Typographers Movie Reviews

The word about the horrible announcing on other FMW tapes , they are actually good this time and Lovranski doesn't look like such a hippie any more and there is not that many stupid replays as other tapes , anyways down to the matches:

1. Wing Kanemura vs. Mike Awesome (Title for title match)- This is a title unification match of Brass Knux title and Independent title. The beginning was pretty slow where mike gets his foot stuck in ropes and win beats on him and leg rest holds but later is where the real action starts, bloody,brutal,tables,chairs what a war. Great match

2. Mike Awesome vs. Masato Tanaka-Amazing! if youve seen their matches in ECW like Heatwave 98 or N2R 99' in my opinion this one blows it away! Even crazier spots with tables in this one.

3. Masato Tanaka vs. Mr. Ganosuke- WOW, a bloody sickening war where Ganosuke at one point takes the jagged part of a broom stick starts stabbing Tanaka in the arm to make him bleed. Exciting match in all .

4. Mr. Ganosuke vs. Hayabusa- I thought it would be better by the buildup of old best college friends , anyways pretty nice moves here.
5. Hayabusa vs. Kodo Fuyuki- Worst match on the tape , too many rest holds, Hayabusa pulls off some nice aerial moves to give the match some stars and Kodo almost kills Hayabusa with huge impact moves but what a horrible ending. anyways

Overall a great compilation but they should have put a bonus match anyways great FMW action. Highly recommended to anyone!

this is the best wrestling action i have ever seen every match from the beginning to end deserves 5* well except for the first one where mike awesome gets his leg stuck in the ropes. Definatly worth the money everymatch is 5* quality

THE BEST FMW DVD EVER MADE! The matches were full length, they included some of FMW's best wrestlers, and they were full of action.

Mike "Gladiator" Awesome VS Kintaro (Yukihiro) Kanemura: 3 1/2 *
This match was the worst on the disc, which makes it not bad. It was slow near the beginning when Awesome goes for a tope suicida (he gets caught in the ropes). Awesome wins w/ an Awesome Bomb to Kanemura for the 1,2,3.

Mike "Gladiator" Awesome VS Masato Tanaka: 4 3/4 *
2nd best on the disc. Sweet action (Awesome actually hits the tope suicida this time). Tanaka wins w/ a Roaring Elbow.

Masato Tanaka VS Mr. Gannosuke (Masashi Honda): 4 1/2 *
Good match. Lots of blood. Sweet power moves (mostly powerbombs). Gannosuke wins w/ a Gannosuke Clutch (an armbar w/ waistlock into front rolling cradle w/ leg hook). Sweet pin.

Mr. Gannosuke VS Hayabusa (Eiji Ezaki): 5 *
The best match I ever saw. Well fought and well thought out. Hayabusa wins w/ a Phoenix Splash (Twisting Senton into 450 splash).

Hayabusa VS Kodo (Hiromuchi) Fuyuki: 3 3/4 *
Fuyuki wins w/ a stiff Lariat. Not the best match in the world.

The extras are pretty good too. I didn't really watch Masato Tanaka VS Kanemura 'cuz it didn't sound very good. The Hayabusa VS Hisakatsu Oya match was OK.
Overall, this DVD was great. A must buy.

It may be just a quirk of mine, but I have yet to appreciate a translated opera. Had I realised beforehand that this was in English, I would not have ordered it. Opera translations never (I can think of no exceptions)come off. The libretto never lyrically matches the music as the composer intended, and the worst translations are into English; they become so prosaic and silly. Can you imagine a Wagnerian singing, "Come in and shut the door...please be quiet, now"?

Nevertheless, though marred by the translation, this piece was well and traditionally staged, competently acted, and nicely played. If you do not suffer from the same quirk as I do, then you will enjoy this Met production.

It seems like "magical" is a word only used by hack reviewers from suspicious-sounding newspapers. But really, there's no better word for this production. The richly romantic score is wonderfully played by the orchestra, and sensitively conducted by Fulton. The singers are uniformly good. The fantasy elements are spectacular... the house, the forest, the flying of angels and witches add immeasurably to the production. The only thing that I wasn't overly fond of was at certain moments the production was "childrened down," like with the occasional addition of somewhat corny graphics. But much better than some productions that remove anything "dangerous" at all, and have the witch played by a man as a drag queen! All in all this is a wonderful production of a wonderful opera. You'll be whistling the folksy score for days, and that haunting, meltingly beautiful prayer will stick with you for a long time.

Speaking as a former dancing mushroom (yes, one of the ones seen in this video), I can say that this is one of my favorite videos! As a child, performing in this production was an exciting rush. As an adult, watching the opera still gives me a thrill. The production is beautiful, the stars incredible and the dancing mushrooms...well...
An excellent introduction to opera and an enjoyable video for children and adults alike!

This is a splendid summation of a memorable Ring Cyle. The drama and stage direction are compelling, and the standard of acting is superb across the board. Although Wagner probably doesn't forsee that such dramatic and scenic up-dates would occur to his mighty dramas, to a modern audience like myself who is familiar with such a kind of approaches in straight theater, I found the production immensely enjoyable.

As I've suggested above, the standard of acting is wonderful. Much of the singing is also very fine, with the entire cast led by Gwyneth Jones in one of her best recorded performances ever. I do like Manfred Jung's Siegfried that much, but I believe such an approach is part of the production's dramaturgy. The others, including the chorus, immersed themselves totally into the production and drama, and Boulez's kept a tight rein on his fine orchestra and, thanks to Bayreuth's unique acoustics, never overwhelmed the singers.

It's all very memorable indeed. I suppose that I'll be watching it over and over again in the days and years to come.

Although this production is not perfect, as seen on DVD, it is still a magnificent achievement. The drama unfolds powerfully on the stage, and the direction is always appropriate, often superb.

The singers make a fine team, headed by Gwyneth Jones's glorious Brunnhilde. Manfred Jung is a macho Siegfried, even though the character doesn't earn one's sympathy. The Bayreuth Orchestra plays with great skill under Boulez.

This is in many ways and exciting ending to a most interesting production. The director and producer have managed to make the story of gods and heroes both easy to appreciate and relevant to our times. Other than the grumpy Siegfried of Manfred Jung, the performers are excellent. Highly recommended.

At least, the only recording on dvd of one of the masterpieces of the 2oth century music; Britten opera, based on Melville's book and with a libretto by Crozier and Forster (!) is a marvellous opera, rich of ambiguities and dark music. The star of the opera is not Billy himself but Vere: here we have the greatest successor of Peter Pears, Langridge. Van Allan (Claggart) is clearly presented as a miltonian Satan, full of unhappiness and yet very proud, terrible and self-hating for his physical attraction to Billy, Thomas Allen is a superb Billy but he really does not have the good and freslooking appearance requested by such a role.I hope we'll soon can capture on dvd Kenlyside performance.

This is one of the most powerful of the 50-60 opera DVDs I personally have managed to view so far. Britten somehow seemed to get wonderful librettists -- for example, the libretto for The Turn of the Screw captures the essence of James' novel in about five percent of the words James used. The same goes for the libretto Crozier and Forster (yes, THE E. M. Forster) wrote for this opera. They have absolutely captured the dramatic essence of Billy Budd, Foretopman in a form that Britten could then use to express effectively through his music.

If you read the various reviews of this production (for the originals as well as the recording), you will hear carping to the effect that (1) Thomas Allen is too old to be Billy Budd; (2) the set is too abstract; (3) the older Vere shouldn't be on stage at the climax; and so on. This is all nit-picking nonsense. The positives of this production so far outweigh the negatives that the overall result is overwhelming. You will find few opera video recordings as moving and effective as this one.

By the Way: one of the other Amazon reviewers complains about how the orchestral interlude between the scenes in the final act is cut in half. This is not an issue with the DVD -- everything proceeds seamlessly.

This is a finely acted production. The only flaw is some odd business at the beginning with books (why are sailors rowing books? Peculiar symbolism). Once the story gets going, the odd staging disappears. The singers are well cast, and the parts finely sung. The DVD has very clear sound and a perfect picture.

Mayerling is one of the most intense ballets I have ever seen and Kenneth MacMillans choreography is superb (as allways). This reccording though is very lacking. The cast is excellent (including such stars as Irek Mukhamedov, Viviana Durante and Darcey Bussell, Lesley Collier) and all give wonderfull performances, but the camera angles and the frequent close-ups ruin many of the scenes - especially the dramatic and very high energy pas de deux between Prince Rudolf (Irek Mukhamedov) and his new wife Princess Stephanie (Jane Burn). This pas de deux is quite violent and covers huge areas of the stage. The movement and energy is compleatly lost in shots of faces, hands etc. As the only reccording of the ballet it is still worth having though.

This video is worth buying just for the wonderful dancing from the stars of the Royal Ballet. There are some lovely choreography although the ballet does have its dull moments. Irek Mukhamedov is the star with his wonderful dancing and characterization of Prince Rudolf. Also stars Viviana Durante as the cool and sexy Mary which she dances perfectly, and Darcey Bussell in the role of Mitzi Casper ( Rudolf's mistress ), Sarah Wildor, Jane Burns, Adam Cooper, Nicola Trannah.

I think the Royal Ballet's version of Mayerling was wonderful.In my opinion, the royal ballet has never dissapointed me with their productions.The shows that they put on, are quality performances, in regards to the stage sets, the costumes, the skills of the dancers,the story lines.By the time you are done watching this video, you will have a better understanding of Austro Hungarian history,of the Hapsburg dynasty (you will learn more about Franz Joseph,Empress Elizabeth and their emotionally tender love starved son; Crown Prince Rudolf), and of the richness and high culture of that royal dynasty.The main character,(played by Irek Mukhademov), was a fantastic Rudolf.He brought out the raw emotions of this character (Rudolfs lonliness,his mother's lack of warmth for him, his father's unfriendly relationship with him, his fascination with death, his and Mary Vetsera's substantial love for one another). I am also a great fan of Viviana Durante, who plays Mary Vetsera.She is an excellent dancer and plays her part beautifully.I also enjoyed seeing Lesley Collier in this performance. Her dancing is lovely, and you just can't help but like her. The music in this ballet is by Franz Liszt.I think that the music is perfect for the ballet.

A beautiful production! But let us not forget that Opera is theatre and not just singing. The sound is magnificent and the tableaux are breathtaking but the drama is lacking. I can't help but compare it to Ponnelle's film from the 70s. [I wish it were out on DVD!] That was even MORE baroque in its look but there was action, where there needed to be, and people standing there singing, where that needed to be [Ponnelle was a master at this]

But, since this is my favorite opera [well actually "Le Nozzi" is my fave....this is 2nd] I am delighted to have a beautiful, rich and excellently sung version even if they do just stand there.

Barcelona Gran Liceu's audience beheld a lavish Orfeo
production by Gilbert Deflo and his sensitive partner
William Orlandi;beautiful settings,lighting,mirrors,
Monteverdi dresses to Savall and his musicians and so on.
However,to the music...Zanasi's pleasant timbre,steady
performance lacks passion and testosterona;maybe Orfeo
had some sexual disturbance in this production(well,he
is a demi-god)but Zanasi sings a beautiful "Possente
Spirto" and the whole act five,anyway.Sumptuous voices
shined on stage;what a perfect Apollo by Fulvio Bettini,
Sara Mingardo and that excellent Proserpina by Adriana
Fernandez who can touches all hellish forces better than
Orfeo himself!A huge mistake on booklet(unbelievable this
sort of things nowadays);brazilian soprano Marília Vargas
was Ninfa,not Eco!Turk is the best sheppard in the ensemble
but Carlos Mena is a so feeble countertenor that he endangers
the trio.I'm sorry,I just can't help to warn you;Figueras is
the worse Musica I ever heard.Her ragged voice,that dragged
tempo,obviously to stay a bit more on stage just slew all beauties on overture.Musicians are among the best in the world,
including superstar Andrew Lawrence King on the double harp;
each one of them get involved at the most superior way with Monteverdi masterpiece.You'll disagree some "tempo" by Savall just like I do,probably;slowly and slowly again. So,listen my advice;this is a very fine DVD;skip Figueras and enjoy Orfeo!

This is a wonderful production of an early Baroque opera. It's performed on period instruments (by costumed musicians) and the singing is very good. The staging is Baroque (no post-modern silliness here) and the singing is very good. It's a real gem of a production.

Although this is a valuable record of a memorable production (the great Russian film-maker Andrei Tarkovsky's only operatic staging), purchasers of the DVD should be warned that the picture quality is absolutely diabolical.

It was sourced from a PAL video recording originally made by the BBC, but for some reason (presumably US/Japanese sales) the DVD authors decided to convert it into the NTSC system, which plays havoc with the picture definition. Worse, the low-bitrate transfer has added digital artefacts galore, which get particularly blocky every time the camera pans or zooms.

Thankfully, the sound quality (either PCM stereo or DTS 5.1) is vastly superior, and the set as a whole is clearly a must for Mussorgsky fans and Tarkovsky completists - bad though the picture is, it never completely obliterates the virtues of the original. But it's a real pity that corporate greed has made this such a badly compromised product, as I can't see a separate PAL DVD appearing any time soon.

Boris Godunov is perhaps the most intensely dramatic of all operas, showing the fall of a great man marred by his guilt in the struggle for power. That decline and fall is reflected in the rise of his nemesis, Gregory (the false Dmitri), who in history died shortly after seizing the crown at the hands of the ever conniving Shuisky. Beyond these personal tragedies and intrigues is deeper tragedy of the Russian people; they are forever suffering and misled. "Hungry people,cry" is the last line of the opera.

Mussorgsky's extraordinarily original music makes us live and feel every nuance of his drama. All roles are beautifully sung and powerfully acted. Lloyd is a brilliant Boris. I have never seen another Varlaam portray his role with such humor. Cardinal Rangoni hovers like a spider over Marina as he twists her to his will. Gergiev is a superb conductor of Mussorgsky's original orchestrations.

The staging is also extraordinary: Tarkovsky brilliantly uses the same basic set depict a myriad of scenes, enabling each to flow into the next seamlessly. Actors portray sculptures in the Polish garden scene, changing position to mark shifts of perspective. Nevertheless, some of his devices detract from the inner strength of the drama: Boris recoils in terror from the call for alms of poor in the coronation scene; the ghost of Dmitri (the rightful Tsar whom Boris had had murdered)hovers endlessly through the play. Worst of all: Tarkovsky has everyone fall down dead at the end of the Kromny scene, instead of marching out in false triumph behind the false Dmitri.

This is my favorite opera! Robert Lloyd has the perfect combination of voice and acting skill for Boris. As other reviewers have stated, it is wonderful to hear Mussorgsky's 1872 version, as he intended. Plus, it's performed in St. Petersburg with a mostly Russian supporting cast.

This may be the only DVD for quite some time to come---because who could top this!?!

Let's not be fooled, folks: the VHS reviews, which appear under the DVD listing, refer to an ENTIRELY DIFFERENT version. This is SUPPOSED to be a different staging, as you can tell from the cover of the DVD. It looked like it was done by the same people who did Yellow Submarine, or maybe by Julie Taymor (who did Oedipus Rex for the Tokyo Met, and Titus with Anthony Hopkins).

But here's the kicker: it ISN'T! The video case for the DVD SHOWS a different staging, but the actual video is of exactly the same staging featured on the VHS version, and recorded (in a slightly better performance) on the double-CD set released by Deutche Grammophon.

This is REALLY irritating. I was expecting a different staging, since i've already heard this one, and seen it as well. The whole point was to see a DIFFERENT one, and that's what the packaging implies is recorded on the enclosed DVD.

I don't know why they took the poorly-taped 1987 performance, and put it on a DVD with all these photos from an entirely different production (with even different actors, it appears) but that would be called fraud in almost any context. Having just watched this DVD production, i'm going to contact the company and demand an explanation.

You've been warned.

Great performance, vocally and orchestrally. The acting is good as well. Staging is appropriate throughout, and visually at times quite lovely, as in the drowing scene.

One minor caveat, already noted by another reviewer: the images on the box have nothing to do with what's inside! They look like they were taken from a Disney version!

This is a must buy for the discriminating Berg fan. I particularly like the live audience which only added to the realism so obviously heard in the music but sometimes missed in staged videos. The doctor and the Captain's street walk is particularly effective.

As an Irish step dancer who is always trying to set the record straight about what exactly we do, this movie is really frustrating. Riverdance, and even the first Lord of the Dance, were much better representations of Irish step dance. This "Gold" is not. ... Michael Flately *used* to be the best we had to offer.... To any serious Irish dancer, he's a joke. Yes, he's brought Irish step dance to the forefront, but most of what he does personally is a combination of many different styles. At least in Riverdance, he kept to mainly Irish choreography. Movies like this give such a wrong impression to anybody who is not personally involved with Irish dance. ...

Being a champion Irish dancer and probably one of the best Flatley dance impersonators, this DVD is superb with great footage of Michael Flatley and behind-the-scenes footage. In addition this DVD shows you from the earliest childhood of Flatley to Modern-day Feet of Flames shows. I highly recommend this great DVD!

Michael Flatley Gold is an absolute asset for ANY Irish dance fan!
The DVD is just amazingly done in every aspect which makes for a most spectacular watch for anyone, but even moreso, Flatley fans. It shows all about Michael and bringing himself up to the spectacle he is today, including half an hour of the Feet of Flames Budapest show, which you will see no where else.
Even if you arent a Irish dance fan, you will enjoy this because of Flatleys sheer power on stage.

Its hard to invision Irish dance coming this far, but it has, and this is the man to thank. In this escapade you will find that Michael is no arrogant dancer and as for his inflated ego? If you read into it, you can find he is a really nice person, and what you see is just alot of character coming out on stage.

Buy this DVD no matter the cost, you will not be disappointed.
Because boy oh boy, this guy can dance...

The content was good but the Video quality was very poor. I was watching on my Sanyo HD PLV-60 projector. It looks like the master tape was a VHS or 3/4" tape. The original show was taped in 1981 by the British. Those people are perfectionists. The only explanation for the poor quality must be 2nd and 3rd generation of tape or a bad transfer from PAL to NTSC TV.

You should not watch this DVD on a big screen.

I prefer my operas grand and colorful. This production was grand but in monochromatic colors. OK but I have seen so many better interpretations of this opera in color.

The music is wonderful. I loved all the principals. I am glad I bought this version. I have the one from Lyons France and it is awfull. I do not know of any other DVD of the Tales of Hoffmann.

This is a great, great performance. Domingo's Covent Garden Hoffmann is supreme, but this is no one-star show: there is a first-rate supporting cast as well (including the veteran bass-baritone Sir Geraint Evans as Coppelius -- I believe these were his last Covent Garden performances -- the always-outstanding Robert Lloyd as Lindorf, and the touching Ileana Cotrubas as Antonia). Every fan of HOFFMANN and/or Domingo should watch this video!