Rating: 
Summary: An absolute MUST for Baz fans!
Review: Anyone who loves Baz Luhrmann will adore this box set. I was hesitant to buy it at first, wondering if it was worth the money. It is!! All three movies are absolutely wonderful, and the extra disk is a great view into the world of Mr. Luhrmann. It's a fan's dream come true.
Rating:
Summary: A Collection That Will Move You To Tears...
Review: As you watch this collection of DVD's you will see Baz Luhrmans style develop into a well-formed art. As he hones his talent into a unique craft, Baz has made himself a name in the world of filmmaking with these three flicks. All of the stories revolve around intense love stories filled with glamour, great music, tons of glitz, and avant garde cinematography. While all of the stories have familiar echos to other famous films, they are all completely unique in setting and feeling."Strictly Ballroom" is probably the lesser known of the 3 movies in this set, and is a typical underdog dance story, where the main character Scott Hastings is snubbed by a Ballroom dance society for his unique moves. He hooks up with a newbie to the scene and passion arises as they try to work together to win a big dance competition despite what people think of them. The storyline is somewhat similar to "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" but I must say, this is the best movie about Ballroom Dancing ever made...quite possibly the only one mind you. Next we have the Shakespeare remake of his classic play 'Romeo and Juliet' that tells the tale of two lovers that cross paths but everything in their lives is trying to pull them apart. This movie is filmed in a different standard then strictly ballroom, with a lot more avant garde shots and mixing of scenes. Leonardo Dicaprio and Claire Danes lack chemistry, but while Leo really works as the Romeo, Claires preformance is lackluster at times and almost downright funny in the final scene. You have to give Luhrman the upmost props for adapting this story in a way that doesn't make you question the loop holes, including having a newscaster tell the nararration, having sloppy fed-ex message delivery men, and fights with guns instead of swords. Finally we have the finale of Baz's trio of flicks, a more-musical based little ;) movie titled "Moulin Rouge" that takes you to turn of the century Paris. The story is filled with schmultz and love, but that only adds to it. It follows two young lovers (again), one of them a prostitute who must stay loyal to her job at hte Moulin Rouge, the other a young writer with his head in the clouds who bewitches the Courtsean du jour, Satine, and of course, chaos ensues over their tryst. This film is done extremely well, with lots of beautiful effects and over-the-top imagery that exudes love and an old-time movie feel. Definately my fave of the three, this one tugs at my heart strings every time I watch it. Don't forget the great special features with this, that take you behind the red curtain for each movie by gettin to know the cast, the concepts, and the crew. Baz does a great job exploring some cool art forms in each movie: Dancing, Drama, and Music. Excellent!
Rating:
Summary: A Collection That Will Move You To Tears...
Review: As you watch this collection of DVD's you will see Baz Luhrmans style develop into a well-formed art. As he hones his talent into a unique craft, Baz has made himself a name in the world of filmmaking with these three flicks. All of the stories revolve around intense love stories filled with glamour, great music, tons of glitz, and avant garde cinematography. While all of the stories have familiar echos to other famous films, they are all completely unique in setting and feeling. "Strictly Ballroom" is probably the lesser known of the 3 movies in this set, and is a typical underdog dance story, where the main character Scott Hastings is snubbed by a Ballroom dance society for his unique moves. He hooks up with a newbie to the scene and passion arises as they try to work together to win a big dance competition despite what people think of them. The storyline is somewhat similar to "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" but I must say, this is the best movie about Ballroom Dancing ever made...quite possibly the only one mind you. Next we have the Shakespeare remake of his classic play 'Romeo and Juliet' that tells the tale of two lovers that cross paths but everything in their lives is trying to pull them apart. This movie is filmed in a different standard then strictly ballroom, with a lot more avant garde shots and mixing of scenes. Leonardo Dicaprio and Claire Danes lack chemistry, but while Leo really works as the Romeo, Claires preformance is lackluster at times and almost downright funny in the final scene. You have to give Luhrman the upmost props for adapting this story in a way that doesn't make you question the loop holes, including having a newscaster tell the nararration, having sloppy fed-ex message delivery men, and fights with guns instead of swords. Finally we have the finale of Baz's trio of flicks, a more-musical based little ;) movie titled "Moulin Rouge" that takes you to turn of the century Paris. The story is filled with schmultz and love, but that only adds to it. It follows two young lovers (again), one of them a prostitute who must stay loyal to her job at hte Moulin Rouge, the other a young writer with his head in the clouds who bewitches the Courtsean du jour, Satine, and of course, chaos ensues over their tryst. This film is done extremely well, with lots of beautiful effects and over-the-top imagery that exudes love and an old-time movie feel. Definately my fave of the three, this one tugs at my heart strings every time I watch it. Don't forget the great special features with this, that take you behind the red curtain for each movie by gettin to know the cast, the concepts, and the crew. Baz does a great job exploring some cool art forms in each movie: Dancing, Drama, and Music. Excellent!
Rating:
Summary: Spectacular
Review: Baz's ideas are imaginative and incredibly artistic. Loved all the movies. Moulin Rouge is the Best! Anyone who did not care for the movie, watch what all went into making it and you will have a much greater appreciation, and you will be amazed!
Rating:
Summary: Baz Luhrmann makes his DVDs better than the movies
Review: I can't truly compare this box set to other box sets since I don't own any others, but The Red Curtain Trilogy is truly a set to be reckoned with. Baz Luhrmann seems to put as much care into his DVD's as he does the movies themselves. In fact, only the Lord of the Rings Extended version can boast more features (probably). Most people have probably formed their own opinions of the movies in the set, but I will add my two cents about them.
I suppose my main reason for buying the set was Strictly Ballroom; I love this movie. It is admittedly completely over the top and melodramatic, and no one else has made such great use of melodrama as Luhrmann. The features on this disk are probably thinnest of any of the movies, but there is still plenty with which you may play. The only thing its missing is footage from the original stage production, which I would dearly love to see... but Baz Luhrmann heard my cry... i am getting ahead of myself. Independently, Strictly Ballroom would probably get 5 of 5 stars.
The next movie in the trilogy is Romeo + Juliet. I took a long time to watch this movie and waited until it was on television. I didn't hate the movie, so I was willing to buy the RCT, and I hadn't given R+J any other thought until I bought the trilogy. Its a lot better than I remember. Though there were elements worse than I remembered. Some people judge it pretty harshly for stupid reasons like cutting lines. Few theatres actually perform Shakespeare in its entirety anymore, and Luhrmann has made great economy with the language. The best example is Juliet's monologue after Romeo dies; it is rendered unnecessary by the staging and cuts. My big beef with this film is that the actors don't handle the language as well in some places. Luhrmann describes R+J as violent and sexy, and the actors seem to only give credence to the parts of the film that are violent and sexy. In those areas of the film, the actors shine and truly attack the words and Shakespeare is fresh and wonderful, but in the rest of the movie, the actors may as well be speaking gibberish for all of the sense they make of what they say. The extras on this disc are fantastic, there's lots of behind the scenes footage, design concepts and the general fare that consumers come to expect from their DVDs, especially if they are from Baz Luhrmann films. Independently, I would give this four of five stars.
The film that probably is the highlight for many in this trilogy, is Moulin Rouge. There is very little to say and you can read the many reviews that customers have written for it. Basically, if you can get past the initial 20 minutes, then you are in for a fantastic movie. El Tango de Roxanne actually took my breath away and is reason enough to see the film. This DVD sets the bar for extra features (well the bar has since been raised, but this is still one of the best DVDs out there). The second DVD is packed (packed I say!)with extra footage. And there are lots of fun easter eggs hidden on the discs to be sought out, including one blooper reel of "Your Song." MR definitely would get 5 out of 5 stars.
Lastly, we come to the Behind the Red Curtain disc. This disc truly rounds out the collection and is packed with information. The Behind the Red Curtain feature is truly fun, like a Choose Your Own Adventure book (though not quite), wherein Baz talks about the creation of the three movies, and little things pop up on the screen for you to choose, and they lead you from Baz's lecture to special footage, including some footage of the original stage version of Strictly Ballroom when it was performed at a festival. There's also footage of his production of La Boheme with the Australian Opera and other sundry bits of archival footage. The disc is truly a fantastic disc of extra features that makes this set worth purchasing.
Overall, I have enjoyed the Red Curtain Trilogy, and I highly suggest it. If you were still wondering whether or not you should purchase it, I would like to assure you that it is truly worth the money. In the final analysis, the box set is definitely worth 5 out of 5 stars.
Rating:
Summary: Baz Luhrmann makes his DVDs better than the movies
Review: I can't truly compare this box set to other box sets since I don't own any others, but The Red Curtain Trilogy is truly a set to be reckoned with. Baz Luhrmann seems to put as much care into his DVD's as he does the movies themselves. In fact, only the Lord of the Rings Extended version can boast more features (probably). Most people have probably formed their own opinions of the movies in the set, but I will add my two cents about them.
I suppose my main reason for buying the set was Strictly Ballroom; I love this movie. It is admittedly completely over the top and melodramatic, and no one else has made such great use of melodrama as Luhrmann. The features on this disk are probably thinnest of any of the movies, but there is still plenty with which you may play. The only thing its missing is footage from the original stage production, which I would dearly love to see... but Baz Luhrmann heard my cry... i am getting ahead of myself. Independently, Strictly Ballroom would probably get 5 of 5 stars.
The next movie in the trilogy is Romeo + Juliet. I took a long time to watch this movie and waited until it was on television. I didn't hate the movie, so I was willing to buy the RCT, and I hadn't given R+J any other thought until I bought the trilogy. Its a lot better than I remember. Though there were elements worse than I remembered. Some people judge it pretty harshly for stupid reasons like cutting lines. Few theatres actually perform Shakespeare in its entirety anymore, and Luhrmann has made great economy with the language. The best example is Juliet's monologue after Romeo dies; it is rendered unnecessary by the staging and cuts. My big beef with this film is that the actors don't handle the language as well in some places. Luhrmann describes R+J as violent and sexy, and the actors seem to only give credence to the parts of the film that are violent and sexy. In those areas of the film, the actors shine and truly attack the words and Shakespeare is fresh and wonderful, but in the rest of the movie, the actors may as well be speaking gibberish for all of the sense they make of what they say. The extras on this disc are fantastic, there's lots of behind the scenes footage, design concepts and the general fare that consumers come to expect from their DVDs, especially if they are from Baz Luhrmann films. Independently, I would give this four of five stars.
The film that probably is the highlight for many in this trilogy, is Moulin Rouge. There is very little to say and you can read the many reviews that customers have written for it. Basically, if you can get past the initial 20 minutes, then you are in for a fantastic movie. El Tango de Roxanne actually took my breath away and is reason enough to see the film. This DVD sets the bar for extra features (well the bar has since been raised, but this is still one of the best DVDs out there). The second DVD is packed (packed I say!)with extra footage. And there are lots of fun easter eggs hidden on the discs to be sought out, including one blooper reel of "Your Song." MR definitely would get 5 out of 5 stars.
Lastly, we come to the Behind the Red Curtain disc. This disc truly rounds out the collection and is packed with information. The Behind the Red Curtain feature is truly fun, like a Choose Your Own Adventure book (though not quite), wherein Baz talks about the creation of the three movies, and little things pop up on the screen for you to choose, and they lead you from Baz's lecture to special footage, including some footage of the original stage version of Strictly Ballroom when it was performed at a festival. There's also footage of his production of La Boheme with the Australian Opera and other sundry bits of archival footage. The disc is truly a fantastic disc of extra features that makes this set worth purchasing.
Overall, I have enjoyed the Red Curtain Trilogy, and I highly suggest it. If you were still wondering whether or not you should purchase it, I would like to assure you that it is truly worth the money. In the final analysis, the box set is definitely worth 5 out of 5 stars.
Rating:
Summary: Spectacular, spectacular
Review: I don't own this DVD, but I have seen all three movies, and I have to say that Baz is my alltime favorite director. Sure, his movies are little weird at times, but he captures such great things from his actors. Some of these actors best performances are in his movies. Not to mention, he does the most EXQUISITE death scenes. The emotions he pulls from these people are just incredible.
Rating: 
Summary: Save your money and just buy strictly ballroom
Review: I have to say that Baz Luhrmann is an artist. It would be blasphemous to say that he is not. What can I say? The man KNOWS his art....But from a visual perspective only. I'll try and show you what I mean by tackling these films one by one. First on the list: Strictly Ballroom. This is the ONE film of Luhrumann's trilogy that actually deserves a good DVD. It's been a favorite of my family's since before I can remember. The costumes are great, the characters are wonderfully eccentric, and the music...Did I mention the music? Anyway, it's a good film. If you get anything out of this review, it's that "Ballroom" alone would be a better buy than one good film and two disasters. Next: Romeo + Juliet. Ahhh. Where to start? It has a promising first thirty seconds. Some of Luhrmann's innovations on this update of Shakespeare's immortal play are pretty cool. Narrations come from a TV newswoman. The nurse is a hispanic maid. The Prince is a police captain. However, the cinematography gets cluttered (foreshadowing for the dizzying complications in "Moulin Rouge"). Mercutio is portrayed as a drag queen, which, personally, was kinda hard to take. However, there is one good part in all of this. One of the final scenes in Juliet's family crypt (where the two doomed lovers commit suicide) is almost better than when Shakespeare originally wrote it. Anyway, now that that's done, let's go on to the final film in the Red Curtain Trilogy. Finally, we come to the film that is supposed to be Luhrmann's opus: Moulin Rouge. I have mixed feelings on this film. While some of the parts were actually quite good (they were all in the second half), we get even more of the cluttered, crazy cinematography we saw in "Romeo". Only now it's in almost every other scene. This, makes the film seem surreal, which, I'm guessing, is the point. However, it's hard for a lot of the viewers to really get to know the characters involved. We see them only as characters in a dream. The development is little. Much of the plot is almost silly, and the villain is hardly more than a spoiled child of privilege. It's hard to see him as a villain as opposed to a small child who needs a good spanking. So, there you have it. Luhrmann's "Red Curtain Trilogy" in a nutshell. So, again, if you really want to own a Luhrmann film, I tell you to save your money and just go and buy "Strictly Ballroom". That, at least, is worth its price.
Rating:
Summary: Nicely Packaged Set
Review: I would recommend this set. If you average out the price, you're probably paying about the same amount for this set as you would if you bought each movie separately. I bought this because i liked Moulin Rogue but didn't care enough to buy it when it came out and I loved Romeo and Juliet and also really like Strictly Ballroom- the bonus DVD Inside the Red Curtain- is ok- you may watch it once but shouldn't be a deciding factor in buying the DVD set. Both Moulin Rogue and Romeo and Juliet seem to have a fair amount of DVD extras (MR has a second disc, of course) Strictly Ballroom seems a little slim, but i haven't watched the dvd yet, just browsed through the menu
Rating: 
Summary: Great stuff except the DVD-ROM
Review: Moulin Rouge is my boyfriend and my most favorite movie ever. We never expected to like, not one bit. But after we rented it, then bought it -- well, we've watched it dozens and dozens of times and even gone to a Sing-a-Long night here in DC, which was great fun. Romance, conflict, pop songs and a whole lot of foretelling lead up to the most fulfilling climax and an ever-so-sad ending. "Quick, play it again!"
Romeo & Juliet is cool enough. The best part of the whole thing is when they die at the end. (I don't think I'm giving anything away with that famous plot twist.) Honestly, I wasn't familiar with the plot or dialogue so I was lost the first time I watched it. Then I rewatched it with the English subtitles -- big help! Thank gawd for DVDs.
Strictly Ballroom is the weakest of the three and the only one I originally saw in the theatre. It's a modest cinderella-type story mostly told from the prince-like dancer who plays the lead. The side characters are rather cartoonish and other than the lead, no one is as beautiful as this storyline needs them to be. It's okay.
I was most excited to finally buy this triple pack for my boyfriend's birthday a few months ago -- I really wanted to see what the 4th Disc had. I liked the workshop documentary and loved the remix of "Someday I'll Fly Away." There's some nice stuff here... but A LOT is missing, too: NONE of the DVD-ROM links work anymore! I have no idea what tidbits I'm missing, but I feel a bit ripped off [sigh]. What's left is some bits of the background music from the movie. The best song is under the "Toulouse Tonight" section, "Meet you in the Red Room" I think is what it's called. But the screenplay and web vignettes are all gone. Come on FOX, get it back online or give me a partial refund! It hasn't been that long since this set came out.
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