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Jedi JunkiesGenre: Musical & Performing Arts Release Date: 02/12/2013 Rating PG-13 Production Year: 2010 Run Time: 73 mins Released By: New Video Group, Inc. Cast: Olivia Munn, Ray Park, Eddie Sanchez, Peter Mayhew Get a glimpse inside the minds of the world's most ravenous Star Wars addicts in this playful documentart featuring appearances by ATTACK OF THE SHOW's Olivia Munn, STAR WARS: EPISODE I - THE PHANTOM MENACE star Ray Park, and THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT Eduardo Sanchez. … more less -
Little Shop of HorrorsGenre: Musical & Performing Arts Release Date: 10/09/2012 Rating PG-13 Production Year: 1986 Run Time: 103 mins Released By: Warner Home Video Cast: Rick Moranis, Ellen Greene, Steve Martin, Vincent Gardenia, John Candy In this dark but goofy and thoroughly fun musical, shy Seymour and bubbly Audrey don't recognize the romance blooming between them, but they do recognize the money-making potential of Seymour's weird plant, discovered after a total eclipse of the sun. Soon money pours in and Seymour becomes a minor celebrity, but behind the glamour and fame lies a secret Seymour can't reveal: this strange and unusual plant's favorite food is blood. As the plant grows taller and taller, its demands for food grow as well, and Seymour starts to suspect that the plant might have an agenda for world domination. … more less -
Bran Nue DaeGenre: Musical & Performing Arts Release Date: 09/13/2011 Rating PG-13 Production Year: 2009 Run Time: 85 mins Released By: 20th Century Fox Cast: Rocky McKenzie, Jessica Mauboy, Ernie Dingo, Missy Higgins, Geoffrey Rush In this lively musical comedy drama set in the late '60s, Willie (Rocky McKenzie) is a 16-year-old living in Broome, an Aboriginal community on the western coast of Australia. Willie is an easygoing kid who doesn't ask for much from life beyond enjoying time with his friends and getting a date with Rosie (Jessica Mauboy), a pretty girl who attends the same church. But Willie's mother thinks he should be following a more responsible path, and convinces him to transfer to a Catholic boarding school for boys in Perth. It doesn't take long for Willie to run afoul of Father Benedictus (Geoffrey Rush), the school's iron-willed headmaster, and Willie runs away. Stranded in Perth, Willie is befriended by Uncle Tadpole (Ernie Dingo), a streetwise character who lived in Broome as a youngster. Uncle Tadpole offers to help Willie get back home, and they hit the highway, hitchhiking back to Broome and catching rides with a handful of colorful strangers, including Teutonic tourist Slippery (Tom Budge) and flower child Annie (Missy Higgins). But as Willie and Uncle Tadpole make their way across the continent, Father Benedictus is in hot pursuit, determined not to let a truant slip from his grasp. BRAN NUE DAE was adapted from the hit stage musical by Jimmy Chi that was a major box-office success and multiple award winner in Australia during the early '90s; the film version received its word premiere at the 2009 Melbourne Film Festival, where it received the Audience Award for Best Film. … more less -
Sarafina!Genre: Musical & Performing Arts Release Date: 05/03/2011 Rating PG-13 Production Year: 1992 Run Time: 98 mins Released By: Miramax Echo Bridge Cast: Whoopi Goldberg, Miriam Makeba, Leleti Khumalo, John Kani, Mbongeni Ngema A South African girl, named Sarafina, lives with her aunt and uncle in Soweto where she attends school. Her mother works as a maid in a white household in Johannesburg, and the two rarely see each other. Sarafina battles her feelings of abandonment and disappointment with passionate hero-worship of both imprisoned political activist Nelson Mandela and her rebellious history teacher, Mary Masombuka. Mary encourages the children to be proud of who they are, and aware of the political forces that rule their lives. She even helps the pupils put on a play expressing their desire for the eventual release of Mandela. But when one of Sarafina's classmates gets involved in an arson attack, the police crack down hard on the students. As a result, the children boycott white-owned stores in the neighborhood, and tensions begin to rise. Even as Mary reassures Sarafina that she dreams of a free and peaceful South Africa, violence erupts throughout the township. A riot ensues when policemen fire at some of the children, and Sarafina faces years of imprisonment and torture for her role in the protest. Eventually, she is released and reunited with her mother. Finally together, the two women find mutual respect for the very different ways they both struggle against the oppressive forces dominating their lives. … more less -
ChicagoGenre: Musical & Performing Arts Release Date: 04/15/2011 Rating PG-13 Production Year: 2002 Run Time: 113 mins Released By: Cast: Renée Zellweger, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Richard Gere, Queen Latifah, John C. Reilly This Hollywood adaptation of the classic Broadway musical sparkles with glamour and reverberates with the energy of good, old-fashioned song and dance. As the film leaps into its first riveting act, Velma Kelly (Catherine Zeta-Jones), one half of the famous number she performs with her sister, arrives at the night club late, disheveled, and with blood on her hands. Nonetheless, she goes onstage unhindered and wows the crowd with her shimmying rendition of "All That Jazz." Roxie Hart (Renee Zellweger) a young blond who dreams of someday being famous like Velma, watches from the audience with eyes full of envy. Later, as the cops pick up Velma for the murder of her sister, sending her fame to all-time heights as she becomes a tabloid sensation, Roxie also commits a crime of passion--shooting a lover who falsely promised to secure her cabaret debut. The girls wind up together in jail, where Mama Morton (Queen Latifah), a compassionate guard, is their only hope of redemption; and Billy Flynn (Richard Gere) is the lawyer who can get them out. There, through wonderfully familiar songs like "Razzle Dazzle," "Cell-Block Tango," and "Cellophane Man" Roxie and Velma tell their story of competing for bad-girl celebrity. Director Rob Marshall presents a loveable CHICAGO that shares all the grit and grime of the Bob Fosse Broadway original with phenomenal performances by this grouping of Hollywood stars. The dizzying camerawork and dazzling sets make an easy transition from stage to film. … more less -
U2 - Rattle and HumGenre: Musical & Performing Arts Release Date: 08/10/2010 Rating PG-13 Production Year: 1988 Run Time: 90 mins Released By: Paramount Home Entertainment Cast: U2 Follow the Grammy Award-winning band on their musical journey from its native Ireland through the United States - along the streets of Harlem; behind the gates of Elvis Presley's Graceland; into a recording session at the legendary Sun Studios; and center stage at an impromptu live concert in downtown San Francisco. Contains nine songs not included on the hit soundtrack. … more less -
Playing for KeepsGenre: Musical & Performing Arts Release Date: 06/01/2010 Rating PG-13 Production Year: 1986 Run Time: 103 mins Released By: Universal Studios Home Video Cast: Daniel Jordano, Matthew Penn, Jimmy Baio, Leon W. Grant, Marisa Tomei An enterprising trio of inner-city teenagers attempts to strike it rich by turning a dumpy hotel into a rock 'n' roll resort. The film's soundtrack features music by Phil Collins, Julian Lennon, Arcadia, and Pete Townshend. … more less -
NineGenre: Musical & Performing Arts Release Date: 05/04/2010 Rating PG-13 Production Year: 2009 Run Time: 119 mins Released By: Sony Pictures Home Cast: Daniel Day-Lewis, Marion Cotillard, Nicole Kidman, Penelope Cruz, Judi Dench The Broadway hit NINE moves from the boards to the silver screen with this cinematic adaptation. For this musical take on Federico Fellini's 8½, CHICAGO's Rob Marshall directs a star-filled cast that includes Daniel Day-Lewis, Nicole Kidman, Penelope Cruz, Judi Dench, and Sophia Loren. … more less -
Soul PowerGenre: Musical & Performing Arts Release Date: 01/26/2010 Rating PG-13 Production Year: 2009 Run Time: 93 mins Released By: Sony Pictures Home Cast: James Brown, B.B. King, Bill Withers, Celia Cruz, Don King Though the eyes of the world were on "The Rumble in the Jungle" in 1974, their ears should have been on Zaire '74, the mammoth music festival that took place in the shadow of the battle between Mohammad Ali and George Foreman. This documentary takes the stellar cut footage from WHEN WE WERE KINGS and chronicles the concerts from big names such as James Brown, B.B. King, Bill Withers, and Celia Cruz. Though Zaire '74 might have been overlooked in favor of the legendary fight, SOUL POWER still packs a serious punch for music fans. … more less -
Across the UniverseGenre: Musical & Performing Arts Release Date: 09/08/2009 Rating PG-13 Production Year: 2007 Run Time: 133 mins Released By: Sony Pictures Home Cast: Jim Sturgess, Evan Rachel Wood, Joe Anderson, Dana Fuchs, Martin Luther McCoy The Beatles' songs may have provided the soundtrack for the lives of those coming of age in the 1960s, but their extensive catalogue acts as the literal soundtrack in this romantic musical from visionary director Julie Taymor. Newcomer Jim Sturgess stars as Jude, a young man working on the docks in Liverpool. Eager to escape, he travels to Princeton where he meets Max (Joe Anderson). But it's his meeting with Max's younger sister Lucy (Evan Rachel Wood) that changes him. They quickly fall in love, but their relationship is tested by the chaos of the late 1960s and Max's unwilling tour in Vietnam. Throughout the film, characters burst into classics from the Beatles: frat boys sing "With a Little Help from My Friends," while Uncle Sam bursts from a recruitment poster with strains of "I Want You (She's So Heavy)." U2's Bono makes a cameo as a counterculture leader and croons "I Am the Walrus," and actor-comedian Eddie Izzard provides a trippy rendition of "Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite." Sturgess has the voice, charm, and good looks to fill Shea Stadium with hordes of screaming young women. As Jude, he's earnest and certainly capable of carrying the film. Wood capably balances Lucy's naiveté and knowledge, easily moving between her love for Jude and her passion for her cause. Though the performances are strong, it's Taymor's gifted direction that makes ACROSS THE UNIVERSE so fascinating to watch. As in FRIDA and Broadway's THE LION KING, she proves herself an artist with creativity few can match. Director of photography Bruno Delbonnel also deserves praise for his contribution to the striking visuals. He has worked with Jean-Pierre Jeunet on AMELIE and A VERY LONG ENGAGEMENT, and he brings the same sense of romance and whimsy to this unique musical. … more less -
Leonard Cohen: I'm Your ManGenre: Musical & Performing Arts Release Date: 01/22/2008 Rating PG-13 Production Year: 2006 Run Time: 103 mins Released By: Lions Gate Home Entertainment Cast: Leonard Cohen, U2, Rufus Wainwright, Nick Cave, Jarvis Cocker Leonard Cohen manages to garner fans from the unlikeliest of places despite his distinctly un-rock-&-roll appearance and a set of songs that veer closer to poetry than to their uneasy bedfellows in the pantheon of popular music. But viewers looking for an in-depth analysis of the man behind some of the most deeply introspective music ever recorded should look elsewhere: LEONARD COHEN: I'M YOUR MAN contains precious little insight from Cohen himself. Instead, director Lian Lunson has pieced together a warm tribute to the Canadian singer, drawing on the words of his many celebrity fans while also sharing generous amounts of footage from a Cohen tribute concert staged in 2005. The concert was filmed in Australia, with the bulk of the celebrity testimonials coming from performers at the show. The eclectic array of artists taking part include Nick Cave, Pulp's Jarvis Cocker, Martha and Rufus Wainwright, and folk legend Linda Thompson, all of whom perform unique interpretations of Cohen-penned classics such as "I'm Your Man" (Cave) and "Chelsea Hotel #2" (Rufus Wainwright). Lunson intersperses the concert footage with interviews from the stars, the most vocal and effusive praise coming from the Edge and Bono from U2, who are seen backing Cohen on a rendition of "Tower of Song" as the movie closes. Cohen himself is also given some screen time in which he muses on a number of interesting topics, but Lunson's piece is mostly designed as a straight tribute to a man who has never sat easily in the contemporary music world, much to the delight of his fans. … more less -
American Movie Musicals Collection - Vol. 2Genre: Musical & Performing Arts Release Date: 10/09/2007 Rating PG-13 Production Year: 1979 Cast: Michael Douglas, Alyson Reed, Cameron English, Jan Gan Boyd, Audrey Landers Musical fans need look no further than this extensive collection containing the popular musicals DE-LOVELY, HAIR, and A CHORUS LINE. … more less -
RentGenre: Musical & Performing Arts Release Date: 05/15/2007 Rating PG-13 Production Year: 2005 Run Time: 135 mins Released By: Sony Pictures Home Cast: Taye Diggs, Jesse L. Martin, Rosario Dawson, Anthony Rapp, Idina Menzel Director Christopher Columbus (MRS. DOUBTFIRE, HARRY POTTER AND THE SORCERER'S STONE) adapts the hit Broadway musical of the same name to the big screen in RENT. A modern spin on the opera LA BOHEME, RENT tells the story of eight friends dealing with life and love in Manhattan's Alphabet City in 1989. Wannabe filmmaker Mark (Anthony Rapp) and singer/songwriter Roger (Adam Pascal) are facing eviction at the hands of their former roommate and current landlord, Benny (Taye Diggs). Benny has married rich, moved out of the neighborhood, and wants to build a state-of-the-art studio where the local tent city stands. Their downstairs neighbor, vivacious Mimi (Rosario Dawson), who strips at a local club to feed her heroin habit, takes a shine to Roger, a self-imposed recluse and former junkie whose last girlfriend died of AIDS. Their friend, Collins (Jesse L. Martin), returns to town and quickly falls for Angel (Wilson Jermaine Heredia), a glamorous, gracious, HIV positive transvestite. Finally, there is Maureen (Idina Menzel), a spitfire and performance artist who is planning a protest against Benny's plans and has dumped Mark for cerebral Joanne (Tracie Thoms), a lawyer. Over the course of a year, the friends face poverty, drug addiction, break-ups, reconciliations, eviction, and AIDS. Despite these challenges, they find support, hope, and acceptance in each other, all the while embracing the bohemian lifestyle that was so much a part of the Lower East Side. Newcomers Dawson and Thoms mix seamlessly with the original cast members, and Columbus introduces some interesting staging locations. With a concept, music, and lyrics by the late Jonathan Larson, RENT is an exuberant rock-&-roll musical with the underlying message that love can prevail despite all odds and that, ultimately, there really is no day but today. … more less -
Who the #$&% is Jackson Pollock?Genre: Musical & Performing Arts Release Date: 05/01/2007 Rating PG-13 Production Year: 2006 Run Time: 74 mins Released By: Warner Home Video Documentary filmmaker Harry Moses explores the hidden life of iconic painter Jackson Pollock. … more less -
U.S. vs. John Lennon, TheGenre: Musical & Performing Arts Release Date: 02/13/2007 Rating PG-13 Production Year: 2006 Run Time: 96 mins Released By: Lions Gate Home Entertainment Cast: Yoko Ono, Walter Cronkite, Mario Cuomo, George McGovern, Richard Nixon David Leaf and John Scheinfeld struggled for over 15 years to produce this documentary, and it's emergence in the year 2006 is a testament to the film's timeliness. THE U.S. VS. JOHN LENNON focuses on a part of the music icon's life that is often overlooked: his politicization both during and after the Vietnam War. Towards the end of the Beatles' career, Lennon began taking the band in a new direction, using their popularity to circulate a message of peace in songs such as "Revolution." He became even more involved after the band broke up, and the film traces his growing awareness and dissent through both archival footage--much of which had lain forgotten in vaults for decades--and interviews with those close to him. This leads to the titular case, in which the U.S. government, which had already been monitoring his actions for some time, attempted to deport the star for fear of the threat he posed to the nation. The film also portrays Lennon's close relationship with Yoko Ono and the effect she had on his art, including an interview with the Japanese performance artist and muse that sheds much light on the couple's intimate history. Other interviews feature such luminaries as Mario Cuomo, Gore Vidal, Walter Cronkite, Angela Davis, and even G. Gordon Liddy, the former chief operative under Richard Nixon. The film avoids falling into the trap of one-dimensional idolatry, showing Lennon's politicization as reflective of his own spiritual path, a very personal, at times fallible, journey towards using his fame to make the world a better place. The constraints and depletion of civil liberties Lennon experienced at the hands of the U.S. government, then in the throws of a neo-McCarthyism, invite comparisons to contemporary politics. The creative ways he fought for expression and peace, meanwhile, expand upon the known brilliance of a remarkable figure. … more less -
Carmen: A Hip HoperaGenre: Musical & Performing Arts Release Date: 01/16/2007 Rating PG-13 Production Year: 2002 Run Time: 88 mins Released By: Warner Home Video Cast: Mekhi Phifer, Beyonce Knowles, Mos Def, Rah Digga, Wyclef Jean This 2002 version of Bizet's opera is updated for the hip-hop generation. The tale of Carmen, an irresistible woman who who tears men apart, is told in this passionate drama set to the sound of hot hip-hop and featuring an all-star cast including Mos Def, lil Bow Wow, Troy Winbush, Jermaine Dupri, and Beyonce Knowles as the title character. Mekhi Phifer (CLOCKERS) is a young police cadet who falls under the spell of the stunning beauty. This cable production was directed by Robert Townsend and is narrated by rap superstar Da Brat. … more less -
Devil and Daniel Johnston, TheGenre: Musical & Performing Arts Release Date: 09/19/2006 Rating PG-13 Production Year: 2006 Run Time: 110 mins Released By: Sony Pictures Home Cast: Gibby Haynes, Sonic Youth Although his appeal barely stretches beyond a small band of obsessives in the tight-knit indie-rock community, the turbulent career of singer-songwriter Daniel Johnston has had more highs and lows than most globetrotting rock stars. This film by director Jeff Feuerzeig offers a retrospective look at Daniel's life, forming an affecting picture of a truly talented man. Eschewing the opportunity to bring in a host of celebrities to wax lyrical about Daniel--of which there would be many: Nirvana, Beck, Sonic Youth, SIMPSONS creator Matt Groening, and many others are all devoted followers of the singer--Feuerzeig instead speaks to those who know (or knew) him best. So Daniel's parents, a former girlfriend, a former manager, and others all step forward to fill in the gaps in what becomes a remarkable story. Feuerzeig's film shows how Daniel's battles with manic depression have blighted his chances of fully enjoying the fame that he desperately craves. Daniel himself does not speak to camera; instead he is heard through the mountain of audio cassettes on which he has obsessively recorded the key elements of his life. It all adds up to riveting viewing, with tales of an ill-fated major label deal in the grunge era, stints in and out of mental institutions, and Daniel's first acid trip at a Butthole Surfers show. What becomes abundantly clear is the love and devotion Daniel inspires in his family, friends, and followers. Feuerzeig is careful not to condescend to his subject, and notes how Daniel has enjoyed a latter-day renaissance as he enters his mid-40s. With new advances in medicine allowing him to tour, the art world snapping up his beautiful drawings, and a level of previously unthinkable stability entering his life, Feuerzeig leaves us on a high, as his lovingly crafted movie about this brightest of tragic stars winds to a satisfying conclusion. … more less -
Sketches of Frank GehryGenre: Musical & Performing Arts Release Date: 08/22/2006 Rating PG-13 Production Year: 2006 Run Time: 84 mins Released By: Sony Pictures Home Cast: Frank Gehry, Dennis Hopper, Bob Geldof, Julian Schnabel Oscar winning director Sydney Pollack takes a sharp sideways turn with SKETCHES OF FRANK GEHRY, a documentary about the noted architect. Usually known for making grandiose productions such as THE FIRM and OUT OF AFRICA, Pollock adds a genuine curio to his filmmaking resume with this movie. Although the two men have been friends for years, Pollock thankfully bypasses the opportunity to pay a fawning tribute to Gehry, instead presenting a well-balanced portrait that offers both positive and negative commentators the chance to etch their thoughts into celluloid. But it quickly becomes clear that the biggest naysayer of all is Gehry himself, who is painted as a highly self-critical man, clearly ill-at-ease with fame and his own achievements. Pollock offers some screen time to Gehry's magnificent creations, but not as much as a less experienced director might have done, instead choosing to focus on the man himself. People such as Gehry's therapist, Milton Wexler, and garrulous artist/director Julian Schnabel (BASQUIAT) offer their thoughts, but the real magic occurs when Pollock and Gehry are on screen together. The series of interviews between the two men have the kind of relaxed atmosphere that could only exist after years of friendship, and Gehry comes across as an astonishingly normal and likeable fellow who keeps his ego firmly in check. Shooting mostly with hand-held digital-video cameras also brings a nice intimacy to the proceedings, creating a warm testimony to a great artist who has somehow managed to keep his integrity intact despite the ruthless nature of the industry in which he works. … more less -
Ringers: Lord of the FansGenre: Musical & Performing Arts Release Date: 11/22/2005 Rating PG-13 Production Year: 2005 Run Time: 97 mins Released By: Sony Pictures Home Cast: Peter Jackson, Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Philippa Boyens, Viggo Mortensen J.R.R. Tolkien's epic fantasy trilogy has played an enormous role in the popular culture of the last 50 years--from the 1960s counterculture (several Gandalfs showed up at Woodstock) to today's largely Internet-based supporters of Peter Jackson's LORD OF THE RINGS films. Since their publication, the books have inspired the kind of intensely personal devotion usually associated with cult classics--but it's a passion shared by too many millions of people to really be considered cultish. Directed and produced by Carlene Cordova, in association with online mega-fansite TheOneRing.net, the documentary RINGERS: LORD OF THE FANS takes a look at the long tentacles of influence sent out by a book that began its life as a tweedy, erudite Oxford professor's attempt to amuse himself. Hundreds of fantasy authors owe a large debt to Tolkien's work, rock bands like Led Zeppelin and Rush have referenced Middle Earth in their songs, and a plethora of failed attempts to bring the story to the big screen culminated in the massive global success of Jackson's epic adaptation. Tolkien's largely benevolent army of devotees represents an amazing range of genders, ages, and cultures. Narrated by hobbit-portrayer Dominic Monaghan, this affectionate look at a cultural phenomenon has time for the insights and opinions of everyday fans of the books, as well as of better-known Ringers like David Carradine, Terry Pratchett, Cameron Crowe, Clive Barker, Peter Jackson, and much of his films' casts. … more less -
Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Phantom of the OperaGenre: Musical & Performing Arts Release Date: 09/06/2005 Rating PG-13 Production Year: 2004 Run Time: 141 mins Released By: Warner Home Video Cast: Gerard Butler, Emmy Rossum, Minnie Driver, Patrick Wilson, Miranda Richardson Those who thought that smoke machines and cobwebbed candelabras were the stuff of Halloween parties and dance clubs need to think again. In Joel Schumacher's film adaptation of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Broadway musical THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, these moody set devices--and countless others--make every scene an atmospheric vision of souped-up 19th-century Gothic bliss. Christine Daee (a luminescent Emmy Rossum) is a tortured young star who is haunted by the voice of the phantom (Gerard Butler--who also played the lead in DRACULA 2000), a musician who hides in the shadows to hide a facial disfigurement, yet sings to her obsessively. Dwelling in the dark, damp chambers beneath the Paris opera house, the phantom lords over the cast and management with artistic autocracy--he writes the shows, casts them, and threatens all who disobey his plans with dramatically violent outbursts. But when his young student Christine falls for the rich and dapper Raoul (Patrick Wilson), the phantom descends into madness. Webber's memorable songs are performed with aplomb by Rossum, whose background includes singing with the Metropolitan Opera, and Wilson and Butler provide ample accompaniment. One of the treats of the proceedings is Minnie Driver's deeply exaggerated portrayal of the jealous diva, giving this PHANTOM a very appropriate dose of comic relief. … more less
