Alice in Wonderland (Disney Gold Classic Collection)

Starring:Kathryn Beaumont, Ed Wynn, Richard Haydn, Sterling Holloway, Jerry Colonna, Verna Felton, J. Pat O'Malley, Bill Thompson, Heather Angel, Joseph Kearns, Larry Grey, Queenie Leonard, Dink Trout, Doris Lloyd, James MacDonald (II), Bill Lee (IV), Thurl Ravenscroft, Max Smith, Bob Hamlin, Don Barclay
Director: Wilfred Jackson, Clyde Geronimi, Hamilton Luske
Studio: Walt Disney Video
Product Type: DVD

Amazon.com

Imaginatively rendered but slightly chilly, this 1951 Disney adaptation of the Lewis Carroll classic is also appropriately surreal. Alice (voiced by Kathryn Beaumont) has all the anticipated experiences: shrinking and growing, meeting the White Rabbit, having tea with the Mad Hatter, etc. Characterization is very strong, and the Disney team worked hard to bring screen personality to Carroll's eccentric creations. For a Disney film, however, it seems more the self-satisfied sum of its inventiveness than a truly engaging experience. --Tom Keogh

Description

Experience the magic, fun, and adventure of ALICE IN WONDERLAND like never before in this new Masterpiece Edition 2-Disc set. Join Alice as she falls into the madcap world of Wonderland and meets extraordinary characters such as Tweedledee and Tweedledum, the Mad Hatter, the Queen of Hearts, and the frantically late White Rabbit. And the fun continues with new bonus features including the Virtual Wonderland Party, the newly discovered Cheshire Cat song "I'm Odd," Mickey's "Thru the Mirror" animated short, plus sing-along songs and all-new games. Your family will want to experience this timeless Disney masterpiece again and again!

Customer Reviews:

enduring entertainment.......2007-05-17

Alice in Wonderland includes story lines from Through the Looking Glass so I had my class read both books before showing the movie. The tale was written as a summer diversion for a precocious child and, done as a musical cartoon, provides a willing suspension of disbelief. I also teach Spanish and played a segment in Spanish for those classes. The dialogue was beyond my second year students who soon lost interest.

The bouns features of review of Alice in Wonderland !.......2007-03-26

The best bouns features on the 2 disc set of the masterpeice is the behind
the concept and scene of Alice in Wonderland !
Bring my favorite storybook read long to life as a child in the flim !
I love the storybook concept deleted scenes on the 2 disc set of Alice in Wonderland !

Classic .......2007-03-25

I loved this animated cartoon, but hadn't seen it in such a long time I had forgotten just how strange it was until my 3 year old granddaughter asked, "Why are the flowers yelling at Alice?" It is definitely a cartoon for older children and adults, knowing its whimsical nature.

Alice.......2007-03-16

The DVD was fine, but the description of the produce is not correct. I returned the item twice because it did not have the slipcase cover as it is described neither both time that the item was sent it to me!

A confusing masterpiece!.......2007-03-14

It's a Classic movie, a masterpiece but I think it's also one of the most confusing movies for a child, dialogues and situations are not easy to understand for a small kid.

Average customer rating:

Oh My Goodness, I'm excited!!
don't use USPS to deliver your package
Very Excited!
Great Childhood Classic!
Wonderful Trip Down Memory Lane

Alice in Wonderland [TV 1985]
Starring: Robert Axelrod , Sharee Gregory , Donald O'Connor , Sally Struthers , and Red Buttons
Director: Harry Harris
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000FSME7O
Release Date: 2006-08-01

Amazon.com

Alice returns from Wonderland only to discover she's on the wrong side of her living room mirror at the beginning of the second half of Irwin Allen's 1985 production, with teleplay by Paul Zindel and songs by Steve Allen (the three-hour film was broken into two parts for video, the first title being Alice in Wonderland). Before you can say "curiouser and curiouser" the jabberwocky is after her. It chases Alice back to a strange land where life appears to be one giant game of chess with pieces portrayed by the likes of Carol Channing and Harvey Korman. The 7-year-old longs to be home, but that doesn't stop her from enjoying some song and dance with Tweedledum and Tweedledee (Steve Lawrence and Eydie Gorme), watching a bout between the lion (Ernest Borgnine) and the unicorn (Beau Bridges), or being rescued by the White Knight (Lloyd Bridges). Despite the oddly low-tech visual effects from Star Wars's John Dykstra--the jabberwocky is so clearly a guy in a dragon suit--this thrillingly kitschy movie ably entertains. Where else will you see Merv Griffin as a train conductor, Sally Struthers and Donna Mills catfighting with Vegas-worthy flower headdresses, and Jonathan Winters as a crabby Humpty Dumpty before the fall? Adults who fondly remember the '70s and '80s and children 4 and older should enjoy this version of the fabled tale. --Kimberly Heinrichs

Customer Reviews:

Oh My Goodness, I'm excited!!.......2007-07-07

My friend and I have been hunting down this version of Alice in Wonderland in video stores for years... but to no avail... I was at the Cambridge Street Market the other day, in a bizarre bar where I saw this puppy playing on the flat screen. This vision renewed my interest in finding this version.
So I just hit google, and did the most specific search i could think of , "jam tomorrow, jam yesterday, but never ever jam today" , and what do i find ?? The mystery movie is now on DVD! And within just two weeks, I will receive a copy. I said God Damn! I am excited.
And for those of you who are not familiar with this version, do yourself a favour and watch it. It is by far the best alice in wonderland / alice through the looking glass that you will ever see. the train scene, the natural chess board, the human size oysters ..... oh my goodness. not looking forward to seeing that bloody jabberwoki again though. thaty frightened the living crap out of me as a kiddy wink (almost as much as the wheelers in return to oz)

don't use USPS to deliver your package.......2007-06-27

the only complaint i have is it took to long for the post office to deliver the movie.

Very Excited!.......2007-06-07

Okay I actually just ordered this and have not received the product but not worried have bought tons from Amazon! I watched this when I was very little and have a daughter now and have always wanted her to see it! Thought it was interesting that they have not played on TV for a very long time as this is the best Alice in Wonderland every made! If you have not seen this version I recommend 100%!

Great Childhood Classic!.......2007-06-02

I am so glad I was able to find this product on DVD!
I had seen this movie as a kid and always wanted to get my own copy.
Very happy with product and highly recommend to others who remember it from their childhood days

Wonderful Trip Down Memory Lane.......2007-05-30

I was pleasantly surprised at the up-dated quality of the video itself. Sure enough, it actually DOES have both the first and second movies on the one disk. It operated wonderfully, even in my cheap dvd player, and I was able to use the closed captions from my tv so I didn't miss one crazy name or word! The whole experience was exactly what I had pictured for strolling back to my childhood.

Average customer rating:

Family movie
I really liked this movie!!!
Misses the Point
Letdown by Hallmark
Excellent

Alice in Wonderland
Starring: Robbie Coltrane , Whoopi Goldberg , Ben Kingsley , Christopher Lloyd , and Pete Postlethwaite
Director: Nick Willing
Manufacturer: Lions Gate
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B00000ICZA
Release Date: 2001-02-20

Amazon.com

This is an impressive-looking version of Lewis Carroll's story originally produced for NBC-TV. Dreading a singing recital at her parents' lavish home, Alice falls into a strange world in pursuit of a large White Rabbit. The talented child actor Tina Majorino (Corrina, Corrina) plays Alice with all the good graces but mostly wanders through the story unquestioningly. Carroll's tale of whimsical, illogical adventures is a field day for designers Roger Hall and Alan Tomkins, costumer Charles Knode, Jim Henson's Creature Shop, and director Nick Willing (Photographing Fairies. Influenced by Time Bandits and Labyrinth (the latter also designed by the Henson company), the film has a splendid array of effects, many dealing with multiple perspectives as Alice constantly changes sizes. The highlight is Whoopi Goldberg as the Cheshire Cat, a seamless mix of cat and comic. Martin Short as the Hatter and Mirandra Richardson as the Queen of Hearts seem to be having the times of their lives. This is not the definitive version of Carroll's tale, and, like the popular Disney animated version, combines some elements of Carroll's sequel, Through the Looking Glass. It is perhaps better viewing for the fan that has seen another version of the tale or read the book. --Doug Thomas

Customer Reviews:

Family movie.......2007-05-04

Great job for the non-cartoons! We enjoyed this movie way better than a cartoon. It told a whole story instead of a piece!

I really liked this movie!!!.......2007-04-23

I have never read the book or was never exposed to the story of Alice in Wonderland before seeing this movie. When I bought this movie, I thought that it was about time that I did see the "timeless" story that everyone was talking about. I was very happy that I did. I did really enjoy this movie. I am not one to compare the movie to the book when I make reviews if I read the book. Books and movie can be totally different from each other because of different interpretations of the script. Give this movie a try and see what you think. I am very glad that I did and am very happy that I own a copy of it as well.

Misses the Point.......2007-04-20

I found it very annoying that the makers of this version felt the need to have everyone keep teaching little lessons and reciting little morals to Alice. As another reviewer has said, that is contrary to the whole spirit of the books and contrary to their original intent. (A similar outrage was perpetrated by the makers of the TV movie "The Odyssey," where--contrary to Homer--we see Odysseus having to learn little life lessons before he is allowed to go home.) What I did like, though, was some of the casting, especially Whoopi Goldberg as the Cheshire Cat and Sian Phillips as the Red Queen. For those who want a good version of one of the Alices, the one starring Kate Beckinsale is actually rather good. It keeps to the events of "Through the Looking Glass" and it has a good absurdist tone.

Letdown by Hallmark.......2007-03-23

Hallmark Entertainment has made many movies from children's books, and this probably one of the worst. Based on both "Alice in Wonderland" and "Through the Looking Glass" this movie stars many of the familiar faces of Hallmark movies and children's movies, such as Gene Wilder, Miranda Richardson, Martin Short, and Whoopi Goldberg. The lead character of Alice is unfortunately played by an actress that is not so good. The movie revolves around her, and she seems to move from one scene to the next with little emotion or expression. Even the crying scenes seemed fake. Where is Dakota Fanning when you need her? The cinematography, costume and set design are spot on, as usual for Hallmark movies, but the soundtrack was unnoticeable. The only bright spot was the engaging song by Gene Wilder's character. All in all, quite boring.

Excellent.......2007-03-08

Being a huge fan of Alice in Wonderland I love this movie. While it ads some of the Through the Looking Glass it is still follows the book almost perfectly. I felt the characters were played well and the actors and actresses (mostly unknowns to me) fit their parts.

Alice in Wonderland (Disney Gold Classic Collection)

Average customer rating:

enduring entertainment
The bouns features of review of Alice in Wonderland !
Classic
Alice
A confusing masterpiece!

Alice in Wonderland (Disney Gold Classic Collection)
Starring: Kathryn Beaumont , Ed Wynn , Richard Haydn , Sterling Holloway , and Jerry Colonna
Director: Clyde Geronimi , Hamilton Luske , and Wilfred Jackson
Manufacturer: Walt Disney Video
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ASIN: B00004R99L
Release Date: 2000-07-04

Amazon.com

Customer Reviews:

enduring entertainment.......2007-05-17

The bouns features of review of Alice in Wonderland !.......2007-03-26

Classic .......2007-03-25

Alice.......2007-03-16

A confusing masterpiece!.......2007-03-14

It's a Classic movie, a masterpiece but I think it's also one of the most confusing movies for a child, dialogues and situations are not easy to understand for a small kid.

Average customer rating:

Better than given credit for
I couldn't even finish it
Interesting all-star British adaptation, but DVD transfer is unwatchable
The Spooky But Definitive Live-Action Version Of Alice In Wonderland
Widescreen Alice in 2.35:1 Todd-AO 35 'Scope on 4/25/05!

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
Starring: Fiona Fullerton , Michael Jayston , Hywel Bennett , Michael Crawford , and Davy Kaye
Director: William Sterling
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Alice in Wonderland
Alice's Adventures In Wonderland
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Alice in Wonderland

ASIN: B0003JAOFY
Release Date: 2004-12-28

Product Description

This all-star musical adaptation of Lewis Carroll s classic tale will delight children and adults alike. Employing virtually every prominent British performer of its time, from pre-Bond girl Fiona Fullerton as Alice and pre-Phantom Michael Crawford as the White Rabbit, to comic luminaries Peter Sellers and Dudley Moore, this magical and intoxicating version explores Alice s dizzying adventures in the rabbit hole both faithfully and metaphorically as coming of age story.

This hugely entertaining and amusing film is so imaginative and compelling, and the music so memorable, that you will want to watch it again and again.

System Requirements:

Running Time 95 Min

Format: DVD MOVIE

Customer Reviews:

Better than given credit for.......2007-03-10

I feel some of the other reviews here are unjust and over exagerated. There were two places in the film that in total lasted maybe about five minutes where the sound was distorted, but not badly since you could still understand the characters clearly (ex. one area had a warpy vhs noise and the second had a bit of low static). The costumes were well selected, but I felt a better job could have been done on the rats and the lizard (you can see a gap where the costume ends on his face). This version follows the book well, though it left out a favorite qoute about the taste of the liquid in the first scene that she drinks from the "drink me" bottle. I also felt that the British accents in the movie enhanced the film. I recomend this to fans and people who aren't overly critical of films.

I couldn't even finish it.......2006-12-20

I love Alice, and I love low-budget works full of heart, but this production was so relentlessly mediocre that I just couldn't bear to finish it. The songs are lifeless and as poorly paced as the rest of the performance, and the script lacks any spirit; overall this production adds nothing new to the story, yet fails to convey the charm of the book (or, for that matter, nearly any other production I've seen). As another reviewer mentioned, the DVD itself is unimpressive - the chapters are, as near as I could tell, either random or simply timed, without regard to content. If this production is a familiar favorite from your childhood, it may be worth something (unless the DVD transfer is as disappointing as it seemed to me); if you're looking for something new, look elsewhere.

Interesting all-star British adaptation, but DVD transfer is unwatchable.......2006-09-30

This is a very interesting adaptation of Alice in Wonderland, featuring a plethora of major British actors from the time this movie was made. Note that today's younger audience, weened on an MTV diet of rapid cuts and incredible CGI, may find this slow. But if one can get beyond that, it's most definitely worth a watch.

That said, this DVD transfer is basically UNWATCHABLE. It's not clear what source they used for the transfer, but there are TERRIBLE audio pitch problems throughout the movie, with wow and flutter horribly apparent. This is particularly problematic for a movie like this with a significant orchestral and vocal score. If you have any sense of pitch, you'll find yourself pulling your hair out listening to the off-key strings! The video quality is pretty horrible, as well--worse than standard cable. A real travesty.

The Spooky But Definitive Live-Action Version Of Alice In Wonderland.......2006-07-26

The wonderful Victorian classic, Alice's Adventures In Wonderland was very first published in 1865. Written by acclaimed author, Lewis Carroll (real name - Charles Dodgson), this fantasy-adventure story has been adapted to the stage and screen countless times.

There's the familiar, misreably underated Walt Disney animated classic of Alice In Wonderland whilst there are a listless number of live-action adaptations that have largely failed to truly capture the spirit and flavour of Lewis Carrolls vivid vision of Wonderland.

This 1972 adptation is something of an exception and stands out as the best live-action version of the book. Director William Sterling, shrewdly manages to encapsulate the dark, frightening vision of Wonderland as dreamed up by Lewis Carroll.

Fiona Fullerton heads the cast making a pleasantly bland Alice. What Fullerton succeeds in doing is taking with you with her on a magical journey, allowing you to view the strange adventures through her eyes, evoking a feeling of
being drawn into a childs dream that escalates into a nightmare.

Fiona Fullerton is not least given noble support from a stellar cast that were some of the best of that era. The multi-talented Michael Crawford assumes the role of the jittering White Rabbit. Crawford playes the White Rabbit with a certain flair, relying mostly (and appropriately) on his inimitable comic skills.

Sir Robert Helpmann (who is more well known for his famous role as the child catcher in another excellent classic childrens movie, Chitty,Chitty, Bang, Bang) shines as the notorious Mad Hatter during the manic Mad Hatter's tea party sequence. Helpmann's comic facial expressions and
spirited playing makes the sequence work extremely well. Helpmann shares the spotlight in this madcap scene with Peter Sellers who gives a fine supporting turn as the March Hare whilst Dudley Moore causes some amusement as the poor, put-upon Dormouse.

Sir Ralph Richardson delivers a fairly adequate performance as the Catepillar in a very vivid scene whilst Davy Kaye as the Mouse during the dreamy Caucus Race Sequence, playes the role with a degree of subtelty. Much more effective though is Dame Flora Robson, putting in a fantastic intepretation of the ferocious Queen Of Hearts
who is both comical and scary in the role.

Michael Jayston appears in the opening scene as Dodgson (Jayston) and Duckworth (Hywel Bennett)sit on a river bank one hot summers afternoon. It is here where Dodgson begins telling Alice the story of Alice's adventures underground.

The nightmarish Duchess and Cook sequence is ignited by a fittingly off-beat performance from Peter Bull as the Duchess. Patsy Rolands as the demented, pepper-loving, plate-throwing Cook takes this role to fabulous new heights!

The sullen, ever-crying Gryphon is played marvelously by Spike Milligan whilst Michael Hordern is equally excellent as the Mock Turtle. This fun sequence where Alice, the Gryphon and the Mock Turtle are seen running and dancing
their way round a deserted beach, is speeded up at points to add to its comical and magical effect. This scene is also accompanied by one of the very few effective songs of the saccharine soundtrack, Will You, Won't You Join The Dance?

Roy Kinnear is fabulous as the permanently grinning Cheshire Cat whilst other notable players in the more than capable cast include Dennis Price in a small but efficent role as the King Of Hearts, Rodney Bewes as the bumbling
Knave Of Hearts, Julian Chagrin as Bill The Lizard (seen during the scene where Alice has grown large and is stuck in the White Rabbit's house - Bill the Lizard attempts to slide down the chimney into the house but Alice then swiftly kicks him back up again), Freddie Earlle as Guinea Pig Pat (also seen during the White Rabbit's house scene), Ray Brooks as 1 of Spades, Dennis Waterman as 2 of spades and of course not forgetting twin brothers Frank and Freddie Cox who make the definitive Tweedledee and Tweedledum (characters that were taken from a segment in
Lewis Carroll's sequel, Through The Looking Glass And What Alice Found There - most stage and screen versions often tend to draw large segments from both Alice books).

Alice's Adventures In Wonderland (1972) draws on a somewhat dreamy, hazy-like effect that largely gives the film an intentionally dark, scary edge. It strikes an even balance between moments of fun, magical comedy to more frightening settings.

Most of the film is engaging and totally enchanting. the surreal sequence at the beginning of the adventure is one of the scenes that really stands out in my mind as it is doen so effectively. Alice wakes up in a giant story book
garden and spots the White Rabbit gazing at his waist watch. Alice proceeds to follow the White Rabbit into a long, dark tunnell. Keeping up with the whole familiar ethos of Alices In Wonderland's famous catchphrase, "curiouser and
curiouser", Alice continues following the White Rabbit unaware of the danger lying in front of her and then finds herself tumbling down a large rabbit hole which leads to the whimsical, topsy-turvy world of Wonderland. The score during this sequence is masterful and hauntingly
atmospheric.

The Pool Of Tears sequence also works incredibly well where Alice finds herself in a large hall full of doors. A small door, to her delight, leads into a beautiful garden. It is here where she discovers potions and cakes that alternately make her shrink or grow large. At one point, Alice grows large and begins crying which subsequently leads to her shrinking and swimming in her own pool of tears.

Alice is washed ashore from the pool of tears and finds herself indulging in the Caucus Race with a mouse, dodo, owl, magpie, frog, duck and an eagle in a vastly trippy sequence! I've heard (as i'm sure you all have) various myths that Lewis Carroll was high on LSD at the time of writing the book. I have no idea whether this is true or not but you certianly can see peoples notions on this when you watch all the bizarre goings on in Alice's Adventures In Wonderland. I put it all down to a bizarre but great imagination on Lewis Carroll's part and this film merely reflects that. Even so theres something that distinctley gives me the creeps when watching scenes such as The Pool Of Tears and the Caucus Race.

Alice's Adventures In Wonderland (1972) is even more disturbingly surreal later on in the film such as the scene in the forest where a torrential storm occurs and a a giant black crow emerges from the gloomy sky ready to attack Alice.

The Duchess and Cook sequence also used to really give me the creeps when I first watched this at 4 years old back in 1983. There was just something eerie and nightmarish about the whole scene but again this ties in closley with the book. The Trial of the Knave Of Hearts is where it gets most off the wall and at the close of this scenes there are lots of swirling, hallucegenic close-ups of the characters. Alice, of course, then wakes up on the riverbank to discover it was all just a dream.

What compliments the mesmerising, hypnotic vibe of Alice's Adventures In Wonderland is a bewitching, hauntingly atmospheric score by BAFTA-winning, John Barry. The film also boasts maginificent cinematography from Geoffrey Unsworth which sticks closely to the original illustrations of the book. Some of the cardboard-like sets look far more suited for a stage production but many are eye catchingly beautiful.

Alice's Adventures In Wonderland (1972) is an extremely faithful adaptation that's most noble in its loyalty to the book. In that fact it deserved far greater recognition than it has, perharps, received. Widely regarded as the best live-action screen version by lovers of the book, it was still unfairly slated by critics of the day where some claimed it was too long, tedious and boring. To a point I can see where they're coming from so you really have to be in the right mood to take this film on. On the right day it proves a thrilling, almost hypnotic viewing experience (even though i'm 26 years old!).

In an attempt to ignite the films fortunes, Fiona Fullerton was being promoted as the new Julie Andrews (though Fullerton is a remarkable actress in her own right, this was something of an overstatement) but this did little to help the films fate. Making matters worse was Peter Sellers who blatantly criticised the film to the media before it had even opened at cinemas! Sadly Alice's Adventures In Wonderland did not endure the high Box Office turn over as anticipated.

It's true that Alice's Adventures In Wonderland (1972) is too slow and bland at points but on casting its shortcomings (which you can over-look) aside, it's most definitely worth a look. Fans of Alice In Wonderland that have not yet had the delight of watching this charming, atmospheric version, will be thoroughly enthralled.

Ian Phillips

July 2006

Widescreen Alice in 2.35:1 Todd-AO 35 'Scope on 4/25/05!.......2005-03-31

[...]

February 2005:

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (Released 25.04.05), DVD, released in UK.

Widescreen 2.35:1 Anamorphic, English.

As advertised:

A fifiteen year old Fiona Fullerton heads an all star British cast in this double BAFTA winning musical comedy-widely regarded as the most lavish and most faithful adaptation of Lewis Carroll's classic Fantasy Novel.

One of the most enduring classic stories of all time! Fully restored, digitally remastered in correct 'Scope Aspect Ratio! Gorgeous Limited Edition DVD boxset with Book! Grade 'A' all star British cast!

Filmed to mark the centenary of the completion of the Alice novels, this extravagantly lush British spectacle, which brings Sir John Tenniel's famous illustrations enchantingly to life with a bewitching score by James Bond composer John Barry and BAFTA winning cinematography by Geoffrey Unsworth (2001: A Space Odyssey), is presented for the first time on DVD in its original aspect ratio of 2.35:1 Todd-AO 35 'Scope alongside the classic novel upon which it is most faithfully based.

Stars: Michael Crawford, Peter Sellers, Dudley Moore, Spike Milligan, Sir Michael Hordern, Fiona Fullerton, Sir Ralph Richardson, Dame Flora Robson, Roy Kinnear, Michael Jayston, Hywell Bennett.

* This DVD box set release includes the classic Lewis Carroll book on which the film is based!

Note: The DVD is "Region 0" but "PAL" not "NTSC" so it may require a multisystem DVD player or computer DVD drive to play it in USA!

It is available for pre-order on Amazon.com UK at

http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0007V5XE0/qid=1112243336/sr=2-1/ref=sr_2_11_1/202-4611009-6753454

Average customer rating:

ALICE IN WONDERLAND: A Dance Fantasy
Starring: Children's Cultural Collection
Manufacturer: View, Inc.
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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CINDERELLA:A Dance Fantasy
THE SWAN LAKE STORY:A Dance Fantasy
Alice in Wonderland (1950)
Because I Said So (Widescreen Edition)
Catch & Release

ASIN: B000MRNWSS
Release Date: 2007-04-10

Product Description

Lewis Carroll's bewitching, playful and eccentric tale has captured the world's imagination and fascinated children for over 125 years. Now Alice, the Cheshire Cat, the Mad Hatter and the Queen of Hearts come to life as never before in this unique ballet adaptation that is every bit as original as the story itself. A magnificent array of costumes, colors and sets create a Wonderland of kaleidoscopic beauty. The interweaving of ballet, mime, acrobatics and theater gracefully dramatizes the story. With the mesmerizing music of Viktor Kalabis, flawlessly performed by the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra and danced by the The Prague Chamber Ballet, this production creates an unparalleled DVD presentation that will undoubtedly delight the whole family.

Average customer rating:

I Hate to Have to Say this, but...
A surreal BBC "Wednesday Play"
Jonathan's Wonderland
Suddenly, my favorite
Odd? Depending on your point of view.

Alice in Wonderland
Starring: Mark Allington , Alan Bennett , John Bird , Wilfrid Brambell , and Peter Cook
Manufacturer: Homevision
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Alice Through the Looking Glass
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
Alice
Alice in Wonderland
Alice's Adventures In Wonderland

ASIN: B0000CG8I8
Release Date: 2003-11-18

Amazon.com

Fans of Lewis Carroll's classic novel for children will be fascinated by this startling 1966 interpretation by Jonathan Miller, a noted British theater director. Influenced by surrealism and Victorian architecture, Miller's black-and-white version of Wonderland is a dour and creepy place, not the frenetic and charming bustle usually depicted. A brunette Alice (Anne-Marie Mallik) wanders like a sleepwalker, rarely looking anyone in the eye, and has fractured conversations with the likes of the Mad Hatter (Peter Cook, Bedazzled), the Caterpillar (Sir Michael Redgrave, The Lady Vanishes), the Duchess (Leo McKern, Rumpole of the Bailey), and the Mock Turtle (Sir John Gielgud, Brideshead Revisited, Arthur). The result is probably an accurate picture of the adult world seen through a child's eyes--an unsettling and intriguing vision. Also featuring Peter Sellers as the King of Hearts and music by Ravi Shankar. --Bret Fetzer

Customer Reviews:

I Hate to Have to Say this, but..........2007-04-12

... I found this version of Alice almost unwatchable. Previous reviews well capture this version's character, including its truly fatal flaws. Please read them. But I think they are by-and-large far too charitable. I love Carroll's works, so do not take this negative review as a knock on the Alice books; it is purely about this dismal and moribund adaptation.

Note, I write "adaptation." This is not a faithful version of Carroll's "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland," nor was meant to be. Fair enough. But wherever there was any mirth or joy in Carroll's book (which is itself slightly dark), producer/director Miller has replaced it with a cringe-worthy combination of sleep-inducing sonambulism on Alice's part, and obscure and pretentious dated social commentary on the part of other characters. It simply doesn't work in America in 2007, and I doubt it worked even in England in 1966.

There *are* bright spots, to be sure, as others have mentioned: Sir Michael Redgrave's Caterpillar, Peter Cook's Hatter, and--for me the best and only not-depressing part of the film--Sir John Gielgud's Mock Turtle. But these cannot make up for what is otherwise a perhaps noble effort, but simply no fun.

As jammer wrote, "The director never seems to get enough of having interminable full-face close-ups of [Alice], whose visage is devoid of expression or reaction and during which, little if anything else happens to advance the rest of the story. (Meanwhile all this precious screen time goes down the tubes when it could have been used so profitably elsewhere! Aarrgggghhhh!) Lewis Carroll, whose whole focus revolved around Alice, must surely have turned over in his grave."

Just so, and, as Alice says, "At any rate, I'll never go *there* again!"

(Note: my nearly three year old daughter is entirely in love with KCRW's radio/CD version of Alice [available for purchase only at kcrw.org, I think], and listens to it over and over. She is surely not the target audience of this disturbing version, but I thought she'd at least want to watch it *once*. She couldn't even make it through a single viewing. It's simply "too dark--too dark altogether.")

A surreal BBC "Wednesday Play".......2007-01-02

This is an experimental TV-movie from the BBC's "Wednesday Play" anthology. That series was always willing to risk trying something different, and this ambitious, low-budget "Alice" is certainly different. I wouldn't say I "enjoy" this film exactly, but...

I appreciate it as an experiment in what television could do. I admire the cast of iconic Britons who wouldn't normally coincide in the same project: Peter Sellers, John Gielgud, Leo McKern (in drag as the Duchess), Michael Redgrave, Peter Cook, Wilfrid Brambell, Alan Bennett, Malcolm Muggeridge, etc.

I also admire the creativity it took to imagine this quintessentially British tale accompanied by Ravi Shankar music.

Some viewers may find the film too creepy and surreal, but the original book is as pretty disturbing to begin with. The film is fairly incoherent, but then so is the book: It follows the scattershot, ever-shifting logic of a dream.

The biggest problem (aside from pacing that now seems too leisurely) is that Miller's production assumes you already know what's going on. For instance, it assumes you know that the two men dressed as... um... men are actually the famous Walrus and the Carpenter.

In other words, this is an "Alice" for people who are already overdosed on adaptations of "Alice," and who might appreciate a weirdly different take on the familiar story. Or to narrow that audience a bit, people age 12 and up who might appreciate a different take on the story.

Jonathan's Wonderland.......2006-10-05

Wolfgang Petersen's superb personal take on Homeric myth and legend is entitled Troy, which makes it perfectly plain that he is not setting out to reproduce the Iliad. Miller's Alice in Wonderland could, more honestly, have similarly been given a different title, since those expecting to see Carroll's masterpiece will inevitably be baffled. This is not the original work of genius, but a critical commentary: it is about the book, but not the book itself. As such, it is still pretty interesting, and provides an interpretation, or an introduction (for those like Disney and others, who totally fail to appreciate the book's perfection) to what it is all about. Carroll's inspired work is an account of a child's encounter with the nasty and irrational adult world. Beginning with a birth trauma, the child is ejected into this unpleasant place, via its passage through amniotic fluid. It gives itself the prize of the thimble of life. Its staccato physical growth, both embryonic and post-birth, is accurately, if surrealistically, reflected --- the caterpillar is an ideal personification of metamorphosis --- as are its subsequent encounters with the enigmas of adult laws and regulations, the bullying, uglification and derision of mankind; the peremptoriness of authority, and its penchant for homiletic moralising. The book also probes the meanings of time and space, but not as deeply as its sequel, Looking-Glass. The final conclusion, in Carroll's original, is that human society is merely the structure of a house of cards, as any mature intelligence will recognize, sooner or later. Miller's take represents some of this, but omits much, which is why it seems to fall short, and is only partially satisfying. Something is missing, but it's valuable nonetheless. Four stars, not five.

Oct 26. Just watched it again, listening to Jonathan's commentary. Interesting remarks. I still think he over-emphasized the dream aspect, and the loss of childhood theme. It was very subjective of him to introduce Wordsworth. Also, he does tend to use the first pronoun somewhat excessively: it's still his Wonderland, not Alice's. The beginning and ending of the book --- the bottomless fall down the rabbit-hole, and the collapse of the house of cards --- are still crucial to its interpretation; and omitting these scenes, which are very memorable, is wrong. Having humans play the parts without pretending to be animals is, however, dead right. The improvisations of the two Peters, and the Bird insertion, are also irritating, however. Agree that the girl is perfect: it doesn't matter at all that she is eleven, not seven. She played the part very well, in what must have been a rather daunting set-up for her. The story is disturbing, as Miller says, but it is not really as melancholy as he would like it to be.

Suddenly, my favorite.......2006-05-26

This is the most complex movie rendering of Carroll's classic, and one of the stranger ones. It's a 1966 BBC production in black and white, and done on a shoestring budget. As a result, there's just about nothing in the way of special effects - and certainly no animal-shaped costumes for the dormouse, white rabbit, and all the others. Instead, the characters simply dress in a deliberately over-done Victorian style, probably put together by raiding the stock BBC costume closet.

But what characters! Peter Sellers (who played in other Alice movies as well) is the King of Hearts, Peter Cook is the Mad Hatter, Leo McKern is the Duchess(!), and that's just the start of this star-driven production. Ravi Shankar composed the music and performs much of it, giving an other-worldly sense that fits Carroll's dreamscape perfectly. It's a kind of dream continually on the edge of nightmare without ever quite crossing the line, the same feeling you get when watching "The Prisoner" TV series.

But Alice truly makes the story. Ann-Marie Mallik, in what may be her only acting role, was the perfect choice. She moves through the dream with all the reserve you'd expect of a browbeaten Victorian child, but with all the presence and a little insolence of a woman-child entering her teens. Although she's more observer than participant in most scenes, she conveys a quiet sense of being fully engaged in it all.

This isn't a disneyfied, silly production for children. Nor is it a surreal exaggeration like Jan Svankmajer's (which I also enjoyed). It's a serious and baffling work. In that sense, it's more true to Dodgson's original work than any other Alice I've seen. This one has my highest recommendation.

//wiredweird

Odd? Depending on your point of view........2005-10-18

This version of Alice has become one of my favourite all time films. A lot of reviewers have written about how odd Alice seems to have been portrayed in this film, how disconnected she is. This in fact is one of the features of the film that makes it so interesting. It sets it apart from the copious amounts of standard Hollywood schlock which continues to be cranked out at a high rate of speed. Sorry, don't really mean to knock Hollywood but this one blows Disney's version away. Basically if you're a fan of British humour (I loved "Time Bandits") and prefer films that make you think, then you should like this version. No sappy hollywood film music in this one! Love the camera angles, love the dialog, love the characters and love the music (Ravi Shankar). Sorry if I've offended anyone but as I said, it's a matter of personal opinion.

Average customer rating:

Alice in Wonderland
Alice in--British Production

Alice in Wonderland (1950)
Starring: Carol Marsh , Stephen Murray , Pamela Brown , Ernest Milton , and Felix Aylmer
Director: Dallas Bower
Manufacturer: Vision Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Similar Items:

Alice in Wonderland
Alice in Wonderland [TV 1985]
Alice Through the Looking Glass
Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland (Broadway Theatre Archive)
Alice of Wonderland in Paris

ASIN: B000IMVJDM
Release Date: 2006-09-18

Product Description

This exceptional theatrical version of Lewis Carroll's 1865 classic features a combination of live characters and puppets, created by master puppeteer Louis Bunin. The cast includes Carol Marsh as Alice along with Stephen Murray, Felix Aylmer, Ernest Milton, and Pamela Brown (in live sequences and as voices of the puppets). Directed by Dallas Bower, this lively and fun production includes some wonderful musical numbers that will be enjoyed by all ages.

Customer Reviews:

Alice in Wonderland.......2007-03-22

Thank goodness this came out. I've been wanting to see it since 1992.
Although the print quality looks like it was dubbed from a VHS tape at amateur level.
This 1950s colour movie tells the story well.
Peter

Alice in--British Production .......2007-01-11

A work of art...Carol Marsh was Beautiful and talented. Brings back fond memories.....I was in the seventh grade when I saw it in the theater...

Average customer rating:

A true classic..

Alice in Wonderland - An Adult Musical
Starring: Bradford Armdexter , Gila Havana , Ron Nelson , and Alan Novak
Director: Bud Townsend
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Fairy Tales
Lie With Me
Gwendoline - Unrated Director's Cut (aka - The Perils of Gwendoline in the Land of the Yik Yak)
Private (FALLO, Italian Version)
Felicity

Product Features:

Adult Musical Comedy
Classic

ASIN: B000MCC5KY

Product Description

Alice is a virginal librarian, cheerful and outgoing, who acts and dresses younger than her age. She rebuffs William, a suitor, because he's insistent on behavior she considers inappropriate: she's a prude. While daydreaming about reliving her life, a white rabbit taps her on the shoulder, and she follows him to Wonderland, where playful animals and people introduce her to her imagination and to pleasure. After encounters with the imperious Queen of Hearts, Alice decides that Wonderland may not be for her, and she longs for William.

Customer Reviews:

A true classic.........2007-01-23

This top-grossing independent film is now available on DVD. "Alice in Wonderland", the first adult musical, has broken new ground. PLAYBOY covergirl, Kristine DeBell, considered by many to be the most beautiful girl in the world, can now be seen cavorting erotically with all the Lewis Carroll characters.

There has never been an erotic film that can come close to the production value of "Alice in Wonderland". It is a milestone in cinematic history, and is most certainly a true collectors item.

Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland (Broadway Theatre Archive)

Average customer rating:

Good...not great.
a rare treat for theatre fans
It's a bad sign when the sets are better than the actors.
Great Find
A highly theatrical "Alice"

Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland (Broadway Theatre Archive)
Starring: Eve Arden , Kaye Ballard , Kate Burton , Richard Burton , and James Coco
Director: Kirk Browning
Manufacturer: Image Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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

Alice at the Palace (Broadway Theatre Archive)
Alice in Wonderland
Alice Through the Looking Glass
Alice in Wonderland
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

ASIN: B00005QBZ4
Release Date: 2001-11-20

Amazon.com

This gorgeously designed theater production of Lewis Carroll's world-famous fantasy, based on a famous production from the 1930s, features an astonishing array of notable actors. Richard Burton is quietly touching as the doddering White Knight; Eve Arden spits out commands as the bloodthirsty Queen of Hearts; Donald O'Connor plays the woeful Mock Turtle as a jaunty standup comedian; and such varied talents as Colleen Dewhurst, Nathan Lane, Maureen Stapleton, James Coco, Andre Gregory, and Geoffrey Holder fill out Carroll's phantasmagoria as Kate Burton (Richard's daughter) plays the title character in the classic blue-and-white dress and blond tresses. All the sets and costumes are meticulously based on the illustrations from the original books (the story line is a mix of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass), capturing artist John Tenniel's elaborate creations with zest. Though the story lacks dramatic action, the wordplay and visuals are delightful. --Bret Fetzer

Description

From the elaborate Broadway revival of the 1932 Eva Le Gallienne/Florida Friebus production comes a whimsical retelling of the Lewis Carroll classic. In director Kirk Browning's enchanting adaptation, Alice's adventure in the land of fantasy is presented within a contemporary framework. An all-star ensemble cast--including Richard Burton and his daughter Kate--makes this a stellar version of a truly timeless tale and a great theatre treat for young and old alike.

Customer Reviews:

Good...not great........2006-12-23

I am a HUGE Nathan Lane fan. The only reason I bought this was for Nathan Lane and he (and the rest of the cast) is fantastic! The woman who played Alice (whos name for some reason I can't remember) isn't good. Nathan Lane is the highlight. Very good and a must have for any theatre or Nathan Lane fan.

a rare treat for theatre fans.......2006-03-04

Fantastic television performance of the Eva LeGallienne adaptation of Lewis Carroll's ALICE IN WONDERLAND, featuring the 1982 Broadway revival staging by director Kirk Browning. Richard Addinsell's lovely score highlights the production with fine performances all around, headed by Kate Burton who gives Alice a sassy, modern sensibility. LeGallienne's version (which premiered in 1933 and was first revived in 1947) throws the stories and characters of "Wonderland" and "Looking Glass" together, creating a veritable kaleidoscope of colour and whimsy.

The cast is truly impressive including - Colleen Dewhurst's manic and imposing Red Queen; the befuddled White Queen of Maureen Stapleton; Nathan Lane plays the waterlogged Mouse as a tango-dancing lothario; Kaye Ballard as the baby-beating Duchess; Geoffrey Holder as a sinuous, seductive Cheshire Cat; and Donald O'Connor as the soft-shoe Mock Turtle.

Perhaps most poignant is Richard Burton, playing the melancholy White Knight. His scene with real-life daughter Kate is very touching, and his performance of the White Knight's bittersweet "A-Sittin' on a Gate", one of the truly great songs in Addinsell's score, is a highpoint of the whole production. The actual story of Alice is bookended by a nervous young actress about to star in her very first leading role. The saga of Alice herself provides a nice counterpoint as Lewis Carroll's heroine also must face her fears if she can ever return home.

Truly a production to savour and a rare treat for all theatre and Lewis Carroll admirers.

It's a bad sign when the sets are better than the actors........2004-02-17

This particular "Alice" has a long history. It started as a hit play in the early '40s, was resurrected in the late '70s with Kate Burton in the title role, and then ported to Great Performances on PBS - the latter of which is what we have here on DVD. Presumably it worked a little better on stage, and probably a little better in the '40s, too. Sadly, it runs through both "Alice" stories in a breakneck 90 minutes' time, and much of the acting is truly lamentable - some of the actors are so bad, I actually thought that might be an intentional joke, as with Austin Pendleton's monotonistic White Rabbit! Probably the best of them are Donald O'Connor - the only one of the lot who can actually sing! - as the Mock Turtle, Geoffrey Holder as the Cheshire Cat, and Richard Burton as the White Knight. The tea party crew is fairly good as well. The rest...well, the sooner forgotten about, the better.

Despite the acting, the sets and costumes are gorgeous - they're mostly made (with the exception of the Cat) to look like Tenniel woodcuts. That makes it quite a visual treat, if nothing else. This isn't the worst "Alice" I've seen, but it's not very high on my list. Still, it has enough good points it's probably worth a rental on a rainy week...just don't expect anything too incredible.

Great Find.......2003-02-14

I remember watching this on PBS when I was a kid and I was so excited to see this on DVD. It's a great production with a great cast. I like that the play features both Alice in Wonderland AND Through the Looking Glass. As a Lewis Carroll fan I was happy to see how closely the play follows the books.

A highly theatrical "Alice".......2002-05-27

I have studied Carroll, I have researched the 'Alice' stories, and I have even directed a successful production of the very same Eva LeGallienne script, and I was very excited to see this production available on DVD. I was hoping to see if a big budget could make sense of a theatrical script that doesn't really work. Please don't get me wrong...Ms. LeGallienne's script is by far the most true to the original stories. Ms. LeGallienne's script pulls out of the original stories only the most important characters and qualities, but the script itself still lacks the thread that creates one complete story, and unfortunately this production chops away even further by ommitting key transitional moments leaving only the major scenes.

Did I enjoy it? Absolutely! The design was gorgeous. The characters and the scenery seemed to have been lifted from the pages of Teniel's illustrations and brought to life. There were so many brilliant moments. Most notably the aloof and condescending Catepillar, the doughy-faced Dutchess, Stapleton's flighty White Queen, the academic snobbery of Humpty, and Lane's neurotic Mouse. I also have to add, I completely disagree with another reviewer's opinion of Arden's Queen of Hearts. I felt that her understated, and underplayed Queen was a brilliant choice. Remember, screaming does not an actor make. Her insincerity and aloofness is the perfect mirror image of Victorian royalty. And the insuated affair between the Knave and Queen of Hearts kept me laughing for hours! Bravo! I am also sorry to say that I was disappointed with Burton's Alice. She completely lacked the sensitivity and sensibilities of a 7 year old. She played Alice as an adult instead of Alice attempting to act as an adult.

Overall, I highly recommend this for anyone who loves 'Alice'. Despite the problems with the script, it is by far the most true adaptation of the stories, and one worth owning.

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