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The Sting
Actors: Paul Newman, Robert Redford, Robert Shaw, Charles Durning, Ray Walston
ASIN : 0783225873
Sales Rank : 354
Director : George Roy Hill
Brand : Universal
Studio : Universal Studios
Region Code : 1
Format : Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, DVD-Video, Full Screen, Subtitled, NTSC
Binding : DVD
EAN : 9780783225876
ISBN : 0783225873
UPC : 025192016523
Release Date : December 31, 1998
Publisher : Universal Studios
Manufacturer : Universal Studios
Availability : Usually ships in 24 hours
Label : Universal Studios
Running Time : 129
Product DescriptionThe winner of 7 Academy Awards including Best Picture, The Sting has become one of America's favorite and most critically acclaimed films. Robert Redford and Paul Newman star as two con men in the 1930's out to avenge the death of a friend. They seek revenge on a crime lord (Robert Shaw) with a "sting" that is one of the greatest double-crosses in movie history, complete with an amazing surprise finish. Directed by George Ray Hill and written by David S. Ward. Amazon.com essential videoWinner of seven Academy Awards including Best Picture, Director, and Screenplay, this critical and box-office hit from 1973 provided a perfect reunion for director George Roy Hill and stars Paul Newman and Robert Redford, who previously delighted audiences with Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. Set in 1936, the movie's about a pair of Chicago con artists (Newman and Redford) who find themselves in a high-stakes game against the master of all cheating mobsters (Robert Shaw) when they set out to avenge the murder of a mutual friend and partner. Using a bogus bookie joint as a front for their con of all cons, the two feel the heat from the Chicago Mob on one side and encroaching police on the other. But in a plot that contains more twists than a treacherous mountain road, the ultimate scam is pulled off with consummate style and panache. It's an added bonus that Newman and Redford were box-office kings at the top of their game, and while Shaw broods intensely as the Runyonesque villain, The Sting is further blessed by a host of great supporting players including Dana Elcar, Eileen Brennan, Ray Walston, Charles Durning, and Harold Gould. Thanks to the flavorful music score by Marvin Hamlisch, this was also the movie that sparked a nationwide revival of Scott Joplin's ragtime jazz, which is featured prominently on the soundtrack. One of the most entertaining movies of the early 1970s, The Sting is a welcome throwback to Hollywood's golden age of the '30s that hasn't lost any of its popular charm. --Jeff Shannon Amazon.comWinner of seven Academy Awards including Best Picture, Director, and Screenplay, this critical and box-office hit from 1973 provided a perfect reunion for director George Roy Hill and stars Paul Newman and Robert Redford, who previously delighted audiences with Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. Set in 1936, the movie's about a pair of Chicago con artists (Newman and Redford) who find themselves in a high-stakes game against the master of all cheating mobsters (Robert Shaw) when they set out to avenge the murder of a mutual friend and partner. Using a bogus bookie joint as a front for their con of all cons, the two feel the heat from the Chicago Mob on one side and encroaching police on the other. But in a plot that contains more twists than a treacherous mountain road, the ultimate scam is pulled off with consummate style and panache. It's an added bonus that Newman and Redford were box-office kings at the top of their game, and while Shaw broods intensely as the Runyonesque villain, The Sting is further blessed by a host of great supporting players including Dana Elcar, Eileen Brennan, Ray Walston, Charles Durning, and Harold Gould. Thanks to the flavorful music score by Marvin Hamlisch, this was also the movie that sparked a nationwide revival of Scott Joplin's ragtime jazz, which is featured prominently on the soundtrack. One of the most entertaining movies of the early 1970s, The Sting is a welcome throwback to Hollywood's golden age of the '30s that hasn't lost any of its popular charm. --Jeff Shannon
Reviews for the The Sting
List Price: $28.96Price: $21.99You Save: $6.97 (24%)
Fireproof
Actors: Kirk Cameron, Jason McLeod, Erin Bethea, Ken Bevel, Stephen Dervan
ASIN : B001KEHAFI
Sales Rank : 67
Director : Alex Kendrick
Studio : Sony Pictures
Region Code : 99
Format : AC-3, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, DVD-Video, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
Binding : DVD
EAN : 0043396274983
UPC : 043396274983
Release Date : December 27, 2009
Publisher : Sony Pictures
Manufacturer : Sony Pictures
Availability : Not yet released
Label : Sony Pictures
Running Time : 118
DescriptionLt. Caleb Holt lives by the old firefighter's adage: Never leave your partner behind. Inside burning buildings, it's his natural instinct. In the cooling embers of his marriage, it's another story. After a decade of marriage, Caleb and Catherine Holt have drifted so far apart that they are ready to move on without each other. Yet as they prepare to enter divorce proceedings, Caleb's dad asks his son to try an experiment: The Love Dare. While hoping The Love Dare has nothing to do with his parents' newfound faith, Caleb commits to the challenge. But can he attempt to love his wife while avoiding God's love for him? Will he be able to demonstrate love over and over again to a person that's no longer receptive to his love? Or is this just another marriage destined to go up in smoke? Amazon.comA feel-good drama, Fireproof has a strong agenda: stay married, lead an honest life, and let your faith in a higher power help guide you. A still boyish-looking Kirk Cameron (Growing Pains) stars as Caleb Holt, a mercurial-tempered firefighter whose marriage is on the rocks. He clearly enjoys his status as a hero, but it comes at the expense of his marriage. His wife Catherine (Erin Bethea) is tired of being along in their relationship and wants him to devote more time to their family. When she points out that he has worked 43 days straight--three days longer than his required time--Caleb says, "That's doesn't mean I have to stop." To a certain extent, the film examines whether Caleb can stop. In the finite sense, of course he can. All he has to do it pack up and head home. But emotionally stunted to a certain degree, Caleb can't. The third film by brothers Alex and Stephen Kendrick, Fireproof is the siblings' most polished feature. Cameron does a fine job of making Caleb real and believable, even when we're not always liking him. Though saddled at times with maudlin lines, Cameron adds emotion and range to his role. There is a not so subtle theme that the Holts--who at the beginning of the film are agnostic--needed religion to save their marriage. Clearly, Fireproof believes in its agenda and was made with the Christian audience in mind. Whether secular audiences will fall under its spell as well is debatable. But no one should walk away from the film offended. --Jae-Ha Kim
Reviews for the Fireproof
New Price: $27.95
Aladdin (Disney Special Platinum Edition)
Actors: Scott Weinger, Robin Williams, Linda Larkin, Jonathan Freeman, Frank Welker
ASIN : B0001I561E
Sales Rank : 173
Director : Ron Clements, John Musker
Brand : KANE,BRAD
Studio : Walt Disney Home Entertainment
Region Code : 1
Format : AC-3, Anamorphic, Color, Dolby, DVD-Video, Special Edition, Widescreen, NTSC
Binding : DVD
EAN : 0786936223996
UPC : 786936223996
Release Date : December 05, 2004
Publisher : Walt Disney Home Entertainment
Manufacturer : Walt Disney Home Entertainment
Label : Walt Disney Home Entertainment
Running Time : 90
DescriptionSoar away on a magic carpet ride of nonstop thrills and fun in the most spectacular adventure of all time! Now meticulously restored and enhanced -- experience the wonders of ALADDIN like never before, from the Academy Award(R)-winning music (Best Original Song, Best Original Score, 1992) to the unforgettable moments of sidesplitting comedy and soaring adventure. In the heart of an enchanted city, a commoner named Aladdin and his mischievous monkey, Abu, battle to save the free-spirited Princess Jasmine. Aladdin's whole life changes with one rub of a magic lamp as a fun-loving, shape-shifting Genie appears and grants him three wishes, setting him on an incredible journey of discovery. Through his adventures, Aladdin proves that he is a prince where it truly matters most -- on the inside! Amazon.com essential videoDisney's 1992 animated feature is a triumph of wit and skill. The high-tech artwork and graphics look great, the characters are strong, the familiar story is nicely augmented with an interesting villain (Jafar, voiced by Jonathan Freeman), and there's an incredible hook atop the whole thing: Robin Williams's frantically hilarious vocal performance as Aladdin's genie. Even if one isn't particularly moved by the love story between the title character (Scott Weinger) and his girlfriend Jasmine (Linda Larkin), you can easily get lost in Williams's improvisational energy and the equally entertaining performances of Freeman and Gilbert Gottfried (as Jafar's parrot). --Tom Keogh
Reviews for the Aladdin (Disney Special Platinum Edition)
List Price: $29.99Price: $14.99You Save: $15 (50%)
Camp Rock (Extended Rock Star Edition)
Actors: Joe Jonas, Demi Lovato, Nick Jonas, Kevin Jonas, Meaghan Jette Martin
ASIN : B001725ZD2
Sales Rank : 1201
Director : Matthew Diamond
Brand : Buena Vista Home Video
Studio : Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment
Region Code : 1
Format : AC-3, Color, Dolby, DVD-Video, Full Screen, NTSC
Binding : DVD
EAN : 0786936750812
UPC : 786936750812
Release Date : December 19, 2008
Publisher : Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment
Manufacturer : Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment
Availability : Usually ships in 24 hours
Label : Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment
Running Time : 90
Product DescriptionThis summer is gonna ROCK! Get ready to sing and dance like never before with the electrifying Disney Channel Original Movie Camp Rock! Disney's exclusive DVD and Blu-ray disc explode with "Too Cool" bonus features including an extended never-before-seen ending and "How To Be A Rock Star" a sensational series full of tips and secrets from the Camp Rock cast to help make your real-life rock star dream come true! When Mitchie scores a job as a cook at Camp Rock her life takes an unpredictable twist and she learns just how important it is to be true to yourself. Join the platinum-selling Jonas Brothers and the hottest cast of performers at the coolest summer camp anywhere! Experience Camp Rock in a whole new way in this Extended Rock Star Edition packed with hit music hip dance moves and bonus features that will have your family singing dancing and rocking over and over again. Contains additional songs and footage not seen in theatres, including "Right Here", "SOS", "Good & Broken," and "Pumpin Up the Party". Amazon.comCamp Rock is a Disney Channel original movie about a rockin' teen summer camp that's highly appealing to tweens and young teens despite the movie's failure to favorably compare with truly great Disney Channel movies like High School Musical. Joe Jonas (of the Jonas Brothers stars as Shane Gray, a member of the rock band Connect 3, who is compelled to serve as an instructor at Camp Rock in order to counteract his increasingly negative public image. Tess Tyler (Meaghan Jette Martin) is the camp diva whose self-absorption defies description, Caitlyn (Alyson Stoner) is a past Tess groupie who's now ostracized from the popular kids at camp, and Mitchie (Demi Lovato) is a camp newcomer whose mother is the camp cook. Caitlyn initially befriends Mitchie, but the friendship wanes when Mitchie makes up an elaborate story about her family to get accepted into Tess's exclusive clique. As Mitchie struggles to maintain her façade around camp, Shane begins to reform his bad-boy ways and find his own personal voice and he and Mitchie become friends--unfortunately, their new relationship is based partially on Mitchie's lies. In the end, Mitchie's deception is exposed as is Tess' true villainy and the perfect summer camp experience threatens to turn into the worst summer ever for everyone involved. Camp Rock is infused with lots of energy, fun choreography, and a ton of good, if not particularly memorable, music. Add in the cast of generally unlikable characters with extreme characteristics whose changes of heart at the end of the film are not particularly believable, and Disney's got an entertaining film for tweens and teens that adults might just as well skip. --Tami Horiuchi
Reviews for the Camp Rock (Extended Rock Star Edition)
List Price: $19.98Price: $13.99You Save: $5.99 (30%)
The Polar Express (Full Screen Edition)
Actors: Joe Jonas, Demi Lovato, Nick Jonas, Kevin Jonas, Meaghan Jette Martin
ASIN : B000AGTPUU
Sales Rank : 983
Director : alan silvestri
Brand : Warner Brothers
Studio : Warner Home Video
Region Code : 1
Format : AC-3, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, DVD-Video, Full Screen, Subtitled, Animated, NTSC
Binding : DVD
EAN : 9781419819100
ISBN : 1419819100
UPC : 125696998544
Release Date : December 26, 2005
Publisher : Warner Home Video
Manufacturer : Warner Home Video
Availability : Usually ships in 24 hours
Label : Warner Home Video
Running Time : 100
DescriptionWhen a doubting young boy takes an extraordinary train ride to the North Pole, he embarks on a journey of self-discovery that shows him that the wonder of life never fades for those who believe. Amazon.comDestined to become a holiday perennial, The Polar Express also heralded a brave new world of all-digital filmmaking. Critics and audiences were divided between those who hailed it as an instant classic that captures the visual splendor and evocative innocence of Chris Van Allsburg's popular children's book, and those who felt that the innovative use of "performance capture"--to accurately translate live performances into all-digital characters--was an eerie and not-quite-lifelike distraction from the story's epic-scale North Pole adventure. In any case it's a benign, kind-hearted celebration of the yuletide spirit, especially for kids who have almost grown out of their need to believe in Santa Claus. Tom Hanks is the nominal "star" who performs five different computer-generated characters, but it's the visuals that steal this show, as director Robert Zemeckis indulges his tireless pursuit of technological innovation. No matter how you respond to the many wonders on display, it's clear that The Polar Express represents a significant milestone in the digital revolution of cinema. If it also fills you with the joy of Christmas (in spite of its Nuremberg-like rally of frantic elves), so much the better. --Jeff Shannon The World of The Polar Express  The book by Chris Van Allsburg |  The Soundtrack |  The Magic Journey (Polar Express the Movie) (book) | Stills from Polar Express (click for larger image)
Reviews for the The Polar Express (Full Screen Edition)
List Price: $29.98Price: $21.49You Save: $8.49 (28%)
Laverne & Shirley - The Complete First Season
Actors: Penny Marshall, Cindy Williams, David Lander, Michael McKean, Henry Winkler
ASIN : B000291Q3O
Sales Rank : 2147
Director : Garry Marshall
Brand : Paramount
Studio : Paramount
Region Code : 1
Format : Box set, Closed-captioned, Color, DVD-Video, Full Screen, NTSC
Binding : DVD
EAN : 9781415700785
ISBN : 1415700788
UPC : 097360537642
Release Date : December 17, 2004
Publisher : Paramount
Manufacturer : Paramount
Availability : Usually ships in 24 hours
Label : Paramount
Running Time : 373
DescriptionGetting its start as a spin-off from "Happy Days," LAVERNE & SHIRLEY takes place in Milwaukee in the 1950’s and features Laverne, an outspoken, hot-headed woman who would love more than anything to be rescued from her job by a nice man, and Shirley, a naïve young woman who worries about her reputation and often finds herself assuming the role of Laverne’s conscience in an effort to keep her best friend out of trouble. The two quirky friends have many fun times with Lenny and Squiggy, two greasers who share an apartment above Laverne and Shirley and always seem to have some kind of scheme up their sleeves. Amazon.comAs a spin-off from Happy Days, Laverne & Shirley was an instant hit and one of the most popular sitcoms of the '70s. It's a bit quaint by contemporary standards, and its light-hearted sentiment is strictly old-school, due to the crowd-pleasing influence of producer and cocreator Garry Marshall, a veteran of The Dick Van Dyke Show whose subsequent film career peaked early with Pretty Woman. As working-class roommates in mid-1950s Milwaukee, Laverne De Fazio (Penny Marshall, future director and Garry's sister) and Shirley Feeney (Cindy Williams) were a classic case of opposites: Laverne was relatively saucy and cynical, while Shirley was cheerfully naive and eternally optimistic. As bottle-cappers at the Shotz brewery, they regularly associated with colleagues (and eventual neighbors) Lenny (Michael McKean) and Squiggy (David L. Lander), and as an inaugural ratings-booster, Happy Days superstar Henry Winkler (as "Fonzie") appears in the first three episodes including "Bowling for Razzberries," later named by TV Guide as a classic episode. As Shirley's crooning would-be beau, Carmine "The Big Ragoo" Rugusa (Eddie Mekka) provided a touch of romance to Shirley's otherwise lackluster love life. Despite personal rancor that later erupted between its energetic costars, Laverne & Shirley was always a showcase for polished, professional comedy and effortless chemistry between characters, giving it the same widespread appeal later enjoyed by Friends. A mid-season replacement with a prime time-slot (following Happy Days at 8:30 Tuesdays on ABC) the show placed its good-natured characters in a variety of standard sitcom predicaments, typically set in L&S's apartment, the "Pizza Bowl" diner run by Laverne's father Frank (Phil Foster), or the Shotz brewery, where some of the show's funniest slapstick humor emerged. These 15 episodes are guaranteed to please longtime fans on a stroll down memory lane, but bonus features are nonexistent, and newcomers may not relate to the clean-cut humor of a bygone era. Still, Laverne & Shirley started strong and continued to improve, at least for another season or two, with a variety of popular guest stars. This three-disc set represents the best of times for everyone involved. --Jeff Shannon
Reviews for the Laverne & Shirley - The Complete First Season
List Price: $19.98Price: $13.49You Save: $6.49 (32%)
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Widescreen Edition)
Actors: Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson (II), Rupert Grint, Harry Melling, Richard Macklin
ASIN : B000W7F5SS
Sales Rank : 407
Director : David Yates (II)
Brand : Warner Brothers
Studio : Warner Home Video
Region Code : 1
Format : Widescreen, NTSC
Binding : DVD
EAN : 0012569593268
UPC : 012569593268
Release Date : December 11, 2007
Publisher : Warner Home Video
Manufacturer : Warner Home Video
Availability : Usually ships in 24 hours
Label : Warner Home Video
Running Time : 139
DescriptionLord Voldemort has returned, but few want to believe it. In fact, the Ministry of Magic is doing everything it can to keep the wizarding world from knowing the truth - including appointing Ministry official Dolores Umbridge as the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher at Hogwarts. When Professor Umbridge refuses to train her students in practical defensive magic, a select group of students decides to learn on their own. With Harry Potter as their leader, these students (who call themselves "Dumbledore's Army") meet secretly in a hidden room at Hogwarts to hone their wizarding skills in preparation for battle with the Dark Lord and his Death Eaters. . New adventure - more dangerous , more thrilling than ever - is yours in this enthralling film version of the fifth novel in J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series. A terrifying showdown between good and evil awaits. Prepare for battle! Amazon.comAlas! The fifth Harry Potter film has arrived. The time is long past that this can be considered a simple "children's" series--though children and adults alike will enjoy it immensely. Starting off from the dark and tragic ending of the fourth film, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix begins in a somber and angst-filled tone that carries through the entire 138 minutes (the shortest of any HP movie despite being adapted from the longest book). Hopes of winning the Quidditch Cup have been replaced by woes like government corruption, distorted media spin, and the casualties of war. As the themes have matured, so have the primary characters' acting abilities. Ron (Rupert Grint), Hermione (Emma Watson), and especially Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) are more convincing than ever--in roles that are more demanding. Harry is deeply traumatized from having witnessed Cedric Diggory's murder, but he will soon find that this was just another chapter in the continuing loss he will endure. Lord Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes) has returned and, in an attempt to conceal this catastrophe from the wizarding public, the Ministry of Magic has teamed up with the wizard newspaper The Daily Prophet to smear young Potter and wise Dumbledore (Michael Gambon)--seemingly the only two people in the public eye who believe the Dark Lord has returned. With no one else to stand against the wicked Death Eaters, the Hogwarts headmaster is forced to revive his secret anti-Voldemort society, the Order of the Phoenix. This welcomes back characters like Mad-Eye Moody (Brendan Gleeson), kind Remus Lupin (David Thewlis), fatherly Sirius Black (Gary Oldman), and insidious Severus Snape (Alan Rickman), and introduces a short list of intriguing new faces. In the meantime, a semi-psychotic bureaucrat from the Ministry (brilliantly portrayed by Imelda Staunton) has seized power at Hogwarts, and Harry is forced to form a secret society of his own--lest the other young wizards at his school be left ill-equipped to defend themselves in the looming war between good and evil. In addition, Harry is filled with an inexplicable rage that only his Godfather Sirius seems to be able to understand. This film, though not as frightening as its predecessor, earns its PG-13 rating mostly because of the ever-darkening tone. As always, the loyal fans of J.K. Rowling's books will suffer huge cuts from the original plot and character developments, but make no mistake: this is a good movie. --Jordan Thompson
Reviews for the Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Widescreen Edition)
List Price: $179.97Price: $102.99You Save: $76.98 (43%)
Deadwood: The Complete Series
Actors: Ian McShane, Timothy Olyphant
ASIN : B001FA1OTU
Sales Rank : 1147
Studio : HBO
Region Code : 1
Format : Box set, NTSC
Binding : DVD
EAN : 0883929023189
UPC : 883929023189
Release Date : December 09, 2008
Publisher : HBO
Manufacturer : HBO
Availability : Usually ships in 24 hours
Label : HBO
Running Time : 2160
Product DescriptionStudio: Hbo Home Video Release Date: 12/09/2008 Rating: Nr
Reviews for the Deadwood: The Complete Series
List Price: $19.98Price: $12.99You Save: $6.99 (35%)
Casablanca
Actors: Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, Paul Henreid, Claude Rains, Conrad Veidt
ASIN : 6305736650
Sales Rank : 217
Director : Michael Curtiz
Brand : BOGART,HUMPHREY
Studio : Warner Home Video
Region Code : 1
Format : Black & White, Digital Sound, NTSC, Subtitled
Binding : DVD
EAN : 9780790743998
ISBN : 079074399X
UPC : 012569500822
Release Date : December 15, 2000
Publisher : Warner Home Video
Manufacturer : Warner Home Video
Availability : Usually ships in 24 hours
Label : Warner Home Video
Running Time : 102
Product DescriptionThe story of a struggle among individuals who have sought refuge in Casablanca after fleeing Nazi occupied Europe. Genre: Feature Film-Drama Rating: PG Release Date: 7-JUN-2005 Media Type: DVD Amazon.com essential videoA truly perfect movie, the 1942 Casablanca still wows viewers today, and for good reason. Its unique story of a love triangle set against terribly high stakes in the war against a monster is sophisticated instead of outlandish, intriguing instead of garish. Humphrey Bogart plays the allegedly apolitical club owner in unoccupied French territory that is nevertheless crawling with Nazis; Ingrid Bergman is the lover who mysteriously deserted him in Paris; and Paul Heinreid is her heroic, slightly bewildered husband. Claude Rains, Sydney Greenstreet, Peter Lorre, and Conrad Veidt are among what may be the best supporting cast in the history of Hollywood films. This is certainly among the most spirited and ennobling movies ever made. --Tom Keogh Amazon.comA truly perfect movie, the 1942 Casablanca still wows viewers today, and for good reason. Its unique story of a love triangle set against terribly high stakes in the war against a monster is sophisticated instead of outlandish, intriguing instead of garish. Humphrey Bogart plays the allegedly apolitical club owner in unoccupied French territory that is nevertheless crawling with Nazis; Ingrid Bergman is the lover who mysteriously deserted him in Paris; and Paul Heinreid is her heroic, slightly bewildered husband. Claude Rains, Sydney Greenstreet, Peter Lorre, and Conrad Veidt are among what may be the best supporting cast in the history of Hollywood films. This is certainly among the most spirited and ennobling movies ever made. --Tom Keogh
Reviews for the Casablanca
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The Phantom of the Opera (Widescreen Edition)
Actors: Gerard Butler, Emmy Rossum, Patrick Wilson, Miranda Richardson, Minnie Driver
ASIN : B0007TKNII
Sales Rank : 309
Director : Joel Schumacher
Brand : Warner Brothers
Studio : Warner Home Video
Region Code : 1
Format : AC-3, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, DVD-Video, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
Binding : DVD
EAN : 9780790795393
ISBN : 0790795396
UPC : 085393895129
Release Date : December 03, 2005
Publisher : Warner Home Video
Manufacturer : Warner Home Video
Availability : Usually ships in 24 hours
Label : Warner Home Video
Running Time : 143
DescriptionMusical Drama based on Andrew Lloyd Webber's celebrated musical phenomenon. The Phantom of the Opera tells the story of a disfigured musical genius (Gerard Butler) who haunts the catacombs beneath the Paris Opera, waging a reign of terror over its occupants. When he falls fatally in love with the lovely Christine (Emmy Rossum), the Phantom devotes himself to creating a new star for the Opera, exerting a strange sense of control over the young soprano as he nurtures her extraordinary talents. Amazon.comAlthough it's not as bold as Oscar darling Chicago, The Phantom of the Opera continues the resuscitation of the movie musical with a faithful adaptation of Andrew Lloyd Webber's blockbuster stage musical. Emmy Rossum glows in a breakout role as opera ingénue Christine Daae, and if phantom Gerard Butler isn't Rossum's match vocally, he does convey menace and sensuality in such numbers as "The Music of the Night." The most experienced musical theater veteran in the cast, romantic lead Patrick Wilson, sings sweetly but seems wooden. The biggest name in the cast, Minnie Driver, hams it up as diva Carlotta, and she's the only principal whose voice was dubbed (though she does sing the closing-credit number, "Learn to Be Lonely," which is also the only new song). Director Joel Schumacher, no stranger to visual spectacle, seems to have found a good match in Lloyd Webber's larger-than-life vision of Gaston LeRoux's Gothic horror-romance. His weakness is cuing too many audience-reaction shots and showing too much of the lurking Phantom, but when he calms down and lets Rossum sings "Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again" alone in a silent graveyard, it's exquisite. Those who consider the stage musical shallow and overblown probably won't have their minds changed by the movie, and devotees will forever rue that the movie took the better part of two decades to develop, which prevented the casting of original principals Michael Crawford and Sarah Brightman. Still, The Phantom of the Opera is a welcome exception to the long line of ill-conceived Broadway-to-movie travesties. DVD Features The special edition of The Phantom of the Opera has two major extras. "Behind the Mask: The Story of The Phantom of the Opera" is an hourlong documentary tracing the genesis of the stage show, with interviews of composer Andrew Lloyd Webber, director Harold Prince, producer Cameron Macintosh, lyricists Richard Stilgoe and Charles Hart, choreographer Gillian Lynne, and others. Conspicuously absent are stars Sarah Brightman and Michael Crawford. Both do appear in video clips, including Brightman performing with Colm Wilkinson at an early workshop, and Crawford is the subject of a casting segment. Other brief scenes from the show are represented by a 2001 production. The other major feature is the 45-minute making-of focusing on the movie, including casting and the selection of director Joel Schumacher Both are well-done productions by Lloyd Webber's Really Useful Group. The deleted scene is a new song written by Lloyd Webber and Charles Hart, "No One Would Listen," sung by the Phantom toward the end of the movie. It's a beautiful song that, along with Madame Giry's story, makes him a more sympathetic character. But because that bit of backstory already slowed down the ending, it was probably a good move to cut the song. --David Horiuchi More on The Phantom of the Opera  The Phantom of the Opera (Special Extended Edition Soundtrack) (CD) |  The Phantom of the Opera (2004 Movie Soundtrack) (CD) |  The Phantom of the Opera (Original 1986 London Cast) (CD) |  Evita (DVD) |  Andrew Lloyd Weber: The Royal Albert Hall Celebration (DVD) |  More Broadway DVDs |
Reviews for the The Phantom of the Opera (Widescreen Edition)
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