Reviews Written By: A2UBSGFCP2QFNVprovided by Amazon.com |
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 | Bedknobs and Broomsticks (30th Anniversary Edition) | |
 | "Five stars for the movie, three for the lack of extras in this new edition" | 2009-09-22 |
| "Bedknobs and Broomsticks" is one of my favorite Disney films. Yes, I know it's not "Mary Poppins," but as Leonard Maltin wrote in æThe Disney Films," it's not fair to make comparisons -- though it's inevitable considering the creative people involved: songs by the Sherman brothers conducted by Irwin Kostal; screenplay by Bill Walsh and Don DaGradi and direction by Robert Stevenson.
Walt Disney was somewhat involved with Bedknobs, as he had bought the rights to the books by Mary Norton ("The Borrowers"), upon which the film was based as a backup, in case the prickly P. L. Travers blew up negotiations for her "Poppins" books. The song, "The Beautiful Briny" was even written for a proposed "Poppins" sequence that never made it to final script. This large-scale extravaganza certainly deserves more respect and attention than is usually afforded it. What "Bedknobs" has going for it is a sharper story direction than Poppins. Even though there are some detours along the way, such as the Portobello Street Dance, everything serves the central focus of Miss Price's use of magic to stave off Nazi invaders. Of course, that storyline itself, an invention of the screenwriters and not in the books, can be considered off-putting by some, including Angela Lansbury, who in the outstanding Sherman brothers documentary feature, The Boys, expresses embarrassment of sorts that the comedic battle at the end trivializes World War II, especially after discovering Robert Sherman's physical and mental suffering as a result of the horrors of Nazi atrocities. Lansbury has rarely expressed a distinct enthusiasm for "Bedknobs and Broomsticks" except on rare occasions such as when the film was restored as much as possible to its intended length (it was edited severely both in 1971 and 1979). Reportedly, she clashed with director Stevenson over the approach to Miss Price's character (apparently she did not find him to be an "actor's director"). Her house had burned down at the time and she was having family issues. Plus, her dream of achieving the same kind of musical comedy success in the movies as she did on Broadway as Mame did not happen with this film, especially since her song and dance number was cut so Radio City Music Hall would have more showings per day. The Disney studio was also in a state of flux when "Bedknobs" was produced and Walt's leadership and creative decision making shows most in "big" movies like this and "Pete's Dragon." But all things considered, "Bedknobs and Broomsticks" is still an excellent, entertaining family film with fine songs and a great cast (whom we get to see more of thanks to the restored footage). For some reason, the new "Enchanted Musical Edition" DVD seems to have less special material than the 30th Anniversary Edition that preceded it. A new "making of" feature starring "Wizards of Waverly Place's" Jennifer Stone actually goes into less detail about the special effects than the one on the recent "Pete's Dragon" DVD release. There is no commentary and no new musical material on the "Bedknobs" DVD, even though it's called an "Enchanted Musical Edition." (There were alternate versions of songs and demos that might have been nice.) Plus, in the "Step in the Right Direction" feature, the prologue refers to the laserdisc version from which it came. If you don't already have "Bedknobs and Broomsticks," it's nice that this edition is available and reissues like this keep great films in the public eye. But if you have the earlier edition, hang onto it. | ||
 | Original Cartoon Cast Album - Mighty Hercules | |
 | "Please understand the history of this album and then decide for yourself..." | 2008-08-27 |
| No, this is NOT the soundtrack, nor does it contain any of the original cast voices. The actual package does not make any such claim. This is actually a "studio cast" or "second cast" album made by Golden Records in 1963. It was common practice, for one reason or another, for children's records companies like Golden to use non-soundtrack and non-original-cast versions. Sometimes it came down to money. An album selling for anywhere from 99 cents to $1.00 does not always have the budget to access the original cast (which involves studio time, talent and musician fees and sometime travel and expenses). Sometimes the soundtrack is not cleared for recordings, so it would be expensive to re-pay all the necessary fees (1951's Disney's Alice in Wonderland was never a soundtrack album until the 1990's for these reasons). But that's no consolation if you're looking for an album to bring you back to the childhood memories of THE MIGHTY HERCULES. Despite amazon's erroneous "soundtrack" listing, it does not sound at all like the series. Instead, it has the Jim Timmens modest-budget sound that dominated Golden Records of the early 60's. However, longtime Famous Studios composer Winston Sharples DID co-write the songs (including the infamous theme). There are very few Winston Sharples records. It also features New York session singers of the period, particularly Rose Marie Jun, who did countless commercial jingles as well as song demos for some of Broadway's biggest shows. She also co-starred with Streisand in "Pins and Needles." So, if you do recall the Golden Records sound of your childhood, you like the cover art, you want a rare musical score by Winston Sharples which appears nowhere else, or you want to get anything connected with this cartoon, which had little merchandise as I recall, this CD is for you. This album does feature the theme sung by the Golden Singers, and does include extra lyrics. If you want the Johnny Nash soundtrack theme, it's on "Toon Tunes:Action-Packed Anthems" on Rhino or "Television's Greatest Hits, Vol.4: Black & White Classics" on Tee Vee Toons. | ||
 | The Jungle Book 2 | |
| "Falls somewhere in the middle of the Disney direct-to-video spectrum" | 2008-06-26 |
| There is no shortage of comment about the relative merit or lack thereof concerning Disney's direct-to-video sequels. I'd prefer to look at each on a case-by-case basis. Several of these sequels, especially The Lion King 1 1/2, that have a lot going for them, particularly when they take the characters into interesting territory but retain the look and flavor of the original. It's much tougher when contemporary artists, writers -- and the corporate decision makers who have multiple company initiatives to contend with -- tackle the Walt-era classics. They're being re-created with totally different artists under vastly different circumstances -- most of all, without the same budget, luxury of time and creative guidance. Taking all of this into consideration, it's a wonder that so many of them succeed as well as they do. The Jungle Book 2 falls somewhere between the extremes. It's impossible to follow Phil Harris, but few can handle such a thankless task than John Goodman, who after all, has equally formidable voice acting skills of his own -- as Sully in Monsters, Inc. for just one example. Haley Joel Osment does a fine job as Mowgli, being after all, a highly seasoned child actor. And Mae Whitman, who plays Shanti (known as "The Girl" in the original film) must have impressed Disney staffers enough to return to direct-to-video in the history-making role of Tinker Bell in the direct-to-video feature coming in October. The film also offers musical showpieces that rival the original in energy and execution. The only issue is, just like the 1969 Disneyland record album sequel More Jungle Book, this film kind of chews its cabbage twice. Mowgli goes back to the jungle, discovers he really doesn't totally belong there and returns to the man village this time able to revisit his old friends. But let's face it -- where else could you take the story without sacrificing the elements expected from the first? Mowgli Goes to College? Mowgli Rules at Camp Rock? (Well, that last one just may happen.) The DVD itself is basically a reissue of the earlier release, containing all the previous materials with one new feature: "Mowgli's Story Time Adventure," an interactive storytelling activity. Nothing seems to have been deleted from the previous DVD edition. | ||
 | The Jungle Book 2 | |
| "Falls somewhere in the middle of the Disney direct-to-video spectrum" | 2008-06-26 |
| There is no shortage of comment about the relative merit or lack thereof concerning Disney's direct-to-video sequels. I'd prefer to look at each on a case-by-case basis. Several of these sequels, especially The Lion King 1 1/2, that have a lot going for them, particularly when they take the characters into interesting territory but retain the look and flavor of the original. It's much tougher when contemporary artists, writers -- and the corporate decision makers who have multiple company initiatives to contend with -- tackle the Walt-era classics. They're being re-created with totally different artists under vastly different circumstances -- most of all, without the same budget, luxury of time and creative guidance. Taking all of this into consideration, it's a wonder that so many of them succeed as well as they do. The Jungle Book 2 falls somewhere between the extremes. It's impossible to follow Phil Harris, but few can handle such a thankless task than John Goodman, who after all, has equally formidable voice acting skills of his own -- as Sully in Monsters, Inc. for just one example. Haley Joel Osment does a fine job as Mowgli, being after all, a highly seasoned child actor. And Mae Whitman, who plays Shanti (known as "The Girl" in the original film) must have impressed Disney staffers enough to return to direct-to-video in the history-making role of Tinker Bell in the direct-to-video feature coming in October. The film also offers musical showpieces that rival the original in energy and execution. The only issue is, just like the 1969 Disneyland record album sequel More Jungle Book, this film kind of chews its cabbage twice. Mowgli goes back to the jungle, discovers he really doesn't totally belong there and returns to the man village this time able to revisit his old friends. But let's face it -- where else could you take the story without sacrificing the elements expected from the first? Mowgli Goes to College? Mowgli Rules at Camp Rock? (Well, that last one just may happen.) The DVD itself is basically a reissue of the earlier release, containing all the previous materials with one new feature: "Mowgli's Story Time Adventure," an interactive storytelling activity. Nothing seems to have been deleted from the previous DVD edition. | ||
 | The Littlest Angel | |
| "Great Score, Great Cast, Classic Story, but always read labels before using" | 2007-04-23 |
| "The Littlest Angel" began when legendary Hollywood star Loretta Young befriended renowned writer Charles Tazewell (who also wrote "The Small One,' which Disney later animated). Tazewell promised to write something especially for her, and some time later, a script arrived at her house: "The Littlest Angel."
Young set about to record the script for Decca Records, but was at a retreat (she was a devout Catholic) and told her agent the recording session had to wait until after that weekend. However, Greer Garson had read the script in a Decca office and was going to record it unless Young did it first. Young raced from the retreat, recorded the six-disc 78 RPM with a full orchestra, and returned to the retreat without missing a prayer. Even the musicians were amazed how they were able to record it in a flash with no problems. The record album was a huge hit, was later released on vinyl, performed on radio, and adapted into a book by Tazewell. One of the reasons Young was so touched by the story is because she and her husband has suffered through miscarriaged and considered her lost children as "angels in heaven." Therein lies the issue -- this fantasy is indeed about a little boy who dies, goes to heaven, has trouble fitting in, and ultimately gives a great gift. But it's more than a story about death -- it's about life everlasting, and that's why Hallmark made it into a musical special in 1969. The music and lyrics are by Lan o"kun, a longtime collaborator with Shari Lewis who co-wrote an episode of Star Trek with her. The arrangements are by John Morris, who added so much to Mel Brooks films of the 70's and wrote "The French Chef." The case is superb and the production values are way way way out of date by today's standards, but back then they were the best TV could do with limited time, budgets, and the tools they had. Today, you can do better effects on your PC, but one might be forgiving when appreciating this show in context. That all said, even though I love the music (and listen to the LP record almost every Christmas), and have had the VHS tape for years, I'm waitng for the right time to show this to my young children. My wife and I have watched it together (and we have experienced the losses of loved ones), and enjoy the show for what it is. We'd like to share it with the kids, but we're waiting for the right year. It may be this year, but we'll see. [...] I really like this special, but I guess it's not for everyone. It's unfortunate that several people have been caught unawares by it and upset by it. Many thanks to them for sharing that with others. | ||
 | Various Artists - Adventures of Tom Sawyer | |
| "THIS IS THE SHERMAN BROTHERS MOVIE SCORE ON CD" | 2004-06-15 |
| This is currently the only CD with songs from the United Artists / Reader's Digest 1973 musical version of TOM SAWYER. It is not the soundtrack, which is not available on CD, even though it boasts one of the best nonDisney scores by the Sherman Brothers (Mary Poppins, Winnie the Pooh, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang) and marvelous arrangements by John Williams. This album is a low-budget studio version of the score with narration by Early Williams, very likely recorded in Nashville. It was originally released by Golden Records. It is pleasant to listen to, though nowhere near as lavish as the soundtrack. | ||
 | Millicent Min, Girl Genius (Sid Fleischman Humor Award, 2004) | |
| "Lisa Yee's emerges as one of today's best new authors!" | 2004-01-13 |
| When I finished listening to the unabridged audio version of MILLICENT MIN, GIRL GENIUS, I began looking forward to more books by the perceptive and witty Yee. Her book captivates on several levels -- Millie is brilliant, yet naive, Emily is bubbly yet astute, etc. Handling these layers is difficult for even the most seasoned of novelists, yet Yee carries it off with deft skill, touching compassion and sharp humor that never becomes obvious. Basically, Millie is like a preteen Mr. Spock on a planet of William Shatners, but ultimately she realizes the truth of the adage that "everyone is my superior in that I may learn from them." Along the way, we become attached to the rich characterizations Yee spins and the amusing situations that keep us listening and/or reading page after page. Everybody repeat after me: MORE MILLIE! MORE MILLIE! MORE YEE! MORE YEE! Let's hope this is just the beginning of a library of wondrous works from one of America's most promising writers. | ||
 | Snow Queen | |
| "The Movie's Great, but Beware of Cheapo Videos" | 2003-02-09 |
| This is one of the best-loved animated features in Russia, richly animated by the renowned Soyuzmultfilm studio. The dubbed U.S. version was released by Universal in 1959 and was widely shown on local TV stations, especially at Christmas time. This version featured the voices of Sandra Dee, Tommy Kirk and Paul Frees. A later version dumped this soundtrack for a synthesized one, and yet another used the animation for the series "Stories from My Childhood." A hokey prologue was added for the 1959 U.S. release starring TV host Art Linkletter and some extremely polished and starched youngsters, including Billy Booth, who played Dennis the Menace's pal Tommy Anderson on the TV series. The kids literally quote lines from Linkletter's best selling book "Kids Say the Darnest Things." Some videos of the movie do not include this prologue at all. The confusion arises when the director of the prologue is credited with directing the movie! Several low-budget VHS tapes of this gem have been released, and to this day I have not found one with either a satisfactory film print or sound track. It's a shame, because once you see this film, you never forget it. | ||
 | The Daydreamer | |
 | "A little-known gem from the makers of Rudolph and Frosty!" | 2003-01-27 |
| Award-winning animation producers Arthur Rankin, Jr. and Jules Bass, fresh from the success of the now-classic TV special RUDOLPH THE RED-NOSED REINDEER, aimed extremely high for this ambitious live-action/animated musical fantasy. The story is a fictionalized account of the young life of Hans Christian Andersen, with Paul O'Keefe (Patty Lane's brother on the PATTY DUKE SHOW) as "Chris" and Jack Gilford (COCOON) as his Papa. Chris enters the animated stories of THE LITTLE MERMAID, THE EMPEROR'S NEW CLOTHES and THUMBELINA. There are also references to other Andersen tales like "The Garden of Paradise," "Big Claus" and "The Ugly Duckling." Even though some of the production values betray the fact that Executive Producer Joe Levine expected Mary Poppins but only provided a Tom Terrific budget, there is a lot to like in THE DAYDREAMER: a star-studded, perfectly selected voice cast, impressive AniMagic stop-motion art direction, and a knockout score by Maury Laws (check out "The Cartoon Music Book" on amazon.com) and Jules Bass. Fans of the late AL HIRSCHFELD will want to see the caricatured opening sequence; fans of THE WIZARD OF OZ will enjoy Margaret Hamilton's feisty cameo, fans of THE LORD OF THE RINGS will have fun comparing this to the Rankin/Bass production of THE HOBBIT released 11 years later and how far they had come since. Even Oleg Cassini designed the Emperor's New Clothes! The live-action sequences were directed by Ezra Stone, who starred as Henry Aldrich on radio and by that time was directing THE MUNSTERS. If you visited the 1964 World's Fair, look for the Denmark pavilion doubling for the streets of Odense. | ||
 | Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer: The Making Of The Rankin/Bass Holiday Classic | |
| "Pull up an icebox and lend an ear (and an eye)!" | 2001-11-08 |
| Who hasn't wondered and marveled at the TV special that has been so much a part of holiday tradition since childhood? The foremost authority on Rankin/Bass, Rick Goldschmidt, takes us into a never-before-seen back stage world of misfit toys, reindeer and a certain dental elf with the most comprehensive history ever written about a single TV special. Generously illustrated with production photos, priceless artwork, period ads and collectibles, the story of the Rudolph special is as magical as the story of the misfit reindeer himself. Every aspect of the show is examined, from voices and music to animation and the song itself. The grand finale is Romeo Muller's actual early draft containing many "lost" sequences and plot ideas, including song concepts by Muller himself! Ask an elf to tie an umbrella to one of these books and sail it down to you ASAP! | ||
 | Toon Tunes: Funny Bone Favorites | |
| "A FEW NOTES FROM THE PRODUCER OF THIS COMPILATION" | 2001-08-07 |
| We had a ball putting this collection together. For those of you who may have the earlier "Toon Tunes" releases, it is now split into two different albums: this one and another called "Action-Adventure Anthems." "Funny Bone Favorites" features, for the first time on CD, the full-length stereo version of "The Jetsons" created by Hoyt Curtin in 1985 for the revival of the classic show. Also making their CD debuts are "Tiny Toon Adventures," "The Donald Duck Song," "Bozo's Song" by Billy May, and the Golden Records version of "Pixie and Dixie." Newly-added to this "Toon Tunes" release are "Dexter's Laboratory," "Inspector Gadget" (one of my favorites!), "Pinky and the Brain," "Mickey Mouse March," and "Johnny Bravo." As a 'toon enthusiast myself, this album (and its super hero companion volume) were labors of love. - Greg Ehrbar | ||
 | Toon Tunes: Action-Packed Anthems | |
| "A FEW NOTES FROM THE PRODUCER OF THIS COMPILATION ALBUM" | 2001-08-07 |
| All I can say about this collection is that it's extremely cool. For those of you who may have the earlier "Toon Tunes" releases, it is now split into two different albums: this one and another called "Funny Bone Favorites." "Action-Packed Anthems" features, for the first time ever on CD, the full-length stereo version of "Superfriends" which unitl now was extremely rare, as well as "The Amazing Chan and the Chan Clan," both conducted by the great Hoyt Curtin. Also making their CD debuts are the Rankin/Bass classic "King Kong" (performed by Al Hirt), "Darkwing Duck" and Filmation's "The Hardy Boys." Themes newly added to the "Toon Tunes" series include "The Tick," "Powerpuff Girls," "Sailor Moon," "DuckTales," "X-Men," The Mighty Hercules," Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers," "Astro Boy," Tale Spin," "Where On Earth is Carmen Sandiego," and "The New Adventures of Jonny Quest." All in all, we like to think it's the best collection of super cartoon themes ever included on one disc. It's a lot of fun! - Greg Ehrbar | ||
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