Finian's Rainbow

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A funny thing happened to Finian's Rainbow in between its debut as a Broadway musical in 1947 and its appearance as a film in 1968. After 21 years, its theme of racial tension in the American South was no longer cutting edge, and the fact that its heroes are a group of sharecroppers called the Rainbow Valley Tobacco Cooperative dates it even further. Add a number of subplots and the heavy hand of a 29-year-old Francis Ford Coppola directing his first and only musical, and the two-and-a-half-hour running time feels bloated. Hermes Pan (best known for the classic Astaire-Rogers movies) is credited with choreographing the overbusy musical numbers, but he was reportedly overruled by Coppola at every turn. Still, there is a lot to enjoy in this movie, most notably Fred Astaire in his last lead role in a musical. Fred plays Finian McLonergan, an Irishman who has traveled to America in hopes of planting a pilfered pot of gold near Fort Knox and watching it grow. Even at 69, Fred shows he is still capable of a sprightly step and warbling "Look to the Rainbow." Another plus is the casting of '60s pop icon Petula Clark as his daughter, as she sings with an unaffected loveliness. Finally, the score by Burton Lane and E.Y. Harburg includes two of the best Broadway songs ever written--"Old Devil Moon" and "How Are Things in Glocca Morra?"--as well as the comic ditty "When I'm Not Near the Girl I Love." --David Horiuchi

Customer Reviews:

I Love "Finian's Rainbow".......2007-07-13

Movies are to us Americans what opera was to the Italians or what the great nineteenth-century novels were to the English: the most dynamic expression of our culture. Like other art forms, movies have expressed, interpreted, and shaped our values, our interests, and our beliefs.
The movie "Finain's Rainbow" was made in the late 1960s, and is based on a moderately successful but long-forgetten stage musical of the late 1940s. Francis Ford Coppola's brilliant direction brought this tale up to date in a way that resonated with audiences in 1970. The original play was rather daring in its time, combining a direct attack on racism with a lighthearted populist-style socialism. By 1970, when the movie hit the big screen across America, racism was no longer respectable, and the attack on it no longer controversial. Most of the socialist theme in the original was expunged from the movie, and what was left was treated very lightly.
What remains is a delightful(for my taste) fantasy about an Irishman (Fred Astair) who comes to America with his daughter (Petula Clark) in search of a place to bury a pot of gold he has stolen from a Leprechaun in the old country. Fred Astair's character is not quite a con man, and yet not quite of this earth, either. Petula Clark is radient, and Tommy Steele as the leprechaun is a delight. "The Mclonergan theory of economics" as only Fred Astair can tell it is one of the best scenes in any movie, in my opinion.
The anti-racist element in the movie is almost a subplot until the final few minutes, when all the story lines are brought together. Finian finds himself in a sharecropper community in Kentucky, in which a fantasy version of full racial integration is practised. Those of us who saw this movie in 1970 knew very well that no such community really existed; but it encouraged us to ask ourselves, "why not? Can't we do better as a nation?" For me, that was an uplifting message.
The one thing that modern audiences will not relate to is the sharecropper community's goal of achieving prosperity by growing better tobacco. All I can really say in defense of that part of the story is this: I hope audiences today can see the tobacco experiment in the movie as a holdover from an earlier time, and as a metaphor for better community improvement.
Give "Finian's Rainbow" a try. I think you will be pleasantly surprised.

Finian's Rainbow.......2007-06-08

This movie is a modern version of "Brigadoon" set in the 60's.

It is light with good songs and dancing sequences.

It is very much a family movie, however probable politically incorrect in todays enviroment because the story line is centered around the production of smokeless tobbacco.

Its a long movie but if you like musicals and old fashioned values you will enjoy this movie.

Finian's Rainbow.......2007-05-18

This was a good overall movie. I think there was a touch too much leprechan time though. Some numbers where a little long. But........Fred Astaire, 69, dancing up and down boxes...Hurray for him! Nice Dancing!

Francis Ford Coppala's first musical.......2007-04-17

Coppala was right out of college when he was asked to do "Finian's Rainbow". It had been a big hit on Broadway in the 40's but predated the civil rights movement. Coppala had the task of updating it for 1968.

Fred Astaire is 69 in the title role and this was his last role dancing and singing. This was the first times since the beginning of Astaire's career that he didn't have control over the direction of his musical numbers. Coppala was an inexperienced director and fired Hermes Pan, Fred's chorographer. He admits that it was his fault that Fred's big number in the film didn't come out the way should.
Petula Clark is wonderful as Astaire's daughter. Tommy Steele who was also in "The Happiest Millionare" and "Half a Sixpence" plays a part typical of his personality.
There is very little chemistry between Petula Clark and her love interest, Dan Franck.
PLOT: Finian(Astaire) is an Irishman that steals a pot of gold from Og (Tommy Steele). He heads toRainbow Valley, which is right next to Fort Knox, Kentucky, where he thinks burying the gold will multiply his riches. He meets some people, Woody and Silent Sue, and gives them money to save their land from the bigot senator (Keenan Wynn). In return he wants part of their land to secretly bury the gold. Og follows Finian to get his gold back. He is turning into a mortal because he has lost his pot of gold. Meanwhile, Finian's daughter(Petula Clark) is falling in love with a local, Woody (Dan Franck).

Nicely restored with great special features. Includes a commentary with Coopala that actually has a mini documentry before it. Featurette is the world premere with interviews with the stars.

A Truly Great Movie!.......2007-01-24

Finian's Rainbow (1968) is one of the truly great movies of all time!

Unfortunately it was produced at the beginning of the reign of terror instigated by the Liberal Thought Police, and labeled "racially discriminatory."

Nothing could be further from the truth. It attacked racial bigotry in a most delightful way.

Check it out. I'm sure you will like it!

Average customer rating:

Very interesting low budget offering from Mike Hodges
"We steal when we touch tomorrow."
THE OTHER SIDE
A Diamond in the Rough...in Time
Greatest movie of its genre

Black Rainbow
Starring: Rosanna Arquette , Jason Robards , Tom Hulce , Mark Joy , and Ron Rosenthal
Director: Mike Hodges
Manufacturer: Trinity Home Ent
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ASIN: B0006J2828
Release Date: 2005-01-11

Description

Martha Travis (Rosanna Arquette) is a medium who makes contact with spirits "on the other side" and connects them with their loved ones still alive, in public performances. Trouble begins when she gives a message to Mary Kuron (Linda Pierce) from her husband, Tom (Olek Krupa). But Tom isn't dead... yet. And Martha not only knows he will die, she also knows who killed him. And the murderer knows she knows....

Customer Reviews:

Very interesting low budget offering from Mike Hodges.......2007-08-23

First let me say that this disc is far from being a great transfer. This is pan and scan, the print is somewhat damaged. However the sound is really pretty good. At the price, who can complain. Now, the movie: I am exploring the work of Mike Hodges, and this like the others I've seen is an interesting film. Rosanna Arquette is very good. Jason Robards is good, but he's repeating a role he played many times. Tom Hulce shows that Amadeus may have been a fluke in which he was very well directed. But the story is interesting and the the bones are there for a better movie. This is really a British movie about people in the US. The different viewpoint is always facinating.

Great cinema? No way. Worth a rainy night's viewing? For sure. And worth some study if you're a film buff.

"We steal when we touch tomorrow.".......2006-03-27

Saying that Black Rainbow is one of its director's best films doesn't sound much of a compliment when you're talking about a man whose resume includes Morons From Outer Space and not one but two Clive Owen stinkers even if it is true. Mike Hodges' reputation these days rests solely on a gangster movie he made 35 years ago, and the fact that his subsequent efforts have either been too clinical to work (The Terminal Man), too flawed to completely satisfy (Pulp), outright awful (A Prayer for the Dying) or saw him fired early in production (Damien: Omen II) has done little to deter labelling him as a one-hit wonder. True to his run of luck, this neat little supernatural thriller was barely released, going straight to cable in the US and getting caught up in a distribution scandal in the UK, where Palace tried to get copies into video stores (selling it as virtual soft porn, believe it or not!) before the film even opened theatrically.

It's that old chestnut, the medium who sees too much - in this case getting messages from dead people who haven't died yet - and puts her life in danger, but it's rarely been done this well. Starting off as a sort of Emily Gantry as written by Eugene O'Neill (with Jason Robards playing another of his drunken pater familiases), it offers Rosanna Arquette her best role, and she certainly rises to the challenge. The premonition scenes carry a real frisson, there are neat humanising touches (the hitman for once has a family life and can't get a decent seat on an airplane) and Hodges' dialog is surprisingly good. But what really caries it is the characterization: these are all believably damaged people clinging onto any tenuous hope they can find, be it religion or the bottle, to prevent taking a good look at themselves - as one bereaved character puts it, "Maybe if we weren't so bothered about the hereafter we'd pay more attention to the here and now."

THE OTHER SIDE.......2006-01-20

An interesting premise and a talented cast can't save Mike Hodges' BLACK RAINBOW from its own contrivances. Rosanna Arquette stars as Martha Travis, a medium who claims to be able to talk to people who have died from the other side. Jason Robards plays her opportunistic father who hauls the girl around from church to church in order to make big bucks. Things take a sharp turn however when it appears that Martha can predict future deaths, most notably the killing of a local man by an obvious "hitman." Tom Hulce appears as a young reporter who is agnostic himself and doesn't believe in Martha's so called psychic abilities, but is ordered by his editor to get an interview.
Arquette does well with her role, going from a quiet seething teapot to an explosive kettle; Robards is fine as her alcoholic father and Hulce holds his own. Whether or not Arquette is a fake is up to the viewer; the narrative makes it seem she's the real thing. However, even though the film maintains a creepy momentum, it loses it in its enigmatic finale. The viewer has to decide if Martha is still alive--or is she a ghost? I found the ending an unsatisfying resolution to an otherwise decent film.

A Diamond in the Rough...in Time.......2005-02-12

The beauty of film is that it captures a moment in time. "Black Rainbow" is such a film. Released in 1986 (nearly 20 years ago), this novel approach to psychic powers (a Medium) is just what the new Millennium ordered. Despite its frightful moments of peering into the future, it is refreshing to know that the same year my son was born, that this film was fresh and new like him. One part of the script says it all. "Why do serious things have to become entertainment?" Powerful! You will have to watch the film to understand.

The cast is superb. Rosanna Arquette is the medium. Her beauty is captured in a new light. Her mysterious aura sends chills and thrills down your spine all at once. What a hypnotic smile and dreamy eyes. Her father is portrayed by film legend Jason Robards. Upstart actor (at that time) Tom Hulce plays the agnostic reporter.

This film has a lot to offer even though its been on the shelves for nearly two decades.

In the thriller category (though dated) it receives a solid 5. The highlights in this film is are when Rosanna is on stage. As her followers flock to the church to witness her out-of-this-world gifts, she is convincing and sincere. A must see (even a rental) for psycho thriller fans. Good job Rosanna, Jason and Tom!!!

Greatest movie of its genre.......2004-07-10

This is undoubtedly the greatest movie of its genre and Rosanna Aruqette shines with mystery and an aura that is realistic beyond your wildest imaginations. She is so convincing that she had me believing she was the character instead of a wonderful actress who makes movies. And Jason Robards was outstanding portraying her drunken father with guilt feelings about his dead wife and mother to Rosanna. STORY, PLOT, ACTING, COSTUME, EVERYTHING=PERFECT!

Customer Reviews:

I HAVE A WISH!.......2007-05-31

I REALLY ENJOYED THESE 4 MOVIES!MY FAVORITE WAS THE FIRST PART BECAUSE YOU GET TO KNOW THE MIRROR,AND THE MAGIC IT DOES.IT'S A BEAUTIFUL MIRROR,AND I WISH I HAD IT!THESE 4 MOVIES ARE REALLY SUSPENSEFUL,AND INTERESTING.THEY'RE DIFFERENT STYLE MOVIES.TOO BAD THEY ONLY HAD 4 MOVIES OUT!

Mirror Mirror on the wall!!! This great Anchor Bay 4-DVD set has them all!!!.......2007-03-18

A great set from the folks at Anchor Bay!!! This awesome 4-DVD set includes the horror classics "Mirror Mirror" I(1) thru IV(4) in one awesome 4-DVD collector's package!!! A great set for fans of the "Mirror Mirror" franchise!!! These are the original "Full Frame" presentations!!! Two thumbs up!!! Five stars!!! A+

Pete Seeger's Rainbow Quest - with Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee, and Mississippi John Hurt, Hedy West, & Paul Cadwell

Average customer rating:

Rare Historic Performances

Pete Seeger's Rainbow Quest - with Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee, and Mississippi John Hurt, Hedy West, & Paul Cadwell
Starring: Terry , Mcghee , and Hurt
Manufacturer: SHANACHIE
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0009H97K8
Release Date: 2005-07-12

Description

Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee were among the most enduring blues acts of the post-war era, forming an association that was to last three decades. Terry's distinctive harmonica style combining whoops and hollers blended well with McGhee's warm voice and tasteful guitar picking. Along with Pete Seeger, Leadbelly and Woody Guthrie, Brownie and Sonny were part of the burgeoning New York folk scene around 1940, and in their musical reunion here with Pete they perform a captivating mix of traditional blues and folk music.

Mississippi John Hurt's superb guitar playing and gentle, expressive voice made him one of the most acclaimed figures in blues history, and his appearance here shows his skills had not diminished since his classic 1928 recordings. Hedy West brought the musical heritage of her Georgia roots to the folk revival of the 1960s and performs several songs accompanying herself on the 5-string banjo. Paul Cadwell drew his material from turn of the century ragtime and plays a number of rags, cakewalks and traditional banjo pieces.

Customer Reviews:

Rare Historic Performances.......2005-07-29

Shanachie is doing a gret service to all fans of folk and blues by reissuing the mid-1960s "Rainbow Quest" TV show hosted by Pete Seeger on DVD. Each DVD features two shows. This one has an hour of Pete with the great folk-blues players Brownie McGhee and Sonny Terry and a second hour show featuring Pete swapping songs and stories with Hedy West, John Hurt and Paul Cadwell. Hedy was an underappreciated singer of old time ballads and other material--she sings a civil rights song in German here--who recorded for Vanguard, among others. It is very hard to find much of her material in print these days, so it is great to get some perfomrance footage on DVD. Mississippi John was one of the great blues rediscoveres in the 1960s and his gentle perfomances and stories are charming. Paul Cadwell is a mean banjo picker of turn of the 20th century tunes. Pete is Pete--a consummate singer, musician and host. It is just a shame that the show is only an hour long as each performer deserved additional time in the spotlight. Cudos to Shanachie for putting two one-hour shows on each DVD, rather than just one. It would have been nice to get an information booklet telling more about the performers, but I'm just happy these shows are coming out on DVD, so I will not complain.

Pete Seeger's Rainbow Quest - The Stanley Brothers and Doc Watson

Average customer rating:

O.K. But not enough Stanley Brothers
Bluegrass Lengends
Can anyone just review the damn show?
Cousin Emmy rocks!
Where are the Stanley Brothers and Doc Watson?

Pete Seeger's Rainbow Quest - The Stanley Brothers and Doc Watson
Starring: Stanley Brothers , and Doc Watson
Manufacturer: SHANACHIE
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0006N0E02
Release Date: 2005-03-08

Description

Rainbow Quest was a TV series hosted by Pete Seeger and filmed in the mid 1960s when folk music had enormous popularity. This volume features the Stanley Brothers and Doc Watson. The Stanley Brothers were one of the great classic bluegrass groups. While Ralph Stanley has enjoyed newfound popularity following "Oh Brother, Where Art Thou", Carter Stanley died within a year of filming this show, and this is the only Stanley Brothers performance available on DVD. Doc Watson is one of the great guitar flat pickers and over the past 40 years has done much to expand the appeal of traditional Southern music.

Customer Reviews:

O.K. But not enough Stanley Brothers.......2006-12-06

The DVD contains some good music but I was disappointed that the Stanley Brothers weren't featured longer. I felt their song selection could have been much better. I've listened to and played bluegrass music for over fifty years and bought the DVD thinking I would hear and see some good vintage Stanley Brothers. It was good to see them. If you are buying this for bluegrass music, forget it.I am an old-time fiddler and enjoyed Fred Price's fiddling.

Bluegrass Lengends.......2006-01-05

This was the best music and sound that I have hear in many years. It's in black and white but it goes along with the music from the time. You get to hear the classic voice of Ralph Stanley that has not changed with age. Cousin Emmy was so funny and lively. Doc Watson was wonderful with his flat top picking. Pete Seeger was good on all the old folk songs. It was a very enjoyable 2 hours with over 36 songs.

Can anyone just review the damn show?.......2005-10-02

alright, since noone else here wants to review the show, here's what you need to know:

stanley brothers performance is amazing. this is the only dvd you'll find them on, so get it. what a great, soulful sound. doc watson is also very good. cousin emmy, well, i respectfully disagree with the other reviewer who said she rocks. not really, in fact she is kind of scary. and she plays an inflatable glove...no joke. also, she slaps herself in the face on another song. not what i'd call music.

Cousin Emmy rocks!.......2005-05-10

I saw this footage before, and knew that Cousin Emmy was on the program and delivered the goods. The DVD says in small print "with Cousin Emmy". The Stanley Brothers and Doc Watson are also in top form, but pale in comparison. I read a couple of reviews that call Cousin Emmy a novelty act, but the same could be said of any other old time musician. A master of the minstrel arts. She delivers on banjo, fiddle, and several other "instruments." If you like old time music, you need this dvd.

Where are the Stanley Brothers and Doc Watson?.......2005-03-17

The Stanley Brothers/Doc Watson DVD of their appearances on Rainbow Quest arrived at my home last week, but the DVD
contained the Johnny Cash/Roscoe Holcomb appearances instead.
The Cash/Holcomb material will appeal to old time and roots
music afficienados, but will disappoint those like myself who
had expected to receive the correct program material.

Pete Seeger's Rainbow Quest - Johnny Cash and Roscoe Holcombe

Average customer rating:

Low Quality B/W TV, but High Quality Visit with Johnny & June!
No Johnny Cash on the DVD video.
Where's the Cash?
DOUBLE CHARGE DESPITE RETURNED WRONG ONE
The Man in Black AND Roscoe Holcomb!

Pete Seeger's Rainbow Quest - Johnny Cash and Roscoe Holcombe
Starring: Johnny Cash , and Roscoe Holcombe
Manufacturer: SHANACHIE
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0006N0E0C
Release Date: 2005-03-08

Description

Rainbow Quest was a TV series hosted by Pete Seeger and filmed in the mid 1960s when folk music had enormous popularity. One show on this volume features Johnny Cash with his wife June Carter Cash reminiscing about his early influences and singing many early country ballads. The other show features Roscoe Holcombe, a banjo/guitar player from Hazard, Kentucky. The intensity he brings to traditional performance led Eric Clapton to call him "his favorite country musician."

Customer Reviews:

Low Quality B/W TV, but High Quality Visit with Johnny & June!.......2006-08-27

PETE SEEGER'S RAINBOW QUEST series on DVD seems to be an interesting find. This one featuring JOHNNY CASH and JUNE CARTER (before they got married), is very interesting for very serious Johnny Cash and June Carter fans. The TV picture often looks distorted, though acceptable given the obscurity of the original source. The quality of the performance more than makes up for the weaknesses of the picture and sound quality.

There is only about 40 minutes of screen time with Johnny & June, but it is all good. Johnny looks like he is in the final stages of his druggy era. He is emaciated, very skinny, like a concentration camp prisoner, and he acts pretty fidgety and nervous. He takes off his Beatles boots and sits through most of the show in his socks, chain smoking cigarettes. But luckily, as readers of his biography books know, despite his drug problems, the drugs usually never destroyed his ability to sing and play! He sings a few songs on the acoustic guitar, and June, Johnny and Pete talk and take turns singing telling stories.

This DVD is actually better as a talk show than as a music show. Johnny and June talk a lot about the Carter Family, their music tour of the Korean US troops, Peter LaFarge (their recently deceased mutual friend who was an American Indian activist and singer/songwriter), and introduce each song's origin before playing it.

This informal "jam" session is very laid back and oozes with the Folk Music attitude of the early 1960s. All the music is unplugged acoustic playing and singing on guitars and banjo.

I don't know what to make about Pete Seeger. He totally botches his introduction of June Carter by screwing up his explanation of the Carter Family's relations and key family tree. June actually corrects him, later, and they laugh it off, but it is weird that he screws up the facts with such a friendly, sincere look on his face (like he is schooling us on these obscure facts, but true fans immediately catch the boners and realize he is a bit clueless). It makes me wonder if the other stuff he says is accurate, and he says a ton of stuff during this entire DVD.

This is my first real look at Pete Seeger. He has a calm quality about him, like a less wimpy Mr. Roger's Neighborhood type guy. He loves to spontaneously burst into song, which is equally relaxing and pretentious. I will give him the benefit of the doubt, for now, since his TV show seemed to be a magnet for showcasing rootsy musicians, back then, 40 years ago. Pete redeems himself with his capable singing and playing, and his performance of the Peter LaFarge song, "Ki-Yo-Ti," (coyote), is very memorable and enjoyable.

There are two episodes on this DVD, which is part of a line of DVDs, if you feel like more, afterwards. Roscoe Holcomb and Jean Redpath are the guests in the second episode. Roscoe is an old codger, guitar and banjo player who sings with a high pitched whine. It appears that he was featured in an indie documentary film, back then, which they show a few clips from while he sings. Jean Redpath is a thirtysomething folk singer for Scotland, who usually sings accapella, between chatting about folks songs and music. Pete Seeger makes three, and it is an odd combination when the three of them sit around the table.

I bought this DVD just for Johnny and June's episode, and I find it very entertaining and informative, but this is from Johnny's folk music era, so his biggest hits are virtually ignored, and the theme is how cool can you get playing folk music and talking about the folk scene. That's cool, but it is not what Johnny is best known for these days, 40 years later.

If this still sounds interesting to you, then you will probably enjoy this DVD like I do!

No Johnny Cash on the DVD video........2006-06-12

The DVD I received had Johnny Cash's name and photo on the box.

"Johnny Cash" was written on the DVD.

But the DVD video has NO Johnny Cash. Instead, it has The Stanley Brothers and Doc Watson.

Where's the Cash?.......2006-04-09

Product was not Johnny Cash but Stanley/ Watson dvd...packaged correctly but not recorded with the right program. Thought it might have been corrected since 2005 so I took the chance, but evidentally not.......trying to get the right one at this point.

DOUBLE CHARGE DESPITE RETURNED WRONG ONE.......2006-01-22

received this dvd right cover-right label but still wrong
dvd!!Returned it with the right address information ordered a
new one which I got but was charge again!!Still waiting on my
credit note for the first returned wrong one!!
Jürgen Kramar
Kanzlerstrasse 218
75181 Pforzheim
Germany
Please take care of that as soon as possible,thank you!!

The Man in Black AND Roscoe Holcomb!.......2005-11-19

Wow. It's sweet to see Pete Seeger's well-meaning homespun folksy show, but his guests always steal the show. Here we have Johnny Cash and June Carter in the 60's. Johnny is skinny and jittery as a June Bug--might be the speed and booze. The minute Johnny tears into a song however, he's calm and collected with driving energy. Absolutely amazing performance. Even June sings a song here. That's not all, Roscoe Holcomb sings with a high-lonesome voice that was stolen from the ghosts of Appalachia. He plays guitar and banjo with such power and force, singing with a voice that'd raise the hairs on the back of your neck all the while chewing gum. A nice slice of the best. Thanks to Pete Seeger.

Average customer rating:

Love Come Down
Starring: Sarah Polley , Larenz Tate , Kenneth Welsh , Barbara Williams , and Peter Williams
Director: Clement Virgo
Manufacturer: First Look Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000A2X41A
Release Date: 2005-08-25

Description

Recovering drug addict Neville (Larenz Tate) is a standup comedian. His girlfriend, Niko (R&B singer Deborah Cox) is a singer. The two have an on-again/ off-again relationship which is deeply affected by their damaged family lives. Neville's mother (Barbara Williams) is in jail, having been convicted of murdering his father, an event which weighs even heavier on his white brother, Matthew (Martin Cummins), an aspiring boxer. Neville's world is also intertwined with Sister Sun (Sarah Polley), a nun with a past who understands his addiction. This acclaimed Canadian romance/drama presents an ultimately inspiring view of overcoming the past.

Pete Seeger's Rainbow Quest - The Clancy Brothers & Tommy Makem, and Mamou Cajun Band

Average customer rating:

Fun to watch

Pete Seeger's Rainbow Quest - The Clancy Brothers & Tommy Makem, and Mamou Cajun Band
Starring: Various Artists
Manufacturer: SHANACHIE
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Folk | Styles | Music

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ASIN: B00073K8BG
Release Date: 2005-03-08

Description

The Clancy Brothers & Tommy Makem were one of the most popular Irish singing acts of the 1960s. Forgoing the stereotypical maudlin Irish ballads in favor of lusty party songs and traditional Irish folk songs sung in close harmony, in a few short years they rose from the clubs of Greenwich Village to worldwide tours in front of packed houses. The Clancys are joined on the show by Tom Paxton, one of the finest singer/songwriters to emerge from New York's Greenwich Village coffee house circuit of the early 1960s. The Mamou Cajun Band is the traditional three-piece ensemble of legendary accordionist Cyprien Landreneau, his cousin Adam Landreneau on fiddle, and percussionist Revon Reed on the triangle. Featuring traditional hard-hitting two-steps and sorrowful waltzes, the Mamou Cajun Band was one of the first groups to bring Cajun music to a wider audience, playing the Newport Folk Festival and touring Europe in the early 1960s.

Customer Reviews:

Fun to watch.......2005-08-10

This is not a great video, but for an old dyed-in-the-wool fan
of the Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem, it was fun to watch.
Perhaps it was a little painful, too, to see them over the distance of time, before they developed the fine edge to their
performances. Still, I'll take what I can find but their performance was way too short.

The cajun music was okay. I enjoy that genre but, again, the
band was obviously not used to being televised.

You might enjoy this if you keep the time and experience factor
in mind.

Pete Seeger's Rainbow Quest with Judy Collins and Elizabeth Cotten

Average customer rating:

RAINBOW CONNECTION

Pete Seeger's Rainbow Quest with Judy Collins and Elizabeth Cotten
Starring: Collins , and Cotton
Manufacturer: SHANACHIE
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0008237D2
Release Date: 2005-06-07

Description

Judy Collins is one of the most popular and enduring folk singers to emerge from America's folk revival of the 1960s. In a career that has spanned over 40 years and 29 albums, several of which have gone gold and platinum, sha has always been known as a song enthusiast and a premiere interpreter of other artists' work. Here she sings the Bob Dylan song "Daddy You've Been On My Mind," Pete Seeger's classic "Turn, Turn, Turn," and many more.

Elizabeth Cotten's charming style is a blend of blues, rags, religious and traditional material she absorbed as a young girl at the turn of the Twentieth Century. Her career blossomed in the 1960s when she became an audience favorite on the folk festival circuit. In addition to her signature song "Freight Train," she performs "Wilson Rag," "Mama, Your Papa Loves You," and many others. Introduced first on the show is the Puerto Rican duo of Rosa Valentin & Rafael Martinez, who sing heartfelt renditions of several folk songs from their native land.

Customer Reviews:

RAINBOW CONNECTION.......2005-08-18

AT LAST A DVD WITH JUDY COLLINS IN 1965 !
GOOD SOUND AND IMAGE. PETE SEEGER AND HIS HOSTS ARE SO NATURAL AND SYMPATHETIC !
JUDY WAS BETWEEN HER N°4 & 5 ALBUM. GREAT SONGS OFTEN DUETTING WITH PETE. TWO STUNNIG SONGS : "RUSSIAN LOVE SONG" IN RUSSIAN WITH PETE AT THE BANJO (SOUNDS LIKE A BALALAÏKA) AND "BOB DYLAN'S DREAM" ONLY RECORDED LATELY ON "JUDY COLLINS SINGS DYLAN".
AN INTERVIEW WITH A GUITAR MAKER INTERESTED IN CLASSICAL MUSIC (SEGOVIA) WITH "JEUX INTERDITS' THEME" S IS VERY CONVINCING.
ROSA VALENTIN & RAFAEL MARTINEZ REMIND "RENAISSANCE VIHUELA MUSIC" IN SPAIN IN THE GOLDEN AGES (XVIth CENTURY) & SING SPANISH & CARRIBEAN FOLKSONGS. NOT FORGETTING THE MAN HIMSELF, PETE, WITH "GUANTANAMERA"...
ELISABETH COTTON, LEFT HANDED, DID NOT INVERT THE CORDS, SO SHE CREATED "COTTEN PICKING" (instead of cotton pickin') : VERY INTERESTING BECAUSE
SHE USES A THUMB/INDEX TECHNIQUE WHICH LOOKS PARTLY LIKE RENAISSANCE LUTE FINGERING. HER SONG "FREIGHT TRAIN" IS WELL KNOWN, EVEN IN EUROPE.
IN A SENTENCE : IMPROVISATION, FUNNY STORIES, MUSICAL JOURNEY, FOR LOVE'S SAKE !
THANK YOU SO MUCH, PETE ! YOU HEARTILY DESERVE THE "GRAND PRIX DU DISQUE ACADEMIE CHARLES CROS" YOU WON WITH YOUR AMERICAN FAVORITE BALLADS AND HELPED SO MUCH TO MAKE "FOLK SONG REVIVAL" THROUGHOUT THE WORLD.

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Not what you'd expect
Strange, but good movie.
Strange Story of Musical Prodigy
Reaching for Your Dreams
Truly Hidden Gem

Junior's Groove
Starring: Lynn Whitfield , Martin Villafana , Rainbow Francks , Clark Johnson , and Sarah Polley
Director: Clément Virgo
Manufacturer: Allumination
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00008HCC7
Release Date: 2003-08-05

Description

Lynn Whitfield stars in this powerful movie about love, struggle and passion as the over-protective mother of piano prodigy, Junior Brown. Junior's tormented world of dangerous street friends, crazy neighbors and an eccentric music teacher force him to fight for his chance to escape the ghetto through the music he loves. As he masters his skill with the piano, Junior discovers that the beauty of his music inspires the people around him to reach for their dreams.

Customer Reviews:

Not what you'd expect.......2004-01-04

I first wanted to see this film because of the piano aspect involved but when I saw it I got something so much more. The movie operates on various levels: there is an immediate level that viewers can watch and be entertained by, and there is a deeper level that satisfies the artistic side. The first positive that comes to mind is the beauty in what's NOT being said. By that, I mean, that the characters are fleshed out in a way that allows them to convey a message between the lines of what they're saying. There are other scenes that are extremely memorable as well that I don't want to ruin for anyone. Definately watch it and definately look below the surface.

Strange, but good movie........2003-05-05

I saw this movie on tv a year ago. It's hard to say what this movie's about. Mainly a (mentally handicapped?) overweight boy who plays piano, has an over proctective mother with diabetes, and some strange dream-like things happen.

Strange Story of Musical Prodigy.......2001-10-30

THE PLANET OF JUNIOR BROWN (the film's original title as well as the Virginia Hamilton novel on which it is based) is a very strange film. Originally made for Canadian televison, the film is the second full-length effort by Clément Virgo (RUDE, LOVE COME DOWN).

It tells the story of Junior Brown (Martin Villafana), an obese musical prodigy and his dysfunctional relationship with his mother (Lynn Whitfield). Despite his passion for music, his mother has clipped the strings from the household piano, which he tries to "play" anyway. To hear himself play, Junior Brown has to visit his music teacher, Miss Peebs (Margot Kidder) or visit the local music store.

When Junior Brown is not playing, he hangs out with an assorted group of outsiders. There's also a tentative romance and some rather surreal visual elements, but with very little to connect the viewer emotionally with the characters or the material.

There's plenty of style and atmosphere, but a noticeable lack of a coherent plot. This is really too bad, because Virgo has a lot of creative ideas. He has also populated the film with an unusual assortment of characters, but he doesn't always seem to know what to do with them (or find a way for a viewer to emotionally connect with them).

The title character is extremely passive. Throughout the film he mostly reacts to the actions of others. When he does take action, its hard to identify with him. This is not simply because the character is obese (actually it's quite admirable on the film's part to focus on people of different physical types), but rather the film's inability to find something in the character's behavior that resonates with the viewer. This makes the film really frustrating to watch. It's as if the filmmaker expects us to connect with Junior Brown, simply because of who he is and his situation. This is not enough.

The film won the Grand Jury Prize at the 1998 Urbanworld Film Festival. It was also nominated for several other awards, but failed to get much of a release within the United States. If you see the film, you'll understand why. In a word -- odd.

Reaching for Your Dreams.......2000-07-18

What a fascinating film is Junior's Groove,somewhat off-beat though but an excellent Canadian production all the same. The story concern's overweight piano prodigy Junior Brown and over protective mom living by themselves,his lesson's with nutter piano teacher and friend's whom watch out for him from the street's called the Planet's. A strange but curious and moving piece,especially the plight of the younger character's struggling from day to day life on the street's and quirky relationship's,Junior tend's to live in a world of his own and that of his music. Wonderfully photographed and good musical score and sensitive direction by Clement Virgo plus solid performances by all cast Lynn Whitfield as Jnr's mom,Margot Kidder fabulous as the nutty teacher and the young less-known actors Martin Villafana,Rainbow Sun Francks,Clark Johnson ,Sarah Polley and Richard Chevolleau all deserved of mention for the realistic true to life portrayal's of their respective character's made this film and story a joy to watch,it's now a favorite of mine I don't regret purchasing it from Amazon.com however it's not mainstream and won't appeal to masses I suspect but highly worthy of a viewing if you appreciate cinema originality. Based on book Planet of Junior Brown.

Truly Hidden Gem.......2000-07-08

I really was Captivated by this Film about a Young Piano Prodigy.He felt the notes&what they said.His Mother Played By Lynn Whitfield does a Great Job here.She Looks as Great as ever.despite being Diabetic.the film has a Mystery to it within it's own self.I happen to see it at a Video Store&it caught my attention it's a Solid Hidden Gem.

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