Arts Movie Reviews

I purchased the DVD set (not having ready any reviews) wanting to learn something new, have fun doing some sort of exercise, spice up my sensuality, and really to try to bring my body back to some sort of shape four months after giving childbirth.

I WAS NOT DISAPPOINTED!

I really enjoy this DVD set. The lessons are fun to learn with several movements much easier to learn that I thought they would be (like shoulder shakes and body shimmies) I didn't feel like any of the moves were impossible to master. You're working out while you're learning and having fun at the same time.

One bonus for me is that my four month old son enjoys watching lovely Veena and Neena dance while I follow along (looking silly right now). So I can get in my physical activity without waiting for him to nap.

I look forward to the time I can show my new talent to my husband, which I have no doubt he will enjoy. Until then I'm going to keep practicing, practicing, practicing, with Veena and Neena.

The extra dance videos are fun to watch and really get your imagination going. They show the different forms of belly dancing there are out there. The costumes are lovely (and inspiring)and so are the ladies performing them. I've gotten several good ideas as to the type of costume I would like to make for myself.

If you decide that to buy this DVD set, I doubt you'll be disappointed. It's fun, lovely, and tastefully done.

Neena and Veena are fabulous instructors. There are three videos included: Basic Dance, Beyond Basic Dance, and Mystic Dance. If you are deciding between VHS and DVD, I strongly recommend the DVD. The DVD has some great bellydancing extras on it, including some fitness bellydance examples. You can choose having the instructional voice on or off.

My one complaint about these videos revolves around the instructional voice, which is not always in sync with what Neena and Veena are currently doing. If I'm not paying attention, when I'm learning the steps, I can get frustrated by that, as I tend to listen to the voice more. (habit left from dancing and aerobics)

I LOVE the videos. These are the best bellydance instructional videos I've tried. The camera focus is almost perfect - when small movements are occurring (say with the wrist), it's focussed on the wrist, or if there is a bit of trickier footwork - focus is on the the feet. Otherwise, it's mostly a whole body shot - which is much better than many of the other bellydancing videos.

Instruction starts slow - I like how they teach arm positions for you to be able to experiment. The progression from slow to tempo does occur a little fast, but it's allowed me more enjoyment of the video because it has been a little more challenging. It's not too difficult!

The steps all come together in the end with a choreographed dance, which is great fun. The videos definitely build skills from one to the other. Once you've practiced a few times, and are getting the dance routines down, you will be getting a workout!! My arms already look totally different, and I have more hip flexibility than I use to.

These videos gave me enough experience to feel confident enough after three weeks of (secret) practice to give a dance to my husband. He thought I'd been taking lessons on my lunch break. (and no, he's not suave enough to have just come up with that!) :)

Fun and energizing exercise, with an element of sensuality - for what more could I ask?

This set is particularly valuable for the beginning dancer who is more interested in learning the technique than in a workout video or weightloss. (Of course it is good for these things, too.) The focus is on teaching the basics of dance and putting everything together into choreographies that you don't mind showing off.

Okay, you have Baryshnikov tossing off incredible solos, that's always worth it. But sometimes he seems a bit cutsey,hammy and glib onstage. Cynthia Harvey, a good but not great dancer, is okay in the "white" classical act, but just doesn't cut in the first act or the pas de deux. She has no attack, flair or character to her dancing, and it falls flat. Look at a dancer like Maya Plisetskaya perform the same material, and this looks like an amateur production. I do give cudos to Chery Yeager's Amour, which she dances with a great deal of charm. Santo Loquasto's sets and costumes lack the earthiness and moodiness that the ballet needs. As a result, his color ballet makes it look like a bon bon. Harvey's costumes make her get lost in the crowds. Furthermore, the orchestrations in this version sometimes sound like John Phillip Souza and give the production a cheezy sound. This production isn't bad, it just doesn't understand the core of Petipa and Gorsky's choreography. I totally disagree that Don Quixote is second rate ballet... the choreography is superb, but it has to be done with flair and flawlessly.

This is my favorite ballet tape, and I look forward to having it on DVD. I don't even know where to start in my praise, so I'll begin with the smaller parts. Susan Jaffe and Cheryl Yeager as the dream Mercedes and Amor absolutely shine. It is no wonder Jaffe has become a superstar. Johan Renvall is adorable in the small part of the innkeeper's son and has a few incredible leaps. Frank Smith has become an excellent character dancer as the innkeeper, who is Kitri's father. It was good to see Robert LaFosse in a small role as well, as he had subsequently left American Ballet Theatre for the New York City Ballet. Unfortunately I do not remember the names of the soloists who dance Kitri's friends, but they are also quite lively. On a sad note, the late Peter Fonseca, who died too young, sparkles in the corps and in the gypsy camp scene. He would have been a major international star if he had lived, and I was fortunate to have seen him, Jaffe, Yeager, and Julie Kent with the Maryland Youth Ballet when they were in their teens. Patrick Bissell, also, is a very attractive Espada. He, too, died too young and is much missed.

In my opinion, Cynthia Harvey was a wonderful Kitri. Not only was her dancing outstanding, but her personality shone through the role of the kittenish innkeeper's daughter who was determined to win the man she loved, even though he was merely a poor barber, and also to keep the upper hand in their marriage. Baryshnikov exudes charm and demonstrates that he was, at that time, the world's greatest dancer.

However, for me the highlight of the ballet was Victor Barbee as the rejected suitor Gamache. There is no better actor in all of ballet and, although he wasn't the strongest dancer in the corps, he carries the role with panache and aplomb. He receives the last curtain call, and rightly so.

Although Minkus is not the greatest ballet composer, the score is easy to listen to. The costumes and settings are colorful and enjoyable. There are some unanswered questions, including where Kitri changed her clothes between act 1, when she runs off with Basil, and act 2, when they arrive at the gypsy camp, as she took nothing with her! And doesn't she notice that there is no blood on the knife Basil pretends to stab himself with? But they can be easily overlooked.

This is a really enjoyable ballet. I strongly advise buying it!

This is my absolute favorite version of this ballet. It is delightfully funny, beautifully costumed, and well cheorgraphed. Baryshnikov, Cynthia Harvey, Patrick Bissell, who could ask for anything more. I am completely sucked in by the beauty of such talented dancers.

This is a very lonnnngggg opera and Joan should have passed on Anna as she didn't have the stamina nor the voice to pull it off. Having heard her in the earlier years, this is almost embarrassing to witness her decline vocally. I bought it based on the customer reviews of the supporting cast and production. Found the customer reviews very accurate in my opinion. I loved the costumes and the sets were just perfect as well. Joan's hubby did a commendable job in the pit with a responsive orchestra. The star turn was James Morris' Henry the VIII! Wow! Forst was fine and Heppner, though a tiny role, demonstrated that this was a voice with immense promise. Don't believe there is another video available to rival this one. The only other recommendation is Beverly Sills' CD for this opera. Somehow, I had a difficult time avoiding boredom with this performance except for Morris. Maybe repeated viewings will improve my opinion. Ok if you can forgive Joan for growing old, losing her support and along with it her middle and low voice. Her high notes pinched with a very wide vibrato. I just felt sorry for her - she was exhausted and it showed!

I think this a very authentic production of the opera, from staging to customes. A delight for opera purists.

For the casting, Joan is still amazing at her age. It is true that she does not possess the stamina at the end of the opera (listen to her last note and compare with her Decca CD recording), but in average, this is still Joan's typical great performance. James Morris handles his role brilliantly, and acts as if he were a king ^_^. I think the tenor Michael Myers' timbre is a bit too dark for my taste, but his overall vocal and acting skills are still admirable nonetheless. Other smaller roles are mostly very capable, including Ben Heppner taking up Hervey.

A minor criticism is that, in the year 1984, they are still recoring in mono! I do not understand this, and this may scare away some audiophiles. By setting up my surround sound system, I manage to get a more spatial sound stage. And after about 3 minutes after the overture, I totally forget about this audio deficiency since it is really an enjoyable opera performance.

Opera is the most satisfying of all the arts. It brings the best of all worlds together- acting, drama, singing, orchestral music and even dance in the case of some operas, Gaetano Donizetti's operas were very popular and have become established bel canto traditions in many theateres all around the world. Bel canto operas flourished in the early 19th century, most significantly in Italy but they soon made their way to France and Germany and even Russia (Wagner himself was influenced by some bel canto opera techniques and even Tchaikovsky's highly romantic tragic opera "Eunege Onegin" shows bel canto influence. Donizetti was the most gifted of the bel canto composers, able to write arias and ensembles of powerful dramatic context as well as emotionally touching and beautiful to hear. For bel canto operas only the best singers must take part. Casting the perfect bel canto heroine is trying sometimes, since very few sopranos of the 20th century exercized a skilled combination of beautiful vocals and dramatic acting. Only Maria Callas and later Beverly Sills would be the best bel canto heroines.

Joan Sutherland- This is Australian soprano, who was married to conductor Richard Bonynge, has been hailed for her beautiful voice. It is beautiful. It is smooth, gracefull, rich, full and very round and heavy. Her voice is always at home in bel canto operas. It is non wonder then that she is most recognized for her performances in Lucrezia Borgia, Lucia Di Lammermoor and in this DVD, the role of Anne Boylen. As the tragic queen, she manages to portray a vast range of emotions and visually the whole production is impressive. Joan Sutherland is older in this video, which was filmed in the 80's but her dramatic persona is quite convincing. Her facial contortions, her cries and her grace make her very believable as the historic Anne Boylen. This opera was Donizetti's first big hit, earning him prestige in the Italian theater of San Carlo. He would produce and deliver operas to a favorable public for years to come.

The story of Henry 8th's merciless and cruel treatment of Anne is performed well. Henry 8th is sung by a bass-baritone (the archetypical opera villain voice) and strides with regial tyranny as the real king would have done. He has no actual arias but his talents are showcased in various recitatives with Jane Seymour (a mezzo soprano with some dramatic textures) and in the ensembles. Jane Seymour in this opera is a performance delivered rather well, despite some strains now and then, especiallly in the duet with Anne. Highlights in this opera include the quintet and sextets of Act 1 and 2, the romantic duet between Percy and Anne and of courses Anne's final scenes- the Mad Scene and her execution. It was Anne's Mad Scene that preceeded and echoed the later and more famous Mad Scene of Lucia Di Lammermoor, Donizettis most popular masterpiece. Both Ann and Lucia hallucinate of marriage, speak of lost love and are completely overwhelmed by melancholia, arias and roulades accompanied by the sounds of flutes. Although Lucia's Mad Scene is better musicallly and dramaticallly, Annes Mad Scene is quite dramatic as well. Her most challenging aria comes in the end in "Coppia Iniquia" in which she awaits her execution and plunges into roulades and exclamations against the terrible crime of her death.

I personally prefer Beverly Sills in the role of Anne Boylen, but there exists only a recording of it on cd and in the box set of the Three Tudor Queens. Beverlys live performance of Anne Boylen was never filmed but it must have been a sensation and the best interpretation. Joan Sutherland is a good singer but she falls short on acting credibility.

This is an exuberant production with a marvelous cast and sensitive musical direction. Filmed in a 16x9 format before a live audience, the opera is indeed a joy to behold. The pairing of the husband-and-wife team of Roberto Alagna and Angela Gheorghiu works beautifully throughout and the contributions of the other principals leaves nothing to be desired. The work has been updated into the 1920s and the results are satisfying although not quite so colourful as traditional presentations. The stage appears a little cramped and I would have liked to see more space for everyone to move around. Video direction by Brian Large is exemplary as usual. Picture quality throughout is excellent.
My one criticism concerns the audio tracks available on the DVD. Neither the Dolby Digital 5.1 nor the Dolby Stereo is entirely satisfactory because both produce a fairly narrow left-to-right soundstage with too much of the sound emanating from the middle. The absence of a good 2-channel PCM audio track is regrettable. The balance between voice and orchestra is fine however as is the overall quality of all the singers. For years Decca had a top-notch reputation for first-class sound in its recordings. On this occasion however, they fell somewhat short of the mark.
The inclusion of an excellent 52-minute documentary of the making of the video and CD is to be commended as is the comprehensive booklet.

Roberto Alagna and Angela Gheorghiu are very well cast in this lighthearted production. Both are excellent actors, an important detail, and have wonderful voices. The sets, the rest of the cast and the orchestra all do a commendable job. You will be humming some of the arias long after the DVD has finished playing.

I am 12 years old and a big opera fan. I absolutly love this preformance. The camera angles are great, there are some funny parts, the preformers are great singers and actors, and Roberto Alanga is so cute. I don't see how anybody can't love it.

This concert film of Bette Midler, filmed not long after her success in the movie "The Rose", is okay, but definitely lacking. Much of the program is devoted to Midler's attempt to do rock, a phase she thankfully passed through. Her trademark bawdy humor is here, but some of it falls flat or was done better in her original HBO special (not yet available on DVD, sigh). On the plus side, her live versions of "The Rose", "Chapel of Love", "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy", and "Do You Want to Dance" are enjoyable. Picture and sound quality are fair to good.It's a passable, inexpensive disc that will do till Bette's orginal HBO special comes to DVD.

"Divine Madness" is a fabulous concert, very much Bette Midleresque...but a hoarse voice and the flu kept Bette from doing her very best. But it's still one of the most entertaining concerts ever filmed. A better "Bette" is "Art or Bust" released in the 1980's. Gotta love her--she's the greatest!

This is hillarious. OK,her voice was not the greatest in the movie, but I personally thought that that made it even better. As she belts out many electrifying numbers such as: "Big Noise From Winnetka," "Paradise," "Stay With Me," The Rose," and the hillarious version of "Chapel of Love," along with many others. I love it when she comes out in the wheelchair as a mermaid, (dig the coconuts) Delores Delargo, the Toast of Chicago. She is foul, voulger, trashy, and Divine!
She is so funny! I love the "E-Street Blues" segment along with the part where she is trashing the Europeans. Eggs will be laid tonight, or and other night or day that you choose to watch this.

This is the absolute worst (martial arts or otherwise) film I've ever had the displeasure of watching. Any viewers should be reimbursed for their time wasted. I would recommend this film to no one. This "c" movie had no story line, terrible acting bad correography, and nothing of value to offer viewers. As a Wing Chun practitioner and avid martial arts movie goer, I would like to offer some quality films with skillful actors and great fight scenes. A few are: "Fist of Legend", "Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon", "The Legend of the Drunken Master", "The Seven Samurai", and anything by Bruce (strictly for the quality of Bruce's technique and forgiving the cheesiness of the films). Have fun!

As far as I can tell, the only thing having to do with Wing-Chun is the title of the movie. It wasn't the worst Kung-Fu movie I've ever seen, but if you're looking for authentic Wing-Chun action, avoid this movie.

this movies is just half decent........

can anybody tell me what this movie is really about ?????????

(cheesy FF and choppy fight scenes)