Faerie Tale Theatre: Magical Tales (1984) Review

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(More customer reviews)Collected in this DVD are four unforgettable stories from Shelley Duvall's beloved FAERIE TALE THEATRE series. However, the title for this compilation ("Magical Tales") is quite curious, because most (if not all) of the stories from the show can be described as "magical"! Still, your family will adore seeing these fairytale classics, enacted by a star-studded cast: Susan Sarandon, Ben Vereen, Leonard Nimoy and Vanessa Redgrave among them.
SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS:
Elizabeth McGovern is luminous in the title role of Snow White. Her acting is very understated and she perfectly captures the innocence and bewilderment of the character. Vanessa Redgrave offers a tour-de-force performance as the Wicked Queen, who dons several magical disguises to ensnare our heroine. Rex Smith gives us a Prince who is handsome yet goofy (a refreshing change), and Vincent Price is a delight as both the Magic Mirror and Narrator. Series creator Shelley Duvall has a brief role as Snow White's mother during the prologue.
BEAUTY AND THE BEAST:
Beauty's (Susan Sarandon) merchant father steals a white rose from the castle of the Beast (Klaus Kinski). As punishment, the Beast orders that the merchant return to the castle in 3 days, or else one of his daughters must go in his place. Beauty selflessly sacrifices her own freedom to release her father. Once in the castle, Beauty slowly begins to win the friendship and trust of the Beast, who hides a gentle and kind heart beneath his frightening exterior.
PUSS IN BOOTS:
In return for some swanky new clothes, a clever cat (Ben Vereen) promises his master Edgar (Gregory Hines) a kingdom of his own and wealth beyond his wildest dreams. And with an extra bit of cunning Edgar might just win the hand of the fair Princess Lovinia (Alfre Woodard)!
ALADDIN AND HIS WONDERFUL LAMP:
Aladdin (played by Robert Carradine) is thrown into a world of wonder, danger and romance after discovering a lamp which contains a Genie (James Earl Jones) who will grant his every wish. Unfortunately, a scheming magician (Leonard Nimoy) also knows about the magical lamp and will stop at nothing to get it...

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Includes Four Magical Episodes from Shelley Duvall's Faerie Tale Theatre Digitally Restored and Re-mastered!
Evil magicians, cursed princes, fierce ogres, wicked queens and more fill this 4-episode collection from the award-winning series.Some of the most treasured tales of magic and enchantment are brought to life with glorious productions and magnificent costumes that will leave you spellbound… happily ever after.
ALADDIN AND HIS WONDERFUL LAMP Aladdin (Robert Carradine) discovers a magic lamp which houses a Genie (James Earl Jones) who can grant his every wish. Unfortunately, the Evil Magician (Leonard Nimoy) sets his sights on Aladdin\'s newest treasure.
BEAUTY AND THE BEAST In order to save her father\'s life, Beauty (Susan Sarandon) travels to Beast\'s (Klaus Kinski) palace, a magnificent castle in the woods. The two quickly become friends and learn the true nature of beauty.
PUSS IN BOOTS The resourceful cat Puss (Ben Vereen) must use both skill and trickery to defeat a fierce Ogre (Brock Peters) and bring wealth and success to his best friend Edgar (Gregory Hines).
SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS After a jealous Queen (Vanessa Redgrave) poisons Snow White (Elizabeth McGovern), it\'s up to seven brave dwarfs and a handsome prince (Rex Smith) to break her spell.

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That's Singing: Best of Broadway Review

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(More customer reviews)This taping absolutely blew me away! I originally bought it for the single purpose of seeing Barry Bostwick perform "Summer Loving" (instead of the talentless Travolta) after hearing the recording of the orginal "Grease!" cast. What an incredible find. As someone who is in love with musical theatre-I consider this film a treasure! To see such talented performers reviving the roles that they created is a once in a life time oportunity caught here for generations to fall in love with. You are treated to Broadway's Grand Dame Ethel Merman singing 2 of her timeless classics, Nell Carter bringing character and energy to Cole Porter music, Barry Bostwick and Carol Demas proving once and for all who the real Danny and Sandy were, Stephen Nathan and David Haskell tackling probably one of the most challenging duets ever-from "Godspell", the enigmatic Chita Rivera dancing to "The Shriners' Ballet" as well as singing and hoofing to "Little One New York",multi-talented Jerry Orback singing "Try to Remember" and the show-stopping "Lullaby of Broadway", and Ray Walston, gleefully reminising "The Good Ol' Days". Any self-respecting Broadway and/or musical theatre fan should own this taping. It gives the audience a glipmse back to a time when it took pure talent to make in on the Great White Way!!

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Songs and performers:
1. Everything's Coming Up Roses--Ethel Merman (Gypsy) 2. Quadrille--the American Dance Machine (Can-Can) 3. Get Some Cash for Your Trash--Nell Carter (Ain't Misbehaving) 4. You Could Drive a Person Crazy--Donna McKechnie, Pamela Myers, Susan Browning (Company) 5. You Made Me Love You--Debbie Reynolds (Irene) 6. Try to Remember--Jerry Orbach (The Fantastics) 7. Shriner's Dance--Chita Rivera and the American Dance Machine (Bye Bye Birdie) 8. Summer Loving--Barry Bostwick and Carol Demas (Grease) 9. Sleeping Bee--Diahann Carroll (House of Flowers) 10. Never Will I Marry--Anthony Perkins (Greenwillow) 11. All for the Best--Stephen Nathan and David Haskell (Godspell) 12. Mean to Me--Nell Carter (Ain't Misbehaving) 13. I Believe in You--Robert Morse (How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying) 14. Could I Leave You--Alexis Smith (Follies) 15. Charlie's Place--Donna McKechnie, Wayne Cilento, and the American Dance Machine (Over Here) 16. Little One New York--Chita Rivera and the American Dance Machine (Tenderloin) 17. Pretty Woman--Len Cariou (Sweeney Todd) 18. Send in the Clowns--Glynis Johns and Len Cariou (A Little Night Music) 19. Those Were the Good Old Days--Ray Walston (Damn Yankees) 20. They Say It's Wonderful--Ethel Merman (Annie Get Your Gun) 21. Lullaby of Broadway--Jerry Orbach and the entire company

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Paul Robeson - James Earl Jones One Man Show Review

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(More customer reviews)Today the legend of Paul Robeson is not so well known, but
thirty to forty years ago he was recognized as a giant. Here is a man who performed serious roles in the movies, most rare for Black actors in the 1930'and 1940's. Robeson's singing of African American folk spirituals is second to none. Paul Robeson became a lawyer, an actor, an activist and was rather fluent in several languages. (But in response to Jim Crow racism, he turned to socialism for an answer...a political choice that many have never forgiven)
James Earl Jones performs Robeson masterfully...indeed Jones is probably the only Black actor who is big enough to fill the role. I hope more people learn about this thought provoking film.

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James Earl Jones gives the performance of a lifetime in this one-man-show as singer/actor/activist Paul Robeson, whose controversial political views ended his career prematurely. Paul Robeson was a man of extraordinary versatility and achieved distinction as both a scholar and an athlete before he became an internationally-honored concert artist, and stage and screen actor, in the 1930s and 40s. His life took a darker turn in the late 40s when he repeatedly spoke out against racial injustice and defended the Soviet Union (at the height of the Cold War). As a result, he was virtually blacklisted from the entertainment industry. His passport was revoked and his concerts were cancelled. His dazzling career was shattered. Only towards the end of his life did he resume public appearances and his fame began to revive. He died in 1976. James Earl Jones is outstanding, with only a few props and a bare stage, in portraying Robeson's life and truly heroic spirit, with a magnificent performance that matches the remarkable subject.

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The Rivals Review

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(More customer reviews)Although I am hardly an authority on the theater, it does not take a genius to see that this production is something special. The acting is wonderful, the camera work is excellent (especially compared to most recordings of stage events) and the play itself is amazing. The performance was done in period costumes, just as it was when it was in 1775, and the language of the 1775 text is retained just as Sheridan wrote it. I have noticed nothing in this performance that detracts from Sheridan's original vision.
I can guarantee you will have a great time watching this; it is completely worth the money to have this gem.

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The Rivals, Sheridan’s first play, is a portrait made of material from his own life, his scandalous marriage to a popular singer of the age and the characters he had come to know in the town of Bath. As his biographer Fintan O’Toole said, it was an attempt ‘to inflate everything that people thought they knew about him into a huge, hysterical burlesque. Instead of inventing a story and pretending it was real, he could present his own reality as if it were an invention.' Sheridan’s great satire turns the familiar world of arranged marriages, courtship and rivalry on its head. One of the sharpest and funniest social comedies of the late eighteenth century is presented here in the perfect setting of a theatre built just nine years before the play was written. Directed by Rachel Kavanagh,with Selina Cadell, recorded at Bristol Old Vic."Rachel Kavanaugh’s elegant, nimble-footed production is the best account of Sheridan’s play I’ve seen." THE SUNDAY TIMES"..whenever Selina Cadell sails on to the stage in this latest revival, a rose-red galleon half as old again as she wants to be, the evening’s pleasure-content soars. She deranges her epigraphs with an unstressed equanimity, and never the hint of a doubt crosses her carefully composed countenance." THE TIMES"Peter McKintosh has designed a spacious Georgian set; in the background, a soft Gainsborough sky. This is a treat." THE SUNDAY TIMES

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Archos 705 Wi-Fi Portable Media Player (80 GB) Review

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(More customer reviews)On paper, this device is in a class by itself. It has the largest screen (7") of any similar media player, it has a 160gb hard drive, it has wifi, it has links to content portals (such as Cinema Now), it has a touchscreen interface and it is reasonably priced.
But, as is so often the case, paper specifications are meaningless if the user experience falls short. And for me, the device had significant flaws in many important categories, so that, when taken as a whole, it left me unimpressed and searching for another player.
First, the screen, while 7" measured diagonally, displays videos that are so grainy that they look like poor analog television. I ripped xvid files at high bitrates to test the 705, and in every case, the videos were grainy and blurry, not sharp or detailed. Perhaps this has something to do with the fact that the 705 has 260,000 colors and not 16 million colors that other players have (for example, the Cowon A3 and the Archos 605). While I realize that I cannot even see 260,000 colors, the number of colors does affect contrast and sharpness, and Archos would be well advised to update its technology. Furthermore, it seems counterintuitive that Archos would have fewer colors for a 7" screen, when the Cowon A3 and the Archos 605 have much smaller screens but 60 times the colors.
Second, the audio is only adequate. In direct comparisons with other players, the 705 had very low volume, a mediocre soundstage and only average detail.
Third, the hard drive froze so many times that I lost count. I was constantly resetting it, and in doing so, I had to re-input data.
Fourth, the touchscreen interface requires the supplied stylus for many functions. Using one's finger without the stylus is a frustrating experience, since the 705 is not sensitive enough to work only with finger prompts.
Fifth, the battery, while removable, worked only for 1 1/2 hours when I watched videos. The specifications state that the battery life for videos is 5 1/2 hours. These numbers are so disparate that I'm not sure under what conditions Archos tested the battery life for videos.
Lastly, the content portal, which could be a great source of streaming media, was clearly an afterthought. I tried to purchase videos from Cinema Now, and the search function rarely worked and in most instances, I was unable to purchase videos. I ended up having to purchase the videos from my PC and sync them to the 705.
In sum, the 705 did not suit my needs. However, I will watch it closely for future developments. Archos has a potentially great product here; one that no other manufacturer makes. It is indeed unfortunate that it falls short of its promising specifications.

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With 80 GB of built-in memory, the Archos 705 Wi-Fi portable media player lets you surf, stream, download, and record movies for easy playback on its crystal clear 800 x 480 7-inch full-color touchscreen. With its Wi-Fi capabilities, the 705 Wi-Fi connects to the Internet for surfing the Web, accessing e-mail, and watching Web-based videos wherever you go. Its Opera Browser plug-in puts Adobe Flash support on your Archos, which enables access to and use of Dailymotion and other Web video sites on your Archos device. You can even view and post YouTube videos wherever you have a wireless connection and your Archos.
To assist in finding new and exciting media, the 705 Wi-Fi comes with integrated access to Archos' content portal, a service that features thousands of movies, TV shows, and songs for downloading wirelessly to the player. The player also sports an integrated TV program guide you can use to record your favorite TV shows for later playback. And because the device supports PDF files, you can kick back with an e-book in PDF format while on the road or review important PDF documents while away from the office. The 705 Wi-Fi supports MPEG4, AVI, and WMV video files and audio files in MP3, WMA, Protected WMA, and WAV file formats.
Bridging the gap between the PC and the TV, the 705 Wi-Fi allows you to stream content from a PC or the Internet directly to a TV or the 705--all through a wireless home network and an optional DVR station. It also features a sophisticated touchscreen, no-button design to ensure simple navigation with your fingertips or stylus. In the absence of a Wi-Fi network, content can be transferred to the device via USB 2.0. The player supports Windows, Mac, and Linux operating systems. The 705 Wi-Fi measures 7.05 x 4.96 x 7.75 inches, weighs only 22 ounces, and features a music playback battery life of up to 25 hours and a video playback life of up to 5.5 hours.
New Free Widget Pack Archos has launched a new widget pack that is free for the 705. A widget is a piece of software that adds new features to your player. It gives you fun, quick, and easy access to hundreds of tools, right on the device. The package contains seven widgets, including a calculator, a currency converter, a unit converter, news, weather, a note writer, and a data vault.
To be able to use the widgets, you need to purchase the Web Browser plug-in (about $30). Then, you can download the free widget pack via Archos.com.
New Dish Network Plug-in With a new plug-in, you can transfer recorded movies and TV shows from your Dish Network set-top box directly to your Archos 705. Play back Dish Network-recorded movies and TV shows on the go or on TV--in DVD quality.
Multi-language is supported. The plug-in is compatible only with Dish Network STB models 622 and 722.
What's in the Box Archos 705 Wi-Fi, headphones, USB 2.0 cable, USB 2.0 host adapter, DVR station saddle, two styli, remote control with built-in keyboard, power adapter and charger, protective pouch, quick start guide, and legal and safety notice. NOTE: The Archos 705 manual states that a UK/European adapter is included; however, this adapter is not included in the box. To obtain the adapter mentioned in the manual, contact Archos Customer Service at 866-489-4718--available seven days a week, 7AM to 11PM CST.

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Panasonic SC-HT740 5 DVD Home Theater System Review

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(More customer reviews)Just purchased it yesterday, this is our first HT experience. We are thrilled by the surround sound so far, I am in the process of testing all options, will update the review as well as star rating as I see more.
So far, the Pros are:
1) excellent surround sound
2) special Hbass for additional bass is awesome
3) plays dvds,cds,mp3s very well
4) interfaced quickly to my Philips TV, so can use the same remote for tv too. Now can watch TV shows/movies on home theater!
5) set-up with manual was quick and easy
6) aesthetically my wife loves the tower-front speakers
7) 5-disc changer is such that you can put CDs/DVDs in the unoccupied trays without interruption current CD/DVD play.
So far, the Cons are:
1) does not play mpegs
2) does not play vcds burnt with divx
3) remote has a gazillion options, will take time to master it!
4) Speaker wires which come with the HT are not great, will definitely need replacement down the line.
New addition:
Pros
1) Plays jpegs very well, it scans through your data disc and displays all jpeg files as a slideshow. Files not recognised are skipped. Using "playlist" on the remote, is like using windows explorer on the TV screen for selecting specific files.

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Home Theater System with 5 DISC DVD/CD Player, 1000 Watts, 6 Speakers

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