Bodyart Movie Reviews

His passion, his anger (and maybe frustration) all pour out onto the screen and you really get the impression that the man is laying himself bare - the sort of exhaustive stage-performance that you only really expect to see once in every comedian's life... but for Rock, it's just another killer routine.

I could predictably warn people about his choice of language and the way in which his vocabulary is peppered with 'obscenity' - but like the finest of comedians, Rock's material is so rich and it's delivery is so slick, that swearing merely compliments what he says, rather than overpowering it. And quite frankly, if you're buying a Chris Rock video, you probably know what you're buying.

A true comedy classic.

Guess I was spectacularly wrong about this performance, there's some real side-splitting stuff in here!

Chris takes on drunk politicians, drugs, the innocence (or not) of OJ, subtleties of relationships between men and women and what makes each different, the ills of domestic abuse, the lack of popularity of books among the African-American community etc etc.

Pronto-Purchase material, this. Perhaps even the absolutely best stand-up material I have seen from Chris Rock EVER. Hilarious!

Even as I type this, I'm laughing to myself thinking about several of his routines ("Cake or death?") and will probably go home and watch it again. And that's the reason why I recommend the DVD. A lot of standup humor is funny the first time, but loses its edge. Eddie's improves. I laughed *more* the second time I saw it.

Buy it. You'll love it. I can't wait until his next performance.

There are so many great moments in this comedy routine. Since the English language comes from England, we Americans cannot pretend to have any real authority on the language. Eddie talks about words we say differently. "You say erb. We say Herb, because there's a (expletive deleted) "H" in it."

Everything from how the British play bad guys in our movies because of the Revolutionary War, how he lost his virginity before he lost it, how you can tell members of the Church of England, Disney castles in Europe, and what is considered "old" in America are discussed.

You will just have to hear this for yourself to appreciate it. I don't find many stand-up comedians very interesting today, but Eddie Izzard is very original and hilarious in "Dress to Kill." Highly recommended.

The performers in Blast! can. For anyone who has ever mildly enjoyed a marching band's halftime show, this performance will be incredible. Their repertoire includes favorites that can be easily recognized by almost anybody, such as West Side Story's "Gee, Officer Krupke" and masterpieces many bands don't dare to attempt, such as Ravel's "Bolero." But even the lesser known songs are entertaining, such as "Split Complementaries" where several performers with mellophones (marching french horns) twist and contort their bodies around eachother to form pure musical art.

Many people can play instruments, but few can march with them, and even fewer at this level. Throw in some dancing, incredible acting, and even some singing (the cast performs a joyful yet subdued rendition of Copland's "Simple Gifts") and you have some truly talented performers. I have seen this show twice on stage. How many shows have you seen get a standing ovation at the end of the performance? How about at the end of the first act before intermission?? Or how about in the middle of the first act???

Buy this DVD and be prepared to be blown away by the sheer talen of these performers. It is what "band nerds" (like myself) everywhere dream of becoming, but even those with little or no musical talent will find this show simply amazing.

In this particular cameo, he comfortably treads the line of race, social commentary, kids, the presidency, relationships and some other miscellaneous things. I could go on about the material in and of itself, but that'd only serve to spoil something that you should have no idea is coming at you.

Highly recommended for anyone who likes humor.

Well... him and a terrific, talented cast of singers, dancers and acrobats all rolled into one, and marvellous co-stars: of especial note are Eileen Battye as Chairy and the wonderful Ringmaster. The dialogue is often very funny and sometimes extremely moving, the songs unforgettable, and the colours-- beyond description. This is the story of a wonderful American entertainer; let him live again on your TV screens through Michael Crawford.

Five stars.

Of the concert musicals I've seen, this is certainly one of the finest. The performers are not quite "in costume" but rather in (mostly) all-black Japanese formal wear-flavored variations on the original SWEENEY's costumes. Cleverly done, as is the platform stage design around the orchestra (the exquisite San Fransisco Symphony.) It is also much more intimate and better executed than the lackluster LES MISERABLES IN CONCERT.

George Hearn reprises the title role, which he took over for the original Len Cariou on Broadway and played on tour. To me, Hearn is the definitive Sweeney. It's been almost 20 years since he played the role opposite the original Mrs. Lovett, Angela Lansbury, on the PBS performance. At 67, his emotional ferocity combined with his rich, booming baritone are still unmatched. Todd could easily be portrayed as a monster from a horror film, and Hearn gives him humanity and depth that at times brings you to tears.

Lansbury was nothing short of brilliance in the role of Mrs Lovett. Here, Patti LuPone is a different story. She has true stage presence; her wonderfully big voice is in top-form (and she is technically a better singer than Lansbury) but her voice carries a distinct lack of emotion and a tendency for brassiness doesn't suit a role like this. She'd make a splendid Mama Rose in GYPSY, a role that Bernadette Peters is currently playing on Broadway (and Peters would make a better Mrs. Lovett than a Mama Rose.) LuPone also oversings...well...almost every note. Even during 'By the Sea' when Mrs. Lovett is playfully mimicking the seagulls' "Hoo-Hoo", LuPone pummels them with her vibratto. Her Cockney accent is just plain silly; she sings and acts the role like a diva--she is very much Patti LuPone throughout the whole show. Still, her distinctiveness, like her big voice, is her trademark. It's just the way she performs, and she is a legend.

The supporting cast is wonderful. Davis Gaines (Anthony) and Lisa Vroman (Johanna) have both chemistry and incomparable pipes, while Neil Patrick Harris makes a sweet Tobias. Timothy Nolen (Judge Turpin), John Aler (Beadle), and Stanford Olsen (Pirelli) are all primarily opera singers and show some fine acting chops. Victoria Clark is a STANDOUT as the Beggar Woman. Also kudos to the vocal chorus who seamlessly go in and out of the action on stage.

If they ever decide to release a DVD of the 1982 SWEENEY performance with Lansbury and Hearn, I highly recommend you give that one a look. In the meantime this concert is a splendid, albeit slightly imperfect, tribute to a brilliant piece of musical theatre.

The Magic Flute, a great masterpiece in opera history, of course, has a deliberately contradictory plot and motif, if you know the story. Some of the stuff, if you think about it, is (intentionally) ridiculous. For example, how can a prince who fainted upon seeing the giant snake be entrusted to save the abducted Pamina? Watch it a few times and you'll start feeling the deliberation in the music too, which is magical.

Hemm delivers the best Papageno I have ever seen, with not only a great voice (solid baritone - lovely!) and also commendable comic acting. Serra blew me away the moment she sang her first aria "O zittre nicht mein lieber Sohn..." It is note-perfect and flawless. She sings those scales as if they are a piece of cake, and she hits the high F perfectly, even in "Der Holle Rache". She falters just a teeny weeny little bit in the latter, but perhaps I'm picky. I've been wanting to find the perfect recording of "Der Holle Rache", but I haven't been in luck yet. (the version sung in the movie "Amadeus" was pitch-perfect, but incomplete and not available in the soundtrack.) But understandably, the Queen of the Night is one of the most difficult opera parts to sing, and Serra already pulls it off remarkably well, delivering an overall brilliant and astounding performance. (I thought she looked beautiful as QOTN too.) Of course, besides these two, there's Kathleen Battle as Pamina, perfect as always, Francisco Araiza as Tamino and Kurt Moll as Sarastro to look out for.

I have to share 4 of my favourite scenes here. 2 belong to the Queen of the Night's 2 arias, 1 is the scene where Monostato's slaves and himself are under a spell from Papageno's Glockenspiel, and they really "totter" away harmlessly. That scene is absolutely hilarious, with them going "lalalala" and dancing away, exiting at stage right. The final one is the finale duet with Papageno and Papagena (Barbara Kilduff)in "Pa-pagena! Pa-Pageno!". Hemm's and Kilduff's voices blend very well together. I love that song.

Thumbs up to this beautifully recorded performance, conducted by James Levine. I highly recommend this recording. It is definitely worth the money, and worth rewatching again and again.

But, the consistency of the animation, far makes up for this. Unlike the first boxed set, the animation is high quality on every single episode. The outlining is crisp and the colors are vivid and distinct. I've never seen Ranma 1/2 look so good.

This is a must buy for all Ranma 1/2 fans. The pacing of the story has quickened in the second season. Takahashi's characters are now fully developed. And my look how they shine! You'll love it. And you'll be begging to see the next season.

This series carries on the on-going saga that it Ranma 1/2/ Of course Ranma and Akane return and so do the Eternal Lost Boy Ryoga, Shampoo, the Tendo family, Upperclassman Kuno and his sister the Kodachi but also in this one are some introductions to the some new characters, new adventures and all out fun!

This set is seriously a great buy for any Ranma 1/2 fan. You really could not ask for more (aside from Season 3 and 4 on DVD!). If you haven't gotten into Ranma yet, I'd suggest going back to the first season because otherwise you're not going to get it and I've noticed that some people have a hard time following it if they're not up to speed, so really if you haven't seen the first Ranma 1/2 season, do it that FIRST!

I realize that of course the boxed set is quite a bit of cash but it is worth it. I can tell you this right now, it's worse if you try to find each DVD one by one and pay for them full price. You'll be spending vouble from what you should have paid for if you just buy the boxed set (trust me I know! I bought the entire 1st season one by one and realized that it was a better deal to buy the boxed set afterwards). That and if you buy the boxed set, you won't have to go store to store looking for those rare ones! Again, get this boxed set if you're a serious Ranma 1/2 collector and fan!

The Humming Chorus is set to early black and white footage of Japan to great effect. The subtitles are well done, and the drama is tastefully presented. I first learned about this opera when I was viewing a biographical video of Shoghi Effendi, and his wife recounted that he really enjoyed the opera Madame Butterfly. Then I listened to CD's and fell in love with Puccini operas and most other operas too, but no CD will equal this integrated audio AND visual presentation. I feel like this film gave me a better appreciation of those great arias and choruses. They take on a new meaning.

The operatic and cinematic elements were well integrated, and the cast was terrific. A truly magnificent opera, a great production, and an outstanding film. Very highly recommended! I hope more movies of such exceptional quality are produced from great operas.

I love this romantic escape into a fantasy world of dreamy opera and sometimes the singing can literally make you heady. I fell completely in love with this story after listening to a 1987 London recording from the library.

The story begins near Nagasaki, although this movie was filmed in Tunisia. A Japanese house, terrace and garden is situated on a hill overlooking the harbor. There is a sense of serenity and peace, but this does not fully represent the future.

Lieutenant Pinkerton (Richard Troxell) is selecting a home and Goro brings him into the house to show him all the benefits of the house. He in turn thinks the house is "as delicate as a puff of wind." Which could rather be used to describe his commitment to his new bride, Butterfly (Ying Huang). We can't quite figure out why this naval officer wants to buy a bride when he is just going to leave her trapped in a beautiful cage for three years.

Is this not the entire fantasy of the knight who rescues a woman and then puts her in a tower? Yet, here the knight and the maiden don't seem to share the same commitment to one another and when the knight leaves, he seems to forget to even send a note back to the maiden.

The love duets are magnificent and beyond compare. The world literally dissolves when you watch this movie. The letter scene gives you hope and yet the sheer tragedy of the situation reaches new levels when Butterfly tosses Sharpless out of the house due to his heartless comments about her accepting a proposal from Yamadori.

I also love Butterfly's sweet innocence when she asks when the robin builds his nest in her husband's country, because in her country it has built a nest three times and she can't understand why her husband has not returned. He promised he would return when the robin was building his nest.

Butterfly has many opportunities to escape her cage with a variety of suitors, yet stays completely faithful. She lives with her maid, Suzuki. They almost run out of money while waiting for Pinkerton to return. When she realized Pinkerton has finally returned, she takes flower petals (peach-blossom, violet, jasmine) and strews them all over the house. She then falls asleep, exhausted from waiting up all night.

"Oh, the bitter fragrance
of these flowers
spreads in my heart like poison.
Unchanged is the room
where our love blossomed.
But the chill of death is here.
My picture...
Three years have passed
and she has counted the days and the hours!" ~Pinkerton

"Madame Butterfly" is an exquisite and faithful cinematic adaptation of Giacomo Puccini's Opera "Madama Butterfly" set in Japan in 1904. It is really a heart-wrenching story of a young geisha who sacrifices her religion, family and life with a more suitable partner, like Prince Yamadori, while she waits for Lieutenant Pinkerton to return.

Unfortunately, a rash decision does not allow her heart to heal. This movie is just mesmerizing, heart breaking and terribly romantic. If you want to create a romantic atmosphere, watch on a rainy afternoon with a jasmine scented candle and jasmine tea.

You can find the following items here at Amazon: Jasmine Yin Hao Tea, One Dozen Jasmine Honey Votive Candles, Jasmine Sensual Body Massage Oil, Butterfly Notebook, Crackler Butterfly "cat toy," Water color butterfly rug, Tiffany Butterfly Light, Butterfly Serenity Sphere, Lenox Butterfly Meadow Enamel-Coated Steel Tea Kettle and a Butterfly Cookie Cutter.

~TheRebeccaReview.com