The Torch

Starring:Spade Cooley, Virginia Jackson, Bob Gilbert, Gene Gray, Dick Elliott, Clyde Jackman, Billy Dix, Hugh Hooker
Director: Elmer Clifton
Studio: Alpha Video
Product Type: DVD

Average customer rating:

Harvey Fierstein - Genius
Come out with a shout
I loved this movie...
LIKE AGED WINE
Poignant and moving story. It's also a comedy. Really fine film.

Torch Song Trilogy
Starring: Anne Bancroft , Matthew Broderick , Harvey Fierstein , Brian Kerwin , and Karen Young
Director: Paul Bogart
Manufacturer: New Line Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Longtime Companion
Love! Valour! Compassion!
Jeffrey
The Adventures of Priscilla Queen of the Desert (Extra Frills Edition)
Latter Days (Unrated Edition)

ASIN: B0001HAGRE
Release Date: 2004-05-04

Amazon.com

Harvey Fierstein had a smash hit on Broadway with the stage version of this story about a drag queen, but whatever the magic there was doesn't show up in this film adaptation. (Fierstein allegedly couldn't line up an A-list or even B-list director in 1988 to tackle the gay story line, so he agreed to work with Paul Bogart, a ubiquitous television director but an undistinguished feature filmmaker.) Fierstein's performance is fine, but likely a shadow of his live work, while Anne Bancroft is very strong in the role of his character's mother. Matthew Broderick went against the tide of fear shared by most Hollywood actors at the time about playing gay characters. The times have certainly changed since then. --Tom Keogh

Description

An on-screen adaptation of the Tony- award-winning play about a Jewish homosexual who, except for a different sexual preference, goes through the same struggles of love, jealousy and self-doubt that affect us all.

Customer Reviews:

Harvey Fierstein - Genius .......2007-06-09

Ever since seeing him accept the Tony for his adaptation of "La Cage" I have had a tremendous admiration for the sheer creative genius of Harvey Fierstein. But "Torch song Trilogy" has got to be the icing on the cake; the cream on the top of Mt. Everest; the spark that set off Guy Fawlks Day on the 5th of November in London!

And as if the tale wasn't enough, that fantastic narration by Mr. Fierstein at the end of the film was just by far and away the best "special feature" I have ever had the pleasure of hearing! (Normally I avoid listening to a narrative over a movie I have only just watched!!)

And although I think the late and great Anne Bankroft was superb as the mother, I confess I would like to have seen Estelle Getty in the performance extolled by the author.

As a totally "square" viewer of this performance, I would hazzard a guess that in another 50 years or so "Torch Song" will have reached the level of film classics. The death scene of Matthew Broderick in the story was simply devastating!

For sheer entertainment and creative competence, my vote would have to go to Mr. Fierstein.

Come out with a shout.......2007-03-09

A quadruple all star cast topped off by Anne Bancroft and harvey fierstein. The story about a gay guy, whose Mom loves him, but wishes he wasn't. Harvey Fierstein's performance as gay Arnold gives a performance of a lifetime. He has never been better and will never be better.Being a gay female impersonator in New York confronts him with daily challenges, crisis', brief moments of happiness and loads of grief. This is a down to earth flick that tells the story, I'm a person and I deserve to live too. Once a Broadway play and now a film too good to miss

I loved this movie..........2007-01-10

Suffice to say that this movie shows how each of us needs to have connections with others that are supportive and loving, regardless of sexual orientation, age, gender, or sex.

LIKE AGED WINE.......2006-12-19

"TORCH SONG TRILOGY"
Like Aged Wine

Amos Lassen and Cinema Pride

Some of may have noticed that I have departed from my regimen of reviewing new film to go back into the past and relook at more of the memorable films that cleared the path and help us make our way to where we are. Interestingly enough, some of the early "gay" films were made by major Hollywood studios; some of the very same studios that forced their actors to stay in the closet and in some cases would never touch a film with a gay subplot today. One of these films is the heroic "Torch Song Trilogy", the film adaptation of Harvey Fierstein's award winning stage play. Made in 1988, the movie was a major move for Hollywood and for us. The movie follows ten years in the life of Arnold Beckoff, a gay male as he moves through life. Arnold is a female impersonator who dreams of finding Mr. Right, marrying him and raising a child. If you like to laugh and cry in movies then this is f=definitely for you, The director, Paul Bogart, manages to draw out the entire range of emotions in this film and as Arnold mumbles his mantra, "There's nothing I need from anyone except love and respect". We want to cheer him on. To cheer him is to cheer ourselves and that is what this movie is all about--finding out where we fit in the scheme of things.
Arnold Beckoff is the main character and it is the study of his character upon what the film focuses. This is a wonderful movie but it could have been even more wonderful. The gay characters are mostly stereotypical and are portrayed as very promiscuous. Time also moves through the movie very quickly. But many instances in the movie do ring true mainly because of the performance of Fierstein.
Here is a movie that is packed with good intentions and has a great deal going for it especially due to the brilliant portrayal of Arnold by Fierstein. As" Virginia Hamm", the drag persona, he is brilliant. We see how Virginia/Arnold has dealt with and deal with the obstacles of life. Giving a wonderful performance as Arnold's mother is the late Anne Bancroft and in cameo roles are some of the most famous gay models around.
This is a solid movie and will keep you laughing you watch Fierstein's "Doris Day with a dick".

Poignant and moving story. It's also a comedy. Really fine film........2006-10-25

Writen by and starring Harvey Fierstein, this 1988 film was adapted from the stage play. It's set in the New York world of gays in the 1970s, before AIDS. But even then, life was certainly not bliss for Harvey Fierstein. From early childhood Harvey knew he was different. As an adult, he works as a feminine impersonator and has accepted himself, but every day he has to confront his gayness. He uses humor to cover up his hurts and that's why this film can be considered a comedy as well as a drama. But even though I laughed out loud at certain points, it is still a poignant and moving story of an individual's search for love and respect.

There are two men in Harvey's life. One is Ed, a bisexual who can't quite come to terms with living as a gay man. He actually gets married and Harvey and the new "love of his life", Alan, played by Mathew Broderick are invited for a visit. Naturally there are complications. But the two men resolve them, move to a new apartment and make plans to adopt a 15-year old gay boy. It's then that tragedy strikes and Alan is viciously murdered.

The most important relationship, however, is Harvey's relationship with his mother, played by Ann Brancroft. She's supposed to be Jewish with all the Jewish stereotypical expressions. Sorry, but I didn't get it. She comes across as a caricature rather than a real person. And, had she played the role better, I might even have had a small amount of sympathy for her. This didn't happen. All I did was be amused as she tried to act Jewish. It's a good role. It just needed a better actress.

With the exception of Ann Bankcroft's acting, I really liked this film. Harvey Fierstein is outstanding and it clear that the role comes straight from his heart. The rest of the cast did a good job and the cinematography was good. As a side note, part of this movie was filmed across the street from where I live. I even remember when they were filming it. It depicts the neighborhood as a dangerous one. That is not true at all. But, after all, this is the movies.

I definitely recommend Torch Song Trilogy and give it a high recommendation. It depicts a time and a place in the world of gay men that has unfortunately ended when AIDS came on the scene. I just wish that the casting would have been better for the mother's role.

Diana Krall - Live at the Montreal Jazz Festival

Average customer rating:

Try Peggy Lee instead
frantic camerawork throughout the concert
Flights of Improvisation Suits Montreal Festival Expectations
Diana Krall DVD
Diana Krall Live at the MOntreal Jazz Festival

Diana Krall - Live at the Montreal Jazz Festival
Starring: Diana Krall
Manufacturer: Verve
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Jazz | Styles | Music

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Diana Krall - Live in Paris
Christmas Songs
Norah Jones and The Handsome Band - Live in 2004
From This Moment On
All for You: A Dedication to the Nat King Cole Trio

ASIN: B00067OLN4
Release Date: 2004-11-23

Amazon.com

Diana Krall: Live at the Montreal Jazz Festival is a portrait of an already-accomplished musician in the process of evolving into a great artist. Always a fine jazz pianist, an expressive singer, and a capable interpreter (mostly of the Great American Songbook), Krall spent little time developing an original voice prior to her marriage to Elvis Costello and her CD The Girl in the Other Room, which features multiple songwriting collaborations with Costello as well as more adventurous choices in cover material (Joni Mitchell's "Black Crow," Tom Waits's "Temptation"). That 2004 recording is the centerpiece of this concert; fully nine of the 13 selections here, including the Waits and Mitchell songs as well as five Costello-Krall compositions, were drawn from it. Purists may lament the lessening of the straight-ahead jazz element in Krall's music (indeed, with its simple major chords and countryish lilt, the original "Narrow Daylight" will inevitably invite comparisons to Norah Jones). But Krall and her excellent band still swing mightily (cf. an extended version of the standard "All or Nothing at All") and improvise like the seasoned jazz pros they are. It's a heady combination: Krall is at least as good an instrumentalist as her contemporaries; add to that her singing and now an interest in songwriting that reflects the influence of pop music as well as jazz, and you have a genuinely unique talent. --Sam Graham

Customer Reviews:

Try Peggy Lee instead.......2007-03-11

I agree: the rapid cutting is annoying. This is supposed to be a jazz concert, not a rock concert.
Also, I don't get these songs, either. Pretentious stuff, it seems to me. The woman can play the piano, but her singing is lacking.

I say give Peggy Lee a listen, try Shirley Horn, Billie Holiday, Dione Warwick, Etta James, Dalida, Jeane Manson, Kelly Flint (of Dave's True Story), Nana Mouskouri, Dusty Springfield, Carmen McRae...I could go on.

frantic camerawork throughout the concert.......2007-02-16

frantic camerawork throughout the concert. There are so many camera angles fading in and out that it gets tiring to watch. I just wished that the camera would sit still for at least 10 seconds. I get the feeling that it was directed by someone who has only directed 30 second commercials.

Reason alone and rightly so for yet another junk dvd. someone start a school for these idiots

Flights of Improvisation Suits Montreal Festival Expectations.......2007-01-29

I anticipated this live recording and was duly rewarded by Diana's longer improvisational breaks and generally sharp differences from the polished product on the Live in Paris album.

If you prefer club jazz, wherein the lead artists in a combo create longer solo excursions between more-or-less tidy returns to melody and chorus, then, like me, you will appreciate the elbow room afforded Diana at the Montreal Jazz Festival.

Now I know for sure something that I had been curious about all along. Diana has said in the past that she will hold back a new tune from her set until she perfects her performance of it. There is a style of jazz performance that plays each tune note-perfect on tour (Glenn Miller is the simplest example), but as the Ken Burns JAZZ series stated with refreshing directness, if you're a jazz player who never makes a mistake, you're playing it way too safe. That was always my impression of groups like the Glenn Miller "orchestra."

It is understatement to say that jazz festivals like the venerable one in Montreal are the perfect places to let one's hair down. Duke Ellington found that out decades ago. You better have chops at Montreal Jazz, and Diana's combo understands the expectation. These are not the tidy album-track arrangements played on tour for the jazz hits crowd. Here, those of us who would really like to hear Diana and her bandmates "go long in the breaks" get our wish.

If you think the Live in Paris CD, great as it is, is just a tad too well calculated, too clean, a bit too rehearsed for your appetite, then here you'll find one version of an antidote.

Here's a DVD live show wherein Diana gets to "go off" according to the parameters I've sketched above. The songs are from her set lists as you can see, but her lead improvs, and those by the rest of the band, are something you can't hear on the other more formal media. I recommend this confidently to those who are curious to hear Diana and the guys jam in the blues and jazz improvisation stratosphere without the net.

Note: You may actually be chagrined by Diana's blues leads, since blues leads have become a staple of rock'n'roll over the years, but blues are part of the jazz heritage, and Diana is still in charge of her instrument. See what you think. I enjoyed it, yet I hope next time she allows more jazz moves in her blues riffs.

Diana Krall DVD.......2007-01-26

The DVD was just as advertised and very enjoyable. The quality of the DVD and the music were excellent. It was a very good price and worth every penny.

Diana Krall Live at the MOntreal Jazz Festival.......2007-01-10

Wonderful concert. Wish I was there, but this is the next best thing.

Norah Jones and The Handsome Band - Live in 2004

Average customer rating:

Jazeps
Great!
Not everyone is Cher. Let us give thanks.
Snorah Live..again...the girl needs to stay in the studio
The Sun Can Touch The Moon!

Norah Jones and The Handsome Band - Live in 2004
Starring: Norah Jones & The Handsome Band , and Norah Jones
Manufacturer: Blue Note Records
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Not Too Late

ASIN: B00065923K
Release Date: 2004-11-16

Amazon.com

Norah Jones's growth as a performing artist since she burst on the scene in 2002 is apparent on Norah Jones and the Handsome Band: Live in 2004, her second concert DVD (following Live in New Orleans, released in '03). The gifted singer-pianist-songwriter is still something of a reluctant headliner; personable if not exactly effusive (and seemingly bemused by the adulation), she's self-effacing and winningly unpretentious onstage. That goes for the music as well, as Jones and her empathetic band (now including guitarist Robbie McIntosh, formerly of the Pretenders and Paul McCartney's band) put on a tasteful, understated show at Nashville's Ryman Auditorium. Songs from her second CD, Feels Like Home, are favored, along with a version of the Grammy-winning "Don't Know Why" that's received with near-reverence by the audience. Jones's choice of cover material, including tunes by John Prine ("That's the Way the World Goes 'Round"), Tom Waits ("The Long Way Home"), and Gram Parsons ("She," which is among the several bonus tracks; other extras include two videos and three "mini-documentaries"), is also admirable, but it's when her various guests show up that the show approaches genuine transcendence. Among them are Gillian Welch and David Rawlings, who harmonize beautifully with Jones on Townes Van Zandt's "Loretta," and the indefatigable Dolly Parton, whose duet with Jones on bassist Lee Alexander's bluegrass-flavored "Creepin' In" is the undisputed highlight of the show. Radiant, ebullient, and in great voice, Parton is a star, and Norah defers to her accordingly. The only problem comes when Jones and company have to pick up where Parton left off, and in truth, it takes them a while to recover. --Sam Graham

Description

Following a massive 55-city North American Tour in support of her quadruple platinum selling FEELS LIKE HOME, Norah Jones's historic ride continues with the release of an amazing DVD. Filmed in August 2004 at Nashville's historic Ryman Auditorium, the concert film includes performances of most of the songs from FEELS LIKE HOME as well as hits from her landmark debut album COME AWAY WITH ME, and choice covers. Special Guests include Dolly Parton, Gillian Welch and Dave Rawlings, and Richard Julian.

Customer Reviews:

Jazeps.......2007-05-11

this is the vorst video (from the two 2003 year dvd and 2004 year dvd) - because there are not the best hits, "come away with me" and others, and the video is teken withot taste (bad video operator and editor work), it is not great pleasure to watch, not like dvd from 2003 year. the band plays very good, but their behavior did not fascinate me, it seems to bee too artifical. the bad thing is that both video are in very poor quality, video compresion makes it impossible to get good sight when loked on big tv, or projected on the wall. so, i am a big fan of the old dvd, and highly recomend it - ("live in new orleanes 2003"). i just bought both because they were cheap:)

sory for my weak english:)

Great!.......2007-03-11

Great DVD! I am hoping the wife and I will get to see her live some time soon. Until then, I will be watching this DVD.

Not everyone is Cher. Let us give thanks........2006-05-30

Norah is just Norah on this dvd and that is way better than 99.9% of the singers doing concerts and/or dvd's at the moment. There is not a single lightning flash or even a smoke grenade. It is just Norah and a terrific group of musicians doing what they do so well.

I found no problems with the sound (referred to by others) on my 6.1 system. First-rate purchase imho.

Snorah Live..again...the girl needs to stay in the studio.......2006-04-04

Ms. Jones continues to lack any spark onstage. Can't her management persuade somebody like Lyle Lovett to teach her how to connect with her audience and be a performer, because Ms. Jones clearly hasn't a clue about stage presence. I've seen her live and this DVD captures the impersonal, mechanical blandness of her concerts - only her concerts are even less engaging...at least the DVD production folks added whatever production spices they could.

The Sun Can Touch The Moon!.......2005-09-07

Is it necessary to address Jones's talent? It's been lauded by kings, queens, servants, sailors, landlubbers, and plebian music lovers everywhere. And on this DVD it blossoms with each track performed, whether she and her handsome band are in front of an audience or on stage in an empty auditorium. You presume much should you believe she is aware of her singular charm, her extraordinary sensous appeal, or her exotic beauty, all of which are mixed perfectly with the last remnants of her lost adolescence. You may not be aware of the smile on your face, or the fact that your foot is tapping to the music, or that you're feeling happier than you were a few minutes ago, but you'll know that you are witnessing someone and something very special. Listen to Nora Jones and her handsome band and you'll begin to believe that the sun can touch the moon!

Average customer rating:

Montreux loved her !
Feelings, nothing more than feelings
The best ever - buy please
Most Incredible Concert Film Ever

Nina Simone - Live at Montreux 1976
Starring: Nina Simone
Manufacturer: Eagle Vision USA
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Jazz | Styles | Music

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Nina Simone - Live
Nina Simone - Live at Ronnie Scott's
I Put a Spell on You: The Autobiography of Nina Simone
Sarah Vaughan & Other Jazz Divas
Ella Fitzgerald - Live in '57 and '63 (Jazz Icons)

ASIN: B000BC8SVK
Release Date: 2006-09-19

Description

Nina Simone was one of the great female vocalists of the 20th Century. She was equally at home singing jazz, blues, soul, gospel or pure pop. Hugely prolific throughout the fifties, sixties and seventies, she recorded only rarely in her later career, but remained a major live performer until well into the nineties when, becoming increasingly frail, she retired to France where she died in 2003 at the age of 70.

Nina Simone made four appearances at the Montreux Festival between 1968 and 1990. This DVD features the whole performance from 1976 as the main feature and is supplemented by bonus features of two tracks from her concert in 1987 and four from her final show in 1990.

This is the definitive Nina Simone Live At Montreux DVD.

Tracklisting:
1976
1. Little Girl Blue
2. Backlash Blues
3. Be My Husband
4. I Wish I Knew (How It Would Feel to be Free)
5. Stars / Feelings
6. African Mailman

Bonus Tracks
1987
7. Someone to Watch Over Me
8. My Baby Just Cares For Me
1990
9. I Loves You Porgy
10. Liberian Calypso
11. Four Women / Mississippi Goddam
12. Ne Me Quitte Pas (Don't Leave Me)

Customer Reviews:

Montreux loved her !.......2007-03-09

Spaning a period of 14 years you get 3 outstanding performances with 14 songs. The camera work is excellent and captures the total emotional impact of each song she delivers. The audience loves her no matter what she does, be it scolding a stage hand or reprimanding someone for distracting her. Her showmanship is only outdone by her outstanding work at the piano. Live at Montreux is the best!

Feelings, nothing more than feelings.......2007-03-05

I really enjoyed this dvd. The filming is great and Nina has some funny and touching moments as she performs. I also learned a little more about her as she would talk before some of her songs. This is truly a treasure. The song that touched me the most was "Stars/Feelings" The other songs are great too, but that stood out. It almost actually made me emotional. She took feelings a song that most people heard another version of and changed it into this beautiful and touching song, just by the way she sung it and the way she changed the words. YOU HAVE TO SEE IT!
BUY IT!

The best ever - buy please.......2006-09-24

I experienced the great Dr Simone in 1978 and 1979 in London and she was well - just Nina - totally eccentric and yet riveting.
The 1976 Montreux concert is a great experience - yes the diva is so great it defies description. She lives life (I got life) OK. I Wish I Knew and Feelings are so stellar in emotion that it is difficult to convey how great the interpretations are. Lets just say that they take your breath away.
The 1987 and 1990 bonus tracks are OK but they are too edited - Nina is best experienced in totality which the 1976 concert is. I thoroughly recommend that you buy this concert DVD and trust that Dr Simone's estate release many more of her concerts on DVD - once you see her live you can never forget how great she was.
A Diva supreme

Most Incredible Concert Film Ever.......2006-09-20

The main feature film from 1976 is overwhelming. The performance itself is incredible, but the filming is especially unique. The camera is focused for nearly the entire performance in a close-up on Nina's face, with great clarity and detail. The shots of her piano playing are also very well done. Nina's interaction with the audience is riveting. This is an absolute must.

Average customer rating:

A Collection Made With Love
A treat
Billie Hoiladay Ulitmate Collection

Billie Holiday - Ultimate Collection
Starring: Billie Holiday
Manufacturer: Verve
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Classic Female Vocal Blues | Blues | Styles | Music

General | Jazz | Styles | Music

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Lady Day - The Many Faces of Billie Holiday
The Ladies Sing the Blues
Billie Holiday - The Life and Artistry of Lady Day
Lady Sings the Blues
Louis Armstrong - Satchmo

ASIN: B000AZ78RI
Release Date: 2005-10-25

Description

The Billie Holiday The Ultimate Collection DVD features rare TV and film performances, an especially rare radio interview with Mike Wallace, an audio-only rehearsal session with pianist Jimmy Rowles, audio interviews with friends and fellow musicians, an interactive timeline and an evocative photo-document gallery featuring hundreds of images, from rare photos to personal letters, plus Lady Day's complete recording history for major record companies. Performance highlights include three from 1956's Stars Of Jazz TV that are seen here for the first time since their original broadcast, Holiday's first appearance on film, Duke Ellington's "Saddest Tale," and the classic "Fine And Mellow" with Lester Young, Coleman Hawkins, and other jazz greats.

FILM AND TV PERFORMANCES
Saddest Tale
The Blues Are Brewin'
Do You Know What It Means To Miss New Orleans
My Man (Mon Homme)
Please Don't Talk About Me When I'm Gone
Billie's Blues
Fine And Mellow
What A Little Moonlight Can Do
St. Louis Blues - Bessie Smith
I Cover The Waterfront - Louis Armstrong

AUDIO PERFORMANCES
Swing! Brother, Swing!
They Can't Take That Away From Me
Do Nothing Till You Hear From Me
I'll Get By
I Wonder Where Our Love Has Gone

AUDIO INTERVIEWS
John Hammond, Jo Jones, Roy Eldridge, Barney Josephson, Tiny Grimes, Billy Eckstine, Jimmy Rowles, Sylvia Syms, Corky Hale 1955 Audio Rehearsal: Billie Holiday And Jimmy Rowles For "Jeepers Creepers"
1956 Audio Interview: Billie Holiday With Mike Wallace, Night Beat
Timeline: Hundreds Of Images And Interactive Features
Complete Recording History For Okeh, Vocalion, Brunswick, Aladdin, Columbia, Commodore, Capitol, Decca, Clef And Verve

Customer Reviews:

A Collection Made With Love.......2006-06-17

What an amazing DVD of collected Billie Holiday snips. Lots of things that someone spent considerable time pulling together, not just video but audio recordings and interviews. This was my first time seeing Billie sing, after having listened to her for the past 25 years on albums and CDs. Wanted to see how she stood, how she held her mouth, all that. I was mesmerized watching her; dazzled and calmed all at the same time, watching her nonchalantly let lyrics float from her mouth, easy as 1,2,3. You have to remember that most clips come from later in her career; they didn't have MTV in the 1930s! Billie's rendition of Fine and Mellow on this DVD is worth the purchase price all by itself. I had dreams about her after watching this collection last night. Fine and mellow dreams.

A treat.......2006-03-24

Many rare appearances and very insightful biographical data are all enclosed in this nifty presentation of Lady Day. Very moving, and always enduring, to the innermost recesses of one's heart. I really enjoyed it.

Billie Hoiladay Ulitmate Collection.......2006-02-28

This was a vidio, I wanted a cd. this was a gift. so now I will have to sell it to get my money back

Average customer rating:

Icy hot...................
the music of peggy lee
Fever - Peggy Lee is great!
a near perfect documentary
An Outstanding Compilation

Fever - The Music of Peggy Lee
Starring: Peggy Lee
Manufacturer: Capitol
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Swing General | Swing Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music

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The Quintessential Peggy Lee
Swing Era - Peggy Lee
Fever: The Life and Music of Miss Peggy Lee
The Best of Miss Peggy Lee
Black Coffee

ASIN: B0001NBLEA
Release Date: 2004-04-06

Customer Reviews:

Icy hot..........................2007-06-15

Terrific film. Like many viewers, I first saw it on public television. I was blown away, bought it immediately afterward, and have watched it many times since.

Her talent and ability for getting maximum results from seemingly minimum effort is amazing. K.D. Lang said, Peggy is the whole thermometer, and anyone will have to agree after viewing two of the tracks in particular: the one of her singing "Fever", from the George Gobel show, and especially the one of her performing "See See Rider", at Basin Street East - sexy and provocative as not to be believed.

Long live Peggy Lee!

the music of peggy lee.......2007-05-30

It's a wonderful dvd - much of it from her early career which I had never seen.

Fever - Peggy Lee is great!.......2007-01-10

I love this DVD/documentary. I have watched it five times and not tired of it. Such a fasinating story with excerts of great performances & great songs. Personal remembrances of family and friends. If you love, Peggy Lee, you will love this. If you know little of her, you will not be sorry to learn more!

a near perfect documentary.......2006-01-08

This film is a truly successful look at the life and career of Peggy Lee. First saw it on PBS, and noticed the beautiful intimacy and completeness. The intelligence and taste guiding the choices of footage, taken from some wonderful sources, left an impression. Repeated viewings have only confirmed my initial experience. Even the most knowing Peggy Lee admirer will be impressed by the loving tone of the film. More than a paean, it offers a genuinely convincing portrait of a wonderful musician. Lee was more than a singer; she really created a spanking new idea of a singing musician, writing much of her material, and overseeing impeccable arrangements that were way ahead of their time. Nothing's spared in making clear the tremendous influence her master musician husband Dave Barbour had in ultimately forming Peggy's musical understanding, distinguishing every nuance with the happy wonder of their personal connection. I appreciate that part so much. People nowadays think of Lee merely as a singer. A singer no doubt, greater than we know, but what lies underneath that effortless musical breeze is what makes her contribution to American music history something extraordinary. This DVD's got it all - first-rate performance clips, a ready thoughtfulness, style, and a similar element of the pleasure of inevitableness that characterizes Peggy Lee's music. One of the few filmed bio documents I've come across that extracts every ounce. Get it with confidence, especially if you're already a Peggy Lee fan.

An Outstanding Compilation.......2005-10-23

I had seen the special, "Fever", on PBS. At that time, I taped it. But, through a foolish error - and the fact that I had not placed a label on the tape, I taped over it. I was thrilled to be able to find it, for sale, at Amazon.com.
This is a piece of artistic history that every Peggy Lee fan should have. It is a must!
Every clip makes one remember that this is one of the sexiest and most accomplished artists of our time - or any other time. Her rendition of "Lover" makes ones blood boil with yearning and desire; "Fever" pulses with a sensuality that no other singer will ever deliver. "The Shining Sea" evokes memories of a love that is branded on the heart, forever. And, the often forgotten "Here's to You" is an anthem to love and peace, everywhere.

Average customer rating:

I'm Not Carrying a Torch For You
An out of place start.... but wait!
Starts out slow, only gets better
Mediocre anime at its finest
Shana is good if you like this genre of anime

Shana 1 - The Torch Bearer
Starring: Shana
Manufacturer: Geneon [Pioneer]
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Anime & Manga | Genres | DVD | Video

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( S ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Shakugan No Shana, Vol. 2
Shana, Vol. 3
Shana, Vol. 4
Shana, Vol. 5
Moon Phase - Phase 2

ASIN: B000FFJ8PI
Release Date: 2006-09-05

Customer Reviews:

I'm Not Carrying a Torch For You.......2007-01-29

Shakugan no Shana, which I've been told translates to Shana of the Burning Eyes, is an anime series who's got a decent concept behind it but is almost totally ruined by lousy execution. It's based on a novel series, which should its first English edition later this summer, and it shows. As like the Scrapped Princess, the script writers couldn't figure out a way to convert the information dumping/ world building narration from a novel into the visual language of film. Instead of showing, these first four episode features the characters standing around and talking a lot about the show's fantasy concepts.
Shana takes place almost entirely in the real world. Monsters from the crimson world periodically wander in from an alternate dimension to eat people's souls. Flame Hazes, warriors from the crimson world, track down these monsters, kill them, and replace the dead humans with torches, emotion-less copies that eventually fade out as if they never existed at all. Yuji, the main character, witnesses such an event, and learns that he is Torch himself. A very special Torch though. He's like a cracker-jack box, in that he has some sort of treasure inside him, but since its given him an extraordinary lifespan for a Torch, its more valuable than a decoder ring. The Flame Haze he meets, he takes to calling Shana, since she has no name of her own. Shana is a rather unpleasant character as she's rude, dismissive, and cold. Yuji, with his compassion and optimism, serves as a character foil for Shana. I'm betting I could probably guess correctly what turns her characterization will take before this is over.
Shana is here to track down a certain Crimson Denizen, the master-mind behind all the monster attacks. Another flaw beside the bad script writing, and predictable characterization, is that Shana has such a sad nemesis. I don't mean sad as in a tragic villain, but one that is just pathetic. It's a rather foppish fellow with a doll fetish and his henchwoman, Marianna, a squeaky-voiced, 5 inch tall rag doll.
The single point in Shana's favor is that it looks good. It's an attractive show with a bright and striking color palette, but I question if such a perky design is appropriate for such dark subject matter. However, I'd rather watch something with a good story with less technical merits than something pretty and vacuous.
Here's to hoping that the good concepts found here are executed with more grace in its source material. This is one series that could be easily skipped.

An out of place start.... but wait!.......2006-12-28

"ARGH! WHAT KIND OF SERIES IS THIS?" was my first thought after watching the first few episodes. It's a natural reaction, when putting it into context with the natural progression of the rest of the series. Shakugan no Shana as a series taken in entirity is a decent one, filled with a fair share of romance, character development, action, and comedy, among others. Yet undoubtedly the beginning is misleading. There is a definite horror element and a darker feel to the series at it's entrance. People's souls are being eaten by horrific monsters and their evil-intentioned masters. These monsters, or 'Rinne' in the early episodes are portrayed as demonic, horror-influenced (specifically, the ball of talking heads, along with the psychotic enormous baby). The second episode has a depressing, thoughtful tone (which I personally found intriguing, although many would argue that this is perhaps the most boring episode in the series). If you've stopped on either episode, please understand that neither is representative of the series as a whole.

While the series begins with a seemingly dark, gothic and emo environment(the darkness of animation, the use of many night scenes, the costuming, the entirity of the depressing second episode, perhaps Yuuji's, and other characters' emotional struggles over the full series), the series moves further and further away from this sense, and the character development builds all of the characters to being more hopeful, more brave, and more likable. The worst part of the first few episodes is simply that the 'feel' of them seem so out of context. Shakugan at it's core is not a dark series that might be seen in the 'hopeless' vibes of the beginning episodes. While a percentage of the series is spent on battles and contemplation, at others there is classic high school drama, quirky humor (melon bread, anyone?), and connections that bridge the experiences of the main characters to the audience. The WORST part about the first episodes is simply that they do what must be done, familiarize you with the surroundings of Shana's fantasy world (the names, the characters, the city) to set up the entertainment to come (just wait for the final story arc, it's an amazing reward for the wait).

**SUMMARY OF MY REVIEW**
If you haven't yet watched any further in, Don't look at the seres from a perspective of a few episodes. I nearly quit watching at the beginning, too. give it a chance, at least watch the first half. I'll bet you'll begin to enjoy it just as I did. Yes, the first episodes are admittedly weak, but there is light at the end of the tunnel.

Starts out slow, only gets better.......2006-12-10

This is one of the best animes I have seen in a while. While the first episodes (the ones in this DVD) are a little slow, and weird (talking to a doll), if you can get past that, the storyline develops and hooks you until you won't want to stop watching it. Overall, there are some cliche anime things here and there, but the production quality is high, and it has a unique blend of genres. A little sci-fi, romance, comedy, and action all put together form an unforgetable experience.

Mediocre anime at its finest.......2006-11-21

There is nothing in this series that is particularly memorable other than the main character herself, Shana, who is popular for not much else other than being adorable. The story line is pretty standard for anime; mysterious magic girl, meets mysterious magic guy, love triangle ensues, save the world, series end. Other than the main character the rest are pretty boring and not that well developed save a couple, one of whom is only developed directly in her relation to Shana. It's not executed particularly well but it's enough to keep anime fans entertained enough to sit through the series at least.

Once again, it's not a bad series, just average.

Shana is good if you like this genre of anime.......2006-11-06

A funny phenomena I've noticed lately is that anime fans seem to be forming into groups of a sort. People who like certain types of animes. Shana seems to be most favored by the group of people who like pseudo H-game animes, such as Fate/Stay Night. Not all of this "type" of anime comes from those PC games (Shana being one example, I believe it originally comes from Japanese novels) but when they turn into anime they share certain traits that to me define a genre. The trend is to have a show with relaxed pacing and a fairly serious mood, a developing plot that doesn't stagnate, exactly one significant male character, and exactly 4 or 5 girls to keep him company. But I'm not talking about the typical harem anime, that's a different genre entirely (shows like Tenchi Muyo, generally with a silly and idiotic atmosphere).

Shana has much more action and fight scenes than the typical H-game anime but I still think it falls under that category. The story appears like it might have a few shortcomings, but the overall production quality of this series is impressively high. This is the kind of show that I like, so I'm giving it a 4 star rating overall, but this anime does feel like the kind of show that is more likely to be enjoyed by certain audiences, rather than being something for everyone.

Directing: 3 out of 5 stars. Acceptably average for modern anime.
Story: 2 out of 5 stars. I found it kind of far-fetched and uninteresting. Could get better as the series progresses, though.
Drawing style: 5 out of 5 stars. Superb. Both the art style of character designer Noizi Ito and the slightly different style used in the anime.
Drawing quality: 5 out of 5 stars. About as un-degenerated and consistent episode to episode as one can get with a 24 episode TV series.
Animation quality: 5 out of 5 stars. Superb fighting scenes with high quality framerates and an excellent sense of movement and motion.
Background drawings: 3 out of 5 stars. Average.
Music: 4 out of 5 stars. This is mostly in regards to the BGM, which is composed by the same guy who did the BGM for Zatch Bell, although I think his songs in Shana are not as good as his songs in Zatch Bell (which I would give 5 stars). The ending song for Shana is composed by someone else and is fairly decent. The opening song sucks but I can live with it. It's by I've Sound, a studio that mainly does H-game intro songs, but created by their secondary composer not the main guy so the song is weak.

Average customer rating:

interesting, but not great
Very old material
A Trip Back in Time
Young & Powerful Nina - A Must See!

Nina Simone - Live
Starring: Nina Simone
Manufacturer: Kultur Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Jazz | Styles | Music

General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music

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( N ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Nina Simone - Live at Ronnie Scott's
Nina Simone - Live at Montreux 1976
I Put a Spell on You: The Autobiography of Nina Simone
The Soul of Nina Simone
Nina Simone: Break Down and Let It All Out

ASIN: B0006SSQ0M
Release Date: 2005-01-25

Description

Includes two rare early performances captured live in 1961-1962 Nina Simone has always been hard to classify. The "High Priestess of Soul" was trained as a classical pianist, but branched out early into pop, gospel, jazz and blues, playing and singing everyone's compositions and writing many of her own. At 28 years old, she had already been seen in many clubs and had recorded several LPs when in 1961-62 she agreed to be filmed, without audience, in a New York City studio. On the1961 date, Nina Simone, on piano and vocals is accompanied by Bobby Hamilton (percussion), Chris White (bass) and Al Schackman (guitar). This is the same group that had backed her at the Newport Jazz Festival the year before.In 1962 she headed back to the studio and performs with Montego Joe (congas), Lisle Atkinson (bass), Paul Palmieri (guitar), and Warren Smith (percussion). At that time, she was playing with this group of musicians at the New York City jazz venue The Village Gate.Selections include: Sunday in Savannah, I'll Look Around, When I Was in My Prime, Zungo (a Nigerian chain gang song taught her by the great drummer Babatunde Olatunji), For All We Know, Strawberry Woman, Crab Man..., I Loves You, Porgy (from Gershwin's Porgy and Bess) and some jazz improvisation.These are two rare performances, captured live, that every Nina Simone fan will treasure. She was born in 1933 as Eunice Waymon into a large family in North Carolina, but as a teen-ager took the name Nina (Spanish for "little girl") Simone (from the French actress Simone Signoret) to make a living in night clubs. She died in 2003 at her home in France.

Customer Reviews:

interesting, but not great.......2007-06-16

i've been a long time nina simone fan and have many, many of her recordings. although this was nice to see her perform, it was a studio performance and unlike the nina i'm used to. very subdued, very controlled. the sound quality was so poor, it was hard to understand some of the lyrics. i know it's a recording from the 60's, but wasn't expecting this poor sound quality.

Very old material.......2006-11-03

If you're looking for really old and original Nina Simone material - and you're a die-hard fan, then this DVD is probably for you. The material is all black and white and the recording quality is terrible because of the era in which it was taped. The 7 or 8 songs she performs with her band are not very upbeat, either. It was not what I was expecting and was quite disappointed.

A Trip Back in Time.......2005-07-20

Having enjoyed Nina for decades, the video tapes allowed me to
visually revisit the past.The quality of the tapes was good,
and Nina was Nina. I may have to buy additional additional
copies.

Young & Powerful Nina - A Must See!.......2005-03-09

This DVD exudes the kind of raw emotion and power Nina Simone was known for. Two early performances give us a peek into Nina's budding career and a hint at why she reached superstardom. From improv to jazz standards to African chants to Israeli folk tunes, Nina covers a lot of territory in this short film and none of it disappoints. Standouts on this DVD are "Zungo," "I Loves You, Porgy" and "Erets Zavat Chalav". See a young Nina belt out a few of the songs she is best known for - with style, class and grit.

Average customer rating:

Lady Sings The Blues
Great Movie
mahagony

Lady Day Sings The Blues
Starring: Billie Holiday
Manufacturer: Hudson/Street
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Classic Female Vocal Blues | Blues | Styles | Music

General | Jazz | Styles | Music

Swing General | Swing Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music

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Traditional Pop | Oldies | Pop | Styles | Music

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

Claudine (1974)
Mahogany
Carmen Jones
Imitation of Life (Two Movie Collection) 1934/1959
The Wiz

ASIN: B0009RS08I
Release Date: 2005-05-10

Customer Reviews:

Lady Sings The Blues.......2007-03-21

I fell in love with this movie the 1st time I saw it. Will never tire of seeing it again and again. Diana Ross made the story of Billie Holiday come alive for those who did not know that one of the greatest artists of her time battled with so many problems.

Great Movie.......2005-11-10

Diana Ross totally blew me away in this movie. I remember seeing this movie as a young child with my parents. I was so disappointed when I saw and heard the real Billie Holiday because in my mind, Diana Ross was Billie Holiday. I know jazz purists and those who know Billie Holiday's 'true story' will have a problem with the fictional embellishments of Lady Day's life; however, it doesn't take anything away from Billie Holiday's legacy. If anything, the film probably inspired folks who were/are unfamiliar with Holiday to search out her music and learn more about her short and somewhat tragic life. I highly recommend this movie...it has great acting, great costumes, great photography, and most importantly -- great music.

mahagony.......2005-10-03

I would like to have diana ross in Mahagony. please send me a pre-order email so that i can place my order before November.

Average customer rating:

slapdash editing
Awful Quality, But Content Still Shines
Bio gets eclipsed by the extra features ...

Genius of Lady Day
Starring: Billie Holiday
Manufacturer: Efor Films
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Classic Female Vocal Blues | Blues | Styles | Music

General | Jazz | Styles | Music

Swing General | Swing Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music

General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music

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

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( G ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Lady Day - The Many Faces of Billie Holiday
Billie Holiday - Ultimate Collection
Billie Holiday - The Life and Artistry of Lady Day
Billie Holiday: The Life & Artistry of Lady Day
New Orleans

ASIN: B0002N979U
Release Date: 2004-09-07

Customer Reviews:

slapdash editing.......2006-02-01

For those of you who are considering the purchase of this DVD, I have one piece of advice: don't! A high school film class could have done a better job of putting this thing together.

For starters, the main portion of the video is only 27 minutes long. Next, the video resolution is so poor in some sections as to be almost worthless. Additionally, the audio was set far too low; even with my television volume at maximum, it's still barely audible.

The famous cut of Billie with Coleman Hawkins, Lester Young, and Ben Webster is included. However, it's interrupted with annoying commentary and spliced up throughout the film. There are some interesting extras, but again, the video and audio quality on some of them is truly awful.

I've seen far better specials about Billie on TV. Save your money and time. Give this a miss.

Awful Quality, But Content Still Shines.......2005-11-11

This DVD is strictly for Billie Holiday fans. The audio quality for most of the tracks is fine, but the video quality ranges from marginally acceptable to very, very poor. For these reasons, it is unlikely that the disc will be appreciated by anyone other than true fans of Billie Holiday.

However, it does offer several video performances not available elsewhere. When I first spotted this in the store, and the packaging promised a short feature of Billie with Count Basie, I simply couldn't believe it. But I took it home and, sure enough, there it was. Many of the other video clips are also unavailable elsewhere. Many of the film clips are complete, and others just offer a few precious bars.

There is a short clip of Billie singing just a single verse of "My Man". She sings the phrase, "He isn't true, he beats me too" and the camera pans to the audience, revealing the laughing face of Louis McKay, the user / loser who was the last of several abusive men in her life. The appearance of Mr. McKay is startling to say the least; as any true fan of Billie Holiday knows, he was hardly a knight in shining armor, and that fact that the camera catches him smiling as she sings the words, "He beats me too" literally sent chills down my spine. It's just one of many surprises that this disc has to offer.

Among the other interesting clips is one of Billie singing "Travelin' Light" with Mal Waldron. She is in poor voice, but looks absolutely lovely, and, like several of the other clips, the song is presented complete.

But the highlight of the video for me was the two songs with Count Basie, God Bless the Child and Now Baby or Never. Especially in the latter number, Now baby or Never. Even though the video quality is atrocious, we get a good sense of the true genius of Lady Day (hence, this video is aptly named). During that clip, the long shots are so fuzzy that you can hardly make out Billie as she swings her way through the number, but, the clip also contains several wonderful if brief close-ups, and we get a glimpse of the facial expressions and expert styling that was Lady Day at her finest. Like the famous clip of her singing Fine and Mellow from the Sound of Jazz special, it manages to convey a small part of what a live performance of Lady day must have been like. One can only imagine, of course, how much more effective she was in her prime, as there is no surviving video record of her prior to 1950 (except the 1935 short with Duke Ellington, which is included here, and the 1947 feature film, New Orleans, and neither of those were filmed before a live audience in a club or theatre). The result is that this video really does live up to its name, if one can just manage to get past the extremely poor video quality of the film clips. This is not a DVD for those whose appreciation of this great artist is either marginal or casual. But if you are a true lover of Billie Holiday's craft, you will find that it's certainly a worthy and at times exciting addition to your library.

Bio gets eclipsed by the extra features ..........2005-01-25

This collection seems to have become available via several different international labels recently. At first glance, the selling point for GENIUS is a documentary about Lady Day's life. Clocking in at approx. 30 minutes, you're obviously getting the bare-bones version of a complex individual's life, skimming over her life story with some of the better-known facts about her upbringing and career, and with an emphasis on photos and film clips of the singer rather than interviews. A competent overview, but I've seen better video bios elsewhere.

For Holiday fans the main course of this DVD lies in the bonus features. Some of the menus aren't too enlightening (e.g., the discography, bibliography, lyrics to "Strange Fruit," and a list of the tunes she wrote or co-wrote). Yet the DVD is largely redeemed by a collection of rare Lady Day footage, mostly from the two-year period prior to her death in 1959. While Billie is not in top form either vocally or in her physical appearance -- some clips show her off better than others -- she remains captivating to the point where you don't want to take your eyes off her for a second. Some of the video is pretty rough in quality, though (so buyer beware), and many of the clips are roughly edited together.

I've always been a big fan of her final, early-1959 appearance. Though only months away from her death, she looks quite well and sounds as good as she got this late in her career. Lastly is the complete 17-minute 1950 Count Basie short feature (in watchable yet only fair quality), with Billie looking and sounding in fine form on two number