Sextette

Customer Reviews:

MAE WEST: THE GREATEST STAR!!!.......2007-08-09

Nobody, but NOBODY could ever top Mae West! She was just as fantastic in her last movie Sextette as she always was. She was absolutely amazing regardless of the age-prejudiced attacks some so-called "critics" have written.

For one thing, there is NO OTHER movie star in history that endured the way Mae did. She is witty, sexy and as frisky as ever in Sextette. Ringo Starr told TV Guide concerning Mae's performance in Sextette, "the minute she opened her mouth I knew I didn't' have a dog's chance...she is so fan-bloody-tastic that she just wipes us out!"

It is well past time for the "critics" to give it a rest. It is time to stop trying to outdo Rex Reed in viciousness. It is also time to stop discriminating against someone because of the person's age.

The GREAT Mae West was still the Queen of Sex when she made Sextette, and she always will be!!! She is still the Eighth Wonder of the World!!!

Embalmed Cinema.......2007-04-29

If you want to see the legendary Mae West strut her stuff at age 85, step right this way! All others are best advised to watch Mae at her peak in "She Done Him Wrong" and "I'm No Angel." The once-in-a-lifetime supporting cast should have stayed home or played golf. Released two years before her death, "Sextette" was Mae's celluloid tombstone.

Marlo, remember that week and a half when you were a widow?.......2007-02-23

Sextette tells the story of Marlo Manners, played by Mae West, who is in London to marry her sixth husband. Sir Michael Barrington, played so ably by Timothy Dalton, will be Marlo's sixth husband. Oh yes, they do get married--but after the wedding ceremony the press, Marlo's Hollywood agent Dan Turner and a cast of what seems like thousands all pester Marlo and Michael. They will not leave them alone to enjoy their wedding night. The plot is indeed thin and rather silly; but Sextette keeps your attention with its campy qualities and outlandish scenarios. The subplots poke fun at whirlwind courtships and Hollywood itself--excellent!

Before the wedding night can begin, Marlo faces pressure to wine and dine a Russian diplomat so that he can have one last fling with her in exchange for his "yes" vote on an international accord. Of course, this subplot couldn't stop at that--this Russian diplomat would have to be one of Marlo's five ex husbands, too! Marlo's obligations don't end there--she must do screen tests in her honeymoon suite directed by another ex played wonderfully by Ringo Starr. Sir Michael Barrington also has a burden; he must prove to the public that he likes women after there is an honest misunderstanding during a television interview Sir Michael gives to Rona Barrett. To complicate matters even further, people hunt to find Marlo's memoirs tape which goes missing; this could harm Marlo's image if the press were to capture it.

The subplots explore whirlwind courtships and the divorces that are obtained even faster than the courtships ever were. At one point Marlo's agent asks her if she remembered "that week and a half when (she) was a widow." Marlo remembers--and she did mourn the loss of her husband, too. Sure, she played the piano to forget her pain--but "only the black keys."

The cinematography shines strongest in the opening scenes when the wedding procession arrives at the hotel; and the scenes filmed on top of the hotel are well done, too. The choreography of every scene in the hotel gymnasium and the international summit reflects careful planning, too. The song and dance numbers are particularly well choreographed.

There are a few songs in this movie although I can't call it a "true-blue" musical. Marlo sings a rendition of "Happy Birthday, Sweet Sixteen" to a young athlete training in the hotel gymnasium. "Hooray For Hollywood" and "Love Will Keep Us Together" show forethought as well. Unfortunately, most of the other songs are cute but forgettable.

There are numerous cameos to spice up the film even further: Look for George Hamilton who has a brief role as one of Marlo's ex husbands; a young Regis Philbin playing himself at the very beginning of the movie; Alice Cooper as a waiter and Rona Barrett playing herself as a television news reporter.

The DVD does not come with any extras. This disappoints me but it is a minor flaw.

I agree with the reviewer who writes that if you like Mae West you'll love Sextette. Fans of campy movies with razor thin plots will also enjoy this movie. This was Mae West's final film. Nevertheless, in Sextette Mae still did what she always did best--delivering punchy one line double-entendres and shimmying all over the screen as self-confident as ever.

Hooray for Hollywood!

A REAL JAW-DROPPER!!.......2007-01-05

What an incredible movie! Whatever were they all thinking? For sheer kitch,it's got the lot: an extremely old movie star who looks like she's wheeled in and out of shot after her lines - maybe for some more formaldahide - and who acts like she's still sexually attractive, glamourous and not in her 80's! It's got that extremely naff Englishness that happens when they try to make a Hollywood type musical, and since it's 70's vintage, the clothes and hairstyles and choreography are just laughable. All in all it's so bad it's brilliant. You'll be gobsmacked at Timothy Dalton's performance (he must have really needed the money!) In fact, this is a real hysterical jaw-dropper! Loads of fun - don't miss it - it's one-of-a-kind!

A fun romp.......2006-06-30

Now, this is a real anomaly: Mae West starring in a film based on a successful play she wrote back in 1926. So theoretically, this film could have been made into a silent movie, and here it is, turning up over 50 years later in 1978. And even in these more enlightened times, they didn't use the original title of Sex, calling it Sextette instead (although the opening credits put the first three letters into slight relief for those who might otherwise have missed it).

I'm a big fan of Mae West, and I finally let my curiosity get the better of me about her final film, which I have been warned against many times. Happily, I thought it was a delight from beginning to end.

Mae West is unique in the history of sex stars in the movies because she was able somehow to both play the role of a sex goddess and simultaneously parody that same role. So while other sex queens could not have gotten away with doing such a role as this one at the age of 85, Mae does much more than "get away with it," and even at this age it's not all parody all the time.

Allowances do have to be made for a very few things. Her wig is one of them, her slightly bizarre makeup that makes her eyes seem way too far apart is another, and her slow movements from time to time is the final one. Still, she has obviously taken very good care of herself over the years, and gets to show herself off at one point in a series of beautiful gowns (with Keith Moon over the top as her dress designer) as she supposedly prepares herself for a screen test.

She is clearly having a lot of fun. The film is set up so that she can consistently deliver the one-liners that made her famous. And these one-liners still work for her, some 45 years after she used this technique in her first film. (And the line about being "the girl who works for Paramount all day and . . . " is probably the funniest of any of her one-liners.) I sat there with a huge smile on my face anytime Mae was onscreen. I would consider her an inspiration to those who feel that after they reach a certain age, it's time to give up. Mae West is just as effervescent and zestful here as she was in her 1930s films.

Her co-stars are quite good, with Dom DeLuise leading the pack, followed closely by (in no particular order) Tony Curtis, Ringo Starr, George Hamilton, and Alice Cooper. I hope I can be forgiven for thinking that Timothy Dalton, who makes up the final member of the Sextette of the title is not quite in their league (and by the way, "sex" is Latin for "six" and I suspect that the original title is more about this than it is about "the act"). Then again Dalton is playing the straight man to all these buffoons, and so his part is a little less showy than theirs. Also, his singing voice is decent although he could stand some lessons on phrasing (not breaking the musical line partway through the phrase).

And speaking of singing, Mae does three numbers through the course of the film. She makes winners out of all three both through her singing voice (remember she even creditably sang opera in 1935's Goin' to Town) and through the force of her personality. Now, this is something we would have missed out if Sextette had been made as a silent.

There are a number of star cameo turns. It's fun to see Regis Philbin way back when (I didn't realize he was that well known in 1978), it's a trip down memory lane to see the once-ubiquitous Rona Barrett, and a bit bizarre to see one Ed Beheler playing Jimmy Carter, something he apparently made a minor career out of (even in some GOP campaign ads). Probably the most touching cameo is that of George Raft, who played the lead in Mae's first film, Night After Night, from 1932.

And of course Mae loved to surround herself with bodybuilders, and she gets a scene with a number of them here. And these are not just guys they picked up off the street; they all have athletic credentials or hold titles such as Mr. America, as is indicated in the closing credits.

Okay, so Gone with the Wind it's not (hence 4 stars instead of 5). It's still a lot of fun, and it's great to see Mae West go out in such grand style.

Average customer rating:

Grand Fenwick Takes Center-stage in the World Again!
Not as Good as the Original
A delightful satire of the Cold War
Even funnier than "The Mouse That Roared"
"It's not that kind of privvy council, your majesty."

The Mouse on the Moon
Starring: Margaret Rutherford , Ron Moody , Bernard Cribbins , David Kossoff , and Terry-Thomas
Director: Richard Lester
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B00004ZBVN
Release Date: 2000-12-19

Description

The natives are growing restless in the tiny country of Grand Fenwick! There's no indoor plumbing, no money to pay for it and no one's had a hot bath in ages! Facing a winter without warm water, the conniving Prime Minister (Ron Moody, Oliver!) convinces the U.S. government to give him a million-dollar grant by promising to use it for Grand Fenwick's space program. There's just one pesky problem: Grand Fenwick doesn't have a space program! But when a local crackpot professor discovers that the region's wine makes radical rocket fuel, the little nation determines to blast its wayinto the space race and land on the moon before the U.S., Russia or anyone else! Get readyfor a spoof on space travel and political plotting that's so funny, it'll have you howling at the moon! Full of "hilarious slapstick moments" (Boxoffice), this lunar laugh-riot is a "delightful farce" (The Film Daily) that's out of this world!

Customer Reviews:

Grand Fenwick Takes Center-stage in the World Again!.......2005-10-18

In 1959, a hilarious Cold War-inspired film entitled "The Mouse that Roared" was produced about a fictional tiny country named "The Duchy of Grand Fenwick", which is no ordinary country. First, it's the smallest country in the world (about 15 square miles). Second, it's the only English-speaking country in continental Europe (located in the French Alps). Third, its primary source of revenue is its wine. When a California winery made a cheap knock-off of Grand Fenwick's wine and reduced the nation's only source of revenue, Grand Fenwick declared war on the U.S. and won! The result: the California winery stopped producing the cheap knock-off and Grand Fenwick kept a brilliant scientist, Professor Alfred Kokintz (David Kossoff, 1919-2005), that they captured in the U.S.

With the success of "The Mouse that Roared", a sequel was produced 4 years later in 1963 and entitled "The Mouse on the Moon". Unlike the first film that had Peter Sellers (1925-1980) playing three of the main characters as in the original 1959 film, each of these characters were played by separate actors: Grand Duchess Gloriana XII (Margaret Rutherford, 1892-1972), Prime Minister Rupert Mountjoy (Ron Moody) and his nephew Vincent Mountjoy (Bernard Cribbins). Only David Kossoff reprised his role as Professor Kokintz.

Focusing again the Cold War between the U.S. and the former Soviet Union, the story for "The Mouse on the Moon" begins with Prime Minister Mountjoy coming up with what he believes will be a brilliant way to get a loan from the U.S.: trick the U.S. into thinking that Grand Fenwick wants to start a space program, when in reality, he just wants the money to have indoor plumbing installed in Grand Fenwick's castle. The U.S., not trusting Mountjoy, goes ahead and gives a grant to Grand Fenwick thinking that it will improve how other nations view the U.S. in its race with the former Soviet Union to send astronauts to the moon. To counter the U.S., the Soviet Union sends an old space rocket to Grand Fenwick. Delighted with the gifts, Mountjoy proceeds with turning the rocket and money into indoor plumbing, but not before Professor Kokintz discovers why bottles of Grand Fenwick wine have been inexplicably exploding: they contain a new radioactive element, which Kokintz discovers can generate lift. With Vincent's eager help to become an astronaut, Professor Kokintz proceeds to prepare the rocket for space travel, which he believes will take about 3 weeks to reach the moon. To counter suspicions in the U.S. and the Soviet Union that Grand Fenwick is indeed using their gifts for space exploration, Mountjoy invites representatives from each to visit the launching of the rocket. Mountjoy asks Professor Kokintz to make it appear that the rocket explodes, but unknown to him, Kokintz and Vincent are ready to take their radioactive-wine-powered rocket for a roundtrip to the moon. Would the smallest country in the world beat the U.S. and the former Soviet Union to the moon? Just watch this charming film and find out.

Though considered not as good as the original 1959 film, "The Mouse on the Moon" is still very entertaining. Granted there are some slight mistakes with how air inside the Grand Fenwick rocket is maintained since it has no airlock, but for 1963, few people would have realized this. Other interesting characters include Maurice Spender (Terry-Thomas, 1911-1990), Cynthia (June Ritchie) and one of the American astronauts who was played by Ed Bishop (1932-2005). Some sci-fi TV series buffs may remember Ed Bishop as Commander Ed Straker in the 1970 sci-fi TV series "UFO". Overall, "The Mouse on the Moon" is a fun film and deservers a rating of 4 out of 5 stars.

Not as Good as the Original.......2004-09-08

Fitfully funny satire about the space race but it is not as amusing as "The Mouse That Roared." Sorely lacking here is the presence of Peter Sellers. It's interesting to watch political satire of it's time but the space race does not have the resonance today that the arms race did.

A delightful satire of the Cold War.......2003-12-29

One of my favorite comedies from back when I was a kid (and they used to show old films like this on broadcast TV...) One of those rare instances in which a sequel to a cult film is still fun enough to make it on its own merits, despite losing the original lead actor. This is the followup to the kooky Peter Sellers classic, "The Mouse That Roared," returning us to Duchy of Grand Fenwick, an eccentric European backwater that makes Lichtenstein seem like the Ottoman Empire. Sellers is gone, but the farce remains, as the Grand Fenwickians inadvertently enter the Cold War space race, with the US, USSR and UK all falling over themselves to try and either control or subvert the tiny country's absurdly rickety space program. There are fine character bits, with Ron Moody and Margaret Rutherford starring, respectively, as Grand Fenwick's prime minister and queen, but what makes this film an enduring classic is how deftly it satirizes the already-farcical propaganda wars between America and the Soviet Union (that Great Britain really factored in as a "player" in the Kennedy-era Cold War is a quaint, Bond-ian affectation...) A genuinely funny film that stands on its own dramatically, but which is also a priceless snapshot of the times it was made in. Recommended!

Even funnier than "The Mouse That Roared".......2003-10-04

I bought this movie based on reviews I read here on Amazon.com and wasn't disappointed. I watched "The Mouse That Roared" first and thought it was funny, but in my opinion this movie is even better.

Magaret Rutherford is great as the clueless Grand Duchess, I wish there was more of her in the movie.

Ron Moody does a great job as the prime minister who is hung up on getting running hot water for his bathtub at any cost.

There was a small take off on Dr. Strangelove that I liked. Two ex-German scientists one for the US and one for the USSR give their boss a Nazi salute before catching themselves.

I had some good laughs throughout the movie. If you liked "The Mouse That Roared" I'm sure you'll like this movie.

"It's not that kind of privvy council, your majesty.".......2001-03-15

A superior sequel to "The Mouse That Roared" where Prime Minister Bobo (a manic and hilarious Ron Moody)cons both Russia and the USA into sending Grand Fenwick space research funds and equipment that he can recycle into a plumbing system for the castle. Then the scientist from the first movie actually heads for the moon in a Jules Vern-ish Victorian space ship using the Grand Fenwick wine crop as rocket fuel. Lester and Shenson made this film right before they teamed for HARD DAYS NIGHT and the dry British wit is very apparent. Margaret Rutherford even says a line that John Lennon would say in HDN.

Marquee Musicals Collection (Down Argentine Way / Moon Over Miami / My Blue Heaven / The Dolly Sisters / Weekend in Havana / Daddy Long Legs / Pin-Up Girl)

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Marquee Musicals Collection (Down Argentine Way / Moon Over Miami / My Blue Heaven / The Dolly Sisters / Weekend in Havana / Daddy Long Legs / Pin-Up Girl)
Starring: Fred Astaire , Betty Grable , Alice Faye , John Payne , and Don Ameche
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000MCH7GG
Release Date: 2007-03-01

Average customer rating:

It could have been much better
Buyers beware !
Inferior Quality; this classic deserves better
Lousy DVD
SURPRISINGLY ENTERTAINING.

Reaching for the Moon
Starring: Douglas Fairbanks , Bebe Daniels , Edward Everett Horton , Claud Allister , and Jack Mulhall
Director: Edmund Goulding
Manufacturer: Passport
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B000CSUNP2
Release Date: 2006-03-07

Description

Reaching for the Moon (1930)

A movieland curiosity! Irving Berlin's first Hollywood musical -- or it would have been, except United Artists deleted all but one of Berlin's musical numbers! That might've consigned this film to the realm of the forgettable, except for the exceptional cast: silent swashbuckler Douglas Fairbanks Sr., lovely Bebe Daniels, dependable Edward Everett Horton and, stealing the show in his film debut, Bing Crosby. Add to that mix Berlin's original story, laced with William Cameron Menzies' fantastic Art Deco sets, spiced with liberal doses of pre-Code innuendo, and stirred by director Edmund Goulding's liberated camera movement compared to the stagy talkies of the period, and what pours out is a bubbly comedy cocktail with one show-stopping musical number as the cherry.

Financial tycoon Larry Day (Fairbanks) is a Wall Street wiz, but a dud at the arts of love. Falling head over heels for glamorous aviatrix Vivian Benton (Daniels), he follows her onto an ocean liner, even though she is going overseas to marry someone else. Struggling to woo her, Larry is coached by his valet (Horton). But Larry is wiped out by the market crash and devastated by Vivian's rejection of him. Will he regain his fortune and win his lady love? Find out in this delightful early sound treasure.

60 minutes.

Customer Reviews:

It could have been much better.......2007-03-28

This movie was supposed to be a musical, but by 1930 audiences had tired of at least the "All Singing" part of "All Talking, All Singing, All Dancing" movies. Virtually everyone's first talking picture was a musical, and there just wasn't enough good music to go around. I read somewhere that theatres were even putting up signs in the cases of movies that sounded like they might be musicals with statements that read "This is not a musical" so as not to repel audiences. This situation lasted until 1933.

In this case, the movie probably would have been much better if it had gone through with the originally planned musical format. The introductory titles show that the music was written by Irving Berlin, and the cast even includes crooner Bing Crosby, who was so good in "The King of Jazz" that came out that same year. Instead, there is only one musical number two-thirds of the way into the film, and that is the only place we get to see or hear Bing Crosby. On top of that, Bebe Daniels, the lead actress, was a much better singer than she was an actress. Thus making this a romantic comedy of sorts really took away from what she could have brought to the movie.

What you're left with is a little bit more than a shell of a movie. It seems like nobody bothered to fill in the blanks left by the depletion of the would-have-been musical numbers. I give this movie three stars instead of two mainly because of the historical value. Douglas Fairbanks would make only two more movies after this one. Someone else has already mentioned the factor his voice played in the end of his talkie career. It is worth mentioning that his voice isn't outright bad, but it just doesn't match the swashbuckling image he had developed during the silent era. Like John Gilbert, his voice seemed somewhat helium-affected compared to what you're expecting. It is great fun to see him doing some of his trademark acrobatic moves during the film, and it's hard to believe a man of almost 50 could still be so agile and have such a youthful and vigorous appearance. Particularly entertaining is Edward Everett Horton as the valet. He had a good career in silent films, but he would do even better as a character actor in the age of talking pictures where dialogue really allowed him to shine as a well-meaning if somewhat befuddled character in a myriad of films. Also, various sets in the film show off some fine and interesting examples of 1930 architecture, and it is interesting to see how the early stages of the depression were interpreted by people at the time. In 1930 the stock market sell-off is still portrayed as a "panic" and a temporary set-back that has merely bankrupted a few high-rolling financiers.

Buyers beware !.......2007-01-07

The comments on the lousy quality of this dvd do not surprise me at all....when buying silent films or early talkies on dvd remember that a lot of this material is in the public domain...so anyone can purchase an inferior copy and put it on a dvd...! Never buy this sort of dvd from companies like "Delta", "PassPort", "Alpha" and the like...they distribute awfull quality in a colorfull jacket and have the audacity to charge for it!
When you want to purchase these movies , and I am a big fan, buy with confidence any release by "Kino on video", "Image entertainment", in europe "Eureka", "the (pricy) Criterion collection " or anything carrying the imprint "Milestone collection"(usually distributed by Image)...some other less known companies here and there may also occasionally have a good , digitally restaured , version on hand but with the labels I just mentioned you can not go wrong....Also in europe the dvd's of the British Film Institute are faultless but what else would you expect from such a revered institution.
If you still want to buy "alpha", "Delta" or "passport" dvd's because they are fractionally cheaper then remember that when you pay peanuts you get ...peanuts.

Inferior Quality; this classic deserves better.......2006-03-25

I echo the last reviewers complaints. No chapter stops. Terrible source copy. And, um, I know I'm

watching Reaching for the Moon, I don't need an obnoxious logo at the bottom right corner. I'll be honest,

I only watched the 1st 5 min. of this, long enough to have a blot slowly moving down the screen & at one point blocking out

Douglas Fairbanks face! Sound is as bad or worse than the picture.

This racy pre-code movie features opulent Art Deco sets & boasts a cameo appearance by Bing Crosby

singing "When Folks High-Up Do The Mean Low Down", my favorite song by him.

Skip buying this one & watch it on Turner Classic Movies. You'll get ten times the quality. They air it once or twice a

year on TCM. It was funny because I also bought "Millie" (1931) w/ Anita Louise from Alpha Video on the same order & expected

that one to be terrible quality & RFTM to be excellent. Well, it was just the opposite. I was pleasantly suprised with

Millie. It's just under Turner Classic Movie quality for a film of this era with some slight artifacts. I hope another

company will eventually release Reaching for the Moon in better quality (it would be hard not to).
; )

Lousy DVD.......2006-03-18

While the previous entries acturately discuss the film itself, none mention the abysmal quality of the source material and/or the mastering of the DVD itself. Not only is the film tough to watch, Passport has added the words "Reaching for the Moon" in the right-hand conner of the frame which appears throughout the running time of the film. The viewer knows the title of the film. It's an annoyance for 72 minutes. Lastly, there are no chapter stops on the DVD. So if you stop the DVD prior to the movie's conclusion and your DVD player doesn't remember the location as mine doesn't, you must watch the whole film again or scan through the movie to the section you last watched. Also annoying. The only good thing going for this DVD is the price, the chance to see some incredible art deco sets, and Fairbanks in his first talkie, if you can manage to wade through the fuzzy, low contrast image.

SURPRISINGLY ENTERTAINING........2003-01-09

An interesting early talkie, this film will give viewers a rare glimpse of the vivacious 48 year-old Douglas Fairbanks, Sr. In the same hotel, two separate parties are being held: one for a wealthy society named Vivian Benton an amateur aviatrix, the other a recognition dinner for successful stockbroker Larry Day. Amusing romantic issues ensue concerning the above duo. A superstar of silents, Fairbank's career in the movies waned with the advent of talkies: his voice isn't bad, just cartoon character-like. Another big star of the silents was Bebe Daniels: she to would see her career quickly fade by 1935. Directed by Englishman Edmund Goulding (DARK VICTORY), this 1931 feature remains a fascinating curio for those in the mood. Curiously enough, Fairbanks made a 1917 silent with the same title, of which this isn't a remake.

Average customer rating:

But see it for Sondheim!
Just to see Sondheim acting
Country boy seeks success in Tin Pan Alley in 1929.

June Moon (Broadway Theatre Archive)
Starring: Estelle Parsons , Lee Meredith , Susan Sarandon , Tom Fitzsimmons , and Marshall Efron
Director: Kirk Browning , and Burt Shevelove
Manufacturer: Kultur Video
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ASIN: B0000640TE
Release Date: 2002-04-16

Amazon.com

June Moon (1974) is a lesser-known entry in the Broadway Theater Archive series of televised performances, but there's plenty of reason to celebrate its inclusion. A hit when first staged in 1929, this comedy revels in the Jazz Age notion that New York City was the capital of nightlife sophistication. It balances George S. Kaufman's embrace of beautiful dreamers with Ring Lardner's darker angle on Tin Pan Alley and the occupational hazards of a boyishly naive songwriter (Tom Fitzsimmons) on a fast track to success. Susan Sarandon, appearing here shortly before she costarred in The Rocky Horror Picture Show, plays the jaded vixen who lures the rookie tunesmith under false pretenses, and TV great Jack Cassidy (who died in a house fire two years later) is terrific as the veteran composer who helps the kid while his own career is slumping. Playing another struggling songwriter is none other than Broadway composer Stephen Sondheim (!), paying scruffy homage to the composers who inspired him. --Jeff Shannon

Description

In homage to the heyday of American comedy, George S. Kaufman and Ring Lardner's satire takes on 1929's Tin Pan Alley. Its main characters are a gullible lyricist and a composer who claims as his big hit a ditty called "Paprika... the Spice of My Life." Look for composer Stephen Sondheim as a wisecracking pianist in his acting debut! With Susan Sarandon, Estelle Parsons, Jack Cassidy, Lee Meredith, and Burt Shevelove.

Customer Reviews:

But see it for Sondheim!.......2006-09-20

There are so many better things to do with your time than watch this movie. But how often do you get the opportunity to see Stephen Sondheim act? Rarely, so it's worth it just for that.

Just to see Sondheim acting .......2005-07-26

"June Moon" is not much of a play. Accually, I can hardly understand why would somebody want it in his archive. It's not among Susan Sarandon's best moment (no fault of her) nor Kassidy has something special to say. It's actually a not bad performance of an easy to forget play. Well, why then do I rate it with 3 stars instead of proper 1? The answer is simple: Stephen Sondheim. The only reason somebody would pay any attention to this play, is just to see Mr. Broadway Musical to act (not bad at all!) and play the piano. I thing that only Sondheim maniacs should care about this dvd.
But be careful: "June Moon" is no musical and there are no Sondheim songs. That's why I've written that this dvd would interest Sondheim's maniacs instead of Sondheims funs. There 's a diffrence between admiration and psychosis.
I've seen the play in TV, but I wouldn't bother purchasing it. As a matter of fact I hardly would go to the theatre to watch it. But if someday it would be transmitten again, I surely would watch it again gladly. Just for the unusual actor who plays the part of the pianist. Just to see Stephen Sondheim acting.

Country boy seeks success in Tin Pan Alley in 1929........2005-01-03

There's a good reason that this is one of the lesser known entries in the Broadway Theater Archives. It is so dated that even with a stellar cast, including Jack Cassidy, Estelle Parsons, Susan Sarandon, and Stephen Sondheim, it fails to engage the viewer except as a period piece, a curiosity which illustrates what constituted "humor" and "theatrical excitement" in 1929, when it was first produced. Showcasing the frantic drive for a hit by Tin Pan Alley composers and lyricists, this show might have been considered amusing and even creative in 1929, but by 1974, when this production was filmed (and certainly by the present day), styles had changed, and audiences had become more sophisticated.

Despite its cast and well-filmed scenes, the show features characters who are so stereotyped, and a plot that is so trite, that the production fails to connect with the audience--every aspect of plot and character is obvious from the beginning. A sweet, naive young man (Tom Fitzsimmons), who wants to be a lyricist, takes the train from Schenectady to New York City, befriending a wide-eyed and innocent young woman (Lee Meredith) on the train. He meets a composer (Jack Cassidy) whose career is on a downslope, the composer's bored wife (Estelle Parsons), and her voracious and flamboyant sister (Susan Sarandon). As the young man begins to become successful, he, not surprisingly, finds Eileen (Sarandon) far more exciting than his sweet girlfriend from the train (Meredith), though Eileen, not surprisingly, is taking him for every penny she can get her hands on.

Though it would be possible to play this show broadly as a spoof or as a satire, this production, directed by Burt Shevelove and Kirk Browning, plays it straight. Written by George S. Kaufman and Ring Lardner, for whom this show was his only Broadway success, the production's brightest spot is the appearance of a very young Stephen Sondheim in a minor role as a wise-cracking pianist. The Broadway Theater Archives has preserved for posterity a spectacular assortment of important plays from the sixties and seventies, all starring well known actors. This production is not one of its best selections. Mary Whipple

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Is it Over Yet?

Vengeance of the Dead (Lunar Edition)
Starring: Michael Galvin (II) , Mark Vollmers , Susan Karsnick , Andrea Washburn , and Bob Wilson (XIII)
Director: Don Adams (II) , and Harry James Picardi
Manufacturer: Tempe Video / Full Moon Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00005M2CI
Release Date: 2002-04-30

Customer Reviews:

Is it Over Yet?.......2006-12-24

I picked this movie up at a local video rental store for $9.99. WHAT A WASTE! The copy I picked up had no artwork so I couldn't read what it was about, I bought it solely based on the title. I shouldn't have done that...
The movie is as follows, Im not going to go into too much detail because its not that interesting.

A kid goes for a visit to his grandfather and stumbles upon an old spoon (Yes, a spoon) in a pile of rumble near his house, he brings it back to the house, cleans it up and finds some writing on it. Since, bringing it back to the house he starts dreaming of a ghost, first appearing as a little girl, then as an older woman. Soon after he starts sleepwalking and murdering people by lighting them on fire. *Yawn*

I have several complaints about this movie.

1. There's very few killings in this movie, and everybody dies by being lit on fire, which means no blood.

2. The movie seems to drag on and on, even though the runtime is 72 minutes, and most of the movie is a sleeper.

3. The only possible reason this movie is rated R, is because there is a naked woman shower scene and a "wet dream" scene. Its definitely not rated R because of the "horror" element.

4. The movie has a lame ending, and too many dream sequences that could put you sleep.

Overall, this is a crapper. No blood, long boring scenes throughout the movie, and rated R for the wrong reasons! Don't waste your money like I did.

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MAE WEST: THE GREATEST STAR!!!
Embalmed Cinema
Marlo, remember that week and a half when you were a widow?
A REAL JAW-DROPPER!!
A fun romp

Sextette [Region 2]
Starring: Mae West , Timothy Dalton , Dom DeLuise , Tony Curtis , and Ringo Starr
Director: Ken Hughes
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

( S ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

ASIN: B00009B0Q5

Customer Reviews:

MAE WEST: THE GREATEST STAR!!!.......2007-08-09

Embalmed Cinema.......2007-04-29

Marlo, remember that week and a half when you were a widow?.......2007-02-23

A REAL JAW-DROPPER!!.......2007-01-05

A fun romp.......2006-06-30

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Bing Crosby's Solo Debut & one of Douglas Fairbanks' Few Sound Films

Reaching For the Moon
Starring: Claud Allister , Bing Crosby , Bebe Daniels , Helen Jerome Eddy , and Douglas Fairbanks
Director: Edmund Goulding
Manufacturer: Genius Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0006H31XA
Release Date: 2004-01-01

Customer Reviews:

Bing Crosby's Solo Debut & one of Douglas Fairbanks' Few Sound Films.......2005-08-28

Reaching for the Moon is a piece of Hollywood History because it contains one of Douglas Fairbanks's few sound films and it is the solo debut of Bing Crosby.

Fairbanks is a wizard of Wall Street who falls head over heels for aviatrix Bebe Daniels and chases after her on an ocean liner to England. Along for the ride is Edward Everett Horton who plays his butler/sidekick.

Irving Berlin wrote an original score and the screenplay. During production it was decided to scrap Berlin's score with only one song remaining, When the Folks High Up Do a Mean Low Down. Bing Crosby sang a chorus of it and then passed it over to Bebe Daniels and bit player June McCloy. At the time of the filming Crosby was appearing at the Cocoanut Grove at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles with his Rhythm Boy trio.

Bebe Daniels is pretty much forgotten today. But she was a beautiful woman and had a great singing voice.

June Moon (Junimond) [ NON-USA FORMAT, PAL, Reg.2 Import - Germany ]

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June Moon (Junimond) [ NON-USA FORMAT, PAL, Reg.2 Import - Germany ]
Director: Hanno Hackfort
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000F8SXQA

Product Description

Germany released, PAL/Region 2 DVD: it WILL NOT play on standard US DVD player. You need multi-region PAL/NTSC DVD player to view it in USA/Canada. LANGUAGES: German (Dolby Surround), English (Subtitles), German (Subtitles), ANAMORPHIC WIDESCREEN (1.85:1), SYNOPSIS: JUNIMOND tells the tragic-romantic story of Paul and Nele, two loners who rediscover a lost faith in the power of love. The two of them have nothing to lose and risk everything... SPECIAL FEATURES: Commentary, Interactive Menu, Scene Access, Trailer(s),

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