Consulting Movie Reviews

The DVD wis broken down by aspects of the music industry in which one WILL deal with when starting out. Anything you need to address in any situation is fulfilled in this audio/video presentation. All people who have various knowledge from the actual artist to the CEO/President of small and large labels answers various topic questions. Every genre of music has one representative, I believe. If you want to know about what all goes on from various points of view and situations, this is one to own. A must own for anyone who just wants to know about the insides of the music industry.

Only bad note... is the annoying music in the background.

This is truly one of the most valuable purchases I have made in a while. I have been looking for some sound advice for getting into the industry, and my search has proved to be successful. I did not expect to hear celebrities discussing personal stories on their starts. It was good to hear that they struggled just as much, if not more than I have before breaking through. I highly reccommend this program for all who aspire to develop a career in music.

Hey all, I've been dreaming of a life on stage, and on the road, but I have had the worst luck with those insane record companies. I just can't manage to get my demo in the right hands. I gave Inside Sessions a try, and I wasn't too sure it would be worth it but I was wrong! These guys rock with their great advice that had never even crossed my mind. I would highly reccommend this program for anyone who loves music, and wants to learn how to get involved in the real biz! Good Luck and check this stuff out.

Tony Sweet is a phenomenal photographer. He narrates the still photography by telling why he took the picture the way he did (composition), what filters he used, etc. There are also a lot of videos with Tony on field assignments with his students. A lot of information on this DVD. Well worth the money. You will view this many, many times. Awesome!

Tony Sweet is a true artist and craftsman. He shares his knowledge, which has taken him years to accumulate, having studied with the best in the business and gained experience on his own. In addition to his gift as a photographic artist he also has the talent to reduce his technique to rules which he teaches. Check his web site. If you want to know how he does it, he shows you on this DVD.

I met Tony about one year ago. After spending one week in his course I was dazzled. During the week there was much discussion regarding the DVD. I couldn't wait for it's release. After receiving the DVD I discovered it was much more than I expected. I spend a few days watching it over and over again. The images are great. As much as the image greatness; probably the best portion of the DVD is Tony taking the time to explain the details of the images. The how and why. I would recommend Visual Rhythm to everyone. It will improve your skills.
Thank You Tony,

Joe Przybylo

Really this is a review to Arthur's New Puppy,as this was a mistake,my Arthur's New Puppy Review is what happened in this tale.Arthur's dog Pal was mischevious at home,so Arthur had to get Pal to be good,so he proved how smart,Pal really was.

Doing Business Online: Volume 1: Getting Started In E-Commerce is a straightforward, easy-to-understand, 50 minute, DVD tutorial on the basics of e-commerce, including setting up a business webpage, selling products online, accepting consumer credit cards, using keywords and search engines to maximize publicity, and much, much more. The direct narration accessibly covers the basics with illustrated pointers, in this unforgettable and highly recommended presentation.

Anchor Bay has come through again with this wonderful set of Paul Verhoeven's early films. All of the transfers are top-notch and the subtitles are very clear and concise. As the individual titles have already been reviewed seperately, the big draw to this collection is being able to collect all of these brilliant films for much less than their retail price. The collectible booklet that's included provides plot summaries and quotes from the director and/or cast member(s). Overall, I highly recommend this collection for even the casual filmgoer who is looking for that unique film experience.

Marilyn Monroe in some of her best films. SHe doesn't star in all of them, but her contribution to the films is unforgettable.

Take "There's no Business like show business"(a completely awful movie which showcases marilyn's voice and body while the rest of it bores the heck out of you) out of this great collection of MM's films, and you have got quite a nice set of movies to feast upon. Also, the documentary, which originally aired on AMC, "The Last Days", is outstanding. Marilyn looks stunning in the footage of her last work on film that was never shown until now.
"The Seven Year Itch", "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, "How to Marry a Millionare", and "Bus Stop"(yippee!! finally back and looking fantastic on dvd) are all great movies of Marilyn's and throwing that monstrosity I mention above in was in bad taste.
I still think it's worth buying. I got it as a gift. It is a perfect gift for the Marilyn lovers like myself.

This review refers to the "Marilyn Monroe-Diamond Collection" DVD Collectors Edition(20th Cent Fox)...

Okay you've been warned. If you watch these films back to back your mouth muscles will tire from smiling so much! They are, like Marilyn herself, simply irresistable. They are also jammed packed with lots of other wonderful stars, fabulous music, snappy dialouge, and they are restored beautifully in the original widescreen and glorious technicolor.The set includes five fun films from the 50's, a captivating documentary, and an edited, reconstructed version of her final but unfinished project.

You'll find Marilyn and pals Lauren Bacall and Betty Grable foraging for rich husbands in "How To Marry A Millionaire"(1953). The men they set their caps for include David Wayne, Rory Calhoun, Cameron Mitchell and even William Powell.
Marilyn and Jane Russell sail for France and declare "Diamonds Are A Girls Best Friend" in the delightful romp "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes"(1953). This one co-stars the wonderful Charles Coburn.
Next up from 1954 Marilyn shares the spolight in "There's No Business Like Show Business" with Ethel Merman, Donald O'Connor and Mitzi Gaynor. This one will delight musical lovers with it's lavish song and dance numbers, and wait till you see some of Marilyn's outfits!
Even happily married Tom Ewell is not safe from Marilyn's charms in "The Seven Year Itch". The wife's away for the summer and poor Tom must find a way to cool off poor Marilyn from the hot weather! Hmmm....Delightful....and of course, this one has the famous skirt scene.
Can a girl with a past and a naive rancher find love? It's a pleasure finding out in this poignant tale of "Bus Stop"(1956). it also stars Don Murray, Arthur O'connell, Betty Field, Eileen Heckart and a very young Hope Lange. Marilyn shows us her tremendous dramtic skills in this one.
And then there's the very touching "Marilyn Monroe: The Final Days". Narrated by James Cobourn, it's an open and honest look at what took place in the last few months of Marilyn's life, and the problems she was having while filming her final film. Immeditaley following the documentary there is an edited, reconstruction of the scenes shot for the film. This film, also starring Dean Martin, "Something's Got To Give", which was to be a remake of the Grant/Dunne film "My Favorite Wife", finally saw an audience as "Move Over Darling" with James Garner and Doris Day.

If you are a Big Fan of MM or are considering this as a gift for some who is, this set is definatly the way to go. If you are like me, you know that eventually you will put out the money for all of them anyway!. Also I did not see "The Final Days" for sale separatly. This boxed set is an absolute bargain!. All the films look fabulous. All wonderfully restored. Each Disc has it's own bonus features, including comparisons of the restoration, and some theatrical trailers. There is a "Movietone Newsreel" relating to the cinemascope process on the documentary disc. The technical info here says that these discs are in 5.1, and although the sound on all the discs is excellent, they are not 5.1. Bus Stop, Millionaire and Show Business are all in 4.0, Seven Yr Itch is in 3.0, and Gentlemen in Stereo and full frame.That is what they say on the box and that is exactly how my DVD player decoded them. As I said they sound wonderful, but I thought I would mention that for those that it may make a difference to.

20th Century has put together a wonderful must have package, that you'll enjoy time and time again....enjoy ...Laurie

Bette Midler and Lily Tomlin are great together. They are very funny in this movie and I would highly recamend this movie to all ages from kids to adults. It is about two set's of twins who get seperated at birth because the nurse mixes them up. I think that this movie is a movie that you can watch over and over again because it is so funny!

I am SOOO HAPPY this is finally being released on DVD (my VHS copy has been watched so many times, it's not that good anymore!).

This is a great story about TWO sets of twins that are born in this rinky dink hospital in Jupiter Hollow, only to have one twin from each set mixed with the other. It's a hilarious romp and definitely a feel good movie. I think far too many critics these days miss that point. If a movie makes you feel good and makes you want to watch it over and over again, that's a 5 star movie.

Big Business will keep you coming back for a great does of monkey business!! Viva Tomlin and Midler!!

It's a favorite in the sense that I can always count on this light-hearted comedy to make me laugh, and give me that warm feeling inside, even if I'm watching it for the thousandth time.Bette is great, and Lily Tomlin is fabulous as well.Lots of kick-but one-liners which crack the hell out of me to this day.Love it.

This was a very funny movie! It was hilarious! I wished I owned it so I could see it again and again! The Marx Brothers are the best!

I looooooove the marx brothers, and Monkey Buiness is one of my favourite Marx films! Anyone who hasn't seen this movie should, even if you are unfamilier with the Marxes. (As soon as you see your first Marx movie you will probably become obsessed with them anyway, like I did). Anyhow, this movie is filled with jokes from start to finish, and there's never a dull moment! HILARIOUS!

THIS IS THE BEST MOVIE!!! TRUDY LOVES THIS MOVIE!!! THE MARX BROTHERS ARE NOT JUST A PART OF HISTORY, THEY ARE GREAT HUMANS!!! IF ONLY HALF THE HUMANS WERE ONE-TENTH AS INSIGHTFUL AS THE MARX BROTHERS, THE WORLD WOULDN'T BE SUCH A [bad] PLACE!!!!!! TRUDY THE MONKEY

After working with Blue Eyes, Nelson Riddle got a suitably inflated impression of himself, and he took it out on one of Frank Loesser's best scores with a big dose of bombast. Why use understatement when you can have a symphonic orchestra doink and boink all over the place? That Riddle got himself in over his swelled head was no clearer than when he decided to replace the quote from Grieg's Piano Concerto in "Rosemary" with something better. As Pauline Kael said of Rex Harrison in the film version of My Fair Lady, everyone here seems to have done this a million times already -- Rudy Vallee is in bad voice here -- but Robert Morse is Old Faithful, singing well if a bit too cuddly for a thirty-five-year-old. Like Rykodisc's other "MGM" albums, this is straight from the LP masters, complete in this case with several truncated tracks and not-quite-top-notch sound. Stick with Victor's five-star '61 cast album.

P. S. Was Robert Q. Lewis really as smarmy as I remember him?

The 1967 musical comedy "How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying" is based upon a 1962 Broadway musical of the same name, as well as the similarly titled novel that was written by Shepherd Mead. The story begins with J. Pierpont Finch (Robert Morse) who works as a skyscraper window washer. He finds and begins to read a self-help book entitled "How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying". Following advice from the book and while washing windows outside, he sneaks into of an office of the World Wide Wicket Corporation (WWWC). Quickly stripping out of his orange window-washing coveralls, Finch wears a smart business suit beneath and quickly endears himself to the company's president, J.B. Biggley (Rudy Vallee), one of the secretaries, Rosemary Pilkington (Michelle Lee), as well as a host of yes-men vice presidents. Impressed, J.B. sends Finch to the personnel office to be promptly hired to work in the company's mailroom. There, Finch meets J.B.'s nephew, Bud Frump (Anthony Teague), who also works for WWWC in the mailroom. Continuing to follow advice from the self-help book, Finch finagles and brownnoses his way up the corporate ladder in record speed and develops a love interest with Rosemary, but not everyone is happy with Finch's rise within the company. J.B. also hires a very attractive 'friend', Hedy LaRue (Maureen Arthur), who has little experience working in an office, but has a lot of experience with men.

The engaging, original music in the film, which was written by Frank Loesser, includes the songs:

* "How To" (sung by Robert Morse).
* "The Company Way" (sung by Robert Morse).
* "A Secretary Is Not A Toy" (sung by company employees).
* "Been A Long Day" (sung by company employees).
* "Rosemary" (sung by Robert Morse).
* "Grand Old Ivy" (sung by Robert Morse and Rudy Vallee).
* "I Believe In You" (sung by Michelle Lee).
* "Brotherhood Of Man" (sung by company employees).

Though some of the activities shown in "How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying" are dated and chauvinistic by today's business standards (and discouraged by the Labor Department and the EEOC), the basic message of the story regarding nepotism, brownnosing, favoritism, scapegoating, affairs between employees, people hired for their appearance, backstabbing and mismanagement within corporations is just as relevant today as it was over 40 years ago. Creative employees are summarily fired for their ideas, others with more corporate clout get those same ideas approved by management. People who went to the right schools or joined the right clubs move up quickly, as well as people who easily agree with superiors and/or dress as well as possible. It's not what you know, but who you know, how well you brownnose, how good of an appearance you make and how well you avoid trouble that makes one successful in the corporate world.

Robert Morse is hilarious in the film, as are Rudy Vallee, Maureen Arthur and Michelle Lee. The film was well scripted and the sets are appropriate for a late 1960's office building. It is likely that the film inspired Michael J. Fox's 1987 film, "The Secret of My Succe$s". Overall, I rate the film with 5 out of 5 stars. So sit back, get a bowl of popcorn and see whether you want to do things the company way.

One of the most often overlooked movie musicals of the 1960s is also one of the most successful: the screen version of the Broadway smash HOW TO SUCCEED IN BUSINESS WITHOUT REALLY TRYING, which delivers a sharp comic rap across the corporate knuckles in its tale of a nobody (Robert Morse) who uses a self-help book to rocket up the corporate ladder--and by the time our hero reaches the heights, romantic complications leads him to wonder what price corporate success.

Although the business world has changed quite a bit since 1967, SUCCEED is so dead-on with its attack that even modern corporate leaders will be bloodied from the fray. The company is just large enough so that no one knows what is actually going on, leadership cries out for creative solutions then promptly fires any one who shows a talent for it, and promotion doesn't hinge so much upon ability as it does upon [kissing] up, backstabbing, and looking like you know what you're doing. There are jabs at dressing for success, the idea that employees don't engage in sexual hankypanky, hidden nepotism, and the importance of belonging to the "right" clubs. And along the way our hero meets the classic business crowd: the company man, the bombshell secretary, the boss' nephew, and a host of largely incompetent yes-men VPs.

The film is very stylized, making no pretense at naturalism per se, and the cast follows suit, playing in a way that blends beautifully with the self-boosting and jingoistic tone that pervades the piece. Robert Morse gives a truly brilliant performance in the lead--and one wonders why Hollywood so seldom used him in later years; Michele Lee, as the secretary who befriends him, is equally fine, and the supporting cast is wonderful all the way around. The musical numbers (which includes such numbers as "The Company Way," "A Secretary Is Not A Toy," "It's Been A Long Day," and "Brotherhood of Man") are remarkably sly and memorably performed. All in all, HOW TO SUCCEED IN BUSINESS WITHOUT REALLY TRYING is sure to appeal to any one who has had the misfortune to graple with the idiocies of corporate America--and it will almost certainly outrage every "company man" on your city block. Strongly recommended, but make sure you get the widescreen version; pan-and-scan doesn't cut it on this one!

"Monkey Business" looks pretty good on DVD 50 years later. The restoration comparison on the DVD shows the change the restoration brought, a bit darkly tinted, and more defined. The wild plot keeps you glued to the screen throughout. Marilyn Monroe who is the star on the DVD box has more of a supporting role here. She is great as the secretary Lois Laurel who shows up early because the boss doesn't like her punctuation. Cary Grant as the addled Professor Barnaby Fulton turns in a great journeyman performance, getting appropriately loony when experiencing the euphoria of youth. His driving sequence with Monroe had me turning in my chair with laughter to avoid the trucks! Ginger Rogers as wife Edwina gets pretty wacky when returned to youth. If all youth were as lighthearted as these comedic versions, it'd be a laugh and guffaw every time the school bell rings. Hugh Marlowe as the straight-laced attorney Hank Entwhistle does a nice job of standing stoic during the crazy Indian game. Oscar winner Charles Coburn (1943, The More the Merrier) does a great job of appreciating Monroe's assets as Oliver Oxly, the CEO. Kathleen Freeman as Mrs. Brannigan gives a fine performance. The DVD offers perviews of many Monroe films. This is a great little piece of cinematic history. Turn back the clock & enjoy!

When I think of Cary Grant, I think of the suave, immaculate, debonair actor who defined cool in his own era as well as our own. Monkey Business, a delightfully funny screwball comedy from 1952, shows us a very different side of Cary Grant. Blessed with major talent the likes of Grant, Ginger Rogers, Marilyn Monroe, and the lovably huffy character actor Charles Coburn, Monkey Business delivers good old-fashioned comedy from start to finish. Grant plays Barnaby Fulton, a chemist working to develop an age-retarding formula. Ginger Rogers is Edwina, his more than understanding wife; she handles his absent-minded episodes with grace and style, putting his interests before her own every time. Fulton's boss Mr. Oxley (Coburn) is very anxious for the solution to be found, for he is already past retirement age, but some piece of the puzzle just will not fall into place - not, that is, until one of Fulton's lab monkeys escapes her cage, mixes her own formula, and then stashes it in the water cooler. When Fulton tries out his latest concoction, washed down by a cup of water, he soon reverts back to a teenager mentality, running around like a wild man and even entertaining Lois Laurel (Monroe), Mr. Oxley's secretary, for the afternoon. Eventually, the effects wear off and he returns to his normal self, but both he and his wife conduct several more experiments (both accidentally as well as purposely) as the movie progresses, each of them regressing farther and farther back toward childhood each time. Naturally, with all these goings-on, a big, zany ending is in store for everyone involved.

The best part of this movie has to be the childlike antics of Cary Grant and Ginger Rogers as they carry on for some time like a couple of eight-year-olds. Marilyn Monroe is stunning and her character never fails to produce laughs. Lois, who has begun coming to work early each morning because her boss isn't satisfied with her punctuation, was not hired for her secretarial skills, but, as Mr. Oxley says, anyone can type. Marilyn gets a fair share of screen time in this early film of hers, but there can be no question that Cary Grant and Ginger Rogers thoroughly steal the show with their comedic antics. In the end, Monkey Business shows that youth is a state of mind, best expressed by Barnaby's line, "You're old only when you forget you're young."

Plot: Barnaby is in search of the elixir of youth. He is experimenting with his formula on chimps. One of the chimps gets out of its cage and starts playing with Barnaby's chemicals. When the chimp is about to be caught, he pours the mixture into a water cooler. Barnaby decides to test his formula on himself, and washes it down with a glass of water.....

This is Cary Grant's second and last movie with Ginger Rogers, the first being ONCE UPON A HONEYMOON in 1942. This is CG's 58th movie and his fifth movie being directed by Howard Hawks. Their relationship had started in 1938, with the production of BRINGING UP BABY. This movie has very true shades as BUB. Cary is the greatest of farceurs, lighting up the screen with hilarity and fun.

Cary plays Dr. Barnaby Fulton who has been working on a youth-restoring formula for several years. He has not had much success until one day a chimpanzee gets loose in the lab and accidentally concocts the exact formula Barnaby had been searching for.

No one knows that the chimp has put the formula in the water cooler (except the water tastes bitter), and everyone who drinks the water gets younger and younger. The chemical reaction is fun and explosive.

Finally, Barnaby decides that the formula has to go and tells his wife, Edwina (Ginger Rogers) of his new formula, "You're only old when you forget you're young," which obviously is the best philosophy for anyone to follow.

Cary makes acting look so easy; I envy him for that. When this film came out it was not a commercial success, but today it is known as a true classic. Just goes to show what time can do to put a new slant on things.