Mary Poppins (Fully Restored Limited Edition) [VHS]
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VHS Movie Reviews of Mary Poppins (Fully Restored Limited Edition) [VHS]
Movie Review: Won't buy until there's Blu-Ray
Summary: 1 Stars
Simple as that! Disney is squeezing the final teet here and milking the masses for another, "Gotta Own" DVD. I won't buy this until the Blu-Ray comes out.Movie Review: MARY POPPINS 40TH ANNIVERSERY
Summary: 5 Stars
This is a great family movie. Very funny in all ways. There was nothing I didn't like about it. Great cast of actors. WOULD RECOMMEND THIS MOVIE TO ANYONE AND ALL. AWANAKARDMovie Review: Why is Disney milking us for another DVD when there's Blu-Ray?
Summary: 2 Stars
Can't say enough nice about the movie, about the actors, and about those who made the original movie. The themes in this movie really do need to be conveyed again to this generation of young children, especially given all the poor conduct in the financial markets of late.
But I am left disappointed by this 45th Anniversary release. I wonder why should I buy this (again) in regular red laser DVD format when children of this age and adults will find a high definition version so much better. Regular DVD players are not even selling in some advanced countries as people move to Blu-Ray. Disney seem to just milk us every several years for a new edition, and this 45th is not really any better than the 40th Anniversary Edition.
Maybe Disney is trying to have us pay for an advertisement for their Broadway version of Mary Poppins, but I don't even care to hear the Broadway show mp3's in this set. If Disney is not simply shoving the Broadway show in our face then why not let us have mp3's of the original performers whom we do recall with some affection?
You'd think those of us, especially those who have seen this since the 1960's would not be so gullible as to buy the 45th Edition, then have to buy it again if/when Disney's 'bean-counters' decide its time to milk the public yet again with the Blu-Ray version some time in the future.
Pardon the cynicism but this is no longer Walt Disney's company - and it has not been since the days of Michael Eisner.
Sorry Mary
Movie Review: Well worth it, if just for "Step in Time"
Summary: 5 Stars
When we recently went to see Walt Disney's landmark 1964 musical fantasy transformed into a Broadway musical, I approached it much the same as when I first saw "Superman the Movie" in 1978. The earlier version was such a part of so many lives it seemed inconceivable that anyone could make it work as a live musical.
Superman managed to succeed beyond expectations, and so does "Mary Poppins" on Broadway. The movie and the show are related yet compliment each other. Not an easy task.
How this was accomplished is chronicled in a new documentary on the new two-disc "Mary Poppins 45th Anniversary Edition DVD."
The original stage stars, Ashley Brown (who knew she wasn't really English?) and Gavin Lee discuss the process from audition to production, along with the talented artists who brought Poppins alive on stage.
Well worth the DVD set alone is the ENTIRE "Step in Time" show-stopper filmed right from the stage, complete with one of the most talked about marvels in the show: Bert's miraculous dance around and over the stage proscenium. Lee explains the evolution of the stunt in the accompanying documentary.
We also were able to glimpse one of the sweeps in "Step in Time," the immensely talented Sean McCourt, who plays several roles in the stage Poppins as he did for years in Wicked. We were fortunate enough to learn of his contributions from a backstage Wicked presentation he hosted with equally gifted colleague Anthony Galde, who still plays multiple roles in that show.
The most warmhearted and reassuring thing about the new 45th Anniversary bomus material is the generous attention afforded to the cooperative relationship between Richard M. Sherman and the new songwriters, George Stiles and Anthony Drewe (Robert Sherman's health prevents the activity).
And while you may think it's a no-brainer that Mr. Sherman was included to some extent, consider that after the duo successfully wrote songs for The Tigger Movie, they were summarily replaced for the next Pooh film. In the case of Poppins, clearly every courtesy was accorded the score and the two legends who created it. It's especially wonderful to see all three songwriters on screen, two in England, one in California, singing together.
For even more detail about the story of the "Poppins" flight from book to screen to stage, take a look at the massive and beautiful book co-written by expert historian Brian Sibley, "Mary Poppins: Anything Can Happen If You Let It."
Magnificent stage artwork from the stage version rounds out the new bonus material on the recent DVD, for the info of those who have the earlier versions. Most everything contained in the 40th anniversary edition is still here except for a game and a piece-by-piece reconstruction of a "Jolly Holiday" excerpt.
But it still includes the wonderful audio commentary with Julie Andrews, Dick Van Dyke and Richard Sherman -- and who wouldn't want to "watch" the movie with them? My only quibble: a guide folder to the discs would have been nice.
And if you still have the single-disc Gold Classic edition, you may want to keep that one because it's the only one with the complete "Hollywood Goes to a World Premiere," a short theatrical film with delightfully cheesy narration ("the vivacious Annette!") as well as the after party audio material. The newer two releases use this footage for a similar bonus, but it's nice to have the original.
(By the way, the connection between "Superman" and "Mary Poppins" may have seemed a strange juxtaposition, but both of them not only can fly, but they spin around real fast, too!)
Whether you feel the new release is worth your while or not, I am pleased to see "Mary Poppins" reissued as often as possible. This is a very important film, not a relic of the past, and reissuing brings it to the public's attention each time and hopefully introduces it to another legion of fans. Here's to keeping everything higgledy-piggeldy around here!
Movie Review: MARY POPPINS-STILL FLYING HIGH AFTER ALL THESE YEARS
Summary: 5 Stars
I saw Mary Poppins when it was first released in 1964 and even after all these years, the movie never fails to enchant and entertain, boasting the academy-award winning debut of Julie Andrews as the practically perfect, nay, perfect Mary and Dick Van Dyke as Bert the jack-of-all-trades is also superb, even though his cockney accent comes and goes at whim. His last occupation as a chimney sweep leads to "Chim Chim Cheree" as a march across the rooftops of London by he and Mary with the children Jane and Michael as tag-alongs seques into a platoon of sweeps singing and dancing "Step in Time"led by Bert in one of the longest dance sequences in the history of cinema.
P.L. Travers the author of the original stories was somewhat dismayed(to say the least) at the Disneyfication of her somewhat somber and dark tales---but the lighter touch is much preferred over the somewhat dreary production. now trodding the boards on Broadway and London.
The movie is brimming with many brilliant set-peices including the extended "Jolly Holiday" sequence which seamlessly blends cartoon characters with Mary, Bert and the children featuring the nonsense song "Supercali....etc".
Another standout sequence is "Feed the Birds" the prettiest song in the score.
Glynnis Johns as the dizzy Mrs Banks, "Sister Suffragate" is adorable and David Tomlinson as the appropriately stuffy Mr Banks who has a somewhat pedantic view on how to run a household,wife and children until Bert, not Mary shows him the error of his ways.
To be sure Mary Poppins has its flaws. Sometimes it tends to be precious(the children)and sweet(the children) but not sweet enough to bring cavities but all in all, Mary Poppins is still fresh and bright after 45 years and 45 years from now when most of us reading this will be memories, Mary Poppins will still be here to enchant and entertain. This review is dedicated to my friend Jason.