Italy Movie Reviews

Great product if you are planning a trip to Italy and want to get a feel for the italian way of life.. I was slightly disapointed that it didnt include Rome, but you can buy this on a seperate VHS

This DVD has some wonderful, little seen footage of small towns, and cultural events that an average tourist doesn't see. The hosts on both the Northern and Southern are very good; though I favor the host of the southern article the most. It is very well done, and doesn't disappoint.

Cecilia Bartoli is arguably the most promising coloratura mezzo-soprano on the world stage today, and this videorecording clearly highlights the Rome native's talent. The neoclassical setting and brilliant acoustics of the Teatro Olimpico in Vicenza, Italy complement her repertoire, but ultimately it is Bartoli's passion for the music that makes this video worthwhile, and worthwhile it is. I enthusiastically give it five stars.

In the beginning and end of Mi Viaggio Di Italia (My Voyage to Italy), filmmaker Martin Scorsese explains, in good reason, that the way to get people more interested in film is to share personal experiences of viewing particular ones that had some kind of impact for a movie-goer's experience (much like a friend telling another that a new movie is out, go see it, it's good, etc). Scorsese used a similar approach to his first cinema lesson- A Personal Journey Through American Movies- and like that one, it's a long, detailed, and deeply felt documentary. Sometimes when he talks about these movies you can tell he's so passionate about them, and it's a good approach.

First, Scorsese gives the viewer a feel of how he saw so many of these films from Italy- how he could go from seeing a Roy Rogers western in the theater and come home to watch a Rossellini series or a De Sica feature on TV- then, he goes through a comprehensive tale of the progression of the neo-realist movement, also mentioning the silent film epics, the tragi-comedies, and how it progressed into the "new-wave" of Antonionni and Fellini in the early 60's. Like 'Personal Journey', it's long, possibly longer than the previous, and might not be watchable in one sitting (it's a two parter as I remember it from seeing it broadcast on TV). But for the avid movie-goer, fan of neo-realism, or someone wanting to get a glimpse of a better world in cinema in these days of cineplex garbage, it's highly reccomendable.

If you love Italy and love to travel but are constrained by money or the obligations of work and family, this video is for you. Rick Steves is the kind of guy your mother probably wanted you to marry - practical, articulate and fun to be around. He approaches travel with such a positive attitude that he makes you ashamed you are sitting at home! Some of the footage here is new to me and some is "recycled" from his shows. However, the picture and sound quality on the DVD makes it a good buy for this arm chair traveller. He covers the classic tourist places and some that are truly off the beaten path. He peppers the DVD with his philosophy on being a tourist, an American, on packing light and on dealing with the occasional problem. Since he travels most of the time, his insights are worth hearing. I love cheap travel and I like knowing "secret" places to sleep, eat and sight see - (Although after being shown on a TV program across the USA, how secret will it be?) Anyway, when I'm feeling a little lonely for Italy, I pop in the DVD and in a few minutes I'm back in one of the most exciting countries in Europe - with a perfect guide at my side.

I've been watching war movies obsessively since I was probably age six or seven (born 1971). Once in a while a war picture becomes available that I haven't seen, like The Story of G.I. Joe. So I added it to my collection. This movie is filled with great locations, nice filming, strong images, and a very solemn downbeat realism unique to war movies at the time (I usually love this kind of stuff, and think the Korean war movie Men In War is one of the best accomplishments of this style, as also the WWII movies, Hell Is For Heores and When Trumpets Fade). Based on true experiences of war correspondent Ernie Pyle, the movie focuses on Ernie Pyle (played very well by Burgess Meredith), as well as Captain Bill Walker (played by a young and awesome Robert Mitchum), and the unsung grunts in his company. When the movie came out in 1945, the real Ernie Pyle had already been killed in the Pacific war, having left the battlefields of Europe to report on the men in the Pacific.

The movie tries to take a very personal approach towards the men and their experience, focusing more on the men and their feelings then on the actual experiences they have. Very little action in fact actually appears in this war DRAMA. The movie was nominated in 1945 for Best Score, Best Song, Best Supporting actor (Robert Mitchum), and even Best Screenplay. How the times sure can influence some people.

In my opinion, the fine acting talents of Robert Mitchum, Burgess Meredith, and a few others scattered through the picture are the main strength of this movie and carry it along, but just barely. The movie suffers in many places. Several people sound stiff and wooden, as if they are giving out memorized lines instead of experiencing them. This plagues the movie. Many scenes that attempt to portray group exhaustion and disgruntlement end up drug out, in need of better acting, and perhaps editing. Morale is portrayed as low even when it probably would not be low. The movie meanders on and on in many places with a loose script that neglects the rich subject matter available. The script went through several hands in the process of being made and it shows. The need for rehearsal also shows.

On a final note, one thing that I found awful was something contained in the notes inside the DVD box itself. Pyle is solely credited with creating the portrait of the G.I. as the common man gone to war, the suffering servant of democracy who triumphs over death through perseverance. While Pyle may in fact have been the most reverend correspondent of WWII as they also claim, and while the DVD notes may also be true in the claim that Hollywood embraced "his portrait" of the common G.I. in scores of films down to Saving Private Ryan, it's a far stretch to claim as they do that this image started solely with this movie and with Pyle. A far better movie in IMHO is Objective Burma staring Errol Flynn (a rousing action/drama), which actually accomplishes many of the things that The Story of G.I. Joe tried to do. According to the IMDB, Objective Burma was released on FEB 17, 1945 and The Story of G.I. Joe premiered on June 18, 1945 and released on July 13, 1945. But if you like meandering character studies like the WWII movie Walk in the Sun (which the Story of G.I. Joe outdoes by a long shot IMHO), then who knows, you might like this as well. For a better WWII movie with Robert Mitchum, try The Enemy Below!

Burgess Meredith is perhaps a little too beatific in his portrayal of war correspondent Ernie Pyle, the much-beloved Pulitzer Prize winning war correspondent who brought the stories of everyday American soldiers home to readers back in the States. The Army infantrymen revered Pyle the way they loved cartoonist Bill Mauldin, who also had the guts and humility to slog it out in the mud with them, and let the folks back home know how they met the war with an all-American mix of grit, fatalism and good humor. The production values of this movie, with distracting backdrops and obviously artificial studio sets, don't hold up that well in comparison to the hyper-real war flicks that came in its wake, yet few movies have captured just how grubby, desolate and miserable the day-to-day lives of the ground soldiers could be. Also, an extended battle sequence filmed in the real-life rubble of a recently "liberated" Italian town is remarkable for showing just how extensive the war damage was -- it was total warfare, and it's amazing that Europe ever recovered from the devastation. A surprisingly bleak, if somewhat episodic, story, framing an iconic, groundbreaking war movie against which all others have to be measured. (One note of complaint: the DVD version has shamefully little in the way of special features, just one brief clip of the real Ernie Pyle taping a news reel interview with a couple of G.I.s saying "hi" to the folks back home, and a series of illegible reproductions of old newspaper columns under his byline... It's really inexcusable that a full-length documentary about Pyle and his reporting was not also included... Oh, well. It's still a good film.)

"G.I. Joe" can only be compared to "Saving Private Ryan," and it manages to be even more effective even though it doesn't have all of the cinematic license for violence and raw language. It makes all other WWII pale in comparison because it doesn't wave the flag. It only tells the true, gut-level story of men in battle. They are brave, self sacrificing and dedicated without the airs of phony patriotism, safely indulged in by those not fighting. They are honest in expressing their fears and questions, and when one of their brothers goes down, their sadness and regret knows no limit. Wellman's masterpiece and Robert Mitchum's best performance.

I love The Calling. I play their CD all the time. I was really looking forward to this DVD but I was more than a bit let down. I think Alex Band has a beautiful voice but when he performs live he sounds so weak and amateurish. He totally misses half the notes in each song and completely avoids any difficult notes. He really needs a vocal coach. You can see on his face that he knows he sounds bad. Also, he's a bit stiff when he performs. He puts his hands in his pockets because he doesn't know what else to do with them and 99% of the time he just stands in one place. He's no Elvis. I do LOVE their music but this band is best heard on a CD and not in concert.

It would have gotten 5 stars, but they cut Sean off the cover. I honestly bought this DVD for Sean Woolstenhulme the curly haired guitarist who left the band soon after this was made. The guitar playing is amazing, and the locations are beautiful. The clips of the band just hanging out are also funny, esp. the scooter incident!

I never thought much about The Calling until Music in High Places came on my TV late one night. I was enchanted with this video. The music was so beautiful and their surroundings were so serene, that it put me in a peaceful state of mind. The Calling is now one of my favorite bands.

I can't completely say 'Ok, this is Madonna's best tour ever!', because of one tiny reason: i didn't watch all of them (besides this 'Who's That Girl? Tour', i've only watched 'DWT', and 'Blond Ambition Tour').
Eventually, i'll sit and watch all of her tours. Especially after watching a fresh, funny, adorable, and soulful Madonna that i've missed, due to my young age of six.
But, from now, i can honestly say that Madonna did her best on that stage!
She definately captivated the crowd with a smart combination of deep x light performances such as 'Live to Tell' and 'The Look of Love'; and a goofy medley "Dress You Up'/Material Girl/Like A virgin'. The songs with non-stop dancing (like 'Into The Groove', and Holiday') are genuine and expressive, and it starts to show some classic Madonna moves.
The most undeniable thing though, is her sweetness: in a remarkable moment of crowd-artist bounding, she asked for a comb (because her hair was wet and messy, 'Cherish-like), and then, about 10 combs flew towards her! Everybody (including the dancers) enjoyed it, and she couldn't stop laughing.
On a last note, i say: the video shows an innocent and yet, daring Madonna that we all know love. In fact, it's a great reminder to those who thinks she's over.

Really, it's silly to compare this concert to The Girlie Show Tour or even The Drowned World Tour. This one was done in the late eighties so what do you expect - definitely no high-tech visuals and lighting. Personally, I think the concert is fantastic because it epitomizes the outrageous pop diva Madonna of that decade.

This is a recording of Madonna's final concert of the Who's That Girl tour, which is easily her second best tour. [Madonna's best concert tour was Blond Ambition.] Her dancing at this point was fresh, energetic, and, at times, inspired. The tape features some of her best-known songs. The reviews that focus on her costumes(?) and her hair(???) totally miss the mark in my opinion: This is a concert, not a fashion show. The three encore numbers alone are worth the cost of the tape.

How to see Europa as a unwashed hippy, stay in dives, and meet the more smelly volks. All with a bit of anti- Americanism, from our most admired PRAVDA traval writer.

What I look for in a travel video is a good overview of an area, with lots of shots of scenes, sights, streets, views, and so forth. I don't look for detailed coverage of specifics, because these are better handled in print media, and can be explored when one visits. In short, I want the big picture.

Unfortunately, this video is woefully short of wide shots. Much of it's precious time is taken up with long studies of fine details, a boat race in Venice, an instrument maker in Naples, and so forth. Rome, Florence, and Venice get the best coverage, but it falls off fast from there to Capri, a total washout on this disk.

Even the gorgeous Amalfi coast barely comes across, in only a couple of hazy (use a polaroid filter, wait for a clear day!) shots of the cliffs, poorly composed. Almost no street scenes to help with a sense of what it is like to be there. There are no shots of hotel settings, restaurant scenic views, steep roads, or street life.

On Capri, and Amalfi sections, I get the feeling someone shot them in a day, while driving through to somewhere else. By my criteria, this is definitely an inferior product, and not worth the price.