1 comments about Roman Holiday.

1. A princess (Audery Hepburn) is petty much a prisoner of her position; she is on a European tour. While in Rome she has an opportunity to escape her overseers and join the local festivities. A freelance reporter (Gregory Peck) accidentally spots her hand knows who she is. Out for an exclusive interview he pretends to be a businessman and befriends her. Together they see the real Roam accompanied by his incognito photographer pal (Eddie Albert.)
   
   Does the reported get his exclusive and a ticket back to the states?
   Or do they setup house?
   Will the princess ever get caught?
   
   Everyone has fun and you will too.

5 comments about New Year's Concert in Vienna.

1. Stunning playing by one of the greatest orchestras in the world. This notoriously `difficult' band gives it all and more to the only conductor they truly have any respect for after Furtwangler.



2. Listening to the CD of this concert was my intro to the New Year's Concerts of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, so this particular one has special meaning. Not surprisingly, it is also my favorite. Now that the DVD has been released, one can see and experience it! Both the sound and picture are crisp and beautiful - the only way you could improve them would be to have the DVD in DTS format, but the DVD looks and sounds excellent!
   The selections presented in this concert include some of the Strauss family's best-known pieces along with some that you may not know. Still, no better orchestra to perform them than the Vienna Philharmonic. Their playing is spectacular, and as conductor, Carlos Kleiber enjoys one of his finest hours here (a feat he would later repeat in the 1992 concert.)
   These New Year's Concerts performed by the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra are works of art in themselves! Of course, there's no substitute for seeing one live in person, but sitting back and experiencing this DVD in your home theater comes very close!
   I highly recommend this DVD to anyone who is either fond of the music of the Strauss family or of good classical music, period. Now, in closing, I have just one question: when will the rest of the New Year's Concerts be released and made available on DVD?



3. Truly inspirational playing. A match made in heaven. The VPO and Kleiber.
   This concert oozes élan and consummate artistry on a level hard to imagine. Must be seen to be believed.



4. Klieber does not leave anything to chance and refines all subtleties of the music not found in other performances of Strauss' works. His pianissimos are done with aplomb and will move the discerning afficionado. He even memorized the entire concert and conducts completely from memory and his heart! This is the best DVD I have of anything.



5. I own two DVDs of Kleiber's New Year's Concerts with the Vienna Philharmonic, 1989 and 1992, and I am guaranteed to have wonderful music for a new year's day no matter who's actually conducting the concert that year.

No comments about Olympic National Park.

5 comments about Fireplace - Visions of Tranquility: Soothing Music and Natural Sounds.

1. Though not a total disaster, I thought the visuals were less than great. Shots move around too much and the background fireplaces are not that impressive.
   
   However, I do like the 'Christmas Goes Baroque' backgroung music, though it is better as an audio than when the distracting video is running.
   
   Overall, I'd suggest a different fireplace DVD.



2. I bought this DVD, despite warnings here that it was a "waste of money," because it was the only DVD that offered a wide screen mode. We have moved to an old house where the fireplace can no longer be used. It seemed like the perfect time to put a flat screen TV right where the fire screen would be. What fun! We bought an extra DVD player so that all we have to do is change the input and voila we have the fire because this DVD is always running on that second player. It is amazing how much having this DVD on in the background warms up the room (well, maybe it is all the electronics producing the heat). This is no longer a two-DVD set; the whole scene is now on just one dvd which can be changed to play fire crackle with or without music. We like the music selections, but we play the DVD so much that we get tired of what's on the DVD. Now we play other music on our stereo speakers while keeping only the fire crackle going on our TV speakers. We work at home and used to have a news channel running in the background; now we mostly have this. The change of perspective on the fire works well for our use because we don't sit and stare at it, but rather just glance from time to time while enjoying the fire's sound and ambience.



3. The view of the fireplace is not seen at all. The fire is more of a closeup of different angles / times. The picture quaility is good though. This DVD is not in widescreen. It is 1.33:1 (standard). The soundtrack / music is all classical music, which is ok with me, except the modern tunes. Please, "Jolly old St. Nicholas and Up on the housetop" is not what I would consider pieces to play in the classical style.
   
   The music is in either Dolby surround or DTS, and your sound options are: 1. Fireplace only, 2. Music only (in either surround)or 3. Music and fire (in either surround). The music is too pronounced in the foreground, if you were to turn the sound down because the music is "waking the kids up on x-mas eve", you wont hear the fire crackling.
   
   I would have perfered a fireplace from edge to edge, STATIONARY video and better mixed levels between audio and fire sounds.



4. The reason MOST people buy a video of a fireplace is either for kitch value or to actually replicate the exact view of a fireplace in action. In either case, you are expecting a continuous view/loop of a stationery framed image of a fireplace with a fire in it. A rectangular box containing a fire. This is not the case with this DVD. If you are looking for what I described above, this is definitely NOT the video for you. I truly feel the packaging and description are misleading, except maybe that they use the word "visions" plural.



5. This was a gift for my son. He had the original VCR tape and was always played on Christmas eve and Christmas day and then, it finally gave up the ghost! He was thrilled to have his ambiance back again and is very pleased with the quality.

5 comments about Roman Holiday.

1. I love this movie. I watched it right before my trip to Rome. The sights have not changed a bit and it's such a cute story line. Old black and white movies are so classic and so is Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck. It portrays Rome so well.



2. Princess Ann (Audrey Hepburn) is tired of the royal life. She is required to behave in such a silly way and she has no time to enjoy herself. She visits city after city without any real change of scenery and she's tired of it. No one in her employ will help her achieve any excitement, so she takes matters into her own hands and escapes. Reporter Joe Bradley (Gregory Peck) finds her, and recognizes her for who she really is. What a story! He takes her home and plans his story, but can't let her know that he knows. The two spend a perfect day together on the town experiencing life as neither have done before.
   
   This movie is brilliantly executed. The cast is perfect and William Wyler's stylish direction puts Roman Holiday a cut above ordinary romantic comedies. The story is innocent enough for children to relish, but it rings true for adults too. Every new endeavor is a little adventure, so this film is exciting again and again even with repeated viewing.



3. Roman Holiday -
   Audrey Hepburn, a young stressed princess, experiences life without schedules and guards when she sneaks outside her country's embassy in Rome after being given sleeping medication. Gregory Peck, a poor newspaper reporter trying to earn enough money to get back to NY, thinks she is drunk and doesn't want her to be picked up by the police.
   
   Thereafter follow several comedic scenes. He follows her around to get a real inside scoop on the life of a princess... His friend (Eddie Albert)brings a hidden camera. They tour several famous places in Rome, ending up back where she started in the shadow of the embassy on a boat and suddenly surrounded by several secret service agents from her own country. They end up falling in love and hence the interesting ending when she discovers who he really is.
   
   The extra material, some told by Eddie Albert's son, tells you interesting side lights as to what part each of the actors put into making the movie unique. I had already seen the movie when I purchased this... It is a classic Audrey Hepburn film.



4. It is hard to read some of these reviews and not scratch one's head. To think, for example, that Cary Grant would have been better in this film is crazy. Cary Grant is a knowitall sophisticate. He would have wrecked the film. The whole point of the film is that everyone is innocent and learning how to be truly noble as adults. Only Gregory Peck could have carried off the male role without making him appear naive or an idiot. All the sexuality in it is very, very carefully dealt with -- one false move, and it would have crashed and burned. The film is about restraint and duty.
   
   It was Audrey Hepburn's best film. The final scenes -- so understated, but speaking volumes -- are brilliantly acted. Of course, nobody would behave like these two now. And of course we are so much better off. Sure we are.



5. Possibly my favorite romance of all time, ROMAN HOLIDAY is a heart-wrenching, charming and timeless tale of a young Princess Ann(Audrey Hepburn) who runs away and ends up in the arms of wise newspaperman Joe Bradley(Gregory Peck).
   
   Of course through a handful of events by random happenstance Joe and Ann fall in love, and their chemistry is really beautiful.
   
   "Do you have a silk nightgown with rosebuds?" "I haven't worn a nightgown in years!"
   
   Gregory Peck is a dream, and Audrey Hepburn is simply stunning in her oscar-winning performance. In addition, Eddie Albert adds the perfect amount of 'comedy relief'.
   
   It's one of those movies that you never feel the desire to fast-forward through and the end will make your heart shatter no matter how many times you have seen it unfold before.
   
   Couldn't you just die as he exits and 'the end' comes up on that screen? Just Amazing.

3 comments about Stranger in the Woods: The Movie.

1. My child and I really enjoyed this video. A great way to celebrate the beginning of Winter with your little ones and the entire family.
   I plan to give this as gifts and include some bird seed....



2. I gave several of these vidoes for Christmas presents.It is a delightful story told by narration, music and still and live photography. The photography is exceptional. Both children and adults will be charmed by the story and the characters.
   I highly recommend both the book and the video.



3. Just average. The book is much better to use with children.

No comments about Berlin Philharmonic: New Year's Gala 1996.

3 comments about Washington, DC: An Inspiring Tour.

1. I picked up a copy of this DVD at the Postal Museum in DC and for the most part, it's informative and enjoyable. It seems to be slightly dated but the bonus material is nice. I would give it 4 stars but the cheesy soundtrack seems to have been composed on a $50 Casio keyboard by a high school student and soon becomes very annoying.



2. OUTSTANDING REVIEW, and you will not be disappointed. Contrary to other reviewer, music was not my issue for purchasing this, it was for educational information, and incredible views that I could not get myself with my own video camera or still pictures. BUY IT!



3. I watched this with 2 teenagers because we are going to Washington,DC soon. It was informative and did not put us to sleep.

No comments about Mezzogiorno Sicily: Palermo, Palermo.....

No comments about Africa Travel Guides: Kenya Safari Lodges, City Hotels & Beach Resorts.