5 comments about The Wizard Of Oz: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack - The Deluxe Edition.

1. My only complaint may be that this collection has too much on it. I never realized how many songs are played in the background and not in the forefront of the movie. Thoroughly entertaining and well worth the money.



2. I absolutly love this set. It has all the songs and music from the movie, plus music to scenes that have been cut. It feels a little like watching an uncut version of the movie (with no visuals or dialogue). Of course, the main attractions are the songs heard in the movie. Even if you just want the songs, this set is great (although a four rating would be more appropriate if you only want songs). My only complaints involve the two WInkie songs on the set: The March of the Winkies do not include the 'Oh ee Oh' chant, and the reprise of Ding-Dong with the Winkies lost the background music and all but the lead singer. Other than that, this is a great set.



3. This is IT, folks! The ULTIMATE Wizard of OZ (aka, WOO) soundtrack/score album!
   
   Man, this is just Beautiful, believe me! What's amazing to me is how a man of 60 years (almost) has this bank in his brain for so many elements from this absolutely magnificent film. (How the Hell could Gone With the Wind have even been considered as "Best Picture" against this Timeless Classic? I think the intervening years have proven the "MPA" very wrong on this one. There is no way that this picture, and it's most wonderful musical soundtrack/score do not go to the top of the "Best Movies of All Time" list. Right up there right behind "Citizen Kane", which would make it #2, I believe.
   
   The folks at Rhino Records have taken this material and have lovingly and carefully cleaned it all up, and remastered it with the utmost care, and then, they have created a truly beautiful, deluxe package to "keep" it in! Those of us who treasure all things "OZ", especially from the movie, will find themselves thinking "I wish I'd bought this before!" You will be so pleased when you hear things that have never been released before from the score on records, LP's, previous CD's, etc. Truly a Priceless Album that you will delight in and treasure. What a treat when one is having a "bad day" to pop this into their player and be transported to the wonderful land of "Oz" for an hour and a half.....the best stress reliever I know! Order yourself a copy of this beautifully packaged and presented set, and ENJOY! ~operabruin



4. A lot of the extra songs are just meadley's of the hits but if you are a huge fan there are some neat audio goodies.



5. great great great condition and great price
   
   thank you

5 comments about The Best of James Bond 30th Anniversary.

1. These songs are so fine. From Shirley Bassey to Ah-Ha they conjure up vivid images of that super cool spy that every man dreams of being for a moment. John Barry's arrangements are a style all his own. I love it.



2. This is exactly what I was looking for. I would recommend this to anyone looking for a good mix of Bond classics.



3. With so many James Bond theme imitations out there, it was refreshing to finally find the originals on Amazon. Even iTunes does not have this. There is only 1 Shirley Bassey, Carly Simon, Anthony Newley, etc. This is it, forget anything else. Even the newer themes don't match up to the first 007 themes.



4. This is worth every penney! The only James Bond album you'll ever need. The original music, not some take-off instrumentals.



5. whether played by Sean CONNERY, Roger MOORE, George LAZENBY, Timothy DALTON, Pierce BROSNAN, Daniel CRAIG, or even by David NIVEN in the sixsties comedy 007 CASINO' ROYALE (1967), James BOND is the greatest spy ever!!! So it's his music!!!!

5 comments about Amadeus: The Complete Original Soundtrack Recording.

1. I saw this movie for the first time at sixteen and was immediately captured by the music. Sure, I'd heard Mozart in the past...but never quite so well done! Sir Neville Marriner and the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields brought the music to life on a level I've yet to hear matched.
   
   The choice of compositions was perfect not only for those appreciating the movie, but also anyone interested in a "Greatest Hits" album. Obviously, this is a subjective assessment. But I do believe that the Amadeus soundtrack provides an excellent starting point for someone who might be new to Mozart and interested in some highlights from his amazing career. Here we have selections ranging from chamber music up to the best symphony orchestra and imperial opera.
   
   In September of last year, I had an opportunity to hear the full Requiem performed in Amsterdam's Westerkerk and I was carried back to the first time I heard the composition in the late 1980s. The version of Requiem on this album is abbreviated, but it does represent the high points of Introitus, Dies Irae, Rex Tremendae Majestatis, Confutatis, and Lacrimosa.
   
   This is an exceptional production all around - from the instruments, to the voices, all the way to the recording itself. Every element contributes to a finished work of sophistication and grace. Highly recommended!



2. How could anything by Mozart that is recorded by such professionals be anything but beautiful? The selection of music is superb, magnificently performed and recorded.
   
   I was disappointed though, that some of the music is not that used in the film. For example, the "Queen of the Night" Aria was sung by June Anderson according to the film credits, but is not on the CD. The soprano on the CD is lovely but June really was special in the film. Also many of the recording in the film were in English were as they are not on the recording. Good English recordings are difficult to find.
   
   Overall, 5 stars for quality, but loses one star for the lack of "trueness" to the film.



3. A physicist tried to explain to his class the most complex theory in physics, something called the Unified Field Theory that Einstein passed away before solving, and no one has solved to this date. Wait, said the teacher, I have it! The instructor whipped out a CD of Mozart's Marriage of Figaro and played the K 492 - Act 4: Ah Tutti Contenti. In the film Amadeus, this is the piece that F. Murray Abraham, in the character of Salieri, praises as the first kind statement of a husband to a wife in years, which explodes into a musical dialog of reconciliation.
   
   I was thinking about this and Russian dolls when I opened a large box that arrived last week. I was expecting a CD, I thought, so what's inside this huge box? Well, 7/8 of the box was air, literally inside bubble wrap. And then the packaging of the box set itself, and then, cut into a small hole in the box set itself, was a standard size CD jewel case. Granted, the reason for the large packaging was the inclusion of a beautiful vinyl album sized collection of pictures and information from the film and track listing.
   
   But, back to the metaphor on physics, after playing the 3 CDs in the case, I felt that no box on the planet, indeed in the whole universe, would have been big enough to contain this music.
   
   No one can say enough about the performances of St. Martin of the Fields. I was also greatly impressed by the piano performances by all the performers, especially Imogen Cooper's playing of Mozart: Piano Concerto In D Minor, K 466 - 2. Romanza.
   
   Also granted, as others have noted here, some of the Opera performances could have been more fully represented, and there are other renowned recordings, especially of the Operas, that are undeniably better.
   
   But as an almost complete collection, any Mozart lover, indeed any music lover, should not be without this box set, the accompaniment to my favorite film of all time.
   
   



4. In the 1830 Russian poet Alexander Pushkin wrote his "Mozart and Salieri". It followed one of the (many) rumors around Mozart's early death current in Europe of then. According to it Salieri had poisoned Mozart. It is actually from that moment on that this version became a dominant one for a long lasting period. And this is the only vice of Pushkin's "Mozart and Salieri".
   Salieri was mostly rehabilitated when Peter Shaffer's play was written, than arrived Forman's movie. Both works by themselves are highly talented and exciting, but just as Pushkin's poem they make a great and unworthy injustice with Salieri, who definitely was not a mediocrity, to put it mildly. The Soundtrack just follows the same path. True, there was not much of Salieri music in "Amadeus", but there surely were more of it than just Axur's finale. As one reviewer has noted here, even this 3 CD's compilation is incomplete, and for me this incompleteness shows itself most boldly because of the aforementioned lack of Salieri's pieces.
   So it is Mozart's part of Amadeus rater than the complete movie soundtrack. Regarded as such it is undoubtedly great and awesome. One may suppose when it comes to Mozart, no interpretation can injure the music of this genius. It is unfortunately not the case, and actually there exist some performances that completely robes Mozart' music. Happily this is not applied to Neville Marriner and Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields approach. I can only point to somehow disappointing Eine kleine Nachtmusik interpretation, as also was pointed by another reviewer previously. It makes an impression of superficiality and over-lightness. Amongst many other much more impressing performances, I Musici's one from their Philips's compilation may be noted.
   But the rest of the Mozart's trucks are excellent indeed.
   Highly recommended.



5. Unlike an in depth study of his genius, this is a very well put together sampler of Mozart. Performance and sound quality are both excellent. The non Mozart selections included in the set are also very enjoyable. My only wish is that the 3 disc set were a 10 disc set. Enjoy

5 comments about Ben-Hur - A Tale Of The Christ: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (1959 Version).

1. You don't have to be a fan of "Ben-Hur" to enjoy Miklos Rosza's orchestral masterpiece. This soundtrack puts together every second of music from the motion picture, plus lots of music that never made its way into the film. The album also comes with a neat little booklet that explains the history behind "Ben-Hur", from the book to the play to the silent films, and finally to the landmark 1959 version. Even if you've never seen "Ben-Hur" and you're just into classic movie soundtracks, this is a must-have for your collection.



2. With this poetic themes, you coud feel inside the movie.
   If you liked the movie, your gonna love it.
   If not, theres a chance to be enchanted by the marchs, drama Music, Fanfares and love theme.
   Anything you need to be in Rome. My recomendation.... just buy and enjoy



3. Just be aware that this is, indeed, the WHOLE soundtrack from Ben Hur, every piece of music played during the entire movie,not just the familiar orchestrations. I have the original vinyl and wanted the same on CD. This is not it. It is the original orchestrations but with all the inbetween tracks it makes it very hard to sample or just listen to.



4. The accompanying book about the movie and the soundtrack is an excellent and detailed description - complete with pictures, and the soundtrack itself is superb in its drama, themes, and quality. I highly recommend this wonderful and timeless soundtrack.



5. This dual CD set unambiguously deserves many more stars than just a puny five! I have heard none finer. And only a few CDs of equal quality. The legendary Miklos Rozsa is the film's composer. This is the inaugural release of Rozsa's complete score for the 1959 film BEN HUR (BH). The CDs contain 88 tracks in the same order as in the composer's original score. By "complete," I mean there is more music here than there was actually in the film. This is because the CDs include unedited cues and music from film outtakes plus one alternative track. The vast majority of tracks were recorded on the M-G-M sound stage with sizable orchestras of up to 75 performers. The result is sound of intense richness, but not to the point where ensembles over whelmed individual instruments (of which there were quite a few "unusual" ones). Not surprisingly, Rozsa won an Academy Award for BH (his third). While you can debate which of Rozsa's score is his best (my personal favorite is his music for the 1947 film THE RED HOUSE), there is no debate over the undisputed fact that ALL his 90 or so film composition are simply (or very close to) magnificent. The CD booklet is over-the-top outstanding, and easily the most extensive ever created. More of a book than a booklet, it's authors, Marilee Bradford (Ms. Bradford is also produced the CD set) and the late Tony Thomas, have provided us with a definitive source of reference. Rozsa was probably the only composer of his time who could create the score for BH. This CD set is probably the only recording of our time that demands to be in your collection.
   
   William Flanigan, Ph.D.

5 comments about John Barry: The Collection.

1. great cd and it makes a great gift for those who can appreciate his james bond themed music



2. I got this album for my wife as a Yule present. I got the idea from one particular tune, Walt Disney's The Black Hole Theme. She has played the tunes and liked it a lot, especially since many of these are themes of films that were not familiar to her and so represented something different from what she had been used to.



3. Granted, they only need it for one composition (the last one, "The James Bond Theme") but still, without the guitar it's just not the same. Barry didn't compose this one so I suppose it was a bonus and I shouldn't complain, really. The rest of the music on all the CDs is fantastic. Some of the stuff I had heard before without realizing who had composed it. Very enjoyable, to say the least.



4. Buy it for the Persuaders theme, probably the best TV theme song ever written.



5. John Barry has been composing film scores for over forty years and this is only scratching the surface of his productions. Never mind that the entire set is recorded by the Prague Philharmonic; it's pure to Barry's themes. While John Williams compositions ("Star Wars", etc.) are wild and flamboyant and Jerry Goldsmith's (Hoosier's, etc.) are mood pieces, John Barry crosses over all barriers and is amazingly diverse. Barry has recorded most of the exciting James Bond themes, melodramatic classics like "The Lion In Winter' and moody theme hits like "Midnight Cowboy". He also tugs at the heartstrings with compositions from, "Somewhere In Time", "Frances" and "Out Of Africa". He varies his themes for all types of films and few composers capture it so well.
   
   There is over four hours of music in this set with a colorful and informative booklet.

5 comments about Star Trek: The Motion Picture.

1. Believe it or not I am new to the Star trek world. I got this one and some other ST movies. I knew about the characters due to the pop culture effect it has had on society. But it took to long to get started and was slow and boring in several parts.



2. The disc is as advertised but I did not get the holographic slip cover instead I received the slip cover from Star Trek the Motion Picture.
   This is a minor disappointment but the music is still the same.
   If you purchase this disc you may or may not receive the Holographic Slipcase as advertised.



3. Best soundtrack of the motion picture. A great edition for any star trek fan. Love the music. Jerry Goldsmith is the best.



4. although Trekkers and Trekkies have aired their fair share of gripes and complaints about the overall plot of 1979's STAR TREK: THE MOTION PICTURE, any fussing and nit-picking about the movie's various weaknesses is silenced when the discussion turns to Jerry Goldsmith's amazingly beautiful orchestral score.
   
   "Ilia's Theme", which opens the 20th Anniversary Collectors Edition soundtrack, is beautiful and haunting, much like the character of the Deltan navigator who followed her heart to be with the man she loved. Every time I hear this song I get teary-eyed; it's lilting, gentle and marvelous.
   
   And then ... we move from the lyrical and lovely to the rousing opening credits theme, which was adopted by "The Next Generation" (at Gene Roddenberry's insistance), and from there, it's on to an unpleasant enounter with V'Ger in "Klingon Battle". I'd never heard a "blaster beam" before, and after I heard it in this song... another flock of goosebumps settled on my arms.
   
   Goldsmith's theme for the starship "Enterprise" is majestic, awe-inspiring and gives me a flock of goosebumps. When we see the Enterprise as Adm, Kirk sees her for the first time, the rich brass and well-tempered strings lend just the right touch of awed amazement to the moment.
   
   That sense of awe and wonder continues in the cues which tell the story of the Enterprise's enounter with V'Ger, the living machine which is in search of its creator, and once again, Goldsmith's music gives us a sense of fear, awe and wonder, especially in "V'Ger Flyover" and "The Cloud".
   
   One of the advantages of the 20th Anniversary Collectors Edition soundtrack is that many of the cuse which weren't included in the original printing of the soundtrack album are included, and these additional cues, including "Total Logic", which takes us on a musical journey to Vulcan, add to the overall enjoyment of the album.
   
   The second CD, which is chock-full of interviews with many members of the Original Series cast, is interesting to listen to for the various insights on why STAR TREK has managed to keep its appeal for so many years, but the principal reason to get this set is for the expanded soundtrack.
   
   I think I can safely say that Goldsmith's score for ST: TMP will become a classic soundtrack, because it's wonderful soundtrack which tells a story of fear, awe, faith and hope.
   
   It is truly one of Jerry Goldsmith's masterworks.



5. I ordered this item from Amazon and the tracks are great. However, the CD I was sent does not have the holographic slipcase, but the regular cover with graphics from the movie. If you want the holographic case, order from another source!

No comments about Award Winning Movie Themes of the 50's, 60's & 70's.

3 comments about Cinema Century.

1. Anyone who has ever read any of my reviews, know that I'm a complete "film-score-buff" nut...my favorite past time is collecting and listening to soundtrack compilations...and this is where my latest review comes in.

   Silva Screen Records does this better than anybody...a 4-CD-Set featuring 58 tracks of unforgettable scores from the leading composers of the past Century...no one, I mean no one can provide the quality of sound, texture and substance of The City Of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra...Westminster Philharmonic Orchestra...The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra...The Philharmonia...The Milan Philharmonic...The London Screen Orchestra...each a self of culture into its own.

   This compilation released in 1996 represents the best of the best...can only be described as a "collectors dream"...one not to be missed...so many highlights and stand outs...from one spectrum of comedy, romance, drama, suspense, action, adventure...to the other of westerns, horror, war, thrillers and Hollywood heroes.

   A special thanks to the following who gave so much to this project ~ Reynold Da Silva(executive producer)...David Wishart(executive producer)...James Fitzpatrick(associate producer)...David Stone(associate producer)...and to one of my favorite(conductors/arrangers/orchestrators) Nic Raine...Paul Bateman(conductor)...Kenneth Alwyn(conductor)...Andrew Greenwood(conductor)...Tony Bremner(conductor)...Carl Davis(conductor)...Derek Wadsworth(conductor)...and as always Silva Screen comes through with another musical celebration with flying colors...this time "100 Years Of Cinema"...and what will the next 100 years bring...one can only hope Silva Screen will do the same honors.

   Total Time: 232 minutes on 58 Tracks ~ Silva Screen Records STD-5006 ~ (1996)




2. The music is clean, skilled and rich, but it is lacking the extra bit of passion that I personally like in movie music. It is pleasantly bland rather than rousing.



3. For those interested in film scores, but who have not built up a large collection, Cinema Century is a fine starting point. Included on the 4 CDs are 57 Main Titles or Suites plus the famous 20th Century Fox Fanfare (sadly, it is not the version with the Cinemascope Extension). The set has such famous classics as "Gone with the Wind", "Citizen Kane", "Ben-Hur", "Psycho", "The Magnificent Seven", "The Pink Panther", "Doctor Zhivago", "The Godfather", "Jaws", "Star Wars", "Raiders of the Lost Ark", "E.T.", "Dances with Wolves", and "Jurassic Park". There are also some lesser-known themes, such as "City Lights" and "The Searchers" that are just as wonderful as the others and in some cases, hard to find elsewhere. The album is a re-recording and some of the arrangements are quite interesting. Some great themes are missing, but the sequel album, Cinema Century 2000, remedies this. The set is quite a value, the price of most 2 CD Sets. If you want to build up a collection, this album will remind you of many great scores from seven decades of filmaking.

5 comments about Brain in a Box: The Science Fiction Collection.

1. First off, the design of this boxed set is outstanding, from the 3-D panels showing a brain in fluid to the CDs and cases themselves, which highlight various grade-Z schlock sci-fi themes. The construction, however, is another story, as the box itself is sloppily made, and the foam padding which houses the CDs is not the ideal method, as it makes re-inserting the CDs without damaging them a bit annoying. The accompanying book is an interesting (if hodge-podge) overview of pop sci-fi culture. As for the music itself, kudos go to Rhino for their excellent compilation, which is head-and-shoulders above other compilations of novelty music, though one can argue that some of the obscure selections should remain obscure. Still, many should enjoy the discs devoted to movie and TV themes; I, for one, was overjoyed to see the inclusion of the theme from The Blob (by Burt Bacharach!) on the Novelty disc.



2. The first thing you will notice is the beautiful box. Though not metal (decorated to look as if), it has a really cool hologram on three sides, with all track listings on the back. Decent construction, though some may not like the foam insert inside which holds the 5 discs and book.

   The 5 discs are packaged with their own cardboard sleeve that is decorated in a 50's style retro design and categorized by a main theme: T.V., Movie, Lounge, Novelty & Pop. But the best part of the inserts is the small hard cover book included. It is chock full of old B-movie posters and artwork, news/articles, and information/history on 'space' related music over the years. This is truly a gem and adds quite a bit to this collection. You will spend hours marveling over the old retro designs and comic like appearance of all things sci/fi that are within this books covers.

   Now why only 4 stars? Well though you will be giddy to hear old show tunes like 'Lost In Space', 'The Outer Limits', and some of the movie themes and lounge, it does lack some heavy hitters. One can argue that Rhino probably had hundreds of tunes to sift through, and they picked what they could for licensing reasons and taste, but while others may enjoy some tunes, others will wonder how this made it into the collection. For me, I was a little let down by the Novelty disc....some songs were actually annoying to me.

   The biggest let down, and I realize the issues behind it, were the absence of a few major players: There is no Star Wars theme, no Cantina, no Dune, no Klingon music, a few TV shows that were not represented, but you can't please everybody right?

   Otherwise a very good collection...and a stellar book.




3. If you're the kind of person that stays up weekends until 4AM just to see a rare '50's sci-fi drive-in movie on the tube, start saving up,you've got to have this. The other reviews point out the superb packaging (I can't imagine anyone bringing out a better graphic design for CDs this year,give the Grammy right now) and the esoteric music, and I fully agree. But I think I've found how to enjoy this set the most:stick all the discs in your 200-CD jukebox and use random play mode. This stuff is the greatest for spicing up your round-the-house listening! Extremely highly recommended (if you're into old sci-fi and unusual music).



4. This offering from Rhino Records sets a new standard for graphic design! Really, it's absolutely terrific. Before ever getting around to opening the box, I luxuriated in the marvelously rendered details, the perfect switches and gauges, the tongue-in-cheek labels from the "brainstorm" light to the warning to "replace fluids every 3000 hours." I got more kicks from just reading the box than I've gotten from many novels!

   And the box is only the beginning! The 200-page booklet is a sheer delight for fans of 1950s sci-fi B-flicks. Really, you can't appreciate the genius that went into this package until you experience it for yourself! More than a box, it's Art.

   Very highly recommended!




5. With an ultra-cool holographic box that instantly transports you back to the sci-fi B-movie days of the past, "Brain in a Box" also serves as a fairly comprehensive library of all kinds of music relating to science fiction, from movie and TV themes to pop and novelty songs. If I had to introduce someone to sci-fi music, this wouldn't be a bad way to do it. I could easily quibble over what's missing, but I prefer to focus instead on what you DO get: an excellent hardbound book with info and commentary, several tunes I would never have heard otherwise (like "Tiny Space Man"), and the amazing brain storage container that is it all comes in. I do have complaints: the sound quality varies widely (couldn't be helped, I'm sure)

5 comments about Romy And Michele's High School Reunion / More Romy And Michele's High School Reunion.

1. I bought this video after I saw the film on ABC. All I can say is, you will watch it over and over again. It is really funny beyond believe.



2. Who doesn't want to go to their high school reunion, and show everyone they look better then they did then with success beyond anyone's dreams? This laugh out loud satire of course takes it to the extreme, but it is a fun movie. As the movie switches back and forth between the present and the past, we see how they were tortured in high school. Mira Sorvino and Lisa Kudrow act well together with great screen presence. The supporting cast is priceless! Well done comedy!



3. I absolutely love this movie! It is my favorite movie!It is so hilarious! I can watch it over and over again!It makes you laugh from beginning to end. Kudrow and Sorvino are so great together! What a perfect comedy team match! They go so well together. It is so funny, because they are so stupid and ditzy. If your looking for lots of laughs, this is the movie to see and if you love chick flicks. Great 80's music, a great cast, and lots of laughs makes this a great movie!



4. I picked up this movie just to see it, if that makes any sense. It was a nice, lite, airy comedy about a real horror story we have all dealt with : high school. Two dizzy blondes who had been friends since those days and are still together have returned to their high school for the ten year reunion. They really haven't amounted to much, but try to reinvent themselves as success stories to impress their former classmates.
   
   This was a clever idea, but the idea did not stretch out enough to make a quality movie out of it. I have been to my ten year reunion, and I must say that you feel sort of like a loser. You can use it as a motivation to make things better for you, but we all lack in some way. What is so funny is that, at least at my reunions, the popular kids, whose high school experience must have been so wonderful because they made everyone else so miserable, didn't show up. People go right back to the same cliques they were in, even if they haven't seen or spoken to each other in years. Maybe you don't have the loving spouse, fame, fortune, steller career or whatever else is so important, but neither do others. The Mean Girls are losers. Romy and Michelle of course rise to prominence after the reunion, and tell the Mean Girls off.
   
   And know what? You didn't need their approval then and you don't need it now. So when the invite comes, pitch it out and move on.



5. Funny movie especially if you remember the 80's and your 10 year reunion. Which I choose to forget!! Chick flick.