Lemonade Mouth (2 Discs: DVD + Digital Copy)

Lemonade Mouth (2 Discs: DVD + Digital Copy) Review

Be heard. Be strong. Be proud. It's time to turn up the music and have some fun with an all-new Disney original movie, starring Bridgit Mendler, and Adam Hicks, and introducing ten awesome new songs.

When five ragtag freshman first meet in detention, it seems they have nothing in common. But, through music, they form an unbreakable bond and discover they have the makings of the greatest high school garage band in history! In the face of incredible odds, Olivia, Stella, Wen, Mohini and Charlie find they can make a real difference when they learn to lean on each other and let go of everything holding back their dreams.

Turn the world into your own stage with Lemonade Mouth: Extended Edition, complete with an exclusive music scene. Life is just a roller coaster - take the ride.

High School Musical: DVD Game

High School Musical: DVD Game Review

High School Musical: DVD Game Feature

• Got what it takes to be a Wildcat? Join the coolest school in town. All you need is your DVD and a remote control! Play on your own, or with friends and family in Party Play Mode! Take center stage as you and your friends perform songs from every HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL movie! Engage in dance-offs with your friends to the hippest tunes! Test your skills in hoops as you slam-dunk to success! All this,

High School Musical fans, prepare to prove your superior knowledge of all things High School Musical in this interactive DVD game. One to four players can compete in the "East High Graduation Challenge" by answering 20 multiple choice questions drawn from all three High School Musical movies. The question format ranges from video clips to aural quotes and onscreen multiple-choice questions and players are asked about everything from Troy's ringtone to who said a particular phrase. "Center Stage" is a non-scored chance to sing along with onscreen lyrics to six favorite High School Musical songs: "Now or Never," "Bop to the Top," "The Boys Are Back," "Bet On It," "Breaking Free," and "Fabulous." Shoot baskets from three different court positions in "Wildcats Tryouts," test your memory in the "Yearbook Memory Game," and take one of four different quizzes to determine which career you're best suited for. In "Prom Night," participants learn dances to eight different High School Musical tunes divided into three difficulty levels. Like in "Dance Dance Revolution," players follow light-up squares, but here there's also a CGI instructor to follow and the chance to learn the dance in four manageable sections before putting it all together with instrumental backup. Two to four players have the added options of testing just how well they know one another with a "BFF's" quiz or competing in a fast-paced "Pep Rally" word association competition. "Party Play" is for two teams of players and offers the "Pictionary"-like "Art Class," charades-like "Drama Class," a vocabulary game where players give verbal clues to get their team to say a specific word without using three key descriptive words, and a "Mix It Up" option which asks all three types of questions in one game. Whether you're having a full-blown High School Musical party or just love everything High School Musical, this DVD promises lots of interactive fun. --Tami Horiuchi Got what it takes to be a Wildcat? Join the coolest school in town. All you need is your DVD and a remote control! Play on your own, or with friends and family in Party Play Mode! Take center stage as you and your friends perform songs from every HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL movie! Engage in dance-offs with your friends to the hippest tunes! Test your skills in hoops as you slam-dunk to success! All this, plus hours of out-of-your-seat challenges and games that will test your HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL knowledge to the limit! The party starts here with 11 action-packed games you can play again and again.

Angelina Ballerina: Musical Moves

Angelina Ballerina: Musical Moves Review

Move to the music with Angelina Ballerina and her friends as they explore the wonderful world of dance! Gracie loses herself to some disco grooves while Alice discovers the power of confidence through jazz! AZ hip-hops to a happy birthday beat, and Ms. Mimi takes her students on a modern dance journey. Angelina shows that friendship - like dance - is special, and best built one step at a time!

The Phantom of the Opera at the Royal Albert Hall

The Phantom of the Opera at the Royal Albert Hall Review

In celebration of the 25th Anniversary of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Phantom of the Opera, Cameron Mackintosh produced a unique, spectacular staging of the musical on a scale which had never been seen before. Inspired by the original staging by Hal Prince and Gillian Lynne, this lavish, fully-staged production set in the sumptuous Victorian splendour of London’s legendary Royal Albert Hall features a cast and orchestra of over 200, plus some very special guest appearances.

Thoroughly Modern Millie

Thoroughly Modern Millie Review

The "Roaring Twenties" live on in this Oscar-winning musical comedy of innocent girls, wild flappers, romance and crime. Julie Andrews and Mary Tyler Moore are the heroines, John Gavin the good guy, Carol Channing a dizzy heiress and Beatrice Lillie the head of a white slavery ring. 138 min. Widescreen (Enhanced); Soundtracks: English Dolby Digital Surround, Spanish Dolby Digital Surround; Subtitles: French; theatrical trailer.

Andrew Lloyd Webber's Love Never Dies

Andrew Lloyd Webber's Love Never Dies Review

The year is 1907. It is 10 years after the Phantom's disappearance from the Paris Opera House. He has escaped to a new life in New York where he lives amongst the screaming joy rides and freak-shows of Coney Island. In this new electrically-charged world, he has finally found a place for his music to soar. All that is missing is his love - Christine Daa‚. Now one of the world's finest sopranos, Christine is struggling in an ailing marriage to Raoul. So, it is with excitement she accepts an invitation to travel to New York and perform at a renowned opera house. In a final bid to win back her love, the Phantom lures Christine, her husband, and their young son Gustave from Manhattan, to the glittering and glorious world of Coney Island... not knowing what is in store for them.

Calamity Jane

Calamity Jane Review

Calamity Jane Feature

• Deadwood, Dakota Territory, is largely the abode of men, where Indian scout Calamity Jane is as hard-riding, boastful, and handy with a gun as any; quite an overpowering personality. But the army lieutenant she favors doesn't really appreciate her finer qualities. One of Jane's boasts brings her to Chicago to recruit an actress for the Golden Garter stage. Arrived, the lady in question appears (at

This 1953 musical is very much a vehicle for Doris Day, in the title role, as a wild cowgal who can outshoot and outsing any boy on the range. When an actress arrives in Deadwood and uses her feminine charms on Jane's secret love, Wild Bill Hickock (Howard Keel), Jane tries to mend her tomboy ways. Not exactly up to the feminist code of honor, this is still energetic and Day is very perky. Of course, one could almost detect a homosexual undercurrent with the cross-dressing Jane, but this was Hollywood in the 1950s, so we best not. This won an Oscar for Best Song--"Secret Love," by Sammy Fain and Paul Francis Webster. --Rochelle O'Gorman Doris Day shines as the Old West's sassy female sharpshooter in a rip-roarin' musical comedy about her travels to Chicago to bring back a famed opera singer to save her town's dance hall, but winds up returning with her maid. Also stars Howard Keel, Allyn Ann McLerie, Philip Carey and Dick Wesson. Songs include the Oscar-winning "Secret Love," and more. 101 min. Standard; Soundtracks: English, French; Subtitles: English, French, Japanese, Portuguese, Spanish; newsreel footage; theatrical trailer.

Scrooge

Scrooge Review

Scrooge was designed as a follow-up to 1968's Oliver, the Oscar-winning musicalization of Charles Dickens' Oliver Twist. The umpteenth musical version of Dickens' 1843 novelette A Christmas Carol, Scrooge is blessed with several sprightly Leslie Bricusse songs, including the bonafide hit Thank You Very Much. Once more buried under mounds of latex, Albert Finney is perfection itself as Ebeneezer Scrooge, proving as effective as a young (un-made up) man as the old skinflint we've grown to love. The Three Ghosts who turn the miserly Scrooge's life around on Christmas Eve are portrayed by Edith Evans (Past), Kenneth More (Present) and Paddy Stone (Yet to Come). Our favorite among the huge, predominantly British supporting cast is Sir Alec Guinness as a fussy, slightly effeminate Marley's Ghost. Best of all, Finney performs his many songs "live" and not lip-synched to a pre-recording. Though it is overproduced to the hilt, and its Technicolor photography tends to induce eyestrain, Scrooge is more than satisfactory Yuletide entertainment.

The Classic Musicals Collection: Broadway to Hollywood (Easter Parade Two Disc Special Edition / The Band Wagon Two Disc Special Edition / Bells Are Ringing / Finian's Rainbow / Brigadoon)

The Classic Musicals Collection: Broadway to Hollywood (Easter Parade Two Disc Special Edition / The Band Wagon Two Disc Special Edition / Bells Are Ringing / Finian's Rainbow / Brigadoon) Review

The Classic Musicals Collection: Broadway to Hollywood (Easter Parade Two Disc Special Edition / The Band Wagon Two Disc Special Edition / Bells Are Ringing / Finian's Rainbow / Brigadoon) Feature

• Band Wagon, The: Special Edition: - Fading movie musical star Tony Hunter, down and out in Hollywood, decides to try his luck on the Broadway stage. Unfortunately, the simple hoofer discovers that a pretentious director has control of the project, and that instead of good humor, happy songs and a tapping chorus line, there'll be lengthy speeches, heavy drama and lots of deep soul-searching. Ev

Broadway to Hollywood: The Classic Musicals Collection is a five-film set of fondly remembered, mostly MGM musicals: Easter Parade (1948), The Band Wagon (1953), Bells Are Ringing (1960), Finian's Rainbow (Warner, 1968), and Brigadoon (1954). Four of the films are making their DVD debut, all are available separately (for a higher price), and the two best films, Easter Parade and The Band Wagon, come in two-disc special editions complete with commentary tracks, new and vintage documentaries, and musical outtakes. Both of those films star Fred Astaire following his return from premature retirement. Easter Parade is a Pygmalion-like tale of a Vaudeville veteran (Astaire) who attempts to develop an act with a small-timer (Judy Garland) after his partner (Ann Miller) leaves him. Favorite songs include the title tune, "Steppin' Out with My Baby," and "We're a Couple of Swells." The Band Wagon was a sort of career retrospective for Astaire, as he plays an aging film star trying to resurrect his career by returning to the Broadway stage. Costars include Cyd Charisse, Jack Buchanan, Oscar Levant, and Nanette Fabray, and favorite numbers include "Dancing in the Dark," "By Myself," "Triplets," and "A Shine on Your Shoes."

Bells Are Ringing is a charmingly dated Vincente Minnelli film starring Judy Holliday, in a reprise of her Tony-winning Broadway role as an employee at an answering service who finds herself falling for a client (Dean Martin). Favorite songs include "Just in Time" and "The Party's Over." Finian's Rainbow is a bloated oddity directed by a young Francis Ford Coppola and starring Astaire as a leprechaun and '60s pop icon Petula Clark as his daughter. It does have some great songs, however, including "How Are Things in Glocca Mora," "When I'm Not Near the Girl I Love," and "Old Devil Moon." Brigadoon has been out on DVD twice before, but appears now in its best version yet, remastered, anamorphically enhanced, and with musical outtakes. It stars Gene Kelly and Van Johnson as Americans who stumble across a Scottish village that only appears on Earth one day every 100 years, which is a problem when Kelly falls in love with one of its residents (Cyd Charisse). Favorite songs include "Almost Like Being in Love," "The Heather on the Hill," and "I'll Go Home with Bonnie Jean."

While none of the films in the Broadway to Hollywood collection are absolutely top-tier MGM (and Astaire, Garland, and Kelly all made better films in their careers), all have their charms and are welcome additions to the DVD catalog. Trivia note: The title of the set isn't 100% correct. Easter Parade did not originate as a Broadway musical, but Tommy Tune made an unsuccessful attempt to adapt the movie into a Broadway show in the late 1990s. --David Horiuchi

Seven-disc set includes "Easter Parade (Special Edition)," "The Band Wagon (Special Edition)," "Brigadoon," "Bells Are Ringing," and "Finian's Rainbow."

Little Shop of Horrors (Keep Case Packaging)

Little Shop of Horrors (Keep Case Packaging) Review

A skid-row florist's mean green mother of a monster plant is the center of the looniest, nuttiest, most outrageous movie musical comedy in years (Jeffrey Lyons, Sneak Preview). Rick Moranis, Steve Martin, Ellen Green, Billy Murray and other comedy greats star.

Fiddler on the Roof (Two Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo)

Fiddler on the Roof (Two Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo) Review

The heartwarming scenes and uplifting songs of a timeless musical masterpiece meet the spectacular sound and picture quality of Blu-ray for the first time ever to celebrate the film's 40th Anniversary-bursting with hours of extras that will keep you entertained from sunrise to sunset! Nominated for eight Academy Awardsr,* including Best Picture, Best Actor (Topol) and Best Directing (Norman Jewison), Fiddler on the Roof tells the life-affirming story of a poor Jewish milkman whose love, pride and faith help him cope with the challenges of raising a family in czarist Russia.

The Lion King (Two-Disc Diamond Edition Blu-ray / DVD Combo in Blu-ray Packaging)

The Lion King (Two-Disc Diamond Edition Blu-ray / DVD Combo in Blu-ray Packaging) Review

The wait is over. For the first time ever, experience the majesty of Disney’s epic animated masterpiece as it roars off the screen and into your living room on Blu-ray and Blu-ray 3D. With a spectacular digital picture, spine-tingling high definition sound and immersive bonus features—you will feel the love for this critically acclaimed and universally beloved classic like never before.

Embark on an extraordinary coming-of-age adventure as Simba, a lion cub who cannot wait to be king, searches for his destiny in the great “Circle of Life.” You will be thrilled by the breathtaking animation, unforgettable Academy Award®–winning music (1994: Best Original Score; Best Song, “Can You Feel The Love Tonight”) and timeless story. The king of all animated films reigns on Disney Blu-ray 3D—magic in a new dimension.

Barney's Musical Scrapbook

Barney's Musical Scrapbook Review

Remember when Barney and his friends sailed to Coco Island? Or when the wind came along and blew BJ's hat away? Aaaaah, the memories. One look through Barney's Scrapbook and you'll be reminded of some of the best Barney moments ever complete with 14 wonderful songs Mr. Sun, and the green grass grew all around, My Kite, The Clapping Song, The Ants go marching, S'Mores, The Barney Bag, Number Limbo, Let's go on an Adventure, That's What an Island is, My Hat it has three Corners, Gonna Have a Party, Muffin Man Medley, Ta Ra Ra Boom De Ay, I Love You

Hair

Hair Review

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

Auntie Mame

Auntie Mame Review

Auntie Mame Feature

• AUNTIE MAME (DVD MOVIE)

Remember darlings, "Life's a banquet, and most suckers are starving to death." That tag line sums up this exuberant and immensely amusing 1958 comedy that can be seen repeatedly, as it never grows stale. Rosalind Russell plays the flamboyant aunt who takes in poor, orphaned Patrick, played with sophisticated ease by Jan Handzlik. Mame, all glitter and martinis, raises her nephew in a world filled with acceptance and her oddball literati friends. Nothing is too bohemian. This unfolds in colorful episodic segments that allow us to watch Patrick grow as Mame oversees his unusual upbringing while she juggles a few spouses and an extended household. Russell, who created the title role for the stage, simply shines. She is bright and brassy, but never goes too far over the top. Peggy Cass is a comedic delight as her befuddled secretary, and Coral Browne brings class to the production as her best friend. This was based on the exuberant stage play, which in turn was based on Patrick Dennis's humorous, bittersweet novel. The screen version was written by the clever duo of Betty Comden and Adolph Green. Not to be confused with the pathetically lackluster musical version starring Lucille Ball (1974), simply entitled Mame. --Rochelle O'Gorman Studio: Warner Home Video Release Date: 11/09/2010

Autism: The Musical

Autism: The Musical Review

Autism: The Musical Feature

• AUTISM: THE MUSICAL follows the extraordinary acting coach Elaine Hall, five children with autism, and their parents as they heroically mount a full-length original stage production. Through trial and error, tears and laughter, these incredible families learn to communicate their feelings in song and performance, finding solace and joy in the act of creating. A veritable feast of astounding bre

It's hard to imagine an unlikelier feel-good documentary than the uplifting Autism: The Musical. Directed for HBO by Tricia Regan, but truly the brainchild of the vision--and sheer will--of Elaine Hall, the film is both unflinching in its portrayal of autism, and triumphant in the ways it shows connections among the film's subjects. For those dealing with autism--and as the diagnosis grows more common, that would be nearly everyone--this film is enlightening, engaging, and reaffirming.The film chronicles the first theater arts endeavor of the L.A.-based Miracle Project, the creation of Hall ("Coach E"), a playwright and the single mother of Neal, a nearly speechless autistic boy. Through networking, Hall has met a group of parents of children with an enormous range of autistic symptoms and decides to try a workshop in which the children will, in a matter of months, be cohesive enough to perform in a stage production. The film follows Hall from the initial (and skeptical) meetings of the parents, and introduces the several children followed throughout the rehearsal period. Part of the disarming strength of the film is that it changes its perspective on showing the children's personalities. Viewers first meet 14-year-old Lexi when she's singing a musically complex Joni Mitchell song, in a clear, absolutely lovely soprano, in what appears to be a regular singing lesson. Only later do we learn that Lexi, diagnosed with autism as a toddler, has a hard time originating her own speech--though hearing her sing, the viewer would never have guessed. (Her parents still struggle with Lexi's condition, with her mother alternating between frustration and despair, and her father calmly saying, "It's not up to us to judge the quality of her life.") Other kids with behavioral issues or communication challenges are among the cast members, and the early scenes show a barely-controlled chaos that clearly mirrors the daily lives of the parents. The toll of dealing with their children is shown, as marriages break up and friendships are strained. Yet love blossoms in the most unlikely places, as Hall shows midway through the film. By the triumphant finale, the viewer is as invested in the children's lives as the parents, and the performances, while perhaps not what one would have expected at the beginning, present nothing short of a true "Bravo!" moment. As the kids sing, "Take a chance--get to know the real me." --A.T. Hurley

Special message from Tricia Regan:

"I work with dangerous materials. When handled correctly, a camera records the truth. When infused with a powerful belief, the results of months of editing can yield a film that slices through the layers of distraction and strikes you right at your very core.

It took forever to find a title for this movie. Autism: The Musical is not an “issue” film.  Watching this film, you are not going to learn all about the causes and treatments for autism. No experts are going to show up and describe to you in detail all of the various manifestations of autism. You are simply going to experience autism as the characters do: as their primary obstacle in life, and their primary obstacle in putting on an original musical.

By characters, I mean people. This movie is about people who are very real, and very raw, but also very funny and very entertaining. Autism can be devastating, let’s make no bones about that, but it is also a fact of life. And this particular group of people, parents and children alike, have taken on this challenge with courage, hard work, hope, sometimes denial and sometimes acceptance, but most importantly, they have not lost their sense of humor about it all. 

So I wanted a title that wasn’t sacrosanct, that could let you know that it’s as okay to laugh and have a good time as it is to cry. Because my goal from the start has been to allow you to see these kids as whole people. And to give you firsthand experience of the dizzying, fascinating, sometimes terrifying and usually mystifying array of autism’s manifestations.

I believe in the inherent value of every living being, and their inalienable right to be respected for everything that they are. There is an entire generation of kids whose neurological systems have been altered by autism. Their challenges make it difficult for them to participate in the culture we have created. Our challenge, as a community, is to find room in our hearts, in our schools, in our neighborhoods, and in our workplaces for these unique individuals. This film, which many have called a love story, brings home exactly why we should. So gather up a few hankies, and be prepared to laugh – but I must give you fair warning – this film will change the way you think, and not just about autism." Autism: The Musical follows the extraordinary and innovative acting coach Elaine Hall, five autistic children, and their parents as they improbably, heroically mount a full-length original stage production. Through trial and error, tears and laughter, these incredible families learn to communicate their feelings in song and performance, finding solace and joy in the act of creating.

A veritable feast of astounding breakthroughs and heartbreaking hardship, this spellbinding film offers a full-throated celebration of kids living with this increasingly prevalent disorder. Director Tricia Regan vividly captures the individual personalities and problems of each child, from precocious Henry who talks a mile-a-minute about dinosaurs to Neal, a sensitive and articulate boy who nonetheless struggles to speak at all. The parents, too, are fascinating studies in unconditional love, especially Elaine, the mastermind behind the musical and mother of Neal.

A consciousness-raising and empathetic portrait of children and their families living with autism, Autism: The Musical celebrates the spark of humanity in each of us. Called 'Moving, dramatic, therapeutic and unburdened by reliance on talking heads'; (Variety), this film will change the way you look at autism.

Stills from Autism: The Musical (Click for larger image)