Government Movie Reviews

Alex Wayne's art is astonishing. It makes you wonder how he got all that computer equipment inside the human body! And Anodea's writing is sheer poetry of the spirit. This video is a work of art, but it's more than that. It takes you deep into an individual experience and when you come out you are more than you were when you went in; you feel alive and glowing with new wisdom. That's a real gift.

/Capelle

We want more from the Society. Maybe in the New York Chapter!!!!!

Well, Long Live the Mother F(%^in Black Label Society. Only the true HARDCORE can even think of enjoying the most HARDCORE of them all. So Long from the ATLANTA CHAPTER. Oh, the BREWTALITY.

P.S. It does say something when u play a venue and u empty the establishment of it's last drop of BEER, LIQUOR, WINE, etc.

First of all I must congratulate Warner Brothers Home Video for their outstanding job in putting together this 5 DVD Cole Porter musical set!!! This 5 Musical box set have all been digitally remastered both picture & sound. The black/white picture quality is outstanding, the TECHNICOLOR pallet is eye popping/vivid, and the sound is crystal clear. There is an abundance of film related extra features included for each film too. Cole Porters music is at its best throughout this collection.

Qualifying Statement: I have a Home Theatre including; a 55" 16:9 WideScreen HDTV with a Progressive Scan DVD player/recorder and a Dolby ProLogic Surround System. My movie library consists of over 500 DVDs, mostly remastered & preserved in their original theatrical presentation release (full screen or widescreen anamorphic aspect ratio).

NOTE: FULL SCREEN - 4:3 (1:33 to 1 ratio) made for tv or films released before 1953. WIDESCREEN (movies made after 1953 to compete with television) - 4:3 LETTERBOX (horizontal top & bottom black bars on tv, add left & right vertical black bars too on 16:9 WideScreen HDTVs) adjusted for any aspect ratio 166/185/225 to 1 etc. It is still letter box.) ANAMORPHIC WIDESCREEN IS THE ONLY TRUE HDTV 16:9 PRESENTAION. This format automatically adjusts to the television being used. To get the High Definition picture the DVD MUST BE ANAMORPHIC & ENHANCED FOR 16:9 WIDESCREEN TELEVISIONS!!!!!!!!

Now in SUMMARY: Full Screen - "BROADWAY MELODY OF 1940" starring the best tap dancing duo of all time Fred Astaire & Eleanor Powell. This in my opinion is the best musical of this box set. The picture & sound quality is absolutely astounding. The dancing and Porters music is the best!!!! The musical film finale "Begin the Beguine" is fantastic. The extra features include; Ann Miller hosts a background documentary Cole Porter in Hollywood: Begin the Beguine (great info), Our Gang (Spanky etc)episode "The Big Premiere", Behind the Scenes Notes and trailer. This is a Black/White Full Screen film. What a musical. this film alone is worth the price of admission. "KISS ME KATE" starring Howard Keel, Kathryn Grayson and Ann Miller. This 1953 TECHNICOLOR DOLBY 5.1 musical is beautiful to watch and the stars voices are wonderful. The dancing choregraphy of genius Hermes Pan is outstanding, with young dancers,Bob Fosse, Carol Haney and Ann Miller. Extras include; Ann Miller hosts Cole Porter in Hollywood: Too Darn Hot, Music Track Only, Vintage documentary short "Mighty Manhatten, New Yorks Wonder City", Behind the scenes notes and trailer.

ANAMORPHIC WIDESCREEN - "HIGH SOCIETY" Cole Porters 1956 musical remake of the 1940 comedy hit, "The Philadelphia Story". This time starring Grace Kelly (her last film before marrying the Prince of Monaco), Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra. This is my second favorite of this box set. The screen play, the music and the stars are perfectly cast. Note: Crosby & Kelly make the "True Love" duet and it becomes a gold record. This TECHNICOLOR widescreen remastered picture presentation is better than the original theatrical release with Dolby 5.1 sound. Porters songs are at their best. We even have Louis "Satchmo" Armstrong jiving too.
Extras include; Celeste Holm hosts Cole Poter in Hollywood; True Love, Premiere Newsreel, Audio-Only radio ads featuring Crosby, Kelly & Sinatra, Millionaire Droopy Cartoon, behind the scenes notes and trailer. Don't miss "HIGH SOCIETY" with the regal elegant beauty of Grace (actually wearing her real engagement ring - what a rock), the crooner Crosby and Old Blue Eyes Frank this is an outstanding delight to watch and listen too!!!! "SILK STOCKINGS" - Porters 1957 musical adaptation of Garbos "Ninotchka" - starring Fred Astaire & Cyd Charisse. This TECHNICOLOR WIDESCREEN DOLBY 5.1 presentation is beautiful to watch and provides us with their last MGM musical. Extras include; Cyd Charisse hosts Cole Porters in Hollywood: Satin and Silk, 2 vintage musical shorts - Paree, Paree (1934 singing Bob Hope) and The Poet and Peasant Overture (presenting the MGM orchestra), behind the scenes and trailer. "LES GIRLS" this 1957 musical starring Gene Kelly, Mitzi Gaynor, Kay Kendall and Taina Elg. Directed by George Cukor this Widescreen Technicolor Dolby 5.1 DVD is beautiful to watch but is the least known of Porters musicals. Extras include: Taina Elg hosts Cole Porters Hollywood: Ca C'est L'amour, vintage cartoon - Flea Circus, behind the scenes notes, trailer.

If you are a Cole Porter fan or you love musicals, this DVD box set is for you. Warner Brothers has done a marvelous job preserving, restoring and digitally remastering these films. A complete delite.

I recommend at a minimum rent "BROADWAY MELODY of 1940" and "HIGH SOCIETY" these 2 musicals are a must for your DVD library. Overall I love this box set. Enjoy.

Kiss Me Kate: A wonderful story of how two ex-spouses in a musical adaption of Shakespeare's "The Taming of the Shrew" act the same offstage as they do on.
Starring: Kathryn Grayson, Howard Keel, Ann Miller

The Broadway Melody of 1940: Wonderful Dance Numbers, Great Stars, Flamboyent Costumes, IT'S GREAT!
Starring: Fred Astaire, Elenore Powell, George Murphy

High Society: It's the musical remake of "The Philidelphia Story". Am ex-husband trys to re-marry his soon-to-be married e-wife, Tracy, and along come the SPY magazine reporters to dig the dirt on Tracy's new wedding.
Starring: Bing Crosby, Grace Kelly, Frank Sinatra

Silk Stockings: The musical remake of "Ninotchka". A film producer uses Paris and himself to try to charm a hard-cut envoy.
Starring: Fred Astaire, Cyd Charisse, Janis Paige

Les Girls: The story of a showman and his Les Girls as each girl tells their story in court.
Starring: Gene Kelly, Mitzi Gaynor, Kay Kendall

In my opinion, I think that the not-well-known Cole Porter's "The Pirate" with Gene Kelly and Judy Garland should be in this boxset INSTEAD of "Les Girls". Though "Les Girls" was a stunning Oscar and Golden Globe winning picture, it only has FIVE songs written by Cole Porter.

If you like gangsta flicks, this is cool but it doesn't compare to John Singleton's Oscar masterpiece.

There is also a handsome young Russian man in his late teens or early twenties, and a few middle-aged men. Those Russian fellows are luckier than most American men of their generation, since they haven't suffered the mutilation of circumcision.

The Russian nudists are mostly relaxed, though the girls often seem a bit bored with posing, especially on the dreadfully long boat trip. I can't blame them.

Overall, this is a decent way to enjoy watching beautiful young women, but better editing could have chopped down that boat trip. That trip actually gets off to a somewhat disturbing start when one girl, manouvering the boat into deeper water, gets jammed in the gut by an oar. Once the boat reaches its destination, it becomes clear that the producers didn't have many good ideas for what they wanted to do. Still, the lilypad scene and the one where they're all playing in the water came across as fun. I wasn't too thrilled with the long silhouette dance to close the festivites. The running time is also quite short.

The story is a bit weak. Tracy left Dexter because he chose to write popular songs. Oh, and because she couldn't mold him into the man she wanted. (More emphasis is placed on the songwriting, though, as the reason.) Also, Dexter never really does anything to try to win Tracy back, which made the ending of the movie not so believable for me.

The acting was good, but Frank Sinatra and Celeste Holmes as the reporters from "Spy Magazine" are great. In fact, Sinatra is one of the best things in the film. Another standout that makes this movie worth watching is the score and songs by Cole Porter. Some of his classics came from this film, including "Well, Did You Evah?" and the Oscar-winning "True Love." The extras on the DVD are pretty good, as well, with a few behind-the-scenes featurettes and even a Tex Avery cartoon in Cinemascope: "Millionaire Droopy." The picture and sound quality are good.

Where the weakness comes in is mixing the serious story of "The Philadelphia Story" with the casual leisure of Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra. All of the original concepts get swept away in the fun of the musical numbers, and one thinks that the same actors, with the same music, could have had a more fitting script. The keeping of the original dialog of "The Philadelphia Story" was a bad choice, as lines so powerful and well-delivered by Katharine Hepburn ("Put me in your pocket, Mike") come off silly and air brained from Grace Kelly.

What really boosts "High Society" way up is Louis Armstrong. Every moment he is on screen is charming, and a real hit. Unfortunately, there is just not enough, and every moment you are hoping for more Louis. When you see 'ol Satchmo swingin', the screen comes alive.

The DVD is great, and full of interesting tidbits and extras. Movie trailers for both "High Society" and "The Philadelphia Story," a "making of..." narrated by Celeste Holm, a newsreel of the Gala Premier, and coolest of all a Droopy cartoon, "Millionaire Droopy."

"High Society" is worth getting, and enjoyable, but it is neither a great musical nor a great movie. Just fun.

In this newly released DVD by Image Entertainment, Guttenberg is joined by Orchester Der Klangerwaltung and soprano Anna Korondi; contralto Iris Vermillion; tenor Deon van der Walt; baritone Dietrich Henschel; and bass Albert Dohmen. The orchestra and soloists are well-known in Europe and apparently have a large following. Although the soloists have some credits in the United States, they remain unknown here.

The DVD has excellent sound and the picture clarity is

stunning. But, technically, the entire production lacks. For instance, it is hard to understand that a May, 2001 release would not include DTS sound which would have added to the clarity and presence of the performance. Editing is sloppy leading to views of oboeist Julia Strobel pumping mightily while no sound is emitted. Also, the chorus is not in lip sync which is disturbing at times.

On a performance level, there are oversights that are okay in a Hollywood film, but not in a serious music presentation. Mr. Guttenberg conducts with one arm in a cast. Owning this DVD means you are stuck with his momentary affliction for the reasonable life of the disc. Then, contralto Vermillion insists on constantly looking at the music as if she were uncertain of the words. That is annoying since the text in the Bach work is extremely simple. Nevertheless, Bach wins. The music is glorious and the musicianship phenomenal.

I give this DVD two stars overall because it misses the opportunity classical music lovers seek. The technology is available to bring a real life performance into our homes for years of enjoyment We are entitled to ask: where are the interactive elements of DVD? No tour of the fabulous church? No interview with the conductor, orchestra personnel or soloists? No "sound-bites" from upcoming DVDs? Still, musically, the performance is excellent. Music: 4 stars. Production: 2 stars.

The performance combines precision, passion, and imagination, and the conductor deserves the credit. Many numbers and passages are freshly thought out. The opening Kyrie is urgent. The Christe is joyful. You think the second Kyrie is an exercise is archaic counterpoint? Listen to this! The violin soloist in the Laudamus Te leaves the competition in the dust. The Crucifixus is searing. The Et in Unam is actually sung with conviction, as are the other "dogmatic" numbers. The soloists (especially Vermillion) are superb, although the Bass (Quoniam only) is a little grainy.

Alas, nothing is perfect. The dynamics seem compressed, but this seems a general problem with DVDs. (Maybe this is attributable to an origin as a telecast, but I don't know.) Occasional details in the mid-base get lost, as does the solo high trumpet on occasion (but at least the trumpet doesn't overwhelm the others). The locale is lovely, and the performers are (by and large) a pleasure to look at, but there is no information about locale or the performers. One wonders why the conductor's arm is in a cast. The camera focuses on each fugal entry in a tiresome fashion. This work might benefit from split-screen, multiple screen, and overlapping image techniques.

The story focuses on a young man discovering a horrible secret about his family when they host a party of flesh melding, limb swapping madness for a bunch of mutants (or something like that) and then discovers his true purpose there.

The story is weak, the acting is third-rate, but the effects of joined bodies and malleable flesh are not bad. I've seen worse excuses for a horror movie, but then I've also seen many better. This is a good example of a movie where the story is written to match special effects thought of in advance.

This plays out as a typical teen movie, with a gorgeous cast that the camera ogles at every opportunity. Given what is to happen later the almost constant sexual references are perhaps relevant. However, given the fact that there isn't a solid ending in sight and the sheer gratuity of much of what's here, it's hard to concentrate on any message that Yuzna may have been trying to get across. Indeed, even if its basic message of 'society will devour itself' is a fine central idea but if a movie is going to serve up incest then it should at least explore it.

The acting isn't important, with a lot of bland yet beautiful faces on display. There are some truly eye-popping special effectsn though and nobody will forget the gross-out finale due to how distasteful it is. It's definitely an interesting film but purely because of its ending. Apart from that there's little of note.