Arts and Entertainment Movie Reviews

This 90-minute film by Charles Atlas[ who also directed "Hail the New Puritan" (1986), "Put Blood in the Music" (1989) and "Son of Sam and Delilah" (1991) ] was created as a co-production of seventeen international television stations. It was conceived for the 16:9 aspect ratio format, but will appear in 'letterbox' on a standard 4:3 ratio television screen.

"A Lifetime of Dance" functions as an artistic biography of this now legendary choreographer. The first fifty minutes of the film detail Mr. Cunningham's life from his birth in Centralia, Washington in 1919 to the early 1950's and the founding of the Cunningham Dance Company, after a summer of experimentation at Black Mountain College.

Archival film and video footage provides documentation of approximately forty-five different dance works. The footage is shown in edit lengths of between 5 and 20 seconds duration. These excerpts are then intercut with the comments of friends, family members, dancers, composers, art critics and also of Merce himself, who provides anecdotes at each stage within the chronology of the biography.

The audio that accompanies these dance works, as an atmosphere or perhaps as a weather event enveloping the performances, was created by at least seventeen different avant-garde composers. These include founding Cunningham Dance Company member and musician John Cage, electronics guru David Tudor, the minimalist LaMonte Young and downtown NYC performance artist Meredith Monk.

In the film, we find that Mr. Cunningham draws his inspiration from movements of any kind, including those of animals, birds and the ordinary movements of people involved in a range of typical activities. He feels that dancers live not just to do these movements, but to 'exist' in performance and to come to realize their own unique identity through the act of dance.

The film closes with an extended discussion of the work "Biped"(1999), which describes the incorporation of three dimensional computer graphics into the context of a live electronic music and dance event.

This DVD does not contain any 'bonus' features, but it remains a wonderful media resource for fans of contemporary art.

i am a dance teacher who works with students at many different levels, and this video can be helpful for all sorts of classes... this is a great historical resource, and it does a good job of sampling cunningham's work. it also explains his significance to dance history and development. be warned that there is more talk and commentary than performance, so if you want choreography you may be disappointed. i recommend this dvd to dancers, dance teachers, dance historians, dance critics (who often know very little about the work upon which they are thrusting their commentary), and anyone else interested in modern dance history, collaborative processes, and avant garde music.

An Excellent resource for the dance teacher at any level. Of specific importance is old film and video footage translated to the DVD medium. Very Broad overview of his work and company-an excellent starting place to present his work and contributions to the field of dance and collaborative arts.

Thanks to this version of "la fanciulla del west" I found out that this opera is one of PucciniÂ's master works. Can be compared with Boheme or Tosca.
Domingo is in wonderful voice and acting.
Zampieri very good, and Pons almost as good as Domingo. Not to mention Maazel who does a wonderful work with the orchestra.
Take my word an try this version. You will end up loving "la fanciulla".

The editorial review on these pages doesn't do La Fanciulla Del West justice. This is an opera on the same scale of achievement as La Boheme or Tosca. In many ways it contains the best elements of both those operas: the tenderness and human frailty of Boheme, and the dramatic pulse of Tosca. Furthermore, it was Puccini's most innovative and daring score to date, and listening to it today one is struck by how "modern" this 1910 opera sounds.

The opera's Wild West setting is often sneered at, but it is no more ridiculous than the locale of the vast majority of operas. All that is required to enjoy this opera is a full-blooded sense of romanticism. Some listeners are disappointed at the lack of saccharine in Puccini's music (especially compared to the Big Three of Boheme, Tosca and Madama Butterfly), but in many ways La Fanciulla is all the more satisfying for its sparer melodic invention, and emphasis on music that underlines the dramatic goings-on rather than overdosing on the more "commercial tunes" of Puccini's earlier work. That's not to say there aren't crowd-pleasers in this opera - the tenor's Ch'ella Mi Creda is proof of that. But for the most part, the arias in this opera are so thoroughly integrated into the action that they don't stand out as discrete numbers to the first-time listener.

Don't get me wrong, though - this IS a highly melodic opera, with scenes and arias as memorable as anything Puccini ever wrote. Jack Rance's Minnie Dalla Mia Casa, and Dick Johnson's dramatic Or Son Sei Mesi (which brings down the house in this performance) represent Puccini at his best. But often it is a phrase or a reflective moment in the score that leaves the greatest impression, such as when Dick Johnson looks at Minnie and sings almost conversationally: "When I look at you, I realise what I might have been." In such moments Puccini achieves the kind of musical "truth" that makes the listener say: "Yes, this is real life, or at least, life as it should be." As always with Puccini, his characterisations are fully three-dimensional, and indeed, the only thing preventing this opera from enjoying wider acclaim is that so little of its music can be readily "lifted" from the score in excerpt form.

I have loved La Fanciulla since the age of 20, when I was lucky enough to see (and meet) Domingo at Covent Garden in November 1982. I saw two performances of the opera; on alternate nights Domingo was partnered by Carol Neblett and Marilyn Zschau. Unfortunately it was the lesser Neblett version that was first released on video - good though she was, her poor diction and whitish timbre grated, and the performance lacked fire in the orchestral and choral departments. This is an opera that requires in the role of Minnie a soprano with stentorian power, great top notes AND a beautiful timbre. A tall order, perhaps, but one which Mara Zampieri comes close to achieving in this 1991 production from La Scala.

Zampieri has an unusual voice. Her timbre will not be to all tastes, I suspect, but I enjoyed her singing very much, notwithstanding several moments of suspect intonation. She doesn't QUITE reach the standard set by Barbara Daniel in the latter's definitive 1992 portrayal at the Met (also with Domingo, and available on video), but this is pretty satisfying nonetheless.

Domingo, at the age of fifty, sounds almost as fresh as he did in the Covent Garden production, and if anything his high B Flats are freer in the celebrated Ch'ella Mi Creda than they were nine years earlier. He acts extremely well, and for my money this is his defining role (much more so than Otello), and his well-documented love for the role is abundantly obvious.

Juan Pons is the most sympathetic Sheriff Rance that I have yet seen. His voice lends itself towards sympathy with its warm timbre reminiscent of a well-aged port. It's not an overly resonant voice - nor even a particularly large and powerful instrument - but I found his Jack Rance a thoroughly believable characterisation. (Interested viewers will no doubt want to compare Pons' performance with the much more malevolent Sherill Milnes interpretation in the 1992 Met production. Both have a lot going for them.)

The chorus act well, but vocally need more cohesion and fire at several crucial moments - the capture of Dick Johnson's henchman in Act 1, and the capture of Johnson himself in Act 3, for example - and were noticeably off-key on a couple of occasions. Having said that, they certainly look the part of tough miners, and ultimately their lapses are relatively minor.

Among the supporting cast, special praise should go to Antonio Salvadori in the role of Sonora. His baritone voice gives Juan Pons a run for his money, and furthermore he acts brilliantly, giving an often overlooked role genuine significance and pathos. Great stuff.

Conductor Lorin Maazel employs unusually slow tempi throughout. I had mixed feelings about his approach, though he does bring out beautiful aspects of the score that I had never detected before. The card scene in Act 2 is riveting in its intensity, and Johnson's walk to the scaffold in Act 3 has never sounded more dramatic.

The DVD has excellent sound and visuals. True, Act 2 is rather dark, but this only adds to the atmosphere. Besides, log cabins in the Wild West should look dark!

Highly recommended.

"The Girl Of The Golden West" can often seem a rather silly opera, and it is generally regarded as one of Puccini's second tier works. But this production is so superb that one wonders why it isn't performed as often as Tosca or La Boheme! With terrific acting and singing, this is the best DVD I've seen in this series. Unmissable!

"Variety and Virtuosity" is a very good DVD that will provide any dance fan with excellent entertainment value and an easy way to view some classic Pas de Deux. The all-star American Ballet Theatre cast (1998 version) is enjoyable to watch, and performs admirably. The dialogue between the pieces is a nice way to provide a little background about the dances as well as a little insight into the personalities of the performers.

Aside from the opening three-minute "Polonaise" (lots of walking around) leading to the introductory words by Natalia Makarova, there are seven dance numbers performed. Five feature a Pas de Deux, and only one shows a dance in its entirety, "Remanso," choreographed by Nacho Duato (not to be missed; it's awesome). The partnering is very good: the younger Jose Manuel Carreno provides a strong complement to the seasoned Susan Jaffe in a number from "Swan Lake," husband and wife John Gardner and Amanda McKerrow are likewise well-matched ("The Leaves are Fading"), and Julie Kent and Robert Hill convey interesting straight-faced emotion in a work ("Cruel World") choreographed specifically on them by James Kudelka. Julio Bocca comes across as a little overly sappy in the Balcony Pas de Deux with Alessandra Ferri (one of my favorite ballerinas), but it's still great to watch. The most exceptional pair is Paloma Herrera and Angel Corella, in the Grand Pas de Deux from "Don Quixote," who elicited the loudest cheers for their combination of energy, athleticism, grace and balance. As mentioned earlier, "Remanso" was unbelievable; I was spellbound (also check out "Three by Duato," one of the best modern dance DVDs). The 3rd Movement from "Bruch Violin Concerto No. 1 was pretty good."

I'd give this DVD a 5-star rating were it not for a few little negatives which combined to knock it down a notch. First, with a run time of 83 minutes, there's very little dancing left after the introduction (not necessary, but typical for an episode of "Great Performances") and interviews with the director and dancers. Secondly, I was frustrated by camera work and editing that was a little spotty, with too many instances of dancers running in and out of the picture ... I wasn't seeing where my eyes wanted to look. Lastly, there are zero DVD extras (included in most other performance discs) that would have provided some welcome extra dimensions to the viewing experience (e.g., biographies, more behind-the-scenes footage).

Overall, this is a nice compilation of highlights for anyone wanting an good introductory look into ballet. Also, it's great for seasoned ballet fans, especially those of ABT.

The title of this DVD really fits perfectly; "Variety and Virtuosity" features not only some of the classical standards of ballet but also a few modern works to show off the talented dancers that make up the American Ballet Theatre. In this disc the group performs ensemble sets as well as several Pas de Deux.

Although the DVD only lasts 83 minutes it contains some real gems: just to mention a few......

- the great athletic and dancing skills (along with the colorful costumes) of Angel Corella and Paloma Herrera in Minkus's Don Quixote.

-Alessandra Ferri and Julio Bocca do a wonderful interpretation of young lovers in their balcony scene Pas de Deux from Prokofiev's Romeo and Juliet. Their dancing and expressions are so sensitive that you could almost feel the love that their characters had for one another. In addition, Ferri has in some way, an indescribable allure to go with her infectious smile that draws your eye to her.

-However, the highlight of the entire disc was, to me, the husband and wife team of Amanda McKerrow and John Gardner in The Leaves are Fading . ( choreography by Antony Tudor, music by Antonin Dvorak) This is one of those ballets that combine the perfect music with the perfect dance; and McKerrow and Gardner simply do a magnificent job in expressing the quiet joy and subtle sadness of this masterpiece by Mr. Tudor. I have watched this particular dance frequently since I got this DVD and I seem to see something new with each viewing. The ending is so exquisitely beautiful and peaceful it near moves me to tears. It has gotten to the point that I cannot imagine this music being played without this dance accompanying it.

All in all, this fabulous disc is a must have if you have any interest in great ballet. Highly recommended.

I am a ballerina myself and I love this. I found the big prblem with the dancing videos are the camera angles..you always get the wrong one. With this you won't have a problem. The dancers are on the music and the dancing is great. You get both the classics and modern works. Along this the dances you also get behind the scences and short interviews from the dancers. This is really good.

This DVD is a wonderful supplement to the play. Read the play first, then buy this DVD. You'll be shocked at how wonderfully portrayed the characters are, and how close they are the the characters you've conjured in your mind. One of the best plays written, a great description of the hearts and souls of humankind. As the intro says, it is a play for people with mature minds and sensitive hearts.

All you have to do is look at the artists involved in this production to realize the landmark importance of this staging. Robards, considered the quintessential interpreter of O'Neill, reprises the role that first caused critics to sit up and take notice that a major league actor had arrived on Broadway. O'Neill roles were more like autobiographies for Robards. He faced the same alcohol-induced demons in real life as confronted such characters as Hickey and James Tyrone.

Though Lumet may not be in the same league as Jose Quintero as far as O'Neill directors are concerned, he nevertheless wrings solid performances out of every cast member involved in this historic production.

If you can, you may want to purchase this in conjunction with the 1976 Broadway Archive tape of William Saroyan's "The Time of Your Life." Both plays have similar bar room settings, about the same size cast, and similar themes. It's interesting to see how two major playwright's handle diologue and monologue, dramatic conflict and themes of dissipation. Personally, I've always felt O'Neill digs a lot deeper than Saroyan, but both productions are superb, as are most plays in the Broadway Theater Archive series.

About 17 years ago I was fortunate enough to see Jason Robards perform the part of Hicky live, in Los Angeles. Needless to say, it was a riveting 5+ hours of theatre. I knew about this televised version from readings, but had never seen it - until now. It's almost as good as being there! Purests might be upset that the script IS cut - but as much as I love O'Neill, I didn't really miss the cut sections. (Much as with Lumet's "cut" version of "Long Day's Journey"). In fact, this version may actually be more palitable to the less "hard core" watchers. Interesting to see Robert Redford's rather lackluster performance; he may be the weak link in the supporting cast. In any case, a MUST for any student of the theater!

Having seen the Lansbury/Hearn "Sweeney Todd" on VHS, I approached this re-make with a certain reluctance. A mistake on my part. Neil Patrick Harris is a delight as Tobias, Patti LuPone is a sultry, bitchy Mrs. Lovett (though she does tend to indulge in operatic pyrotechnics). On the other hand, the San Francisco version includes the infamous monologue of Judge Turpin, which was cut from the film version of the musical. For me, the final determinant was Neil Patrick Harris' heart-breakingly beautiful rendition of "Not While I'm Around." Purchase "Sweeney Todd in Concert." You won't be disappointed.

For many years it was hard for me to attend to the tale of
Sweeney; I suffered from that affliction of many fans of
masterworks - my definitive version was the first one I
attended and since it was the production mounted in Sydney
in 1988, I had no recording of it to reprise.
Yes, you yanks, we do stage musicals in Australia.
It was about as different from this production in musical
forces as you can get. However, it shared the absolute
*focus* on tragedy that this production keeps.
I couldn't come at the lauded 1982 recording with my heart,
pleasing enough though the musicality and Grand Guignol shocks were; I couldn't feel the apprehension which the Sydney performances maintained from the first screaming whistle.
Then a couple of months ago, I caught this production on our
public broadcast channel.
It is *the* Show. In every way.
The big band with big operatic voices is a revelation.
The staging with pared down props and action is still the full

story.
And the new judge's stuff adds to the whole.
The camera is so clearly scripted. It is as much a stage tool as the clever ramps.
The shocks are still delivered but they are more from the musicians now.
I am very glad the dvd is in stock at my favourite US store.
It has been played here after dinner every night this week.

If you haven't experienced a Sweeney performance yet,
then make sure you see this one first.

The cast appear to enjoy their outing immensely and for

those who persist in comparing the very professional LuPone
with Lansbury - I consider that LuPone's self-absorbed,
maniacal manipulation of a distracted Sweeney works in this
production where a 'softer' Lansbury would have been
underwhelming. Besides, LuPone's Mrs Lovett is much closer to that of Geraldine Turner in Sydney - and everyone who saw Turner wouldn't allow Lansbury a look-in.
The director of this San Francisco show knew what he was doing.

Technically, the sound on the dvd is clean and clear enough
for my old amplifier to handle and the video is seamless.

I only caught the end of "Sweeney Todd in Concert" when it appeared on the local PBS station, so I was gratified to see that the production is available for mass consumption. "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street" remains one of my favorite Broadway shows (I really consider it an opera, but Stephen Sondheim says if you insist on having a label call it an operetta with a strong black comedy element, so I will just avoid using any word beginning with "o" and avoid the debate). I saw the story on "60 Minutes" about the production and picked up the record album and played it endlessly once it was available. I saw a road show production starring June Havoc, better known as "Baby June," the older sister of Gypsy Rose Lee; we are talking a professional vaudevillian comedienne who sang everything about an octave lower than it was written. But after watching the tour-de-force performance of "Epiphany" I was down in the lobby at intermission buying tickets for the next night. When the 1982 road show with George Hearn and Angela Landsbury was shown on television I taped it, and now we have this concert performance.

The main attraction for me is that both the orchestra and chorus are bigger and better. The difference this makes in our enjoyment of the show is clear as soon as the company launches into the "Prologue." As for the performers I have to admit that I did not know that the title role was originally supposed to have been played by Bryn Terfel, so I was not aware that the majority of principle singers were trained more in opera than musical theater. After all, the recognizable names are those of a pair of Broadway veterans, George Hearn and Patti Lupone, plus a television dramedy star, Neil Patrick Howser, er, I mean Harris. Hearn, of course, knows the part of Sweeney Todd well, and Lupone puts her own stamp on Mrs. Lovett, making the pie shop owner's romantic feelings for the barber more believable. Director Lonny Price calls Harris the definitive Tobias and I would not be inclined to argue the point.

Again, there is more of a sense of realism to the production, and less of the theater of the macabre, and I think this is due to the casting choices rather than to the stripped down performance of the show where there are no sets, but costumes and props. I think that the subtle differences in Hearn's performance is as much a reaction to the cast he is singing with as much as his take on the role two decades later. I can go through the cast of singers and point to the marked differences between these voices and those of the original Broadway cast and find a much greater sense of gravity, from Timothy Nolen as Judge Turpin and Davis Gaines as Anthony Hope to Lisa Vroman as Johanna and Stanford Olsen as Pirelli. This production of "Sweeney Todd" unveils new depths to the story. There seems an invaluable less here and it certainly suggests that having "opera" singers do other pieces of a similar type would bear similar fruit. I know this was done before with "West Side Story" and other Rodgers & Hammerstein shows, but it seems that maybe the music of Sondheim or Andrew Lloyd Webber might be better suited to such attempts than the American musical theater of the 1950s.

As with any taped "stage" performance, one of the advantages is that the camera can get us close enough to see what the expressions on the faces of the characters. Yes, it is somewhat disconcerting to see the orchestra behind the characters, but you forget them after a while. After all, it is singing that you want to hear. That is why it must be added that the only reason to buy "Sweeney Todd in Concert" on VHS instead of DVD is that you do not have a DVD player. However, since this is the 21st century, that should not be a problem. The whole point of a concert is the SOUND and that plays to the strength of the DVD (plus you have three options on the sound to pick the one that best suits your system requirements.

Sorry, I'm going to be a dissenter here. Can't add anything to the evaluation of the performance itself, since the other reviewers have said all that needs to be said.
But the work itself is not intrinsically outstanding. Good, but not great. Since I take it that one's rating ought to be of the intrinsic artistic value of the performance, that means that significant weight ought to be placed on the merits of the underlying work.
I place emphasis on this for the following reason: based on the reviews here, I was thinking of purchasing Attila. After all, I reasoned, better buy a great performance of a lesser work than a so-so performance of a central work. Fortunately, I have access to a good college library which has an excellent opera collection. I'm glad I didn't spend my money.
If you have lots of money, and have seen Traviata, Don Giovanni, and Walkure four or five times each, then sure, treat yourself to something different. But if you are new to opera, and are looking for a great introduction to the form, there are plenty of very good to excellent performances of more central works available here. Go for those first.

Ramey makes the whole thing work. His voice and ability to dominate the stage make this production work. Atilla is not a great opera, but when well performed, as it is here, it's enjoyable and impressive.

This one is outstanding performance done by second to none artists. I have been seating breathless from the first up to last sound of this beauty. If you one like me, seek on Verdi, this definitely for you. I rent this DVD from Netflix and kept it for 1 mount but finally decided to get my own.
I highly recommend watch to this one.

In 1941, after having their friendship interrupted by World War II, Werner Heisenberg set off to Denmark to visit with his old friend & mentor, Niels Bohr. What, precisely, took place at this rendezvous has been debated for over 60 years by scientists, philosophers of science, historians of science & even laymen.

The present film is a re-enactment of this meeting, based on the play written by Michael Frayn. Much of the discussions could have possibly taken place, in some form or other. Of course, only Bohr and Heisenberg could say for sure. Alas, both are long since deceased.

At stake in the story is the $60,000 question: was Heisenberg in Copenhagen to coerce Bohr to help the Nazis with the development of the atomic bomb? Was he there to entice his old friend to solicit information on the American efforts (Manhattan project)? Were his overtures MISUNDERSTOOD by Bohr, compelling the latter to mis-construe any of the above? Or, did Heisenberg simply visit his colleague in hopes of challenging him to a game of tiddly-winks?

This story will not provide the answer, but it will certainly offer new avenues to ask the questions in the appropriate context. The film often references Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle and is told in a rather Twilight-Zone-esque fashion. A nice twist is the fact that the storyline makes a nexus of the everyday-world with the abstract realm of theoretical physics.

Almost as important as the subject matter of the film is the acting. There are only 3 characters in the storyline: Heisenberg, Bohr and Bohr's common sense-laden wife. The acting thus takes on extra-importance, and all three actors come thru brilliantly.

The Cambridge physicist John Gribbin once wrote that "In the quantum world what you see is what you get and nothing is real. All you can possibly hope for are a set of delusions that agree with each other." Maybe, just maybe, this statement applies to interpersonal relationships as well.

I was fortunate to see this play during it's Broadway run. While it was brilliantly acted, directed and was able to add one chilling element the film can't (the onstage audience in the elevated gallery, always looking like a silent jury)at times I had trouble following when we were seeing a flashback, an inner dialogue, or plot development. (The physics in the play is quite well presented but trust me, don't have that second tequilla shot before the curtain, no matter what!You really have to be on the ball for this one.) However, now having seen the film twice, many things come clear. The magic of film allows the players to think private thoughts without us mistaking them for side comments being made under the breath. Also, it is very clear when we are listening to the ghosts and the live players. But what REALLY gave me an ah-ha moment was when I finally saw that the play is crafted to mimic the act of nuclear fission. Instead of a neutron colliding with and splitting an atom into several directions, setting off a chain reaction, we witness two brilliant physicists colliding, also under forced circumstances and the split is represented by the various possible outcomes of that collision. We view several versions of the same encounter, each with different implications and motives. I can't wait to see this again and see where bells "ding" for me this time. The score is haunting and adds a great deal, as solo piano is unsurpassed in evoking a sense of isolation and loneliness. Acting is uniformly solid. I know I'll get lambasted for this, but I really preferred this cast over the b'way cast, especially Steven Rea, who added just a touch of melancholy to the role that I don't remember in the original. Give it a try. You may come away with the uneasy feeling that in a roundabout way, these men may have saved our planet.

Based on historical events which are still poorly undertsood, this movie depicts Werner Heisenberg and Niels Bohr - the titans of quantum mechanics in its halcyon days during the 1920s and 1930s - caught in an encounter which is a loose human analogy to Heisenberg's famous uncertainty principle (which demonstrates mathematically that you cannot know both the exact speed and position of a single electron). Drawing from the Tony Award-winning play by Michael Frayn (who also wrote Noises Off), the movie revolves around the dialogue between these two men (sometimes together with Bohr's wife) who meet in Copenhagen in 1942 when Heisenberg, the German, who has been placed within the scientific research progam of the Nazis in their quest to build a nuclear bomb, visits his mentor and colleague Bohr, the Dane who is living through Nazi occupation of his native land. There are deep unresolved questions about the motives of Heisenberg which the characters try to resolve in a series of talks and walks through the same park where the two physicists previoulsy stolled to debate the ideas which came to form the foundation of quantum physics. Set against a piano score which resonates with the inner sense of uncertainty and suspicion in the dialogue, the movie achieves some the things that the big stage does not allow, including flashbacks and scenes ranging back and forth between the park and Bohr's home. [Note: I enjoyed the movie as much as the play]. In an era where cinematic palates seem titillated mostly by fast action thrillers, this movie is another example of how well constructed dialogue makes for gripping cinematic drama when it goes hand in hand with superb casting and performance.

I love the first season of Ranma, but this second season has lost some of what made the first season great. Instead of a continuous story, the second season is comprised of many short story arcs. One can see that the series is becomming more episodic, and loosing sight of the overall story.

I don't want to give the impression that it isn't enjoyable though. The Ryoga episodes in particular are hillarious, and worth the price of the box set. On the other hand, the episodes featuring Happosai reuse the same gag ad nauseam. Happosai is so one-dimensional that his character can be a big turn-off. Overall, this season is a bit hit-or-miss for me: with some really great episodes mixed in with some mediochre ones.

However, the relatively low price for a full season of anime may make this box set attractive. Also, the picture quality struck me as a bit higher when compared to the first season. I still noticed some compression problems, but they weren't obvious enough to detract from the content. The only other thing I should point out is that Viz is reusing the title screens from the VHS, for the beginning of the episodes; and it looks awful. Though they're only on screen for about three seconds so it may not bother you much.

Ranma has a (well-deserved) strong following; but I felt that I should warn potential buyers that the second season lacks some story elements found in the first season--specifically continuous character development. In fact, I've often heard it said that you can watch any Ranma anime (TV episodes, movies, or OVAs) after seeing the first season. So, if you're thinking of introducing friends to Ranma, the first season is a must-buy, and the second season is less necessary.

Okay, with the second season of Ranma 1/2(or the first, since this in Japan they started a new Ranma series beginning with this season), we can see that the characters are starting to get more in place, and although Akane and Ranma are still slightly out of character from the comic, they aren't treated as bad as they were in the first season. Ranma switches outfits in this season to the one he usually wears(in the comic, although he has a blue shirt instead of a red one). More of the characters are introduced, including Mousse, Happosai, Cologne, and Sasuke, who is an original character(voiced by Shigeru Chiba, who also voiced Raditz in Dragonball Z and Kuwabara in Yu Yu Hakusho). I do feel Sasuke is a bit out of place(I would have preferred Hikaru Gosunkugi from the beginning), but I can adjust. The animation gets a bit screwy at times, but it's pretty good, more or less. The dub actors seem to be getting a bit more in tune with the characters, although Ranma at times sounds really screwed up, like when he screams, "I'm REALLY angry!," at Mikado. But, the series is getting improved. Well, on to season 3!

if you're looking for good laughs you should by the Ranma1/2 Series one of the funniest shows in tokyo. Im 17 and i just got into ranma1/2 this was the 1st ranma season boxset i bought. Other good series are Tenchi muyo, Sailor moon, Cardcaptor Sakura, love hina, and blue seed. But this is the funniest anime series ive ever seen.

I was a teenager when this program originally aired on television, and I thought that William Shatner was merely playing the same old wildly emoting Captain Kirk that has made him the butt of so many jokes. After a recent second screening, I see that I was probably wrong. Shatner's prosecutor is a little over the top, but it's because his justifiable moral outrage at the defendant has caught him in a terrible trap, and forces him to ask questions that were almost unthinkable in 1865; namely, is it ever justifiable for an officer to refuse to follow orders which he judges are immoral?
The defendant, Wirz, as excellently played by Richard Basehart, is an immigrant from the European school of miltary theory, and he is by turns hateful, confused at the sudden shift in the meaning of his duty, and pathetic (Wirz is still considered something of a hero in the local area outside the present-day National Cemetery near Andersonville). Jack Cassidy, as the defending attorney, is fully aware of the prosecutor's dilemma, and seems to be taking great pleasure in pointing up the US Army's hypocracy in trying a man for following malicious orders, yet refusing to allow that he would have been militarily justified in refusing them. Cameron Mitchell is the presiding officer, Gen. Lew Wallace (of "Ben-Hur" fame), and portrays a man who is about to lose control of the proceedings through the unsettling forays of the Army's own prosecutor. I gave the film four stars because it is a little too long and drags a bit in some places. However, the depth of the story, and the exploration of the ethical problems dealt with in the courtroom, make it superior to a very similar movie, "Judgment at Nuremburg."

Basehart, like many other television stars, was unfortunate to be associated with a long-running program (four years on "Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea"). A prolific and skilled actor, Basehart is a sympathetic figure as the commandant of the infamous Georgia prison. He is allowed to show depth that the 60's Irwin Allen show of which he is associated never allowed him.

The production also features two other actors playing against type in pivotal and revealing roles, Buddy Ebsen and the late Jack Cassidy. The two match Basehart in the acting department and do justice to the George C. Scott-directed presentation.

"The Andersonville Trial" ranks as one of the best productions ever shown on PBS.

"Andersonville Trial" is special in more ways than one.

First and foremost, it is a damn fine production, and a very powerful stage play captured on video. Second, the play has many famous names among the cast, some of whom appear in early roles (Martin Sheen, for one). William Shatner, of course, is oddly Kirk-like, but does very well as Lt. Colonel Chipman. Richard Basehart? Wonderful, and the ultimate professional, as always. Buddy Ebsen plays a doctor. Even Alan Hale Sr., who blazed a trail of adventure in many of Errol Flynn's films, is on hand (though in a non-speaking role). None other than George C. Scott directed the enterprise, and introduces the feature in a short segment.

Another thing that makes this production unique is that it harkens back to the best of PBS, before they started worrying about ratings, hype, and marketing. Shows like "I, Claudius" and "Masterpiece Theater", among others, made their way to the network about the same time, and "Sesame Street" had yet to become the moneygrubbing exercise it is now (Elmo, this means YOU!). This was back when PBS really lived up to the ideals of being a Public Broadcaster, and shows like "Andersonville Trial" were an offshoot of those ideals. Like other PBS shows, it was the BEST the arts offered at the time; a famous cast in a dramatic play, coming right into our living rooms.

On the tape, we even get to see the old PBS logo, with "PBS" spelled out in that funky 60's-70's type they used to use (with the orange letter "P"). That alone is worth the purchase price.

Hopefully a DVD will someday be released. Until then, if you can latch on to a copy of the tape, you should by all means do so. It is a dramatic telling of a famous war crimes trial, with superb acting and a moral message about war that will stay with you for some time to come.

This Opera National de Lyon production is simply delightful. The singing is excellent and the audio quality of the DVD is as good. The video is of an equal quality.

The staging is unusual but comes off brilliantly. The use of the minimalist sets works very well and I wouldn't have expected it to do so. It is slightly surreal but this is a slightly (?) surreal opera. The sets work with the opera and never detract from the opera or become intrusive.

The singers seem to be enjoying themselves and inviting you to enjoy it with them. In fact, joy might be a good one-word description of the entire opera.

There is some slapstick in it but never at the cost of the opera. Instead, it seems to enhance it. The scene with the cook and her "deadly" ladle is delightful but only slightly better than the other scenes.

This is my first experience with an Opera National de Lyon production and I throughly enjoyed it. I got the opera several months ago and find I watch it about once a month.

Everything about this video is just wonderful! It is humorous & delightful, the acting is great, the choreography is wonderful, the singing and orchestra is great, the tempo is brisk, the sound mixing is good, the sets are fabulous (they are a bit avant garde, but it works ok here.) This is the 3RD time I've watched this video (1st time on DVD.)

I upgraded from the laser disk version, and it was a good thing too. The laser disk had problems with the sound mixing which was fixed on the DVD version.

There are no extras, just the performance and a chapter menu. The menu does not even break up the contents between Act I & Act II, so it is very rudimentary. That's the only downside to this otherwise great DVD!

After I bought "Des Contes d'Hoffman" (DVD, 1993, Dir. Pierre Cavassilas), I was so disappointed and reluctant to buy any unorthodox opera staging. However, I am happy to have this copy. The audio and visual effects are very good. The stagings are un-traditional yet logical and powerful. Even my 8 year-old watched the most part of it with me.