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Rated: Suitable for 12 years and over
Artist:
Monty Python's Flying Circus
Staring:
Graham Chapman,
John Cleese,
Terry Gilliam,
Eric Idle,
Terry Jones
    "It Isn't Easy Stretching These Things Out to Thirty Minutes.", 2009-01-02 Monty Python is so famous and its sketches are so well known that I almost wonder if there's any point in ANYONE writing a review. But although they were possibly the greatest comedy team in history and Graham Chapman's genius was equalled only by Spike Milligan, (may they both rest in peace,) the best thing about these DVD's is that they allow you to skip past the rubbish.
After the response that I received for my BTVS review, I'm already strapping on my safety helmet, preparing for the hoards of hardcore `Pythonists' who will accuse me of heresy and of drawing the wrong conclusions.
"When two or more are gathered in his name, they shall perform the Dead Parrot Sketch."
But in the end, the sad truth is that even six of the greatest comedy geniuses to ever walk the earth couldn't produce solid gold every time. Their contractual obligation to fill thirty minutes every week meant that they had no choice but to pad out most of the episodes. And after a while, their inability to come up with a punchline for some sketches literally became a punchline in itself.
Even the title of this review is a quote from the original Dead Parrot Sketch.
When John Cleese travels to Bolton to claim his replacement parrot, Terry Jones is playing the role of a Train Station Attendant and is ranting about the fact that he's a qualified brain surgeon. And when John Cleese asks him what the heck he's talking about, Terry Jones drops the act for a moment and whispers "It isn't easy stretching these things out to thirty minutes."
And the examples don't end there.
The Colonel who keeps interrupting the sketches because they are "Getting Silly."
The police officer who arrests the entire show for breaching the "Trying to get out of a sketch without using a proper punchline Act."
The episode that ends with a view of the sea, and John Cleese dressed as a Conquistador announcing that the programme ran a little short that week.
In the words of Mel Smith on `Not the Nine O'clock News,' "Don't they remember how often the sketches failed? I mean, Monty Python DIED for us! Repeatedly!"
As I stated in my introduction though, because they are now on DVD, I would strongly recommend that everyone buy this box set to see the sketches that have been criminally ignored by history.
Everyone remembers the Dead Parrot Sketch and `Nobody Expects the Spanish Inquisition!' But who remembers the Working Class Playwright? The Sheep who Believe That They Are Birds? Climbing Both Peaks of Mount Kilimanjaro? (The joke there being that Kilimanjaro does actually have two peaks.) The Expedition to Lake Pahoe or "Bing Diddle Diddle Bang?"
The glory of these hilarious sketches would be worth ten times this price.
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List Price: £44.99
Our Price: £21.97
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Rated: Universal, suitable for all
Staring:
Bing Crosby,
Grace Kelly,
Frank Sinatra,
Celeste Holm,
John Lund
Director:
Charles Walters
MGM's bold idea to remake George Cukor's Oscar-winning upper-class romantic farce, The Philadelphia Story, into a star-studded technicolor musical with Cole Porter tunes somehow works splendidly and remains an underrated gem. Even the plot and character names--and some bits of dialogue--all remain the same as the original. Crooning Bing Crosby replaces Cary Grant as the wealthy ex-husband trying to win back his soon-to-be-remarried ex-wife, spoiled ice queen Tracy Lord (Grace Kelly, stunning and aloof in her last film role, originated in the earlier comedy by Katherine Hepburn). Unlike Grant, however, Crosby has jazz great Louis Armstrong, playing himself, in his corner for quixotic persuasion. Frank Sinatra (cocky in James Stewart's former role) and Celeste Holm add support as the nosy reporters covering, and subsequently complicating, the upcoming wedding. Sure, High Society lacks the original's witty satire, sarcasm and character complexity; but it's assuredly paced and wonderfully acted, and contains enough romantic chemistry to keep the plot engaging. And then there's the music. Unlike the grandiose production numbers of many 40s and 50s musicals, High Society's musical sequences are considerably low-key and intimate, focusing on Porter's lyrical content and the style in which it's delivered by the charismatic performers. Armstrong kicks the film off in telling style: he sings the title track, a calypso tune outlining the plot like a Greek chorus--not as an elaborately choreographed song-and-dance number, but instead stuffed claustrophobically in the back of a limousine with his jazz band. Other musical standouts include Sinatra and Crosby playfully tossing barbs during "Well, Did You Evah?"; Crosby and Armstrong teaming up for an energetic clash of styles in "Now You Has Jazz"; the two soaring, archetypal ballads by the leads--Crosby's "I Love You, Samantha" and Sinatra's superior "You're Sensational"; and, finally, the satirical Sinatra/Holm duet, "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?", the closest High Society ever comes to social or class-commentary. --Dave McCoy, Amazon.com
    Worth re-watching., 2002-11-02 By now you know this is a remake of "The Philadelphia Story" and may have a tendency to compare them. I did this my self at first; then I realized they each have their strong points. I even get them mixed up now and them. All you have to do is remember this is the musical. My favorite song in the list is "True Love". Of course as with everything different people are bound to have different favorites and there are plenty to chose from. In case you are new to the story, basically C.K. Dexter-Haven (Bing Crosby) and Tracy Samantha Lord (Grace Kelly) are divorced. Tracy is getting married again. The clan is gathering. We watch as they go through the motions and emotions of courting and reevaluating their lives.
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List Price: £12.99
Our Price: £3.97
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Rated: Parental Guidance
Staring:
Dick Van Dyke,
Sally Ann Howes,
Lionel Jeffries,
Benny Hill,
Gert Fröbe
Director:
Ken Hughes
This re-mastered, pan-and-scan 30th-anniversary edition of that kiddie-car caper is flawed but solid family fare. It retains a quaint charm while some of the songs--including the title tune--are quite hummable. A huge plus is Dick Van Dyke, who is extremely appealing as an eccentric inventor around the turn of the century. With nimble fingers and a unique way of looking at the world, he invents for his children a magic car that floats and flies. Or does he? The special effects are tame by today's standards, and the film is about 20 minutes too long--but its enthusiasm charms. The script was cowritten by Roald Dahl and based on the novel by Ian Fleming, best known for his James Bond adventures. --Rochelle O'Gorman
    Wonderful children's film, 2007-03-18 This is a wonderful film for small children, and adults will be pleasantly surprised by how little it has dated.
I saw this film as a small child when it first came out and loved it.
Recently I was reminded how good the music of the film was when I happened on the song "The Roses of Success" on the internet, and my children appeared in my office in ten seconds flat to see what Daddy was listening to. So I thought I would get them the DVD.
It held their attention for several playings, and the music was as good as I had remembered.
The original books were written by Ian Fleming, the creator of James Bond, and were quite dark in tone. The film version, however, is a light musical comedy.
Dick van Dyke plays Caractacus Potts, who is a poverty stricken inventor, and a widower with two small children. He buys and rebuilds a famous former racing car, which his children name Chitty Chitty Bang Bang after the distinctive noise made by the car's exhaust. (Fleming put a note in the books to the effect that there really was a famous racing car which had this nickname for precisely that reason.)
The Potts family meet Truly Scrumptious (Sally Ann Howes) daughter of the local sweet magnate Lord Scrumptious (James Robertson Justice.) After they get off to a bad start, she tries to help Caractacus Potts raise the money to restore the car. Initial plans to raise money fall through, but Caractacus gets the necessary funds by pure chance.
Restoration completed, Caractacus takes his children to the beach and again they join up with Truly Scrumptious. He tells his children an imaginary story about a wicked foreign potentate, with a wife who hates children, and who wants to steal this wonderful car - a car which can turn into a boat, and also fly. Foreign agents first try to steal the car, then kidnapp Caractacus's father. The viewer is caught up in the story.
Most people will know the ending but I'm not going to give it away for those who don't.
Excellent performances from van Dyke, Howes (was she really 38 years old when this was made?) and James Robertson Justice. Benny Hill plays a toymaker who helps rescue the twins - this was made before his on-screen persona became set as a comic parody of a dirty old man. It seems mildly odd now to watch him performing a straight role as one of the heroes in a children's film but not because there is anything wring with his acting. Other cast members included Lionel Jeffries and Barbara Windsor (long before she was famous). Roald Dahl and Ken Huges did the screenplay.
Perhaps the most memorable part of the film is Richard M Sherman's wonderful music and lyrics.
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List Price: £19.99
Our Price: £3.99
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Rated: Universal, suitable for all
Staring:
Julie Andrews,
Dick Van Dyke,
David Tomlinson,
Glynis Johns,
Hermione Baddeley
Director:
Robert Stevenson
There is only one word that comes close to accurately describing the enchanting Mary Poppins, and that term was coined by the movie itself: supercalifragilisticexpialidocious! Even at 2 hours and 20 minutes, Disney's pioneering mixture of live action and animation (based on the books by P.L. Travers) still holds kids spellbound. Julie Andrews won an Oscar as the world's most magically idealized nanny ("practically perfect in every way," and complete with lighter-than-air umbrella), and Dick Van Dyke is her clownishly charming beau, Bert the chimney sweep. The songs are also terrific, ranging from bright and cheery ("A Spoonful of Sugar") to dark and cheery (the Oscar-winning "Chim-Chim Cheree") to touchingly melancholy ("Feed the Birds"). Many consider Mary Poppins to be the crowning achievement of Walt Disney's career--and it was the only one of his features to be nominated for a best picture Academy Award until Beauty and the Beast in 1991. --Jim Emerson
    A Disney classic, 2006-03-02 Mary Poppins (40th Anniversary edition) is truly a classic movie and a real treat for Disney fans, to experience watching and reliving the magical moments of Disney at your home. What make it a great movie? An all round cast featuring Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke (with his rather dodgy London accent). A great setting based in a dark and gloomy London. Not forgettinng Disney's trademark of musical songs. Remember songs like A Spoonful of Sugar, that just a simple and nice worded song. A good mix of animation , which is pretty amazing. The extra featured are excellent with rare and exclusive interviews with Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke. For the kids, you can sang along to the songs featured in the movie. The perfect treat for Dinsey fans and a good collector item.
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List Price: £19.99
Our Price: £8.43
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Rated: Parental Guidance
Staring:
George C. Scott,
Peter Sellers,
Sterling Hayden,
Keenan Wynn,
Slim Pickens
Director:
Stanley Kubrick
Arguably the greatest black comedy ever made, Stanley Kubrick's cold war classic is the ultimate satire of the nuclear age. Dr. Strangelove is a perfect spoof of political and military insanity, beginning when General Jack D. Ripper (Sterling Hayden), a maniacal warrior obsessed with "the purity of precious bodily fluids," mounts his singular campaign against Communism by ordering a squadron of B-52 bombers to attack the Soviet Union. The Soviets counter the threat with a so-called "Doomsday Device," and the world hangs in the balance while the US president (Peter Sellers) engages in hilarious hot-line negotiations with his Soviet counterpart. Sellers also plays a British military attaché and the mad bomb-maker Dr. Strangelove; George C. Scott is outrageously frantic as General Buck Turgidson, whose presidential advice consists mainly of panic and statistics about "acceptable losses." With dialogue ("You can't fight here! This is the war room!") and images (Slim Pickens' character riding the bomb to oblivion) that have become a part of our cultural vocabulary, Kubrick's film regularly appears on critics' lists of the all-time best. --Jeff Shannon, Amazon.com --This text refers to another version of this video.
    'Mr. President, I cannot allow...a mineshaft gap!', 2006-08-01 How best to tackle the subject of nuclear war? Some would say a documentary or a hard hitting docu-drama. Perhaps an action movie or thriller. Some might even use science fiction or perhaps horror. But comedy? Black comedy to tackle the most horrific subject imaginable? It'll never work!
Stanley Kubrick, genius that he was turned in his finest film in 1963 with Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb. Peter Sellers stars in three parts as the quiet but determined Captain Mandrake, the equally determined but powerless President Merkin Mufflin and the crazed, former Nazi Dr. Strangelove.
Kubrick was given the story but thought it so ridiculous that the only way to tackle it was through black comedy. George C. Scott's gum-chewing, blustering, patriotic, gung-ho general is hysterical, as is Major 'Nuclear combat toe-to-toe with the Rooskies' Kong aboard the bomber. Dr. Strangelove with his malfunctioning, robotic hand is another highlight. Many lines will have you rolling over with laughter; 'I can no longer sit and back and allow, communist infiltration, communist indoctrination, communist subversion, and the international communist conspiracy, to sap and impurify...ALL OF OUR PRECIOUS BODILY FLUIDS' and the unforgettable 'Gentlemen you can't fight in here, this is the War room'.
The film manages to get its point across far better than any serious film, as one is left laughing at the sheer stupidity of the paranoia of the main characters and the mindless futility of nuclear war. Dr. Stranglove, is one of the finest and funniest films ever made.
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List Price: £19.99
Our Price: £2.47
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Rated: Universal, suitable for all
Staring:
Stan Laurel,
Oliver Hardy
    Be laughin for ever with this ledgend box set!!, 2008-07-21 Laurel and Hardy are the funniest people and there not even alive anymore!!
Everyone of the episodes are brilliantly put together and they make me laugh so hard.
glad i got it for £40 which is soo cheap from hmv!
FANTASTIC..........
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List Price: £199.99
Our Price: £55.60
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Rated: Universal, suitable for all
Staring:
Cary Grant,
Loretta Young,
David Niven,
Monty Woolley,
James Gleason
Director:
Henry Koster
    Sent by Angels, 2006-08-05 I never tire of this film - I have watched it hundreds of times amd it still makes me laugh and cry. Oh what a wonderful thought that angels could look like Cary Grant. His comic timing was amazing as Dudley, the mischevious angel sent to help David Nivens' uptight and overworked bishop. Priceless.
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List Price: £7.99
Our Price: £3.98
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Rated: Universal, suitable for all
Staring:
Gene Kelly,
Donald O'Connor,
Debbie Reynolds,
Jean Hagen,
Millard Mitchell
Director:
Gene Kelly, Stanley Donen
Decades before the Hollywood film industry became famous for megabudget disaster and science fiction spectaculars, the studios of Southern California (and particularly Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer) were renowned for a uniquely American (and nearly extinct) kind of picture known as The Musical. Indeed, when Sight & Sound conducts its international critics poll in the second year of every decade, this 1952 MGM picture is the American musical that consistently ranks among the 10 best movies ever made. It's not only a great song-and-dance piece starring Gene Kelly, Donald O'Connor, and a sprightly Debbie Reynolds; it's also an affectionately funny insider spoof about the film industry's uneasy transition from silent pictures to "talkies". Kelly plays debonair star Don Lockwood, whose leading lady Lina Lamont (Jean Hagen) has a screechy voice hilariously ill-suited to the new technology (and her glamorous screen image). Among the musical highlights: O'Connor's knockout "Make 'Em Laugh"; the big "Broadway Melody" production number; and, best of all, that charming little title ditty in which Kelly makes movie magic on a drenched set with nothing but a few puddles, a lamppost, and an umbrella. --Jim Emerson
    Sparkles like a diamond, 2007-04-04 This is one of the most brilliant films I have ever seen: it sparkles like a diamond. It is an affectionate, clever and funny look at the history of "talking pictures" - and so much more! As a fan of old movies and musicals and having a keen interest in the history of motion pictures, I find this to be a truly magical, wonderful film. However, aside from the humour, the music, the charming performers and the glorious technicolour, this film is worth watching for two things alone: Gene Kelly and Donald O'Connor. Their dance routines are an absolute joy to watch. I watch their routines over and over again. The 'Moses' routine is fascinating as these dancers have very different styles and yet they both compliment each other so well. Their dancing is so fantastic it makes you want to cry. If you are a fan of old movies and old movie musicals and this one has managed to pass you by, invest in this movie now and you won't be disappointed.
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List Price: £12.99
Our Price: £5.92
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Rated: Parental Guidance
Staring:
Marilyn Monroe,
Tony Curtis,
Jack Lemmon,
George Raft,
Pat O'Brien
Director:
Billy Wilder
Maybe "nobody's perfect", as one character in this masterpiece suggests. But some movies are perfect, and Some Like It Hot is one of them. In Chicago, during the Prohibition era, two skirt-chasing musicians, Joe and Jerry (Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon), inadvertently witness the St Valentine's Day Massacre. In order to escape the wrath of gangland chief Spats Colombo (George Raft), the boys, in drag, join an all-woman band headed for Florida. They vie for the attention of the lead singer, Sugar Kane (Marilyn Monroe), a much-disappointed songbird who warbles "I'm Through with Love" but remains vulnerable to yet another unreliable saxophone player. (When Curtis courts her without his dress, he adopts the voice of Cary Grant--a spot-on impersonation.) The script by director Billy Wilder and I.A.L. Diamond is beautifully measured; everything works, like a flawless clock. Aspiring screenwriters would be well advised to throw away the how-to books and simply study this film. The bulk of the slapstick is handled by an unhinged Lemmon and the razor-sharp Joe E. Brown, who plays a horny retiree smitten by Jerry's feminine charms. For all the gags, the film is also wonderfully romantic, as Wilder indulges in just the right amounts of moonlight and the lilting melody of "Park Avenue Fantasy". Some Like It Hot is so delightfully fizzy, it's hard to believe the shooting of the film was a headache, with an unhappy Monroe on her worst behaviour. The results, however, are sublime. --Robert Horton
    It takes a real man to be a real woman, 2007-12-27 Well nobody's perfect - that is of course Billy Wilder on top form. A true classic in every sense of the word, a truly sparkling script and 3 central performances that just cannot be topped. When Joe and Jerry don their nom de drag all you need to do is jump on the rollercoaster and pray your sides don't split. Despite Miss Monroe's consistent unproressional behaviour throughout the shooting the the film (she was so hated by the end of it - she wasn't invited to the wrap party) the extremely strong direction from Wilder ensured this film turned into cinematic gold. I have seen this film so many times and it never fails to make me laugh, for me Lemmon steal the show thus also proving the old adage, it takes a real man to be a real woman. Sit back and enjoy!!
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List Price: £19.99
Our Price: £3.09
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Rated: Universal, suitable for all
Staring:
Jane Powell,
Howard Keel,
Jeff Richards,
Russ Tamblyn,
Tommy Rall
Director:
Stanley Donen
Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, starring MGM soprano Jane Powell and handsome baritone Howard Keel, has retained a remarkably loyal following among fans of the musical film ever since its release in 1954. Although it was filmed in state-of-the-art CinemaScope, Stanley Donen was obliged to direct much of the film on Metro's sound stages, where the artificial sets and painted backdrops don't inevitably live up to the scenes shot on location in Oregon. Viewers coming fresh to the picture may find this visual discrepancy jarring and some too may find Miss Powell's singing a shade plummy. The screenplay, by husband and wife team Albert Hackett and Frances Goodrich with Dorothy Kingsley, tells the story of seven brothers living in the Oregon hills and their adventures to find themselves wives. The casting of each brother with his rugged, masculine looks and ability to dance with grace and athleticism, presided over by an authoritative Howard Keel, gives the film a dynamic impetus second to none in an MGM musical. The lengthy barn-raising episode under choreographer Michael Kidd's intrepid direction, where the music and the incredibly agile and energetic male and female dance ensemble unite as one, produces a square dance without parallel. The music and lyrics by Gene De Paul and Johnny Mercer--including the mating chorus, "Spring, Spring, Spring", the rollicking "Bless You're Beautiful Hide", the rousing "Sobbin' Women" and the visually enchanting "June Bride"--are both tuneful and mindful of the plot's exposition. Adolph Deutsch and Saul Chaplin won the Academy Award in 1954 for their arrangements and conducting. On the DVD: The digital remastering has created a clearer picture of what had been a faintly muddy Ansco colour system on the original print while the polish and attack with which the MGM Studio Orchestra play the music on this full-bodied stereophonic soundtrack remains a thing of wonder. Howard Keel, standing tall and erect in his 80s, hosts the "making of" documentary. Director Donen, choreographer Kidd, Jane Powell and several of the dancers recall how the film was considered a "sleeper" during production and wasn't expected to do as well as Brigadoon, in production at the same time. The documentary also highlights the care taken over the casting of the brothers, two of whom including Keel were not dancers and their often brave and brilliant feats of acrobatic dancing executed on precarious planks and other props. When Howard Keel takes his farewell walk down the main street lot at MGM, breaking into a few brief dance steps, it's impossible not to feel a moment of regret that the curtain had to come down on MGM's most treasured possession. --Adrian Edwards
    Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, 2004-01-14 I can't remember the first time I saw this wonderful musical, but I will never forget the incredible talent of the actors, the extremely impressive choreography and the classic songs that stick in your mind for weeks. It is definately one of the best musicals I have ever seen and I believe it will live on in our minds and hearts for many years to come. Definately a musical not to be missed!
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List Price: £12.99
Our Price: £3.28
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