Chris Barber - The Big Chris Barber Band (DVD)

Advantages: The absolute pinnacle of Barber
Disadvantages: None

...Chris Barber at Whitley Bay Playhouse: December 2002. Lonnie Donegan dies: November 2002. These two seemingly unconnected events made it timely to look back over my CD collection and revisit a real treasure in my collection. I have a confession to make in that I am reviewing here a CD rather than a concert but given the circumstances I believe it to be justified in this case. CHRIS BARBER'S JAZZ BAND. LIVE IN 1954. "Dixie Gold, The Best of Dixieland". CD Limelight 820878-2 £9.99 There are some concert performances that can claim to be historic - This is one of them. This recently reissued CD is a compilation of two live recordings - Jazz concerts played at the Royal Festival Hall, London on October 30th 1954 {A} and January 9th 1955 {B}. All right, so I wasn't there in the flesh at the time - I wasn't (quite!) old enough... Read review

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Advantages: A good Tim Burton movie
Disadvantages: Too much singing

...Tim Burton is a master of gothic movies. We have also seen he can add musical numbers to his movies in "nightmare before christmas". That being said I was still unsure if he could pull off a live action musical with his usual dark twist. Most know the story of Sweeny Todd or have itleast heard the name. In this version we find Sweeny arriving back in London after being flasly accused of a crime 15 years before. He was known as Ben Barker back then and he was a barber with great skill. He also had a beautiful wife and baby daughte. However the jealous judge Turpin (played by Alan Rickman) wants Barkers wife Lucy to himself and sends him to Australia. When Barker escapes and returns and meets with Mrs Lovett the pie maker (Helena Bohnam Carter - Tim Burtons partner).She tells Barker (now under his alias sweeny todd) that his wife... Read review

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Advantages: Great performances, excellent adaptation
Disadvantages: Storyline weak in areas

...'s directing. Sweeney Todd is based on Stephen Sondheim's stage show and is the first stage show that Tim Burton has adapted onto the big screen. For those of you that have seen Edward Scissorhands you will see that Johnny Depp appears to have a very similar appearance in this film with his distinct unruly dark hair with a prominent white stripe to the right. London and indeed the film is shot in grey colours with barely any colour thrown in at all apart from the shocking red blood you see from time to time and the very colourful character of Pirelli played by Sacha Baron Cohen. Sweeney Todd is a passionate story about a man who has lost everything to one man's greed Judge Turpin. Benjamin Barker is the man who had it all a beautiful wife, beautiful baby daughter, a thriving business and a comfortable home and he lost it all to Judge... Read review

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