Arts Movie Reviews

IN THIS MEDIOCRE JACKIE CHAN MOVIE, A GIRL THAT'S IN A GANG TRYS TO GET OUT BUT THE GANG WON'T STOP TO HUNT HER DOWN. BUT WHEN SHE DIES IN A TAXICAB ON THE WAY TO THE HOSPITAL, THE CABDRIVER BECOMES A TARGET OF THE GANG, WHO THINKS HE HAS THE GIRL'S PURSE. THIS IS VERY MEDIOCRE FOR A JACKIE CHAN MOVIE. THE STORY IS DUMB, THE SCRIPT IS WACK, AND MOST OF THE FIGHTS ARE LUDICROUS. THOUGH JACKIE CHAN IS ON THE COVER OF THIS MOVIE, HE DOESN'T REALLY DO MUCH. THE ONE GOOD THING ABOUT THIS FILM IS THE FACT THAT WE FINALLY GET TO SEE WHAT IT'S LIKE TO SEE CHAN AS A VILLAIN. WANT A BETTER JACKIE CHAN MOVIE FROM THE EARLIER DAYS? CHECK OUT ''THE YOUNG MASTER'' OR ''SNAKE IN THE EAGLE'S SHADOW''.

(speaking predominantly about the Latin, being I don't really watch Standard)

Dancesport is electrifying. This VHS is far from electrifying. Save the $ to put towards one of the more expensive, recent competitions. The music places you right back into the stereotypical, "ballroom dancing is for your grandmother" mindset. The costumes are absolutely hideous. Yes, there are people worth seeing on the tape such as Louis Van Amstel, Karen Hardy, Donnie Burns and Gaynor Fairweather, and Marcus and Karen Hilton but you can see them on the more up to date tapes. It's funny how dancing always seems to be a package deal. Neither costumes nor music make an impression, and this goes for the dancing as well. Don't get me wrong, these are talented dancers but you're not going to see their best performance here. I've watched the tape more than a few times to see if it would grow on me, but so far it just makes me cringe.

The only salvageable part is the exhibition by Donnie Burns and Gaynor Fairweather. (and I would think if you like the Standard, Marcus and Karen Hilton) That's the only part I watch repeatedly.

I've bought many copies of this video in years as gifts to friends. If you want to know what is the internatinal (or English) style ballroom dance, I assure you this is the best value (at $ 20.00!)on the market to watch ballroom dance at its best. It has spectacular shows by Donnie Burns, Gaynor Fairweather and Marcus and Karen Hilton -- they are the top of the ballroom dancing world! Thanks to V.I.E.W, Inc. who produced this video! END

This 60 minute video, produced in 1991, includes ballroom shows and competition finals in both the Latin and Modern (smooth ballroom) styles. Donnie Burns and Gaynor Fairweather, at the peak of their 13 year reign as World Professional Latin champions, do a five dance show; Marcus and Karen Hilton, early in their reign as World Pro Modern champions, do four dances. The competition includes many the top ranked Latin amateurs of the time, some of whom are in the top professional ranks now; the Modern competition draws from the second tier of world class amateur competitors (still better than anyone in the U.S.). Contrary to the implication in the title, the video was not filmed at the International Championships in England, but rather at a competition in Czechoslovakia.The camera work presents the dancing very well, and the price makes the video an excellent value - most comparable ballroom competition videos go for $50-$100.True students of ballroom dance, however, will probably be bothered by the fact that the synchronization of the audio track to the video is off by as much as half a beat - as can be seen from the mismatch between the music and the audio sensitive floor lights. This lack of synchronization makes the competitors look off time, which somewhat spoils the effect; in the shows, perhaps because of the higher caliber of the dancers, the music sounds off time.Still, it's difficult to go wrong for a mere $20.

This is the worst quality DVD I have ever seen! I wrote a complaint to "Madacy entertainment Group" complaining about the quality and never got a response. Buy the Twentieth Century Fox version instead.

I bet Bruce Lee is spinning in his grave as we speak over this dvd. Everyone in Chinese Connection sounds like George the Animal Steel and do not get me started on the picture quality of both films. I would rather pay the money to get my head bashed in than trying to figure out what the characters are saying and make out the action going on during the films. I implore you to save the money and buy the Bruce Lee box set or another Bruce Lee dvd other than this one. Believe me, You would be happy and Bruce Lee would be happy.

while i agree the transfer is not as good as some dvds, it's really not all that bad people, and you get 2 movies for the price of one dvd. i thought this was worth my ten dollars, and you can't deny how good these classics really are. they're not as good as enter the dragon, but they are awesome movies.

I can't believe Kultur would have the nerve to release this terrible performance on DVD. They need to call back every copy and burn them. Sutherland is WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYY past her prime. She sounds heavy and mannered. High notes are forced and effortful. What more her acting is abominable (as always *sigh*). This performance is not something I would watch to remember Sutherland's talent by.

Adriana Lecouvreur is usually portrayed by sopranos (many past their prime) who still have some heft to their voices and can produce a dramatic punch. Joan Sutherland unfortunately has neither. Her technique carries her through the music but she barely explores the dramatic possibilities. Her declamation during "Giusto Cielo" and her entrance in Act One is embarassingly bad and her death scene is reminiscent of Lucia di Lammermoor. The production is a head-scratcher. Why set the opera in the late nineteenth century when Adrienne Lecouvreur was a historical figure of pre-Revolutionary French theater. The reference to Moliere being in the audience during the first act thus makes no sense nor does the presence of an Abbe. The supporting cast is more than adequate (except for John Shaws woofy Michonnet) though they seem to have to watch Bonynge continually. The sets and costumes are quite opulent

I think I might have got a defect product. In addition of the poor picture and sound quality as mentioned by the earlier reviewer, my DVD also shows "blocks" during some scenes and sometimes the sound got distorted and even paused. Very annoying. Though Caballe is out of her prime anyway. By the way, this series's sound all seem to be bad. I also have the Jose Cura version, which I think the sound is even worse.

In spite of a few negative points, it's a nice and moving compilation of popular spiritual and classical pieces which is a useful addition to my classical DVD collection. Unfortunately the pleasure is marred slightly by the picture quality being barely VHS standard let alone DVD. Because the Dolby Surround is not very effective, I switched my Yamaha 595A to "Movie Theatre" which greatly improved the surround effect. I then realised that there was an obtrusive and annoying mains hum due to microphone pickup that was noticeable between items coming mainly from the rear speakers. Eventually I found that the Movie Theatre setting was actually accentuating the noise. Changing to the Mono Movie setting proved to be the best, although the noise was still there. The cover shows that there should be 13 tracks when actually there are 14! If you like this type of music, then it's worth having in spite of these negative points. If it wasn't for the mains hum, I would have given a higher rating.

One star is too high a rating for this production of Taming of the Shrew. It was so campy and cheap that it was a torture to watch. I wanted to throw something at the screen everytime Grumio mugged directly into the camera lens. The tinny and repetitive synthesized music is also extremely grating on the nerves. The cover literature of this cheaply packaged disc makes a point of stating that "English accents... are absent from this series" in order to achieve "clarity of both language and story." Translate this as: "Dumbed-down for North Americans." I'm insulted! This disc is awful at any price.

This production was a video taped stage production that made an early appearance on the PERFORMING IMAGES laser Disc series. And now it makes a low budget bow on DVD. And if truth be told, the laser disc was better quality. The DVD has video drop-out about once every minute making for sudden jumps in video.

THE TAMING OF THE SHREW is as politically incorrect as they come, wherein a man, Petruchio manipulates and disrespects the angry shrew, Kate until her shrewish spirit is broken (funny, she doesnt look shrewish). And when her character is shattered, what is left is a passive woman who believes herself lucky to have a man. This story has inspired the great musical comedy, "Kiss Me, Kate". But, besides that, it remains a low point for female respect.

The production values are very nice for staged Shakespeare and it suggests that the Bard wrote broad comedies worthy of the Marx Brothers. Some of the performers are pretty good, most notably Bruce Davison as the false Tranio. The productions are carried off without heavy english accents making them easier to follow. But, overall, this is only worth a look if you want to see a taped stage production. The Elizabeth Taylor/Richard Burton film makes for much better entertainment.

You can probably save some cash by going with a VHS version.

Being brought up on G&S during my youth in England, I was shocked to behold the Opera Australia's production of "The Mikado". I have other dvd recordings of Opera Australia
where I find The Gondoliers and Patience to be quite outstanding.
BUT their version of Mikado is crass, vulgar and cheap.
The scenery and costumes and that unearthly makeup would certainly cause G&S to turn in their graves.
I beg to differ with an earlier reviewer to didnt appreciate the Canadian Stratford version. At least the singing was better
even if the scenery was sparse.
Greme Ewer, whom i enjoyed in the Gondoliers was a poor Ko-Ko.
He stretched the character beyond recognition and his singing voice was unsuitable for his character.
Of the quality of singing and acting, only one singer came shining through. Heather Begg, who is also on the Patience disc, made the most of an otherwise poor production.
The orchestra as usual is top notch, although I fear there were
some alterations to the score. as is also evidenced in the Stratford production.
I will never understand why people have to meddle with perfection. Just leave G&S alone. They can stand on their own ad infinitum and not ad nauseam as some productions are.
I do not believe there are any D'Oyly Carte performances
on video in the US, but if readers want to hear the operettas
on cd there are several D'Oyly Carte recordings available.
And They Are The Real McCoy!!!

Ever since Joseph Papp souped-up "Pirates of Penzance" in the 1980's there has been a tendency by directors to treat the Savoy Opera's as if they were decrepit museum pieces that could never rest on their own laurels. While a fresh new approach to any classic can be interesting, I'm afraid this Australian Opera production is so over the top that any charm goes sailing out the window as soon as the curtain goes up. The sound, as already noted by others, is deplorable. There are now a total of three (3) "Mikado's" on DVD, all of them wanting. Oh, when, oh when, will some kindly distributor take pity on us Savoyard's and release the beautiful D'Oyly Carte performance from the 1960's?

As much as I wanted to like this production of Gilbert & Sullivan's classic opera of Japanese hijinks, this Opera Australia production was marred by both uneven performances and a DVD soundtrack that borders on the poor side.
It's truly a shame as there is much to like in this production. The costumes, a curious mix of British and Japanese styles, are very colorful and fun. The set, with it's almost "Alice in Wonderland" feel, is both majestic and involving. It also boasts some very solid performances in Heather Begg's touching, if nasty, Katisha and the sly rendition of Pooh-Bah by Gregory Yurisich. Anne-Maree McDonald is a delicious Yum-Yum, while Robert Eddie makes for an imposing, if a tad bland, Mikado. Unfortunately, Graeme Ewer's Ko-Ko is all mock posture and no heart. Indeed, it is one of the flattest performances of the role that I have ever seen. His only triumph is his plaintive and touching performance of the "Titwillow" song. Jennifer Bermingham's Pitti-Sing is much too harsh to be likable, while Peter Cousen's Nanki-Poo comes across like a smarmy brat. Add to that a soundtrack that is very soft in volume and flat, and you have a MIKADO that is pure frustration to watch. This might be worth your time to at least catch the high points mentioned, but there are other and better versions of this classic available for you to own and enjoy. Recommended for MIKADO completists only....otherwise avoid this one.

The only reason I bought this was because Paula Poundstone was on it and as of yet, there is no full-length DVD of her stand-up act. Her clip didn't even last four minutes! Right when I got into it, it ended! None of the other comics (except Tim Allen) were that good. Not worth it.

The editorial review says, "A must have for collectors and all connoisseurs of comedy!" That reviewer obviously did not watch the same DVD. Although the length is listed at 60 minutes, the DVD runs only about 50 or so minutes since you only see brief parts of comic routines. Plus, Rick Overton (the host) can get quite annoying after a while. Skip this!

This is a 45-minute TV special which may prominently feature Jerry Seinfeld on the cover, but in all honesty, Seinfeld fans will want to go with "I'm Telling You for the Last Time" which contains all of Jerry's famous standup routine about life's amusing minutiae. Here, if you blink (well, a 1-minute blink), you just might miss Jerry altogether. The other celebrity stand-up comedians featured in this edition get more time, but none more than a few minutes.

"Best of the Improv" would imply that this would be first-rate standup comedy, but most of it is not. Ray Romano's shtick is a funny forerunner to his popular sitcom. Norm Macdonald's deadpan delivery is good for a bunch of laughs in a short amount of time, particularly his dentist comedy. Tim Allen can be one of the funniest people on the planet, but what's selected from him is only mildly amusing.

Most of the other comedians who are featured are no-names to those who are not stand-up buffs. There's a good reason they're not very well known, as they're not very funny. All in all, it's mostly forgettable and not worth purchasing, particularly if you are expect to see Seinfeld and Tim Allen at their funniest. Not something you'd revisit.

....the choreographer fails miserably - the fine dancers in this
wasteful production had to be mortified...in street clothes & sneakers - moving around in a banal parking lot - utterly useless appropriation of wonderful music. Junk in the name of daily modernity. Life is too short for ...this.

The great triumvirate of ballet composers, in chronological order are Delibes, Tchaikovsky and Stravinsky. Here we have a wonderful orchestral performance of a Delibes masterpiece conducted by Kent Nagano.

Beyond the opportunity to listen to Delibes'score, this production proves its indestructability. I don't necessarily believe that choreographers cannot choreograph known music to their whim........ provided it works. In this case very little does. There is hardly any dancing.... even of the modern variety.... The conceit of a dream sequence showing multiple Coppelias all in red with blonde wigs, some of them in travesti, could have been fun if they were given something interesting to do or to dance. There is neither wit nor arresting movement to this longish sequence. Amazingly, this production has toured all over the world. I don't see it, hence I do not recommend it. If you buy it close your eyes and listen to the music.

First, I bought this DVD. Then, I read the other (1-star) reviews of the performance. Now, I just watched it. Perhaps I should be concerned about my timing. All that aside, this is a very weak rendition of a classic ballet story. I doubt if many people will enjoy this performance.

Even though I consider myself an open-minded fan of modern dance, I'd say this version of Coppelia (by Opera National de Lyon) is a major disappointment for one BIG reason: very little dancing. I wasn't bothered by the run-down, urban setting, nor did I find the dancers in street clothes to be revolting. Rather interesting, actually. Also, the fact that Leo Delibes' score was cut down drastically was only mildly upsetting. It's just that, with a run time of about an hour, I'd be shocked if there were more than twenty minutes of dance choreography on this disc. Too bad.

I'll give credit where I believe it is due. The music is sensational: clear and moving. Also, the camera work and editing, while not A+ quality, are worthy of honorable mention (check out the activity in Coppelius' room while the projector is running). The lighting for the nighttime outdoor scenes is first-rate.

As for the dancers ... I can't say. They were more actors than anything else, and not so believable at that. The story is purported to have an "edgy new twist," but it was only the cinematography aspect that kept my attention. As a ballet troupe, the artists are rendered virtually inert.

If it's theater you're after, you'll probably stay interested all the way through. From a dance standpoint, I doubt you'll want to watch this more than once.

I love Jeremy Brett and Piper Laurie. Their combined talents offer what few enjoyable moments there are to be found in this Macbeth, but they unfortunately can't salvage this atrocious production. Seeing it is enough to turn someone off Shakespeare. (Should that happen, Al Pacino's delightful LOOKING FOR RICHARD is the perfect antidote to restore passion for the Bard). But I digress. I want to issue a warning to all who might assume the DVD version of this Macbeth would be superior to the VHS. In this instance, tape was simply transferred unto disk with no remastering or enhancements, and there are no extra features. The visual and audio quality is appalling. I regret buying this DVD when I already owned the VHS (..like I said, I love Jeremy Brett...) The only advantage is being able to skip the boring parts to get to the monologues. But that isn't saying much.

I teach this play in High School and was looking for an alternative to the Welles and Polanski versions to help my students understand the play. This is not it. This one is horrible. Badly acted and directed and very difficult to follow. If anyone is looking for a video version of this play that is easy to understand and useful for teachers, there is a pretty new version of the play on DVD available on this site directed by J. Bretton Truett and E.J. Kerwin ( B0000639O1 ) that is outstanding for educators. They perform most of the play and include a great deal of video analysis as well. The performances are very good and they use a modern setting which is very effective. There is also a wonderful feature that lets you get right to the text from the video and back again.

I'm not going to say that this is the best version of Macbeth that I have ever seen. I'm just saying that it was ok. In my opinion, whoever made this production should have cast someone who actually did Shakespeare. I don't even know if Jeremy Brett and Piper Laurie have ever done Shakespeare. The set is gorgeous. Something tells me that you had to be brave to stand on the ramp above the stage. Macduff Jr. is so adorable. I was saddened when the Murderers killed him offstage. I was so sad when I heard him crying offstage at the end of the scene. The biggest highlight of the video (I rented it from the library) was the Witches. I liked the Witches even more when I found out that one of the actresses playing the Witches also played Bianca in this series' production of Othello. She's better at being evil than good. What especially charmed me about the witches was their costumes. I was expecting old chambermaid costumes or rags. I was also expecting old women, not sexy women. Then, there were the three demons, or apparitios as they are credited. They were freaky. I was especially charmed because the witches and the apparations appear more than once. Watch for them. They're pretty prominent. Other than that, just rent the DVD for the Witches, Macduff Jr. and the set. There is too much overacting from the leading players. They almost killed this DVD. Everyone else is good except for Malcolm. They obviously hired this guy because his chest is sexy.