“The Elia Kazan Collection” new on DVD
“The Elia Kazan Collection”
Elia Kazan was one of Hollywood's great directors, a man with a rare gift for bringing out the best performances from his actors. Many of his films are considered classics, and he has worked with great writers, cinematographers, actors and actresses.
This great 18-disc set includes 15 films and a documentary that is narrated and directed by Martin Scorsese. The films are: “A Tree Grows in Brooklyn,” “America, America,” “A Streetcar Named Desire,” “East of Eden,” “On The Waterfront,” “A Face in the Crowd,” “Baby Doll,” “Gentleman's Agreement,” “Pinky,” “Panic in the Streets,” “Viva Zapata,” “Splendor in the Grass,” “Wild River,” “Man on a Tightrope” and “Boomerang.”
“I Knew It was You: Rediscovering John Cazale”
John Cazale was a character actor whose life was cut much too short by cancer. He appeared in only five films, but each one was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture. Although best known as Michael Corleone's brother Fredo in “The Godfather,” he also appeared in “The Godfather: Part II,” “The Conversation,” “Dog Day Afternoon” and “The Deer Hunter.” This documentary features wonderful interviews with Meryl Streep, Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, Gene Hackman, Francis Ford Coppola, Sidney Lumet and others. It is a tribute to a fabulous actor that should be seen.
“Hollywood Singing & Dancing: Series 1920s-2000s”
Fans of the Hollywood musical will love this documentary that was seen on PBS. Hosted by Shirley Jones, the program showcases some of the greatest song and dance numbers from Busby Berkeley to the film “Chicago.”
There are musical numbers from “The Wizard of Oz,” “Gold Diggers of 1935,” “Something to Sing About,” “Meet Me in St. Louis,” “Yankee Doodle Dandy,” “The King and I,” “An American in Paris,” “Singin' In the Rain,” “Royal Wedding,” “Oklahoma,” “Carousel” and many others. Many of the sequences also include new commentaries by actors and filmmakers.
“Eric Clapton: Crossroads Guitar Festival 2010”
In June of this year, Eric Clapton put together his third annual guitar festival at Toyota Park. It was a sold-out concert that benefited The Crossroads Center in Antigua, a facility for chemically dependent persons that was founded by Clapton. The two-disc set is terrific and features the concert with introductions by Bill Murray and many performers. There are four hours of great music, and you will enjoy performances by a number of artists including Clapton, Steve Winwood, B.B. King, Jeff Beck, Buddy Guy, ZZ Top, Sheryl Crow, John Mayer, Ronnie Wood, Sonny Landreth, Albert Lee, Vince Gill and others.
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