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Almost Famous
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Starring: Crudup, Billy Crudup, Billy McDormand, Frances Balk, Fairuza McDormand, Frances Taylor, Noah Paquin, Anna Crudup, Billy Crudup, Billy Phillips, Bijou
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Director: Crowe, Cameron	Rating: Unrated	Running Time: 2 Hours 3 Minutes
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Category: Musical	User Rating: 8.0/10 (IMDB)	Color DTS Surround Sound

Amazon.com Almost Famous is the movie Cameron Crowe has been waiting a lifetime to tell. The fictionalization of Crowe's days as a teenage reporter for Creem and Rolling Stone has all the well-written characters and wonderful "movie moments" that we expect from Crowe (Jerry Maguire), but the film has an intangible something extra--an insider's touch that will turn the film into the ode to '70s rock & roll for years to come. We are introduced to Crowe's alter ego, William Miller (Patrick Fugit), at home, where his progressive mom (Frances McDormand, just superb) has outlawed rock music and sister Anita (Zooey Deschanel) has slipped him LPs that will "set his mind free." Following the wisdom of Creem's disheveled editor, Lester Bangs (Philip Seymour Hoffman in an instant-classic performance), Miller gets on the inside with the up-and-coming band Stillwater (a fictionalized mixture of the Allman Brothers, Led Zeppelin, and others). A simple visit with the band turns into a three-week, life-altering odyssey into the heyday of American rock. Of the characters he meets on the road, the two most important are groupie extraordinaire Penny Lane (Kate Hudson in a star-making performance) and Stillwater's enigmatic lead guitarist (Billy Crudup), who keeps stringing Miller along for an interview. From the handwritten credits (done by Crowe) to the bittersweet finale, Crowe's comedic valentine is an indelible, heartbreaking romance of music, women, and the privilege of youth. --Doug Thomas --This text refers to the Theatrical Release edition. Description Audiences and critics alike are raving about this larger-than-life rock'n 'roll favorite that Roger Ebert calls "one of the best movies of the year!" The guys of Stillwater have the sound, they have the look and Rolling Stone Magazine wants their story. For young reporter William Miller, it's the opportunity of a lifetime as he hits the road with his favorite band and discovers the price of fame, the value of family and the limits of friendship.

Amadeus - Director's Cut (Two-Disc Special Edition)
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Starring: Abraham, F. Murray Hulce, Tom Berridge, Elizabeth Moore, Jonathan Abraham, F. Murray Berridge, Elizabeth Hulce, Tom Teuber, Karl-Heinz Teuber, Karl-Heinz Ebersole, Christine
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Director: Forman, Milos	Rating: R	Running Time: 3 Hours
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Category: Musical	User Rating: 8.3/10 (IMDB)	Color Dolby

Amazon.com essential video A note-perfect cinematic event whose immortality was assured from its opening night, Amadeus is an unlikely candidate for the director's-cut treatment. Like one of Mozart's operas, the multiple Oscar-winning theatrical version seemed perfectly formed from the outset--ideal casting, costumes, sets, cinematography, lighting, screenplay, music, music, music--so the reinstatement of an extra 20 minutes simply risks adding "too many notes." Yet though this extended cut can hardly be said to improve a picture that needed no improvement, it does at least flesh out a couple of small subplots and shed new light on certain key scenes. Here we learn why Constanze Mozart bears such ill will towards Salieri when she discovers him at her husband's deathbed, and we see deeper into the reasons why Mozart has no students. The structure of the picture is otherwise unaltered. The director's cut of Amadeus finally accords this masterful work the DVD treatment it deserves. The handsome anamorphic widescreen picture is accompanied by a choice of Dolby 5.1 or Dolby stereo sound options, and it's all contained on one side of the disc. Director Milos Forman and writer Peter Shaffer provide a chatty though sporadic commentary, but they're obviously still too mesmerized by the movie to do much more than offer the odd anecdote. The second disc contains an excellent new hour-long "making of" documentary, with contributions from Forman, Shaffer, Sir Neville Marriner, and all the main actors, taking in the scriptwriting, choice of music, casting, and problems involved in filming in Communist Czechoslovakia with half the crew and extras working for the Secret Police. --Mark Walker Description Gripping human drama. Sumptuous period epic. Glorious celebration of the music of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. This marvelous winner of eight Academy Awards(R) portrays the rivalry between the genius Mozart (Tom Hulce) and the jealous court composer (Best Actor Oscar(R) Winner F.Murray Abraham) who may have ruined Mozart's career and shortened his life.

Artist - Rave un2 The Year 2000, The
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Starring: Prince Artist Formerly Known as Prince, The Kravitz, Lenny Gaines, Rosie Scott, Mike Parker, Maceo
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Director: Wonfor, Geoff	Rating: NR	Running Time: 1 Hour 53 Minutes
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Category: Musical	User Rating: 7.4/10 (IMDB)	Color DTS Surround Sound

Amazon.com Back in 1983, Prince emphatically described how he was going to bring in the new millennium. Still, who knew "1999" would be so prophetic? Who knew Prince would still be around to make good on his promise? It's doubtful you were sitting home, watching a pay-per-view special on the last night of 1999, but know this: The Artist, Prince--whatever he's calling himself on a daily basis--understands how to throw one amazing party. This DVD not only presents the entire 21-song pay-per-view in its entirety, but also includes behind-the-scenes interviews and adds additional jams featuring Jimmy Russell, bassist Larry Graham, and George Clinton. Clinton is the key figure here, because over the last decade, Prince has essentially followed in the funk master's footsteps. Rather than just fronting a band (as he did with the Revolution and New Power Generation), Prince is now more of a bandleader. Here, surrounded by legends like Maceo Parker and members of Sly and the Family Stone, Prince displays the graciousness of a sideman, showcasing the musicians on his crowded stage. He offers backup vocals on the Family Stone's "Everyday People," and then plays cheerleader on "I Want to Take You Higher." Prince even gives up his stage to Lenny Kravitz for "American Woman," and to the Time for energetic, tongue-in-cheek versions of the hits "Jungle Love" and "The Bird." When taking center stage, Prince shows he hasn't lost a step either. His guitar playing on "Purple Rain," for example, is some of his strongest in years. All told, this is the best Prince concert film we've had since Sign O' the Times. --Dave McCoy From the Back Cover Rave Un2 the Year 2000 celebrates the joy of life as the Artist performs music from his critically acclaimed Album, Rave Un2 the Joy Fantastic, as well as selections from his vault of smash hits and pop classics. Filmed at Paisley Park Studio in Minneapolis, where a multi-piece band, including legendary bass player Larry Graham and members of the Family Stone, join the Artist in this spectacular historical event. SONGS 1. Let's Go Crazy 2. She's Always in My Hair 3. U've Got the Look 4. Kiss ... read more Description The Artist performs music from his critically-acclaimed album "Rave Un2 the Joy Fantastic," as well as selections from his vault of smash hits and pop classics. Filmed at Paisley Park Studio in Minneapolis, where a multi-piece band, including legendary bass player Larry Graham and members of the Family Stone, join the Artist and his special guests in this spectacular historical event. Songs: Let's Go Crazy, She's Always in My Hair, U Got the Look, Kiss, Jungle Love (Morris Day and the Time), The Bird (Morris Day and the Time), American Woman (Lenny Kravitz), Fly Away (Lenny Kravitz), Get Off, Medley (Rosie Gaines, Mike Scott, Maceo Parker), It's Alright, Everyday People (Cynthia Robinson, Gerry Martini), Higher, Purple Rain, The Christ, Blues Medley (Maceo Parker, Johnny Blackshire), Nothing Compares 2 U, Take Me With U/Raspberry Beret, The Greatest Romance Ever Sold, Baby Knows, Baby I'm a Star, 1999.

Barenaked Ladies - Barelaked Nadies
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Starring: Barenaked Ladies
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Director:	Rating: NR	Running Time: 2 Hours 40 Minutes
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Category: Musical	User Rating:	Color Dolby

Amazon.com Canadian alt-rockers Barenaked Ladies get a dynamic 10-year retrospective on this entertaining compilation. Springing from the same native soil as Mike Myers--and brimming with a similarly irreverent sense of humor--BNL are seen here in semi-jumbled chronology, evolving from home-movie primitives (their first video was financed by a Canadian arts fund) to full-blown video stars in the dazzling "One Week" clip directed by McG of Charlie's Angels fame. Thanks to endless replays in a Mitsubishi car commercial, "One Week" is BNL's most recognized hit, and the video is arguably their best to date. But with 16 others to choose from--all in glorious 5.1-channel surround--it's hard to pick a favorite (we're going with "Alternative Girlfriend," in case you're wondering). It's not all great--the concert footage is marred by muddy recording--but BNL's running commentary is as fun as their videos, and with a DVD-ROM "ReVoice" karaoke feature, you can croon "One Week" to your heart's content. --Jeff Shannon Description You haven't seen Barenaked Ladies until you've seen Barelaked Nadies (yep, that's the title). For the first time, not only are all the videos from Barenaked Ladies collected in one place, but each has been remastered in 5.1 surround sound for this DVD. Barelaked Nadies is the alternative pop band's ultimate video retrospective, spanning 1992-2001 with 17 music videos plus surround sound concert footage from the pay-per-view event "The Great Guinness Toast Barenaked Ladies: All Their Greatest Hits Live from the Roseland Ballroom" plus rare interview clips and commentary plus an exclusive karaoke feature.

Beatles Anthology, The
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Starring: Lennon, John McCartney, Paul Harrison, George Starr, Ringo The Beatles Martin, George Taylor, Derek
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Director: Beatles, The	Rating: NR	Running Time: EMD Music Video
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Category: Musical	User Rating: 9.4/10 (IMDB)	Black & White DTS Surround Sound

Amazon.com Initially broadcast as a TV miniseries to go with the series of three Anthology double-CD albums, this set of eight documentary tapes has the heft and scope of one of Ken Burns's expansive projects. Still, unless you are either a historian or a truly committed fan, you'll find yourself with way more material--particularly about the Beatles' early lives as lads in Liverpool--than you'll want to watch. The documentary material is copious, including early performance films and tapes, at the point before they found their true voices. The actual Beatlemania years--beginning in 1963 and concluding in 1970--feature extensive performance films, as well as home movies and archival material. The best parts, of course, are the interviews with the Beatles themselves, who produced the entire thing. Along with reworking two previously unreleased John Lennon tracks as "new Beatles songs," the Anthology includes some unseen Lennon interview tapes so that his acerbic voice can be heard as well. This stands as a comprehensive document of that heady period, the second coming of rock & roll, as the Beatles took what Elvis had started and expanded upon it exponentially. The tapes give a solid sense of the historical context and the way these four musicians changed the world around them in the 1960s. --Marshall Fine --This text refers to the VHS Tape edition.

Blue Oyster Cult: Live '76
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Starring: Blue Oyster Cult Bouchard, Albert Bouchard, Joe Lanier, Allen Roeser, Donald
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Director:	Rating: NR	Running Time: 86 minutes
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Category: Musical	User Rating: 6.3/10 (IMDB)	Color Stereo

Amazon.com This is an example of how not to make a rock documentary. DVD companies ought to take note of its laziness and avoid all mistakes in future concert film releases. For starters, don't release a rock show with muddled sound that continually drops in and out, faded and grainy visual quality, and absolutely zero production value. To be fair, Blue Oyster Cult's dreadful performance doesn't help any. Though the packaging states that this is "vintage" BLC at their "peak," most fans know that by 1976, the progressive heavy-metal band was already five years past its prime. The 11 featured tunes show the band moving away from their raw, heavy origins and becoming a rock clich�. Bombastic jams such as "Buck's Boogie" and "Dominance and Submission" indulgently wander forever; lead vocalist Eric Bloom strikes macho poses and preaches about the legalization of drugs. The topper comes when a dopey laser show follows both drum and guitar solos--and the audience cheers louder for the lights. Even BOC's guitarist--and leader--Donald (Buck Dharma) Roeser appears bored, and he's the one responsible for this stuff. He can't even muster the energy to pull off a memorable encore of BOC's only hit, "Don't Fear the Reaper," instead singing the lyrics like someone's got a gun to his head. If the disc is worth anything at all, it's as a definition of impotent, bloated '70s arena rock, and a clear demonstration of why punk needed to happen and what it fought against. Though this disc is obviously geared towards diehard Blue Oyster Cult fans, it's more of a shameful insult than a reward. �-Dave McCoy Description A band born to be wild--five rock originals whose laser lightshows and stunning stage moves turned them into a worldwide music phenomenon. Caught on camera at their peak in 1976, this previously unreleased live performance captures all the fire and passion that took them to the top. Songs: Stairway to the Stars, Harvester of Eyes, Cities in Flame, ME 262, Dominance and Submission, Astronomy, E.T.I., Buck's Boogie, This Ain't the Summer of Love, Born to be Wild, Don't Fear the Reaper.

Chicago (Widescreen Edition)
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Starring: Zellweger, Ren�e Zeta-Jones, Catherine Gere, Richard Feore, Colm Zellweger, Renee Baranski, Christine Diggs, Taye Zeta-Jones, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Catherine Harrison, Mya
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Director: Marshall, Rob	Rating: PG-13	Running Time: 1 Hour 53 Minutes
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Category: Musical	User Rating: 7.6/10 (IMDB)	Color Dolby

Amazon.com Bob Fosse's sexy cynicism still shines in Chicago, a faithful movie adaptation of the choreographer-director's 1975 Broadway musical. Of course the story, all about merry murderesses and tabloid fame, is set in the Roaring '20s, but Chicago reeks of '70s disenchantment--this isn't just Fosse's material, it's his attitude, too. That's probably why the movie's breathless observations on fleeting fame and fickle public taste already seem dated. However, Ren�e Zellweger and Catherine Zeta-Jones are beautifully matched as Jazz Age vixens, and Richard Gere gleefully sheds his customary cool to belt out a showstopper. (Yes, they all do their own singing and dancing.) Whatever qualms musical purists may have about director Rob Marshall's cut-cut-cut style, the film's sheer exuberance is intoxicating. Given the scarcity of big-screen musicals in the last 25 years, that's a cause for singing, dancing, cheering. And all that jazz. --Robert Horton --This text refers to the Theatrical Release edition.

Commitments (Collector's Edition), The
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Starring: Arkins, Robert Aherne, Michael
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Director: Parker, Alan	Rating: R	Running Time:
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Category: Musical	User Rating:	Color Stereo

Amazon.com An irresistible, comic drama from director Alan Parker (Evita, Mississippi Burning), overflowing and alive with passion, humor, and music, The Commitments showcases some old R&B standards in a new light. A headstrong, fast-talking, ambitious young Dubliner (Robert Arkins) fancies himself a promoter of talent, and sets about assembling and packaging a local Irish R&B band. His group of self-absorbed, backbiting, but stunningly talented individuals begin to succeed beyond his wildest dreams, until petty jealousies and recrimination threaten to scuttle the whole deal. A moody, vivid, and soulful exploration of the Dublin club scene as well as a showcase for some wonderful unknown actors, the film (and its wonderful soundtrack) also features the actual band covering classic soul tunes from the likes of Otis Redding and Sam and Dave. It's that combination of soul and soul music that makes The Commitments a special little film. --Robert Lane --This text refers to the VHS Tape edition.

Dave Matthews Band - Listener Supported
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Starring: Band, Dave Matthews Lessard, Stefan Matthews, Dave Moore, LeRoi Tinsley, Boyd Agee, Tawatha
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Director: Jordan, Lawrence	Rating: NR	Running Time: 2 Hours 15 Minutes
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Category: Musical	User Rating: 8.9/10 (IMDB)	Color Dolby

Amazon.com The turn of the millennium may have been marked by a confluence of over-the-top white rap-rockers, teeny pop pinups, and other musical cartoons, but the Dave Matthews Band continues to buck such trends while drawing a fiercely loyal audience. This first-rate concert, produced for public television, works both as concert souvenir for the faithful and a useful introduction to the DMB's formidable musicianship. Whether or not you relish the songs and singing of the eponymous, transplanted South African at center stage, it's hard to knock the collective power of this supple troupe, which effectively swirls jazz, folk, and world music through Matthews's bluesy pop songs. The 2-hour show features 18 songs, spanning both familiar Matthews originals ("Crash Into Me," "Too Much") and a few choice covers ("Long Black Veil," "All Along the Watchtower"). With reeds and electric violin to spice up the instrumental attack, and a strong backing chorus to sweeten Matthews's own craggy voice, the DMB doesn't need to rely on theatricality; their sense of drama lies more in extended jams that can expose the material's limitations but stoke ardent fans' cheers. The direction and editing are smooth and fluid, and excellent audio recording and mixing are consistent with the group's growing shelf of live albums. Clearly, for the Matthews Band and its fans, the playing's the thing, and they play generously and well throughout. --Sam Sutherland --This text refers to the VHS Tape edition.

Depeche Mode - One Night in Paris (The Exciter Tour 2001)
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Starring: Depeche Mode Fletcher, Andrew Gore, Martin Bailey, Jordan Eigner, Christian Gordeno, Peter
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Director: Corbijn, Anton	Rating: NR	Running Time: 1 Hour 58 Minutes
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Category: Musical	User Rating: 8.8/10 (IMDB)	Color Stereo

Amazon.com Despite their 20-plus years in the music business, One Night in Paris demonstrates that Depeche Mode are by no means dinosaurs of synth-infused rock. Directed by longtime artistic collaborator Anton Corbijn, the concert footage concisely captures the atmosphere of the show that was seen by over 1.5 million fans in 2001. Though there is an obsessive focus on the half-naked Dave Gahan and the "fallen angel" Martin Gore throughout, at various points the camera withdraws to expose a huge screen at the back of the stage. Combined with the angry stage lighting, the projection films (which include footage of a goldfish swimming in a tank for "In Your Room") provide an added epic feel. Predominantly made up of songs from Exciter, the show also includes old favorites such as "Enjoy the Silence" and "Personal Jesus." The visual and audio quality is excellent, and the bonus material on the second DVD (particularly the interviews with the band and tour crew) neatly complements the first disc. --John Galilee

Depeche Mode: The Videos 86-98
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Starring: Depeche Mode Gahan, David Fletcher, Andrew Wilder, Alan Anthony, Lysette Cambell, Hildia
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Director: Corbijn, Anton	Rating:	Running Time: 127 minutes
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Category: Musical	User Rating: 8.6/10 (IMDB)	Color Stereo

Description: One of the most popular and influential electronic post-punk bands of the 1980's, Depeche Mode has had a lasting effect on the British pop scene. Still heroes to angsty teenagers all over, the band's dark yet catchy melodies and dismal lyrics reek of their origins -- the barren industrial wasteland that is Essex, England. This definitive video release contains an interview with the band, all 21 of the group's videos from 1986 through 1991, as well as the 25-minute 'Depeche Mode: A Short Film.' Videos include "Stripped," "A Question of Lust," "Personal Jesus," "Policy of Truth," "It's No Good," and many more.

Doors (2-Disc Special Edition), The
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Starring: Kilmer, Val Ryan, Meg Wincott, Michael Madsen, Michael Evans, Josh Burkley, Dennis Idol, Billy MacLachlan, Kyle MacLachlan, Kyle Dillon, Kevin
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Director: Stone, Oliver	Rating: R	Running Time: 140 min
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Category: Musical	User Rating: 6.6/10 (IMDB)	Color Dolby

Amazon.com essential video Thanks in large part to its meticulous re-creation of the late-1960s and early-'70s rock scene and the uncannily authentic performance by Val Kilmer as legendary Doors frontman Jim Morrison, Oliver Stone's hypnotic film biography is standing the test of time. Capturing the carefree mood of the Age of Aquarius, the film charts the meteoric rise of the Doors on the California club circuit (including a memorable scene showing the creation of the hit "Light My Fire"), and chronicles the band's exploits with hallucinogenics and Morrison's battles against charges of public indecency on stage. Kilmer's performance is hauntingly perfect, and performances by Meg Ryan, Kathleen Quinlan, and Kyle MacLachlan are similarly impressive. The movie doesn't fully probe the depths of Morrison's character, but as a portrait of excess it is vividly true to the spirit of the self-destructive poet known to his fans as "The Lizard King." --Jeff Shannon --This text refers to the DVD edition.

Drumline (Widescreen)
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Starring: Cannon, Nick Saldana, Zoe Jones, Orlando GQ Saldana, Zoe Jones, Orlando Poitier, Earl C. Pablo, Petey Pablo, Petey Carey, Candace
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Director: III, Charles Stone	Rating: PG-13	Running Time: 1 Hour 58 Minutes
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Category: Musical	User Rating: 5.4/10 (IMDB)	Color Dolby

Amazon.com Once you've seen Drumline, halftime shows will become works of art. This formulaic yet surprisingly captivating movie honors the military precision of college football marching bands, those battalions of eager, sternly disciplined brass sections, drummers, and fly girls who turn halftime shows into well-oiled Vegas variety acts on steroids. Devon (played by Will Smith prot�g� Nick Cannon) is a cocky Brooklyn kid with a snare-drumming scholarship to (fictional) Atlanta A&T University. He can't read music (he lied on his application) and his attitude sucks, but he's the best natural drummer the college has ever had, so he quickly rises through the marching band ranks. The school year brings Devon the obligatory girlfriend (Zo� Saldana, smart and charming); clashes with his old-school band director (Orlando Jones); and well-earned redemption at the championship marching band showdown. No surprises here, but great chemistry all around, and a fantastic, positive role-model showcase for a musical form that has evolved far beyond the main street parades of Smalltown, U.S.A. --Jeff Shannon --This text refers to the Theatrical Release edition.

Elvis - Aloha from Hawaii
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Starring: Presley, Elvis Burton, James Hodge, Charlie Scheff, Jerry Sumner, J.D. Tutt, Ronnie
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Director: Pasetta, Marty	Rating: NR	Running Time: 72 minutes
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Category: Musical	User Rating: 6.8/10 (IMDB)	Color Dolby

Amazon.com essential video Fans still remember this ambitious 1973 network TV special as a zenith in Elvis Presley's performing career, punctuated by its extra-musical achievement as the first global satellite broadcast devoted to a single entertainer. Both the broadcast and its companion album captured the King in his most grandiose persona, fueled by Hollywood scale and Vegas glitz, as a caped pop superhero. He may have looked trim, but posthumous accounts (especially Peter Guralnick's Careless Love: The Unmaking of Elvis Presley, the second volume in his definitive biography) confirm what a second look suggests--on this evening, Elvis was alternately overwhelmed and distracted, bravura renditions of signature songs (most triumphantly, the "American Trilogy" medley originated by Mickey Newbury) offset by less-focused readings. Fans may still savor a generous and diverse song list, but viewed beside Presley's earlier, more consistent performances (including a rehearsal the previous night, since released as The Alternate Aloha Concert), this legendary concert anticipates Presley's imminent decline. In this remastered version, three songs have been deleted due to music clearance issues, while four songs taped after the actual show have been inserted. A fifth bonus track, "No More," makes its first appearance on video. --Sam Sutherland --This text refers to the VHS Tape edition.

Elvis Presley: The Alternate Aloha Concert
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Starring: Presley, Elvis
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Director:	Rating: NR	Running Time: 57 minutes
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Category: Musical	User Rating: 3.2/10 (IMDB)	Color Dolby

Amazon.com This rehearsal for Elvis Presley's historic January 1973 satellite broadcast, Aloha from Hawaii, provides a fascinating contrast to the better-known, often lionized TV concert. While minor technical glitches and a few between-songs remarks betray its run-through status, this performance trumps the broadcast in musical terms, its headliner more focused and vocally confident, his mood more relaxed and carefree alongside the next night's intermittent tensions. For loyal fans, it's a worthwhile companion; for more skeptical viewers, the rehearsal tapes underscore the mounting pressures, signaled the next night, that would soon pull the King inexorably from his throne. For video release, the program includes most of the pre-concert sequence seen on Aloha from Hawaii before cutting to the rehearsal footage. This is Elvis poised at a turning point, now far from the Memphis truck driver who metamorphosed into rock & roll icon 18 years earlier, sifting Vegas glitz and Hollywood drama into his show. The remarkable Presley stage band (boasting legendary guitarist James Burton) is reliably tight and powerful, and the song list is identical to the telecast, save for bonus tracks subsequently added to that program. --Sam Sutherland --This text refers to the VHS Tape edition.

Grease (Widescreen Edition)
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Starring: Travolta, John Newton-John, Olivia Channing, Stockard Conn, Didi Donnelly, Jamie Manoff, Dinah Arden, Eve Blondell, Joan Blondell, Joan Charles, Annette
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Director: Kleiser, Randal	Rating: PG	Running Time: 1 Hour 50 Minutes
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Category: Musical	User Rating: 6.8/10 (IMDB)	Color Dolby

Amazon.com essential video Riding the strange '50s nostalgia wave that swept through America during the late 1970s (caused by TV shows like Happy Days and films like American Graffiti), Grease became not only the word in 1978, but also a box-office smash and a cultural phenomenon. Twenty years later, this entertaining film adaptation of the Broadway musical received another successful theatrical release, which included visual remastering and a shiny new Dolby soundtrack. In this 2002 DVD release, Grease lovers can also now see it in the correct 2:35 to 1 Panavision aspect ratio, and see retrospective interviews with cast members and director Randal Kleiser. All these stylistic touches are essential to the film's success. Without the vibrant colors, unforgettably campy and catchy tunes (like "Greased Lightning," "Summer Nights," and "You're the One That I Want"), and fabulously choreographed, widescreen musical numbers, the film would have to rely on a silly, clich�-filled plot that we've seen hundreds of times. As it is, the episodic story about the romantic dilemmas experienced by a group of graduating high school seniors remains fresh, fun, and incredibly imaginative. The young, animated cast also deserves a lot of credit, bringing chemistry and energy to otherwise bland material. John Travolta, straight from his success in Saturday Night Fever, knows his sexual star power and struts, swaggers, sings, and dances appropriately, while Olivia Newton-John's portrayal of virgin innocence is the only decent acting she's ever done. And then there's Stockard Channing, spouting sexual double-entendres as Rizzo, the bitchy, raunchy leader of the Pink Ladies, who steals the film from both of its stars. Ignore the sequel at all costs. --Dave McCoy

Grease 2
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Starring: Caulfield, Maxwell Pfeiffer, Michelle Zmed, Adrian Caesar, Sid Hunter, Tab Stevens, Connie Conn, Didi Caulfield, Maxwell Caulfield, Maxwell Goodman, Dody
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Director: Birch, Patricia	Rating: PG	Running Time: 1 Hour 54 Minutes
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Category: Musical	User Rating: 3.4/10 (IMDB)	Color Dolby

Amazon.com Too often, sequels to popular films simply rehash the original film; call it the carbon-copy syndrome. Grease 2 suffers from no such malady, having almost nothing to do with the original film. Sure, it focuses on teens at Rydell High, the imaginary school from the first film, which starred John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John. But other than a few of the teachers, all of the characters are new and so are the songs--and more's the pity. By the time Grease hit the big screen, it already had had almost a decade as a theatrical musical, more than enough time to hone its mock-rock & roll score. But this sequel, which stars among others a then-unknown Michelle Pfeiffer, Maxwell Caulfield, and Lorna Luft (Judy Garland's daughter), has music that's neither fish nor fowl, neither rock nor Broadway. Meanwhile, the plot is a reversal of the first film, in which a cool guy fell for a square girl. In this one, the square is newcomer Caulfield, who catches the eye of tough girl Pfeiffer and her Pink Lady gang. The appearance of such pseudo-stars of the '50s, like Tab Hunter, is supposed to lend a nostalgic kick, but let's just say that Grease 2 slides almost instantly into obscurity. --Marshall Fine --This text refers to the VHS Tape edition. Description The sequel to the 1978 hit movie, GREASE 2 is set in the early 1960's when a new British student, Michael Carrington (Caulfield), rides into town and joins the ranks at Rydell High. A book nerd who immediately falls for the blonde bombshell leader of the Pink Ladies, Stephanie Zinone (Pfeiffer), Michael finds himself smitten, but out of his element. Knowing that the Pink Ladies are the hippest clique of chicks at Rydell, who only date their equals in coolness - the T-Birds, Michael sets out to turn from a geek to a greaser to see if he can win the gorgeous Stephanie's heart.

High Fidelity
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Starring: Cusack, John Hjejle, Iben Black, Jack Cusack, Joan Louiso, Todd Taylor, Lili Wagner, Natasha Gregson Zeta-Jones, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Catherine Gilbert, Sara
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Director: Frears, Stephen	Rating: R	Running Time: 1 Hour 54 Minutes
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Category: Musical	User Rating: 7.6/10 (IMDB)	Color Stereo

Amazon.com Transplanted from England to the not-so-mean streets of Chicago, the screen adaptation of Nick Hornby's cult-classic novel High Fidelity emerges unscathed from its Americanization, idiosyncrasies intact, thanks to John Cusack's inimitable charm and a nimble, nifty screenplay (cowritten by Cusack). Early-thirtysomething Rob Gordon (Cusack) is a slacker who owns a vintage record shop, a massive collection of LPs, and innumerable top-five lists in his head. At the opening of the film, Rob recounts directly to the audience his all-time top-five breakups--which doesn't include his recent falling out with his girlfriend Laura (Iben Hjejle), who has just moved out of their apartment. Thunderstruck and obsessed with Laura's desertion (but loath to admit it), Rob begins a quest to confront the women who instigated the aforementioned top-five breakups to find out just what he did wrong. Low on plot and high on self-discovery, High Fidelity takes a good 30 minutes or so to find its groove (not unlike Cusack's Grosse Pointe Blank), but once it does, it settles into it comfortably and builds a surprisingly touching momentum. Rob is basically a grown-up version of Cusack's character in Say Anything (who was told "Don't be a guy--be a man!"), and if you like Cusack's brand of smart-alecky romanticism, you'll automatically be won over (if you can handle Cusack's almost-nonstop talking to the camera). Still, it's hard not to be moved by Rob's plight. At the beginning of the film he and his coworkers at the record store (played hilariously by Jack Black and Todd Louiso) seem like overgrown boys in their secret clubhouse; by the end, they've grown up considerably, with a clear-eyed view of life. Ably directed by Stephen Frears (Dangerous Liaisons), High Fidelity features a notable supporting cast of the women in Rob's life, including the striking, Danish-born Hjejle, Lisa Bonet as a sultry singer-songwriter, and the triumphant triumvirate of Lili Taylor, Joelle Carter, and Catherine Zeta-Jones as Rob's ex-girlfriends. With brief cameos by Tim Robbins as Laura's new, New Age boyfriend and Bruce Springsteen as himself. --Mark Englehart --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Immortal Beloved
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Starring: Oldman, Gary Krabb�, Jeroen Rossellini, Isabella Ter Steege, Johanna Golino, Valeria Margolyes, Miriam Humphries, Barry Golino, Valeria Golino, Valeria Fulford, Christopher
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Director: Rose, Bernard	Rating: R	Running Time: 2 Hours 1 Minute
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Category: Musical	User Rating: 7.0/10 (IMDB)	Color Dolby

Amazon.com This sumptuous and moving 1994 film written and directed by Bernard Rose (Candyman) investigates the artistic and romantic passions of one of the greatest composers of all time. Featuring a superb performance by Gary Oldman (Sid and Nancy) as Ludwig van Beethoven, Immortal Beloved is full of uncommonly vivid, rich imagery as it charts the tumultuous life of the deaf child prodigy and his rise to the height of musical achievement. Along the way, he attempts to play mentor to his nephew, attend to his many passionate romances--the most stable one was with a countess (Isabella Rossellini)--and fight bouts of depression and madness that ruled his life and his art. The film is framed around a "Rosebud"-type letter found after the composer's death that makes up the crux of the story. Jeroen Krabb� (The Fugitive), playing Beethoven's lifelong friend, attempts to discover who Beethoven's muse really was, becoming as driven as his friend in discovering the unlikely identity of the composer's "immortal beloved." Through this we gain an insight into the nature of obsession, romance, and the heights and sacrifices of artistic achievement. The film exhibits some extraordinary sound design, and the finale features a magical encapsulation of Beethoven's life and loves set to his "Ode to Joy." As an exciting and passionate journey, Immortal Beloved is its own masterpiece. --Robert Lane --This text refers to the VHS Tape edition.

Impromptu
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Starring: Davis, Judy Grant, Hugh Patinkin, Mandy Patinkin, Mandy Peters, Bernadette Sands, Julian Corraface, Georges Rodgers, Anton Rodgers, Anton Massey, Anna
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Director: Lapine, James	Rating: PG-13	Running Time: 1 Hour 48 Minutes
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Category: Musical	User Rating: 7.1/10 (IMDB)	Color Stereo

Amazon.com Still more Victorian country-house shenanigans: novelist George Sand (Judy Davis, affected but pretty darn charming) has eyes for Franz Liszt's young prot�g� Chopin (Hugh Grant, solid as always, but burdened by a silly Polish accent and a script that never lets him stretch out), but various lovers, jealous rivals, and Chopin's own overdeveloped sense of propriety conspire to confound her. Impromptu is witty but overlong--probably 20 minutes of hijinks and repartee, not to mention several completely gratuitous and redundant characters, could have been sliced from the film. Davis plays Sand as an impetuous, overgrown tomboy, outraging her genteel hosts by wearing pants, chomping cigars, and falling off horses; her coterie of artist-friends assure us, in a series of naked plot devices, that she nonetheless has a heart of gold. It's all good silly fun, and about as feminist as your average Def Leppard video--the other two developed female characters are ugly stereotypes: a featherbrained, feckless social climber (Emma Thompson, who once again proves she's up for anything) and a spiteful, back-stabbing shrew (the ever-capable Bernadette Peters). Director James Lapine clearly belongs to the Dr. Quinn school of historical accuracy, so don't expect to learn anything about the period or the artists themselves. Impromptu is far more Melrose Place than Mrs. Dalloway, or perhaps best described as an episode of Entertainment Tonight set in the 19th century. --Miles Bethany --This text refers to the VHS Tape edition.

James Taylor - Pull Over
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Starring: Taylor, James
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Director:	Rating: NR	Running Time: 1 Hour 59 Minutes
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Category: Musical	User Rating:	Color Dolby

Amazon.com James Taylor's Live at the Beacon Theatre quickly became the demonstration DVD of choice for many high-end home-theater owners due to its gorgeous picture and pristine sound. It's a treat, then, that Taylor's second concert DVD, Pull Over (recorded in the summer of 2001 on the tour of that name), has those same qualities, with the added benefit of a widescreen picture, though it's not anamorphically enhanced for widescreen TVs. Of course Taylor himself is as reliable as ever, showing no signs of age in his warm voice as he and a great band cover a number of songs from his then-unreleased October Road album as well as such favorites as "Carolina in My Mind," "Fire and Rain," "You've Got a Friend," "Your Smiling Face," "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You)," and "Sweet Baby James." Pull Over is an outstanding concert DVD, but if it had beenn anamorphically enhanced, it might have laid claim to being one of the best ever. --David Horiuchi Description With a career thriving well into its fourth decade and one of the most beloved catalogs in the world, James Taylor is more than the definitive singer-songwriter. He's an American treasure. His latest project, James Taylor & Band-Pull Over, captures James at the height of his craft. Filmed in the summer of 2001, the 23-song program features James's greatest hits, fan favorites and a look ahead. The DVD features 5.1 mixes done by Grammy winner Frank Filipetti, a complete discography and a 10-minute behind-the-scenes look at the recording of October Road. When James Taylor picked up the Best Male Pop Vocal Performance trophy at the 44th Annual Grammy Awards ceremony in February 2001 (for "Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight," a track from Michael Brecker's Nearness Of You collection), it was the latest in a string of Grammy wins for the artist going back three decades. Taylor earned his first Grammy (Best Pop Vocal Performance, Male) in 1971 for his recording of Carole King's "You've Got A Friend." After moving to Columbia Records in 1976, Taylor claimed his second Best Pop Vocal Performance, Male Grammy in 1977 for his wry interpretation of Jimmy Jones's "Handy Man." JT, his Columbia Records debut, has since gone on to hit triple platinum. In 1998, his platinum Hourglass album snared Grammys for both "Best Pop Album" and "Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical." His contribution to In Harmony, a Sesame Street album, helped that album win a "Best Recording For Children" Grammy at the 1980 ceremony. James started writing music in the mid 1960s as a student at a New England boarding school, far removed from his family and friends in the Piedmont Hills of Chapel Hill, North Carolina. The first artist signed to the Beatles' Apple Records, James Taylor released his self-titled debut album in 1968. Containing instantly memorable songs like "Carolina In My Mind" and "Something In The Way She Moves," James Taylor immediately established him as an important new voice in contemporary music. Moving to California, and Warner Bros. Records, in 1969, James Taylor recorded his first platinum album, Sweet Baby James, released in March 1970. A year later, Taylor was featured on the cover of Time magazine, which heralded him as the harbinger of "the singer/songwriter era." His songs reflect his passion for music and a dedication to the constant evolution of his craft; and they have had a profound influence on both songwriters and music lovers of all generations and from all walks of life. Today it is no surprise to see children discovering his songs through their parents' record collections and immediately falling in love with the sound of his voice. Program Start" "Everyday" "That's Why I'm Here" "Only One" "Frozen Man" Introduction "Frozen Man" "On The 4th Of July" "Whenever You're Ready" "Raised Up Family" "Luis Conte Percussion Solo" "Mexico" "Steamroller Blues" "Carolina In My Mind" "Millworker" "Sun On The Moon" "Junkie's Lament" "Copperline" "Shed A Little Light" "Fire & Rain" "You've Got A Friend" "Your Smiling Face" "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)" "Traffic Jam" "Knock

Jazz - A Film by Ken Burns
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Starring: Burns, Ken Ellington, Duke Marsalis, Wynton Marsalis, Branford Giddins, Gary Armstrong, Louis
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Director: Burns, Ken	Rating: NR	Running Time: 19 Hours
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Category: Musical	User Rating: 8.4/10 (IMDB)	Black & White Stereo

Amazon.com essential video Accompanied by a menagerie of products, Ken Burns's expansive 10-episode paean, Jazz, completes his trilogy on American culture, following The Civil War and Baseball. Spanning more than 19 hours, Jazz is, of course, about a lot more than what many have called America's classical music--especially in episodes 1 through 7. It's here that Burns unearths precious visual images of jazz musicians and hangs historical narratives around the music with convincing authority. Time can stand still as images float past to the sound of grainy vintage jazz, and the drama of a phonograph needle being placed on Louis Armstrong's celestial "West End Blues" is nearly sublime. The film is also potent in arguing that the history of race in the 20th-century U.S. is at jazz's heart. But a few problems arise. First is Burns's reliance on Wynton Marsalis as his chief musical commentator. Marsalis might be charming and musically expert, but he's no historian. For the film to devote three of its episodes to the 1930s, one expects a bit more historical substance. Also, Jazz condenses the period of 1961 to the present into one episode, glossing over some of the music's giant steps. Burns has said repeatedly that he didn't know much about jazz when he began this project. So perhaps Jazz, for all its glory, would better be called Jazz: What I've Learned Since I Started Listening (And I Haven't Gotten Much Past 1961). For those who are already passionate about jazz, the film will stoke debate (and some derision, together with some reluctant praise). But for everyone else, it will amaze and entertain and kindle a flame for some of the greatest music ever dreamed. --Andrew Bartlett Additional features The DVD version of Jazz offers a "music information" mode, in which the title of a song is displayed when it is played in the film. Pressing the Title button jumps the viewer out of the film to a screen that lists that song's composer, performers (including all band members, not just the headliner), year of recording, and album and record company information when applicable (and no, all the credits are not to the series' own CDs). Another click of the Title button returns the viewer to the film.... read more Description The story, sound, and soul of a nation come together in the most American of art forms: Jazz. Ken Burns, who riveted the nation with The Civil War and Baseball, celebrates the music's soaring achievements, from its origins in blues and ragtime through swing, bebop, and fusion. Six years in the making, this "soundbreaking" series blends 75 interviews, more than 500 pieces of music, 2,400 still photographs, and over 2,000 rare and archival film clips. The 10-part musical journey spotlights many of America's most original, creative--and tragic--figures, including Louis Armstrong, Jelly Roll Morton, Duke Ellington, Benny Goodman, Billie Holiday, Charlie Parker, and Miles Davis. Special features of the PBS DVD Gold include bonus performances and The Making of Jazz documentary.

Jazz Singer, The
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Starring: Diamond, Neil Olivier, Laurence Olivier, Sir Laurence Olivier, Lord Laurence Arnaz, Lucie Adams, Catlin Ajaye, Franklin Kellin, Mike Kellin, Mike
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Director: Fleischer, Richard	Rating: PG	Running Time: 111 minutes
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Category: Musical	User Rating: 4.4/10 (IMDB)	Color Stereo

Amazon.com Not much jazz spoken in this 1980 version of the Jolson classic, directed by Richard Fleischer (The Vikings) and starring a very tentative Neil Diamond as a cantor's son who would rather sing commercially than in a synagogue. The soundtrack is tedious, the portrait of L.A.'s music industry preposterous, and Diamond (despite his talents as a singer-songwriter in the real world) can't help but look like a speck on the wall in the presence of Laurence Olivier, who plays his father. --Tom Keogh --This text refers to the VHS Tape edition.

Jesus Christ Superstar
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Starring: Neeley, Ted (II), Carl Anderson Elliman, Yvonne Dennen, Barry Bingham, Bob Marshall, Larry Mostel, Josh Yaghjian, Kurt Yaghjian, Kurt Previn, Andre
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Director: Jewison, Norman	Rating: G	Running Time: 1 Hour 47 Minutes
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Category: Musical	User Rating: 6.5/10 (IMDB)	Color Dolby

Amazon.com Ted Neeley makes for a wimpy looking Jesus in Norman Jewison's screen adaptation of the Andrew Lloyd Webber-Tim Rice "rock opera," which was a smash on stage in the early '70s. Jewison (Other People's Money) adds some good exterior settings in the desert, but Webber and Rice's dialogue-free story (everything is sung, as in a real opera), with its quasi-profundities about the inner demons of principal figures in the life of Christ, is the real hook. Yvonne Elliman sings the show's best-known song, "I Don't Know How to Love Him." --Tom Keogh

Jesus Christ Superstar (Special Edition)
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Starring: Neeley, Ted (II), Carl Anderson Elliman, Yvonne Bingham, Bob Anderson, Carl Mostel, Josh Yaghjian, Kurt Marshall, Larry Marshall, Larry Elliman, Yvonne
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Director: Jewison, Norman	Rating: G	Running Time: 1 Hour 47 Minutes
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Category: Musical	User Rating: 6.6/10 (IMDB)	Color Stereo

Amazon.com Ted Neeley makes for a wimpy looking Jesus in Norman Jewison's screen adaptation of the Andrew Lloyd Webber-Tim Rice "rock opera," which was a smash on stage in the early '70s. Jewison (Other People's Money) adds some good exterior settings in the desert, but Lloyd Webber and Rice's dialogue-free story (everything is sung, as in a real opera), with its quasi-profundities about the inner demons of principal figures in the life of Christ, is the real hook. Yvonne Elliman sings the show's best-known song, "I Don't Know How to Love Him." --Tom Keogh --This text refers to the DVD edition.

Jesus Christ Superstar - Broadway
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Starring: Pradon, J�r�me Castle, Renee Pradon, Jerome Castle, Rene Mayall, Rik Owens, Frederick B. Shaeffer, Michael Vincent, Tony Vincent, Tony Gallagher, Peter
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Director: Morris, Nick	Rating: R	Running Time: 1 Hour 52 Minutes
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Category: Musical	User Rating: 7.9/10 (IMDB)	Color Dolby

Amazon.com Before Andrew Lloyd Webber took over Broadway with his operatic productions and Tim Rice tossed in his lot with Disney's animated musicals, they were the young turks of musical theater and their rock opera Jesus Christ Superstar was their calling card. Director Gale Edwards's 1999 stage revival, which became the basis for this video production (also available on CD), takes the show out of ancient Jerusalem to an indeterminate mix of modern New York (complete with graffiti-scrawled walls and T-shirt garbed disciples) and timeless Rome. The grandly abstract sets, rainbow lighting, and striking costumes are more theater than cinema, but like the previous made-for-video Lloyd Webber-Rice production Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, the enormous soundstages give the director free reign to combine the mediums. The setting folds fascism, intolerance, and revolution into a portrait out of time, robbing the play of its powerful historical grounding but injecting it with energy and insight. As Christ, Glenn Carter (who played the role in the 2000 Broadway revival) flashes his anger and rolls his eyes at Judas (Jerome Pradon) but cannot deny the truths of Judas's fears: "Every word you say today gets twisted 'round some other way." As Christ sees his cult of personality overtake his message and struggles with the fears of his sacrifice, he reaches within for faith and forgiveness, giving the show the spiritual dimension it so often lacks. It's an entertaining, thoughtful, and well-sung production. Edwards avoids the tepidity of Norman Jewison's solemn 1973 film, driving forward with energetic editing and swooping cameras, and guided at all times by the dramatic, exhilarating score. --Sean Axmaker --This text refers to the VHS Tape edition. Description A brand-new production of the Andrew Lloyd Webber/Tim Rice classic musical, "Jesus Christ Superstar" tells the story of the last seven days in the life of Jesus. It describes his entry into Jerusalem, the enmity that his preaching and his popularity causes among the Jewish religious leaders, his betrayal by Judas, mocking contempt of Herod, and the trial in front of Pontius Pilate, who despite his sympathy towards Jesus as a person, bows to the demands of Caiaphas, the Chief Priest, and has him crucified.

Monterey Jazz Festival: 40 Legendary Years
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Starring: Redman, Joshua Rushen, Patrice Brubeck, Dave Eastwood, Clint Fitzgerald, Ella Gillespie, Dizzy Holiday, Billie Monk, Thelonious Monk, Thelonious Rich, Buddy
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Director: (II), William Harper	Rating: NR	Running Time: 1 Hour 20 Minutes
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Category: Musical	User Rating: 7.6/10 (IMDB)	Color Stereo

Description Monterey Jazz Festival - Place Miles first on the bill. He wants those "fresh ears." And how about the time Jon Hendricks stepped on stage still jotting down the composition he was to perform? "Aren't you ready" musical director John Lewis asked. "Never" Hendricks laughed. Yet the result was perfection in progress: the legendary debut of Evolution of the Blues. And what about Ella, Louis, Dizzy, Sarah, Dave, Monk, Clark Terry, even Lady Day? They're also part of the lore that one weekend every year makes Monterey synonymous with jazz. Hosted by contemporary favorites Joshua Redman and Patrice Rushen and featuring archival performance footage plus on-camera commentary from notables (including lifetime jazz buff Clint Eastwood), this compendium of the Monterey Jazz Festival sings, swings and syncopates with joy. Like eggs and bacon and romance and roses, some things just go together. Things like Monterey and jazz, going together now for 40 magical, musical years. Year: 1998 Director: William Harper - Starring: Joshua Redman, Patrice Rushen

Mr. Holland's Opus
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Starring: Dreyfuss, Richard Headly, Glenne Thomas, Jay Thomas, Jay Dukakis, Olympia H. Macy, William Howard, Terrence Dashon Whitaker, Damon Whitaker, Damon Boyd, Alexandra
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Director: Herek, Stephen	Rating: PG	Running Time: 2 Hours 23 Minutes
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Category: Musical	User Rating: 7.1/10 (IMDB)	Color Dolby

Amazon.com An earnest and at times overblown story of a music teacher's impact on those around him, Mr. Holland's Opus is at times a genuinely touching drama in the vein of It's a Wonderful Life. Richard Dreyfuss (Jaws, Close Encounters of the Third Kind) plays an aspiring composer and musician who takes a job teaching music at a local high school to save money while he composes his music. But when his wife (Glenne Headley) becomes pregnant, Glenn Holland must put aside his dreams and address the everyday realities of his life, from the melancholy and sometimes tragic fates of his students to the discovery that the son he cherishes is deaf. Building to a highly emotional climax in which the teacher sees the impact he's had on the world around him, Mr. Holland's Opus is a showcase for a fine Oscar-nominated performance by Dreyfuss and an engaging, heartwarming story. --Robert Lane --This text refers to the VHS Tape edition.

My Fair Lady
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Starring: Hepburn, Audrey Harrison, Rex Holloway, Stanley Hyde-White, Wilfrid Holloway, Stanley Brett, Jeremy Bikel, Theodore Cooper, Gladys Cooper, Gladys Daniell, Henry
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Director: Cukor, George	Rating: G	Running Time: 2 Hours 53 Minutes
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Category: Musical	User Rating: 7.8/10 (IMDB)	Color Stereo

Amazon.com essential video Hollywood's legendary "woman's director," George Cukor (The Women, The Philadelphia Story), transformed Audrey Hepburn into street-urchin-turned-proper-lady Eliza Doolittle in this film version of the Lerner and Loewe musical. Based on George Bernard Shaw's play Pygmalion, My Fair Lady stars Rex Harrison as linguist Henry Higgins (Harrison also played the role, opposite Julie Andrews, on stage), who draws Eliza into a social experiment that works almost too well. The letterbox edition of this film on video certainly pays tribute to the pageantry of Cukor's set, but it also underscores a certain visual stiffness that can slow viewer enthusiasm just a tad. But it's really star wattage that keeps this film exciting, that and such great songs as "On the Street Where You Live" and "I Could Have Danced All Night." Actor Jeremy Brett, who gained a huge following later in life portraying Sherlock Holmes, is quite electric as Eliza's determined suitor. --Tom Keogh

Pot O' Gold
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Starring: Stewart, James Goddard, Paulette
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Director: Marshall, George	Rating: NR	Running Time:
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Category: Musical	User Rating:	Black & White Stereo

Purple Rain (20th Anniversary Edition)
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Starring: Prince Kotero, Apollonia Day, Morris Day, Morris Karlatos, Olga Benton, Jerome Sparks, Billy Jones, Jill Jones, Jill Dickerson, Dez
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Director: Magnoli, Albert	Rating: R	Running Time: 1 Hour 51 Minutes
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Category: Musical	User Rating: 5.5/10 (IMDB)	Color Stereo

Amazon.com When Prince's dazzling and dynamic Purple Rain (movie and soundtrack album) and the hypnotic hit single "When Doves Cry" exploded onto the pop-culture scene in 1984, it seemed there was nothing the purple one couldn't do. The film is basically a feature-length music video, but no musician has ever had a better big-screen showcase for his many talents. The plot is really just a theme (about the son of an abusive father struggling not to continue the pattern) upon which to hang some of Prince's most dazzling songs (including "Let's Go Crazy" and the title tune), and some sizzling live-concert numbers. Apollonia Kotero is ravishing as the romantic interest, and Morris Day and the Time provide some terrific musical competition. Purple Rain is an essential artifact of the mid-'80s pop Zeitgeist. Prince took home an Oscar for the song score. --Jim Emerson --This text refers to the DVD edition. DVD features Whether you're hot for extras or simply after a Purple Rain release that does justice to the film, this special edition is the one to spring for. The movie appears in its original widescreen dimension (optimized for widescreen viewing), and its picture is dynamic and grain-free, letting the film's luscious, meticulously patterned colors shine through. Running commentary from director/co-writer/editor Albert Magnoli, producer Robert Cavallo, and cinematographer Donald Thorin highlights... read more

Rutles - All You Need Is Cash, The
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Starring: Weis, Gary Innes, Neil Fataar, Ricky Murray, Bill Idle, Eric Simon, Paul Harrison, George Jagger, Bianca Jagger, Bianca Aykroyd, Dan
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Director: Idle, Eric	Rating: NR	Running Time: 1 Hour 10 Minutes
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Category: Musical	User Rating: 7.2/10 (IMDB)	Black & White Dolby

Amazon.com Originally hatched in 1978 as a short film parody for Saturday Night Live, this expanded, 70-minute mockumentary on a trend-setting quartet of British mop-tops bloomed into one of Eric Idle's better projects outside Monty Python. Taking the career (and hagiography) of the Beatles and inverting them quite nicely, Idle conjures up four doppelgangers who offer the familiar mannerisms but practically none of the intelligence of their models. If that sounds like the same gag that powered This Is Spinal Tap (which emerged six years later), it is, with the crucial difference that Idle's lampoon is precise where Tap was consciously generic. In telling the saga of the Rutles, Idle (who doubles as earnest narrator and McCartney-esque Rutle Dirk McQuigley) works from a rich and immediately familiar trove of pop lore, and he has a ball revisiting and reinventing milestones from the Fab Four's fabled history. The attention to period detail helps elevate the gags further, but Idle's real secret weapon is Neil Innes, standing in as Ron Nasty, the Rutles' answer to John Lennon: it's Innes who serves as the musical architect for the wonderful Beatles parodies that give All You Need Is Cash a delicious kick, and Innes, a one-time principal in the legendary Bonzo Dog Band, is gifted enough to capture the band's lyricism and energy as well as their shifting sense of style. With the blessing and on-camera participation of George Harrison, and wry cameos from Mick Jagger and Paul Simon, All You Need Is Cash is a perfect companion to the Beatles' own glorious screen comedies and a great antidote to sanctimonious pop documentaries. --Sam Sutherland --This text refers to the VHS Tape edition.

Sarah McLachlan - Mirrorball
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Starring: McLachlan, Sarah Sood, Ashwin Minato, Brian Henderson, Camille Sinclair, David Ashby, Sean Jones, Vince
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Director: Muller, Sophie	Rating: NR	Running Time: Arista Records
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Category: Musical	User Rating: 8.7/10 (IMDB)	Color Stereo

Amazon.com essential video This video companion to the Canadian singer-songwriter's triumphant live album confirms in sight what that recording advanced in sound--Sarah McLachlan and her fine, flexible stage band have evolved into a superb live performing unit, breathing added fire and nuance into McLachlan songs that were already stunning in their original studio versions. Always a strong, charismatic singer, McLachlan now conjures a rare balance of delicacy and power, measured here in performances of signature songs that add a new, more muscular edge matching her band's rock firepower. Thus, "Possession" expands beyond its already sensual promise to touch on truly erotic abandon, while "Building a Mystery" focuses its portrait of a narcissistic poseur with a harder edge and a newly amended, R-rated lyric that's entirely appropriate. Shot on McLachlan's 1998 headlining tour, the concert captures her in a more theatrical and frankly glamorous (if slightly funky) vein than her fabled Lilith Fair shows: in her floor-length blue gown, sparkling blue mascara, and bare feet, she evokes a more demure, Gen-X cousin to Cabaret's Sally Bowles. With 23 featured songs, Mirrorball on video adds 9 tracks not heard on the CD. The audio mixing is generally excellent, especially on the DVD version, which provides some hall ambience but retains a front-array, proscenium placement to instruments. Shot on film, rather than videotape, the concert preserves the stunning, subtle lighting effects of McLachlan's touring production, albeit at slight visual sacrifice in lower-light segments in which the resolution is grainier. --Sam Sutherland Description 1) Building A Mystery 2) Plenty 3) Hold On 4) Good Enough 5) Do What You Have To Do 6) Witness 7) Wait 8) I Will Remember You 9) Ice 10) I Love You 11) I Will Not Forget You 12) Path Of Thorns 13) Mary 14) Adia 15) Fear 16) Elsewhere 17) Vox 18) Into The Fire 19) Possession 20) Ice Cream 21) Sweet Surrender 22) Fumbling Toward Ecstacy 23) Angel

Sound of Music (Five Star Collection), The
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Starring: Andrews, Julie Plummer, Christopher Haydn, Richard Menzies, Heather Parker, Eleanor Wright, Ben Andrews, Julie Cartwright, Angela Cartwright, Angela Varden, Norma
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Director: Wise, Robert	Rating: G	Running Time: 174 minutes
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Category: Musical	User Rating: 7.7/10 (IMDB)	Color Stereo

Amazon.com essential video Some people may sneer at this 1965 musical, but the truth is the film has earned its status as a perennially watchable romantic-drama, largely on the strength of a fun story and chemistry between stars Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer. Veteran filmmaker Robert Wise (The Day the Earth Stood Still) mostly stays out of the way of the film's appealing elements, which include a based-on-fact tale of Austria's von Trapp family, who fled their Nazi-occupied country in 1938. Andrews is delightful and even fascinating as Maria, who sheds her tomboyish ways as a novice nun to accept the mantle of adulthood, becoming matron of the motherless von Trapp clan. Plummer is matinee-idol handsome and gives a smart performance to boot, and the cast of young people and kids who make up the singing von Trapp children make a strong impression. Based on the Rodgers and Hammerstein stage musical, the score includes such winners as "Maria" and the future John Coltrane hit "My Favorite Things." --Tom Keogh --This text refers to the VHS Tape edition. Additional features The first disc of this two-DVD set includes the film, plus the option to listen to audio commentary by director Robert Wise. During the songs and underscored passages, Wise's commentary is silent and the vocal tracks are removed, allowing the viewer to hear the score in isolation (or even sing along). The second disc is reserved for bonus material. In a 14-minute featurette from 1965, Salzburg: Sight and Sound, Charmian Carr (Liesl) narrates as she explores Salzburg and works on the set. More... read more

This Is Spinal Tap (Special Edition)
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Starring: Reiner, Rob McKean, Michael Shearer, Harry Reiner, Rob Crystal, Billy Macnee, Patrick Drescher, Fran Hendra, Tony Hendra, Tony Carvey, Dana
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Director: Reiner, Rob	Rating: R	Running Time: 1 Hour 23 Minutes
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Category: Musical	User Rating: 8.0/10 (IMDB)	Color Dolby

Amazon.com Director Marty DiBergi (Rob Reiner) solemnly alerts us to the glory that was Spinal Tap in his introduction to this "rockumentary" about the legendary British heavy-metal group, featuring lead guitarist Nigel Tufnel (Christopher Guest), lead singer David St. Hubbins (Michael McKean), bassist Derek Smalls (Harry Shearer), and a succession of drummers whose careers were cut short by spontaneously combusting on their stool, drowning in somebody else's vomit, or otherwise perishing in untimely fashion. Under DiBergi's studious interrogation, the band and their familiars retrace the band's evolution from head-bopping Mersey Beat poseurs to head-banging metal poseurs, each change in musical direction or tonsorial chic having little effect on the surviving trio's sublime idiocy. For, as St. Hubbins (he's the "deep" one, relatively speaking) sagely observes, "It's such a fine line between stupid and clever." Happily for us, director Reiner, who developed the underlying story line with Guest and former Credibility Gap pranksters McKean and Shearer, stays squarely on the right side of the line, even as his writer-actors remain hilariously trapped on the other side. In lieu of a formal shooting script, the quartet created an extensive and detailed band history ripe with the sort of dead-pan detail that hard-core rock historians and screwball aficionados will savor on countless replays; with the three Tap members also musicians themselves, the "band" developed its stage act under the unsuspecting noses of L.A. club denizens, who accepted them as just as loud, flashy, sexist, and obvious as any other mullet-tressed, leather-garbed brigade of guitar slingers, circa 1984. The resulting footage thus manages to lob its punch lines and build its characters (including some thinly veiled character assassinations of various industry folks) with a loose, tossed-away verve rooted in the improvisational approach. This Is Spinal Tap remains the funniest, and most truthful, look at rock culture ever filmed and a personal best for all involved. --Sam Sutherland --This text refers to the DVD edition.

Waiting for Guffman
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Starring: Guest, Christopher Willard, Fred Willard, Fred Dooley, Paul Guest, Christopher O'Hara, Catherine Keeslar, Matt Posey, Parker Posey, Parker Cross, David
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Director: Guest, Christopher	Rating: R	Running Time: 1 Hour 24 Minutes
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Category: Musical	User Rating: 7.6/10 (IMDB)	Color Stereo

Amazon.com One of the funniest films in many a moon was hiding at art house theaters in 1998. Former Saturday Night Live comedian and Spinal Tap member Christopher Guest creates the ultimate parody of small-town dramatics, Waiting for Guffman. Corky St. Claire (Guest), an overwhelming drama director hiding out in Blaine, Missouri, thinks he has found the vehicle to put him back on Broadway: the city's 150th anniversary play, Red, White, and Blaine. As rehearsals start, we learn of the town's history ("the stool capital of the world") including a brush with a UFO. The mockumentary follows the various townsfolk wishing for stardom: Parker Posey as a Dairy Queen clerk, Catherine O'Hara and Fred Willard as stage-struck travel agents, Matthew Keeslar as the town's bad boy, and Eugene Levy (who cowrote the film with Guest) as a dentist who dreams of glory on the stage. The film is a hoot from beginning to end, and be sure to watch the closing credits. Fans of Guest's deft dry humor should not miss his other parody of the entertainment world, The Big Picture (Kevin Bacon as a student filmmaker who goes to Hollywood). --Doug Thomas --This text refers to the VHS Tape edition.

Wizard of Oz, The
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Starring: Garland, Judy Morgan, Frank Bolger, Ray Lahr, Bert Haley, Jack Burke, Billie Hamilton, Margaret Grapewin, Charley Grapewin, Charley Blandick, Clara
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Director: Vidor, King	Rating: G	Running Time: 1 Hour 41 Minutes
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Category: Musical	User Rating: 8.3/10 (IMDB)	Black & White Dolby

Amazon.com essential video When it was released during Hollywood's golden year of 1939, The Wizard of Oz didn't start out as the perennial classic it has since become. The film did respectable business, but it wasn't until its debut on television that this family favorite saw its popularity soar. And while Oz's TV broadcasts are now controlled by media mogul Ted Turner (who owns the rights), the advent of home video has made this lively musical a mainstay in the staple diet of great American films. Young Dorothy Gale (Judy Garland), her dog, Toto, and her three companions on the yellow brick road to Oz--the Tin Man (Jack Haley), the Cowardly Lion (Bert Lahr), and the Scarecrow (Ray Bolger)--have become pop-culture icons and central figures in the legacy of fantasy for children. As the Wicked Witch who covets Dorothy's enchanted ruby slippers, Margaret Hamilton has had the singular honor of scaring the wits out of children for more than six decades. The film's still as fresh, frightening, and funny as it was when first released. It may take some liberal detours from the original story by L. Frank Baum, but it's loyal to the Baum legacy while charting its own course as a spectacular film. Shot in glorious Technicolor, befitting its dynamic production design (Munchkinland alone is a psychedelic explosion of color and decor), The Wizard of Oz may not appeal to every taste as the years go by, but it's required viewing for kids of all ages. --Jeff Shannon --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title. Description When a nasty neighbor tries to have her dog put to sleep, Dorothy takes her dog Toto, to run away. A tornado appears and carries her to the magical land of oz. Wishing to return, she begins to travel to the city of Oz where a great wizard lives.