Chrystal

Starring:Lisa Blount, Ed Corbin, Colin Fickes, Johnny Galecki, Walton Goggins, Kathryn Howell, James Intveld, Max Kasch, Harry J. Lennix, Harry Dean Stanton, Billy Bob Thornton, Grace Zabriskie
Studio: First Look Pictures
Product Type: DVD

Average customer rating:

Great production, great choreography, great performances!
Living Legend!
Great Buy
cancel the CHEEZY dancers -you don't need em + won't miss em
Excelente Concierto de Tony Bennett

Tony Bennett - American Classic
Starring: Tony Bennett , Christina Aguilera , Billy Crystal , k.d. lang , and Chris Botti
Director: Rob Marshall
Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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

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

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General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music

Traditional Pop | Oldies | Pop | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Duets: An American Classic
Tony Bennett's New York
Tony Bennett's Wonderful World: Live San Francisco
Barbra Streisand - One Voice
Tony Bennett: Duets - The Making of An American Classic

ASIN: B000J6I0PC
Release Date: 2006-11-21

Amazon.com

High concept and high class, An American Classic is a worthy visual complement to Tony Bennett's 2006 duets CD of the same name. The notion of pairing veteran artists with a variety of singing partners is nothing new, of course (cf. B.B. King and Frank Sinatra, among many others), but this one goes a step further; under the direction of Rob Marshall (Chicago, Memoirs of a Geisha) and his team, Bennett appears in what's described as a "docu-musical," faithfully re-creating a variety of performance settings much like the ones in which the 80-year-old singer has appeared in the course of his long, fruitful career. Thus we find him on a concert stage with Barbra Streisand ("Smile"), in a nightclub with John Legend (a swinging, uptempo "Sing, You Sinners"), in the studio with k.d. lang and trumpeter Chris Botti ("Because of You"), on a '60s-style TV variety show with Diana Krall (a classy "The Best is Yet to Come"), in Vegas with Elton John ("Rags To Riches") and then Michael Buble (an amusing "Just in Time"), and so forth, on up to Bennett's triumphant shot on MTV Unplugged with Christina Aguilera (no jazz singer, but she keeps most of her excesses in check on "Steppin' Out") and the inevitable "I Left My Heart in San Francisco" (Bennett with piano accompaniment only). It's all very respectful, well staged, and entertainingly choreographed, but if this 45-minute cavalcade has a significant shortcoming, it's that it mostly lacks fire and spontaneity; the only time Bennett cuts loose is during an audio-only "I Got Rhythm" heard under the various DVD menus. Viewers may also be disappointed that Sting, Bono, Paul McCartney, James Taylor, the Dixie Chicks, and several others on the CD do not appear here, and it's a notable drag that not a single one of the composers or arrangers of the material is identified. Bonus features include a "making of" documentary and other featurettes. --Sam Graham

Description

Tracks:
1."Smile" Barbra Streisand
2."Sing You Sinners" John Legend
3."Because Of You" k.d. lang and Chris Botti
4."The Best Is Yet To Come" Diana Krall
5."The Shadow Of Your Smile" Juanes
6."Rags To Riches" Elton John
7."Just In Time" Michael Bublé
8."For Once In My Life" Stevie Wonder
9."Steppin' Out With My Baby" Christina Aguilera
10."I Left My Heart In San Francisco" Tony Bennett

Product Description:
TONY BENNETT: AN AMERICAN CLASSIC is a ground-breaking television event that takes us on a musical journey of this legendary entertainer's life. Re-creating the venues of Tony's career, from the downtown Greenwich Village club where Tony was discovered, to the Columbia recording studios of the early 60's, from rat pack Las Vegas to Carnegie Hall, Tony will be joined for each show-stopping number by the myriad of superstars that appear with him on his Duets album. In a bold re-invention of the form, each set piece was filmed as a small movie by an Academy Award-winning team, lead by director Rob Marshall (Memoirs Of A Geisha, Chicago.) Seamlessly woven throughout the program will be introductions and narrative insights. This event invites us to celebrate the life of who Frank Sinatra called "the greatest singer ever." As the special ends, Tony Bennett will take the empty stage, this time alone, and deliver his signature classic, "I Left My Heart In San Francisco."

Customer Reviews:

Great production, great choreography, great performances!.......2007-05-12

Before I purchased this item, I thought I would only enjoy a few tracks by my favorite artists. But, it kept me enthralled all through the playing time. Personally, I bought this one because I like Barbra Streisand. But, wow, all the duet performances are so great. I've watched it twice now (in only 2 weeks). And I think I'll still enjoy it some more times. I think this DVD can be played at your home parties for the enjoyment of your valued guests.

Living Legend!.......2007-03-27

First, I give this four starts and not five only for the brevity of the program. But 40-odd minutes still offer many opportunities to appreciate what this 80 year-old can do! The creative program was directed by Rob Marshall and includes choreography (Tony even dances a bit) and visuals that live up to his Chicago accomplishments. Being something of a purist, I have to say I was initially skeptical of the "guest list." Each musician rises to the challenge, and the songs alternate between touching and flashy. Tony shines in each tune, an effect heightened by a full orchestra and elaborate sets. The film quality is excellent and vivid as is the sound recording. I found myself watching and re-watching sections over and over again -- you will, too. The extra features (including the "making of" documentary) are very interesting, too. This project was clearly a work of love for all involved. What a fine way to celebrate Tony's career.

Great Buy.......2007-03-26

I had caught the tail end of this concert when it was on tv. I enjoyed what I saw and heard, and It was definately what I had expected. Very good singing by Toney B's guest and the incomperable Toney B was excellent as always!!!!!!!! He still has his pipes at 80!!!!! Totally blew me away!!!! The concert is more of a mock tv show. Though I did like this format, it lacked the enthusiasm of those old dean martin tv shows. The director should have had more interaction with Tony and his guest singers. It would have been fun to see him talking about jazz music, with the modern day crooner, Michael Buble , for instance. All in all this is a great dvd definately worth buying, with the performances with Christina Agulara and Michael Buble standing out!!!!

cancel the CHEEZY dancers -you don't need em + won't miss em.......2007-03-20

I am giving four stars because I dont waste my time writing negative reviews- so a four star review means I have to diss something. My stomach was turning watching the cheezy and totally gross dance scenes- feathered fans and top hats and canes- PUHLEEZE !! None of these vocals are enhanced in any way buy these gyrating midriffs with the same old sorry meaningless cliched moves and the horrific non flattering outfits- they look like pole dancers in an atlantic city off the beaten path porn palace. Have I made my case?
Other than that the songs chosen were interesting, everyone does a masterful job singing - but I couldn't watch this tape again. These 2006 scenes just makes one all the more nostalgic for the neon lights of the old time dimly lit smoky jazz clubs when musical craft was king- I bet tony wishes that this style was still reigning as well

Excelente Concierto de Tony Bennett.......2007-02-08

Una vez mas podemos ver la grandeza del inmenso Tonny Bennett, quien junto a estelares de la cancion traen un concierto sin desperdicios.
Quien lo obtenga, tendra un DvD excelente para su coleccion.

Average customer rating:

blah..but worth a go
What are all the high scores for?
A great Psychological Thriller - Southern Style
Lisa Blount Shines as Chrystal. 75 out of 100
Thought Provoking

Chrystal
Starring: Lisa Blount , Ed Corbin , Colin Fickes , Johnny Galecki , and Walton Goggins
Manufacturer: First Look Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0009PVZSM
Release Date: 2005-08-30

Customer Reviews:

blah..but worth a go.......2007-05-25

This movie isn't all that great...but not bad, either. Sort of blah. It has all of the makings of a sincerely good film, but falls flat somewhere along the line. Billy Bob Thornton's acting isn't quite up to the usual standards, and the woman playing Chrystal does an excellent job - however, I believe more scenes from the past would have aided in this film's overall success. The scenery is beautiful, I believe it was filmed in Eureka Springs, Arkansas so that's very close to my own heart. In my opinion it was worth watching for the scenery alone.

What are all the high scores for?.......2007-05-21

I bought this movie expecting to see a much overlooked masterpiece, considering all the good reviews and the 4 1/2 star rating at the time. I don't know what these other reviewers were watching, but it couldn't have been this movie.
First of all, this was the most depressing, downhearted, pessimistic, piece of trash I'd ever set eyes on, I don't believe there was a genuinely "good" smile in the entire flick.
Lisa Blount played an absolute ditz, and Billy Bob was nonchalant in his role, almost as if he didn't care about any more than the paycheck he got each week during filming.
There were quite a few holes in the plot, also. The only one I care to mention without spoiling the movie is this: During the fight between Billy's character and Snake, it was clear Billy had the upperhand, but somewhere in the middle of the fight he decided to just give up. What was that all about? My wife and I looked at each other and said, almost simultaneously, "Why isn't he fighting back?" There was absolutely NO reason for him to wimp out at the moment he did. It didn't tie into the story at all. Basically, he started the fight by calling Snake out, and then just let Snake whip his rear, nonsensical idiocy.
The whole movie was like that, two hours of questionable stupidity, and then fizzling out at the end, with nothing more than a whimper. I didn't care for any of the characters after the fight, and I was hoping they'd all die off before the credits ran.

BIG PIECE OF GARBAGE!!!!!

A great Psychological Thriller - Southern Style.......2007-01-25

I Love this movie, and the music / soundtrack!

Joe (Billy Bob Thornton) returns home after 20 years in jail for recklessly crashing his car during a police chase - resulting in the death of his 2 year old son, and the permanent physical / mental injury of his wife Chrystal (Lisa Blount).

Billy Bob Thorton's character never gets over the pain of losing his life in jail for 20 years, the death of his son, or the loss of time with his wife. Never being an evil person, Joe returns home with the hope that he can rekindle his life with his wife.

Unfortunately - agony and injury have been unkind to Chrystal, and she seems to have lost "feelings" of any kind as demonstrated by her uncaring means to survive through prostitution with the "locals". Chrystal still maintains a latent beauty, however, she is emtionally bankrupt.

Even worse, both Joe and Chrystal agonize over the loss of their son - who was never found at the car crash site, and each claim to have seen images of him throughout the last 20 years.

Can one survive after such a horrible sequence of events? Billy Bob Thorton and Lisa Blunt do a great job in demonstrating the agony of trying to recover....

Favorite Quote of the movie is "We Got Us a Redneck FightClub" yelled out when Billy Bob Thorton gets in a fight.

Lisa Blount Shines as Chrystal. 75 out of 100.......2006-08-21

Chrystal is the story of Joe, played by Billy Bob Thornton, a southern man who returns home after 20 years in jail for recklessly evading the police, growing pot and a manslaughter charge for the death of his son.

At home, Joe finds he's not really sure why he returned. His wife is somewhat crazy and sleeping around. The death of their son still haunts the both of them.

Without giving away any spoilers, Chrystal is a well made film with tremendous acting all around. Lisa Blount is amazing as Chrystal, and of course Billy Bob is his always wonderful self. The rest of the cast is convincing and well cast.

The setting is unique and memorable. You will not soon forget this backwoods Arkansas tale.

While I enjoyed the film, there was a few flaws. I didn't find myself as concerned with what happened to the main characters. Chrystal's relationships with Kalis (Harry Lennix) and Charlie (James Intveld) were at times awkward, and the scenes where these characters interacted almost seemed out of place. The last 30 minutes of the movie bring about a certain unbelievability, as villains wait a very long time for revenge, Billy Bob steals a baby after living in the woods for over a year, and Billy Bob is hunted by police for silly reasons. (one being the protection of his wife)

All in all I say don't miss seeing the film, but also note that it isn't to heart wrenching that you will find yourself wanting to own it and see it again. It is no Slingblade.

Total Score (out of 100) = 77

37 (out of 50). Enjoyment. A rating based on my overall enjoyment of the film.
10 (out of 10). Acting. How good was the acting?
9 (out of 10). Immersion. Did the movie suck me into the story?
10 (out of 10). Intangibles. Special effects. Movie pace. Is the movie forgettable, or something you will talk about and remember for weeks? Years?
7 (out of 10). Must see. Is this movie worth seeing/renting?
2 (out of 10). Must buy. Is this movie a must buy/purchase?

Thought Provoking.......2006-05-10

Oscar Winner Billy Bob Thornton (Best Adapted Screenplay, Sling Blade) gives one of his best performances in "Chrystal" a massively overlooked and under rated movie that captures the southern atmosphere and elivers a compelling and sometimes funny movie. Thornton plays Joe, who sixteen years before drove his wife Chrystal (Lisa Blount) and their young boy off a cliff. Joe came out of the wreck fine and went on to serve a 16 year prison term. Chrystal is mentally unstable and has become, virtually, the town hooker. The little boy was never found, not a trace. When Joe is released from prison, he returns to the home he shared with Chrystal and begins staying on the porch and reuniting with some old friends. Chrystal, meanwhile, befriends a blind writer named Kalid (Harry Lennix, of The Matrix films). Now, even though Thornton is spectacular; Blount makes the kind of first impression actresses like Amy Adams did in "Junebug". She really overshadows all of the other actors who are much better known then herself. She plays the deeply disturbed Chrystal to a T. I'm surprised she didn't nab an Oscar nomination. I'm not sure why this film was so "under the radar" because it truly is a marvelous film. There are times when the film stumbles a bit and the character Snake (who I was surprised to find was played by writer/director Ray McKinnon) overstayed his welcome but if you are in a video store you should really rent this movie.

GRADE: A-

Average customer rating:

Girl King
Starring: Victoria Deschanel , Michael-Ann Connor , Jonathan Sutton , Chrystal Donbrath-Zinga , and Raven Courtney
Director: Ileana Pietrobruno
Manufacturer: Ariztical
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Ellen - The Complete Season Five
Julie Johnson
April's Shower
Loving Annabelle

ASIN: B000HIVIV0
Release Date: 2006-11-14

Average customer rating:

(undiverse) transmen speak

Gendernauts
Starring: Susan Stryker , Texas Tomboy , Annie Sprinkle , Stafford , and Jordi Jones
Director: Monika Treut
Manufacturer: First Run Features
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Documentary | Genres | DVD | Video

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ASIN: B000BVM23Q
Release Date: 2006-01-17

Customer Reviews:

(undiverse) transmen speak.......2006-05-12

A German documentary maker interviews transgendered artists and theorists in San Francisco.
This disc was inclusive in many ways. It included an intersexed person, not just complete transsexuals. It showed those people partnered with trans lovers, not just the trans themselves. It also showed that one person transitioned from a woman to a gay man, pushing aside ideas that all transgendered people want to be practicing heterosexuals.
Still, this film had no obvious people of color as transgendered interviewees. The intersexed person said she visited Costa Rica, but never said she was of Costa Rican ancestry. Joan Jett Black is in the background, but not interviewed. A butch black woman is interviewed, but at no point does she identify as trans. When a film like "The Crying Game" with a biracial lead character and a play like "M. Butterfly" with an Asian passing woman came out before this documentary, this exclusion does not make sense. After this documentary came out, academic Juana Rodriguez in "Queer Latinidad" wrote about Proyecto contra SIDA, a Latino non-profit organization in San Francisco that supports Latino/a transgendereds. Transpeople of color are in the Bay Area but the director doesn't pay them much attention. Perhaps this relates to the homogeneity of her birth country compared to the diversity of the United States.
The director focuses more about female-to-male more than she does male-to-female, though the latter are more numerous in society. As a woman, maybe she had more access to transmen than transwomen. The transmen here can pass, while the transwomen could not. I haven't processed this all but it reminds me of how female masculinity is less punished in society than male femininity. This documentary's focus on one group made me wonder if the other group suffers more or are more afraid to speak of their identities on camera. Still, there are transwomen that look "real", so I don't know why the director didn't pay much attention to them.
This film repeatedly calls San Francisco a Mecca, almost in utopic terms. This is quite an overstatement. As an African American, I thought the Bay Area was very devoid of Black people and not half as Black-friendly or Black-concerned as big cities east of the Mississippi River. African-American lesbian writer April Sinclair wrote that while many people move to the Bay Area, the region also has a high suicide rate precisely because it can be intimidating and isolating. This idea that San Francisco is a paradise really needs to be interrogated and I think had the documentary had more people of color in it, then it might have done so.
Unless I did it unconsciously, this film automatically played subtitles when it started. This is the first DVD that I've seen do that from the jump. I watched with French subtitles. It was amazing to see French adjectives given a gender when the person speaking in English is trying to express gender-neutral ideas. The word "queer" is rendered untranslatable, but "f*g" is given a translation. This disc offered French, German, or Portuguese. Its lack of Spanish suggests the disc is made for Europeans, rather than Americans. This absence of Spanish subtitles was striking and could again alienate the many Latinos/as here in the US.
This documentary was a feel-good eye-opener. It would be great for those who know nothing about the trans community but want to learn more.

Average customer rating:

Johnny Cash at his acting best!!
A must see for all Cash fans.
A Trying Time for an Illiterate in the Big City.
Johnny Cash plus a bonus!
Johnny Cash - the Pride of Jesse Hallam

Pride of Jesse Hallam
Starring: Johnny Cash , Brenda Vaccaro , Ben Marley , Chrystal Smith , and Eli Wallach
Director: Gary Nelson
Manufacturer: Westlake Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0000DC13S
Release Date: 2003-09-15

Customer Reviews:

Johnny Cash at his acting best!!.......2007-06-02

You know Johnny Cast as a legendary County artist but he can present a performance like no other in The Pride of Jesse Hallam. It's a story of a man with his two children trying to make it in Cincinnati. The main problem of Jesse is being illiterate. This is where Brenda Vaccaro steps in to give Jesse a chance to succeed. Eli Wallach did a wonderful job as Sal. Johnny Cash delivers in this made for TV movie from the early 1980s.

A must see for all Cash fans........2006-12-20

This was a good movie with a great message. Starring the man in black himself, Johnny Cash. The acting by Cash is great and the story is great. A must see for the entire family.

A Trying Time for an Illiterate in the Big City........2005-02-17

There are 25 million functional illiterates in the United States, and this film made for television is purportedly based upon events in the life of one of them, Jesse Hallam, portrayed here in typically wooden fashion by Johnny Cash, primarily about Hallam's troubles after moving to a large city (Cincinnati). Hallam, a miner since 14 from the Coal Fields sector of Western Kentucky in Muhlenberg County, has no choice but to leave his country home when his young daughter requires spinal surgery in the Ohio metropolis, paid with cash in advance obtained from the sale of his property after his wife's death. He pits his native intelligence and work ethic against the problem of not being able to read or write, and discovers that in order to support himself and his two children, he must become literate; scenes involving the methods used in developing his new skills are the most engrossing of the production. Brenda Vaccaro plays Marion Galucci, vice-principal of the high school that Jesse's son Tully attends, doing her best with an underwritten role as Hallam's mentor, and one must appreciate the spirited performance of veteran Eli Wallach as her father Sal, employer and sponsor of the erstwhile coal miner. Adequately helmed by television director Gary Nelson, the work's stature rises from fine camerawork by Gayne Rescher, while Cash sings several appropriate songs on a sound track that features some excellent instrumental performances, including deft banjo work by Oscar Scruggs.

Johnny Cash plus a bonus!.......2001-12-27

As a Johnny Cash fan for longer than I care to remember I think this video was excellent. Johnny Cash played a difficult part convincingly and the story suited his style superbly. The accompanying CD is a must for every Johnny Cash fan. I've played it over and over.

Johnny Cash - the Pride of Jesse Hallam.......2001-11-27

EXCELLENT! This is a very warm movie, one that should be shown at public schools. No, it's not a concert or biography, rather it is a movie about a grown man (Cash) who never learned to read/write & stumbles thru life without admitting it. Watch this one with your family. Cash was made for this part, and plays it naturally.

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