Happy Feet (Full Screen Edition)
from Warner Home Video
A young penguin named Mumbles cannot sing like the other penguins but can he can tap dance and he learns that being different can be good.
Genre: Feature Film Family
Rating: PG
Release Date: 4-SEP-2007
Media Type: DVD
For anyone who thought the Oscar-winning documentary March of the Penguins was the most marvelous cinematic moment for these nomads of the south, you haven't seen nothing yet. Happy Feet is an animated wonder about a penguin named Mumble who can't sing, but can dance up a storm. George Miller, the driving force behind the Babe (and Mad Max) movies, takes another creative step in family entertainment with this big, beautiful, music-fueled film that will have kids and their parents dancing in the streets. From his first moment alive, Mumble (voiced Elijah Woods) feels the beat and can't stop dancing. Unfortunately, emperor penguins are all about finding their own heart song, and the dancing youngster--as cute as he is--is a misfit. Luckily, he bumps into little blue penguins and a Spanish-infused group (led by Robin Williams) and begins a series of adventures. Miller has an exceptional variety of entertainment: Busby Berkley musical numbers, amusement-park thrills, exciting chase sequences (seals and orca lovers might like think otherwise), and even an environmental message that doesn't weigh you down. Best of all, you don't know where the movie is going in the last act, a rare occurrence these days in family entertainment. A fusion of rock songs, mashed-up and otherwise, are featured; this movie is as much a musical as a comedy. Mumble's solo dance to a new version of Stevie Wonder's "I Wish" by Fantasia, Patti, and Yolanda may be the most joyful moment on camera in 2006. --Doug Thomas
On the DVD
There are two new animated sequences, which aren't incorporated into the film. One's a half-minute hackysack-themed bit, but the other is a good-looking, two-minute scene featuring the late Steve Irwin as an albatross, who, with Mumble, encounters a blue whale. "Dance Like a Penguin: Stomp to the Beat" is hosted by Savion Glover, whose dancing was motion-captured for the film, but other than a couple basic tips, it's pretty much a demonstration rather than a lesson. In addition to the two music videos (Gia's "Hit Me Up" and Prince's "The Song of the Heart"), "I Love to Singa" is an appropriately matched 1936 Merrie Melodies cartoon in which a young owl ruffles feathers by wanting to sing jazz for his classical-music-loving family. --David Horiuchi
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Happy Feet (Widescreen Edition)
by George Miller (II)
from Warner Home Video
In the great nation of Emperor Penguins deep in Antarctica you're nobody unless you can sing - which is unfortunate for Mumble (ELIJAH WOOD) who is the worst singer in the world. He is born dancing to his own tune...tap dancing.As fate would have it his one friend Gloria (BRITTANY MURPHY) happens to be the best singer around. Mumble and Gloria have a connection from the moment they hatch but she struggles with his strange "hippity- hoppity" ways.Away from home for the first time Mumble meets a posse of decidedly un-Emperor-like penguins - the Adelie Amigos. Led by Ramon (ROBIN WILLIAMS) the Adelies instantly embrace Mumble's cool dance moves and invite him to party with them.In Adelie Land Mumble seeks the counsel of Lovelace the Guru (also voiced by ROBIN WILLIAMS) a crazy-feathered Rockhopper penguin who will answer any of life's questions for the price of a pebble.Together with Lovelace and the Amigos Mumble sets out across vast landscapes and after some epic encounters proves that by being true to yourself you can make all the difference in the world.Running Time: 109 min.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: CHILDREN/FAMILY Rating: PG UPC: 085391120926 Manufacturer No: 112092
For anyone who thought the Oscar-winning documentary March of the Penguins was the most marvelous cinematic moment for these nomads of the south, you haven't seen nothing yet. Happy Feet is an animated wonder about a penguin named Mumble who can't sing, but can dance up a storm. George Miller, the driving force behind the Babe (and Mad Max) movies, takes another creative step in family entertainment with this big, beautiful, music-fueled film that will have kids and their parents dancing in the streets. From his first moment alive, Mumble (voiced Elijah Woods) feels the beat and can't stop dancing. Unfortunately, emperor penguins are all about finding their own heart song, and the dancing youngster--as cute as he is--is a misfit. Luckily, he bumps into little blue penguins and a Spanish-infused group (led by Robin Williams) and begins a series of adventures. Miller has an exceptional variety of entertainment: Busby Berkley musical numbers, amusement-park thrills, exciting chase sequences (seals and orca lovers might like think otherwise), and even an environmental message that doesn't weigh you down. Best of all, you don't know where the movie is going in the last act, a rare occurrence these days in family entertainment. A fusion of rock songs, mashed-up and otherwise, are featured; this movie is as much a musical as a comedy. Mumble's solo dance to a new version of Stevie Wonder's "I Wish" by Fantasia, Patti, and Yolanda may be the most joyful moment on camera in 2006. --Doug Thomas
On the DVD
There are two new animated sequences, which aren't incorporated into the film. One's a half-minute hackysack-themed bit, but the other is a good-looking, two-minute scene featuring the late Steve Irwin as an albatross, who, with Mumble, encounters a blue whale. "Dance Like a Penguin: Stomp to the Beat" is hosted by Savion Glover, whose dancing was motion-captured for the film, but other than a couple basic tips, it's pretty much a demonstration rather than a lesson. In addition to the two music videos (Gia's "Hit Me Up" and Prince's "The Song of the Heart"), "I Love to Singa" is an appropriately matched 1936 Merrie Melodies cartoon in which a young owl ruffles feathers by wanting to sing jazz for his classical-music-loving family. --David Horiuchi
More Happy Feet
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One Fine Day
by Michael Hoffman
from 20th Century Fox
No Description Available.
Genre: Feature Film-Comedy
Rating: PG
Release Date: 9-JAN-2007
Media Type: DVD
This gentle comedy almost seems like something out of Hollywood's Golden Age, a movie that might have been made by a talented contract director, perhaps featuring Don Ameche and Claudette Colbert. But in fact it stars George Clooney as an investigative columnist for a New York newspaper and Michelle Pfeiffer as an architect. Both single parents, the two meet and bicker and develop a relationship over the course of a day while their young children play together. Michael Hoffman (Restoration) directs with a good sense of what's funny about harried caretakers and kids who do whatever they want to do. The story stretches out of shape a bit when Clooney's character has to rally to prove some point of corruption at City Hall; nobody involved seems quite up to making that subplot believable, but all that really matters about this very nice movie is the winning love story. --Tom Keogh
Kiss Me Kate (Broadway Revival - PBS Great Performances)
by Chris Hunt
from Image Entertainment
Cole Porter's masterwork Kiss Me, Kate was revived in a splashy production that played on Broadway in 1999 then in London, where this version was filmed in front of a live audience in 2002. Broadway veterans Brent Barrett and Rachel York play pompous Fred Graham and feisty Lilli Vanessi, respectively, the couple whose roles in Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew mirror their offstage feud. The play-within-a-play format is reflected in a score that has both contemporary '50s songs ("Too Darn Hot") and Bard-inspired stage songs ("I've Come to Wive It Wealthily in Padua"). Other songs such as "Wunderbar," "So in Love," "Why Can't You Behave?," "Always True to You (In My Fashion)," and "Brush Up Your Shakespeare" are among Porter's best-loved melodies and wittiest lyrics. Nancy Anderson and Michael Berresse (the lone principal still remaining from the Broadway revival cast) sing and dance up a storm as the secondary couple Lois and Bill, and Teddy Kempner and Jack Chissick steal scenes as the gangsters. Recommended for fans of musicals, though it's not the most family-friendly choice due to gender conflicts and stereotyping. --David Horiuchi
The first Broadway revival in nearly 50 years of the musical comedy masterpiece by composer Cole Porter and book writers Sam and Bella Spewack not only enchanted critics and delighted audiences, but went on to triumph as one of the biggest prize winners of the 2000 season. Taking its inspiration from Shakespeare, this hilarious romp recounts the backstage and on-stage antics of two feuding romances during an out-of-town tryout for a musical adaptation of The Taming of the Shrew. Sparkling with 18 classic Cole Porter songs including "Another Op'nin', Another Show," "Wunderbar," "So in Love," "Always True to You in My Fashion," "Too Darn Hot," and "Brush Up Your Shakespeare" this is Broadway musical comedy at its irresistible best. Directed by Michael Blakemore, this Tony winner for "Best Revival" stars Brent Barrett, Rachel York (Victor/Victoria), Nancy Anderson and Michael Berresse as the squabbling couples whose offstage disputes entangle them with a pair of song-and-dance gangsters and a pompous U.S. army general.
Higglytown Heroes - To the Rescue
by Denis Morella
from Walt Disney Video
Come visit Higglytown the delightful imaginative world where everyone is a hero. Through engaging characters lively music and storytelling your children will learn about everyday heroes such as teachers police officers mail carriers fire fighters and more. Join the Higglytown Heroes as they work together have fun together and play together. Your children will discover that they too can be everyday heroes! Best friends Eubie Wayne Twinkle Kip and Fran hop and bop around the town visiting exciting places such as the fair the circus and the candy store. When a problem needs solving they call on someone special to come to the rescue with safety tips and good advice on how we all can help each other.System Requirements:Run Time: 58 minsFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: CHILDREN/FAMILY Rating: G UPC: 786936714579 Manufacturer No: 05226600
Victor/Victoria (1995 Broadway Production)
by Gregory Jbara
from Image Entertainment
Fans of Julie Andrews will delight in this 1995 videotaping of the stage musical Victor/Victoria, based on the 1982 movie of the same name. The plot has been kept intact: an out-of-work British soprano (Julie Andrews) in Paris falls in with a down-on-his-luck gay man (Tony Roberts), who gets the idea to present Victoria as the world's greatest female impersonator, Victor. The plan is a phenomenal success until a Chicago mobster on vacation (Michael Nouri) sees Victor in a nightclub and falls in love--and refuses to believe that Victor is a man. Due to the needs of the stage, the musical doesn't have the snap, crackle, and propulsive drive of the movie, which is a sprightly romp; to make up for this, the story has been expanded (some might say padded) with extensive dance numbers and new songs by Henry Mancini and Leslie Bricusse, with additional musical material by Frank Wildhorn. While Roberts and Nouri don't quite have the charisma of Robert Preston and James Garner, who played their roles in the movie, they're seasoned stage performers and make the most of things--Nouri in particular has a strong singing voice, which may surprise people who only know him from his movie career. And Julie Andrews is Julie Andrews; at this point in her career, you either love her or you don't. Victor/Victoria isn't going to change anyone's mind, but Andrews knows her audience and knows how to give them what they want. --Bret Fetzer
One of the world's most talented and best-loved performers, Julie Andrews reaches new heights in the most challenging role of her career as a woman pretending to be a man impersonating a woman! Filmed on the Broadway stage in 1995 (and based on the 1982 film), the immensely popular Victor/Victoria is a warm, funny, wildly energetic look at the nature of love, gender perceptions and the battle of the sexes. Written and directed by Blake Edwards, with an unforgettable score by Henry Mancini and Leslie Bricusse, Victor/Victoria tells the story of an out-of-work singer whose life changes when she meets the flamboyant Toddy (Tony Roberts). With his help, she becomes "Victor," an overnight singing sensation in the nightclubs of Paris. But success becomes hilariously complicated when she meets the love of her life, King Marchan, a macho Chicago gangster (Michael Nouri). Adding her two cents to the couple's troubles is Marchan's ex-girlfriend, the ditzy Norma Cassidy (Rachel York). From the electrifying excitement of "Le Jazz Hot" to the contemplative "Crazy World," from the humor of "Chicago, Illinois" to the touching "Almost a Love Song," this truly classic musical has it all. 146 minutes. Filmed in High-Definition video. 16x9 anamorphic widescreen transfer.
Higglytown Heroes - On the Move
by Denis Morella
from Walt Disney Video
Take a journey to Higglytown the wonderfully imaginative world where everyone is a hero. The fun-filled stories and songs will introduce your children to the everyday heroes who keep the world moving with taxis tugboats submarines planes and buses. While out and about around Higglytown best friends Eubie Wayne Twinkle Kip and Fran visit the beach the Ferris wheel and more. Along the way whenever they bump into a problem they call on "someone special" and their friends and neigbors help them get back on track. There are also important lessons about safety and how to be a good friend all presented in an entertaining way that will show your children that they can be everyday heroes too! System Requirements:Run Time: 58 minsFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: CHILDREN/FAMILY Rating: G UPC: 786936714593 Manufacturer No: 05226700
Playhouse Disney's Higglytown is a place in which everyday heroes help kids explore new things while staying safe. The Higglytown kids are on the move within Higglytown and beyond in this 5-episode compilation that begins with Eubie, Wayne, Twinkle, Kip, and Fran heading to Higglybiggly city to see the live "Happy Hairy Higgly Monsters" show in Higglyworld. While there, the gang discovers that there many, many sights to see in Higglybiggly, but when their sightseeing threatens to make them late for the show, it's a Higglybiggly Hero taxi driver that gets them to the theater on time. Other episodes find the kids spending the day on the open seas, at the beach, helping launch a new hotdog stand, and watching the air ships at the local airport. In each new adventure, the Higglytown kids learn something new with the assistance of everyday Higglytown Heroes like a tugboat and submarine captain, bus driver, and air traffic controller. Catchy songs and fun animated characters ensure that preschoolers ages 2 to 5 learn about problem-solving, cooperation, and how to stay safe while being thoroughly entertained. Also included is the bonus episode of Jo Jo's Circus "The Spudinski's New Act" which emphasizes the value of perseverance. --Tami Horiuchi
One Fine Day
by Michael Hoffman
from 20th Century Fox
This gentle comedy almost seems like something out of Hollywood's Golden Age, a movie that might have been made by a talented contract director, perhaps featuring Don Ameche and Claudette Colbert. But in fact it stars George Clooney as an investigative columnist for a New York newspaper and Michelle Pfeiffer as an architect. Both single parents, the two meet and bicker and develop a relationship over the course of a day while their young children play together. Michael Hoffman (Restoration) directs with a good sense of what's funny about harried caretakers and kids who do whatever they want to do. The story stretches out of shape a bit when Clooney's character has to rally to prove some point of corruption at City Hall; nobody involved seems quite up to making that subplot believable, but all that really matters about this very nice movie is the winning love story. --Tom Keogh
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