Arts Movie Reviews

Related Subjects: Kids_and_Teens Children's_Museums Dance Music Online_Stories Photography Sculpture Theater_and_Drama Youth_Organizations
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Family movie reviews for "Arts" sorted by average review score:
Gounod - Roméo et Juliette / Alagna · Gheorghiu · Anton Guadagno
Released in DVD by Naxos of America (15 April, 2003)
MPAA Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Director: Barbara Willis Sweete
Average review score:

A half occasion
I'm really surprised that, in 2003, is still possible to see films like this: Gounod's magnificent opera here is cut by a butcher (running time 73 minutes, against the three hours of any integral recording!!!) who is trying to restore the 40s and 50s mode for b movie based on opera.
It's really a shame, since we have the most beautiful Romeo and Juliet of the century, Alagna and Gheourghiu, giving a marvellous and poignant musical and theatrical superb performance, but what a frame! the set (supposed to be in Verona but here in Eastern Europe, in a Snow-White-looking castle really funny)is near to amateurish (as well as frame characters, the out-of-tune Laurent and Mercutio) and the production is relly a bad trick to Gheorghiu and Alagna's exceptional performance. What a waste!!!A performance of the couple in their last Salzburg show would have been thousands times better then this!!!Anyway, their singing is worth enough to purchase the dvd.

John Valby: Concerto for Piano, Voice and 500 Screaming Assholes
Released in DVD by Koch Vision Entertai (21 October, 2003)
MPAA Rating:
Starring: John Valby
Average review score:

Cheap production, but glad to have JV on DVD!
Viewing this DVD was an exercise in frustration. 50% of the content was good classic Valby, but the other half filler. Furthermore, the DVD looks and sounds as if a cheap 300 dollar video cam was used to record the show. Audio is muffled a bit much of the time and not up to par on most of the DVD, and the video is a one camera presentation with no real closeups of John. OK, the camera is about 20 feet or so away, but it would have been a lot more professional if at least 2 cameras were used, and closer shots of John were included during some passages. That said, it is good to have JV on on DVD finally, and I am sure if John himself is reading the review he is saying 'FU' to me right now!

Live Concert from the Semper Opera Dresden
Released in DVD by Arthaus Musik (01 November, 2000)
MPAA Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Starring: Sachsische Staatskapelle Dresd
Average review score:

Wonderful program, yet moderate perfromance....
This performance of the Dresden Statskappelle from the Semper Opera, Dresden is surprisingly disappointing. Sinopoli seems to have difficulty communicating his vision to the orchestra, and as a result the orchestra sounds reserved and insecure. Of the Alpine Symphony performance, many of the great moments are troubled by insecure brass playing, a problem also evident in the Wagner. This frequent instability causes the brasses to sound individualistic rather than cohesive as a section, and cohesiveness is the key to this work. The strings are generally excellent throughout and the sound quality of the disc is ok, yet not up to par with other Arthaus DVD's.

Martial Arts Madness
Released in DVD by Goodtimes Home Video (01 March, 2001)
MPAA Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Starring: Bruce Lee
Average review score:

Two great Lee films plus two DVDs of non-Lee fluff
This Martial Arts Madness box set features four DVDs: the two Bruce Lee movies Fists of Fury and The Chinese Connection, the biographical film Bruce Lee: A Dragon Story, and a completely fictional film starring a Bruce Lee wannabe misleadingly titled The Legend of Bruce Lee. The set is worth buying for the two actual Bruce Lee movies alone. Both Fists of Fury, Lee's first real film, and The Chinese Connection appear here in a digitally remastered and widescreen format. The picture quality is still a bit below perfect in places, but these are two excellent films featuring some classic Bruce Lee performances (in terms of both fighting and acting); The Chinese Connection is a particularly impressive film. There are no extras to be found here, though; all you get in each case is the movie and a scene selection option.

Bruce Lee: A Dragon Story is practically worthless in my book. While it purports to give a biographical account of Bruce Lee's life and career, it covers nothing of any importance whatsoever. Lee's fighting styles, influences, films, and overall philosophy of life are not mentioned at all, and what little light is shed upon the legendary actor is rather unfavorable. This film is pretty much a travesty, in my opinion. The Legend of Bruce Lee, on the other hand, is worth watching simply for all of the fight scenes. While this film plays itself off as a story of Bruce Lee's life, it actually has nothing whatsoever to do with him. The actual star of this film, Bruce Le (a Bruce Lee wannabe), is a competent fighter, but he cannot even begin to match the power, grace, and charisma of the real Bruce Lee.

This 4-DVD Martial Arts Madness box set should appeal most strongly to budget-conscious Bruce Lee fans and to those who are curious about the legendary martial arts superstar. Buy it for the two vintage Bruce Lee movies, enjoy all of the fight scenes in The Legend of Bruce Lee, but watch the horrible biographical film Bruce Lee: A Dragon Story at your own risk.

The Mormon Tabernacle Choir - Songs of America
Released in DVD by Image Entertainment (13 April, 1999)
MPAA Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Starring: Mormon Tabernacle Choir
Average review score:

Not just songs...
Interspersed among the ten songs in this DVD are three lenghty sermons that purport to introduce the songs that follow but serve in fact to promote the Mormon Church by extolling its prophets and its current leader (whose picture is provided), with allusions to the hardships of its great exodus out West. All this detracts considerably from the enjoyment one might otherwise get from a seamless continuous performance. Enjoyable as they are, the songs lean more to the religious side than the patriotic.

Navy Seal * Escape Combatives
Released in DVD by Loti Group (01 January, 2003)
MPAA Rating:
Average review score:

Good self defense film for police officers
The film gives instruction for situations where a police officer is under attack with bare hands, or melee weapons. The techniques are explained in detail, and at the same time a technique is shown, Chuck Habermehl explains the technique verbally. On several occasions, there is also an alternative technique taught besides the main technique. On some occasions, Habermehl refers to a technique he states has been covered elsewhere (in some other film), and does not give a proper instruction of the technique here.

For the most part, the techniques are realistic and effective. There are some techniques that either require lots of practise, or are not very universally useful, though. These techniques are mainly alternative techniques, but I wonder why teach these techniques at all, instead of resorting to simplier and more universally applicable techniques.

The best thing in the film is that Habermehl demonstrates some commonly used techniques that are either not very effective, or are even dangerous to the user. That way you have the opportunity to learn better tehniques, before you need them in a fight.

This film is aimed for police officers. Civilians can benefit from the techniques also, but the objective for a cop is to subdue the attacker, which is not normally the main objective for a civilian. That fact limits the usefulness of the techniques taught here for civilians.

Run time: 1:35

DVD extras: Guerilla driving: Counter ambush tactics for today's mean streets (27 minutes). Also available separately on VHS; see separate review.

Tchaikovsky - The Nutcracker / Lezhina, Baranov, Kirov Ballet
Released in DVD by Uni/Philips (12 December, 2000)
MPAA Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Starring: P.I. Tchaikovsky
Average review score:

Diminished Expectations
I have been trying to find a suitable production of "The Nutcracker" ballet to entertain my (adult) children when we gather here at our home for the holiday season. The word tradition has crossed my mind. I have a very good home theatre set up.Upon viewing the Kirov version of this ballet, I was both pleased anddisappointed. The sound was okay and the picture quality was so so.What shocked me was the blatent emission of several key scenes from this production.The "growing" Christmas tree, The woman who hid all those children under her extra large dress and the "Sugar Plum Fairy" episode were very annoying.While the two featured artists were quite talented, I think, given all the talent of the Kirov, other dancers should have been featured in more scenes.

Donizetti - Maria Stuarda
Released in DVD by Image Entertainment (07 September, 1999)
MPAA Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Director: Petr Weigl
This is about as unconventional and controversial as an opera video can get. Opinions on it range from wildly enthusiastic to uncompromisingly negative, with little in between. I find it extraordinarily powerful and (once some mental adjustments are made) theatrically convincing. Maria Stuarda, an opera by Donizetti based on a play by Schiller, exists in two rather different editions--from 1834 and 1835. Both are represented musically in parts of this production, with considerable rewriting by Bonynge (as was done in Donizetti's time) to show off the spectacular voices of Sutherland and Tourangeau. As if that was not complicated enough, this 1988 production, a joint project of Czech and German television, uses the 1975 Decca recording for its music, with Czech performers doing skilled lip synchronization. In nonmusical connecting passages, they synchronize to Schiller's original German script. For full enjoyment, you have to expand the usual "suspension of disbelief" to cover frequent shifts between spoken German and sung Italian, in which you never hear the actual voices of the people you see on the screen.

Not a promising description, but it works like a charm. The Czech actors, the German speaking voices, and the recorded singers are all first-class and Petr Weigl has blended their efforts with dazzling skill. Most hard-core opera fans, who have already accepted the concept of two British queens singing at one another in Italian, should be able to handle the whole package. The story (of the condemnation and execution of Mary, Queen of Scots, by her rival, Queen Elizabeth I) is a powerful one, and both Schiller and Donizetti have exploited it for all its worth. The central scene--a face-to-face confrontation between Mary and Elizabeth--never actually happened, but it makes crackling drama, and in this production it has enormous impact. --Joe McLellan

Average review score:

Nevermore
It goes without saying that this, having once been done, need not be done again.

Incoherent mish-mash
This is not a performance of Donizetti's opera. Scenes from the opera (sung in Italian) are interspersed with scenes from Schiller's play (spoken in German). The result is ... well, I don't know what name to give to the result. Petr Weigl has made some pretty good opera films, and some pretty awful ones, but this one takes the cake as the worst trashing of an opera ever committed to film. It doesn't do much for Schiller's play, either. The singing (what there is of it) by Joan Sutherland, Huguette Tourangeau, and Luciano Pavarotti is very good (Weigl obtained a pre-existing sound recording of the complete opera and sliced out the little bits that he needed for his film), but there's not enough of the opera or of the play for any music drama or any other sort of drama to happen. Avoid this DVD and buy the CD set of the opera instead. If you're interested in Schiller's play, just read it.

I'm afraid it's not going to work.
This is not going to work, not even foor opera fans. This is a play done with real settings, yet with a lot of dialogues and suddenly the actor/actress sing an operatic aria and then cut short and then another scene...

Sutherland and Pavorotti singing was not as good as one would expect-- we can't see their acting, and nd the sound is not so good in any event. The costume is, however, very good, so is the photography. Acting is not bad. But where is the drama,the climax or anti-climax...It's the form it takes that causes the audience most trouble.

One would accept an opera with real setting like Onegin with music written by Tsaichovsky etc more readily.

The Phantom of the Opera
Released in DVD by Water Bearer (27 February, 2001)
MPAA Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Director: Darwin Knight
Average review score:

Not what I hoped
A friend of mine lent this to me. I recently became a Phan, and I'm trying to get my hands on every version out there. I understood very well from the beginning that this was not the Lloyd Webber version we all know and worship. The only redeeming thing I found about this other stage version, however, is that the beginning explains more about Christine and Raoul and how they met.

I thought this particular version missed the entire point of the story. I was very disappointed with the ending. The sets were very elementary, and I didn't find the music all that stimulating. Maybe I've just been spoiled with the Lloyd Webber Phantom, but I wouldn't recommend this to diehard phans who like the story the way it should be.

Serendipity
For those who want Webber's version, this isn't it. It does, however, stand quite well on its own as a very beautiful and moving play with music that is very emotional, and in one or two cases, visceral. Elizabeth Walsh's voice is incomparable, both speaking and singing, and her acting is fresh and natural. Her Christine is quite believable. David Staller's performance is truly moving. He has managed to capture Erik's desperate desire for human contact, as well as his immature petulance and arrogance, not to mention his sense of humor and flamboyance. Mr. Staller portrays an entirely sympathetic Phantom. At times he's laugh-out-loud funny; at others the tears will flow.
Since I know of no Webber version on tape, this one is better than just a substitute. This one is phun.

phunny phantom
This is not the Andrew Llyod Webber Version. But you should know that by looking at the cover. This version instead brings out more humor than other versons that focus on horror. If you take it for what it is you will not be disappointed in the least.

The Magic Show with Doug Henning
Released in DVD by Image Entertainment (24 July, 2001)
MPAA Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Director: Norman Campbell
The late Doug Henning was a cheerful pop-culture icon of the 1970s. His chipmunk grin and dangling hair become as ubiquitous as the Farrah Fawcett bathing-suit poster. The Canadian magician's fame was sealed with The Magic Show, a Broadway musical that ran for more than four years. This 1981 filmed version of a live Toronto stage production is not exactly the original show. Some of Henning's magic routines were different, and songwriter Stephen Schwartz replaced a couple of songs with new numbers (which Schwartz has claimed he prefers to the originals, though die-hard fans of the original Broadway cast recording may demur). Schwartz, whose work has included excursions into both New and Old Testaments (Godspell and the animated film The Prince of Egypt, respectively), is in a bouncy Godspell mode here, with the clever songs boosting the tired dialogue. The show is essentially an old-fashioned, mild send-up comedy/melodrama serving as an excuse for Henning's magic acts. The supporting players handle most of the heavy lifting of song and dance, including red-headed vixen (and future star) Anita Morris, who gets sawed in half and turned into a lion. Henning lends his likable personality and saves his energy for the big-time tricks. As is almost always true of magic, the filmed version lacks the you-are-there charge of a live show, but at least this production captures Henning's style and spirit: his high-pitched "Whoo!" and hippy-dippy rainbow outfits are ingratiating in a smiley-face way. --Robert Horton
Average review score:

pretty bad
I thought this would be interesting, with some good magic by Doug Henning, but it turns out to be rather boring. Couldn't get myself to watch it straight through without using fast-forward.

Faint Carbon
This is not really the MAGIC SHOW that had a long run on Broadway. Many of the songs have been changed, and while the new ones are pleasant enough, none is as sophisticated or interesting as the one it replaced.

To me, the biggest problem are the sets and costumes. So ugly, so cheap looking.

As the divine assistant, the late Anita Morris is great. Didi Conn is fun and adorable, though vocally thin.

Could it be Magic? (not quite)
I was thrilled when I found out this had been released. Although I had not seen the original production, I know the score well and have performed several of the songs in cabaret and couldn't wait to see the entire production. I know the chances of ever seeing/doing this in community theatre are slight at best. Apparently, I still haven't seen it. The biggest dissappointment is the omission of "Goldfarb Variations", "Solid Silver Platform Shoes" and (in the "what were they THINKING?" category), "West End Avenue". It was, however, delightful to see Doug Henning and the incomparable Anita Morris again. Henning's important contribution to the world of illusions is well represented here, and gives a fun reminder of what the 70's were like. I still love this score, although I will forever put my money on the Original Broadway Cast recording. This is a good DVD to have for a collector, but don't expect too much. The story is inane, the jokes vaudevillian, and the acting merely adequate. Nonetheless, how nice to occaisionally see a forgotten show come back to the surface, huh?

Related Subjects: Kids_and_Teens Children's_Museums Dance Music Online_Stories Photography Sculpture Theater_and_Drama Youth_Organizations
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