King Lear (1984) Review

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(More customer reviews)I have to disagree with the negative reviews posted above. This is possibly Olivier's best recorded performance, and the bulk of the other performances are excellent as well, particularly that of Diana Rigg. The actors speak their lines so casually and easily that, even if you're not used to Shakespearian dialog, it'll soon all seem perfectly natural. The set is minimalist, true, but if your enjoyment of Shakespeare is dependent upon set design then I recommend you never attend a stage performance. If I have one complaint about this production it's that the actors, while individually turning out great performances, don't appear to be relating to each other very well--as if they're each giving their rendition of their characters without letting their performances be informed by the performances of those around them. Still and all, this is an extremely moving production of one of the most powerful plays in the canon.

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The late Sir Lawrence Olivier stars in this Emmy Award winning production of Shakespeare's King Lear. It is the timeless tale of greed and lust for power, and of a sick old man, his scheming children and lost loyalties. Also stars Diana Rigg, John Hurt, Leo McKern, and Colin Blakely. Special DVD features include a biography and filmography on Sir Lawrence Olivier, character and cast list, chapter stops on each scene, and more. 158 minutes.

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Children of Theatre Street (1977) Review

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(More customer reviews)This academy award-nominated 1977 film is a co-production of western and Soviet film professionals, narrated by the late Princess Grace of Monaco. There are no subtitles--all translations are done by voiceover. It is one of three documentaries about the Kirov Ballet and its school, the Vaganova Choreographic Institute, in St. Petersburg, Russia (called Leningrad at the time of this film). The others--"Backstage at the Kirov" (1984) and "The Leningrad Legend" (1989)--are better in terms of production values and believable candid scenes. But "Children of Theatre Street" is the only one that focuses primarily on the students, and therein lies its great appeal.
Theatre Street is the popular name for Rossi Street, on which the entrance to the Kirov's school is located. Entrance exams are held annually. Thousands of children, aged 10-12, apply; only 20 are selected. Some of the rigorous audition process is shown--the children are chosen for specific physical proportions and natural physical abilities. As the narrator tells us, "Talent is considered worth measuring only when it occurs in the right body." Those chosen face eight years of relative luxury and privilege in the Soviet Union, but also a life of hard work and discipline.
Featured are an 11-year-old girl, a 13-year old boy, and two girls from the graduating class, with much of the focus on preparations for the upcoming graduation performance. The students are shown going to performances, a beach on the Gulf of Finland, and Petrodvorets, the tsars' summer palace near St. Petersburg. They are also shown in a meeting of the Pioneers, the first step in becoming a member of the Communist Party. Some of the activities and interviews with the students were obviously staged (such as a pillow fight when the boy "sneaks" into the girls' dorm) and many are suspect. I wondered how much of the purported closeness between the featured students was for the sake of the film. One real and touching moment, which the scriptwriters chose not to translate, was when the two graduating girls, who are roommates, have finished their much-anticipated (and dreaded) graduation performance and are congratulating each other, full of excitement and relief.
Marring the film is its frequent stage-iness, as well as one messy sequence which intersperses classroom scenes with performances of "Swan Lake," while the music of the ballet is superimposed over the classroom piano, and music from one part of the ballet is played while the dancers perform another part. However, there are plenty of views of beautiful St. Petersburg, and the scenes of the students in classes and performances are delightful, so I give this film four stars. One of the Kirov's illustrious alumni, Rudolf Nureyev, is quoted on the jacket: "...at the Kirov School, there will always be another vintage year, and 'Theatre Street' tells why."

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The Man Who Knew Too Little (1997) Review

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(More customer reviews)People can piss and moan about plot and structure and character but when you've got a film like this one you should put those things aside and watch the movie for what it is, a very well done comedy about mistaken identity. The idea may be cliche but with Bill Murray's comic timing and prowess, it doesn't matter if the idea has been used a thousand times. This movie made me laugh from start to finish. Why? Because it is a comedy. If it makes you laugh, its doing its job. Murray delivered a hillarious performance as did Alfred Molina and the old British Bad guy(don't know his name). His brother played by Peter Gallagher was also surprisingly funny in his scenes. A comic gem that should be given more credit.

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A naive American in London is mistaken for a spy by a group bent on reviving the good old days of Cold War skullduggery. Believing it's all a game he treats every dramatic situation and threat as a joke. Based on the novel "Watch That Man" by Robert Farrar.Running Time: 95 min.System Requirements:Feature-Length Audio Commentary by Director Jon AmielAlternate Music Only Track (5.1)Interactive MenusProduction Notes4 Theatrical Trailers3 TV SpotsScene AccessLanguages: English & FrenchSubtitles: English French and SpanishDolby DigitalEnglish & French: Dolby Surround 5.1Standard version formatted from its original version to fit your screen.Widescreen version presented in a "matted" widescreen format preserving the aspect ratio of its original theatrical exhibition. Enhanced for widescreen TVs. Video Format: Widescreen (no AR specified) Standard 1.33:1 (4.3) Enhanced for 16x9 TVsFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre:COMEDY Rating:PG UPC:085391562627

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Ray Bradbury Theater Review

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(More customer reviews)This is the exact same product at the DVD set listed as the "Ray Bradbury Theater Complete Series" but for less money and comes with a collectible tin. This was $18 vs. $31 for the other version. When you open the tin up, the package inside looks exactly the same as the picture for the other version, and even lists the copyright date as 2004.
I haven't watched all the episodes yet, but if you like Ray Bradbury, you can't beat this set for this price. The complete series on 5 DVDs with all 65 episodes for under $20-you can't go wrong.

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Honey and Spice: Sensual and Fierce Burlesque Review

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(More customer reviews)Jo Weldon aptly describes burlesque as a "sophisticated and theatrical art with a long history," and it's a history that will go well into the future, in many forms. Anyone planning on a Broadway musical career should learn what Jo has to teach in this DVD, because sooner or later, they'll need to know. One has only to see the late great Bob Fosse's choreography ("Cabaret," etc.) to know what many of his ideas were based on...burlesque!
Jo covers many subjects in this DVD, and teaches 2 routines. The first is "Honey," which is smooth and sensual with a feather boa, the 2nd is "Spice," which is faster and raunchier because it includes the classic "bump and grind" moves. Both are demonstrated and broken down step by step for easy absorption, and are simple to learn. It's the style that takes practice, in this "art of concealing and revealing."
Jo among her many credits is founder of the New York School of Burlesque. The music used is terrific and very authentic, and is drummer and bandleader Ronnie Magri's Shim Sham Revue- Music of New Orleans Burlesque Shows of the 30's, 40's & 50's
There is a Warm-Up section, and the "Extras" are excellent, and are on costuming. Stockings (runs are O.K., but the seams better be straight!), corsets, and those special little tassels. You'll learn how to glue `em and move `em. They are demonstrated on a bra, but of course are supposed to be applied to your skin. These days we are used to seeing actresses on the screen "in the buff" and it is so boring. Jo does much more just taking off a single glove.

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The Honey & Spice instructional video explores two styles of burlesque: Sensual and Fierce. Burlesque is a sophisticated theatrical art with a long history, many subgenres and a wide range of flavors from classic to neo-burlesque. Burlesque combines elements of acting, modeling and dance. It cultivates confidence, bold femininity, and a sense of humor.

Created by Jo Weldon, the Headmistress and Founder of the New York School of Burlesque, the program features two burlesque routines set to authentic burlesque music. The emphasis of both routines is on understanding the art of concealing and revealing. While burlesque has its own classic moves and steps, any burlesque routine can be personalized by adding steps from your favorite form of dance or from other variety arts.

The Honey routine is a tantalizing, sensual dance, performed with a feather boa. It is playful, funny, and very graceful. You will learn how to work with the boa, how to peel off your gloves, how to interact with your audience, and how to be sexy and confident on stage.

The Spice routine is based on the burlesque staple, Bump & Grind. It is high-energy, sexy, rhythmic, and glamorous. You will learn different types of bumps, various burlesque walks, and classic burlesque poses. In the Spice routine you will also learn how to project the burlesque attitude, that sexy confidence you need to amaze and charm any audience.

Jo demonstrates the routines and then breaks down each section step-by-step. Every routine consists of 5 combinations. The DVD chaptering allows you to navigate easily between combinations, both in the demonstrations and in the breakdowns, for easy review and practice.

Additional technique and practice sections include a warmup, a sensual burlesque movement series, and the basics of bump & Grind. Jo also discusses burlesque costumes and offers tips for using certain special items of clothing as props: You will learn how to make a theatrical event out of peeling off your stockings and gloves, and taking off your corset. Special DVD Extras demonstrate the basics of Tassel Twirling and show different types of pasties and how to attach them.

Both routines in this program are based on the classic burlesque [striptease] tradition. Jo teaches moves she learned from women who performed burlesque in the 1930s through the 1960s. Jo s fascination with classic burlesque brought her to study with Dixie Evans, Sherry Britton, Tura Satana, Satan's Angel, Dee Milo, Toni Elling, and other legends of burlesque. Jo Weldon is the Co-Executive Director of Education for The Burlesque Hall of Fame, Las Vegas, as well as the Coordinator of The Burlesque Master Class at Coney Island, where the best of New York's amazing neo-burlesque performers come together to present their most outrageous and iconoclastic acts.

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Respectable Trade (1998) Review

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(More customer reviews)After coming across this film quite accidentally on PBS, I found it thoroughly gripping, and agree completely with the other reviewers' high praise. I am adding my own words merely to encourage viewers not to overlook the extraordinary performance by Anna Massey as Sarah Cole. It is tempting to dismiss Sarah as a simple villain in this tale. However, I found Massey's stark performance deeply moving and expressive of Sarah's profound experience of displacement and loss. She is clearly the brains in her brother's business, for example, and depends on it for her own welfare, but is helpless to prevent its decline when Josiah begins to exclude her from his decisionmaking process. She is forced to abandon her lifelong home and lifestyle in pursuit of her brother's social pretensions. A proud and stoic worker, she is asked to curry favor with shallow and spoiled members aristocracy. I sympathized deeply with her scorn for unearned luxury.
Female in 18th century England, Sarah--like Frances, and like Mehuru--enjoys tragically little opportunity to guide her own fate.

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Tantalus Review

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(More customer reviews)The subject of this documentary is the evolution of an amazing 10-hour play, premiered in Denver in 2000. A Google search on the internet will provide contemporary review: audiences raved despite the incredible ticket price, the 10 am to 10:30 pm running time, with two meal breaks. The story is based on an amalgam of Greek myth, centered around yet another human tortured by the Gods, this time, with thirst. The play uses every imaginable resource available to modern theater: masks, giant puppets, contemporary characters, gods and goddesses, a stage covered in sand with a pool in it and assembles an international array of theater technicians, each to provide their unique take on costumes, lighting, puppetry, music, set design etc. Knowing that it was spectacularly successful doesn't prevent the viewer of this documentary from sharing the tension, raw panic, primal fear etc. shared by all the professionals that this might just not work--or it will work in an unimaginable way. I saw it when it appeared on PBS in Dec 2001 and rewatched my tape many times before I wore it out. it's great to have it available on DVD.

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A fascinating, behind-the-scenes look at one of the most talked about theatre events of our time - Tantalus, the ten-hour, nine-play cycle written by Royal Shakespeare Company co-founder John Barton and directed by Sir Peter Hall.The filmmakers take a "no-holds-barred" approach, exposing the fears, creative tensions and euphoric breakthroughs through the rehearsal period. We are present for the volcanic conflicts between author and director, the grueling rehearsals, the resignations, the schedule havoc, and finally the triumphant opening night. The film team was granted full access, roaming freely through rehearsal halls, climbing catwalks as they captured the gargantuan challenges of mounting this epic reinvention of the ancient Greek myths. 2 DVDs (00314650) or 2 Videos (00314649). 1 hour, 54 minutes.

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