal Opera, Covent Gardens, Arena di Verona, and Glyndebourne Festival Opera.

Great Puccini Love Scenes
This spectacular compilation presents the very best of Placido Domingo, Kiri Te Kanawa, performing great love scenes from Puccini favorites.

Highlights from La Scala
This superb compilation presents some of the very best operatic moments from one of the greatest opera houses in the world, the Teatro alla Scala in Milan. World-class operatic stars, including Jose Carreras, Placido Domingo, Renato Bruson, Eva Marton, Ghena Dimitrova, and Mirella Freni perform spectacular productions of operas by Verdi and Giordano. ... Read more

Description

This spectacular 4-tape set includes; The Glory of the Kirov, The Glory of the Bolshoi, Ballet Favorites, and Great Pas de Deux. Stars Mikhail Baryshnikov, Rudolf Nuryev, Margot Fonteyn, Natalia Makarova, and many others.360 minutes.

The Glory of the Kirov
From the early days of this century, the Maryinsky Ballet, later the Kirov, dazzled audiences with the beauty of the dance. Five years research in Russia's archives has unearthed fascinating footage, much of it never before available in the West, of many of the company's great dancers including Mikhail Baryshnikov, Rudolf Nureyev, Natalia Makarova, Natalia Dudinskaya, and many others. Ballets featured include Swan Lake, Romeo and Juliet, Raymonda and more.

The Glory of the Bolshoi
During the Bolshoi Ballet's first tours abroad in the mid-20th century, Western audiences were brought to their feet by the Bolshoi style - thrilling athleticism that never lost the essential beauty of the dance. Five years research in Russia's film archives has unearthed fascinating footage, much of it never before available in the West, of many of the company's great dancers including Vladimir Vasiliev, Galina Ulanova, Irek Mukhamedov, and many others.

Ballet Favorites
Ballet Favorites features many stunning ballet sequences on one video. This spectacular compilation showcases the talent of many of the greatest dancers of recent years, filmed at the world's leading venues, and combines the remarkable athleticism of Mikhail Baryshnikov and Wayne Eagling with the beauty and elegance of Iria Kolpakova, Darcey Bussell, and many more.

Great Pas de Deux
This superb collection of thrilling pas de deux, from many of the best-loved classical ballets features some of the most celebrated partnerships of our time including Margot Fonteyn and Rudolf Nureyev in Le Corsaire, Natalia Makarova and Anthony Dowell in A Month in the Country, and many others. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Dear Confused Viewer, Jack Bettin:
THE GLORY OF THE KIROV, THE GLORY OF THE BOLSHOI, BALLET FAVORITES, and GREAT PAS DE DEUX are the four tapes included in this collection. By looking up each of those titles separately and reading their reviews, you'll get a sense of each. Voila! --Nancy Pinard

confused
i find it difficult to know if i would like to buy this video and several others that may in fact be good because i have no idea what ballets are in them. i know there's four tapes in this collection, but i don't know what's on them. i don't know where else to write this, but i hope someone reads this. Jack Bettin ... Read more

Description

This collection contains 4 musicals from Universal Studios:
"Here Come The Waves"
"We're Not Dressing"
"The Emperor's Waltz"
"Rhythm On The River" ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Great Deal!
If you're a fan of Bing Crosby, this is a great deal! If you bought each of these separately, it would cost you ... You save almost ... These movies have a great time range, from 1934 to 1940 to 1944 to 1948. They each have a very different, fun sort of plot, and, of course, lots of singing! ... Read more

Description

This Box Set includes:

The Making of hard Day's Night Help! The Beatles - First U.S. Visit Magical Mystery Tour ... Read more

Reviews (2)

IF YOU WONDERED WHAT WAS IT ABOUT THE BEATLES
When the Beatles first surfaced, at least for me, in 1964, on the Ed Sullivan Show, I was wondering what all the ruckus was about. I soon found out. Almost 40 years later, I'm still as obsessed, and even more so after watching the films, especially the first US tour...Why they became the phenomenon that they did will still, I think, be as big a mystery as who shot JFK, but at least these film will put you in the ballpark. God, I miss those guys. They were the soundtrack and so overwhelmingly an integral part of my life and in a very positive way, the way I view things, even in ways I never really realized...

DID U LIKE PLAYING IN HELP.
I LIKED HELP BECAUSE IT WAS FUNNY.I LIKED PAUL BECAUSE HE WAS GONE FOR 5 MINS OR MORE. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

The best thing you could ever see!!!
When I first saw this program, it was during a late-night fit of insomnia a year ago. I turned on the TV, flipped through a few channels, and stopped dead when I heard a tidbit of gorgeous, heartwrenching music playing to a program on PBS. It seemed to be a biography...on Gustav Mahler! Now, at the time, I was 18 years old and I had been a classical music fan for just a month or so. But I sat glued to this Mahler program. I learned all about the correlation between his sad, troubled life, and his stormy, tempestuous music. I couldn't have changed the channel if I tried. It was mesmerizing. At the end, when they announced that they would explore the life of Tchaikovsky the next week, I was thrilled. I made a mental note to catch the program, but they must have switched timeslots because I couldn't find the program the week after that. I was pretty let-down about that. But, to my immense joy and complete astonishment, I found the ENTIRE four-tape set at my local library! I took the set home and totally consumed it, hour after hour. It was the most fascinating thing I'd ever watched, and it inspired me beyond measure to soak up all the musical knowledge I could. What makes this set completely astounding is that it utilizes both the music of the composers, and the commentary of expert musicians/conductors/historians to actually put you in the composer's mind! The bits and pieces of music that they showcase are worth the entire price tag in and of themselves. Especially in the Bach program, where a young tenor delivers a STRIKING performance of "Erbarme Dich Mein Gott" from the St. Matthew Passion. It will literally bring tears to your eyes. I really hope that the BBC eventually brings this set to a DVD format. A treasure like this shouldn't be allowed to fade into dust. In closing I'd like to say, this set of tapes changed my life completely. If it can make an 18-year-old classical novice appreciate this music, imagine what it can do for you.

---Barrett

Excellent Production of The Best Composers of the Millenium
A very interesting and entertaining look into some of the greatest composers of our time. I just discovered the genius inherit in many of these men, and surprisingly through movies. The Arthurian movie Excalibur had a tremendous Wagner score, I believe the search for the Holy Grail piece, and this lead me to Bach--which lead me to this series through research. Of course I was already familiar with Beethoven and Mozart but more in depth information on their music and life was enjoyable.

What this program has successfully done is blend both their music and their lives into coherent and understandable show. Success is almost guaranteed though, as any program that combines the music of Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Mahler, Tchaikovsky, Wagner, and Puccini would have to blunder greatly to achieve failure. Though I would not recommend this for true beginners in classical music who know very little about any of the men, as this is aimed more at the intermediate classical enthusiast. Knowing a little bit about each man's music and possibly life before watching them would be recommended.

Superb! The Best Video on Composers!
This has to be by far the best, most professionally produced video series on composers today. Kenneth Branaugh's voice-over is a delight and adds to the dramatic scope of the production. Kudos to the BBC!

One of the special highlights is a scene showing the "surgical operation" on Beethoven's 200-year old hair by a modern physician. On-location shooting in Germany and Vienna complete with re-enactments (all too rare in most Classical Composer vids) makes for exciting pacing. Truly deserves repeated viewing. Another great hallmark is the impassioned choreography of camera with music playing -- who says Classical Music is dull!? You also get plenty of interviews with noted scholars and pre-eminent conductors -- some of them sadly already departed, like Sir George Solti. For those -- like me -- who've never had the opportunity to actually hear some of their favorite conductors speak, this set is a revelation!

I've viewed the Beethoven one alone some 5 times. Admittedly, I taped these episodes -- sans the Bach -- when it aired on PBS about a year ago, but am seriously considering purchasing the whole set for better quality and the inclusion of the Bach video. It's that Good!

I've sampled Hans Conrad Fischer's "Life of Anton Bruckner" and Biography's "Beethoven" video, but none can compare to the production value on this set. For any lover or new-comer to Classical Music, this set is a MUST. Absolutely recommend it. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Grease
Riding the strange '50s nostalgia wave that swept through America during the late 1970s (caused by TV shows like Happy Days and films like American Graffiti), the film adaptation of the Broadway musical Grease became not only the word in 1978, but also a box-office smash and a cultural phenomenon. Without the fabulously choreographed musical numbers, vibrant colors, and unforgettably campy and catchy tunes (like "Greased Lightning," "Summer Nights," and "You're the One That I Want"), the film would have to rely on a silly, cliché-filled plot that we've seen hundreds of times. But as it is, the episodic story about the romantic dilemmas of a group of graduating high school seniors remains fresh, fun, and incredibly imaginative. The young, animated cast also deserves a lot of credit, bringing chemistry and energy to otherwise bland material. John Travolta, straight from his success in Saturday Night Fever, knows his sexual star power and struts, swaggers, sings, and dances appropriately, while Olivia Newton-John's portrayal of virgin innocence is the only decent acting she's ever done. And then there's Stockard Channing, spouting sexual double-entendres as Rizzo, the bitchy, raunchy leader of the Pink Ladies, who steals the film from both of its stars. Ignore the sequel at all costs. --Dave McCoy

Grease 2
Too often, sequels to popular films simply rehash the original film; call it the carbon-copy syndrome. Grease 2 suffers from no such malady, having almost nothing to do with the original film. Sure, it focuses on teens at Rydell High, the imaginary school from the first film, which starred John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John. But other than a few of the teachers, all of the characters are new and so are the songs--and more's the pity. By the time Grease hit the big screen, it already had had almost a decade as a theatrical musical, more than enough time to hone its mock-rock & roll score. But this sequel, which stars among others a then-unknown Michelle Pfeiffer, Maxwell Caulfield, and Lorna Luft (Judy Garland's daughter), has music that's neither fish nor fowl, neither rock nor Broadway. Meanwhile, the plot is a reversal of the first film, in which a cool guy fell for a square girl. In this one, the square is newcomer Caulfield, who catches the eye of tough girl Pfeiffer and her Pink Lady gang. The appearance of such pseudo-stars of the '50s, like Tab Hunter, is supposed to lend a nostalgic kick, but let's just say that Grease 2 slides almost instantly into obscurity. --Marshall Fine ... Read more

Description

Many of the great names in the history of opera have appeared on "The Ed Sullivan Show" performing the arias that made them famous. Now available is the complete collection of these historic performances by opera legends including Maria Callas, Joan Sutherland, BEverly Sills, Robert Merrill, Franco Corelli, Renata Tebaldi, Birgit Nilsson, Leontyne Price, Richard Tucker, Anna Moffo, Roberta Peters, Lily Pons, Jan Peerce, Marilyn Horne, Dorothy Kirsten and Eileen Farrell. 120 Mins. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Opera singers from Ed Sullivan's "really big shoe"
For those who remember "The Ed Sullivan Show" for The Beatles, Senor Wences, and Topo Gigio, this collection of operatic highlights serves as a reminder that high culture was also a part of the mix each week on Sunday night's broadcast. Sullivan presented not only rock stars and grand opera but classical ballet, dramatic recitations, and dancing bears between 1948 and 1971 on CBS.

On this videotape you will find 26 performances featuring a dozen notable operatic voices and some names that should be instantly recognizable.The focus is indeed on the voices. When Richard Tucker appears in full costume to do "Vesti la giubba" from "I Pagliaacci," that is the exception and not the rule. Yes, it would have been great if there could be more segments like "Un bel di" from "Madame Butterfly," which Dorothy Kirsten and company perform with not only costumes but sets, but that worked against the format of a live variety television program like Sullivan's show. For the most part things are kept simple, although sitting Lily Pons next to a lily pond to sing "Gavotte" from "Mignon" shows there were sometimes attempts at creativity. Unfortunately, Sullivan's introductions have been omitted, which means the original mini-lessons in opera that he provided with these performances are lost, which is both ironic and a shame.

The featured artist is clearly soprano Joan Sutherland, the "Voice of the Century," who does "Sempre libera" from "La Traviata," "Quando rapita" from "Lucia di Lammermoor,""Saluta la France" from "La Fille du Regiment," and a duet of "Mira, O Norma" from "Norma." Robert Peters and Robert Merrill also show up repeatedly, the latter having the most fun in a performance where he does three duets with three different sopranos. If you have even a causal acquaintance with opera you should recognize the names of Birgit Nilsson, Anna Moffo, Robert Merrill, and Beverly Sills as well as arias such as "Largo al factotum" from "Il Barbiere di Siviglia" and "Suave fanciulla" from "La Boheme." For those who like to compare and contrast performances, Maria Callas, Leontyne Price and Birgit Nilsson all since "Vissi d'arte" from Puccini's "Tosca." If you have never seem the dramatic performance of Callas, then this alone would justify your checking out this video, especially if your only exposure to her singing has been the aria Tom Hanks and Denzel Washington listen to in "Philadelphia."

In the final analysis it seems clear that those who will be interested in this collection of video highlights will be those who are already well familiar with the artists and works. Eventually some of these artists, such as Sutherland and Sills, would have complete performances of operas preserved on film, but such works are from later in their career and for those who would like to see Sutherland doing "Lucia" from a time closer in time to her famous debut at the Metropolitan Opera, this is obviously going to be their best bet. Thus, we arrive at the final irony, that while Sullivan put these artists on his show to present opera to the masses, it is the hard core opera fan who will be the person interested in picking up this video. ... Read more