Cabaret DVD

Advantages: The Cabaret my dear!
Disadvantages: A few underdeveloped plot threads.

...in all night. Cabaret was made in 1972, a year when the Godfather could have run away with all of the awards. Instead this film was the only other serious contender in that year's awards ceremonies, picking up eight Oscars and winning many more throughout the year. This film is based on the stage-play of the film of the semi-autobiographical book (getting a bit tenuous now isn't it), 'Farewell Berlin', by Christopher Isherwood. Although, I think ...
...with the compere of the cabaret and film, Joel Grey, welcoming us to the slightly seedy but energetic world of the Kit Kat Club, at the same time as Brian Roberts (Michael York) enters Berlin in 1931. Brian first meets Sally Bowles (Liza Minelli), one of the Kit Kat Club's prime attractions, when he is searching for somewhere to stay. The room available is cramped and certainly not suitable for Brian's English lessons, so Sally suggests using her ... Read review

Advantages: The Acting. The Singing. The Choreography.
Disadvantages: NONE

Saying Cabaret is a good film, is like saying the Taj Mahal is a nice building, or that Ayres Rock is pretty for a lump of rock. It's misses the point somewhat. This isn't a musical as such, at least, that's not the impression you are left with when you have travelled such a magnificently torturous journey through the story. It strikes you that this is one mother of a film that co-incidentally has some of the best show music around. Even now. This ...
...tiniest of wrinkles or a hint of grey in the passing years. The main characters are Liza Minelli and Michael York, and whilst it's adapted from Christopher Isherwood's book on his life in Berlin during the pre-WWII years, the stories are intrinsically different. Minelli plays American, Sally Bowles, the daughter of "a very important man, darling. He's incredibly busy." This is Sally's way of coping with a father who sees little of her and seems to ... Read review

Advantages: Screenplay, source, score, direction, choreography, performances...
Disadvantages: Not a film you can disengage your brain from, some people don't 'get' it.

Cabaret is one of the greatest ever achievements in musical cinema, adapting a wonderful stage show and creating a totally different entity which is just as good, only in different ways. The film is primarily adapted from the stage musical of the same name but also takes much of its tone and plot points from the original source, Isherwood's Goodbye To Berlin and related stories. The changes eliminate some of the supporting players invented for the ...
...twist of the plot. Cabaret is not a truly enjoyable film as such, but then it isn't supposed to be. Cabaret should disturb, anger and provoke thought - the plight of the Jews and other aspects of the Nazi party's rise to power are very real and should not be treated lightly. The film takes advantage of the cinema medium to do what the stage show never could - cut away for two or three seconds to show a brief scene of violence, decadence or sheer ... Read review

Advantages: Minnelli, the staging, the songs, the mood
Disadvantages: None

...Here we've got the cabaret scene as the tool of that oppression, keeping the masses under control and satiating their lust for sleaze. God, THIS FILM IS AMAZING. The LA Times described Cabaret as "An exquisitely sculpted milestone in the history of the film musical" and it won a pretty startling eight Oscars. It was only a musical by association with all the songs coming in the setting of the club, used as metaphors for the dangerous and deadly ...
...as a dancer-singer in the cabaret at the Kit Kat Klub, and falls in love with her. However, Sally has her sights set on making it to the top and is more attracted by the attentions of a rich Baron than this quiet young man. The moral dilemma faced by the characters is expertly dissected as all round them the Nazi influence grows more pervasive and claustrophobic, influencing the sets at the club. The satirical number with Grey confessing his love ... Read review

Advantages: A star - studded cast, value for money format.
Disadvantages: ?

...Fosse. ***THE STORY*** Cabaret brings 1931 Berlin (The Weimer Republic era) to life inside and outside the Kit Kat club ( A female girlie club). Starry eyed American Sally Bowles romances 2 men while the Nazi party rises to power to become a brutal force in the streets outside. Whilst inside impish "emcee" (Joel Grey) and Sally sound the call for decadent fun. Into this world comes British language teacher (Michael York) who falls for Sally's charm ...
...***MY OPINION*** Cabaret is more than a musical, it is a tough, satirical, acrid and provoking show, I found it racy and very sexy. As a background to the entertainment some insights into life in pre Nazi Germany as the Nazi party rise to power. An eerie, glowing tinderbox full of grinning souls and desperate laughter. I really enjoyed it and will probably watch the DVD again. The central characters are well played by York, Minnelli and Grey. York ... Read review

Advantages: Great singing and dancing
Disadvantages: Bonus footage is a little tedious

...of technology at a knockdown price. I ended up in the DVD section, to be more precise the DVD 'we are desperately trying to get rid of this' bin. There I found Cabaret. My reasoning for buying this was Andrew is German, Cabaret is set in Berlin, its only £1.50. Cabaret was originally a collection of short stories by Christopher Isherwood. It was then produced as a play called 'I am Camera' then turned into a broadway musical where it was renamed 'Cabaret' and finally Bob Fosse brought it to the screen where it won eight Acadamy Awards. A very young Liza Minelli stars as 'Sally Bowles', an American who has moved to 1930s Berlin and is performing as a singer in the Kit Kat Klub. Michael York plays the male lead of a gay Englishman 'Brian Roberts' who moves to Germany in search of fun. Liza and Michael share rooms together and live a hedonistic... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: Well shot; dark; great songs; great performance by Liza Minelli; great special features
Disadvantages: Doesn't come cheap

.... ********** Special Features If you’re looking for a DVD with a vast amount of special features you’ll be delighted with the 30th Anniversary edition: It contains the 1997 documentary “Cabaret: A Legend in the Making”, which includes interviews with the cast and the production team, as well as a glimpse at initial the screen tests. The 1972 documentary “The Re-creation of an Era” is also included, although this is shorter and less informative. The ‘Kit Kat Klub Memory Gallery’ features reminiscences from the cast (including Liza Minelli, Michael York, and Joel Grey) and creators (Kander & Ebb, Cy Feuer- the producer), showing how the characters were styled and costumed. Moving onto more traditional DVD extras, we have the original US theatrical trailer, songs menu, photo gallery and production notes... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful

Advantages: Different from other musicals.. and great songs!
Disadvantages: Quite dark in some places

...songs! And Liza Minelli's acting in this is well deserving of her Oscar win of best actress in a leading role. The choreography is also brilliant, I really enjoyed watching the performances in the Cabaret. This is quite different from other musicals as all of the songs (apart from one) are part of a show in the Kit Kat Club, not people just bursting in to song, I thought that was really good and original for a musical. The other thing I liked about this musical is that it is quite dark. It is not all song and dance, it shows the realities of life in Germany at that time. The dvd has some really good extras on it, including a songs menu, which allows you to click on a song and it will go to that song in the movie (great if you really like a particular song!) There is also a Kit Kat Club Memory Gallery with pictures from the cast... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful