Yahoo! Movies: New Musical/Performing Arts DVD Releases

The Wiz

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 09:24:36 -0000

In this Sidney Lumet-directed Motown rendition of THE WIZARD OF OZ, Diana Ross plays a soulful Dorothy, accompanied by a cast peppered with R&B stars such as Roberta Flack and Luther Vandross. (2 hrs. 13 min.) Release date: Nov 1, 2009

Empire Records

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 09:24:35 -0000

This rocking, slice-of-life comedy examines one so-strange-it's-normal day at a busy record store, from the manager's attempts to cope with his bizarre young staff to the loves, lusts and whinings of his slacker clerks. From the director of "Pump Up the Volume." (1 hr. 31 min.) Release date: Nov 3, 2009

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 09:24:34 -0000

The fairy tale of Snow White, a beautiful young maiden cast into a deep sleep by her evil step-mother, but rescued from the dark magic spell through the love of handsome Prince Charming. (1 hr. 20 min.) Release date: Oct 6, 2009

The Wizard of Oz

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 09:24:33 -0000

Follow the yellow brick road again! Young Dorothy lives on a farm in Kansas where a large tornado picks her house, and her dog up and deposits them in the land of Oz. Things in Oz are strange and beautiful, but Dorothy just wants to get back home. She's helped by the Good Fairy of the North, but she's also in trouble with the Wicked Witch of the West, who seeks revenge for the death of the Wicked Witch of the East, for which she blames Dorothy. While searching her way home she meets a Scarecrow who needs a brain, a Tin Man who needs a heart, and a cowardly lion who needs courage. (1 hr. 41 min.) Release date: Sep 29, 2009

Cry Baby

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 09:24:32 -0000

Cult director John Waters goes mainstream -- sort of -- in this send-up of 1950s teen melodramas. Heart-throb Johnny Depp stars in the title role as a glamorous delinquent who heads a gang of hoods known as the Drapes. Trouble starts when Cry-Baby falls for a squeaky clean blonde from a rival group, the Squares. Their star-crossed romance sets off a rumble between the warring factions and Cry-Baby ends up doing time in reform school. Chock-full of rock 'n roll and Waters' usual cavalcade of eccentric celebrities, including Patty Hearst, Iggy Pop and former porn star Traci Lords. (1 hr. 25 min.) Release date: Nov 1, 2009

My Fair Lady

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 09:24:31 -0000

A distinguished London linguist makes a wager with a colleague that he can transform a working-class girl into an elegant, mannered lady, free of all bad accents. When he finds his subject, he turns her into the belle of high-society, but can't admit to himself that he's fallen in love with her. (2 hrs. 50 min.) Release date: Oct 6, 2009

Little Shop of Horrors

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 09:24:30 -0000

In this dark but goofy and thoroughly fun musical, shy Seymour and bubbly Audrey don't recognize the romance blooming between them, but they do recognize the money-making potential of Seymour's weird plant, discovered after a total eclipse of the sun. Soon money pours in and Seymour becomes a minor celebrity, but behind the glamour and fame lies a secret Seymour can't reveal: this strange and unusual plant's favorite food is blood. As the plant grows taller and taller, its demands for food grow as well, and Seymour starts to suspect that the plant might have an agenda for world domination. (1 hr. 28 min.) Release date: Nov 3, 2009

Summer Holiday

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 09:24:29 -0000

Sir Cliff Richard stars in this effervescent 1963 British musical as Don, a London garage mechanic who transforms an old double-decker bus into a rolling hotel for he and his mates. Embarking on a road trip across Europe, Don and his buddies are surprised when they find an American pop star stowing away on their bus and begin an adventure across the continent that includes hordes of singing girl groups, verbose French mimes, and a slew of impeccably choreographed song and dance numbers. A box office record breaker when released, SUMMER HOLIDAY made Cliff Richards a star and remains one of the most entertaining films to come out of Britain in the 1960s. (1 hr. 49 min.) Release date: Dec 8, 2009

Once

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 09:24:28 -0000

The Irish romance ONCE may be a musical, but it is miles away from the traditional Hollywood idea of people bursting into song. Glen Hansard (frontman for indie rock band The Frames) plays the guy, a street musician who is playing for change when he meets the girl (Marketa Irglova), an immigrant from the Czech Republic. The pair immediately bond over their shared love of music (he is a guitarist, and she plays the piano), and the film chronicles their tentative relationship. Both are weighed down by plenty of baggage: his songs are fueled by a painful breakup, and she is a young mother who left her husband behind in her native country.

Like the independent favorite BEFORE SUNRISE, ONCE is a simple, sweet drama that doesn't rely on an elaborate plot. With its use of digital video and handheld cameras, ONCE matches its spare visual style to its intimate mood. Each moment feels stolen from real life, and the story is at once familiar and fresh. Driven more by music than by dialogue, ONCE features a stirring soundtrack of heartfelt indie rock sung by Hansard and Irglova. Before his foray into film, director John Carney (ON THE EDGE) played bass in The Frames, and his passion for music is clear in this modern musical that hits every note perfectly. (1 hr. 28 min.) Release date: Oct 13, 2009

Something to Sing About

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 09:24:27 -0000

Cagney is at his best as a Manhattan bandleader in this musical melodrama about Hollywood studio life. Taking a trip to L.A. with his wife, the studio system is soon spun wildly on its head after a series of unfortunate mishaps. Academy Award Nominations: Best Score. (1 hr. 33 min.) Release date: Oct 27, 2009

The Rolling Stones - Live at The Max

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 09:24:26 -0000

You can't always get what you want, but you CAN get this video of one of the world's greatest rock 'n' roll band's giving one of the performances of their brilliant career. Filmed in 1990 on their "Steel Wheels" tour, the Stones are at their best -- Singer Mick Jagger is as sensual and compelling as ever, and guitarist Keith Richards is an entertaining mess. Sixteen songs, including massive hits like "Ruby Tuesday," "Paint It Black," and "Brown Sugar," are performed. Release date: Nov 10, 2009

Love N' Dancing

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 09:24:25 -0000

In this romance, two dancers get a second chance at proving their talent. Jake Mitchell (screenwriter and producer Tom Malloy) is a skilled dancer whose abilities are even more impressive when we realize that he is deaf. But Jake worries that his title of World West Coast Swing Champion wasn�t truly earned and that the judges only awarded him the prize because of his deafness. Jessica Donovan (CRANK�s Amy Smart) spends her time as a teacher, but she longs for the days when she was a young dancer. When she and her fianc� schedule dance lessons with Jake to prepare for her wedding, she gets a taste of everything she misses. Plus, her fianc� is too busy for the lessons, and she and Jake find that there�s more than just West Coast Swing drawing them together. The partners decide to enter the championships--but will their tentative romance keep them from the win? LOVE �N DANCING also stars Billy Zane, Rachel Dratch, and Caroline Rhea. (1 hr. 33 min.) Release date: Oct 20, 2009

Toshiko Akiyoshi Jazz Orchestra, The - Strive for Jive

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 09:24:24 -0000

Live concert video of Akiyoshi and her 16-piece big band, featuring six full numbers as well as interviews. Selections include "Strive for Jive," "Warning, Success May Be Hazardous to Your Health" and "Quadrille, Anyone?" Release date: Oct 13, 2009

Don Giovanni

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 09:24:23 -0000

No description available (3 hrs.) Release date: Sep 29, 2009

AC/DC - No Bull

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 09:24:22 -0000

Australian hard rockers AC/DC were one of the hugest arena bands of the 1970s. This two-hour long concert video features the Aussie quintet rocking out to 22 of their songs. Filmed live on July 19, 1996 at the Plaza De Toro De Las Ventas (a remarkable space usually designated for bull fights), this footage showcases Angus Young at his sleazy best! Release date: Dec 8, 2009

Janky Promoters

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 09:24:21 -0000

Ice Cube and Mike Epps reteam for this comedy from FRIDAY AFTER NEXT director Marcus Raboy. Release date: Nov 24, 2009

All Tomorrow s Parties

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 09:24:20 -0000

Compiled from footage shot by over 200 filmmakers, fans, and musicians who attended the All Tomorrow's Parties festivals in recent years, this documentary offers a patchwork glimpse at the cult music festival. Footage from Super8 cameras, handheld video cameras, and cell phones combine to create a bricolage, DIY look at the history of the festival that has hosted such acts as Shellac, Portishead, and Glass Candy. (1 hr. 22 min.) Release date: Nov 24, 2009

A Wink and A Smile

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 09:24:19 -0000

Ten women from varied backgrounds learn the art of burlesque dancing in this colorful documentary about a pastime growing in popularity. Six weeks is all the time they have to learn the art of the shimmy and the shake at Seattle's Academy of Burlesque. Will they make it? And what will they learn about themselves? (1 hr. 31 min.) Release date: Nov 17, 2009

Thelonious Monk - American Composer

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 09:24:18 -0000

One of the greatest and most significant jazz musicians in history, the pianist Thelonious Mark made an indelible mark on the American art form. This portrait, part of the MASTERS OF AMERICAN MUSIC series, tracks Monk's life and career through rare, previously unseen film footage of his international performances.The "statements" that Monk makes with his piano playing give a glimpse into the man's personality and mind. Release date: Nov 17, 2009

Celebrating Bird: The Triumph of Charlie Parker

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 09:24:17 -0000

A biographical documentary on the short-lived career of brilliant jazz musician Charlie Parker. Features his only television appearance and rare concert footage. Includes cameos by such greats as Dizzy Gillespie, Thelonius Monk, and Charles Mingus. Release date: Nov 17, 2009

Mamma Mia!

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 09:24:16 -0000

After its run as a West End hit in London, MAMMA MIA became a Broadway smash when it opened in New York back in 2001. With a story framed around the music of the Swedish pop band Abba, crowds loved its raucous, dance party vibe. Now it comes to the silver screen, with some truly delightful performances from the likes of Meryl Streep and Pierce Brosnan. It is the story of Sophie (Amanda Seyfried) a young woman living on a picturesque Greek island with her mother, Donna (Streep.) Together, Donna and Sophie run a ramshackle island inn, and they are in the midst of preparing for Sophie's wedding. As the wedding approaches, Sophie becomes troubled by the fact that she has never known her father. She was the result of one of her mother's summer flings, and her mother has never revealed her father's identity. When Sophie stumbles upon her mother's diary, she learns that there are three possible men who could be her dad. Without telling her mother, she invites all three to her wedding. When Harry (Colin Firth), Sam (Brosnan), and Bill (Stellan Skarsgard) all arrive at the same time, Donna is of course shocked and overwhelmed by seeing her old lovers again after such a long time. She turns to her two best friends, Tanya (Christine Baranaki) and Rosie (Julia Walters), for their support, and vows to just get through the wedding and weekend. Meanwhile, Sophie spends time with each man, determined to learn the truth.

Major hijinks and confusion ensues, all amidst the utterly romance scenery, and the rather irresistible, swelling love ballads. Streep has a lovely singing voice, and to watch her throw herself into this whimsical role is truly a delight. She looks like she is having a ball, and it is hard not to shimmy along with her. Baranski reliably delivers an over-the-top showstopper, and Brosnan's tender singing voice makes his character all the more touching. The film strives to be a jubilant celebration of mother/daughter relationships and the love between good friends, and no matter how cheesy some may find Abba, it is hard to resist its many charms. (1 hr. 48 min.) Release date: Nov 10, 2009

Dirty Country

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 09:24:15 -0000

A small--town factory worker with a loving family and a penchant for penning raunchy country-and-western songs finds his side gig taking center stage when he is forced into early retirement in directors Joe Pickett and Nick Prueher's blue music documentary. Larry Pierce was always content with his factory job while moonlighting as the nation's nastiest country-music singer-songwriter. Since 1993, the modest musician has released over a dozen hilariously lewd country albums. Frequently found at truck stops across the nation, these playful albums keep long-haul drivers laughing through the small hours of the night as their headlights splash across the darkened freeway and their eyes grow weary with the prospect of sleep. Though Pierce had never really considered the prospect of following his true calling full-time, he is forced to reconsider the prospect of earning a living with his songwriting skills when, after 30 years on the line, he is given no choice but to retire before his time. When three decades of stability is suddenly replaced with an entire future of uncertainty, Pierce finds his fate taking an unexpected turn as a young country band with an equally salacious sense of humor shows up looking to perform alongside their favorite filthy frontman. (1 hr. 10 min.) Release date: Nov 3, 2009

Mussorgsky - Boris Godunov

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 09:24:14 -0000

Mussorgsky's towering masterpiece starring Pirogov with the Bolshoi Orchestra and Chorus. Based on Aleksandr Pushkin's 1825 drama. Release date: Oct 27, 2009

Destination Mozart - A Night at the Opera With Peter Sellars

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 09:24:13 -0000

Peter Sellars's productions of Mozart are infamously radical; the astonishingly creative director has long been celebrated--and, in turn, reviled--for his non-traditional stagings and bizarre re-locations of everything from "Don Giovanni" to "Marriage of Figaro" (both re-set in New York City). This exciting program features excerpts from Sellars�s most controversial pieces, in addition to interviews with the man himself. Release date: Oct 27, 2009

Giocchino Rossini: The Barber of Seville

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 09:24:12 -0000

For his first opera production, Dario Fo, the theater director known for his brilliant wit, chose to stage Rossini's The Barber of Seville for the Netherlands Opera. First mounted in 1987, it was a huge success, and a live recording of its revival in May 1992, the 200th anniversary of Rossini's birth, was made. The cast includes David Malis, Jennifer Larmore, Richard Croft, and Simone Alaimo. Release date: Oct 27, 2009

La Boheme

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 09:24:11 -0000

James Levine conducts the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and Chorus in this fine performance of Puccini's timeless epic, brought to life by the voices of Carreras and Stratas under the direction of Franco Zeffirelli, who also designed the sets and costumes. Release date: Oct 26, 2009

Fados

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 09:24:10 -0000

With FLAMENCO in 1995 and TANGO in 1998, director Carlos Saura painted pictures of two essential world-music styles. Now with FADOS, the filmmaker finishes his trilogy. This musical chronicles the Portuguese genre from its beginnings in the music of Africa and Brazil to its contemporary artists. FADOS features the talents of Mariza and Caman�, and also boasts appearances from the rapping faudistas, including NBC, SP, and Wilson. (1 hr. 28 min.) Release date: Oct 20, 2009

Every Little Step

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 09:24:09 -0000

After raking in awards at several major film festivals, EVERY LITTLE STEP reaches movie audiences and Broadway fans alike. A film about a musical that is itself about the casting of a musical, the documentary takes fans inside the makings of A CHORUS LINE. Much of it focuses on the casting process for the musical�s 2005 revival, though it also takes fans through the show�s many incarnations and to its original inspiration. Back in 1974, choreographer Michael Bennett saw the potential for a spectacular show in the recorded late-night conversations of several stage performers. One year--and a lot of labor--later, A CHORUS LINE premiered to high acclaim, introducing the world to what would turn out to be a timeless work. EVERY LITTLE STEP takes viewers through the next few decades with rare footage and fresh interviews, showing the show�s history unfold in a world filled with war, anxiety, and political change. As casting is done is for the 2005 revival, audiences see how much the times have changed in the light of media outlets like MySpace and AMERICAN IDOL. As viewers get to know the actors behind the production, the realms of theater and reality blur. With its underdog heroes and self-reflexive narrative, A CHORUS LINE is understandably appealing to today�s reality-show audiences. The film is the joint effort of directors James D. Stern and Adam Del Deo, whose backgrounds as theatre producers, filmmakers, and documentarians combine well to create a film that manages to be not only educational but as entertaining as its subject. (1 hr. 33 min.) Release date: Oct 13, 2009

Don Cherry - Don Cherry's "Multikulti"

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 09:24:08 -0000

In this performance from the Days of Jazz Festival in Stuttgart, Don Cherry continues his fusion of jazz and world beat music, featuring African percussion and instruments. Peter Apfelbaum, Bo Freeman and Joshua Jones provide backing on such selections as "Trans Love Airways," "Rhumba Multikulti/Race Face," "Walk to the Mountain" and more. Release date: Oct 13, 2009

Chops

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 09:24:07 -0000

This documentary zooms in on the uplifting experiences of several young musicians in Florida competing in the Essentially Ellington Festival, a yearly event planned by Jazz at Lincoln Center, and led by artistic director and jazz master Wynton Marsalis. (88 hr.) Release date: Oct 6, 2009

Anvil! The Story of Anvil

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 09:24:06 -0000

Only the most knowledgeable of metal heads may be familiar with early '80s Canadian band Anvil, but director Sacha Gervasi--and the members of Anvil--hope that changes with this documentary. After releasing the headbangers' dream album, METAL ON METAL, in 1982 and influencing the likes of Metallica and Anthrax, the rockers watched as their career failed to match those who gave them credit. But with ANVIL! THE STORY OF ANVIL, Gervasi turns roadie and chronicles the band's new millennium efforts to charge to the top. (1 hr. 30 min.) Release date: Oct 6, 2009

Dance Flick

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 09:24:05 -0000

The Wayans brothers set out to parody movies like "Step Up" and "Save the Last Dance." (1 hr. 23 min.) Release date: Oct 6, 2009

Cinderella

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 09:24:04 -0000

The Bolshoi performs Prokofiev's timeless fairytale with Struchkova in the title role. Release date: Sep 29, 2009

Callas assoluta

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 09:24:03 -0000

This intimate biography of the incomparable soprano uses archival footage to reveal a Maria Callas unknown to her fans. By using elements such as costumes from a rarely seen performance and paparazzi footage from Cannes shortly after she lost her baby son, Philippe Kohly�s CALLAS ASSOLUTA evokes the life of the diva. (1 hr. 37 min.) Release date: Sep 29, 2009

Celia the Queen

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 09:24:02 -0000

No description available (1 hr. 24 min.) Release date: Sep 29, 2009