Repo The Genetic Opera (2008) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)This movie is amazing! The scenes are very creepy and unsettling, but at the same time very appealing and artistically beautiful. Even if you hated the music or plot, which I didn't this movie alone for the scenery is worth a buy.
Now about the music. At first I was uncertain of how to feel regarding their musical numbers, and by the third song I was hooked. The lyrics in this are comedic at times, other times serious, and actually nearing the end there is a song that I think is pleasant, "I Didn't Think I'd Love You This Much," is the name of the song I believe. The vocals of lead Alexa Vega are great, strong, and defined. Even Paris Hilton surprised me as this is the first time I have heard her vocals, and it reminded me some some old school goth rock cd I'd listen to in high school. Finally, Sarah Brightman. What can I say about Sarah that anyone doesn't already know? Musical Wise, she was nothing short of spectacular.
Acting wise, I'm a big junkie for Bill Mosley and it was fun to see him pull off the comedic cult character he portrayed. Paris, actually did great acting, it surprised me how great Alex Vega did considering I had never seen her attempt anything like this, and I was surprised that Sarah Brightman could be as dark as she was in this movie. The casting meshed well and it was fun to see such big names in a movie that hadn't hit theaters in my area.
Art wise, the scenes were mind-blowing. There are scenes where there is much cgi used, but overall it looks good, and that's saying a lot for me considering I hate cgi. Also, the make up was great with good effects, example, if the box hadn't said Paris was in this I doubt I would have recognized her until the end.
Overall, I rarely say this.... But I wish I could give this a higher rating then a 5 star. I will be buying the soundtrack as soon as I complete this review. Repo! Will be played a second time tonight for my posse... Yes, it was that good.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Repo The Genetic Opera (2008)

By fusing THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW and BLADE RUNNER, this futuristic tale of horror modernizes the "rock opera" genre with original music and rich, dark production design.

Get 37% OFF

Click here for more information about Repo The Genetic Opera (2008)

Tommy (1975) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)As the five-star rating would indicate, I've loved TOMMY sincethe day it opened (and yes, I was there for its premiere). I've alsopurchased the movie in just about every incarnation that have been released: videotape, laserdisc, and now DVD.
What's most exciting about the DVD version -- and something which doesn't seem to have been mentioned in other Amazon reviews -- is that the soundtrack to the film has been completely restored. "Quintaphonic sound" may sound a little silly and may not even mean much in this age of digital sound, but TOMMY was the movie that saw the rebirth of multi-channel audio (most films of the late 60s and early 70s were either mono or 2-channel stereo). The enhanced 5-channel discrete sound was a perfect extension of Ken Russell's audacious visuals. The tag line to the movie was "Your senses will never be the same," and it perfectly described both the visual AND aural assault on audience members.
Well, this DVD is the first (and only) format to feature the complete "Quintaphonic" soundtrack. If you have a Dolby Digital decoder, you're going to hear the movie in a way that wasn't even possible back in 1975! All of the vocals are locked dead center while the score itself blasts out of the remaining four speakers. And there's absolutely no distortion, even when you jack the volume up (which you should, since it was intended to be heard that way). It's a wonderful - and quite unexpected - thrill to hear the movie this way. Previous editions had absolutely terrible audio tracks that were poorly mixed down from the originals. The result -- even on the laserdisc -- was a muddy mess. Not so with this DVD edition, which includes a written essay insert explaining the soundtrack's restoration.
The picture quality is also outstanding. One key moment: during the blackout section of "Fiddle About" the screen is absolutely dark -- not a speck can be seen, proof that this film was carefully transferred from a pristine source print!
This is an incredible film presented on an incredible DVD. If your home system isn't yet able to decode the Dolby Digital soundtrack, do yourself a favor and get a decoder at the same time you buy this disc. You won't be sorry.
I'd warn the neighbors first, though!

Click Here to see more reviews about: Tommy (1975)

Film version of the successful rock opera about a boy who witnesses the murder of his father by his mother and her lover. He becomes deaf, dumb and blind, and as he grows, he is taken to various experts for cures.Genre: MusicalsRating: PGRelease Date: 25-MAY-2004Media Type: DVD

Get 50% OFF

Click here for more information about Tommy (1975)

Hair (1979) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)If "Hair" were only a period piece, it would still be wonderful entertainment - but it's so much more. Previous reviewers have already spoken for me in praising this film's astonishing energy, its fine acting (not stereotypes, but iconic characters), and its forever-fresh-as-a-summer-flower soundtrack. I can only agree with them completely, and add my positive vote to theirs. This is a highly (no pun intended) recommended film!
But I'd like to emphasize something else now. Those reviewers who complain about the film being dated are missing an important point. Love, friendship, joy, exuberance - these things are never out of date. And it raises an interesting question: why are some people so embarrassed and downright afraid of the so-called "hippie-dippy" aspect of this movie, and the years it captures so well? Possibly because it goes against the current wisdom, which claims that the uglier and nastier and more downbeat something is, the truer it is.
Well, no one is claiming that this is a perfect world - far from it! - but there is still plenty of joy and beauty and magic to be found in it! Yes, in too many ways it's a more cynical world now ... which is all the more reason to celebrate and uphold those naïve, utterly necessary values. Don't be afraid of looking foolish, don't worry about having to be cool and detached all the time, don't be afraid to embrace the Universe and exult in it - let the sunshine in!

Click Here to see more reviews about: Hair (1979)

Brimming with the energy, passion and music that rocked a nation, Hair is an entertaining and powerful tribute to the turbulent spirit of the '60s. Brilliantly recreated by OscarÂ(r)-winning* director Milos Forman and screenwriter Michael Weller (Ragtime), this vibrant screen version of the Broadway phenomenon ranks "among the best film musicals" (The Hollywood Reporter)! Fresh from the farm, Claude Bukowski (John Savage, The Thin Red Line) arrives in New York City for a date with the Army Induction Board, only to walk into a hippie "happening" inCentral Park and fall in love with the beautiful Shelia (Beverly D'Angelo, American History X). Befriended by the hippies' pacifist leader, Berger (Treat Williams, Mulholland Falls), and urged to crash a formal party in order to declare his love for Shelia, Claude begins an adventure that lands him in jail, Central Park Lake and, finally, in the army. But Berger's final effort to save Claude from Vietnam sets in motion a bizarre twist of fate with shocking consequences.*1975: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest; 1984: Amadeus

Click here for more information about Hair (1979)

Bat Out of Hell The Original Tour UK/US (2009) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)From June of 1978 comes this German television special that captures one of the original Bat Out of Hell tour concerts. The album was just exploding into its cult status at the time and everyone's very young and energetic.
THE GOOD: Well, it's a good view of a period of live Meat Loaf that hasn't been widely seen before. This is the tour where he started to destroy his voice, but he hasn't done it quite yet (though he does struggle with the high notes due to his reckless vocals). The result is a young, powerful voice that hits a lot of good notes. During his performance of "Heaven Can Wait," Meat pulls a Patti Labelle and finishes the song without a microphone emphasizing the size of his voice. Karla DeVito is gloriously fun as Meat's first rock chick. Rory Dodd doesn't really stand out, but it's great to see and hear him performing live. And of course, seeing Jim Steinman live and on stage is a tickle. The German TV interview offers an interesting look at Jim and Meat's early relationship (especially in contrast to what it later became).
THE BAD: The video isn't atrocious, but it sure isn't great. It's about as good as it can be considering its 1-inch videotape roots I suppose, but that isn't saying much. The audio mixing is a complete mess. The drums are trebled, forward, and really quite grinding. Everything else just mushes together into a poorly defined single-layer mess that's entirely too thin for the type of music. The camerawork and lighting are uniformly horrid. This band cannot hold a candle to the Neverland Express that Meat constructed years later. The German interviewer doesn't speak much English and seems absolutely clueless as to what he's doing.
THE CONFUSING: Amazon seems to be fixing how this product is advertised compared to what you actually get, but it was (at least originally) posted as including "River Deep, Mountain High" and "Johnny B. Goode" which are certainly not on the North American disc. Amazon listed this as containing a DTS audio track which is not true; there is only a Dolby Stereo track. And Amazon listed the run-time as 105 minutes, but it is actually only 74 minutes of concert. Amazon's mistakes don't affect my rating but are here just as an FYI.
THE VERDICT: This one's very middle-of-the-road for me. As a historical record, it's interesting. As an opportunity to hear Meat's voice pre-destruction, it's a valuable point of interest for die-hard fans. As a concert video, there's no way you'd reach for this audio mess when you could pop in Meat's "3 Bats" DVD. For the fan, the DVD is dirt cheap and probably a decent buy. For the curious onlooker, I'd advise looking at the more sonically and visually stunning Meat concerts. Ultimately, 2½ stars out of 5 for me.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Bat Out of Hell The Original Tour UK/US (2009)

BAT OUT OF HELL:ORIGINAL TOUR - DVD Movie

Get 10% OFF

Click here for more information about Bat Out of Hell The Original Tour UK/US (2009)