Monday, January 31, 2011

Sondheim: The Birthday Concert

Sondheim
Sondheim: The Birthday Concert
Stephen Sondheim (Actor), Bernadette Peters (Actor), Lonny Price (Director) | Format: DVD
4.7 out of 5 stars(39)
Release Date: November 16, 2010

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Review & Description

Join us for a rousing celebration of the life and work of one of Broadway�s greatest legends � the one and only Stephen Sondheim. For the master composer and lyricist�s 80th birthday, many of musical theater�s brightest stars gathered to perform more than two dozen sensational numbers from Sondheim�s illustrious career. Many of these enduring songs are rarely heard and several are performed by the original Broadway cast members. David Hyde Pierce hosts this magical event with Stephen Sondheim�s longtime collaborator Paul Gemignani conducting the New York Philharmonic.

Filmed live, March 15�16, 2010 at Avery Fisher Hall, New York City

Performances Include:

  • "America" (Dancers, West Side Story)
  • "Something�s Coming" (Alexander Gemingnani, West Side Story)
  • "We�re Gonna Be Alright" (Marin Mazzie, Jason Danieley, Do I Hear a Waltz?)
  • "Don�t Laugh" (Victoria Clark, Hot Spot)
  • "Johanna"(Nathan Gunn, Sweeney Todd)
  • "You�re Gonna Love Tomorrow" and "Love Will See Us Through" (Matt Cavenaugh, Jenn Colella, Laura Osnes, Bobby Steggert, Follies)
  • "Too Many Mornings" (Nathan Gunn, Audra McDonald, Follies)
  • "The Road You Didn�t Take" (John McMartin, Follies)
  • "It Takes Two" (Joanna Gleason, Chip Zien, Into the Woods)
  • "Growing Up" (Jim Walton, Merrily We Roll Along)
  • "Finishing the Hat" (Mandy Patinkin, Sunday in the Park with George)
  • "Move On" (Mandy Patinkin, Bernadette Peters, Sunday in the Park with George)
  • "Pretty Women" (Michael Cerveris, George Hearn, Sweeney Todd)
  • "A Little Priest" (Michael Cerveris, George Hearn, Patti LuPone, Sweeney Todd)
  • �Theme from �Reds�� with Pas De Deux (NY Philharmonic, Two ABT Dancers Maria and Blaine)
  • "So Many People" (Laura Benanti, Saturday Night)
  • "Beautiful Girls" (David Hyde Pierce)
  • "Ladies Who Lunch" (Patti LuPone, Company)
  • "Losing My Mind" (Marin Mazzie� Follies)
  • "The Glamorous Life" (Audra McDonald, A Little Night Music)
  • "Could I Leave You?" (Donna Murphy, Follies)
  • "Not a Day Goes By" (Bernadette Peters, Merrily We Roll Along)
  • "I�m Still Here" (Elaine Stritch, Follies)
  • "Sunday" (Broadway Chorus, Sunday in the Park with George)
  • "Happy Birthday" (All Cast)Sondheim! The Birthday Concert is a historic tribute to the Broadway work of Stephen Sondheim that took place in New York's Avery Fisher Hall in March 2010. That's 25 years after a similar all-star concert, Follies in Concert, was held in the same venue, also with Paul Gemignani conducting the New York Philharmonic, and the song list and parade of stars seems intended to evoke those memories. But rather than re-creating one show, this concert hosted by David Hyde Pierce celebrates three decades of work in honor of the composer's 80th birthday. It starts a bit slowly, with some songs for which Sondheim wrote only the lyrics, but even that offers something "new": an unfamiliar song from Hot Spot (music by Mary Rodgers) called "Don't Laugh," performed by Victoria Clark. From there the concert shifts into high gear with Sondheim's shows from the '70s and '80s. Three songs from Follies are covered by a young generation of talent (Jenn Colella, Matt Cavenaugh, Bobby Steggert, Laura Osnes), by Audra McDonald and opera star Nathan Gunn, and by original cast member John McMartin. That's followed by some thrilling reunions: Joanna Gleason and Chip Zien's "It Takes Two" from Into the Woods, Jim Walton with a song he didn't sing in Merrily We Roll Along ("Growing Up"), Mandy Patinkin and Bernadette Peters with "Finishing the Hat" and "Move On" from Sunday in the Park with George, and Patti LuPone with two different Sweeney Todds--George Hearn and Michael Cerveris. Six "ladies in red" sing solos--LuPone's "The Ladies Who Lunch," Marin Mazzie's "Losing My Mind," McDonald's "The Glamorous Life," Donna Murphy's "Could I Leave You," Peters's "Not a Day Goes By," and Elaine Stritch's "I'm Still Here"--before hundreds of currently working actors flood the theater and sing "Sunday" to emotionally overwhelm the guest of honor. Since none of the shows represented were written later than the '80s (Passion is not represented, though its two female leads are, nor is Assassins), it's safe to say that this combination of songs sung by so many original stars will never be repeated. --David Horiuchi Read more


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  • Sunday, January 30, 2011

    Alice in Wonderland (Two-Disc Special Un-Anniversary Edition)

    Alice in
    Alice in Wonderland (Two-Disc Special Un-Anniversary Edition)
    Kathryn Beaumont (Actor), Ed Wynn (Actor), Clyde Geronimi (Director), Hamilton Luske (Director) | Format: DVD
    4.3 out of 5 stars(310)

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    Celebrate a very merry un-anniversary in the whimsical, fun-filled world of Walt Disney’s masterwork of animation, music and fantasy — Alice In Wonderland Special Un-Anniversary Edition, a 2-disc set complete with never-before-seen bonus features. Follow Alice as she chases the White Rabbit on a magical journey into the fantastical world of Wonderland. It’s a topsy-turvy place that gets “curiouser and curiouser” as Alice’s madcap adventures introduce her to some truly unforgettable characters — the Mad Hatter, March Hare, Tweedledee and Tweedledum, Cheshire Cat, the Queen of Hearts and more. Filled with spectacular songs and dazzling animation, Alice In Wonderland Special Un-Anniversary Edition is a timeless classic your entire family will love.
    Walt Disney seems to have had a special affection for Lewis Carroll's "Alice" stories. "Alice's Wonderland" (1923), a short about a live-action little girl in a cartoon world, led to his first successful series, the "Alice" comedies (collected on Walt Disney Treasures: Disney Rarities--Celebrated Shorts, 1920s -1960s). During the early '30s, he talked about making an animation/live-action feature of "Alice in Wonderland" with Mary Pickford in the title role. But almost two decades would elapse before Disney released his Alice. It's the most uneven of the classic Disney features, juxtaposing brilliant and dull sequences. The Mad Tea Party, the Queen of Hearts' Croquet Game, and Alice's encounters with the Caterpillar and Cheshire Cat fuse the spirit of Carroll's words, the vitality of the polished animation, and the stylized look and brilliant palette of designer Mary Blair. But the song "I Give Myself Very Good Advice" and the unsatisfying adaptation of "The Walrus and Carpenter" bring the story to a halt. Disney's Alice in Wonderland remains a beloved film, and its better moments are truly magical. (Rated G: cartoon violence, some scary moments, tobacco use) --Charles Solomon Read more


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    Saturday, January 29, 2011

    The Sound of Music (45th Anniversary Edition) (Two-Disc DVD/Blu-ray Combo in DVD Packaging)

    The Sound
    The Sound of Music (45th Anniversary Edition) (Two-Disc DVD/Blu-ray Combo in DVD Packaging)
    Christopher Plummer (Actor), Julie Andrews (Actor) | Format: Blu-ray
    4.6 out of 5 stars(103)
    Release Date: November 2, 2010

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    Review & Description

    Experience the world's most beloved family film as never before with this three-disc 45th Anniversary Edition of Rodgers & Hammerstein's® The Sound of Music, winner of five 1965 ACADEMY AWARDS®, including Best Picture!

    In this true-life story, Julie Andrews lights up the screen as Maria, a spirited young woman who leaves the convent to bring love and music to the home of Captain von Trapp (Christopher Plummer) and his seven children.When Julie Andrews sang "The hills are alive with the sound of music" from an Austrian mountaintop in 1965, the most beloved movie musical was born. To be sure, the adaptation of Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II's Broadway hit has never been as universally acclaimed as, say, Singin' in the Rain. Critics argue that the songs are saccharine (even the songwriters regretted the line "To sing through the night like a lark who is learning to pray") and that the characters and plot lack the complexity that could make them more interesting. It's not hard to know whom to root for when your choice is between cute kids and Nazis.

    It doesn't matter. Audiences fell in love with the struggling novice Maria (Andrews), the dashing Captain von Trapp (Christopher Plummer), and, yes, the cute kids, all based on a real-life World War II Austrian family. Such songs as "My Favorite Things," "Do Re Mi," "Climb Every Mountain," and the title tune became part of the 20th century Zeitgeist. In addition, The Sound of Music officially became a cult hit when audiences in London began giving it the Rocky Horror Picture Show treatment, attending showings dressed as their favorite characters and delivering choreographed comments and gestures along with the movie. --David Horiuchi Read more


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    Les Miserables: The 25th Anniversary Concert [Blu-ray]

    Les Miserables
    Les Miserables: The 25th Anniversary Concert [Blu-ray]
    Roger Allam (Actor), Alun Armstrong (Actor), Nick Morris (Director) | Format: Blu-ray
    5.0 out of 5 stars(1)
    Release Date: February 22, 2011

    Buy new: $39.98 $27.99

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    Great Performances: Macbeth

    Great Performances
    Great Performances: Macbeth
    Patrick Stewart (Actor), Oliver Burch (Actor), Rupert Goold (Director) | Format: DVD
    4.9 out of 5 stars(12)
    Release Date: January 11, 2011

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    Review & Description

    Following a London West End run in December 2007, a sold-out limited engagement at the Brooklyn Academy of Music in March 2008, and a subsequent eight-week run on Broadway, director Rupert Goold s gripping stage production of Macbeth starring Patrick Stewart in a triumphant, Tony-nominated performance will be filmed for television in a co-production agreement between WNET.ORG and Illuminations Television, in association with the BBC. Shot in High Definition on UK locations, Goold will maintain the atmosphere and tone of the critically acclaimed stage production. Read more


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    Friday, January 28, 2011

    TCM Greatest Classic Films Collection: Broadway Musicals (Show Boat / Annie Get Your Gun / Kiss Me Kate / Seven Brides for Seven Brothers)

    TCM Greatest Classic Films Collection
    TCM Greatest Classic Films Collection: Broadway Musicals (Show Boat / Annie Get Your Gun / Kiss Me Kate / Seven Brides for Seven Brothers)
    Howard Keel (Actor), Kathryn Grayson (Actor) | Format: DVD
    4.5 out of 5 stars(34)

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    SHOW BOAT (1951) A vivid and vibrant saga of riverboat lives and loves has glorious stars (Kathryn Grayson, Ava Gardner, Howard Keel, Marge and Gower Champion) in Technicolor radiance, timeless Jerome Kern/Oscar Hammerstein II songs and an equally timeless outcry against racial bigotry. Like Ol' Man River, its delights just keep rollin' along. ANNIE GET YOUR GUN Betty Hutton (as Annie Oakley) and Howard Keel (as Frank Butler) star in this sharpshootin' funfest an Oscar winner for adaptation scoring based on the Broadway smash boasting Irving Berlins beloved songs, including Doin' What Comes Naturally, I Got Lost in His Arms and the anthemic There's No Business like Show Business. SEVEN BRIDES FOR SEVEN BROTHERS The perfect marriage of song and dance! Backwoods boys inspired by romance and the lure of hot biscuits raid the local town for brides. Un-uh: The would-be brides insist the fellas first become respectable! Howard Keel and Jane Powell head a leaping whoop for joy in this exuberant Oscar winner. KISS ME KATE When squabbling ex-married's Kathryn Grayson and Howard Keel are cast as squabbling Renaissance romantics in a musical The Taming of the Shrew, life imitates art, art imitates life and it all proves no musical comedy imitates this backstage/onstage delight from the Broadway hit with 14 peerless Cole Porter songs. It's all Too Darn Hot!Turner Classic Movies' Greatest Classic Films Collection: Broadway Musicals collects four movies on two double-sided discs, with top picture quality and the bonus features that appeared on disc 1 when one of those films was released on a two-disc set, or the features that appeared on the single discs of the other three. The four films here aren't really Broadway musicals, but rather movies that were (with one exception) based on material originally created for the Broadway stage. Show Boat was one of the earliest shows in the modern-musical era, and this 1951 adaptation (the third, following versions in 1929 and 1936) stars familiar MGM players Kathryn Grayson, Ava Gardner, Howard Keel, and others in Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein's Southern epic, featuring "Ol' Man River," "Can't Help Loving That Man of Mine," and more. Annie Get Your Gun (1950) stars Bettie Hutton (in a role intended for Judy Garland) as a spunky Western gal who gives Howard Keel all he can handle, and features such Irving Berlin standards as "There's No Business Like Show Business," "Anything You Can Do," and "Doin' What Comes Naturally." Grayson and Keel return again in Kiss Me Kate (1953), as life imitates art in a production of Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew, and the Cole Porter songs include "Wunderbar" and "So in Love." The exception is Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (1954), one of MGM's greatest original creations that was itself adapted for the stage years later. Keel woos Jane Powell to become his wife--and mother figure for his six brothers. Hilarity and much dancing ensue (especially in Michael Kidd's rousing barn number), and the Gene de Paul-Johnny Mercer songs include "Bless Yore Beautiful Hide," "Wonderful Wonderful Day," and "Spring, Spring, Spring." Bonus material on the two-sided discs is relatively plentiful for the TCM Classics series since only one of the movies had been released on a two-disc set: you lose Seven Brides for Seven Brothers' alternate cut and some supplemental material, but you still get director Stanley Donen's commentary track plus some trailers, shorts, and other material for the other three movies. --David Horiuchi Read more


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    Les Miserables: The 25th Anniversary Concert

    Les Miserables
    Les Miserables: The 25th Anniversary Concert
    Roger Allam (Actor), Alun Armstrong (Actor), Nick Morris (Director) | Format: DVD
    5.0 out of 5 stars(1)
    Release Date: February 22, 2011

    Buy new: $29.98 $19.99

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    Step Up 3 (Three-Disc Combo Pack: Blu-ray 3D/Blu-ray/DVD/Digital Copy)

    Step Up 3 (Three-Disc Combo Pack
    Step Up 3 (Three-Disc Combo Pack: Blu-ray 3D/Blu-ray/DVD/Digital Copy)
    Sharni Vinson (Actor), Rick Malambri (Actor) | Format: Blu-ray
    4.6 out of 5 stars(22)
    Release Date: December 21, 2010

    Buy new: $49.99 $31.99
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    Review & Description

    Studio: Buena Vista Home Video Release Date: 12/21/2010 Run time: 107 minutes Rating: Pg13Step Up 3D capitalizes both on the compelling dance moves of the first two films in the series, as well as on the trend toward using 3D in full-length feature films. And the idea to present a high-energy dance film in 3D turns out to be a brilliant use of the technology. Viewers feel as though they're right in the midst of the competitive moves, the sweaty, almost frenzied choreography practically palpable on the screen. Step Up 3D follows a plot arc similar to the first two Step Up films, with urban kids kicking around in the streets, at loose ends but dying to express themselves artistically and physically. The dance numbers are the climaxes worth waiting for and are sprinkled throughout the movie, holding together a thin plot that nevertheless works just fine to get viewers from Dance Point A to B and beyond. Standouts in the young, hip, incredibly talented cast are Rick Malambri as Luke, the Australian hot-body Sharni Vinson as Natalie, and Keith Stallworth as Jacob--but the entire cast is eye-popping eye candy when they do their gravity-defying hip-hop moves. Luke and Natalie and Adam Savani as Moose take on a world-ranked dance group where the competition is heightened, tensions erupt, and the stakes couldn't be higher. Step Up 3D is reminiscent of films like Bring It On and even TV shows like Glee in which talented young people struggle in their art and in their personal lives--but the payoff for the characters, and the viewers, comes in their impossibly watchable performances at the end. Step Up 3Dhas plenty to root for and is family friendly except for the youngest viewers. Don't be surprised if you feel like busting a move as you get deep into the dance showdown. --A.T. Hurley Read more


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    Pocahontas (10th Anniversary Edition)

    Pocahontas 10th
    Pocahontas (10th Anniversary Edition)
    Mel Gibson (Actor), Linda Hunt (Actor), Eric Goldberg (Director), Mike Gabriel (Director) | Format: DVD
    3.8 out of 5 stars(210)

    Buy new: $44.98
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    Review & Description

    All the music, adventure, and colorful fun of Disney's POCAHONTAS come to life like never before in the 10th Anniversary Edition 2-Disc Set. Bursting with all the "Colors Of The Wind," POCAHONTAS tells the story of a free-spirited girl who wonders what adventures await "Just Around The Riverbend." Pocahontas -- along with her playful pals Meeko and Flit -- relies on the guidance of her loving and wise Grandmother Willow when English settlers arrive on the shores of their village. Her chance meeting with the courageous Captain John Smith leads to a beautiful friendship that bridges the gap between two cultures, and changes history. Now fully restored, POCAHONTAS includes the song "If I Never Knew You," and never-before-seen animation seamlessly integrated into the original film. This 2-Disc 10th Anniversary Edition is loaded with spectacular bonus features, all-new games, and soaring Academy Award(R)-winning music (1995 Best Original Musical Score, Best Original Song, "Colors Of The Wind"). Disney's POCAHONTAS is a fun-filled adventure your whole family will enjoy.Disney's take on this historical confrontation between European settlers and Native Americans follows the paths of two future lovers. One is British adventurer John Smith, who travels the Atlantic with the Virginia Company to establish Jamestown. On the shore is Pocahontas, a typical Disney heroine: bright, beautiful, mischievous, and motherless. The two meet in the untamed wilds of America (the first meeting is quite divine), fall in love, and try to ward off the warring factions. It's Disney's version of a Native American West Side Story. Two Disney trademarks do not quite muster up: the villain isn't hissable and the score's only high point is the Oscar-winning "Colors of the Wind." Calling it "historical" is a stretch, but Disney created a very natural look at the two cultures. The Native American characters are handled especially well, and kids should be intrigued by their world; the movie is a far different lesson from the one their parents and grandparents learned. Disney has discovered a few things, though: you don't have to kill to solve your problems, and you can end the film without a happily-ever-after, illustrated by a touching final visual. (Ages 5 and older) --Doug Thomas Read more


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    Madama Butterfly

    Madama Butterfly
    Madama Butterfly
    Patricia Racette (Actor), Maria Zifchak (Actor), Anthony Minghella (Director), Carolyn Choa (Director) | Format: DVD
    4.5 out of 5 stars(4)
    Release Date: January 25, 2011

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    Anthony Minghella’s stunning production was seen by thousands of people around the world and was originally broadcast March 7, 2009 as part of the Peabody and Emmy Award®-winning Live in HD transmissions to movie theaters. Patricia Racette is Cio-Cio-San, Marcello Giordani is American Navy lieutenant B. F. Pinkerton, Maria Zifchak is Suzuki and Dwayne Croft is Sharpless. Patrick Summers conducts the Metropolitan Opera and Chorus. Read more


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    Aladdin (Disney Special Platinum Edition)

    Aladdin Disney
    Aladdin (Disney Special Platinum Edition)
    Scott Weinger (Actor), Robin Williams (Actor), John Musker (Director), Ron Clements (Director) | Format: DVD
    Ranking has gone up in the past 24 hours 422 days in the top 100
    4.4 out of 5 stars(327)

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    Soar away on a magic carpet ride of nonstop thrills and fun in the most spectacular adventure of all time! Now meticulously restored and enhanced -- experience the wonders of ALADDIN like never before, from the Academy Award(R)-winning music (Best Original Song, Best Original Score, 1992) to the unforgettable moments of sidesplitting comedy and soaring adventure. In the heart of an enchanted city, a commoner named Aladdin and his mischievous monkey, Abu, battle to save the free-spirited Princess Jasmine. Aladdin's whole life changes with one rub of a magic lamp as a fun-loving, shape-shifting Genie appears and grants him three wishes, setting him on an incredible journey of discovery. Through his adventures, Aladdin proves that he is a prince where it truly matters most -- on the inside!Disney's 1992 animated feature is a triumph of wit and skill. The high-tech artwork and graphics look great, the characters are strong, the familiar story is nicely augmented with an interesting villain (Jafar, voiced by Jonathan Freeman), and there's an incredible hook atop the whole thing: Robin Williams's frantically hilarious vocal performance as Aladdin's genie. Even if one isn't particularly moved by the love story between the title character (Scott Weinger) and his girlfriend Jasmine (Linda Larkin), you can easily get lost in Williams's improvisational energy and the equally entertaining performances of Freeman and Gilbert Gottfried (as Jafar's parrot). --Tom Keogh Read more


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    Thursday, January 27, 2011

    The Lion King (Disney Special Platinum Edition)

    The Lion
    The Lion King (Disney Special Platinum Edition)
    Matthew Broderick (Actor), Jeremy Irons (Actor), Rob Minkoff (Director), Roger Allers (Director) | Format: DVD
    396 days in the top 100
    4.0 out of 5 stars(767)

    99 used & new from $17.79

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    Madea's Big Happy Family: The Play

    Madea's Big Happy Family
    Madea's Big Happy Family: The Play
    Tyler Perry (Actor), Shannon Kane (Actor), Tyler Perry (Director) | Format: DVD
    Ranking has gone up in the past 24 hours 98 days in the top 100
    4.4 out of 5 stars(69)

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    Shirley has important news for her family, but she has five grown children with different lifestyles and finds it difficult to get them and the kids all together. So in steps Madea, the Matriarch General, to put the family's life in perspective with a hilarious twist on financial difficulties, drugs and, most important, family secrets. The next generation has a lot to learn. In her own way, Madea expresses how deliverance won’t change you to be someone else, but will allow you to be who you really are. Ain’t nothing like family!Tyler Perry, juggling top-rated sitcoms and films that bear his name above the title (not to mention projects such as Precious to which he lends his considerable clout to get made), is the newest hardest-working man in show business. Somehow in 2010 he found time to write, direct, and star in this heartfelt theatrical project--his first in five years--inspired by his late mother and featuring his signature character Madea. He did 125 shows in 126 days. Exhaustion forced him to cancel the remainder of the tour, but the cameras were rolling for this enthusiastically received rafter-rattling performance. Big Happy Family delivers everything to be expected from a Perry play: bruising family dysfunction, physical comedy, soul-stirring gospel uplift, and Oprah-style empowerment. Chandra Currelley-Young stars as Shirley, who learns she is dying of cancer. She tries to tell her family, but they are too wrapped up in their own melodramas to pay her any mind. There's the son who turns to selling drugs to keep his gold-digging girlfriend, the daughter who is unlucky in love, and another daughter too involved in her career. Weighing in on the sidelines is Madea, who, about 90 minutes in, stops the show to go "off-script" to weigh in on marriage, manhood, and even the housing crisis. Big Happy Family is broadly written and acted, the character types way beyond stereo. But Perry's positive populist messages about family, self-respect, and keeping the faith hit home with his appreciative audience. Perry has joked in interviews about wanting to kill off Madea, but like Leonard Nimoy and William Shatner before him, he seems to have made peace with the character that put him on the map. During the emotional curtain call, he tells the crowd that his mother told him, "Don't stop doing Madea… I'll keep doing it as long as you want to keep seeing it." That could be awhile. --Donald Liebenson Read more


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    Jeff Dunham: Spark of Insanity

    Jeff Dunham
    Jeff Dunham: Spark of Insanity
    Jeff Dunham (Actor), Paige Dunham (Actor), Michael Simon (Director) | Format: DVD
    4.8 out of 5 stars(856)

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    Jeff Dunham and his socially reckless "suitcase posse" are back in this highly anticipated follow-up to Arguing with Myself, his breakthrough television special and multi-platinum selling DVD release! What's next?

    An ALL NEW show that is Bigger... Better... and Funnier than ever!

    This time, Dunham welcomes two never-before-seen partners "Achmed the Dead Terrorist," and "Melvin the Superhero." Long-time favorites "Peanut," "Walter" and Jose Jalapeno...On a STEEK! are back in an entirely original show for everyone!Ventriloquist Jeff Dunham's second live-performance DVD, Spark of Insanity, is much funnier than his first, Arguing With Myself, perhaps because his new puppets allow him to cover more controversial territory beyond skits about family beefs and office humor. Though some puppets reappear, like the beloved Peanut, a purple monkey who loves wordplay, new characters emerge as the stars of this hour-long stand-up show. A tense laughter ripples through the audience, for example, when Dunham announces his wish to talk with a terrorist as he brings out Achmed the Dead Terrorist, a turban-sporting skeleton who's refrain is "I will kill you!" Previous show star, Jose Jalapeño, a Mexican chili pepper on a stick, returns for a discussion about whether the puppet has a green card. If his racial jokes rode a line slightly too Caucasian to clarify his point of view before, Dunham has achieved real satire in Spark of Insanity, showing his audience how ridiculous it is to create stereotypes of any sort. Additionally, Dunham mocks his own culture with Walter, a grumpy old white man whose parental chiding rings true for many. Moreover, Dunham impresses with his ventriloquism skills, and shows off some new vocalization techniques that will stun anyone interested in this fascinating art. --Trinie Dalton Read more


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    Schoolhouse Rock! (Special 30th Anniversary Edition)

    Schoolhouse Rock
    Schoolhouse Rock! (Special 30th Anniversary Edition)
    Lauren Yohe (Actor), Darrel Stern (Actor), Tom Warburton (Director) | Format: DVD
    4.8 out of 5 stars(634)

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    Review & Description

    Conjunction Junction, what's your function? In the 70's and 80's, the catchy Schoolhouse Rock tunes taught millions of children the fundamentals of math, grammar, science, history and money. Relive the pop culture sensation with the SCHOOLHOUSE ROCK SPECIAL 30th ANNIVERSARY EDITION DVD, which includes every song from the landmark series in a collectible 2-disc DVD. Among the over 50 tunes are such classics as "Conjunction Junction," "Three is a Magic Number," "I'm Just A Bill" and "Electricity, Electricity." The DVD features an all-new song about the Electoral College, "I'm Gonna Send Your Vote To College" written by the show's original creators.It's a good bet that any American kid growing up in the '70s or '80s learned some elementary lesson from the seminal musical series Schoolhouse Rock!. Airing from 1973 to 1984 (and often revived), the ABC Saturday morning shorts effortlessly introduced kids to grammar, science, multiplication, money, and American history--three minutes at a time. In one smart, comprehensive 2-disc set, all 46 songs and plenty of extras are collected. The four creators developed the series slowly, a welcome diversion from their advertising agency jobs, and ended up taking home four Emmys over the years. The background material includes 10 audio commentaries and a making-of feature for the new song, "I'm Gonna Send Your Vote to College." The DVD subtitle option is a great bonus for those who need to know every word from such favorites as "Three Is a Magic Number," "Interjections," "I'm Just a Bill," and "Conjunction Junction." (Ages 3 and older) --Doug Thomas Read more


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    The Wizard of Oz (Two-Disc 70th Anniversary Edition)

    The Wizard
    The Wizard of Oz (Two-Disc 70th Anniversary Edition)
    Judy Garland (Actor), Frank Morgan (Actor) | Format: DVD
    4.6 out of 5 stars(1066)

    Buy new: $20.98 $11.49
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    Review & Description

    WIZARD OF OZ:70TH ANNIVERSARY EDTN - DVD MovieWhen it was released during Hollywood's golden year of 1939, The Wizard of Oz didn't start out as the perennial classic it has since become. The film did respectable business, but it wasn't until its debut on television that this family favorite saw its popularity soar. And while Oz's TV broadcasts are now controlled by media mogul Ted Turner (who owns the rights), the advent of home video has made this lively musical a mainstay in the staple diet of great American films. Young Dorothy Gale (Judy Garland), her dog, Toto, and her three companions on the yellow brick road to Oz--the Tin Man (Jack Haley), the Cowardly Lion (Bert Lahr), and the Scarecrow (Ray Bolger)--have become pop-culture icons and central figures in the legacy of fantasy for children. As the Wicked Witch who covets Dorothy's enchanted ruby slippers, Margaret Hamilton has had the singular honor of scaring the wits out of children for more than six decades. The film's still as fresh, frightening, and funny as it was when first released. It may take some liberal detours from the original story by L. Frank Baum, but it's loyal to the Baum legacy while charting its own course as a spectacular film. Shot in glorious Technicolor, befitting its dynamic production design (Munchkinland alone is a psychedelic explosion of color and decor), The Wizard of Oz may not appeal to every taste as the years go by, but it's required viewing for kids of all ages. --Jeff Shannon

    On the discs
    The 2010 Wizard of Oz Two-Disc Special Edition DVD has the sharp 2005 restoration using Warner's Ultra Resolution process and an accompanying featurette on how it's done. The technicians also discuss how the sound was remixed, though that would have been more effective had it included surround-sound demonstrations (the featurette is in 2.0). Other features include a commentary track by critic John Fricke supplemented by vintage cast interviews (he offers a lot of trivia, and debunks the myth that Shirley Temple was ever close to getting the Dorothy role); profiles of nine cast members and clips of other movies they appeared in (including Toto); a lightly animated 10-minute storybook narrated by Angela Lansbury; the original mono track and a music-and-effects track; and a sing-along track that you can turn on as you watch the movie or you can select from 10 numbers to sing along with karaoke-style subtitles. The second disc has outtakes and deleted scenes, including Judy Garland's "Over the Rainbow" reprise and the home-movie recording of "The Jitterbug"; sketches and stills and composer Harold Arlen's home movies; audio underscores and radio programs; 1979 interviews with Margaret Hamilton, Ray Bolger, and Jack Haley; 2001 and 2005 behind-the-scenes featurettes; a 1950 Lux Radio Theater broadcast; and other items too numerous to mention. Missing from this edition is the Lansbury-hosted documentary The Making of a Movie Classic. --David Horiuchi Read more


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