The Pirates of Penzance

The Pirates of Penzance
Starring: Kevin Kline, Angela Lansbury Format: DVD
(144)
Release Date: September 14, 2010

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The Pirates of Penzance Gilbert and Sullivan?s classic musical comedy of mistaken identity comes swashbuckling to the screen with all the laughs songs and stars that made it a long-running Broadway smash! Kevin Kline reprises his Tony Award winning role along with Angela Lansbury Linda Ronstadt George Rose and Rex Smith in the story of a roguish pirate king and his adventurous young charge who explore the coastline in search of treasure and romance. Digitally remastered for optimum picture quality it?s a fresh funny and colorful extravaganza that?s the very model of a modern movie musical.Starring: Kevin Kline Angela Lansbury Linda Ronstadt George Rose Rex Smith Tony AzitoDirected by: Wilford LeachWhen New York theatrical producer Joseph Papp decided to bring Gilbert and Sullivan to Broadway, he added typically broad, bold strokes to make their singular operetta format meaningful to 1980s audiences. In The Pirates of Penzance, Papp had a story that offered a mixture of potential action and comedy that was less arcane than other G&S chestnuts, which Papp's production underlined by playing up its antic conflict between its hapless, titular pirates and the citizens of Penzance, the Cornish town targeted for plunder. Adding to the new production's mainstream allure was the theatrical debut for erstwhile country-rock siren Linda Ronstadt as the virginal Mabel, along with a plum role for another putative pop heartthrob, Rex Smith, as the "good" pirate, Frederic.

Naturally, such amendments piqued complaints from self-appointed G&S purists, for whom the duo's original satirical edge and theatrical innovation were obscured (if not ossified) by their canon's patina of respectability. Happily, for the rest of us, Papp's cheeky revisions are generally on the money, and this 1983 film version preserves them with unusual fidelity. Instead of opening up his production with location shooting or intricate editing, director Wilford Leach savors the artifice of its stage sets and hokey, colorful costuming, celebrating the genre's proud theatrical legacy.

The cast, meanwhile, tears into the farcical plot with elan, led by Kevin Kline as the Pirate King, a role perfect for his skill at lampooning masculine bravado (not to mention his underexposed, generally strong singing). Broadway veteran George Rose proves the very model of the modern Major-General Stanley, and Angela Lansbury, added to the film's cast for marquee value, again shows her mettle as the ditzy maid, Ruth. Ronstadt justifies Papp's gamble, having trained rigorously to meet Sullivan's acrobatic melodies--indeed, this project marked her commitment to grow beyond rock, confirmed with her subsequent exploration of classic pop with arranger-conductor Nelson Riddle. --Sam Sutherland Read more

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The Phantom of the Opera (Full Screen Edition)

The Phantom of the Opera (Full Screen Edition)
Starring: Gerard Butler, Emmy Rossum Director: Joel Schumacher Format: DVD
(1442)

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Musical Drama based on Andrew Lloyd Webber's celebrated musical phenomenon. The Phantom of the Opera tells the story of a disfigured musical genius (Gerard Butler) who haunts the catacombs beneath the Paris Opera, waging a reign of terror over its occupants. When he falls fatally in love with the lovely Christine (Emmy Rossum), the Phantom devotes himself to creating a new star for the Opera, exerting a strange sense of control over the young soprano as he nurtures her extraordinary talents.Although it's not as bold as Oscar darling Chicago, The Phantom of the Opera continues the resuscitation of the movie musical with a faithful adaptation of Andrew Lloyd Webber's blockbuster stage musical. Emmy Rossum glows in a breakout role as opera ingénue Christine Daae, and if phantom Gerard Butler isn't Rossum's match vocally, he does convey menace and sensuality in such numbers as "The Music of the Night." The most experienced musical theater veteran in the cast, romantic lead Patrick Wilson, sings sweetly but seems wooden. The biggest name in the cast, Minnie Driver, hams it up as diva Carlotta, and she's the only principal whose voice was dubbed (though she does sing the closing-credit number, "Learn to Be Lonely," which is also the only new song).

Director Joel Schumacher, no stranger to visual spectacle, seems to have found a good match in Lloyd Webber's larger-than-life vision of Gaston LeRoux's Gothic horror-romance. His weakness is cuing too many audience-reaction shots and showing too much of the lurking Phantom, but when he calms down and lets Rossum sings "Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again" alone in a silent graveyard, it's exquisite.

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Those who consider the stage musical shallow and overblown probably won't have their minds changed by the movie, and devotees will forever rue that the movie took the better part of two decades to develop, which prevented the casting of original principals Michael Crawford and Sarah Brightman. Still, The Phantom of the Opera is a welcome exception to the long line of ill-conceived Broadway-to-movie travesties.

DVD Features
The special edition of The Phantom of the Opera has two major extras. "Behind the Mask: The Story of The Phantom of the Opera" is an hourlong documentary tracing the genesis of the stage show, with interviews of composer Andrew Lloyd Webber, director Harold Prince, producer Cameron Macintosh, lyricists Richard Stilgoe and Charles Hart, choreographer Gillian Lynne, and others. Conspicuously absent are stars Sarah Brightman and Michael Crawford. Both do appear in video clips, including Brightman performing with Colm Wilkinson at an early workshop, and Crawford is the subject of a casting segment. Other brief scenes from the show are represented by a 2001 production. The other major feature is the 45-minute making-of focusing on the movie, including casting and the selection of director Joel Schumacher Both are well-done productions by Lloyd Webber's Really Useful Group.

The deleted scene is a new song written by Lloyd Webber and Charles Hart, "No One Would Listen," sung by the Phantom toward the end of the movie. It's a beautiful song that, along with Madame Giry's story, makes him a more sympathetic character. But because that bit of backstory already slowed down the ending, it was probably a good move to cut the song. --David Horiuchi

More on The Phantom of the Opera

The Phantom of the Opera (Special Extended Edition Soundtrack) (CD)	The Phantom of the Opera (2004 Movie Soundtrack) (CD)	The Phantom of the Opera (Original 1986 London Cast) (CD)
Evita (DVD)	Andrew Lloyd Weber: The Royal Albert Hall Celebration (DVD)	More Broadway DVDs

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Sound of Music, The 45th Anniversary Edition Blu-ray + DVD

Sound of Music, The 45th Anniversary Edition Blu-ray + DVD
Starring: Christopher Plummer Format: Blu-ray
Release Date: November 2, 2010

Buy new: $34.99 $31.49

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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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A Surprise in Texas - The 13th International Van Cliburn Piano Competition (featuring Nobuyuki Tsujii; Haochen Zhang; Yeol Eum Son)

A Surprise in Texas - The 13th International Van Cliburn Piano Competition (featuring Nobuyuki Tsujii; Haochen Zhang; Yeol Eum Son)
Starring: James Conlon, Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra Director: Peter Rosen Format: DVD
(1)
Release Date: September 1, 2010

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In May 2009, twenty-nine of the world's best young pianists converged in Fort Worth, Texas for a once in a lifetime chance at gold in the thirteenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition. Emmy-winning director Peter Rosen follows these distinctive personalities during a rigorous three-week competition through intense rehearsals, introspective moments, pre-concert rituals, and endearing celebrations.
With the performances of Chopin, Liszt, Beethoven, and Rachmaninoff and other piano masterpieces setting the impassioned tone, the result is an intricate inside view into the inner workings of the world's most prestigious piano competition and a
heartwarming story that proves to be a momentous surprise in Texas. Read more

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White Christmas [Blu-ray]

White Christmas [Blu-ray]
Starring: Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye Format: Blu-ray
(285)
Release Date: November 2, 2010

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Two talented son-and-dance men (Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye) team up after the war to become one of the hottest acts in show business.This semi-remake of Holiday Inn (the first movie in which Irving Berlin's perennial, Oscar-winning holiday anthem was featured) doesn't have much of a story, but what it does have is choice: Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, Rosemary Clooney, an all-Irving Berlin song score, classy direction by Hollywood vet Michael Curtiz (Casablanca, The Adventures of Robin Hood), VistaVision (the very first feature ever shot in that widescreen format), and ultrafestive Technicolor! Crosby and Kaye are song-and-dance men who hook up, romantically and professionally, with a "sister" act (Clooney and Vera-Ellen) to put on a Big Show to benefit the struggling ski-resort lodge run by the beloved old retired general (Dean Jagger) of their WWII Army outfit. Crosby is cool, Clooney is warm, Kaye is goofy, and Vera-Ellen is leggy. Songs include: "Sisters" (Crosby and Kaye do their own drag version, too), "Snow," "We'll Follow the Old Man," "Mandy," "Count Your Blessings Instead of Sheep," and more. Christmas would be unthinkable without White Christmas. --Jim Emerson Read more

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Little Shop of Horrors (Keepcase)

Little Shop of Horrors (Keepcase)
Starring: Rick Moranis, Ellen Greene Director: Frank Oz Format: DVD
67 days in the top 100
(212)

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Studio: Warner Home Video Release Date: 11/03/2009 Run time: 94 minutes Rating: Pg13The off-Broadway comedy-horror-musical hit that ran for years makes a successful transfer to film with a bevy of big-name cameos and two perfectly cast leads. Rick Moranis is the nebbish Seymour, who pines for flower-girl Audrey (Ellen Greene) while living in the basement of florist Mr. Mushnik (Vincent Gardenia). Things start turning around for Seymour, though, after he buys a little plant during a solar eclipse, christens it Audrey II, and discovers that it likes to drink blood. Soon enough, though, Seymour finds out that Audrey II, now grown to epic proportions, is in actuality a "mean green mother from outer space" that is hell-bent on world domination. Based on the 1960 Roger Corman cheapie that featured a young Jack Nicholson, Little Shop boasts a hilarious, amazing score by Howard Ashman and Alan Menken, who would go on to revitalize Disney's animation arm with The Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast. Greene, the lone holdover from the original cast, is a ravishing, goofy Audrey, whose awkward demeanor belies a voice that could knock Ethel Merman off her feet. She's ably matched by Moranis, whose lack of a singing voice is perfectly in sync with Seymour's nerdiness. And Levi Stubbs Jr. of the Four Tops provides the lowdown, nasty-minded voice of Audrey II; his rendition of the Oscar-nominated "Mean Green Mother from Outer Space" is a showstopper. As for those celebrity cameos, Steve Martin's sadistic dentist is a masterful creation, as is Bill Murray's masochistic patient; John Candy, James Belushi, and Christopher Guest also pop up. And there was never a lovelier and funkier Greek chorus than the three Motown-fueled girls (Tichina Arnold, Michelle Weeks, and Tisha Campbell) who appear throughout the film. --Mark Englehart Read more

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Pee-wee's Playhouse #1 - Seasons 1 and 2

Pee-wee's Playhouse #1 - Seasons 1 and 2
Starring: Paul Reubens, John Paragon Director: Paul Reubens, Bill Freiberger Format: DVD
184 days in the top 100
(73)

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Pee-wee and his friends have fun while learning valuable lessons.The secret word is overdue in regard to a DVD release of the delirious Pee-Wee's Playhouse, but this boxed set, packaged with the assistance and approval of series creator and star Paul Reubens, brings back all the bizarre charm and energy of this terrific Saturday-morning series. In creating Pee-Wee's Playhouse, Reubens blended the innocence of early children's television shows with the surreal visual style of music videos and Reubens' own gleefully manic creation (Pee-Wee grew out of Reubens's stint with the legendary comic improv group the Groundlings). The end result was the rare '80s children's program that encouraged creativity and individuality (and screaming, which was the proper response whenever the "secret word" was uttered) in its younger viewers, and delivered sly, subversive humor for Pee-Wee's older fans that had seen his live shows and movies. Critics were tickled by his antics as well, and gave the show the Television Critics Award for Outstanding Children's Program in 1987 (it would also pick up numerous Emmy awards and nominations for writing, editing and art direction through its five-season run).

The five discs in Playhouse #1 include all of Pee-Wee's first- and second-season adventures (including two unaired episodes) with his puppet pals Chairry, Conky the Robot, and Pterry, as well as a host of offbeat human performers like the late Phil Hartman (who played Captain Carl and served as one of the show's writers), Laurence Fishburne (Cowboy Curtis), Natasha Lyonne (the precocious Opal), William (Blacula) Marshall as the King of Cartoons (Marshall replaced Gilbert Lewis, who reigned as the King from 1986-87), Shirley Stoler from The Honeymoon Killers as Mrs. Steve, and Law and Order's S. Epartha Merkerson as Reba the Mail Lady. Highlights include the first episode, "Ice Cream Soup," which introduces most of the Playhouse crew; "Playhouse in Outer Space," which teaches a sweet (if thoroughly cracked) lesson in friendship; and the frantic "Party," which culminates in a rousing game of Pin the Tail on the Globey. PW faithful, take note: the 1988 Christmas Special is not included here, but fret not--it's available as a separate disc. This set has no supplemental features. --Paul Gaita Read more

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