Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory

Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory Review

Not only do they taste good, but they're fun to look at.

Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory (1971) has captivated audiences for the last four decades. I remember this movie would be shown on TV once a year. It was kind of like The Wizard Of Oz - it was something everyone would look forward to once a year. This was before there were VCRs and cable television. How spoiled we all are nowadays.

Gene Wilder was brilliantly cast as Willy Wonka. The sets are outstanding considering this movie came out in '71.

My favorite scene in this movie has always been when Violet turns into a blueberry and the Oompas roll her out of the room. It still makes me laugh to this day.

Another one of my favorite scenes is when Charlie and his grandfather are floating up in the room with the fan and the bubbles and they burp their way down.

This widescreen edition contains a documentary called Pure Imagination: The Story Of Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory, audio commentary from the actors in the movie, four sing-along songs, a Vintage 1971 Featurette, a stills gallery, and the theatrical trailer.

This movie's a classic that I recommend to anyone who hasn't seen it.

Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory Overview

A poor little boy wins a ticket to visit the inside of a mysterious and magical chocolate factory. When he experiences the wonders inside the factory, the boy discovers that the entire visit is a test of his character.

Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory Specifications

Having proven itself as a favorite film of children around the world, Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory is every bit as entertaining now as it was when originally released in 1971. There's a timeless appeal to Roald Dahl's classic children's novel, which was playfully preserved in this charming musical, from the colorful carnival-like splendor of its production design to the infectious melody of the "Oompah-Loompah" songs that punctuate the story. Who can forget those diminutive Oompah-Loompah workers who recite rhyming parental warnings ("Oompah-Loompah, doopity do...") whenever some mischievous child has disobeyed Willy Wonka's orders to remain orderly? Oh, but we're getting ahead of ourselves ... it's really the story of the impoverished Charlie Bucket, who, along with four other kids and their parental guests, wins a coveted golden ticket to enter the fantastic realm of Wonka's mysterious confectionery. After the other kids have proven themselves to be irresponsible brats, it's Charlie who impresses Wonka and wins a reward beyond his wildest dreams. But before that, the tour of Wonka's factory provides a dazzling parade of delights, and with Gene Wilder giving a brilliant performance as the eccentric candyman, Wonka gains an edge of menace and madness that nicely counterbalances the movie's sentimental sweetness. It's that willingness to risk a darker tone--to show that even a wonderland like Wonka's can be a weird and dangerous place if you're a bad kid--that makes this an enduring family classic. --Jeff Shannon

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Blues Vocals:Ultimate Beginner Series

Blues Vocals:Ultimate Beginner Series Review

The banter in some sections can be downright annoying. I think this is an attempt to make it more entertaining, but if you are not a professional entertainer, stick to what you know. It is a lame attempt to make the video more colorful but simply fails and makes the tape seem less professional. Having gotten that out of the way, I think this is a very good resource for someone wanting to learn to sing the Blues. It has some very logical and useful exercises and approaches to understanding and executing the Blues. I do recommend it for these reasons. One thing to be aware of is that the keys are switched at some points between what I believe the piano player is playing and what the vocalists later sing, and this might confuse you so be aware that this will happen later in the tape. I thought that this could have been thought out, or at least explained, a little more professionally as well.

Blues Vocals:Ultimate Beginner Series Feature

• DVD
• With Carol Rodgers and Masta Robert Edwards, Jr.
• Format DVD

Blues Vocals:Ultimate Beginner Series Overview

FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER ON DVD NOW FOR PROGRAMS ON ONE. THIS DVD CONTAINS VOCAL BASICS ONE, VOCAL BASICS TWO, BLUES VOCALS STEP ONE AND STEP TWO ALL IN ONE. TOTAL RUNNING TIME OF 135 MIN.

DEVELOP YOUR BLUES STYLE AND PHRASING USING THE BLUES SCALE, MAJOR PENTATONIC SCALE, CALL-&- RESPONSE, EXPAND YOUR BLUES STYLE AND PHRASING, WRITE AND SING YOUR OWN BLUES, SING ALONG WITH B.B. KING, ALBERT COLLINS AND ROBBEN FORD AND MUCH MORE!

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Natalie Dessay - Greatest Moments on Stage

Natalie Dessay - Greatest Moments on Stage Review

If I wanted a DVD to show friends why they should even consider the idea that they could enjoy opera, THIS WOULD BE THE ONE!

Among many other vignettes, this contains three different performances, over the years of the "Olympia, the doll" scene from Tales of Hoffmann. They each have something to add to the repertoire. For me, the outdoor performance of 2000 was dazzling with Dessay's expressive face, voice, light feet, delightful sense of humor, AND her interaction with a half dozen gigantic dolls! Comparing the three performances might be a great way to introduce friends to the splendid art of opera.

All the arias are wonderful, but I also have to mention her Lucia di Lammermoor: it is so dramatic and heart-wrenching that I was afraid she was going to collapse. It really does bring back thoughts of Maria Callas.

Whether you've seen Natalie Dessay, or just read the reviews, you will soon see that she is everything we dream of in an opera singer: great (amazing!) singing, outstanding dramatic and humorous acting, and a bundle of energy that just can't be contained.

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Spinout/Double Trouble

Spinout/Double Trouble Review

It's nice to re-release these 2 films, at a very good price, considering they are .99 each at the moment. However it would be better if they released movies that are not yet released... "Kissin' Cousins", "Girl Happy", "This is Elvis", to name a few... Just the same old repackaging job again. Mind you, this has been the story of Elvis' career (while alive and especially now): re-release, re-package, again and again. There is still quite a bit of stuff not on DVD yet (I forgot to mention "Elvis on Tour' and "Elvis in Concert"), so why not them instead?

Spinout/Double Trouble Overview

Elvis Presley is at the wheel and headed for a romantic Spinout! The renowned pop icon plays a racecar driver who aims to keep his eyes on the road instead of the ladies. But dangerous curves are ahead in the persons of three lovely, marriage-minded women (including Shelly Fabares). Songs: Stop, Look, Listen plus eight more. In Double Trouble, Presley portrays a singer who discovers two intriguing beauties are tailing him during his European tour. But they aren't the only people following him after a stash of hot diamonds ends up in his suitcase. Songs include the very lively, very Elvis Long Legged Girl. Have fun!

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You Cannot Start Without Me: Valery Gergiev, Maestro

You Cannot Start Without Me: Valery Gergiev, Maestro Review

From the time of his emergence on the scene in Western Europe and North America, conductor Valery Gergiev has been controversial. His almost spastic conducting style, his incredibly full schedule seemingly more than one man could fulfill and, most of all, the musical results of his efforts have led to divided opinions among music lovers. This documentary, made originally for New York's public TV station WNET, does a pretty good job of drawing a portrait of the man, delving into such things as his origins, his devotion to the music and culture of Russia, his rehearsal style, and his hectic professional life (and resultantly meager private life). There are ample clips of rehearsals and performances including concert performances of Mussorgsky's Russian Easter and excerpts from many other Russian standards by Stravinsky, Rimsky-Korsakoff, Prokofiev and Tchaikovsky. Among the extras are sections about the reconstruction of St. Petersburg's Mariinsky Theater, the Moscow Easter Festival and the like, as well as Gergiev holding forth on topics such as conducting, opera, ballet and management of musical organizations. He is clearly shown to be a force of nature both within and without his native Russia. There are commentaries by his manager, members of the London Symphony, soprano Anna Netrebko and others.

The visual aspects of this DVD are delightful. I had some difficulty understanding some of the spoken parts of the film, at least partly because Gergiev himself has a rather low-pitched gruff voice and his English, while fluent, is highly accented and there are no helpful English subtitles for his spoken English. There are subtitles for the non-English portions of the film.

I would recommend this film to those who are already fans of Maestro Gergiev. And perhaps those who are new to him would find it interesting, although possibly a bit less so. Certainly one has an opportunity to experience the sometimes electric results he gets from orchestras.

Total timing: Documentary 87mins; extras 69mins; Subtitles: English, French, German, Japanese, Russian, Spanish; Sound: PCM Stereo; Dolby Digital 5.1; Picture format: DVD 9 NTSC, 16:9; Region code: 0 (worldwide) playable on NTSC and PAL machines

Scott Morrison

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All About Rhythm Mandolin!

All About Rhythm Mandolin! Review

All About Rhythm Mandolin! Overview

Sam Bush s rhythm playing is without peer in the world of the mandolin - part bluegrass, part reggae, part rock n roll. Here, he shows all aspects of his style: Chopping, strumming, accenting, damping, subdividing beats, keeping good time and more. The art of rhythm mandolin starts with Bill Monroe, and Sam passes along powerful insights into getting your chop together. Once you ve got the basics down, he shows a myriad of rhythmic variations that you can use to add drive, power and excitement to your playing. Sam details his accompaniments for two of his most popular performance pieces. On Bob Dylan s Girl From the North Country, he explains what to do when you want to create an interesting accompaniment to your singing. His performance tour de force, Little Feat s Sailing Shoes, encompasses rhythmic strumming, bluesy licks, octave soloing and other dynamic mandolin grooves. Extra! Sam provides important tips on tuning up and gives you a close look at "Ol' Hoss," his 1937 Gibson mandolin, with its unusual finish, cut-off fingerboard, pickups and other unique details.

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The Wiggles: Wiggly, Wiggly World!

The Wiggles: Wiggly, Wiggly World! Review

I think this is the best of the Wiggles videos. It's really neat to see Australian singers who usually sing to adult audiences sing and interact with the Wiggles to child-themed songs. A huge warning to all adults - these songs will stick in your head and you'll find yourself singing them in the shower if you're not careful! You've been warned - these songs are seriously addictive. :-) My 4-year old keeps asking for this DVD. Would definitely recommend it.

The Wiggles: Wiggly, Wiggly World! Overview

Imagine a world where everyone is smiling and laughing. It's a wonderful, wacky and whimsical world. It's a Wiggly, Wiggly World! Join Greg, Murray, Anthony and Jeff as they welcome many friends from around the world who've come to share their own special styles of music. Aussie country music legend Slim Dusty will be there. So will Tim Finn from Crowded House and Split Enz with some fun-filled songs for children. And thanks to Dorothy the Dinosaur and Captain Feathersword, there will be plenty of Wiggling. Welcometo the Wiggly, Wiggly World! of The Wiggles. SONGS In The Wiggles World Here Come The Wiggles In The Big Red Car We Like To Ride I Love To Have A Dance With Dorothy (Featuring Slim Dusty) Taba Naba (Featuring Christine Anu) Tie Me Kangaroo Down Sport (Featuring Rolf Harris) Sing With Me (Featuring Kanahl) Hey, Hey, Hey, We're All Pirate Dancing Another Cuppa Starry Night Six Months In A Leaky Boat (Wiggly Version) (Featuring Tim Finn) One Little Coyote Blow Me Down Let's Go (We're Riding In The Big Red Car) Morningtown Ride (Featuring Jimmy Little) Haru Ga Kita (Featuring Atsuko Arai)

DVD Features:
Featurette
Other

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