2 comments about Holiday Double Feature: The Tin Soldier/Rumpelstiltskin.

1. I have loved this version of Rumpelstiltskin my whole life. I CANNOT believe it is on DVD soon. I am forever grateful. The cartoon version on the front made me think it might be him, and it was! The exact one I grew up with!
   
   The animation is haunting and his personality is amazing. I love the songs. I'm sorry, but this DVD release is going to be a MUST-BUY for me. THANK YOU FHE!!!



2. Screen acting legend Christopher Plummer narrates these two cherished tales based on the works of Hans Christian Andersen and The Brothers Grimm. Children of all ages can sing along with these animated classics that the whole family will enjoy! The toys come to life in "The Tin Soldier!" This poignant tale of a steadfast, one-legged grenadier has inspired children since it first appeared in print in 1838, and remains a beloved parable of duty and sacrifice. It even inspired the smash hit "Toy Story!" "Rumpelstiltskin" is perhaps the most famous dwarf in all of folklore! This tale of the mysterious little man who could spin straw into gold has fascinated children for nearly two centuries, and remains a popular bed-time story around the holidays and year 'round!.

5 comments about The Audrey Hepburn DVD Collection (Roman Holiday / Sabrina / Breakfast at Tiffany's).

1. The DVD won't play at all. (the other 2 is okay) For some reason our player cannot read this DVD. Is it possible if i can return it? Please advice.
   
   Also, follow up on the Microwave rice cooker that I ordered , until now I haven't received it. Please advice if you sent it too..
   tks.



2. Love Audrey, especially Sabrina Fair. Full of glamour and fun, especially good for watching while on a treadmill.



3. I was thrilled when I saw that you could buy 3 of the best Audrey Hepburn movies all in one. Each one of these movies is fantastic, and I would encourage everyone to see them. Audrey Hepburn gives a flawless performance in each one. Sabrina is constantly overlooked and yet one of my favorites. Audrey stars opposite Humphrey Bogart in Sabrina, and the two shine. This is a movie set that every DVD collection needs!



4. In this astounding collection featuring some of Audrey Hepburn's best movies, (Roman Holiday, Sabrina, Breakfast at Tiffany's) she is just as charming and beautiful as ever. Hepburn is an incredible actress who is one of the greatest fashion icons ever, and shows it in these three wonderful movies.



5. I bought this collection after seeing Sabrina one night on tv. The three films included are really just beautiful stories, but each one is drastically different than the last. They've made me fall in love with Audrey Hepburn. I watch them over and over again, each movie is good for different moods.
   
   The best part of any Audrey Hepburn film, imho is her personal style. I find myself trying out scarves, pearls, and other feminine items I never would have thought - all because she wore them so well.
   
   Anyways, I just love this set. It's one of the few DVD sets I would not want to get rid of.

3 comments about Buster & Chauncey's Silent Night.

1. It is a great movie for the Christmas holiday's I bought it my self and I really enjoyed it along with my daughter Amy who is 8 yrs old .

   You should have this with your other Christmas movies like I do.




2. My children love this video. They play it, just as most toddlers tend to, over and over. It is truly entertaining and portrays the true meaning of Christmas. The story centers around an orphan by the name of Christina. From a series of misadventures she learns about love and forgiveness. I heartily recommend this to all parents of small children.



3. There are better offerings out there at this price. The animation is decent and the storyline had potential, but it fails to deliver. The lead characters seem to morph personalities during the course of the cartoon (poor writing).
   
   In other words, there is a reason why you've never seen this during prime time on network TV...

5 comments about Monterey Jazz Festival: 40 Legendary Years.

1. Just conversation about the Monterey Jazz Festival. Absolutely no music. Absolutely deceitful. What a ripp off. Shame on the producer(s) and all who took part in this joke on music / jazz lover. Your karma sucks!
   
   LSmith



2. I am a long-time listener/viewer/collector of all things jazz. This is, by far , the worst jazz video out there. I am not going to waste my time even giving you the details on this why I think this way. I was suckered in on this video -hoping for the best. Don't make the same mistake that I did. DO NOT BUY THIS!!!!



3. I only acquired this as a Patrice Rushen completist.
   
   This DVD is an absolute waste to time, effort and your money .... leave well alone



4. Looks and sounds more like a tourist information campaign than a thorough review of the legendary musical material that was presented and performed all those years.



5. An interesting history lesson, but just not enough on the performance side, which is really too bad. Unless one is a MJF freak I'd spend my money elsewhere.

1 comments about Christmas: The Classic Television Collection.

1. The best thing about this DVD set is the packaging. It is very attractive. It is also misleading. Echo Bridge Entertainment is just a repackaging of Platinum Disc Corporation (PDC) product. The problem with PDC is that this company inserts the company name and logo onto the bottom right hand corner of the screen periodically throughout the program. I have never been able to overlook any program that does this to deter pirating. It takes away from the nostalgic feel of watching a vintage television program or movie. Vintage Entertainment practices this as well, so I have resisited buying any more product from them. If this sort of thing does not really bother you, then you may very well enjoy the diverse programming on this set of DVDs. It includes Burns and Allen, A Date With the Angels, Dragnet, Four Star Playhouse, Annie Oakley and The Racket Squad, among others. Each program is separated by the PDC intro as well, so you are constantly being reminded of what company has released this. Otherwise, it would be a nice collection of early holiday programming.

5 comments about The Kid Who Loved Christmas.

1. 100



2. This movie explores the Christmas spirt and unconditional love through the eyes of a child, as he tries to get the one present that he truely wnts for Christmas.



3. This is the best Santa Claus I have ever seen. Are you sure Mr. Seidelman didn't go to North Pole and hire the real one?



4. This is the best Santa Claus I have ever seen. Are you sure Mr. Seidelman didn't go to North Pole and hire the real one?



5. I first saw this movie on the Lifetime for Women network channel. I thought it was a touching and heartwarming story of a family trying to stay connected despite tragedy and obstacles. It is so refreshing to see African-Americans depicted as what they are: flesh and blood human beings. I rarely see this movie run during the holiday season. I am so glad I was able to purchase this video through an Amazon seller in order that my children see Christmas and the holiday spirit reflected in their beautiful Black images. The movie can be a little over the top with drama, but aren't most holiday movies? This movie needs to be on DVD. I loved the acting and the message of unconditional love and family.

2 comments about Mgm Cartoon Christmas.

1. This is a wonderful tape that will hopefully either be re-released, or released on DVD.

   Several cartoons from MGM are featured, with the theme of Christmas at their center. One of the four includes the delightful "The Pups' Christmas", in which two puppies cause holiday havoc when they discover the wonderous world under the Christmas tree. A real treat from pre-WWII Rudolf Ising's animation.

   The centerpiece of the collection is, of course, "Peace on Earth". The time was 1938, and director Hugh Harman saw the clouds of war blackening the horizon. A veteran of World War I, he was determined to do whatever he could to tell the world of the stupidity of war. Teaming up with Fred Quimby (who helmed the famous cat and mouse antics of Tom and Jerry), together they surpassed all expectations for an animated short.

   The story tells what happened to Men, and why only animals now live in the world. Grandpa Squirrel (voiced by Mel Blanc), tells his grandchildren about the race of Men, who have now become all but mythical. Grandpa decribes War from an innocent animal perspective; War makes no sense, none whatever, but this is what Men did anyway.

   The animation is superb, and is an easy marriage of cute, furry animal characters, and a highly detailed and somewhat graphic depiction of Men at War. The real-life WWI memories of Harman on the design of the Men and their war machines are obvious.

   MGM just didn't know what to make of the film. It had furry cartoon animals, but a clearly adult message. Happily, unlike today's PC crowd of executives would have, MGM chose to release the cartoon anyway, and hoped for the best. The result was an Oscar nomination.

   Clearly one of the twenty best of all cartoons ever made, "Peace on Earth" is a forgotten and overlooked gem. For a short filler cartoon, "Peace on Earth" rivals Disney's best efforts of the same time period, I kid you not. Sadly, "Peace on Earth" was not the herald of similar efforts in animation at MGM. If it had been, today we might be saying, "Disney, who?"

   This particular tape can be obtained for a low cost, so if you truly love cartoon animation, you must get a copy as soon as you can.




2. My friends and I rented this tape by chance one Christmas and it immediately became an annual "must-see." The first three cartoons contain rather violent slapstick and have nearly as many creepy or puzzling moments as funny ones. If you are a Tom & Jerry fan, they should be right up your alley. The last cartoon, "Peace on Earth," is well done but a bit depressing. I know it's supposed to make you think, but still I recommend having something else a litle more cheerful lined up to watch immediately afterwards to restore your Christmas spirit.
   
   These cartoons are a nice antidote to the treacly animated specials that seem to be everywhere around Christmastime. Perhaps too scary for very young children, I'd recommend the MGM Cartoon Christmas for ages 8 and up.

No comments about The Puzzle Place: Deck the Halls.

5 comments about Carols From King's / Choir of King's College, Cambridge · Stephen Cleobury.

1. This DVD has three separate parts - the Christmas program televised in the UK in 2000, made up of carols and Christmas readings; a conversation among the three living Directors of Music at King's - Sir David Willcocks, Sir Philip Ledger, and the current incumbent, Stephen Cleobury; and what must have been the first of such carol programs recorded in the chapel in 1954.

   The choir is best known for its annual radio broadcast of "A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols" which began in 1929 and has been heard on public radio stations in the USA since 1979.

   Quite frequently, BBC Television have recorded a holiday program which is like Nine Lessons and Carols but is not "it." "It" is the live radio broadcast. Full stop. This recording is of the television program.

   The 1954 recording will be of interest to King's fanatics and choral directors who will enjoy the leisurely tempi of Boris Ord, the director of music in that day. And the conversation will be of interest mainly to the hardiest fans of King's and its choir and musical leadership.

   The glory of this DVD is the carol service with readings from the recorded-for-television program in 2000 which is given a sumptuous visual treatment with audio to match, and a wide ranging array of Christmas music from the very well known to the ought-to-be-very well known.

   I have never seen the chapel and choir shown as magnificently as it is here. This DVD is the very closest thing to being in the chapel as the afternoon light fades to blackness, and this choir of sixteen boys and fourteen men, carries your spirit into places you can only imagine.

   (I produced the original Christmas Eve radio broadcast in the USA over two decades ago, so I have been to the chapel and heard the choir often over the last twenty-five years. This is a "must have" recording, and if you don't have a DVD player, then this recording alone should be the strongest encouragement to do so.)

   Surround sound is included, and based on a couple of hearings, I guess I'm going to have to invest in that new technology to hear the remarkable acoustic of King's Chapel even more wonderfully than it already is in stereo.

   [Update as of 2/26/02: A "[...] colleague" encouraged me to upgrade to surround sound, and needing no more excuse than that, I have, and can report that the result produces in me the same emotional effect that being in the chapel for Evensong does. It just takes my breath away.]

   A remarkable accomplishment in terms of program, images, and sound. In a word, "awesome," but in the original sense of that word.




2. I found Carols From King's while browsing in NYC. It was a featured selection so that I could put on the headphones and check it out. Wow! I'm not that impulsive but it was an immediate buy. I'm also not a fan of chorus/choir music - at all. This is .... well if God himself wanted proof of why we are worthy of anything .. I'd put this DVD on.

   I normally wouldn't even write a review. Someone has done a fine job of that but I noticed two things - the gentleman didn't have surround sound and also was involved in the broadcast of this in some way in the past. So, I thought that some people might be hesitant to purchase based on those issues.

   Please, if you want to hear something glorious do yourself a favor and purchase this DVD! Somehow they not only captured the terrific voices, the grand organ but they also were able to intelligently capture the reverberations off of the stone walls. You will believe that you have a ticket to the actual performance.

   Caveats: The audio options are DTS 5.1 recording and 2.0 PCM Stereo. The 2.0 stereo is quite good but the DTS option is the only way to fly. So if you don't have DTS decoding you might want to pass - until you get it.

   (...) Naxos of America is distributing this in the U.S. (originally a BBC/Opus Arte production). (...) This is a pity as the time to market this title was two months ago. I've also seen this listed as Chorus from King's (1954). This does this DVD a disservice as it would appear to be just some old recording made into a DVD. (...)




3. I'm a wee bit out of season reviewing this DVD in September,but it was amongst a batch of classical items that my local retailer was offering at seriously reduced prices.Needless to say my wallet was out faster than you could say "Silent night",and I hastily hauled it back to my Highland hideout.
   Now,I've been a regular listener to the "Festival of nine lessons and carols" for many years now,and it's been my wont to spend Christmas Day wandering the snowy hills and glens near my home.Come 3pm I make quite sure to tune my portable radio (a very good Roberts "R972" if you are in the market for excellent broadcast sound on the move !) into the BBC to catch the solo (must surely rank as one of the most nerve-wracking program openings of all time !) treble's first ethereal annunciation of "Once in royal David's city".It always gives me Goosebumps and strangely this lone voice from one of England's greatest Christian chapels is quite simply the catalyst "sine qua non" that makes you (wherever in the world you may be ) feel that Christmas Day is truly upon you,and it's impossible to envisage a future festive season from which this absolute institution will be absent.

   Until now,I've just had to use my imagination to actually visualise the service as it takes place in the incomparably beautiful King's College Chapel,Cambridge.Therefore,what an absolute treat to sit back and watch this beautifully presented disc,and finally see the choir and clergy stand ready for the procession in front of the glorious painting,"Adoration of the Magi" by Rubens.It's almost worth while pressing "pause" right there and then and just admiring that gorgeous still image for about half an hour or so ! In fact,you might just wear out that pause button because there is a host of sumptuous images to come and despite the fairly restricted camera angles available due to the unusually long oblong shape of the chapel,we get some stunning shots of the windows and plenty of that near-miraculous "fan-vaulted" roof that apart from defying gravity almost defies belief that it was actually built (in 3 short years from 1512-15) by human hands.

   Forgive me if I leave the technical and scholarly analysis of the actual singing (glorious,in my humble opinion)to other reviewers with rather more of a musical education than I've experienced,and just tell you that I found the whole viewing of this year 2000 service a most moving and marvellous experience,despite the fact that I was watching it almost exactly three months out of season.Amongst several highlights for me was the lovely rendition of "In the bleak mid-winter".Naturally it's the Rossetti poem we all know and love,but perhaps the arrangement by Harold Darke (the choir's conductor during the war years) is not the usual one that you,or I are most familiar with.Nevertheless,it's quite gorgeous and I really thought the choir sung as a completely integrated body in this particular carol.Also particularly affecting was the touching rendition of the anonymous (set to music by B.Chilcott) "Shepherd's Carol".There is that lovely line in the second verse "Silence more lovely than music" ,which as a sentiment is completely disproved by the beautifully floated delivery from our talented choristers !

   There is a menu option that allows you to cut out all the readings and spoken parts and just listen to the music in sequence,but useful as this is,I think it's a shame to so drastically edit the service as broadcast,and besides the delivery of the various college and city representatives are attractively earnest and sincere.One big surprise was the appearance of the renowned singer Robert Tear (himself a former choral scholar at King's and now Honorary Fellow) who read (most effectively) a poem by William Drummond.

   The two superb bonus items on this DVD are the fascinating "time-capsule", first ever TV broadcast of the service from 1954 when Boris Ord was Director of music.The sound is understandably a bit "care-worn" but when the quality of performance is as good as this it doesn't really matter,and your ears soon adjust to the audio soundworld of nearly half a century ago.Amazing to see the iron control that Ord has over the choir and this seems to be a hypnotic rather than physical influence on his part.

   The second bonus is a most civilised and charmingly courteous conversation between the three most recent Directors of Music that takes place in the studious and scholarly atmosphere of a room overlooking the college quad.The legendary Sir David Willcocks and the only slightly less legendary Sir Philip Ledger and Stephen Cleobury (Director of the 2000 service) gently reminisce about their respective periods in charge of the choir.I found it fascinating to listen in on their shared anecdotes and it really gave me some good insights on the pleasures,pitfalls and profound pride that is involved in running such a national choral treasure.

   I can wholeheartedly recommend and endorse this Christmas "cracker" of a DVD to you,and quite honestly,if it has the effect of putting me in the festive mood on September the 25th;then just imagine what it will do for you on the day itself !




4. What can one say? -- this is the Choir of King's College Cambridge performing their renowned Christmas offering, Nine Lessons and Carols.
   
   But avid listeners to the Christmas Eve radio broadcast of Nine Lessons and Carols may be disappointed on a few counts. Much of the 2000 service on the DVD comes across more like a performance made for BBC television (which I think it is) than as a service. As such, it at times lacks the emotion of the live radio broadcast.
   
   Poems and such are often read, replacing some of the traditional scripture readings. I find that a travesty. And, unlike the radio broadcast, we aren't treated to a boy chorister reading the first scripture lesson. Not having a very British, very earnest boyish reading of the first scripture lesson takes away an important part of the Nine Lessons experience. You might as well have Kid Rock sing the first verse of Once in Royal David's City.
   
   The camera work is often mechanical focusing on the same choristers over and over again, while neglecting others.
   
   And it ends badly with the ending organ voluntary truncated.
   
   The music is still wonderful, of course, with excellent sound, rising above the aforementioned shortcomings. Those with good surround sound especially rave about the sound quality. My speakers and surround sound are both a bit dated, but I was still impressed myself.
   
   And, a nice touch, the chapel slowly darkens during the performance as it does on Christmas Eve.
   
   A special historic treat on the DVD is the first ever television recording of the Nine Lessons service from 1954. Of course, the sound and picture are not up to 21st Century standards. But this recording retains much of the gravity, emotion, and realness of the service that today's television productions can squeeze out. The historic nature of this recording alone makes this DVD worthwhile.
   
   The conversation between the last three directors of the King's College Choir is also of interest to any fan of the choir.
   
   Although the 2000 production should stick more closely to the wonderful traditional Christmas Eve service, this is still an excellent DVD. I played it for hours and hours as soon as I got it.
   
   Mark Marshall is the author of God Knows What It's Like to be a Teenager.



5. Since the 1960s the BBC has done a TV show recorded earlier in the month of the Choir of King's College singing Carols. It is a hour show and is based on the Service of Nine Lessons and Carols. It is not the Service, but gives much the same readings and lessons. The TV show has freedom of lessons and number. Thus you will find a reading from a sermon, a poem, etc.
   
   My favorite item on the DVD is the 1950s first TV broadcast which is based more on the Service of Nine Lessons and Carols. The sound is not equal to the newer items, but that issue aside, it is a great dvd.

2 comments about Disney's Sing Along Songs - 12 Days of Christmas.

1. this video is a exellent overview of disney's musical talents featuring x-mas, this isn't even the movies and it is dreadful This video is short and not really fufilling in any way I suggest that the full movies should be bought and forget this made up stuff



2. My four year old has learned a lot from this video. If your child likes Disney characters then this is a must buy. Yes, it
   is shorter than a movie. But my son likes me to watch it with him and we sing and dance to each song. I'm glad it's not a 2 hour movie! He sees the words across the screen and is learning new words that way. Xmas is over but we watch it everyday.