Faerie Tale Theatre: Magical Tales (1984) Review

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(More customer reviews)Collected in this DVD are four unforgettable stories from Shelley Duvall's beloved FAERIE TALE THEATRE series. However, the title for this compilation ("Magical Tales") is quite curious, because most (if not all) of the stories from the show can be described as "magical"! Still, your family will adore seeing these fairytale classics, enacted by a star-studded cast: Susan Sarandon, Ben Vereen, Leonard Nimoy and Vanessa Redgrave among them.
SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS:
Elizabeth McGovern is luminous in the title role of Snow White. Her acting is very understated and she perfectly captures the innocence and bewilderment of the character. Vanessa Redgrave offers a tour-de-force performance as the Wicked Queen, who dons several magical disguises to ensnare our heroine. Rex Smith gives us a Prince who is handsome yet goofy (a refreshing change), and Vincent Price is a delight as both the Magic Mirror and Narrator. Series creator Shelley Duvall has a brief role as Snow White's mother during the prologue.
BEAUTY AND THE BEAST:
Beauty's (Susan Sarandon) merchant father steals a white rose from the castle of the Beast (Klaus Kinski). As punishment, the Beast orders that the merchant return to the castle in 3 days, or else one of his daughters must go in his place. Beauty selflessly sacrifices her own freedom to release her father. Once in the castle, Beauty slowly begins to win the friendship and trust of the Beast, who hides a gentle and kind heart beneath his frightening exterior.
PUSS IN BOOTS:
In return for some swanky new clothes, a clever cat (Ben Vereen) promises his master Edgar (Gregory Hines) a kingdom of his own and wealth beyond his wildest dreams. And with an extra bit of cunning Edgar might just win the hand of the fair Princess Lovinia (Alfre Woodard)!
ALADDIN AND HIS WONDERFUL LAMP:
Aladdin (played by Robert Carradine) is thrown into a world of wonder, danger and romance after discovering a lamp which contains a Genie (James Earl Jones) who will grant his every wish. Unfortunately, a scheming magician (Leonard Nimoy) also knows about the magical lamp and will stop at nothing to get it...

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Hey Cinderella (1970) Review

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(More customer reviews)The one and only Jim Henson filters the iconic tale of Cinderella through his decidedly unique vision in this charming family film. Besides the traditional poor-girl snags a charming prince plot we also have talking frogs, purple monsters, dishwashing dogs and a fairy godmother whose spells make things completely disappear more often than not.
The familar plot has sweet, pretty Cinderella meeting her Prince in the Royal Garden for the first time while she is tramping through the mud (her stepmother has ordered her to get the kitchen floor dirty before she scrubs it) and promptly falls for him, even though she thinks he's a gardener ( she doesn't recognize him from his picture on the money). The gently loopy plot roughly follows its predictable path to the end , with the highlight being the masked ball where a huge, radish-loving monster waltzes by the startled King ( who observes that next time the invitations will have to be more specific). The King, who is a Muppet, gets the best lines in the film (such as when his distressed son asks if he will get any say in his marriage and the King retorts "sure you do, just not the final say") and is a truly inspired creation, and the movie is a fine addition to the Muppet canon.
If you enjoy "Hey Cinderella" you should also check out the terrific Muppet take on "The Frog Princess", which makes a delightful companion to this cute family film.

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Shelley Duvall's Faerie Tale Theatre: The Complete Collection (2008) Review

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(More customer reviews)Koch Vision presents "SHELLEY DUVALL'S FAERIE TALE THEATRE: THE COMPLETE COLLECTION" (1982-1987) (1387 mins/Color) (Dolby digitally remastered) -- Brought to you on seven discs the fairy tale event of the year arrives with Shelley Duvall's Faerie Tale Theatre: The Complete Collection, the ultimate DVD collection for both kids and parents alike --one of the most acclaimed and universally beloved series ever produced -- is family entertainment like none other --- From the Brothers Grimm to Hans Christian Andersen, twenty-six of the most beloved stories of all time are brought to life by A-list actors (in some of their most unique and memorable roles) as well as master directors including Tim Burton and Francis Ford Coppola among them --- You'll in seeing Robin Williams as the Frog Prince,Eric Idle as the Pied Piper, Billy Crystal as one of the Three Little Pigs,Jennifer Beals and Matthew Broderick as Cinderella and her prince, Bernadette Peters and Christopher Reeve as Sleeping Beauty and Prince Charming, Susan Sarandon and Klaus Kinski as Beauty and the Beast, Paul Reubens as Pinocchio, James Earl Jones as the Genie inside Aladdin's lamp, and Carrie Fisher as Thumbelina.
Each one of these stories is literally hand crafted by the directors (some of them famous directors like Francis Ford Coppella) and Shelley Duvall to reflect a certain style --- An example being the Sleeping Beauty tale was set in Russia with the sets and costumes designed to look like scenes from classic Russian motifs, the music from the Russian ballet --- Another being the direct rip off of the classic Jean Cocteau film "Beauty and the Beast".
All of these were designed with the intent of entertaining not only children but adults --- Some of the best moments in these are only things that adults will understand --- Christopher Reeve does a fantastic job in his multi-role part in "Sleeping Beauty" as does Malcolm McDowell as the Wolf in "Little Red Riding Hood" --- McDowell infuses the character with a subtle dark sensuality --- His chemistry with his then wife Mary Steenburgen is strong.
Probably the best one of all is the "Three Little Pigs" with Jeff Goldblum (as the Big Bad Wolf), Valerie Perrine (as a ravishing piglette), and Billy Crystal(as one of the three little pigs) --- The writing in this one is completely off the wall as well as it should be --- So enjoy with a loving heart and the mind of an innocent child.
Under the production staff of:
Series Directed by
Peter Medak (5 episodes, 1984-1987)
Gilbert Cates (2 episodes, 1983-1984)
Robert Iscove (2 episodes, 1985-1987)
Mark Cullingham (2 episodes, 1985-1986)
Series Produced by
Shelley Duvall .... executive producer / producer (7 episodes, 1983-1987)
Bridget Terry .... producer (5 episodes, 1982-1986)
Fred Fuchs .... producer (5 episodes, 1984-1987)
Series Writing credits
Rod Ash (7 episodes, 1983-1987)
Mark Curtiss (5 episodes, 1983-1987)
Charles Perrault (2 episodes, 1983-1985)
Mark Curtis (2 episodes, 1984-1986)
26 Spellbinding Episodes:
1. "Alladin and His Wonderful Lamp"
2. " Beauty and the Beast"
3. " The Boy Who Left Home to Find Out About the Shivers"
4. "Cinderella"
5. "The Dancing Princesses"
6. "The Emperor's New Clothes"
7. "Goldilocks and the Three Bears"
8. "Hansel and Gretel"
9. "Jack and the Beanstalk"
10. "The Little Mermaid"
11. "Little Red Riding Hood"
12. "The Nightingale"
13. "The Pied Piper of Hamelin"
14. "Pinocchio"
15. "The Princess and the Pea'
16. "The Princess Who Had Never Laughed"
17. "Puss in Boots"
18, "Rapunzel"
19. "Rip Van Winkle"
20. "Rumpelstiltskin"
21. "Sleeping Beauty"
22. "The Snow Queen"
23. "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs"
24. "The Tale of the Frog Prince"
25. "The Three Little Pigs"
26. "Thumbelina"
the cast includes:
John Achorn ... Comedian / ... (12 episodes, 1982-1987)
Shelley Duvall ... Host / ... (10 episodes, 1982-1986)
Patrick DeSantis ... Ensemble / ... (9 episodes, 1982-1987)
David McCharen ... Alfred / ... (7 episodes, 1984-1987)
Charlie Dell ... Arturo / ... (4 episodes, 1982-1985)
Donovan Scott ... Cubby Bear / ... (3 episodes, 1982-1984)
Mark Blankfield ... Derrick Van Bummel / ... (3 episodes, 1983-1987)
Jean Stapleton ... Fairy Godmother / ... (3 episodes, 1983-1985)
Bud Cort ... Music Master / ... (2 episodes, 1982-1983)
Maysie Hoy ... Housekeeper / ... (2 episodes, 1983)
John Salazar ... Juggler / ... (2 episodes, 1983-1986)
Vincent Price ... Narrator / ... (2 episodes, 1984)
Rene Auberjonois ... King Boris / ... (2 episodes, 1982-1983)
Joseph Maher ... Narrator / ... (2 episodes, 1985-1986)
Bobby Porter ... The Goblin (2 episodes, 1983-1985)
Jerry Hall ... Pansy / ... (2 episodes, 1983)
Anjelica Huston ... Marguerite / ... (2 episodes, 1983-1984)
Eric Idle ... Narrator / ... (2 episodes, 1982-1985)
Michael Richards ... King Geoffrey / ... (2 episodes, 1982-1984)
Paul Dooley ... Father / ... (2 episodes, 1982-1983)
Phil Fondacaro ... Bernard / ... (2 episodes, 1983-1984)
Jane Alden ... Agricultural Princess / ... (2 episodes, 1984-1985)
Tony Cox ... Bubba / ... (2 episodes, 1984-1985)
Daniel Frishman ... Boniface / ... (2 episodes, 1984-1985)
Brandis Kemp ... Mama Bear / ... (2 episodes, 1984-1985)
Nancy Lenehan ... Georgette / ... (2 episodes, 1984-1985)
Peter Risch ... Bruno / ... (2 episodes, 1984-1985)
Mitchel Evans ... Barrister Fish / ... (2 episodes, 1984)
Stan Wilson ... Jaques / ... (2 episodes, 1984)
Barrie Ingham ... Finnance Minister / ... (2 episodes, 1985-1986)
Roy Dotrice ... Peter Vanderdonk / ... (2 episodes, 1987)
SPECIAL FEATURES:
1. Bonus Shorts - Lost Episode: "Faerie Tale Theatre's Greatest Moments" ("Grimm Party")
2. Featurettes - Vintage Faerie Tale Theatre Presentation Reel (Hosted by Shelley Duvall)
3. Trailers - B-Roll Promo Footage
4. Collectible Book - 112-page Storybook with an Introduction by Producer Bridget Terry
5. Limited Edition - "3-In-1" Faerie Tale Theatre Game (Custom Playing Cards, Memory Match, and Trivia)
Great job by Koch Vision --- looking forward to more high quality titles from their film market --- order your copy now from Amazon or Koch Vision where there are plenty of copies available on DVD, stay tuned once again for top notch releases --- where they are experts in releasing long forgotten films and treasures to the collector.
Total Time: 1387 mins on DVD ~ KOCH 6544 ~ (9/02/2008)

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Shelley Duvall's Faerie Tale Theatre brings to life twenty-six of the most magical fairy tales of all time. Directed by such masters of cinema as Tim Burton and Francis Ford Coppola, and star-powered by Robin Williams, Billy Crystal, Mick Jagger, James Earl Jones, Howie Mandel, Christopher Reeve, Susan Sarandon and more, this collection is an unparalleled treasury of best-loved tales of enchantment, adventure and wonder. Contains 26 Spellbinding Stories Digitally Restored and Re-mastered! Aladdin and His Wonderful Lamp Beauty and the Beast The Boy Who Left Home to Find Out About the Shivers Cinderella The Dancing Princesses The Emperor's New Clothes Goldilocks and the Three Bears Hansel and Gretel Jack and the Beanstalk The Little Mermaid Little Red Riding Hood The Nightingale The Pied Piper of Hamelin Pinocchio The Princess and the Pea The Princess Who Had Never Laughed Puss in Boots Rapunzel Rip Van Winkle Rumpelstiltskin Sleeping Beauty The Snow Queen Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs The Tale of the Frog Prince The Three Little Pigs Thumbelina ALSO INCLUDES ENCHANTING EXTRAS: Lost Episode: "Faerie Tale Theatre's Greatest Moments" ("Grimm Party") Vintage Faerie Tale Theatre Presentation Reel with Shelley Duvall B-Roll Promo Footage AND EXCLUSIVE COLLECTOR'S ITEMS: Photo-Rich 112-Page Storybook "3-In-1" Faerie Tale Theatre Game (custom playing cards, memory match and trivia)

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