The Louvre

Starring:Louvre
Studio: Monterey Video
Product Type: DVD

Average customer rating:

Review of Living Free
Pales in comparison to "Born Free"
Living Free
No Joy Here
Forgotten and forgettable sequel

Living Free
Starring: Nigel Davenport , Susan Hampshire , Geoffrey Keen , Peter Lukoye , and Shane De Louvre
Director: Jack Couffer
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Born Free
An Elephant Called Slowly
Born Free the complete 3 part text
Ring of Bright Water
Born Free: A Lioness of Two Worlds

ASIN: B0000844M7
Release Date: 2003-03-04

Amazon.com

The 1972 sequel to 1966's classic Born Free doesn't quite measure up to its predecessor, but in an era when most "family entertainment" tends toward the insipid at best, Living Free is still a worthwhile venture. Susan Hampshire and Nigel Davenport take over the roles of Joy and George Adamson, the British couple who, while stationed in Kenya, adopted three orphaned lion cubs. Living Free finds the dying Elsa, their favorite of the original three and now a mother herself, returning to the Adamsons, who must figure out what to do with Elsa's three cubs, who develop an unfortunate appetite for domestic livestock. The film is on the slow side, but once again it's the animals who steal the show; the footage of the young lions interacting with other beasts, from wild giraffes and rhinos to a pet dog, is remarkable. Though light on bonus features, the DVD will surely find its adherents. --Sam Graham

Customer Reviews:

Review of Living Free.......2007-03-29

The movie was of top quality. I had seen the movie before, but I really enjoyed seeing it again and enjoying it with a young friend. The movie came really quickly in the mail. This was an excellent transaction.

Pales in comparison to "Born Free".......2006-03-21

This is the quite dreadful sequel to "Born Free." It is intended for viewing by children, but even young ones will be bored with the extremely slow pace of this feature-length film. Were it shortened by two-thirds to about 30 minutes, it would be reasonably entertaining for younger kids. The acting is cheesy and very dated, and the plot plods along very slowly. There's nothing inherently wrong with the story, and the videography of the lions is quite charming, but it is presented so badly in this film that I would not waste a penny on it. Fortunately, I obtained my copy from the local library.

Living Free.......2005-11-02

Once again I am reminded of how much I enjoyed the "Born Free" trilogy when I viewed this DVD. Anyone who loves lions, and the 1960's, should own and view all three movies.

No Joy Here.......2005-07-26

The site of an immaculately turned out Susan Hampshire in thick eyeliner and gleaming white (flared) trouser suit prancing through the Serengeti should serve as an immediate red flag. This is about as far as you can get from Bill Travers' and Virginia McKenna's charming performances in Born Free, never mind invoking the real Adamsons, who led interesting and ultimately tragic lives. Doesn't seem much like Kenya in the fifties to me (I was there). Give it a miss.

Forgotten and forgettable sequel.......2005-04-06

'Living Free' is one of those obscure sequels to huge hits that most people don't even know exist. In this case it's not hard to see why: it's pretty awful.

Susan Hampshire and Nigel Davenport make poor replacements for Bill Travers and Virginia McKenna. While you wouldn't expect them to match the original couple's easy familiarity, these two don't look like they've even been introduced yet. Worse, the film is a clumsy mess, the first quarter a clumsy rehash of the first film mixing stock footage with awkward reshot word-for-word versions of scenes restaged by the new stars with all the confidence of a blindfolded kid with both legs tied together trying to hit a piñata (although you do get to see Geoffrey Keene play a scene absolutely identically to his performance with the more experienced stars a few years earlier). When the plot does get going in the last half hour there are some genuinely tense scenes as they attempt to cage Elsa the Lioness's cubs to take them to a new reserve before they are destroyed as a menace to local farms, but you'll probably have given up by then. It doesn't even have the benefit of Scope photography or a John Barry score to sugar the pill, often looking more like a poor TV pilot than a real film (and indeed a TV series did briefly follow, albeit with a new cast).

Not good.

Average customer rating:

Here's why you should buy and watch this
Very interesting, but not what I'd hoped for
I DO PLAN TO BUY THIS BECAUSE IT IS THE BEST LOUVRE PICTURE EVER

The Louvre
Starring: Charles Boyer , Edwin Newman , and Lucy Jarvis
Director: John Sughrue Jr.
Manufacturer: Monterey Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Hermitage Masterpieces
A Louvre Treasure: Awakening Apollo
The Vatican Museums
The Dutch Masters Boxed Set / Rembrandt, Vermeer, Van Dyck, Rubens, Bosch, Bruegel
Cezanne: Three Colours Cezanne

ASIN: B0009MDPTC
Release Date: 2005-08-02

Customer Reviews:

Here's why you should buy and watch this.......2007-01-11

Let's just say this upfront, it has nothing to do with the Da Vinci Code so forget about that. It's an NBC News documentary from the '70s, shot on film with professional lighting and voicever by Charles Boyer, mainly about the long and complicated history of the building. It's very, very well done, with high production values - not like a Rick Steves or Samantha Brown traveldoc (not that there's anything wrong with those).

As others have noted, the film stock has not aged as well as one might like, and while the audio is very good, the visual is perhaps a 3.5-4 out of 5. Also, there's a little bit of staging every so often with spectators. The most effective bit is a running feature where a costumed arm adds to and rearranges the wings and corridors of the Louvre to show how it changed over time (and it changed a lot). Boyer has a good script to work with and does a professional job of narration.

It's only an hour long so it catches your attention, gives you useful info, and then you're done. It deals with the Mona Lisa only as one of thousands of works of art, so don't buy this hoping for a documentary on that subject. What it is, is a very professional overview of the joint. Good for people who are planning to go and want to take a peek, and those who have been and want to remember. This is a good gift for an older Francophile.

Very interesting, but not what I'd hoped for.......2005-09-02

This is an interesting and informative film about the history of the Louvre; but it's much more an ode to the building itself than to the treasures contained within.

This award-winning film was made by American Lucy Jarvis and represents the first time anyone was ever allowed to film inside the Louvre. Charles Boyer narrates in English, and tells an engaging story of the Louvre's journey from Fortress to Palace to Museum--and its unique place in the history and heart of Paris. The building changed physically at the hand of each of its regal denizens, and the art collection was purchased, gifted, stolen and scavenged throughout the course of centuries. The narration is illustrated with portraits of key historical figures, as well as drawings, paintings and prints of historical events surrounding the Louvre through the ages. Some of the nicest film footage is of the deserted galleries at night, captured when the crew got locked in the Museum one evening.

Because this DVD was released in August 2005, I assumed it was a brand new program. In fact, THE LOUVRE was filmed in 1977, and, unfortunately, shows its age. I've been spoiled by the sharp, clean, bright, digital quality which makes fine art DVDs such a pleasure to view. Even older titles seem to have been "cleaned up" for their digital debuts in order to take full advantage of the new medium. Sadly, no such restoration appears to have taken place with this title (at least to my untrained eye). The interior scenes have a yellowish cast to them that distorts the colors of the paintings, and infuses THE LOUVRE with a fuzzy, dated feel. In addition, much of the footage is slightly "jumpy," which I found very distracting. One good thing about the film's age is that we get to see some works by Manet, Degas, Cezanne, Van Gogh and others which were moved from the Louvre long ago and are now housed in the Musee d'Orsay.

The DVD "extras" aren't even worth mentioning.

I don't want to come across as too terribly negative. This is still a "must have" for serious art geeks like myself--I just want people to understand what this DVD is, and what it is not. It IS a lovingly-made account of the fascinating history of one of Paris' oldest and most famous buildings; it is NOT a retrospective of the vast art collection housed within its walls. Yes, many paintings and sculptures do appear throughout the film, but they do not often appear to their best advantage. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I learned about the Louvre's rich history, but disappointed by the secondary role assigned to art history and appreciation.

I DO PLAN TO BUY THIS BECAUSE IT IS THE BEST LOUVRE PICTURE EVER.......2005-07-14

I have seen this program on VHS and I say that it is one of the best art videos I have ever seen. It showed me the best pieces of art in the museum and it showed me the history of museum itself. the picture quality, narration, and music are some of the best I have seen. This is great. Once this DVD comes out I plan to buy it on the earliest opportunity I can get.

Offenbach - La Grande-Duchesse de Gerolstein / Felicity Lott, Sandrine Piau, Yann Beuron, Francois le Roux, Marc Minkowski, Paris Opera

Average customer rating:

a tad too buffo
An absolute delight!
Very Funny, Great Lott
Monty Python at the Opera
a lot of lott is not enough lott

Offenbach - La Grande-Duchesse de Gerolstein / Felicity Lott, Sandrine Piau, Yann Beuron, Francois le Roux, Marc Minkowski, Paris Opera
Starring: Les Musiciens du Louvre , Franck Leguerinel , Eric Huchet , Boris Grappe , and Alain Gabriel Aurelia Legay
Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: DVD
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Offenbach - La Belle Helene / Minkowski, Lott, Beuron, Senechal, Naouri, Le Roux, Torodovitch, Chatelet Opera
Rameau - Les Paladins / Piau, Naouri, Lehtipuu, d'Oustrac, Piolino, Schirrer, Gonzalez-Toroi, Christie, Paris Opera
Handel - Hercules / Shimell, DiDonato, Spence, Bohlin, Ernman, Kirkbride, Christie, Les Arts Florissants, Aix-en-Provence Opera
Rossini - La Cenerentola / Frederica von Stade, Francisco Araiza, Paolo Montarsolo, Claudio Desderi, Laura Zannini, Claudio Abbado
Rossini - Le Comte Ory / Massis · Laho · Montague · Shaulis · Tézier · Davis · Jérôme Savary · Glyndebourne Festival Opera

ASIN: B000BU991K
Release Date: 2006-01-24

Description

Dame Felicity Lott stars in a rollicking performance of Offenbach's operetta "La Grande Duchesse de Gerolstein." Features the same cast as the studio recording released on CD in October 2005. The stage production was filmed in December 2004 at the Theatre du Chatelet in Paris. The result is a kaleidoscope of artistry and comedy that should not be missed! This production goes back to the original version which had been adjusted and censored after it's premiere at the Theatre des Varietes in 1867.

Customer Reviews:

a tad too buffo.......2007-01-03

Most of the reviewers here find this one a great first opera to show friends. It is a little over the top with clownishness; but you know, so was I Love Lucy, or The Honeymooners. And that, perhaps is what most find highly entertaining or amusing, and thus it becomes a nice escape from drudgery. Also, I have been so thrilled and surprised by the likes of Donizetti, Bellini, Rossini, and some more rare composers, that this only seems flippant by comparison. It does contain good music and great vocals; and some pretty impressive choreography.

An absolute delight!.......2006-11-22

An outstanding production of a deligthful opera-bouffe. I showed it to a bunch of opera fans and everybody raved about it. Fabulous entertainment for very little cost! Don't miss it!

Very Funny, Great Lott.......2006-08-01

Dame Felicity Lott struck me as all wrong as La Belle Helene, so I wanted to say she's an unqualified howl as La Grande Duchesse. Here, middle age works for her dramatically and vocally, as she struts, leers, and pratfalls the plausible character of a frustrated matronly duchess hilariously brandishing her father's sabre and trying without much success to seduce the handsome young soldiers in her pet army. A virtuoso performance both musically and comically. The other singers, the orchestra, and its enthusiastic conductor also score points. The lavish big-stage production, though a bit complicated, seems authentically Offenbachian in its controlled-chaotic nonsensicality. This show is an obvious precursor of the Marx Brothers' Duck Soup, complete with its own (singing) Margaret Dumont.

Monty Python at the Opera.......2006-03-14

Pure enjoyment and fun. A very talented cast is coupled with an outstanding production that brings out the best in Offenbach's wonderfully tuneful score. The opening credits are straight out of Monty Python and the performance that follows is in the same spirit. If you've never seen a comic opera, this is a great place to start.

a lot of lott is not enough lott.......2006-02-11

Dame Feliicity Lott is absolutely terrific as the title character in this hilarious production. She us having so much fun here and it shows in this wondeful farce. As with her outstanding Helen in the equally funny La Belle Helene, Dame Felicity sparkles as a frustrated woman dying for a romantic fling with a young stud. When she retires from opera she should do comedy. What she could do for Noel Coward.

This is a long production with much added music and the production shines. This DVD is worth the price just for the newly recorded "Carillon" selection that concludes Act 2. It is five minutes of pure hilarity with a wonderful galop that could only be Offenbach.

Dame Felicity is a British national treasure. We should all be happy that she doesn't have the same opinion of Offenbach that Richard Wagner had. Buy - watch - and enjoy.

Hopefully there may be more Offenbach that she can do.

Belphégor - Le Fantôme Du Louvre (Widescreen - Original French with subtitles)

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Belphégor - Le Fantôme Du Louvre (Widescreen - Original French with subtitles)

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Fidelity (Fidelite) Region 1 (US & Canada) French with Chinese & English Subtitles
My Nights are More Beautiful Than your Days
Anthony Zimmer (Original French Version with English Version)
Marquise [Import]
The Camomile Lawn

Product Features:

Genre: Mystery / Fantasy / Horror
16:9 Wide Screen
Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround Sound
In FRENCH with optional (removable) English and Korean subtitles
SPECIAL FEATURES: Cast & Crew; Trailer; Legends.

ASIN: B000CNTHYU

Product Description

PLOT SUMMARY: The story of a vengeful ghost (which spawned both a popular silent thriller and a mid-'60s TV miniseries that drew record ratings in France) returns to the big screen in this adaptation of the story by Arthur Bernede. A collection of artifacts from an archeological dig in Egypt are brought to the famous Louvre museum in Paris, and while experts are using a laser scanning device to determine the age of a sarcophagus, a ghostly spirit escapes and makes its way into the museum's electrical system. Museum curator Faussier (Jean-Francois Balmer) brings in a noted Egyptologist, Glenda Spencer (Julie Christie), to examine the findings, and she announces that the mummy inside the coffin was actually the evil spirit Belphegor. Lisa (Sophie Marceau), who lives across the street from the museum, follows her runaway cat into the museum after closing time, where she is accidentally given a shock that sends the stray spirit into her body. Soon, Lisa is disguising herself as Belphegor and making off with the rare Egyptian treasures on display at the museum, convinced that they are rightfully hers. When "Belphegor" proves more than a match for the Louvre's security forces, renowned detective Verlac (Michel Serrault) is brought out of retirement to find out why the museum's Egyptian collection has been shrinking. Belphegor: Le Fantome Du Louvre enjoyed the distinction of being the first feature film to be shot in part inside the world-famous museum. [All Movie Guide - Mark Deming] ++++ This officially licensed release from South Korea is Region Free NTSC Code 0 (playable worldwide) and provides 16:9 WideScreen display and Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround Sound. The film is in FRENCH and there are optional (removable) English and Korean subtitles available. SPECIAL FEATURES: Cast & Crew; Trailer; Legends.

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Sculptures of the Louvre
Starring: Sculptures of the Louvre
Manufacturer: Koch Vision
ProductGroup: DVD
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A Louvre Treasure: Awakening Apollo
Treasures of Sacred Art - Tuscan Journeys
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The Louvre

ASIN: B000GNOH7I
Release Date: 2006-10-03

Description

From its beginnings as a royal fortress to the magnificent structure we see today, the Louvre Museum embodies the concept of that of a universal institution. Dedicated to conservation, restoration and the development of artistic treasures from all over the world, the Louvre welcomes over 6 million visitors through its doors each year and houses 35,000 works of art.

Sculptures of the Louvre is a 7-part series highlighting masterpieces of sculpture on exhibit. Each piece is put into its historical context - enabling a better understanding of the sculpture itself as well as the artistic movement that inspired it.

Slaves of Michelangelo
In 1513 Michelangelo began work on two male figures for the Mausoleum of Pope Julian II in St. Peter's Rome. The two masterpieces remain unfinished, uniquely revealing Michelangelo's genius.

The Horses of Marly
The two sculptures were made by Royal command forty years apart for the Chateau of Marly. Both technically comparable - the differences in treatment reveal the stylistic developments of the period.

The Vénus de Milo
Perhaps the most famous of all Greek classical sculptures, the Venus de Milo was recovered in 1820. But very little is known of its origin - even its subject is uncertain.

Bulls of Khorsabad
These Winged Bulls of King Sargon II from 1900 BC are amongst the greatest masterpieces of Assyrian art.

Cupid and Psyché
At the end of the 18th Century the great Italian sculptor Antonio Canova brought back life to this ancient legend.

Ramses II
Discovered at the ancient Egyptian site of Tanis, this statue is one of the most famous of all Egyptian royal sculptures but doubt exists to this day as to its real subject.

Customer Reviews:

Good, IF you don't have the Rousset DVD ..........2006-08-21

I have been watching this DVD of L'incoronazione di Poppea - the Musiciens du Louvre / Marc Minkowski recording - this past weekend. I quite like this DVD version of the opera, in spite of the cuts. However! I do have the Les Talens Lyriques' DVD directed by Christopher Rousset - a complete (uncut) interpretation which I found profoundly satisfying. I also have the VHS video of the Nikolaus Harnoncourt / VCM recording of this opera - which I enjoyed immensely some years ago, in spite of its many idiosyncracies. Minkowski has some tough competition!

The cast includes:
Poppea - Mireille Delunsch
Nerone - Anne Sofie von Otter
Ottavia - Sylvie Brunet
Ottone - Charlotte Hellekant
Seneca - Denis Sedov
Arnalta - Jean-Paul Fouchécourt
Drusilla, Virtù - Nicole Heaston
Damigella, Amore - Cassandre Berthon
Fortuna, Valletto - Allison Cook
Lucano, Soldato II - François Piolino
Famigliare I, Pallade - Thierry Grégoire
Famigliare II, Mercurio, Soldato I - Michael Bennett
Famigliare III - Ulas Inan- Inaç
Littore, Liberto - Luc Coadou
Les Musiciens du Louvre:
Violino I - 3 players
Violino II - 3 players
Viola (I & II) - 3 players
Violoncello - 3 players
Contrabasso - 2 players
Flûte à bec - 2 players
Cornetti - 2 players (beautifully played!)
Dulcian - 1 player
Viola da gamba - 1 player
Lirone & viola da gamba - 1 player
Theorbo - 5 players (!)
Harp - 2 players
Harpsichord & organ - 2 players
It is a nice production and in modern dress. In fact, the dress code seems to be very basic, a little "on the cheap", even! In fact, the sets are generally so non-descript that they could easily have been used for any "Post Modernist" production of Don Giovanni, Fidelio, Tristan und Isolde, Wozzeck or Waiting For Godot, for that matter!
There are cuts and I can sort of live with some of these, although one or two are depressing. The sound from Les Musiciens du Louvre is first class. The Baroque strings produce a rich and incisive timbre and the cornetti blend beautifully with the violins in the many ritornelli in which they are used. The continuo section is nice and large and it provides a great deal of colour in this recording.
The cast includes an excellent group of singers, which, I'm afraid to say, don't work nearly well enough together as an ensemble. I can live with women singing castrato parts if their voices are right and they can convince me to forget about their gender for a few hours. I am pretty cool with anyone singing any part - male, female, in-between, it doesn't bother me. It is more important to me that a person should convince me that they are the character they are playing .....

Monsieur Minkowski has the role of Nerone sung by Anne Sofie von Otter, a mezzo-soprano (the role of Nero was ostensively for a soprano castrato), and I am almost always a big fan for mademoiselle von Otter. She seems to play the role of Nerone as an overly enthusiastic aristocrat. Rousset has Brigitte Baileys, who seems to relish the perversity and sexual ambiguity of the role - she presents us with a Nerone who isn't above smooching the men close to him! Baileys throws herself into the role with total relish and gay (Gay?) abandon and is easily believable as the twisted emperor - be he/she gay, bisexual or a lesbian. Baileys' interpretation is now the one to beat, in my opinion.

The beautiful and talented Mireille Delunsch is monsieur Minkowski's Poppea. She is very much a "Sharon Stone à la Basic Instinct" Poppea - beautiful, blonde and unhinged. I am an utter fan of Delunsch and her interpretations of Iphigénie, Armide and Eurydice in the Minkowski recordings of Gluck's Paris operas were sublime and definitive, IMHO. She is very much the "high class crumpet" Poppea in this production. She is one of Minkowski's best assets, in my opinion. Maestro Rousset has Cynthia Haymon as his Poppea and she is a very different proposition - very much more the "working class girl on the make". She has a natural and beguiling "regalness" and it is clear that she is the kind of woman who could command the love of emperors. She doesn't dance around like a fool (as does Mireille Delunsch) in anticipation of her victory over the hapless Ottavia - she seems to be full of self-doubt almost until the end and she clearly still has feelings for Ottone (Michael Chance).

The role of Ottone is sung by Charlotte Hellekant in the Les Musiciens du Louvre DVD. After Michael Chance and Paul Esswood on DVD & VHS, respectively, and James Bowman's excellent Ottone on Richard Hickox's CD recording, I found it almost impossible to get used to a female voice in this role. Hellekant seems to be a mezzo-soprano and she seems to audibly "yawn" to get the low notes - the effect is a woman trying to sing low and, in this case, I found it very unconvincing. The role of Ottone is almost ideal for a countertenor and it fits this kind of voice perfectly. In her close fitting outfit, Charlotte Hellekant's breasts are conspicuous and little or no attempt has been made in this production to establish her in this role as a man. The role of Ottone is very much a male role and even with a female Nerone, I still believe that there are a considerable amount of advantages in having this role actually sung by a man. For whatever reasons, Charlotte Hellekant's Ottone seems far less sexually obsessed with Poppea than, say, Michael Chance (in the Rousset DVD). Charlotte Hellekant successfully conveys the dejection and frustrations of Ottone, but not his nearly mad obsession with this woman. Michael Chance is without peer in this role now. James Bowman in the Hickox CD recording on VIRGIN CLASSICS is excellent, too. Axel Köhler, the countertenor in the René Jacobs recording of the work, wasn't an impressive Ottone, in my opinion. Mademoiselle Hellekant would have made a plausible Nerone, however! - this role may have been in a more comfortable tessitura for her, too.

I like Minkowski's Ottavia - Sylvie Brunet. She seems to be not quite a devestated and distraught as Christophe Rousset's Ning Liang (whose performance was nothing short of "electric", in my opinion!), but she acquits herself well.

Denis Sedov is Rousset's Seneca and I like him. Like monsieur Rousset's Harry van der Kamp, Sedov could be considered a little young for this role, but like van der Kamp, he has a good voice and stage presence.

The role of Arnalta is sung with the incredible wit, wisdom, graces and humour of Jean-Paul Fouchécourt in both the Rousset and Minkowski productions of this opera. Fouchécourt almost steals the show on the Minkowski DVD and he really brings the role to life in both recordings.

Minkowski's Drusilla is Nicole Heaston, who tends to sing with a rapid vibrato sometimes. She has a nice voice and sings with pathos, but I found her a little ill-cast in this role. On the other hand, maestro Rousset has Heidi Grant Murphy in this role and her Drusilla is excellent - full of self doubt and doubt about Ottone's love and it shows. Nicole Heaston is a short and amply proportioned young lady and it beggars the imagination that she could swap clothes with the tall and slender Charlotte Hellekant for the attempted murder scence.

Marc Minkowski has some fine singers who sing each role quite nicely. Christophe Rousset has a brilliant cast with very well known and respected singers, even in the minor roles - not just a cast, but an ensemble.

Minkowski's recording (on Belair Classics) is cheaper than the Rousset recording on Opus Arte, and I am glad I have both, but if you're after a complete and totally satisfying L'incoronazione di Poppea on DVD, don't hesitate to buy the Christophe Rousset / Les Talens Lyriques production.

The most petulant Nerone teams up with the most sensuously determined Poppea.......2006-08-17

L'Incoronazione di Poppea is a remarkable opera - long one of my favourites, and an undoubted masterpiece. Its liveliness, its strongly character-filled plot, its gorgeous music, its sense of sardonic irony, its structural mastery make it an opera that reflects the full maturity of Claudio Monteverdi, who wrote this opera very late in his life.

I own several DVDs of the opera: the sumptuous version with Rachel Yakar (conducted by Harnoncourt - amazing and gorgeous, even though a tenor sings Nerone); the version conducted by Jacobs (again, gorgeous); the Maria Ewing one (quite interesting)... and I am expecting the Balleys version soon.

However, this particular performance on DVD has shot to first position in terms of its superb cast, excellent portrayals, wonderful sets, intelligent and exciting staging and the sheer sense of an exciting cohesiveness that runs through it. Anne Sofie von Otter needs no introduction - she is one of the world's greatest mezzo-sopranos and her performance here as a sulky and spoilt boy-emperor who WILL have what he wants, no matter who else is injured, is simply... remarkable. She sounds fantastic and her acting is flawless.

Mireille Delunsch has fast become a favourite soprano - her luscious and pure voice is ideally suited to so many roles in the operatic repertoire, Poppea included. It's elegantly seductive, and her portrayal demonstrates how single-mindedly Poppea is in her pursuit of the throne. Ms Delunsch's physical beauty adds glamour and believability to the role, and she sings as though God had poured out all possible loveliness into her voice. Her singing alone is worth the price of the DVD.

Charlotte Hellekant sings Ottavio, and it's a revelation. I've never heard her before, but mon Dieu, what a staggeringly good performer she is. She looks driven, emotionally gaunt, and her voice is a dark and pure contralto-mezzo sound that instantly speaks directly to the listener's emotions. She is outstandingly good.

In all, the entire performance is convincing, beautiful to look at, magnificent in its character threads and inter-character reactions. A great deal of thought has gone into this production - and it shows. This is what baroque opera is all about. In spite of its being performed in modern dress, it WORKS.

Wonderful, utterly wonderful! Recommended without hesitation.

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Louvre - La Visite

ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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French Impressionism at the Musee D'Orsay - Art and Splendor Series
The Louvre

ASIN: B000E73VPA

Belphegor Phantom of the Louvre [Region 3]

Average customer rating:

Sophie Marceau and Julie Christie in French Mummy Flick: No Suspence, Just Boring

Belphegor Phantom of the Louvre [Region 3]
Starring: Pierre Aussedat , Jean-François Balmer , Julie Christie , Juliette Greco , and Sophie Marceau
Director: Jean-Paul Salome
Manufacturer: Umvd Import
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B00008G68Y
Release Date: 2002-05-14

Customer Reviews:

Sophie Marceau and Julie Christie in French Mummy Flick: No Suspence, Just Boring.......2006-01-08

Beautiful Sophie Marceau stars in "Belphégor - Le fantôme du Louvre" ("Ghost of the Louvre"), a French occult thriller made in 2001. Though the film itself looks like a rip-off of Brendan Fraser's `the Mummy' (or its sequel), the story of Belphégor has a along history, which novelist Arthur Bernède created more than 70 years ago. There are silent film based on the character hiding in the Louvre in the 1920s, and TV mini-series in the 60s. (I haven't seen them, though. Anyway that's what I read on the net.)

This is a kind of film of which title tells you everything about its story. Yes, it is about Belphégor, the golden-colored CGI-created Ghost of the Louvre, terrifying the people working at the museum. And Sophie Marceau's heroine, who is living in a room across the street from the museum, strays into the place at night (in the most unbelievable way) where the sinister ghost roams. As the number of unaccountable deaths increases, Marceau starts to act more and more strangely, like scaring the kids showing off her erudition about Egypt, or leaping from wall to wall in a small room like a frog.

I am not kidding when I write jumping. Whatever the originals might have been, they could not be as awful as this new version is. The lack of direction is painfully obvious from the beginning, in which the film gives away its secret too early. There is no scare because every camera work is predictable, and the climax is no climax (you might not realize what really happened in the end.) In short, the film is an uninspired thriller.

Some people say, with good reasons, that the CGI mummy is impressive. Certainly, the special effects of the mummy gliding in the air are good itself, but the real question is how to use them. The image of Belphégor reminds me of the ghost in `The Haunting' (the remake, not Robert Wise original), in which expensive CGI deprived the film of any scares. While we should be scared, we are keenly aware that what we are watching is costly effects, not the ghost.

In spite of the ineffective direction, "Belphégor" is sometimes mildly entertaining for two reasons. One is that it is partly shot in the real Louvre, and beauty of the place and the city of Paris is undeniable. The other is Sophie Marceau herself. Even in this messy script she is beautiful, and that is something.

The film has interesting supports including veteran Michel Serrault, Frédéric Diefenthal, and Julie Christie. Yes, that's her in `Darling.' And there is a cameo of Juliette Gréco (from the original TV series) as the woman in the graveyard.

Critics attacked Hollywood blockbuster `The Mummy' for many reasons - CGI extravaganza or anything -- but even they would admit that they are entertaining films. "Belphégor" is not even that. It is not even a so-bad-so good film, just about Marceau and a dull mummy.

Average customer rating:

Review of Living Free
Pales in comparison to "Born Free"
Living Free
No Joy Here
Forgotten and forgettable sequel

Born Free & Living Free [Region 2]
Starring: Nigel Davenport , Susan Hampshire , Geoffrey Keen , Peter Lukoye , and Shane De Louvre
Director: Jack Couffer
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

( B ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Family Films | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video
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Born Free
An Elephant Called Slowly
Born Free the complete 3 part text
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Born Free: A Lioness of Two Worlds

ASIN: B0000UM0E4

Amazon.com

Customer Reviews:

Review of Living Free.......2007-03-29

Pales in comparison to "Born Free".......2006-03-21

Living Free.......2005-11-02

Once again I am reminded of how much I enjoyed the "Born Free" trilogy when I viewed this DVD. Anyone who loves lions, and the 1960's, should own and view all three movies.

No Joy Here.......2005-07-26

Forgotten and forgettable sequel.......2005-04-06

Average customer rating:

Comment dit-on "to yawn" en franc,ais?

A Louvre Treasure: Awakening Apollo
Starring: Awakening Apollo
Manufacturer: Arte
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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

General | Documentary | Genres | DVD | Video

Art & Artists | Special Interests | Genres | DVD | Video

( L ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

General | Foreign & International | Stores | DVD | Video

Sculptures of the Louvre
The Louvre
Civilisation: The Complete Series
Cache (Hidden)
Hermitage Masterpieces

ASIN: B000FBHCGE
Release Date: 2006-06-27

Description

In the heart of the Louvre Museum, the Apollo Gallery offers a dazzling display of rich tapestries, monumental paintings, gilded ornamentation, and even the French crown jewels. Dedicated to the Sun King, Louis XIV, nearly 350 years ago, the gallery contains two centuries of French art from Charles Le Brun to Eugene Delacroix.Over time, water damage had ruined parts of the vaulted ceiling and years of grime had dulled the magnificent paintings. In 2002, a team of 60 specialists, architects, conservationists, and carpenters embarked on a monumental three-year restoration, which returned the Apollo Gallery to its former splendor. In A LOUVRE TREASURE: AWAKENING APOLLO, documentary filmmaker Jerome Prieur (Origin of Christianity) chronicles the hard work and unique skills of the dedicated restoration experts who brought Apollo back to life. Along the way, tantalizing highlights from the 800-year history of the Louvre offer a "portrait" of the world's most famous museum.

Customer Reviews:

Comment dit-on "to yawn" en franc,ais?.......2007-03-27

This may be a good work for Francophiles. Also, people who loved visiting the Louvre may treasure it. However, this work was too boring and linguistically advanced for a high school French class. Though the interviewees seem to be speaking in a chronological order, I also think this would bore high school history classes.

The menu asks if you want to hear the discussion in French or English. Because it seemed not to offer the French language with English subtitles, I chose English. Instead of dubbing everything into English, a translator comes on when the experts are speaking in French. This happens in many non-fictional programs for short interviews. However, this became irksome for an entire work. Imagine hearing an American speaking English loudly and a French person whispering in French simultaneously for 90 minutes. It's that kind of annoying. Since the French original quotes start before and end after the translation, I suspect some words or sentences were edited.

Most documentaries have 5 interviewees at most. This had much, much more. There was one woman and one English speaker. There was an Asian expert speaking in French. Americans who don't know that there are French nationals of East Asian descent may be surprised by this.

This is simply not a winning program and I am confident that there are better alternatives out there.

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