Blakemore, Michael

Kiss Me Kate (Broadway Revival - PBS Great Performances)

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.System Requirements:Run time: 147 minutesFormat: DVD VIDEO Genre: MUSIC DVD/CONCERTS Rating: NR UPC: 014381018028 Manufacturer No: ID0180WNDVD

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

Country Life

Talented Sam Neill (JURASSIC PARK, THE HUNT FOR RED OCTOBER) stars with sexy Greta Scacchi (PRESUMED INNOCENT, THE PLAYER) in this delightful comedy cheered by critics nationwide! Spring fever runs wild when a snooty native son returns to his hometown -- and brings along his voluptuous new wife (Scacchi). Before long, every man in this tiny town is falling head-over-heels for the charms of this sensuous beauty. But things really heat up when she suddenly finds herself falling in love with the local doctor and resident playboy (Neill). You won't believe all the comic hanky-panky going on behind closed doors in this entertaining treat!

Privates on Parade

Hey, troops, let's put on a show! Befuddled, uptight John Cleese reluctantly commands the Song and Dance Unit South East Asia, a motley troupe of barnstorming performers who dress in drag to entertain the commie-fighting British jungle troops in 1948 Malaysia. Based on the satirical stage revue by Peter Nichols (Georgy Girl), the oddball mix of Carry On farce, military buffoonery, and backstage shenanigans makes an awkward transition to the screen. Behind the double entendres and broad gay caricatures (especially Dennis Quilley, who embraces his flamboyance with gusto as the unit's musical director and star performer) rumbles a murky political satire of the British Empire in decline. The idea is better than the execution, but even as a curiosity it has its moments. Don't skip the credits--a musical reprise with Cleese's only song and dance: a gangly legged goof that draws upon his time with the Department of Silly Walks. --Sean Axmaker

Famed British comedian John Cleese (A Fish Called Wanda) leads a hilarious ensemble in this bawdy military satire that is lethally funny (The New York Times)! The year is 1948, and Major Giles Flack (Cleese) has been ordered to organize a song-and-dance unit to entertain the beleaguered British troops in Southeast Asia. But while he's transforming the front line into a chorus line, his entertainers are being used as a cover operation to sell illegal arms to Malaysian guerillas!Will Major Flack's musical band of brothers be able to raise military morale while dodging bullets and shrapnel or will their show become the ultimate bomb?

Privates on Parade [Region 2]

Hey, troops, let's put on a show! Befuddled, uptight John Cleese reluctantly commands the Song and Dance Unit South East Asia, a motley troupe of barnstorming performers who dress in drag to entertain the commie-fighting British jungle troops in 1948 Malaysia. Based on the satirical stage revue by Peter Nichols (Georgy Girl), the oddball mix of Carry On farce, military buffoonery, and backstage shenanigans makes an awkward transition to the screen. Behind the double entendres and broad gay caricatures (especially Dennis Quilley, who embraces his flamboyance with gusto as the unit's musical director and star performer) rumbles a murky political satire of the British Empire in decline. The idea is better than the execution, but even as a curiosity it has its moments. Don't skip the credits--a musical reprise with Cleese's only song and dance: a gangly legged goof that draws upon his time with the Department of Silly Walks. --Sean Axmaker