Amadeus (Limited Edition Collector's Set)

Starring:F. Murray Abraham, Tom Hulce, Elizabeth Berridge, Roy Dotrice, Simon Callow, Christine Ebersole, Jeffrey Jones, Charles Kay, Kenneth McMillan, Kenny Baker, Lisabeth Bartlett, Barbara Bryne, Martin Cavina, Roderick Cook, Milan Demjanenko, Peter DiGesu, Michele Esposito, Richard Frank, Patrick Hines, Nicholas Kepros
Director: Milos Forman
Studio: Creative Design Art
Product Type: DVD

Average customer rating:

A True Classic
Loved by God
GREAT MOVIE!
Mediocrity vs. Genius
Sumptuous, but it's not Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart....

Amadeus
Starring: F. Murray Abraham , Tom Hulce , Elizabeth Berridge , Roy Dotrice , and Simon Callow
Director: Milos Forman
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $9.99 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( A ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

Immortal Beloved
Gandhi (Widescreen Two-Disc Special Edition)
The Red Violin
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
Schindler's List (Widescreen Edition)

ASIN: 6304712936
Release Date: 1997-12-17

Amazon.com

The satirical sensibilities of writer Peter Shaffer and director Milos Forman (One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest) were ideally matched in this Oscar-winning movie adaptation of Shaffer's hit play about the rivalry between two composers in the court of Austrian Emperor Joseph II--official royal composer Antonio Salieri (F. Murray Abraham), and the younger but superior prodigy Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Tom Hulce). The conceit is absolutely delicious: Salieri secretly loathes Mozart's crude and bratty personality, but is astounded by the beauty of his music. That's the heart of Salieri's torment--although he's in a unique position to recognize and cultivate both Mozart's talent and career, he's also consumed with envy and insecurity in the face of such genius. That such magnificent music should come from such a vulgar little creature strikes Salieri as one of God's cruelest jokes, and it drives him insane. Amadeus creates peculiar and delightful contrasts between the impeccably re-created details of its lavish period setting and the jarring (but humorously refreshing and unstuffy) modern tone of its dialogue and performances--all of which serve to remind us that these were people before they became enshrined in historical and artistic legend. Jeffrey Jones, best-known as Ferris Bueller's principal, is particularly wonderful as the bumbling emperor (with the voice of a modern midlevel businessman). The film's eight Oscars include statuettes for Best Director Forman, Best Actor Abraham (Hulce was also nominated), Best Screenplay, and Best Picture. --Jim Emerson

Customer Reviews:

A True Classic.......2007-07-03

Amadeus, the Best Picture Oscar winner of 1984, has stood the test of time. Intriguing plot lines, wonderful costumes, and amazing music combine to tell a tale of fame and infamy, talent and mediocrity, love and hatred, poverty of the soul and poverty of the pocketbook. Even my kids love this movie, and it gets frequent play time in our house.

Loved by God.......2007-06-17

Don't skip this if you're not an opera buff, and don't know much about Mozart. I don't, and am not, and this film did a lot for me. It's the opera buffs and the Mozart experts who get annoyed by what they see as the liberties taken with the facts. Which is understandable, but didn't bother me at all. Nor did I worry about the various accents, which didn't seem to matter in the slightest. What this fascinating and extremely interesting movie vividly conveyed to me was something of the life of 18th century Vienna, as well as the beginnings of an understanding of the divinity in classical music. The sound was uplifting, in a way I never really experienced previously. The script was intelligent, the acting excellent. I thought Elizabeth Berridge was extremely endearing in her role as Mozart's wife, even though it may well not have matched the historical reality. It was obvious that many of the characters were, in a sense, caricatures: eg the Emperor, the Court musicians, even Mozart's father, and of course Tom Hulce himself. This really did not matter, either. Murray Abraham's face spoke volumes, and I thought his performance was superlative in the part, as written. One of the main themes of the story, and I thought it was very well explored and demonstrated, was the essential inequality of man: the simple fact is that all men are NOT created equal. This is a truth which Americans, especially and self-evidently, find difficult to accept. Another theme is the evil nature of bureaucracy, and the inevitably devious politics of the salaried employee. Stay in with the boss, and eliminate rivals --- that's the message. A third theme is man's longing for immortality. Why is it conferred on only a select few? It's also a partial truth that those whom the gods love die young. This film is a mind-opener, whatever the musical perfectionists may say.

GREAT MOVIE!.......2007-06-14

I've always loved classical music, this movie only made it stick! I love how this movie talks about Amadeus life and death in an interesting manner.

Mediocrity vs. Genius.......2007-06-12

Everyone in their life will encounter someone who is brilliant at doing something. Pangs of jealously will ensue, and we will examine their behavior, probably thinking to ourselves that they do not deserve to have this great gift, that they do not deserve to have a talent that we lack. All through life, all through history, the talentless have always been jealous of the talented. The fact that we are not created equal and some of us will have to work very hard at things that come so easily to others is the theme that runs through Amadeus - Salieri is so jealous of Mozart's talent that he conspires to let as few people as possible hear Mozart's music, and ultimately tries to kill him by sending him mad.

The movie opens when Salieri is an old man who wants to confess his crimes before he dies. He wants tell the world what he did to Mozart. A priest comes to hear his confession and Salieri plays him some of his own music. Although the priest states that he studied music, he does not recognize any of Salieri's compositions. Then Salieri plays a few notes of one of Mozart's pieces and the priest immediately recognizes it. In this instant, Salieri realizes that despite of his all his efforts, the world is still filled with Mozart's music. What follows is Salieri's story. He tells us of how he was touched by genius and instead of being inspired by it, genius corrupted him turning him from a good man into a jealous, vengeful and malicious person.

This film is a work of great merit and won a well-deserved Best Picture Oscar. Despite its dark theme, the story is told with humour and beauty and Mozart's music resonates throughout practically every scene, giving its audience chills and helping the audience understand why Salieri was so in awe of Mozart and yet so threatened by him. Of course, the history buffs will complain that it is not a historically accurate film, but leave them to their textbooks. Wonderful stories are never historically accurate; usually a brilliant story is borne from a brilliant lie because the truth is not that interesting.

To conclude, a small note to all of those other talentless hacks out there. The geniuses of the world never die happy; their lives will not be filled with happy family Christmases or contented home lives. They usually die young, burnt out and alone as they can never be truly be satisfied. So, when you take this in consideration, perhaps mediocrity ain't that bad. Perhaps, it is better to be a Salieri than a Mozart!

Sumptuous, but it's not Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart...........2007-06-10

Despite the beautiful costumes, production values, and exquisite music, I have never been able to sit through this entire movie because of the DISTORTION of Mozart's personality--created to 'justify' the irritation that Salieri was supposed to have felt because of the superiority of Mozart's music. Mozart was NOT the 'goofball' depicted in this movie! He had a sense of naughty humor (read his letters exchanged with a cousin, gathered and published in a book that I'm sure you'll find in the library). But he knew how to behave himself and was not as irresponsible as the writers made him look (in order to 'prove' their point about jealousy).

Amadeus - Director's Cut (Two-Disc Special Edition)

Average customer rating:

A True Classic
Loved by God
GREAT MOVIE!
Mediocrity vs. Genius
Sumptuous, but it's not Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart....

Amadeus - Director's Cut (Two-Disc Special Edition)
Starring: F. Murray Abraham , Tom Hulce , Elizabeth Berridge , Roy Dotrice , and Simon Callow
Director: Milos Forman
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $14.99 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( A ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Special Editions | Fully Loaded DVDs | Features | DVD | Video

Two-Disc Special Editions | Fully Loaded DVDs | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

Immortal Beloved
Gandhi (Widescreen Two-Disc Special Edition)
The Red Violin
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
Schindler's List (Widescreen Edition)

ASIN: B00006DEFA
Release Date: 2002-09-24

Amazon.com essential video

A note-perfect cinematic event whose immortality was assured from its opening night, Amadeus is an unlikely candidate for the director's-cut treatment. Like one of Mozart's operas, the multiple Oscar-winning theatrical version seemed perfectly formed from the outset--ideal casting, costumes, sets, cinematography, lighting, screenplay, music, music, music--so the reinstatement of an extra 20 minutes simply risks adding "too many notes." Yet though this extended cut can hardly be said to improve a picture that needed no improvement, it does at least flesh out a couple of small subplots and shed new light on certain key scenes. Here we learn why Constanze Mozart bears such ill will towards Salieri when she discovers him at her husband's deathbed, and we see deeper into the reasons why Mozart has no students. The structure of the picture is otherwise unaltered.

The director's cut of Amadeus finally accords this masterful work the DVD treatment it deserves. The handsome anamorphic widescreen picture is accompanied by a choice of Dolby 5.1 or Dolby stereo sound options, and it's all contained on one side of the disc. Director Milos Forman and writer Peter Shaffer provide a chatty though sporadic commentary, but they're obviously still too mesmerized by the movie to do much more than offer the odd anecdote. The second disc contains an excellent new hour-long "making of" documentary, with contributions from Forman, Shaffer, Sir Neville Marriner, and all the main actors, taking in the scriptwriting, choice of music, casting, and problems involved in filming in Communist Czechoslovakia with half the crew and extras working for the Secret Police. --Mark Walker

Description

Gripping human drama. Sumptuous period epic. Glorious celebration of the music of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. This marvelous winner of eight Academy Awards(R) portrays the rivalry between the genius Mozart (Tom Hulce) and the jealous court composer (Best Actor Oscar(R) Winner F.Murray Abraham) who may have ruined Mozart's career and shortened his life.

Customer Reviews:

A True Classic.......2007-07-03

Loved by God.......2007-06-17

GREAT MOVIE!.......2007-06-14

I've always loved classical music, this movie only made it stick! I love how this movie talks about Amadeus life and death in an interesting manner.

Mediocrity vs. Genius.......2007-06-12

Sumptuous, but it's not Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart...........2007-06-10

Average customer rating:

Walter Matthau
Hilariously clever
A delightful comedy worth watching again and again
Nicely Done
Walter Matthaw at his best

Hopscotch - Criterion Collection
Starring: George Baker , Ned Beatty , Terry Beaver , Ray Charleson , and Allan Cuthbertson
Manufacturer: Criterion
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

Comic Action | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

Espionage | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

Comedy | Criterion Collection | Stores | DVD | Video

All | Criterion Collection | Stores | DVD | Video

Action | Criterion Collection | Stores | DVD | Video

( H ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

House Calls
Charley Varrick
The In-Laws
A Guide for the Married Man
The Odd Couple

ASIN: B00005JL3W
Release Date: 2002-08-20

Amazon.com

Walter Matthau is in peak form in Hopscotch, a featherweight spy-game comedy in which he plays a CIA agent who's way smarter than his dimwitted superiors. That's the fantasy part--this amusing cat-and-mouse game is so lopsided that you can't take it seriously. The movie's charm is derived from the sardonic pleasure with which Matthau makes his pursuers look like idiots, after they've targeted him for "termination" for publishing a tell-all memoir about his tenure in "the Company." He's no stool pigeon, however; it's his boss (played with blustery thick-headedness by the great Ned Beatty) who's abusing his power, so Matthau recruits an old lover (Glenda Jackson) to join him in a globetrotting game of clandestine cleverness. Under Ronald Neame's too-casual direction, this is a not-so-wild goose chase, but Matthau and Jackson (reuniting after they had fun making the 1978 comedy House Calls) have an easygoing chemistry that's nicely balanced with Matthau's cantankerous shenanigans. --Jeff Shannon

Description

Miles Kendig knows too much. One of the CIA's top international operatives, he suddenly finds himself relegated to a desk job in an agency power play. Unwilling to go quietly, Kendig, with the aid of a chic Viennese widow, puts himself back in the game by writing a memoir exposing the innermost secrets of every major intelligence agency in the world. The CIA wants Kendig dead, but he refuses to cooperate—he's having too much fun. Based on Brian Garfield's best-selling novel, and starring the inimitable comic team of Walter Matthau and Glenda Jackson, Ronald Neame's Hopscotch is a smart and stylish tale of international intrigue and a cat-and-mouse comedy.

Customer Reviews:

Walter Matthau.......2007-06-26

Very funny and light hearted movie. I have had a taped version for many years and it was wearing out so I was very happy to be able to purchase it on DVD.

It's an excellent comedy with great acting by all. A stick it to the CIA plot which is done with a lot of humor.

It is a pleasnt alternative to blow em up and kill everyone movie.

Hilariously clever.......2007-04-11

This movie is so funny, it seems that everyone should know about it! It has a clever plot; you will never guess the ending if you're a first time viewer. The acting is superb; I am guessing the person who chose the cast was a genious. It is a must have for every video library.

A delightful comedy worth watching again and again.......2007-03-07

Walter Matthau, Glenda Jackson, Sam Waterston, and Herbert Lom are all quite delightful in this film ... The subtle and clever humor is a nice break from the in-your-face brazen humor found so often today. The combination of Matthau and Jackson is a bit unexpected, but the chemistry really works! I am very very glad that Matthau decided to go through with this project, as it ranks as one of my favorite movies! The commentary by writer and director are well worth listening to. I thoroughly enjoyed reading the book on which this movie is based; it's easy to see why it earned an Edgar for the author!

Nicely Done.......2007-03-03

I just watched this movie tonight. I love Walter Matthau, and there's plenty of his classic character bits here to keep the viewer constantly entertained. Although it received mixed reviews when it came out in 1980, Hopscotch still remains popular and is driven by a more than average, clever plot. Glenda Jackson has good chemistry with Walter, even though there's an age difference to deal with. And there's a surprisingly good deal of Mozart and Rossini sprinkled throughout the sound track, mainly because Matthau loved these composers. Matthau's character, who's writing an expose (his memoirs) of the CIA, needs writing music and inevitably puts on a record of a Mozart opera (The Marriage of Figaro). This was Matthau's own idea. He seemed to have brought much to this movie. For instance, he dreamed up the sequence where he becomes reacquainted with Glenda Jackson via a conversation with her about wines. That scene works very nicely. You won't waste your time watching this one. I recommend it as a good brief escape from our mad world. Also, don't miss the introductory commentary from the director and the writer.

Walter Matthaw at his best.......2007-01-21

Don't know how I missed this when it was released. It's quickly become a family favorite. A movie that can be watched multiple times without tiring of the content, or the acting.

Average customer rating:

Prefontaine
Coaching Track & Cross Country
Excellent
A very good film about a person I'd never heard of before
motivational ?

Prefontaine
Starring: Jared Leto , R. Lee Ermey , Ed O'Neill , Breckin Meyer , and Lindsay Crouse
Director: Steve James (II)
Manufacturer: Walt Disney Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

4-for-3 All DVDs | 4-for-3 DVD | Stores | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $7.49 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

All Deals | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( P ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Fan Accessories | Fan Shop | Categories | Sports & Outdoors
Similar Items:

Without Limits
Fire On The Track: The Steve Prefontaine Story
Pre: The Story of America's Greatest Running Legend, Steve Prefontaine
Running Brave
Running on the Sun

Product Features:

Classic DVD
Exclusive interviews, highlights, and behind the scenes coverage
DVD's main menu allow you to jump directly to the action
Presented in full-screen digital video

ASIN: B000068MC2
Release Date: 2002-09-03

Product Description

Inspirational and entertaining, PREFONTAINE is another acclaimed success from the makers of HOOP DREAMS. It's the true-life story of legendary track star Steve Prefontaine, the exciting and sometimes controversial "James Dean of Track," whose spirit captured the heart of the nation! Cocky, charismatic, and tough, "Pre" was a running rebel who defied rules, pushed limits ... and smashed records ... in an incredible against-all-odds quest for Olympic gold! Now a major motion picture, the triumphs and heartbreaks of this unforgettable champion will have you riveted from beginning to end!

Customer Reviews:

Prefontaine.......2007-06-27

Great movie for the track athlete and/or track fan. Interesting look at an athlete who has transcended death and time to become a model for aspiring runners. Even if you don't run, Pre's attitude toward his training and competition teaches a valuable lesson in giving whatever you do in life your best effort.

Coaching Track & Cross Country.......2007-05-12

We rented PREFONTAINE and had a pizza/movie social night for our team this spring. Most of the kids had never heard of this athlete, and they really enjoyed the show! They want to see another running movie-- this time featuring less white people! :)

Excellent.......2007-05-12

It encourage me to try harder in running. Excellent movie. My daughter is an athlete 5 mile runner and she improved from 5:20 to 5:10 within a month. the 800 from 2:30 to 2:23.

A very good film about a person I'd never heard of before.......2007-03-27

Not being into track and field i had never heard of Steve Prefontaine or his remarkable story. Jered Leto is very engaging as the runner with gold medal hopes and talent to spare and makes this movie "run" (sorry had to say that). Well worth the time and effort to find and watch this one.

motivational ?.......2007-03-12

If you are looking for a fair balance between biographical and motivational, then this is your book. However, if you you are looking for a strongly motivating audio-visual material (e.g. preparing for a race), the movie is just not enough. More workout scenes would have required. No matter, Jared Lareto is great. On the whole, it is worthwile buying this book !

Dick Francis Mysteries (In The Frame/ Blood Sport/ Twice Shy)

Average customer rating:

Classic 80's TV
All of it
Dick Francis on film
Celluloid Dick Francis Persona
"Ian McShane as David Cleveland ... Dick Francis Mysteries (2006) ... Koch Vision"

Dick Francis Mysteries (In The Frame/ Blood Sport/ Twice Shy)
Starring: Ian McShane , Lyman Ward , Amadeus August , Peter Sattmann , and Patrick Cauderlier
Director: Wigbert Wicker , Deirdre Friel , and Harvey Hart
Manufacturer: Koch Vision
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Television | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Indie & Art House | Stores | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $14.99 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( D ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

The Last Detective - Series 1
Murder in Suburbia - Series 1
McCallum: The Complete Series
Jericho: Set 1
The Last Detective - Series 2

ASIN: B000EMGF3U
Release Date: 2006-05-02

Product Description

A former jockey, Dick Francis turned to writing mysteries after his career at the track was over, setting most of them in the world that he knew so well, that of high stakes racing. This program contains full length features, all of which feature Jockey Club investigator David Cleveland, protagonist of the novel SLAYRIDE, who is played with aplomb by Ian McShane. Contains the films TWICE SHY, BLOOD SPORT, and IN THE FRAME.

System Requirements:
Running Time: 287 minutes

Format: DVD MOVIE

Customer Reviews:

Classic 80's TV.......2007-04-17

OK, it's not high art, but it is entertaining. Ian McShane fans get to see him in a lighter comedy role. Fun to watch. The storied get better as the series progresses.

All of it.......2007-04-02

If you are having trouble sleeping, I suggest this DVD as a cure.

Dick Francis on film.......2007-03-20

I saw these back when they were broadcast on MYSYTERY!. I loved them then and still do. The quality then was superb and the actors were great. And the horses aren't so bad either!

Celluloid Dick Francis Persona.......2007-01-13

Four stars may be a little generous, but these are good entertainment. While a close inspection of the novels' main characters over the course of these three stories would be unlikely to yield serio-comic actor Ian McShane, exactly, you need to remember that this is the movies. The silver screen with booming sound, with (British-) Hollywood cliche writ large. Which by definition means license.

There are similarities in both versions of each tale--the written and the filmed--enough to make the latter effort worth watching. Often key scenes are re-located, possibly for the sake of budget or regional availability of preferred actor. Likewise the screenplay often omits what I consider crucial links in plot development (though a veteran of the related novel may grudgingly connect the dots well enough).

The point of this little essay, with its somewhat kvetching praise, is to encourage you to enjoy this video production. But enjoy it as three pretty good films with intrigue and plausible character development, not as really accurate renditions of the novels whose titles they bear.

"Ian McShane as David Cleveland ... Dick Francis Mysteries (2006) ... Koch Vision".......2006-10-15

Koch Vision and Lance Studios present - "Dick Francis Mysteries" (In The Frame/ Blood Sport/ Twice Shy) (1994) - Ian McShane - (287 mins/Color) (Dolby Digital) --- Author Dick Francis OBE (born October 31, 1920) is a British jockey and author ... He was born Richard Stanley Francis in Lawrenny, South Wales. The son of a jockey, he had a successful career himself as a jockey, winning over 350 races ... During World War II, he served in the Royal Air Force piloting fighter and bomber aircraft including the Spitfire. He left the RAF in 1946 to become a celebrity in the world of British National Hunt racing ... From 1953 to 1957 he was jockey to Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother. He was forced to retire from racing as the result of a serious fall in 1957. His most famous moment as a jockey came while riding the Queen Mother's horse, Devon Loch, in the 1956 Grand National: the horse inexplicably fell when close to winning the race --- Francis is the only three time recipient of the Mystery Writers of America's Edgar Award for Best Novel, winning for Forfeit in 1970, Whip Hand in 1981, and Come to Grief in 1996. Also in 1996, he was given the Grand Master Award, the highest honor bestowed by the MWA --- In 1962, he published his first thriller, Dead Cert, which was set in the world of racing. Subsequently, he regularly produced a novel a year for the next 38 years, missing only 1998 (during which year he published a short story collection). Although all his books were set against a background of horse racing, his heroes held a variety of jobs, from artist (To the Hilt) to private investigator (Odds Against).

Our of hero of Dick Francis Mysteries is DAVID CLEVELAND (played by Ian McShane), is the chief investigator for the British Jockey Club --- was a major TV Movie in a series that was based on many of Francis books --- Cleveland was a continuing character who was always on the side of right versus wrong when it came to horses and their racing --- many weave horse racing within action packed full of suspense, romance and a twist of danger just around the bend of a steeplechase run.

First up "IN THE FRAME" (1989) (97 mins/Color) --- Under Wigbert Wicker (Director), Mathias Wittich (Producer), Denis E. Doty and Jacky Stoller (Executive Producers), Andrew Payne (Teleplay) ----- the cast includes Ian McShane as David Cleveland, Lyman Ward, Amadeus August, Peter Sattmann, Patrick Cauderlier, Rainer Grenkowitz, Cedric Smith, Joseph Ziegler, Laura Dickson, Hans-Peter Korff, Jack Duffy, Liliane Clune, Karin Rasenack, Barbara Rudnik . . . . .the story thus far, will Cleveland (Ian McShane) be able to clear his old friend of of stealing fine wines and art ... is there a deeper secret behind all of the skullduggery ... tune in and find the answer.

Second we have "BLOODSPORT" (1989) (97 mins/Color) --- Under Harvey Hart (Director),Jonathan Hackett (Producer), Dennis E. Doty and Jacky Stoller (Executive Producers), Andrew Payne (Teleplay) ----- the cast includes Ian McShane as David Cleveland, Heath Lamberts, Lloyd Bochner, Kenneth Welsh, Patrick Macnee, Carolyn Dunn, Jennifer Dale, Timothy Webber, Laurie Paton, Cameron Graham, Barbara Franklin, R.D. Reid, Louis Tripp . . . . . our story is of a missing race horse that may still be alive and being switched with another stable of race horses ... Patrick Macnee as McShane's boss is a trip, with Ian finding everything he volunteers him too very boring or not worth his time ... let's see if McShane can make something out of this mystery.

Final and third is "TWICE SHY" (1989) (97 mins/Color) --- Under Deirdre Friel (Director)W. Paterson Ferns (Producer)Dennis E. Doty and Jacky Stoller (Executives Producer), Miles Henderson (Teleplay) ----- the cast includes Ian McShane as David Cleveland, Kate McKenzie, Karl Hayden, Dearbhla Molloy, Niall Toibin, Conor Mullen, David Herlihy, Stephen Brennan, John Keegan, Oliver Maguire, Pat Leavy, Patrick Macnee, Geraldine Fitzgerald, Jim Reid, Deirdre O'Kane . . . . . the plot line has betting services over illegal computers, will the death of McShane's friend bring him full force into the mystery that Francis has contrived ... this one is a puzzlement for Ian, will he be able to find all the pieces and put them together before the final reel.

BIOS:
1. Ian McShane
Date of birth: 29 September 1942 - Blackburn, Lancashire, England, UK
Date of death: Still Living
2. Dick Francis (Author)
Date of birth: 31 October 1920 - Pembrokeshire, Wales, UK
Date of death: Still Living

Great job by Koch Vision for releasing "Dick Francis Mysteries" (In The Frame/ Blood Sport/ Twice Shy) (1994) - Ian McShane, the digital transfere with a clean, clear and crisp print...looking forward to more high quality releases from the foreign film market --- order your copy now from Amazon or Koch Vision where there are plenty of copies available on DVD, stay tuned once again for top notch drama mixed with an outstanding cast and director --- gotta love it!

Total Time: 287 mins on DVD ~ Koch Vision KOCV #6651 ~ (5/02/2006)

Average customer rating:

A Delightful Potpourri from TDK's Classical Music DVD Catalog

Opera Concert Ballet 07 [DVD Video]

Manufacturer: Tdk DVD Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Ballets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

French | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Russian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Requiems | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Ballet & Dance | Musicals & Performing Arts | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Musicals & Performing Arts | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Music Video & Concerts | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $7.49 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( B ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Euroarts: Sampler + Catalogue 2007
DVD Sampler Opera 06
Ballet Concert '06
See How Great They Sound!: The Classics DVD Sampler 2004-2005
Listen with Your Eyes

ASIN: B000M2EBY2
Release Date: 2007-02-27

Customer Reviews:

A Delightful Potpourri from TDK's Classical Music DVD Catalog.......2007-04-09

The 07 in this DVD's title doesn't indicate that this is 'Volume 7' but rather that these are excerpts from TDK's catalog for the year 2007. And a rich one it is. All the selections are taken from full-length DVDs of various productions. As Amazon hasn't yet indicated the contents of the DVD, I shall do so:

'Libiamo' from 'Traviata', sung by Joseph Calleja and Fiorenza Cedolins, from the Kurt Masur conducted 2006 New Year's Concert at Teatro La Fenice, Venice.

'Non disperare' from 'Giulio Cesare' sung by Elena de la Merced (Teatre de Liceu)

Andrea Chenier's 'Un di all'azzurro spazio' sung by José Cura at the Communale, Bologna

'Soave sia il vento' from 'Così fan tutte', 1983 Salzburg Festival, sung by Margaret Marshall, Ann Murray and Sesto Bruscantini; Riccardo Muti, conductor

'Dies irae' from the Mozart Requiem, Nikolaus Harnoncourt conducting Concentus Musicus Wien, 1981

'Dunque io son' from Barber of Seville, Joyce di Donato (Rosina), Dalibor Jenis ('Figaro), Paris Opéra, 2002

'A mia madre penso' from 'Fedora', Mirella Freni, Plácido Domingo, La Scala 1993

Act II Grand pas de deux, Giselle, La Scala; Svetlana Zakharova (Giselle), Robert Bolle (Albrecht)

'È un anatema!' from 'Gioconda', Deborah Voigt, Teatre del Liceu, 2005

'Zvon! Pogrebalny zvon!' from 'Boris Godunov', Matti Salminen (Boris), Brian Asawa (Fyodor), Liceu, 2004

'Geme la tortorella' from 'La Finta giardiniera' (Mozart), Eva Mei, Zürich Opera, 2006

'Je ne pourrai' from 'Pelléas et Mélisande', Isabel Rey (Mélisande), Michael Volle'(Golaud), Zürich Opera, Franz Welser-Möst conducting, 2004

'Gloria all'Egitto' from 'Aida', Maria Chiara (Aida), Carlo Striuli (the King), Nello Santi, Verona Arena, 1992

Schubert: Andante from the Unfinished Symphony, Günter Wand, NDR SO, 1995

'Della mia bella incognita borghese' from 'Rigoletto', Marcelo Álvarez (Duke), Jon Piazaola (Borsa), Liceu, Jésus Lopez-Cobos conducting, 2004

End of Act I, 'Der Rosenkavalier', Adrianne Pieczonka (Marschallin), Angelika Kirchschlager (Octavian), Vienna Philharmonic, Semyon Bychkov conducting, Salzburg Festival 2004

'Was bluten muss?', from 'Elektra', Eva Johansson (Elektra), Marjana Lipovsek (Klytemnestra), Zürich Opera, Christoph von Dohnanyi conducting, 2005

Pas de trois from Roland Petit's 'Notre-Dame de Paris', Isabelle Guérin, Manuel Legris, Laurent Hilaire

'Quello di Tito' from 'Clemenza di Tito', Vesselina Kasarova, Michael Schade, Luca Pisaroni; Harnoncourt, VPO, Salzburg Festival 2003

'Entrance of the young girl' from Roland Petit's 'Le jeune homme et al mort', dancers Nicolas le Riche, Marie-Agnès Gillot

'Deh, perdona ad un padre' from 'Nabucco', Leo Nucci, Maria Guleghina, Fabio Luisi conducting the Vienna State Opera Orchestra, 2001

'Vogliatemi bene' from 'Madama Butterfly', Fiorenza Cedolina, Marcello Giordani, Verona Arena, 2004

Sound: Dolby 5.1, DTS 5.1, PCM Stereo; Picture Format: 16:9 or 4:3; Region Code - 0 (worldwide); DVD9; TT=96mins

Highlights for me were Joyce DiDonato's Rosina, the scene from Rosenkavalier, the Gioconda excerpt, Günter Wand's Schubert, and the great Matti Salminen in the Boris scene. But there's something here for everyone. Production values are first-rate. And you certainly can't argue with the price. I suspect some folks will buy this to get a taste for the various opera productions available on TDK so they can decide which full version they might want.

Scott Morrison

Average customer rating:

so realistic it's scary
"He's more the quiet type."
Powerful and Darkly Comic Early Fassbinder
Exquisite Fassbinder demands repeat viewings
mesmerizing

Why Does Herr R. Run Amok?
Starring: Lilith Ungerer , Kurt Raab , Lilo Pempeit , Franz Maron , and Harry Baer
Director: Rainer Werner Fassbinder , and Michael Fengler
Manufacturer: Fantoma
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Art House & International | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

Crime & Criminals | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

Drama | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Foreign & International | Stores | DVD | Video

General | Indie & Art House | Stores | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $14.99 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( W ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

The Third Generation
The Stationmaster's Wife
The Conformist (Extended Edition)
Viridiana - Criterion Collection
The Passenger

ASIN: B0002VEVDO
Release Date: 2006-05-30

Amazon.com

Rainer Werner Fassbinder turned to color for his fourth film, a bleak portrait of middle-class banality. Kurt Raab, the plump, baby-faced art director usually cast as the director's most pathetic characters, stars as Herr R., a seemingly successful middle-class professional and happily married family man who stumbles through life like a grinning zombie. As one might guess from the title, Herr R. (an appropriately vague, undistinguished character that Fassbinder leaves unnamed to better stand in for a German everyman) is about to go over the edge, and the film shows us why in relentless, numbing detail. At work he's an insignificant figure of ridicule; at home he escapes into endless hours of TV when not killing time with empty small talk (largely improvised by the cast), and he soon slips into a listless depression compounded by constant headaches. Fassbinder and codirector Michael Fengler don't make the experience easy for us. The film is as purposely banal as the chatty droning of the soundtrack, shot in a hypernaturalistic approach with a palette of muddy, dull colors that give the picture the quality of a faded Polaroid. There's a genius to the gesture, and the film marches inexorably to a harrowing climax, but it's not for all tastes. Even Fassbinder fans admit that this is a tough film to get through. --Sean Axmaker

Customer Reviews:

so realistic it's scary.......2007-03-09

why does herr r run amok is not a typical fassbinder movie - and it stands out stylistically from the other 50 or so movies he made... It is shot almost like a documentary.. improvised scenes that bring so much realism to the screen.. it is an interesting look at the german middle class of the time period.. and what it takes to drive a man insane... it is the realism that is so consistently presented throughout the film which makes the climax so unnerving.. it is like real life in the moment.. there is no escaping the images on the screen.. in most movies we are shielded by a sound track (which tells us how to react) or by visual cues like cutting back and forth or zooming.. there is nothing of that here no visual safety net.. This is a young and talented cast and director.. one of the early antitheatre films which would eventually evolve into a more cinematic melodramatic style.. but it are these early groundbreaking works that would set the framework for an inspired and all too brief career..

"He's more the quiet type.".......2005-06-18

What makes a mild mannered, introverted man suddenly go berserk one day and bludgeon three people to death? German director, Rainer Fassbinder asks that question in his film "Why Does Herr R Run Amok?" The film records the mundane existence of Herr Raab (Kurt Raab) through a series of scenes. These scenes include Raab's tedious mind-numbingly boring job, a social visit with Raab's elderly parents, and a meeting with Raab's son's teacher.

In each scene, Raab appears trapped, alienated and disaffected. While Raab's beautiful and engaging wife (Lilith Ungerer) attempts to entertain and charm her in-laws, Raab sits immobile amidst the superficial exchanges. He's not participating, and he doesn't even seem to be listening. He's under a great deal of pressure--there's talk of a promotion at work, and there are hints of financial constraints. Through it all, Raab acts like a zombie--with little display of emotion or interest in his surroundings. But he does suffer from headaches and is told by his doctor to take a holiday.

Fassbinder goes to incredibly intricate lengths to establish the sheer boredom and triviality of Raab's bourgeois life. While this is achieved, the viewer must, by necessity experience the details of Raab's life second hand. Raab's boredom and frustration becomes our boredom and frustration. Fassbinder's skill as a director is admirable, and the awful essence of Raab's mediocre life is transmitted through the screen, but this does not create an enjoyable viewing experience. After watching Raab's visit with his parents, I was ready to start smashing some furniture.

Fassbinder is a fascinating director--always provocative and controversial. His greatest films include "The Marriage of Maria Braun" "The Stationmaster's Wife" & "Veronica Voss". If you are new to Fassbinder, start with one of those three films. "Why Does Herr R Run Amok?" is recommended for hardcore Fassbinder fans. In German with English subtitles--displacedhuman

Powerful and Darkly Comic Early Fassbinder.......2004-09-21

This is one of those movies that you'll either love or hate I imagine. I loved it but I am a HUGE Fassbinder fan so I am a more than a bit biased. Kurt Raab's performance in this is nothing short of revelatory it also contains some witty dialogue and two of the greatest scenes in a film I have ever seen (i.e. scene w/ raab in record store and the shocking ending). The cinematography is cinema verite in style and gives hints of what was to come (i.e. dogme 95, the digital indie movement). In a weird way you might call this the granddaddy of those films. I am very much looking forward to the release of this film on dvd.

Exquisite Fassbinder demands repeat viewings.......2004-06-05

This film requires concentration and repeat viewings. Fassbinder employs exceedingly long takes and a relatively still camera to portray a man slowly being led to the end of his tether.

Herr R (Kurt Raab, a Fassbinder regular) is everyman. Indeed, each scene conveys the sheer drabness of his daily routine. Work, wife, in-laws. None of it registers. Despite the perfect middle class life--emotionally, he's stone. It has been said that he is invisible in this film. Certainly, he is not seen as something particularly dynamic or magnetic. He doesn't attract people, none of his co-workers seem interested in him personally. Likewise, he doesn't seem interested in them.

But he does feel. He's passionate about music, sings a gorgeous, heartbreaking ballad that causes him to sigh slightly and look even more wan and dejected than usual. His wife bores him, her friends irritate him. Work is a release of sorts, but he's not making any progress there. He tries to impress the right people but he ends up making a total ass of himself.

All of these factors lead him on a particular course. Hence, the title of the film. The key to answering it is careful, patient viewing. This is a brilliant example of building up evidence to support myriad theses about the motivations of a fundamental character. Just be focusing on Herr Raab's face provides essential clues as to the forces that drive him towards his destiny. Great film.

mesmerizing.......2001-06-11

This is a film that should not be too thouroughly explained prior to watching. Mostly it is a series of the every day happenings in the life of Herr R, a reticent underachiever. He is the child of a certain spiritless bourgeois existence. We watch him at his job, not quite making points with the boss, not quite winning the favour of his coworkers. We watch him try to teach his average, but slightly dreamy, son to pronounce properly. We watch his wife hosting the self-absord and catty neighbors to tea. In short, we watch an unextraordinary bit of an unextraordinary life, which is somehow familiar and for some reason completely entrancing. As one watches it can't helped but be asked why wouldn't Herr R run amok?

Average customer rating:

great playing.
Without the DVD video... the CD was mindblowing..
Great but too short
Very good
I Won't Miss Anything by Heifetz

Heifetz in Performance [includes DVD]

Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Preludes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Music Video & Concerts | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Documentary | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $14.99 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( H ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

Heifetz & Piatigorsky - Historic Performance Film Footage
The Art of Violin
David Oistrakh: Brahms/Sibelius/Tchaikovsky
Mozart Violin Concerto / Brahms Violin Concerto etc. / Nathan Milstein (EMI Classic Archive 13)
Itzhak Perlman: Beethoven/Brahms Violin Concertos

ASIN: B00064K2SK
Release Date: 2004-12-07

Customer Reviews:

great playing........2007-05-15

Heifetz is Heifetz. There's little more to say about his playing. However, the French National Orchestra did not do a very good job staying together or with Heifetz during the Scottish Fantasy. Unfortunate, since it's such a great piece.

Just for reference, the pieces Heifetz played with his students (if you're curious, as I was) are the "Suite no. 7 in G minor HWV 432: Passacaglia" by Handel. In the end credits, he plays the "Terzetto op. 74 in C: Scherzo Vivace" by Dvorak.

Without the DVD video... the CD was mindblowing.........2007-04-07

The seller "Bookarama" failed to include the DVD so I only had the CD to listen to; however, it was so great I consider it the favorite violin CD in my collection. I saw him play in Salt Lake City when I was 12, and he played the Introduction and Rhondo Cappricioco (Saint Saens) that I shall never forget. I went on to study violin and have never heard his better on any recording. He was "the best", still is. Hope I get the DVD.

P. Pyper, Santa Cruz CA

Great but too short.......2007-01-10

Good thing is it is in color. I wish it were longer. DVD can take 2 hours or more, but only half of the capacity is used. Come on, Heifetz must have other footages that can be included. I would rather have more performance footage than the bonus CD. (CD capacity is not fully used either.

Very good.......2006-02-12

The sound and video were not out of synch on my copy either. Heifetz' comments between playing were invaluable to me. His playing was spectacular. He was the best. "Unfortunately" he may have known it. Towards the end of the thing, he said in effect that the ultimate was "to do a thing well or to know you're better than someone else..." That's a close quote if not exact. I don't know how I feel about that remark. He WAS "better than someone else," he was better than everyone else (my opinion), that's just a fact, still there's a flavor of sheer conceit and arrogance in it that bothers me. The author (forget his name now) put similar words in Mozart's mouth in "Amadeus." Apocryphal, to say the least. I like to think well of my heroes. Then I think of young Keats' dying comment, "I think I shall be among the English poets after my death." Sigh. No, I don't like Heifetz' remark. But the film was perfect, albeit too short. Heifetz' (other) comments were illuminating and interesting, good clear shots of his bowing and fingering were priceless. All the music was wonderful except that dreary Prokofiev march that every violinist thinks he has to include in his recital. I loved the DVD. I thought the CD of just the music from the movie was a bit superfluous, but now that I've played it, I'm glad it was included. Though I would gladly give it up for another hour of DVD.

I Won't Miss Anything by Heifetz.......2005-09-27

I have both the DVD, and the VCD made in early 70s. I regret to say that there is indeed a split second of non-synchronization. I also regret to say that neither the sound nor the sight in the DVD has been remastered. So, for those who already have the VCD, don't bother about the DVD unless you prefer to have faster chapters selection.

Having said that, it is clear that the recorded sound of this films are on the whole better than the reproductions of the earlier BMG records. That was probably because of the different time of recording and perhaps, Heifetz had stopped to insist to have the microphone very close to the violin... In any event, we have a fuller looming sound of his violin that is comparable to his last recital (CD-RCA). Camerawork is first rate too. It is, however, not a true DVD production.

Even at this stage of Heifetz's career, with all my admirations for him, my verdict for his Bach and Mozart remains the same: here I prefer Milstein more. But it is completely another story for his Scottish Fantasy and the smaller pieces which are just magical. I'm afraid however there isn't much in the clips showing him giving lesson to his pupils.

Average customer rating:

Great way to start your collection of Best Pictures
Eighteen of the best movies of all time
Best Picture Oscar Collection - fantastic present
good deal but not in collectible condition
This is a great deal; looks like they fixed the problems,,,

Best Picture Oscar Collection (18-Pack)

Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Classics | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

( B ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Special Editions | Fully Loaded DVDs | Features | DVD | Video

Drama | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video

Classics | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video

Studio Classics - Best Picture Collection (Sunrise / How Green Was My Valley / Gentleman's Agreement / All About Eve)
Classic Comedies Collection (Bringing Up Baby / The Philadelphia Story Two-Disc Special Edition / Dinner at Eight / Libeled Lady / Stage Door / To Be or Not to Be)
From Here to Eternity
The Alfred Hitchcock Signature Collection (Strangers on a Train Two-Disc Edition / North by Northwest / Dial M for Murder / Foreign Correspondent / Suspicion / The Wrong Man / Stage Fright / I Confess / Mr. and Mrs. Smith)
Lawrence of Arabia (Limited Edition)

ASIN: B0007KXRZI
Release Date: 2005-02-08

Customer Reviews:

Great way to start your collection of Best Pictures.......2007-02-03

This is the set of 18 Best Picture winners on DVD that Warner Home Video controlled the rights to as of Feb. 2005, and spans the time period 1929-1992. Some of them hold up over time, and others were given the award because of technical achievements that no longer seem important. I'll go through each one and give my opinion:

Broadway Melody of 1929 - This was the first "talkie" to win the award. The screenplay is a mediocre love story, but the song and dance numbers are good. There's even a musical number in Technicolor - "Wedding of the Painted Doll".

Grand Hotel - Won in 1932 and contained a great ensemble cast about the personal lives of guests in a fancy Berlin hotel. This is a great one that still is worthy viewing today.

Mutiny on the Bounty (1935) - Probably the best of all the pictures about the famous mutiny. Still good viewing today. An odd aside - all of the nominees for best actor that did not win were from this film - Clark Gable, Franchot Tone, and Charles Laughton.

The Great Ziegfield (1936) - After the Hays code was fully in effect, the personal aspects of Ziegfield's life had to be modified for the screen. Still, a great movie with a great performance by William Powell as the famous showman.

The Life of Emile Zola (1937) - One of those period pieces that just didn't grab me. It is a very skillfully done film, very artistic, and Paul Muni gives a tremendous performance in the title role. It's hard to believe the articulate and gentile Emile Zola is being portrayed by the same actor who was equally convincing in "Scarface".

Gone with the Wind (1939) - This movie charts the life of a Southern belle who always wanted what she didn't have and took for granted what she did have as she lives through the Civil War and reconstruction. It is the most popular film of all time and probably the biggest money-maker if you factor in inflation. It was shown in movie theatres until it made its TV debut in 1976.

Mrs. Miniver (1942) - This is a good film, and it has great acting, but it is one of those films that probably won because of the times. It depicts how the British coped while under seige during World War II as experienced by one British family headed by Mrs. Miniver.

Casablanca (1943) - This one probably won because of the wartime theme, but it is a great piece of moviemaking that just gets better with time. The chemistry between Ingrid Bergman and Humphrey Bogart just oozes off the screen. It's more what's not said than what is in this film. The fact that Bogart didn't win best actor was one of the great injustices of all time.

An American in Paris (1951) - Of course the point of this film not the plot, it is Gene Kelly's dancing, which is fabulous as always. It inspired the quickly thrown together and even more popular "Singin In the Rain".

Around the World in 80 Days (1956) - A fun adventure, David Niven is great, and how they got all of those stars to play bit parts I'll never know. However, it really doesn't hold up as a great movie 50 years after the fact.

Gigi (1958) - The academy award winner in the year of my birth just does not inspire today. There are a couple of good songs, but not many. Plus the screenplay is antiquated and outright campy by today's standards.

Ben-Hur (1959) - One of those great Bible-era epics of the 50's. Even though it is a story on a large scale, it is all of the small scale stories going on that make it great - revenge, love, loyalty, loss.

My Fair Lady (1964) - One of the great musicals starring Rex Harrison in one of his greatest and most amusing roles. Nobody did stuffy British low-key comedy like Rex. He was robbed when it came to best actor, but fortunately the Academy rectified the situation a few years later.

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975) - Jack Nicholson is a rebel confined to a mental institution. When he doesn't conform, the evil nurse Ratchett has him lobotimized. A great film that will stir emotions even today.

Chariots of Fire (1981) - I personally love this film about the 1924 Olympic games and the conflict between God, country, and conscience seen through the eyes of two men - one a Christian who wants to be a missionary, the other Jewish who wants to be an insider in British society. It's a love it or hate it kind of film - either you find the internal struggles of these men compelling, or you'll find it torture to sit through.

Amadeus (1984) - Another of the modern era Oscars where you either love the message and love the film, or it puts you to sleep. I really loved this one too, partly because Mozart has always interested me, and partly because Salieri was such a ridiculous creature thinking he could best God by destroying Mozart. Didn't he ever realize that the fact that he recognized Mozart's talent before everyone else did was a talent in itself? If you can't build Microsoft yourself, then the next best thing was to have bought stock in it in 1975.

Driving Miss Daisy (1989) - The story of a wealthy elderly woman and her driver from 1948 up to the mid-70's. In spite of the difference in their races and the place - Georgia - they have much in common and slowly become friends. She is Jewish and he is Black in a time and place that wasn't ordinarily welcoming to either group of people. This is a sentimental favorite of mine, plus there's some good comic one-liners in it too.

Unforgiven (1992) - A different kind of Western in which Clint Eastwood wins his first award for Best Director. Eastwood is out to avenge the scarring of a prostitute in return for money when the justice the sheriff metes out on the offending cowboy is just not satisfactory to the prostitute or her friends. Eastwood plays an ex-criminal widower trying to make a go of farming when this assignment lands in his lap. In the end, he doesn't have a hard time finding his "inner killer". A really great film. Who'd have thought in 1965 that Ramrod Rowdy Yates had it in him?

This package is a good value at eleven dollars per Oscar winner, especially when you consider one of those Oscar winners is Gone with the Wind. Plus it has a good sampling of Oscar winners from all genres up to 1992. Depending on how you feel about the more modern Oscar winners (post 1965) that are usually slower, more thoughtful films, you may or may not feel the same. To me the only real dud is Gigi.

Also note that if you buy this set, "Studio Classics Best Picture Collection", and the new "Best Picture Collection", you'll have 29 of the soon to be 79 best picture winners. Not a bad start on your collection.

My only real complaints are that there have been four changes that should be incorporated into the pack to really make it complete as of Spring 2007 based on what is available, although it might require a price increase.
1. Ben-Hur is now available in a 4 disc special edition that includes the silent version of the film.
2. Cimarron, Best Picture 1930-1931, was released on DVD in 2006 by Warner Home Video and should be included.
3. After this pack was released "Million Dollar Baby" and "The Departed" won Best Picture for 2004 and 2006, respectively. These films are not included.
I'm really just pointing out minor flaws because, compared to all of the other studios, Warners has done the best job of putting all of the Best Picture winners they control into one attractively priced package.

Eighteen of the best movies of all time.......2005-09-26

This set contains 18 Best Picture winners from the Warner Video library. A few of them are fairly basic, with limited extras (Broadway Melody, Grand Hotel), while others are multi-disc deluxe editions (Gone with the Wind, Ben Hur). If you're looking to get your collection off to a start, with some of the all-time classics, I haven't seen a better boxed set than this one.

Best Picture Oscar Collection - fantastic present.......2005-09-21

This made my father very happy - has all the golden favourites and is great value.

good deal but not in collectible condition.......2005-06-11

It's a bunch of oscar winning movies from warner brothers with a great discount. but collectors beware of this set :

1. First of all, most of the items are not sealed. many of them looks like new, but some are not brand new, at least look like used!
2. I talked with 3 persons who purchased this item. all of them had complains about ruptures at the edge of some boxes which had caused with a blade or a sharp instrument.
3. there is not a huge outer box. only a wrap around all items.

after those negative points, lets say that, all of the DVDs are the best releases of each item. my word is, it's a good deal but don't expect to receive all of them in collectible condition! I don't want to blame warner but it seems that some of these DVDs are clean returned to market items!

This is a great deal; looks like they fixed the problems,,,.......2005-05-28

I purchased this set when the price was $140. However, I did not get Casablanca or Cuckoo's net SE's, but after I contacted AMAZON twice and waited for a while, they corrected the problem to my full satisfaction! I have never been happier with their service!

But, this is a great set because it has 18 of the best picture winners.

It has some of the best ones, and all the discs are the top of the line editions! way to go!!!

Now, if they could opnly get the last three best picture winners on DVD, I'd have them all!

Average customer rating:

My mistake
Not worth your money!!
Not really for kids
Don't waste your money
Where did the Great Scenes go?

Mozart's The Magic Flute Story
Starring: Magdalena Falewicz , Heidrun Halx , Herman Christian Polster , Horst Gebhardt , and Dieter Schole
Manufacturer: View Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Music Video & Concerts | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $14.99 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( M ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Beethoven Lives Upstairs (Dub Sub Dol)
Peter and the Wolf
Classical Kids: Mr. Bach Comes to Call
Biography - Mozart (A&E DVD Archives)
Handel's Last Chance

ASIN: B00005O6OO
Release Date: 2001-10-30

Description

WINNER OF...
The Dove Foundation Family Approved Seal
N.A.I.R.D. Award Finalist
The Film Advisory Board Award of Excellence
The Coalition For Quality Children's Video: Kids First! Endorsement
PARENT'S CHOICE APPROVED

This skillfully abridged adaptation of Mozart's brilliant comic opera will delight the whole family with brand-new English narration to guide children through the story, and arias sung in the original German. This is the tale of Prince Tamino and Princess Pamina, young lovers who use the powers of a magic flute to battle the forces of evil that threaten to keep them apart.

V.I.E.W. Video is proud to present this enhanced DVD version of Mozart's The Magic Flute Story, created especially to introduce young audiences to the wonderful world of opera. Lavish sets and costumes compliment Mozart's brilliant score and unforgettable cast of comic characters.

Customer Reviews:

My mistake.......2007-01-04

It was not what i thought it would be. I was looking for something from "Classical Kids". That is my mistake.

Not worth your money!!.......2006-04-04

I found this version at the library and decided to check it out. I was amazed at how bad it was. For one thing, they changed the story around which was bothersome. The singing is really bad, and I think the thing that that bothered me the most is the strange costumes (Tamino looks like an elf!) I also hated all the strange creatures that come out, instead of animals coming out when Tamino plays his flute, they have people prancing out on stage dressed as who knows what. The whole thing was just horrible, costumes, the set, everything...and a lot of times when the commentator is explaining a certain part, it'll be playing a whole different aria (or the wrong part of the aria.) The whole thing is so chopped up, and the DVD is more blurry and grainy than I've ever seen anything on DVD before. I wouldn't buy it or even waste yout time getting it from the library. You're better off buying a REAL production on DVD of the Magic Flute for your kids, such as the one at the Met with Kathleen Battle.

Not really for kids.......2006-02-24

This product advertises that it is for children, but the commentator talks through most of the excerpts, and my children (3 different classes) found it boring.

Don't waste your money.......2005-08-06

I was terribly disappointed with this DVD. The singing and staging is barely adequate, the picture, sound quality, and sound direction are all second rate. Some of the arias were cut off prematurely and the transitions into the next scene were poorly done. If your intention is to introduce young people to the story, buy one of the highly recommended DVD's and do your own commentary.

Where did the Great Scenes go?.......2001-07-06

This video is really disappointing to me. I know a lot about Mozart, and Die Zauberflote in general. IF someone HAD to make an abridged version of Die Zauberflote (don't ask me why!) they could have done a better job than this. Most of the great scenes are cut out, and the story is changed a bit! Cutting out two thirds of the opening scene ("Zu Hilfe! Zu Hilfe!") is a terrible idea, cutting out half of, "Der Holle Rache" is even WORSE, destroying the part where the Queen, Monastatos, and the Three Ladies are destroyed just as bad- Note: Cutting out the finale causes something like this to happen: "The Queen told Pamina to kill Sarastro. Sarastro says, 'That's okay,' Papageno finds a mate, and they live happily ever after." What happened to the Queen? Ugh! Also, the sound quality is terrible. The costumes are ugly, and the staging, with staircases leading nowherte on either side of the stage, just doesen't work. Put it all together and it spells disaster.

DVD:

DVD

DVD

DVD

The Trojan Horse - Israel and the Images of War

Condemned to Live : DVD

Quiet American [2002] (REGION 1) (NTSC)

DVD: New Fist of Fury

Notiert in Stadt und Land