Humperdinck - Hansel and Gretel (The Metropolitan Opera HD Live Series) (2008) Review

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(More customer reviews)I'm all for a dark take on Humperdinck's "Hansel and Gretel." This is, after all, a tale with child abuse and cannibalism at its core, topics of which the Brothers Grimm had no difficulty writing, in both figurative and metaphorical terms. In this grotesque production, however, director Richard Jones doesn't simply touch on these themes, he molests them. Among his subtle directorial touches are the following: on hearing about the Witch, Mom vomits large chunks of food in full view of the audience; said Witch force feeds Hansel by sticking a tube and funnel down his throat; after the Witch is pushed into the oven (she's gassed, get it?), Gretel smears some chocolate on Hansel's upper lip, making him appear like Adolf Hitler. Excuse me, this is the Met's annual holiday opera for children? What's next, "Wozzeck" in a new translation by Martin McDonough?
Maybe Jones believes that, with the proliferation and popularity of violent video games, children's tastes have changed, that they crave more graphic and grotesque forms of entertainment. Perhaps. But do we, as adults, have to give it to them? Can we not endeavor to preserve and/or foster a sense of magic and wonderment in our children? Isn't there a balance between exposing them to the "real" world and encouraging imagination and flights of fancy? Jones is all for the former, but is far less successful at (and seems less interested in) the latter. Imagine a version of "The Nutcracker" in which Clara is raped by The Mouse King, or the ethnic dancers are ragged, starving street urchins who knife one another for sugarplums. That's the kind of production this is.
For the most part, the roles are superbly realized and sung. The exceptions are a dull Philip Langridge, whose performance as the Witch is as flabby as his prosthetic arms, and a dour and screechy Rosiland Plowright, decked out, for some reason, as a cross between "AbFab's" Patsy on a bender and Michael Caine in "Dressed to Kill." Thankfully, conductor Vladimir Jurowski has an expert handle on the intricate beauty of the lush, transcendent score, even if his stage director does not.
If you want a story about nasty children with nasty parents who have nasty things happen to them, perhaps this is the "Hansel and Gretel" for you. (Or maybe you should check out Ravel's "L'Enfant et les Sortileges.") But if you're looking for a production that charms, delights and reinforces your faith in humanity and the triumph of good over evil...look elsewhere.

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The Metropolitan Opera's acclaimed Live in High-Definition series, which projects live performances into theaters across the globe, has met with unprecedented critical and commercial success and has made opera convenient and affordable to millions of viewers worldwide. Now, EMI Classics is proud to collaborate with The Met to release 6 new DVDs made from these broadcast performances.A striking new English-language production of Humperdinck's Hansel and Gretel, starring Alice Coote and Christine Schäfer, with tenor Philip Langridge in the role of the Witch. Vladimir Jurowski, one of the world's most sought-after conductors, leads a sensitive account of Humperdinck's enchanting score, and Richard Jones and John Macfarlane provide a staging that is "is tough and dark, sparse and savage, an exploration of deprivation, cruelty and gluttony in a contemporary always-always-land."-Financial Times

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Shelley Duvall's Faerie Tale Theatre: The Complete Collection (2008) Review

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(More customer reviews)Koch Vision presents "SHELLEY DUVALL'S FAERIE TALE THEATRE: THE COMPLETE COLLECTION" (1982-1987) (1387 mins/Color) (Dolby digitally remastered) -- Brought to you on seven discs the fairy tale event of the year arrives with Shelley Duvall's Faerie Tale Theatre: The Complete Collection, the ultimate DVD collection for both kids and parents alike --one of the most acclaimed and universally beloved series ever produced -- is family entertainment like none other --- From the Brothers Grimm to Hans Christian Andersen, twenty-six of the most beloved stories of all time are brought to life by A-list actors (in some of their most unique and memorable roles) as well as master directors including Tim Burton and Francis Ford Coppola among them --- You'll in seeing Robin Williams as the Frog Prince,Eric Idle as the Pied Piper, Billy Crystal as one of the Three Little Pigs,Jennifer Beals and Matthew Broderick as Cinderella and her prince, Bernadette Peters and Christopher Reeve as Sleeping Beauty and Prince Charming, Susan Sarandon and Klaus Kinski as Beauty and the Beast, Paul Reubens as Pinocchio, James Earl Jones as the Genie inside Aladdin's lamp, and Carrie Fisher as Thumbelina.
Each one of these stories is literally hand crafted by the directors (some of them famous directors like Francis Ford Coppella) and Shelley Duvall to reflect a certain style --- An example being the Sleeping Beauty tale was set in Russia with the sets and costumes designed to look like scenes from classic Russian motifs, the music from the Russian ballet --- Another being the direct rip off of the classic Jean Cocteau film "Beauty and the Beast".
All of these were designed with the intent of entertaining not only children but adults --- Some of the best moments in these are only things that adults will understand --- Christopher Reeve does a fantastic job in his multi-role part in "Sleeping Beauty" as does Malcolm McDowell as the Wolf in "Little Red Riding Hood" --- McDowell infuses the character with a subtle dark sensuality --- His chemistry with his then wife Mary Steenburgen is strong.
Probably the best one of all is the "Three Little Pigs" with Jeff Goldblum (as the Big Bad Wolf), Valerie Perrine (as a ravishing piglette), and Billy Crystal(as one of the three little pigs) --- The writing in this one is completely off the wall as well as it should be --- So enjoy with a loving heart and the mind of an innocent child.
Under the production staff of:
Series Directed by
Peter Medak (5 episodes, 1984-1987)
Gilbert Cates (2 episodes, 1983-1984)
Robert Iscove (2 episodes, 1985-1987)
Mark Cullingham (2 episodes, 1985-1986)
Series Produced by
Shelley Duvall .... executive producer / producer (7 episodes, 1983-1987)
Bridget Terry .... producer (5 episodes, 1982-1986)
Fred Fuchs .... producer (5 episodes, 1984-1987)
Series Writing credits
Rod Ash (7 episodes, 1983-1987)
Mark Curtiss (5 episodes, 1983-1987)
Charles Perrault (2 episodes, 1983-1985)
Mark Curtis (2 episodes, 1984-1986)
26 Spellbinding Episodes:
1. "Alladin and His Wonderful Lamp"
2. " Beauty and the Beast"
3. " The Boy Who Left Home to Find Out About the Shivers"
4. "Cinderella"
5. "The Dancing Princesses"
6. "The Emperor's New Clothes"
7. "Goldilocks and the Three Bears"
8. "Hansel and Gretel"
9. "Jack and the Beanstalk"
10. "The Little Mermaid"
11. "Little Red Riding Hood"
12. "The Nightingale"
13. "The Pied Piper of Hamelin"
14. "Pinocchio"
15. "The Princess and the Pea'
16. "The Princess Who Had Never Laughed"
17. "Puss in Boots"
18, "Rapunzel"
19. "Rip Van Winkle"
20. "Rumpelstiltskin"
21. "Sleeping Beauty"
22. "The Snow Queen"
23. "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs"
24. "The Tale of the Frog Prince"
25. "The Three Little Pigs"
26. "Thumbelina"
the cast includes:
John Achorn ... Comedian / ... (12 episodes, 1982-1987)
Shelley Duvall ... Host / ... (10 episodes, 1982-1986)
Patrick DeSantis ... Ensemble / ... (9 episodes, 1982-1987)
David McCharen ... Alfred / ... (7 episodes, 1984-1987)
Charlie Dell ... Arturo / ... (4 episodes, 1982-1985)
Donovan Scott ... Cubby Bear / ... (3 episodes, 1982-1984)
Mark Blankfield ... Derrick Van Bummel / ... (3 episodes, 1983-1987)
Jean Stapleton ... Fairy Godmother / ... (3 episodes, 1983-1985)
Bud Cort ... Music Master / ... (2 episodes, 1982-1983)
Maysie Hoy ... Housekeeper / ... (2 episodes, 1983)
John Salazar ... Juggler / ... (2 episodes, 1983-1986)
Vincent Price ... Narrator / ... (2 episodes, 1984)
Rene Auberjonois ... King Boris / ... (2 episodes, 1982-1983)
Joseph Maher ... Narrator / ... (2 episodes, 1985-1986)
Bobby Porter ... The Goblin (2 episodes, 1983-1985)
Jerry Hall ... Pansy / ... (2 episodes, 1983)
Anjelica Huston ... Marguerite / ... (2 episodes, 1983-1984)
Eric Idle ... Narrator / ... (2 episodes, 1982-1985)
Michael Richards ... King Geoffrey / ... (2 episodes, 1982-1984)
Paul Dooley ... Father / ... (2 episodes, 1982-1983)
Phil Fondacaro ... Bernard / ... (2 episodes, 1983-1984)
Jane Alden ... Agricultural Princess / ... (2 episodes, 1984-1985)
Tony Cox ... Bubba / ... (2 episodes, 1984-1985)
Daniel Frishman ... Boniface / ... (2 episodes, 1984-1985)
Brandis Kemp ... Mama Bear / ... (2 episodes, 1984-1985)
Nancy Lenehan ... Georgette / ... (2 episodes, 1984-1985)
Peter Risch ... Bruno / ... (2 episodes, 1984-1985)
Mitchel Evans ... Barrister Fish / ... (2 episodes, 1984)
Stan Wilson ... Jaques / ... (2 episodes, 1984)
Barrie Ingham ... Finnance Minister / ... (2 episodes, 1985-1986)
Roy Dotrice ... Peter Vanderdonk / ... (2 episodes, 1987)
SPECIAL FEATURES:
1. Bonus Shorts - Lost Episode: "Faerie Tale Theatre's Greatest Moments" ("Grimm Party")
2. Featurettes - Vintage Faerie Tale Theatre Presentation Reel (Hosted by Shelley Duvall)
3. Trailers - B-Roll Promo Footage
4. Collectible Book - 112-page Storybook with an Introduction by Producer Bridget Terry
5. Limited Edition - "3-In-1" Faerie Tale Theatre Game (Custom Playing Cards, Memory Match, and Trivia)
Great job by Koch Vision --- looking forward to more high quality titles from their film market --- order your copy now from Amazon or Koch Vision where there are plenty of copies available on DVD, stay tuned once again for top notch releases --- where they are experts in releasing long forgotten films and treasures to the collector.
Total Time: 1387 mins on DVD ~ KOCH 6544 ~ (9/02/2008)

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Shelley Duvall’s Faerie Tale Theatre brings to life twenty-six of the most magical fairy tales of all time. Directed by such masters of cinema as Tim Burton and Francis Ford Coppola, and star-powered by Robin Williams, Billy Crystal, Mick Jagger, James Earl Jones, Howie Mandel, Christopher Reeve, Susan Sarandon and more, this collection is an unparalleled treasury of best-loved tales of enchantment, adventure and wonder. Contains 26 Spellbinding Stories Digitally Restored and Re-mastered! Aladdin and His Wonderful Lamp Beauty and the Beast The Boy Who Left Home to Find Out About the Shivers Cinderella The Dancing Princesses The Emperor’s New Clothes Goldilocks and the Three Bears Hansel and Gretel Jack and the Beanstalk The Little Mermaid Little Red Riding Hood The Nightingale The Pied Piper of Hamelin Pinocchio The Princess and the Pea The Princess Who Had Never Laughed Puss in Boots Rapunzel Rip Van Winkle Rumpelstiltskin Sleeping Beauty The Snow Queen Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs The Tale of the Frog Prince The Three Little Pigs Thumbelina ALSO INCLUDES ENCHANTING EXTRAS: Lost Episode: "Faerie Tale Theatre’s Greatest Moments" ("Grimm Party") Vintage Faerie Tale Theatre Presentation Reel with Shelley Duvall B-Roll Promo Footage AND EXCLUSIVE COLLECTOR’S ITEMS: Photo-Rich 112-Page Storybook "3-In-1" Faerie Tale Theatre Game (custom playing cards, memory match and trivia)

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