I Want to be a Producer

Advantages: Great song and dance routines and a marvellous central performance from Lane
Disadvantages: A touch too stagey and a less endearing turn from Broderick

...Unscrupulous Broadway producer Max Bialystock discovers he can make more money with a flop than a hit. So with bumbling accountant Leo Bloom, he sets about finding the worst play in history, planning to pocket all the money the moment it closes. Luckily he finds "Springtime for Hitler" - the most tasteless musical ever created. But even with a hopeless cast he finds himself with an unexpected hit on his hands. What's a dishonest man to do to make a little cash? The remake roundabout makes a convoluted stop with a film remake of a stage musical of a film. Broadway director Susan Stroman makes her movie debut with this adaptation of the play that made her name. She feels far too attached to the stage conventions of the piece. Instead of making the most of what film can offer her, she is intent on keeping everything as close to...

afy9mab 22.04.2006 · Read review
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Review of The Producers (DVD)

"I wanna be a producer..."

Advantages: Strong vocals and musical leads
Disadvantages: Missing a certain sparkle

...The Producers is one of those films that I've wanted to see for a long time. I can't to be honest think why this is the case but it is and so when I noticed it whilst out shopping the other day I simply had to buy it. Now I knew upon purchasing the film that I was going to be a musical style film with a good helping of humour and to be fair that is what I received. I must say however, and this is reflected in my rating of the film, that I was expecting something else. Now what this something else is I don't know either but all I can tell you is that I was expecting a little sparkle that just wasn't there. The Producers tells the story of Leo Bloom an accountant and a down on his luck producer Max Bialystock who despite Leo's initial reluctance plot a somewhat bent get rich scheme. This scheme however will only succeed if the play...

MI9to5 23.09.2008 · Read review
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Review of The Producers (DVD)

Producing a flop or a hit?

Advantages: Encouraged me to see the stage play
Disadvantages: A bit too theatrical for a film

...Max Bialystock is a producer, but not a very good one. After another flop, he is ready to give up. That is, until he meets shy accountant, Leo Bloom, who suggests that they raise the cash for a play that they know will be hugely unpopular, then pocket the surplus cash once the play has closed. And they think they have found their perfect potential flop in 'Springtime for Hitler', written by Franz Liebkind, a Nazi. Will Bialystock and Bloom be successful in their attempt to fail? Will Bialystock be as rich as he has dreamed of? And will Leo Bloom finally find happiness and a woman to love? I should mention before I go any further that I have not seen the stage version of The Producers, or the original film written and directed by Mel Brooks back in 1968, and so cannot comment on the similarities/differences between them. Nathan...

sunmeilan 12.09.2008 (13.09.2008) · Read review
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Review of The Producers (DVD)

It costs to much

Advantages: Tiny, stylish, clip on
Disadvantages: overrated, costs to much, lack of features, itunes

...If your after a small mp3 player with the ability to hold your favourite tunes the iPod Shuffle is what your looking at right now. Although it costs more than its competitors it seems to be very stylish and seems to be a cool product to have but is it all its cracked up to be. It can hold about 250 songs which is good as you can put your favourite music on it. It's not the sort of mp3 player that would be your main one but it's ideal for usage in the gym or when your jogging or in any place where you can't put stuff in pockets or hold onto anything big. I would use it more as a secondary mp3 player where you can use it just to store your latest selection of favourite tracks because 250 songs is clearly not enough to hold the majority of peoples music collection. The battery life is quoted to be 12 hours and on this front the i...

sifair 14.06.2007 · Read review
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Review of Apple iPod shuffle 1 GB

The Producers - Hit or Miss?

Advantages: Light-hearted, brash, funny in places - great for fans of musical theatre
Disadvantages: Over-acted, poor soundtrack, too long

...Sad to say this film didn't stand much of a chance following as it did my viewing of the outstanding 'Brokeback Mountain' (also reviewed on Ciao by myself). I was hoping for a laugh-out-loud comedy to lighten the mood after feeling fairly crushed from the forementioned film, and lighten the mood this film certainly did. However, laugh-out-loud it was not, and coupled with other short-comings it proved to be a disappointment all round. Written by Mel Brooks and based on the original award-winning musical, 'The Producers' charts the ups and downs (mostly downs) of has-been Broadway producer Max Bialystock (Nathan Lane), and his unlikely partnership with OCD-riddled accountant Leopold Bloom (Matthew Broderick), following a visit by Bloom to look at Bialystock's rather corrupt accounts. The story evolves when during his accounting...

katyparles 05.05.2006 · Read review
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Review of The Producers (DVD)

The Producers Produce a Musical Performance

Advantages: Catchy songs, funny moments, Enjoyable
Disadvantages: Not to everyones taste, not the world's best acting

...I seem to be making a habit of watching films that I have no idea what they are about and The Producers was no exception. My husband had added it to the rental list on Amazon and when we sat down to watch it last week I had no idea what it was about or who was in it. So imagine my surprise when I discovered it was in fact a musical. The film features the actors Nathan Lane, Matthew Broderick (Sarah Jessica Parkers husband) and Uma Thurman amongst others. The film was originally produced in 1968 and this is a re-make of the original film and was released in 2005. The original film was made into a Broadway production before the release of this second film. I believe that Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick both appeared in the Broadway musical production before filming this version. The basic plot of the film is that Max...

AJ26 23.06.2007 · Read review
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Review of The Producers (DVD)

Paid The Cost To Be The Boss

Advantages: Contains Some Of His Best
Disadvantages: Feels Incomplete

...If you are someone who begins to listen to an album by playing its singles first or by listening straight through then this album is instantly accessible. The first 9 tracks are of brilliant standard, containing Beautiful and Paper'd Up and From Tha Chuuch To Tha Palace. However, although the album seems to be fairly large reaching in at 20 tracks altogether with only 2 or 3 skits, the quality of the songs drops to that of some of the worst of his Welcome To Tha Chuuch mixtapes. 1.Don Doggy [skit] Fairly amusing actually. 2. Da Bo$$ Would Like To See You Very original musical intro to the album that continues the scene set in track 1. A good tune that has been very well produced. Nice chorus aswell. 3. Stoplight Initially a very good track with some WBallz interpolations that fit in well. Good subject topic (trafiic!). Soon...

miss_you_so_1 14.11.2005 (15.11.2005) · Read review
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Review of Paid Tha Cost To Be Tha Boss [PA] - Snoop Dogg

The Producers: Keeping it Light, Bright and Gay

Advantages: Funny, good acting, good singing.
Disadvantages: More swearing than expected, slightly tasteless show within a show.

...The Producers first opened on Broadway in 2001, and since then has been playing to packed audiences across the world. It came to the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, London in November 2004. The only question is...will it flop or will it go? Plot Summary: Max Bialystock is in trouble. His productions are closing on opening night, and things are looking bad. Accountant Leo Bloom turns up to do his books, and makes passing reference to a way where flops could be more profitable than hits - and Max's brain starts to work. What follows is Leo's move from accountant to Broadway producer, Max's epiphany, and a realisation that friendship matters more than almost anything else. This realisation goes via the worst play ever written ("Springtime for Hitler") and the worst director ever born (Roger DeBris). If there's any justice in...

xalala 16.05.2005 · Read review
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Review of The Producers - Musical

Europcar - the hidden cost of car hire

Advantages: None
Disadvantages: You may get charged for damage you have not caused

...and any other organisation that can help me (any other suggestions?). I have lodged a dispute with my credit card over the payment made and they will investigate it. I will update the opinion if I get anywhere, but in the meantime, I hope this has served as a warning for anyone considering hiring a car, especially from Europcar. The so called cheap cost of hiring a car is off set by being charged for damage that may or may nor be your fault, and probably should not be charged for according to their own terms and conditions. Remember that even if I had taken out the extra insurance at £6.50 a day, I would still have been charged £60 for something they are not even going to fix! Therefore my advice when hiring a car is either take out the full insurance so there is absolutely no excess, or check the car with a fine toothcomb before leaving...

offy 27.04.2003 (29.05.2003) · Read review
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Review of Buyer Beware! (urgent warnings about products/services to avoid at all costs)

Dont Pay Tha Cost To Be Tha Boss !!

Advantages: Two tracks are awesome
Disadvantages: Possibly his weakest album

...Firstly, I want to start off by saying that I am a huge Snoop Dogg fan, even been to see him live within the last month, but frankly this album is a major let down. Lets start with the positives though. This album is good in that it features 2 of Snoop Dogg's recent wave of comeback tunes. From Da Chuuurch To Da Palace and the massive summer smash Beautiful; both produced by the Neptunes are basically what re-launched Snoop's career in the last couple of years. The beats, the chorus's, the party style in your face lyrics are all perfect. However, don't let this lure you into a false sense of security !! The rest of the album is weak to say the least. There are simply no tracks that stand out from the rest, Snoop is trying to be quirky but it simply doesn't work. He doesn't sound comfortable, as if he knows the composition just...

westside_prov 24.07.2005 · Read review
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Review of Paid Tha Cost To Be Tha Boss [PA] - Snoop Dogg