Rating: 
Summary: What is it About Governesses?
Review: My husband, a man who claims to be deeply unsentimental, adores this movie. I just think the movie's great. I also think the film is beautifully shameless in its manipulations: all that gorgeous scenery, the rousing soundtrack, great lyrics, Julie Andrews' voice, children climbing trees, nuns with hearts of gold, Nazi's that aren't quite on the ball, and who are hated by all the Austrians (be sure to put away your history books).And, oh, the delicious governess issue. Maria (Julie Andrews) takes a break from the convent (she hasn't taken final vows) to try the world outside -- as a governess to seven children. The Baron she serves falls in love with her. Natch! The shades of Jane Eyre, and innumerable other literary and filmic ghosts. hover over the video. The formula just plain works -- and I screen my child-care providers carefully. The Von Trapp marriage (a nice one, but sex is kept tightly under wraps -- after all, he's a control freak and she's practically a nun) makes for a great Cathedral scene. Then the plot, well, thickens. The evil Nazis threaten to ruin everything. The Von Trapps head for the mountains to a new life (with a brief heart-stopping stay at the convent before-hand). They look absolutely great as they tromp through the mountains. Curtain! And silly as some of it is, I always reach for the tissues. Go ahead. Wallow in this video. Live the fantasy (but remember it's a fantasy). Love the music. Love those singing nuns and hate those Nazis. Love the voice of Julie Andrews. But be careful if you're in the market for a governess.
Rating:
Summary: The Sound of Music -- a gem,a marvel, a masterpiece.
Review: The Sound of Music blends all of the wonderful qualities of a great movie together into one splendid presentation. From Julie Andrews lovely voice soothes every fear and fills hearts with joy. The Sound of Music is beautifully scored, acted, directed, and filmed by the greatest artists in their field. The multitude of great acting talent, composed of Julie Andrews, Christopher Plummer, and more bring the story of a young lady who "will never be a nun" and falls in love for the first time with a retired navy captain, whose children she cares for, demonstrates what great acting ability can add to a masterpiece on celluloid. Although the movie is not entirely accurate in its depiction of the Von Trapp family that escaped from the Nazis, it enlightens its audience with wonderful melodies, voices and marvelously choreographed dances. If you enjoy a movie that is wholesome and entertaining, look no further than The Sound of Music.
Rating: 
Summary: Sound of Music DVD
Review: After a long wait for the greatest movie of all time to appear on DVD, I was disappointed to see that the sound is out of sync with the picture. You'd think THX certification would mean something.
Rating:
Summary: Run, don't walk, to get this DVD
Review: This long-awaited DVD release is more than worth the wait. Not only is the transfer flawless and the sound and picture stunning, but the second disk contains information about the Von Trapp family and the production itself that help round out what is a wondrous motion picture experience. In short, this might be the best DVD ever produced, and it is certainly the biggest DVD bargain at the present time. I won't dwell on the movie, since most everyone already knows how great it is. What sets this DVD apart is the wealth of background information about the movie--the family, the production, the crew, and the actors--contained on disk two. Even though I have read about the Von Trapps, I had no idea what the whole story was until watched disk two. It was astounding. And the background info from many of the still-living actors was priceless. If you love "The Sound Of Music" like I do, shame on you if you don't run to the nearest retailer and get it. Once you see it, your life will indeed be filled with the sound of music.
Rating:
Summary: A 'must have' for the collection
Review: The Sound of Music was an annual event in my family because it aired on TV once a year while I was growing up. Even though I've seen the movie many times, I just watched the DVD version and was amazed that I had either forgotten or never "heard" some of the dialog before. The film transfer and the re-done sound in dolby 4.1 is awesome (especially when you consider I've seen the movie mostly on TV in mono!). I haven't had a chance to review the second DVD with all the extras yet, but you can bet I will. What surprises me is that they've never re-done and re-released The Sound of Music in the theatre. I'm sure is would do well. The wide screen format onthe DVD is really great, so you can really see things that were cut off in TV broadcasts. Buy it, you won't be disappointed.
Rating:
Summary: What a bargin - GREAT DVD package
Review: My copy of "Sound of Music" on DVD arrived today and what a wonderful package it is. The film is on one disk, the second contains documentaries on Salzburg (where it was filmed) and the making of the film with commentaries from most of the creative people. The DVD set is worth the price for this second disk alone. There are also audio interviews with cast members and lots of other features. Julie Andrews tells some delightful things about problems in filming such as the wind from the helicopter that filmed the famous opening segment on the hill top knocking her down at the end of a number of takes for the scene. Everyone must know about the film and what a wonderful family entertainment it is. A bit corny and sentimental, yes, but there is good reason it was the Oscar winner for best picture. Julie Andrews was born to play this part, Christopher Plummer is just right as Baron Von Trapp. It could not be better cast. (It is a bit of a shock to see two of the children during their interviews as adults today.) The clarity of the picture, the sound, everything is wonderful in this package. Even if you have a previous video tape of Sound of Music, this is the one to have now. If you don't have a DVD player, this film alone should convince you to get one. If I could give it 10 stars, I would.
Rating:
Summary: WARNING about DVD quality
Review: This is one of the all time favorites. I love this movie but anyone thinking of purchasing the DVD needs to be aware that this DVD plays in Widescreen format ONLY! If your not familar with DVD aspect ratio that means that this movie plays in a window that runs across the middle of a standard TV screen. The top 1/3 and the bottom 1/3 of the TV screen is just black bars. On my 19" that means this movie plays in about a 10" high bar. I have to sit one foot from the TV to watch it. For me this totally destroys the viewing enjoyment of one of the best films ever made. Without a widescreen TV this DVD is just a... frizbee (OK it's 2 frizbees). Most manufactures double side the DVD's so that standard format is on one side and widescreen format is on the other side but 20th Century Fox does not do this for some unknown reason. I recommend that until it is released in standard format just keep watching it on your VHS tape.
Rating:
Summary: A beautiful story that veers from fairy-tale to gritty
Review: Now WHAT can I say about this movie that a thousand others haven't said? That despite the fact that it is sappy and a bit obvious, it's also witty, funny, touching, and endearing. You will want to BE Maria! Maria is a high-spirited young nun who is always late, always skipping and singing and sprinting around, and she's driving the solemner nuns up the wall. The Mother Superior knows that her place is not a convent, and so sends her for a time to be the governess to the Baron Von Trapp's seven kids. Baron Von Trapp (played to perfection by Christopher Plummer) is a widower, who has emotionally closed himself off, and treats his bouncy bunch of kids like military ship crew: They have to march, line up for inspection, and respond INSTANTLY, no matter where they are, to the blast of a whistle. Maria is shocked by this, and quickly tries to give the kids love and affection and FUN. The kids respond to this new treatment by becoming fiercely attached to Maria, despite their father's attachment to the beautiful, blond, completely uninteresting Baroness Schraeder. Naturally, that isn't all of the plot. There are love stories and stories about runaways, and the Nazis loom over all of it. The kids are amazing, from energetic teen Liesl to amazingly (but not cloyingly) cute Gretl. All of the kids are perfectly normal: Gretl announcing that she got her finger caught "in Friedrich's teeth"; Liesl's attraction to a young Nazi; Friedrich's musings on what grass tastes like. Liesl has been my favorite for a very long time. Plummer is excellent, he's alternately tender (with hardly a word said) and strict, loving and cold. But what shines through all the time is Von Trapp's moral sense, and determination not to help the Nazis. Julie Andrews is bright and effervescent, turning from a grown-up girl into a woman before our eyes. And the actress playing Baroness Schraeder (Eleanor Parker) is a very low-key note--you hate her whenever you see her, with her smooth manners and speech and appearance. Her talk with Maria made me gag. Then, in her last scene, she surprises everyone. This is a beautiful musical tale with roots in reality, a must-see for everyone.
Rating:
Summary: Best Sound of Music ever
Review: This is definitely the best video incarnation of this classic R&H musical ever. The sharpness and clarity of image is unsurpassed. Far better than the 1994 laserdisc version, although the full length CD sountrack that came with that box-set made it worth every penny. The Oscar-winning sound is better than ever, and the ability to drop out the voices and hear Irwin Kostal's arrangements is much fun! No wonder he was the first choice for conductor of many of the film musicals of the 1960's. The extras on the 2nd disc are great too, including a 90 minute documentary on the making of the movie that was produced in 1994. Sadly, Saul Chaplin and Irwin Kostal have died since then. And the short film made by Charmian Carr on her time in Salzburg is charming, a bit quaint at times but it does give a good behind the scenes look at several scenes being shot, mostly footage of DO-RE-MI. My only gripe is that in the stills section many of the pictures are washed out and too bright. Is this a flaw of the disc? With everything elselooking so good, this seems a bit overlooked. I hope it isn't just my copy.
Rating:
Summary: TIMELESS!
Review: Got the 2-disc DVD yesterday (8/29/00 - the official release date) and immediately popped disc 1 (which has the movie; disc 2 has interviews, etc.) into my computer's DVD player. It first installs a program (PCFriendly DVD); with this loaded, you can watch the movie or do other things such as go to associated web sites created/sponsored by Fox. I clicked on a few links and, while they worked OK, I was frankly a bit disgusted by the commercialization (pop-up ads, cartoons, etc.) This was a distraction. Anyway, I then played the movie and was immediately immersed in intense nostalgia (I had first watched the movie decades ago when I was a teenager). The movie is truly timeless! Julie Andrews is charming & graceful, and stands head and shoulders above all other performers. Both the sound and picture quality are good; there are no scratches on the images or distortions in the sound to indicate the age of the movie, though the colors appear a bit faded in some of the scenes. The movie played somewhat jerkily on more-than-adequately-powerful computer, for unknown reasons. The web links are a nice feature, notwithtanding the irritating attempt at commercialization by the MBA-toting big wigs at Fox. So inspite of these shortcomings, I remind myself that ultimately its the movie that counts for the rating and so I give it the maximum 5 stars. The movie is timeless and ageless in its appeal. (Wipes tear from eye) I hope to watch it in the future with my grandchildren in my lap.
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