The Sound of Music (Two-Disc 40th Anniversary Special Edition)
Starring: Julie Andrews, Christopher Plummer, Eleanor Parker, Richard Haydn, Peggy Wood
Price: $13.99
When Julie Andrews sang "The hills are alive with The Sound of Music" by an Austrian mountain in 1965, the most popular movie musical was born. To be sure, the adaptation of Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II Broadway hit has never been generally accepted as, say, Singin 'in the Rain. Critics argue that the songs are saccharine (even the songwriters regretted the line "to sing through the night like a lark who is learning to pray") and that the characters act and not the complexity, it is interesting. It is not difficult to know whom to root for when your choice between cute kids and Nazis. Read our interview with Charmian Carr who played Liesl von Trapp in "The Sound of Music. It does not matter. The audience fell in love with the struggling novice Maria (Andrews), the dashing Captain von Trapp (Christopher Plummer), and, yes, the cute kids, all based on a real-life World War II Austrian family. Such songs as "My Favorite Things," "Do Re Mi" mean, his comments were in about 1975), Charmian Carr (Liesl), choreographer Dee Dee Wood and Johannes von Trapp (the real-life Maria von Trapp, the youngest son, who admits that his father had a whistle, but claimed that he did not like them as a star in the film). Even with all these people that there are still significant gaps of silence, however. Retained earnings from the last two-disc edition is the commentary track by director Robert Wise, which during the musical numbers is an isolated outcome, without vocals. Also new are singing with subtitles in English, Spanish and French, which allow you your own song at home. In addition, remastering the film shows a truer and much warmer sense of color. On the second disc, Andrews on a new 63-minute documentary "My Favorite Things: Julie Andrews recalls." But it is really a general making-of documentary with contributions from a number of principles, including the director Robert Wise, who died in Mid 2005 (not surprisingly, some stories are repeated from the commentary track and from the 87-minute documentary on the previous DVD). Andrews also shares a warm 19-minute SIT with Christopher Plummer. Carr, during the years, the film's biggest advocate, narrates a new 22-minute documentary, "On Location with The Sound of Music" in which she places in the new Salzburg where the movie was filmed, and even a member of the "Sound of Music Tour" which resulted in a booming industry. And another great recognition of the industry, there is a 12-minute Featurette on the Sing-along phenomenon, focusing specifically on the audience, costumed and otherwise, which in a sold-out Hollywood Bowl singing together in 2005. Special appearances at the event are four von Trapp great-grandchildren and all seven of the actors who played the children. Fortunately, the actors in a 33-minute documentary "From Liesl to Gretl: A 40th Anniversary Reunion," in which they explain what they do now (many are still in show business) and share stories about the film, the fear of Christopher Plummer, and what they feel is their responsibility to the film industry, the passionate fans. What's to touch, as the group still considers themselves a family so many years later. Other material includes an A & E documentary on the Trapps, Mia Farrow screen test for the Liesl role, and a restoration comparison. What's missing? If you already have the last two CD editions, you want this 40th Anniversary Edition as well, but you may not want to throw these versions. Probably the most important omission of this issue is the original 14-minute documentary Charmian Carr in 1967, "Salzburg Sight and Sound". Carr's new documentary includes only a few clips from the vintage piece. It is not a great work of art, but it is a remarkable loss and had a good contrast with the new documentary. In addition, the new making-of documentary is about 24 Minutes shorter than the old one. Also missing are the audio features - the interviews, radio programs, the Ernest Lehman spotlight - and the historical still gallery examining the history of Salzburg and the film. Admittedly, this material is probably the least played in one of the old features, but completists might want to at their old discs for it. It would also be nice if the screen other than Farrow's. Tests for all children and Christopher Plummer (including in his own singing voice was dubbed, before working for the film) have been on the Hollywood Screen Tests and Rodgers and Hammerstein: The Sound of Movies. Also they are not critical, but it would have been nice to them all in one place. Perhaps the 40th Anniversary Edition is not the complete package to the sound of music, but it is the issue still not satisfactory enough new material to please even the veteran Som DVD Watcher. - David Horiuchi Stills from The Sound of Music (Click for Larger image)
Price: $13.99
When Julie Andrews sang "The hills are alive with The Sound of Music" by an Austrian mountain in 1965, the most popular movie musical was born. To be sure, the adaptation of Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II Broadway hit has never been generally accepted as, say, Singin 'in the Rain. Critics argue that the songs are saccharine (even the songwriters regretted the line "to sing through the night like a lark who is learning to pray") and that the characters act and not the complexity, it is interesting. It is not difficult to know whom to root for when your choice between cute kids and Nazis. Read our interview with Charmian Carr who played Liesl von Trapp in "The Sound of Music. It does not matter. The audience fell in love with the struggling novice Maria (Andrews), the dashing Captain von Trapp (Christopher Plummer), and, yes, the cute kids, all based on a real-life World War II Austrian family. Such songs as "My Favorite Things," "Do Re Mi" mean, his comments were in about 1975), Charmian Carr (Liesl), choreographer Dee Dee Wood and Johannes von Trapp (the real-life Maria von Trapp, the youngest son, who admits that his father had a whistle, but claimed that he did not like them as a star in the film). Even with all these people that there are still significant gaps of silence, however. Retained earnings from the last two-disc edition is the commentary track by director Robert Wise, which during the musical numbers is an isolated outcome, without vocals. Also new are singing with subtitles in English, Spanish and French, which allow you your own song at home. In addition, remastering the film shows a truer and much warmer sense of color. On the second disc, Andrews on a new 63-minute documentary "My Favorite Things: Julie Andrews recalls." But it is really a general making-of documentary with contributions from a number of principles, including the director Robert Wise, who died in Mid 2005 (not surprisingly, some stories are repeated from the commentary track and from the 87-minute documentary on the previous DVD). Andrews also shares a warm 19-minute SIT with Christopher Plummer. Carr, during the years, the film's biggest advocate, narrates a new 22-minute documentary, "On Location with The Sound of Music" in which she places in the new Salzburg where the movie was filmed, and even a member of the "Sound of Music Tour" which resulted in a booming industry. And another great recognition of the industry, there is a 12-minute Featurette on the Sing-along phenomenon, focusing specifically on the audience, costumed and otherwise, which in a sold-out Hollywood Bowl singing together in 2005. Special appearances at the event are four von Trapp great-grandchildren and all seven of the actors who played the children. Fortunately, the actors in a 33-minute documentary "From Liesl to Gretl: A 40th Anniversary Reunion," in which they explain what they do now (many are still in show business) and share stories about the film, the fear of Christopher Plummer, and what they feel is their responsibility to the film industry, the passionate fans. What's to touch, as the group still considers themselves a family so many years later. Other material includes an A & E documentary on the Trapps, Mia Farrow screen test for the Liesl role, and a restoration comparison. What's missing? If you already have the last two CD editions, you want this 40th Anniversary Edition as well, but you may not want to throw these versions. Probably the most important omission of this issue is the original 14-minute documentary Charmian Carr in 1967, "Salzburg Sight and Sound". Carr's new documentary includes only a few clips from the vintage piece. It is not a great work of art, but it is a remarkable loss and had a good contrast with the new documentary. In addition, the new making-of documentary is about 24 Minutes shorter than the old one. Also missing are the audio features - the interviews, radio programs, the Ernest Lehman spotlight - and the historical still gallery examining the history of Salzburg and the film. Admittedly, this material is probably the least played in one of the old features, but completists might want to at their old discs for it. It would also be nice if the screen other than Farrow's. Tests for all children and Christopher Plummer (including in his own singing voice was dubbed, before working for the film) have been on the Hollywood Screen Tests and Rodgers and Hammerstein: The Sound of Movies. Also they are not critical, but it would have been nice to them all in one place. Perhaps the 40th Anniversary Edition is not the complete package to the sound of music, but it is the issue still not satisfactory enough new material to please even the veteran Som DVD Watcher. - David Horiuchi Stills from The Sound of Music (Click for Larger image)