Advantages: World class production, singers Disadvantages: None
I'd heard great things about this opera from colleagues who were at the premiere and so it was with great anticipation that I bought this DVD. Wow! This has to be one of the best new modern operas written in recent years. Anyone who loves the music of Richard Strauss and similar, will find this highly accessible music - yet with Henze's own brilliantly coloured and individual sound-world. The plot (based on Arabian folklore with a bit of German tradition ... ...beloved youngest son sent off to recapture an escaped hoopoe bird (the Upupa of the title) which is his father's most prized possession. Along the way the son has to deal with his 2 unscrupulous brothers out to grab a slice of the prize, rescue a kidnapped damsel in distress, confront his inner demons with a real Demon (who's also in need of some psychological advice!) and basically discover himself as a human being. This sense of character "self ...
Advantages: Inside look at would have been the greatest concert ever Disadvantages: Would have been amazing to see it all pulled together in one final rehersal.
...a life long fan of Michael Jackson, there was never any question as to whether I would see this film or not, more a case of when I would see it. Me, my cousin and my little sister decided to go see this on Sunday, and thoroughly enjoyed every moment of this film (even if my 14 year old sister asked me what it was about when we sat down - I had to alugh, bless her!), which was only ever meant for Michael Jackson's archives for personal viewing. So ... ...of Jackson's video's and then Michael Jackson would emerge from the suit to perform 'Wanna Be Starting Somethin'. There is a small snippet of footage showing the dancers rehearsing a "toaster" mechanism whereby they would literally jump out of the floor.
The next song would have been 'Jam', followed by 'Bad' and then 'They Don't Really Care About Us', where a film was made to be played on the big screen behind them where literally thousands of dancers ...
Advantages: Outstanding Film And Soundtrack. Disadvantages: Absolutely None
...of course the fantastic song Purple Rain. You could not wish for a bigger quantity of consistently fabulous music wrapped into one film. It makes me wish that Prince and other 80s singers would stay the way they were because music from that decade was the best it has ever been and in my opinion there is very few singers "now," regardless of how good they are. Who have that same ability to take a song and make it magical like the ones in the 80s did. ... ...like those I heard in Purple Rain. But, I was sadly disappointed! I wonder how it happens that musicians as good as Prince lose their effect? The only reason I can find is that they are conforming and trying to blend in with the music you hear now and because of that they lose the "essence" that made thier music so special and different in the first place. Its a shame! If his music was still anything like his earlier stuff and like it was in Purple ...
...film version of it.
Little Shop Of Horrors was directed by Frank Oz, and features the arrival of a strange and interesting new plant in the failing Skid Row flower shop owned and run by Mushnik. His two employees are the geeky and friendless Seymour and the blonde bimbo Audrey. Other characters emerge as the film progresses, but the main protagonist to these two is the plant, named Audrey II by Seymour.
The plant's arrival, just when it seemed ... ...the shop. Initially a tiny little thing, Seymour nurtures it until one day he finds that in order for the plant to grow, there is one thing it needs to be feed more than anything else: blood!
What makes this film work is the timing of the music. It is a musical comedy, and as such the musicality must be an attractive prospect. The plot itself is brilliant, and does a lot of the storytelling, but the music fills in the time gaps with ease. The upbeat ...
Advantages: wonderfull sets, great director Disadvantages: for younger viewers it is a bit long
...behind it was a masterstroke, for instance the can can song when they first go to the moulin rouge ,with smells like teen spirit children of the revoulotion and many others in it made for a great movie, the dancing was wonderufll done, with it moving brillantly with the music ...
