The acclaimed children's series from Jim Henson Productions is back with this collection containing two music-oriented episodes. In ""Music To My Ears"" and ""Dance Fever "" Bear and the gang explore the joyful power of music and dancing. Includes four new songs!
Annie is the story of a plucky red-haired girl who dreams of a life away outside her orphanage and its gin-soaked tyrant Miss Hannigan (played to perfection by Carol Burnett). One day Annie meets the famous billionaire ""Daddy"" Warbucks and the pair share spectacular times in 1930's New York City. But Miss Hannigan and her zany villainous colleagues are determined to spoil the fun for America's favourite orphan...
Live and Let Die - Roger Moore finds himself immersed in the world of heroin, voodoo and black magic in his debut as Bond. The Man with The Golden Gun - Bond is assigned to retrieve a top secret solar power converter, but finds himself the target of the world's greatest professional assassin. The Spy Who Loved Me - Britain and Russia both send their best agents to negotiate for a tracking system that has lost them each a nuclear submarine. Moonraker - When a Moonraker space shuttle disappears the chase leads Bond into outer space. For Your Eyes Only - In the race to beat the Russians to a missing communications device Bond finds himself involved with the Greek underworld. Octopussy - Stolen art treasures lead to a plan that will see Europe fall to a Russian invasion unless Bond can stop it in time A View To A Kill - In pursuit of new computer super chips, Bond uncovers a plan which could destroy Silicon Valley and the West's computer industries.
Collection of four classic children's films. 'Annie' (1982) is the story of the eponymous optimistic orphan (Aileen Quinn) who lives a miserable life in an children's home run by the awful Miss Hannigan (Carol Burnett). One day, she sees her chance to escape and sets off on a journey which will take her to the door of childless millionaire Daddy Warbucks (Albert Finney). In 'Oliver' (1968) young Oliver Twist (Mark Lester) escapes from the workhouse, where he has been brutally treated all of his life, and joins the gang of street urchins led by the rascal Fagin (Ron Moody). Oliver is trained as a pick-pocket, but ends up being caught for a crime he did not commit. However, this seemingly unfortunate accident brings him closer to his real family. 'Matilda' (1996) stars Mara Wilson as the exceptionally gifted and intelligent child who is ignored by her stupid parents Harry (Danny DeVito) and Zinnia (Rhea Perlman). A keen reader, her dearest wish is to be sent to school, but the establishment Harry selects is Crunchemhall, run by the tyrannical Miss Trunchball (Pam Ferris). Her cruelty to her pupils causes Matilda to vow revenge, and her newly discovered telekinetic powers give her the chance to do so. 'Madeline' (1998) stars Hatty Jones as the most mischievous of the twelve friends who live at a Parisian school run by Miss Clavel (Frances McDormand). Her sunny existence is threatened by starchy old Lord Covington (Nigel Hawthorne) who is on a campaign to have the school closed down. It is up to Madeline and her friends, who include the equally precocious Pepito (Kristian de la Osa) and a dog who saved her from drowning, to stop him.
New York marketing exec Marcus Graham (Eddie Murphy) is a wolf in chic clothing a ladies' man dedicated to life liberty and the happiness of pursuit. But he's about to find out that what goes around comes around in this smash-hit romantic comedy!
Roger Moore was introduced as James Bond in this 1973 action movie featuring secret agent 007. More self-consciously suave and formal than predecessor Sean Connery, he immediately re-established Bond as an uncomplicated and wooden fellow for the '70s. This film also marks a deviation from the more character-driven stories of the Connery years, a deliberate shift to plastic action (multiple chases, bravura stunts) that made the franchise more of a comic book or machine. If that's not depressing enough, there's even a good British director on board, Guy Hamilton (Force 10 from Navarone). The story finds Bond taking on an international drug dealer (Yaphet Kotto), and while that may be superficially relevant, it isn't exactly the same as fighting super-villains on the order of Goldfinger. --Tom Keogh, Amazon.comOn the DVD: Anyone old enough to remember the old milk marketing board commercials will relish the sight of James Bond exhorting everyone to "drink a pinta milka day" in one of the TV spots included here. Elsewhere in the special features, the characteristically in-depth "making of" featurette has a mixture of both contemporary and new interviews plus behind-the-scenes footage (the alligator-jumping sequence is positively hair-raising). The first of two audio commentaries is hosted by John Quark of the Ian Fleming Foundation and features a variety of cast and crew members, notably director Guy Hamilton; the second has writer Tom Mankiewicz on his own, who in between pauses has the occasional interesting thing to say. Overall another good package of features to accompany another excellent anamorphic print. --Mark Walker
In Roger Moore's first outing as 007 he investigates the murders of three fellow agents he soon finds himself a target evading vicious assassins as he closes in on the powerful Kananga (Yaphet Kotto). Known on the streets as Mr Big Kananga is co-ordinating a globally threatening scheme using tons of self-produced heroin. As Bond tries to unravel the mastermind's plan he meets Solitaire (Jane Seymour) the beautiful Tarot card reader whose magical gifts are crucial to the crime lord. Bond of course works his own magic on her and the stage is set for a series of pulse-pounding action sequences involving voodoo hungry crocodiles and turbo-charged speedboats.
Annie Hall (1977): Starring Allen as New York comedian Alvy Singer and Diane Keaton (in a Best Actress Oscar-winning role) as Annie the film weaves flashbacks flash forwards monologues a parade of classic Allen one-liners and even animation into an alternately uproarious and wistful comedy about a witty and wacky on-again off-again romance. Manhattan (1979): 42-year-old Manhattan native Isaac Davis (Allen) has a job he hates a seventeen-year-old girlfriend (Mariel Hemingway) he doesn't love and a lesbian ex-wife Jill (Meryl Streep) who's writing a tell-all book about their marriage... and whom he'd like to strangle. But when he meets his best friend's sexy intellectual mistress Mary (Diane Keaton) Isaac falls head over heels in lust! Leaving Tracy bedding Mary and quitting his job are just the beginning of Isaac's quest for romance and fulfillment in a city where sex is as intimate as a handshake - and the gate to true love... is a revolving door. Everything You Always Wanted To Know About Sex (But Were Afraid To Ask) (1972): Woody Allen pushes the frontiers of comedy by consolidating his madcap sensibility and wickedly funny irreverence with his developing penchant for visually arresting humor. Giving complete indulgence to the zany eccentricity of his medium Allen revels himself as a filmmaker of wit sophistication and comic insight rising to the occasion with several hysterical vignettes that probe sexuality's stickiest issues! Aphrodisiacs prove effective for a court jester (Allen) who finds the key to the Queen's (Lynn Redgrave) heart but learns that the key to her chastity belt might be more useful... Sleeper (1973): When cryogenically preserved Miles Monroe (Allen) is awakened 200 years after a hospital mishap he discovers the future's not so bright: all women are frigid all men are impotent and the world is ruled by an evil dictator: a disembodied nose! Pursued by the secret police and recruited by anti-government rebels with a plan to kidnap the dictator's snout before it can be cloned Miles falls for the beautiful - but untalented - poet Luna (Diane Keaton). But when Miles is captured and reprogrammed by the government to believe he's Miss America it's up to Luna to save Miles lead the rebels and cut off the nose just to spite its face. Love And Death (1975): Woody Allen reinvents himself again with the epic historical satire Love and Death. A wonderfully funny and eclectic distillation of the Russian literary soul the film represents a bridge between Allen's early slapstick farces and his darker autobiographical comedies. One of his most visual philosophical and elaborately conceived films 'Love And Death' demonstrates again that Allen is an authentic comic genius. Bananas (1971): When bumbling product-tester Fielding Mellish (Allen) is jilted by his girlfriend Nancy (Louise Lasser) he heads to the tiny republic of San Marcos for a vacation only to become kidnapped by rebels!
Bear in the Big Blue House, Happy and Healthy is a cheerful and lively 48-minute video packed with songs, stories and information for two to seven year olds. Produced by The Jim Henson Company, this two-episode video features Disney Channel's favourite seven foot Bear and his colourful muppet friends. The first episode "The Big Blue House Call" attempts to tackle children's fear of the doctor. When Doc Hogg pays a visit, Bear explains to his friends the importance of check-ups and with a song he coaxes Ojo the frightened bear cub from under the bedclothes for his vaccination. The second show "Picture of Health" emphasises that rest is as important to good health as a balanced diet and exercise. Bear successfully advises exhausted mouse Tutter that he will feel stronger and refreshed if he takes a short sleep. Youngsters will quickly warm to Bear who is friendly, confident, curious and cuddly. He encourages a participatory mood with his young audience by moving very close to the camera and talking directly to them. He even claims he can smell his healthy young viewers! Songs play an important part in setting the pace. Each episode starts with the cast belting out "Welcome to the Blue House" and finishes with the striking image of Bear on the balcony and the moon character Luna singing a harmonious duet. There are three additional original songs per episode, many with funny and memorable lyrics. Visually stimulating and mentally engaging, youngsters will find this educational video lots of fun.--Tracy Hogan
Working Like A Bear Whether it's chores or an occupation Bear teaches his friends Tutter Treelo Pip & Pop and Ojo about all the different definitions of work by cleaning the house. Woodland House Wonderland When Bear receives a phone call from the editor of Woodland House Wonderful magazine he realises he must clear up the Big Blue House before her visit. When everything is spick and span the magazine editor arrives to say that she wants to photograph them in their natural environment: messy!
Available for the first time on DVD! The Virgin Soldiers is a bawdy look at life in Britain's conscript army of the 50s and how their ""virgin soldiers"" spent two years defending King and country. Take Private Brigg (Hywel Bennett) for example when he's not filling in forms or engaging the Malaysian bandits he's out on manoeuvers with a Chinese dance-hall girl named Juicy Lucy (Tsai Chin). She is supposed to be a lady of easy virtue but to Brigg's delight she proves to be a lady
Though it's not in the same league as the classic screen musicals, Annie's heartwarming rags-to-riches storyline, social comment (shallow as it may be) and catchy songs make for an entertaining and unpretentious 90 minutes' viewing. Aileen Quinn is the irrepressible titular orphan, by no means as irritating as she looks in the cover picture; Albert Finney is Oliver Warbucks, the tyrannical tycoon (with a hidden heart of gold, of course) who adopts her for a week in the interests of good PR. The real show-stopper, though, is Carol Burnett as the gin-soaked harpy Miss Hannigan, ruling with an iron fist over an orphanage full of unruly girls, flirting with every man in sight and eventually scheming with her unscrupulous brother (Tim Curry) to kidnap Annie and reap a fat Warbucks reward cheque. While the songs--including "Tomorrow", "You're Never Fully Dressed Without a Smile" and "It's a Hard Knock Life"--are excellent, the kids' voices are shrill and the production pretty low-rent: Annie is very obviously a stage show brought to screen on a low budget. But while it lacks the polish that make the Rodgers and Hammerstein and Lerner and Loewe musicals so special, it's funny and sweet and has a rough charm all its own. On the DVD: The film is presented in widescreen, preserving its original 2.35:1 aspect, and is enhanced for 16:9 widescreen TVs; the soundtrack is Dolby surround, though as noted above the music score is relatively rough and ready so top-notch sound isn't actually as important as it would be in other musicals. The extras are pretty disappointing--an uninspired interactive menu features only the obligatory multi-language subtitles, (very) short biographies of the key cast members, a few publicity cards and posters, the theatrical trailer and--most interestingly--an isolated musical score. No commentary from director John Huston, no documentaries, nothing about the 1930s cartoon strip that was, apparently, one of the most popular of its day. There's actually more information in the accompanying booklet than there is on the disc. --Rikki Price
Children can learn all about toilet training and other important issues with Channel 5's favourite seven-foot bear and his colourful muppet friends in Bear in the Big Blue House--Potty Time with Bear. Produced by the Jim Henson Company, this crystal-clear DVD contains three fun-packed 24-minute episodes aimed at two to five year olds. The first episode "When You've Got To Go" was originally broadcast on the Disney Channel in 1999 to rave reviews. It deals sensitively with the subject of toilet training, with Bear gently guiding his friends through all the fears raised by using the potty or toilet. Many topics are covered including good hygiene, respect for privacy, recognising the call of nature, accidents and the importance of seeing toilet use as a natural part of growing up. The growing-up process is reinforced in the second episode with Bear encouraging Ojo the bear cub to practise adult behaviour, and the third episode slows everything down, emphasising the necessity of a good night's sleep. Bear is the perfect host throughout, drawing viewers into his world by sniffing up close to the camera and claiming he can smell his scrumptious young audience. He is kind, patient and gentle to his friends, making him an ideal carer and teacher. Upbeat songs reiterate the main themes. Many are funny and complement the two regular favourites "Welcome to the Blue House" and "The Goodbye Song". Fans and newcomers will be thrilled by this DVD--Bear and his friends make even the difficult parts of growing-up a lot of fun! --Tracey Hogan.
This first part of the fantastic Woody Allen Collection brings together five classic films that showcase Allen's madcap sensibility and wickedly funny irreverence. Films Comprise: 1. Bananas (1971) 2. Everything You Always Wanted To Know About Sex But Were Afraid To Ask (1972) 3. Sleeper (1973) 4. Love & Death (1975) 5. Annie Hall (1977) For individual synopses please refer to the individual films.
One of the most endearing aspects of Bear in the Big Blue House is everyone's habit of talking directly to the camera. This has been a part of Muppet practice for years, but when Bear is politely explaining the importance of brushing your teeth before bedtime, it makes children pay attention far more readily. Especially when everyone then breaks into song! That of course is the other delight about the show, when little bear Ojo, Tutter mouse, Pip and Pop, Treela the Lemur and Luna the Moon all join in one of the cute and catchy numbers. The songs featured across the three episodes here ("The Big Sleep", "And to All a Good Night" and "Friends for Life", all from the show's first two series) focus on the rituals of bedtime. The idea is that these each make an ideal comforter to send a child to bed happily. If this is your goal, the second episode--about getting to stay up late--may not be the best choice. On the DVD: Bear in the Big Blue House: Sleepytime with Bear gives karaoke treatment to six of the best songs, including the all-time classic "Brush Brush Bree". That's it apart from a few trailers. You do also get a couple of pages for colouring in attached to the booklet insert. The shows are presented in their original stereo sound and TV 4:3 ratio. --Paul Tonks
Travel down the road from the Big Blue House and you'll discover the rest of Woodland Valley! From the Mouse School to the Movie Theatre there's lots to explore and do in this fun and friendly community. When a tree falls on Woodland Valley's library Bear and his friends pull together to help. Other neighbours like Jeremiah Tortoise and Jack the Firedog volunteer along the way and everyone learns how special it is to be part of a community. Features 4 sing-a-longs: Good Morning Woodland Valley Cha Cha No Harm Goodbye Song.
Includes Annie Matilda and Fly Away Home. Annie: The irresistable orphan of comic-strip and box office fame comes to life in this acclaimed musical production. In her search for her true parents Annie has many adventures and encounters a number of colourful characters. Matilda: The hilarious story of Matilda based on the book by Roald Dahl. Once upon a time there lived a quite extraordinary little girl named Matilda but unfortunately her parents were so obsessed with their own lives they never noticed Matilda. They send her to Crunchem Hall a horrible boarding school run by a bossy headmistress Miss Trunchbull. There Matilda discovers remarkable skills which allow her to turn the tables on the wicked grown-ups in her world. Fly Away Home: Young Amy (Anna Paquin) is reunited with her father (Jeff Daniels) after a nine-year separation. One day Amy discovers a nest of orphaned goose eggs and decides to take them home and nurture them until they hatch. When the newly hatched goslings adopt her as their Mother Goose Amy and her father become airborne adventurers battling against bad weather and a host of other pitfalls in their efforts to teach the geese to fly...
If everybody were as special as the gang that dwells beyond the Big Blue buzzer in Bear in the Big Blue House: Everybody's Special, life lessons like acceptance, acknowledging others' needs and making sense of opposites would wiggle their way into our psyches so snugly packed in high spirits they'd be barely detectable. Everybody's Special proves it, with "As Different as Day and Night" demonstrating that brilliance lies at both ends of a spectrum; "Bats Are People Too" clearing the cobwebs off Benny, a bat who's not all bad; and "The Yard Sale" shuffling everybody outdoors, where they work together to tag it and bag it for a worthy cause. As usual, the head-of-household gentle giant comes through with sniff-along invitations and heel-kickin' musical numbers. (Ages 2 to 5.) --Tammy La Gorce, Amazon.com
More fun for all the family with Bear. Show Your Stuff: Bear's whittlin' is interrupted when he finds out Tutter's quitting the soccer team because he just can't kick as well as Rita a particulary talented mouse on the squad. Treelo's feeling left out because he doesn't have any talents. Tutter finds however that talents come easy for some require work for others but can be fun nonetheless! The Great Bandini: Mysterious genius the Great Bandini is coming to Woodland Valley for a lecture about music. On the way to the event the gang meets a mysterious stranger named Edwina Badger (voiced by Whoopi Goldberg) who helps the gang to realise how musical they really are... At the Old Bear Game: Pip) and Pop are delighted to find out that Bear personally knows their hero the great baseball player Ferret Jeeter. After a cool afternoon of hanging out with Ferret Pip and Pop soon find their good friend Bear still has a few tricks up his sleeve as well and good old Bear is a hero in his own right. All Weather Bear: A storm has made its way through the valley leaving the otter pond a mess and thwarting swimming swimming plans for a bit. They all pitch in and clean up the pond but to their disappointment the rain returns. However with a little help from Bear they find that no matter what the weather there's always fun to be had at the Big Blue House!
Set in London's Jazz scene of the 1950s this atmospheric modernisation of Othello features a strong cast and appearences by some of the best-known names from the music world.
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