Tommy

Hair Studio: Tcfhe/mgm Release Date: 05/20/2008 Run time: 121 minutes Rating: Pg	Jesus Christ Superstar (Special Edition) Jesus judas and mary magdalene cross paths in this version of the rock opera. Studio: Uni Dist Corp. (mca) Release Date: 08/31/2004 Starring: Ted Neeley Yvonne Elliman Run time: 107 minutes Rating: G Director: Norman Jewison	Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band If it weren't for a couple of inspired performances, as well as the time-capsule weirdness of it all, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band would be definitively unwatchable. This misguided effort to dramatize the classic Beatles album (the Fab Four had nothing to do with it, tha...	Tommy (1969 Original Concept Album) \N	Tommy (1975 Film) During a 1971 concert performance, a seemingly relieved Pete Townshend announced that the event would mark the last performance of the Who's landmark rock opera Tommy. To paraphrase Adam West: "Poor, deluded boy." Over the ensuing decades, the mushrooming popularity of the Who's ...
Godspell The long-running 70s stage musical based on the gospel according to st. Matthew comes to dvd in this exhilarating big-screen adaptation. Includes the hit song day by day. Special features: subtitles in english spanish portuguese chinese korean and thai talent files and much more....	Across the Universe (Two-Disc Special Edition) Set in America during the Vietnam War, Across the Universe is a powerful love story set against a backdrop of political and social unrest: it's a story of soul-searching, self-doubt, and individual powerlessness cleverly conveyed through a multitude of Beatles songs. Like young a...	The Who - The Kids Are Alright (Special Edition) Half its members may be dead and its leader may be keeping a low profile, but the Who remains enormously popular. Devotees who haven't availed themselves of Jeff Stein's thrilling, self-mocking 1979 documentary about the group shouldn't wait another minute now that the film has b...	A Hard Day's Night The Fab Four from Liverpool--John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr--in their first movie. Nobody expected A Hard Day's Night to be much more than a quick exploitation of a passing musical fad, but when the film opened it immediately seduced the world--even...	Little Shop of Horrors Hilarious, cheapie black comedy from 1960 that may be the best film by B-picture master Roger Corman, other than Bucket of Blood, made about the same time with the same writer, Charles Griffith. Seymour (Jonathan Haze) is an assistant in a skid-row flower shop who's on the point ...

Long Ago And Far Away
It would be difficult to overestimate the impact TOMMY had when hit movie screens in 1975, and if you were alive at the time you knew of the movie, knew of the stars, and very likely heard some of the music--whether you wanted to or not. It was ubiquitious; it was inevitable; it was also very exciting. But time, as one rock and roller once noted, was waiting in the wings. Seen today, TOMMY is less of a success than we thought it was at the time, a mixed bag of music, singers, and imagery, some of it very successful and some of it not. The story is extremely, extremely loose, so much so that it pretty much fails to come to any meaningful conclusion. Generally, it concerns an English woman, Nora (Ann-Margaret) whose husband is killed in World War II. She thereafter has a son by her dead husband and marries a sleazy alcoholic (Oliver Reed.) In childhood, Tommy experiences an emotional trauma that leaves him deaf, dumb, and blind, and throughout much of the film Nora seeks a cure as she herself drifts into alcoholism. The role of Tommy as an adult is played by Roger Daltry of The Who, which under Pete Townsend created the music. The cures he faces include a visit to the Church of Marilyn Monroe, where Eric Clapton is the priest; a visit to "The Acid Queen," who is noneother than Tina Turner; and a specialist, who proves to be Jack Nicholson. In the meantime he also experiences additional traumas at the hands of sadistic cousin Kevin (Paul Nicholas) and molestor Uncle Ernie (Kieth Moon.) But he ultimately emerges as a deaf, dumb, and blind pinball championship, defeating the champ (Elton John) and gaining fame and riches. It's really at this point that the film begins to fall apart in terms of story: once Tommy recovers from his handicaps he declares himself a messiah of sorts, preaching that people must don earplugs, eye covers, and mouth restraints and learn to play pinball in order to... Well, in order to what, exactly, is never really explained, and therein lies the rub. The musical performances are at worst merely okay--Reed and Nicholson have not been hired for their vocal talents, but they play their scenes well--to excellent, with Daltry, Ann-Margaret, Tina Turner, and Elton John the highlights. The imagery ranges from interesting to ho-hum, and the pace is surprisingly slow. Perhaps most damning, however, is the fact that the thing is too inconsistent in all aspects to be considered a unified whole. Sometimes it pops, sometimes it drags, some of it is very exciting, some of it is uninspired. When all is said and done, TOMMY is best regarded as a cultural artifact of its era rather than as a motion picture. The various DVD releases--there have been a few--range from okay to outstanding, but unless you happen to be a hardcore enthusiast the single DVD edition will do the trick. GFT, Amazon Reviewer

Visionary !
Jack Nicholson singing ? What could possibly go wrong ? I felt like I took a tab of acid in post-war London. Ken Russell is one of those insane visionaries that goes waaaaaayyyyyy beyond conventional film making. There are some artsy-fartsy themes to it, but, then again, Ann Margret is covered in baked beans. DON'T UNDERESTIMATE KEITH MOON'S PERFORMANCE !

Our Search for "Tommy"
We chose a dealer from Amazon to purchase this DVD - and as we expected - all went well. The product itself, price, shipping - all excellent.

Not Just For WHO Fans!
I'm not the biggest WHO fan. But there is no denying that "Tommy" is a phenomenal masterpiece. Much of what makes this rock opera so great is the different guest appearances, the phenomenal music, the artistic images, the touching story, and characters who are not just good or bad. Tommy himself is kind of a Hamlet type. At the risk of oversimplifying, Tommy's father Robert Powell (probably best known for doing Jesus in "Jesus of Nazareth"), disappears in the war; Tommy's mother Ann Margret falls in love with Oliver Reed, and they kill Tommy's father, unknowingly in front of Tommy. (Reverses the story on the record where the father kills the lover) As a result of this trauma, Tommy loses his ability to speak, hear, and see. Oliver Reed is an interesting 'Claudius' to Tommy's 'Hamlet.' (We can also suspect that while Margret loved her 1st husband Robert Powell, that she loves Oliver Reed more.) Yes; Reed killed Tommy's father and stole a willing Margret; but throughout, we see that despite Reed's crimes, he DOES have a conscience. Even though he is lecherous and drinks heavily, he DOES try to help Tommy regain his senses. From here, we have an interesting set of musical numbers by notable guests. (Eric Clapton and Tina Turner to name 2.) Margret and Reed's attempts to help Tommy (Roger Daltrey) fail. Tommy goes through some tragic abuse in the absence of his mother and stepfather, but Reed shows a redeeming moment when he saves Tommy from 'Wicked Uncle Ernie.' Tommy runs off, Reed discovers that Tommy (despite his disabilities) can play pinball very well, and this is when Tommy suddenly gains fame. (The movie's most famous moment is undoubtedly Tommy's pinball showdown with the great Elton John.) Despite their rise to riches and fame, Margret and Reed still want to cure Tommy. (And in all fairness, this shows that they know that there is more to life than fame and riches.) We then have a cameo with Jack Nicholson ( a doctor) who explains that the deafness and blindness is psychological and not physical. Through a very artful sequence, that hints at Baptism, Tommy suddenly regains his senses, and we finally have some real vocals by the lead singer Daltrey. He comes through magnanimously in that he has apparently forgiven Margret and Reed for their crimes. (Even 'Wicked Uncle Ernie' is forgiven.) Tommy's popularity seems to grow at an alarming rate, but will they be able to manage his rise to fame where some start to see him as a new Messiah? I can not help but feel another reason this musical has done so well (besides the great music, the numerous appearances, and the touching story) is that it takes realistic aspects of the human condition and puts it to energetic music and uses strange but interesting images. Obviously, you will like this more if you are a WHO fan. But this is not only for WHO fans. It is a real masterpiece. (Not just for 70s nights!)

Fast delivery, excellent condition
The DVD arrived well ahead of the scheduled delivery date, and in perfect condition. I have no concerns about ordering New & Used when I get service and products like this.