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Amazon.com Essential Video
The video cast, assembled from London, Amsterdam, and New York productions, is competent. Ken Page as Old Deuteronomy, Jacob Brent as Mr. Mistoffelees, and Elaine Paige--the original London Grizabella, the Glamour Cat well past her prime--are a great deal more than that. Paige has toned down her theatrical belting of her big number, "Memory," and allowed the faded ruin of her character's soul to prevail in close-up. For all the "covers" of her signature song, Paige's version remains definitive. The video is, by definition, more intimate, not always a good thing: costumes are even more Halloweeny in garish close-up, the cats less cuddly without that all-important interaction, the stage's appropriately midnight lighting transmuted to a Las Vegas neon. And the chorus of cats in production numbers is even clunkier and more amorphous in two- and three-shots.
The one complete newcomer to the cast is the 90-year-old icon among English actors John Mills, a delight as Gus the Theatrical Cat. Sir John and his character show the youngsters how it's done in close-up, largely behind the eyes, abetted by a heart-tugging delivery of his one song. Yet virtually all of the songs are lip-synched, further robbing the video Cats of its onstage seeming spontaneity. It's clearer than ever that Lloyd Webber's music is mostly twaddle, with the important exception of "Memory," which instantly and rightly became one of the genuine theater standards not dependent on context, in the vein of Stephen Sondheim's "Send in the Clowns." On the plus side, most of the Cats characters and lyrics, from T.S. Eliot's 14-poem Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats, are far better defined and understood from the video version. --Robert Windeler
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Most helpful customer reviews
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Cats, Great for All.,
By A Customer
This review is from: Cats (DVD)
A very long time ago...about 5 years, I noticed Cats was going to be on a TV channel. I was busy the time it was on so I taped it. Unfortunetly, I set the wrong time on the VCR so it cut out at the end of "Mr.Mistoffelees". I loved what I saw of the show, and was very disapointed that I didn't know how it ended. A couple months later I found the DVD. I immediatly bought it. (Earlier that month I had bought a DVD player) I loved the ending, as well as the rest of the show. My favorite songs are Mungojerrie & Rumpleteazer, Memory (of course) and Macavity: The Mystery Cat. However all the songs are fantastic. I watch the movie all the time. I just recently saw Cats in the theatre to. Which was even better. In the DVD you get great close up shots of the characters costumes and make-up, which are very well done. Cats is a wonderful family musical, great for all ages. Please don't hesitate to buy this DVD, you will fall in love with the songs and the characters just like I did!
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Cats,
By "jasashaw" (stevens, pa United States) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Cats (VHS Tape)
This musical film was great! The costumes, make up, music, choreography, lyrics, special effets, and the scenery was brilliant. The actors and actresses did such a good job. Elaine Paige (Grizabella) sang Memory so incredible and so awsome, I am now a big fan of this song and also a fan of her. I was shocked to see Sir John Mills (Gus the Theatre Cat) in this production. He has been a lot movies I have enjoyed and I was happy to see him in one of my favorite musicals. Ken Page (Old Deuteronomy) had a powerful singing voice. I thought he did a fantastic job. John Partridge (Rum Tum Tugger) was excellent, he was very energetic, and new how to rock n' roll. This is a great Broadway movie and I suggest that anyone who loves musicals, go to a video store or Blockbuster and get this movie!
5.0 out of 5 stars
cats dvd,
By
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Cats (DVD)
Got the dvd fairly faster than I had expected the arrival date to be, and the dvd is in perfect working order.
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