Novotna in The Bartered Wife and The Last Waltz (VHS) @ discount dvd online store
Novotna in The Bartered Wife and The Last Waltz (VHS)
Jarmila Novotna beautifully portrays the heroine in the classic Czech opera, THE BARTERED WIFE, composed by Bedrich Smetana. Bonus film of Oscar Straus`s operetta, THE LAST WALTZ.NR"
Director: Max Ophuls
ACTORS: Jarmila Novotna
Ivan the Terrible - Pt. 1 (VHS)
Originally conceived as a historical epic in three parts, Sergei Eisenstein`s epic biography of Czar Ivan IV, the murderous 16th-century unifier of the Russian people, was truncated by the director`s death in 1948, as he was about to begin part three. A spectacle of impressively baroque splendor, it remains one of the great anomalies of film history. Starring Nikolai Cherkassov as the eponymous ruler, the film opens with the 16-year-old`s opulent coronation in 1546. He breaks with the custom of marriage to a foreign princess by marrying a Russian girl, Anastasia Romanovna (Lyudmila Tselikovskaya), thereby offending the nobility. In an effort to expand his territory eastward, he leads an army of 100,000 to seize Kazan, succeeding only after a long and bitter campaign. After contracting a seemingly fatal illness, Ivan summons the boyars, led by his aunt Euphrosinia (Serafima Birman), but they refuse his demand to swear allegiance to his one-year-old son, greatly angering the czar. When Ivan miraculously returns to health, he begins to consolidate power in opposition to the boyars. While Cherkassov gives a commanding performance, it`s the film`s unique visual quality, featuring spectacularly ornate set design and costumes, along with a performance style influenced by Russian classism, grand opera, and Kabuki theater, that makes it such a rewarding experience.NR"
Director: Sergei Eisenstein
ACTORS: Nikolai Cherkassov, Ludmila Tselikovskaya
The Stunt Man (DVD) Limited Edition; Contains Separate Making of Documentary An escaped convict accidentally destroys a stunt shot while a movie is being filmed. When the driver dies in the subsequent car crash, the director of the film decides to quic...
An escaped convict accidentally destroys a stunt shot while a movie is being filmed. When the driver dies in the subsequent car crash, the director of the film decides to quickly replace the driver with the convict, thus saving them both from the police and setting up explosive dramatic ironies between the real world and the illusory world of film-making. O`Toole is brilliant in this brilliant film. Academy Award Nominations: 3, including Best Director, Best Actor--Peter O`Toole, Best (Adapted) Screenplay.
R"
Director: Richard Rush
ACTORS: Peter O`Toole, Steve Railsback, Barbara Hershey, Alex Rocco
Renee & Bryn - Under The Stars (DVD)
Broadway star Renee Fleming and opera singer Bryn Terfel combine their vocal talents to perform a variety of classical favorites and Broadway musical numbers. Filmed live at Terfel`s Faenol Festival in the mountains of Wales, the duo sing classics by Andrew Lloyd Weber, Cole Porter, and Rodgers & Hammerstein, with accompaniment by the Orchestra of Welsh National Opera.NR"
ACTORS: Renee Fleming, Bryn Terfel
Jancis Robinson`s Wine Course (DVD)
Jancis Robinson, author of The Oxford Companion to Wine, hosts this five-part BBC series on the culture of wine. Volumes include Introduction and Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc, Syrah/Shiraz and Riesling, Pinot Noir and Merlot, and Flavorful Grape Varieties. The Limited Collector`s Edition includes an autographed copy of Robinson`s book.NR"
