Eddie Murphy - Delirious
by Bruce Gowers
from Entertainment Studio
Stand-up comedy performance by Eddie Murphy.
No Track Information Available
Media Type: DVD
Artist: MURPHY,EDDIE
Title: DELIRIOUS
Street Release Date: 02/06/2007
Genre: COMEDY VIDEO
Light years before political correctness--1983 to be exact--or his comeback in tame Disney comedies, Eddie Murphy was a charismatic, wonderfully offensive, egocentric 22-year-old black comedian known for crude celebrity impersonations and often shockingly frank diatribes on racial and sexual politics. Dressed in a skin-tight red leather suit and delivering endless streams of obscenities faster than Richard Pryor ever did, Murphy is captured in this raunchy HBO special (a filmed document of his Grammy-winning album, Eddie Murphy, Comedian) at his confident, swaggering, comedic peak--a posture that soon disappeared after a string of bland Hollywood comedies. Here, however, his energy and sheer virtuosity command complete control over the audience for 107 minutes, whether he's mocking personalities like Elvis, James Brown, and Stevie Wonder, or spinning long, gag-filled personal anecdotes about the ice-cream man or dysfunctional family barbecues. There's no apologizing for the immature stereotyping, blatant homophobia, and sexism (though Murphy did so several years later) that surface during the routine. But, then again, unlike his much nastier, one-sided concert film, Raw, no topic here is safe from Murphy's uproarious tongue-lashings--including the comedian himself. --Dave McCoy
Michael Jackson - Video Greatest Hits - HIStory
by John Landis
from Sony
No Description Available.
Genre: Music Video - Pop/Rock
Rating: NR
Release Date: 21-OCT-2003
Media Type: DVD
Whose Line Is It Anyway: Season 1, Vol. 1 and 2 (Uncensored)
by Bruce Gowers
from Warner Home Video
Fleetwood Mac - The Dance
by Bruce Gowers
from Warner Bros / Wea
With each passing year bringing another high-profile rock reunion, prompted as often by balloon mortgage payments as any real artistic hunger, old fans could be excused for greeting 1997's announcement that the big Mac was back with skepticism: at their commercial zenith, Fleetwood Mac had offered superb transatlantic pop-rock with the added spice of a remarkable back-story, but the band's long decline and underwhelming later personnel shifts didn't bode well.
Such guarded expectations make the musical punch of The Dance all the more impressive, and enable the meticulously produced concert special to genuinely surprise. The band's musicianship--the one constant between the original, late '60s English blues band and its platinum '70s lineup featuring guitarist Lindsey Buckingham and singer Stevie Nicks--is in peak form, buttressed by a discreet auxiliary of additional musicians. Even with the hired guns, though, it's the rock-solid rhythm section of founders Mick Fleetwood and John McVie, and Buckingham's impassioned playing that strike sparks. Always a dynamic guitarist, Buckingham brings feverish intensity to both group classics and solo turns such as "Go Insane."
Both familiar hits and new songs (including the solid "Temporary One" and "Bleed to Love Her") further confirm that this isn't a rote exercise--the band sounds fully engaged. Buckingham, Nicks, and the elegant Christine McVie retain their vocal charm (although Nicks has clearly lost her upper register). And the sense of old wounds healed, and older affections acknowledged, gives true poignancy to the set's high mark, a brilliant live version of "Silver Springs," a truly haunting Rumours-era B-side that proves deeply moving. --Sam Sutherland
Live 8
by Richard Valentine (II)
from Capitol
Two decades years after Live Aid addressed the issue, lethally oppressive poverty in Africa remains a blight on the planet. Thus, in the Summer of 2005 activist Bob Geldof staged an even more ambitious series of continent-spanning concerts dedicated to raising funds and public consciousness about international debt relief. This expansive four-disc chronicles those shows in one of the most ambitious concert documents ever attempted, capturing all of the highlights (and a few complete artist sets) of concerts in London, Philadelphia, Toronto, Paris, Berlin and Moscow. Underscoring the events' sense of unity, the performances here span both generations and genres, offering veteran rock fans often muscular sets by Elton John (including a woozy take on T. Rex's "Children of the Revolution" with Baby Shambles' Pete Doherty), The Who, Sting (who sharply reprises a trio of Police favorites) and the ubiquitous Paul McCartney. But the highlight of the Jurassic set's contributions are a reunion of Roger Waters and his long-estranged Pink Floyd bandmates on a sonically flawless five-song whirl through highlights of Dark Side of the Moon, Wish You Were Here and The Wall; footage of their rehearsal for the show is contained on the set's equally eclectic fourth disc of bonus materials. But there are highlights here for nearly every taste, be they a fine sampling of contemporary UK and Australian rockers ( Coldplay, Jet, Razorlight and especially blistering performances by Stereophonics and Kaiser Chiefs), a little hip-hop nostalgia (a joyous Will Smith and Jazzy Jeff leading what seems half of his Philly hometown in a goofy singalong of the "Fresh Prince of Bel Air" theme); showy turns by pop-meister Robbie Williams and chateuses Mariah Carey, a rousing set by Black Eyed Peas (featuring Rita and Stephen Marley on a cover of "Get Up Stand Up"). Other one-off duets include Coldplay and Richard Ashcroft doing a fine version of the latter's "Bittersweet Symphony," Stevie Wonder with Rob Thomas ("Higher Ground") and Adam Levine ("Signed Sealed Delivered"), a tender take on "Angel" by Sarah McLachlan and Josh Groban and McCartney and George Michael taking an upbeat turn via "Drive My Car," before Macca closes out the London show by leading its various participants in an obligatory singalong of "Hey Jude." Royalties from sales of the set will go to the Band Aid Trust for the relief of hunger and poverty in Africa. --Jerry McCulley
Sarah Brightman - La Luna (Live in Concert)
by Bruce Gowers
from Angel Records
Superstar crossover vocalist Sarah Brightman greets the new millennium with a bold sense of her unique musical niche in this live concert, La Luna. Drawing heavily from her same-titled CD, the material touches on images of the moon that reinforce its ambiguity as a force known to draw together "the lunatic, the lover, and the poet" (Brightman's revealing woodsy outfits and tinsel crown do seem to suggest a sort of Titania-like figure out of a New Age Midsummer Night's Dream). And it's a stylistic as well as thematic voyage, coursing from contemporary synth pop through gorgeously sinuous melodies of classical composers (one song, "Figlio Perduto," even adapts the slow movement of Beethoven's Seventh Symphony) as well as selections from her earlier albums: "There for Me" (a duet with Josh Groban), Puccini's "Nessun Dorma," "Time to Say Goodbye" (performed without Andrea Bocelli), and ex-husband Andrew Lloyd Webber's "Pie Jesu" and "Music of the Night." Limiting stage action to arm gestures, some dancers, and a couple of flying maneuvers (most notably amid a shower of sparks in "A Question of Honour"), executive producer Frank Peterson (who produced the CD) and stage director Bruce Gowers swath Brightman's shiny small voice in luxuriant fabrics of sound. Detractors will lament the resulting sameness of tone--no matter what the style involved--but Brightman's focus on spinning an ethereal spell is never eclipsed. -- Thomas May
Track listing:
1. La Lune
2. Winter in July
3. Scarborough Fair
4. Who Wants to Live Forever
5. Hijo de la Luna
6. La Luna Interlude I
7. Figlio Perduto
8. La Luna
9. La Califfa
10. Pie Jesu
11. La Luna Interlude II
12. Nessun Dorma
13. Siren
14. Deliver Me
15. He Doesn't See Me
16. La Luna Interlude III
17. A Whiter Shade of Pale
18. There for Me
19. Twisted Every Way
20. Phantom of the Opera Suite
21. Little Lotti
22. Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again
23. Music of the Night
24. A Question of Honour
25. Moon River
26. Time to Say Goodbye
Kidsongs - A Day at Old MacDonald's Farm
by Bruce Gowers
from Image Entertainment
From the first cock-a-doodle-doo to the last twinkling little star, A Day at Old MacDonald's Farm pulses joyfully with song, dance, and a barnyard full of activity. A passel of city kids arrives for a taste of sunny country life. Before night falls, they make a scrumptious breakfast, do chores around the mulberry bush, attend school with Mary's little lamb, and whoop it up at the old ball game. Their field-trip hosts include a high-stepping scarecrow, Gran and Gramps McDonald, and the usual four-legged farmy suspects. Together, this energetic cast belts out 10 perennial favorites, including "Skip to My Lou," "This Old Man," and, of course, the title song. A funky rock & roll score keeps the excitement building as one song piggybacks on the next. This delightful 30-minute show, produced in 1985, easily should appeal to little music lovers ages 7 and under. --Liane Thomas
Join the Kidsongs Kids for a musical day on the farm and meet all of their animal friends. Milk the cows, feed the piglets, cuddle the ducklings and meet Mary's famous lamb as you sing the songs we all know and love. Bounce along on an old-fashioned hayride and sing around the campfire in this music adventure.
Kidsongs - A Day with the Animals
by Bruce Gowers
from Image Entertainment
Dancing dolphins, mighty whales, singing chimpanzees, elegant elephants, wacky walruses, a regal rhinoceros and more animal friends co-star with the Kidsongs Kids in this magical journey through the animal kingdom. You'll love the kids' talented dog Bingo, be amazed by a real Bengal tiger, laugh at a llama, and sing along with delightful songs like "Itsy Bitsy Spider," "Hickory Dickory Dock," "Rockin' Robin," and more!
Kidsongs - Very Silly Songs
by Bruce Gowers
from Image Entertainment
Silly Willy and Silly Jilly dressed in Mary Poppins-meets-the Music Man regalia lead the singing kids through Silly Dillyville in this Kidsongs outing. The 11 tunes include standards like "The Name Game" (the song that rhymes every name with "bo-banna, fe-fi-fo-fanna..."), "Down by the Bay," "Michael Finnegan" and "Purple People Eater." Each song features characters that introduce the songs. So Billy Daffidilly sings about his eccentric mother, Professor Quackenbush describes the one-eyed violet beast (who also makes an appearance), and Farmer Phil shows off his straw-hatted iguana, a hen pulling a cart, and an owl that performs no discernable tricks in "Fiddle-I-Fee." The whole "town" joins in for the "Do the Silly Willy" finale, featuring Willy rapping in his candy-striped jacket. This 27-minute program was shot at Universal Studios in North Hollywood, California, and a tour of its attractions rolls under the credits. Aimed at ages 1 to 8. --Kimberly Heinrichs
Join the Kidsongs Kids on a magical trip to places where everyone and everything is silly. Meet a whale with a polka dot tail, a pig with a wig, and a goat in a boat. Dance along with a comical orangutan and a cute and friendly purple people eater who wants to be a rock star. Giggle along with a cast of silly characters and sing along with the fun.
Kidsongs - I Can Dance
by Bruce Gowers
from Image Entertainment
Join the Kidsongs Kids and the Biggles and learn some new dance moves with this upbeat kids' dance video. You'll be doing the Charleston, the Twist, and the Waltz, not to mention forming a Conga line and Barefootin' at the beach. Put on your cowboy boots for a line dance, jitterbug at a '50s diner, and rock it out on main street in this sing along dance-athon with tunes like "Twist and Shout," "Mashed Potato Time," "The Yellow Rose of Texas," and more!
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