Cabin in the Sky

Manufacturer: Lions Gate Brand: Lions Gate

Kelsey Grammer brings Ebenezer Scrooge to life in this musical adaptation of Charles Dickens' classic tale. A musical setting for Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol is a natural, and this holiday TV-movie (based on the Broadway version) generously crams music into its quick spin through the venerable story. Kelsey Grammer uses his musical pipes (and some of his "master thespian" style of acting) as Ebenezer Scrooge, the man whose miserliness needs no introduction here. There's some experienced musical-comedy talent in the cast, from small roles to large, with expert stuff from Jesse L. Martin (who was in Rent, the Broadway musical, before he joined the Law & Order team) as the ghost of Christmas Present and Jane Krakowski as the ghost of Christmas Past. Jason Alexander, another TV person with a background in stage musicals, does deftly as the chain-rattling Jacob Marley's ghost (and his number is one of the most tuneful of the mixed bag of songs). Alan Menken, the veteran tunesmith of Beauty and the Beast fame, contributes the music, with lyrics by Lynn Ahrens (Ragtime); the bigger numbers are spirited but a little rote. (The Styne-Merrill songs from a wackier version of the story, Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol, are a more memorable bunch.) This version moves so quickly across the main points of the story that Scrooge's redemption feels a tad rushed, but maybe the songs are supposed to be the point. Still, the razzle-berry dressing is missed. --Robert Horton

Manufacturer: Feature Films for Families Brand: Feature Films for Families

"Returning hurt for hurt never helped anybody," young Bonnie said. But what is she to make of the hurtful Ribaldi who has moved into Castle Gate and threatened to evict her family? When she goes to work in his mysterious old mansion, she helps him see that the ugliness he holds inside is far worse than his hideous appearance. And she soon sees that this "beast" is a master singer and teacher who can help her unlock the beauty of her own voice. As Ribaldi teaches Bonnie to sing, her kindness melts the ice around his heart to reveal goodness and rare wisdom that has been buried for years. Although the children of the town discover his beautiful soul, some of their parents allow ugly rumors to fuel the fires of their hate. Don’t miss the stirring finish as this musical masterpiece builds to a crescendo.

Manufacturer: Warner Home Video Brand: Warner Manufacturing Model: Lili

Orphan Lili Daurier joins a carnival and falls under the spell of its star, a suave magician. But it is the show’s crippled, embittered puppeteer who truly loves Lili, a love he can express only through his puppets. “It is not often that the word ‘enchanting’ can accurately be applied to a musical,” Clive Hirschhorn wrote in The Hollywood Musical, “but it was the best way to describe Lili, as well as Leslie Caron’s genuinely touching performance.” Nominated for six Academy Awards®, Lili offers sentiment without sugar, simplicity without banality and a lyrical heart that beats to an Oscar®-winning Bronislau Kaper score highlighted by Hi-Lili, Hi-Lo and an imaginative sequence of Caron dancing with her beloved puppets come to life. Mel Ferrer, Jean Pierre Aumont, Zsa Zsa Gabor, Amanda Blake and Kurt Kasznar also star.This product is manufactured on demand using DVD-R recordable media. Amazon.com's standard return policy will apply.

Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox Brand: 20TH Century Fox

Disc 1 Side A: Beach Blanket Bingo Disc 1 Side B: How To Stuff a Wild Bikini Disc 2 Side A: Beach Party Disc 2 Side B: Bikini Beach Disc 3 Side A: Fireball 500 Disc 3 Side B: Thunder Alley Disc 4 Side A: Muscle Beach Party Disc 4 Side B: Ski Party The sun will never set on Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello, The recording star from Philadelphia and the former Mouseketeer give a master class in chemistry in five Beach Party films that make up the bulk of this swinging eight-film box set. Beach Party (1963) helped to usher in a new wave of teen exploitation films that were far more fun and frolicsome than the rock and roll and juvenile delinquent films that preceded it. Frankie rents a beach house for himself and Annette's Dolores. He is stunned to learn that she has gotten cold feet and allowed the whole gang to hang out there. So Frankie decides to "dig somebody else," and Delores takes up with Robert Cummings, an anthropologist studying the sex lives of teens. All ends happily, and chastely. Harvey Lembeck, whose credits include Billy Wilder's Stalag 17, introduced his recurring series role as bumbling biker Eric Von Zipper. Surf guitar god Dick Dale provides accompaniment. Vincent Price pops up as Big Daddy to say, "Bring me my pendulum, kiddies. I feel like swinging." Beach Blanket Bingo (1965) is the magnum Party opus as Frankie goes sky-diving, Bonehead (Jody McCrea) falls in love with a mermaid, Linda Evans sings, Paul Lynde is snide, Don Rickles insults, and Frank...

Manufacturer: Criterion Collection (Direct) Brand: CRITERION COLLECTIONS

A Broadway choreographer chain-smokes, pops pills and overworks his way to open-heart surgery. Directed by Bob Fosse.

Manufacturer: BBC Home Entertainment Brand: Warner Manufacturing

Mighty Boosh, The: Special Edition DVD [1-3]Come with us now on a journey through time and space to the world of theMighty Boosh. Visit Bob Fossil's Zooniverse where you'll meet Howard Moon (jazz maverick), Vince Noir (king of the mods) and Naboo (the enigma). Sit back and strap yourself in coz the Boosh is loose and it's comin' at ya like a flannel.]]> Come along for an extended journey through time and space with the Mighty Boosh Special Edition DVD, a seven-disc compilation of the surreal UK comedy series' first three seasons, plus a bonus disc of live material and behind-the-scenes footage that's sure to please the show's growing legion of fans. Those who own the double-disc standalone editions of Boosh's first three seasons will find all of that material repeated here in six of the special edition's discs, including all episodes and supplemental features, so for those wishing to get up to speed in a hurry on the adventures of zookeepers Howard Moon and Vince Noir (creators Julian Barrett and Noel Fielding), or complete their collection in one fell swoop, here's the set to do it. It's the seventh disc that makes the special edition a must-have for first-timers and Boosh faithful alike; chief among its many extras is The Mighty Boosh: A Journey Through Time and Space, a lighthearted but comprehensive hour-long documentary about Barrett and Fielding's trajectory from humble standups to certifiable pop culture icons, with plenty of commentary by fellow UK comics like series ...

Manufacturer: Universal Studios Home Entertainment Brand: Universal Studios

Get ready for big laughs with Abbott and Costello, undeniably the most popular comedy team of all time! Now, the classic films of Bud Abbott and Lou Costello are available on DVD in this hilarious collection.The wildly popular comic duo has entertained audiences since 1931, conquering vaudeville, radio and the silver screen in nearly 40 films. Enjoy these side-splitting hits like Buck Privates and Hold That Ghost in this collection of eight full-length features. The Best of Bud Abbott and Lou Costello: Volume 1 will have you laughing out loud again and again!One Night in the Tropics (1940)Bud and Lou get mixed up in a "Love Insurance" scheme. Buck Privates (1941)The duo accidentally enlists in the U.S. Army to avoid getting arrested!In the Navy (1941)Bud and Lou are sailors bound for duty on the high seas in this musical comedy.Hold that Ghost (1941)The boys inherit a haunted house formerly owned by a mobster.Keep 'Em Flying (1941)Bud and Lou enlist in the Army Air Corps and get caught up in a love triangle.Ride 'Em Cowboy (1942)The duo head to the Lazy S ranch to hide after Lou accidentally proposes to an Indian girl.Pardon My Sarong (1942)Bud and Lou travel to the South Seas where Lou is mistaken for a legendary god!Who Done It? (1942)The boys are suspected of murder while being targeted by the actual killer.

Manufacturer: Motown Brand: JACKSON 5

The Gary, Ind., Jacksons guide Michael and their other children to show-business success; features 38 songs. The miniseries The Jacksons: An American Dream begins in the 1940s, when Joseph Jackson (Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs) and Katherine (Angela Bassett) meet and fall in love, and ends in the 1980s, when their sons reunite for the 1983 Victory Tour that brought them back together as the Jacksons. During the first part, "The Early Years," the couple starts a family, and although times are tough, Joseph still finds time to play music on the side. When he discovers that his sons have inherited the same talent, the Jackson 5 are born. They sign with Motown and start churning out the gold records. The second part, "The Success Years," begins in 1970 at the peak of their fame, but by 1976, the hits have started to dry up. If the acting is uneven and the story somewhat sanitized, Bassett is affecting, and the series includes Emmy-winning choreography and a combination of original and re-created material, ranging from "I Want You Back" (1969) to Michael Jackson's "Beat It" (from 1982's multi-platinum Thriller). --Kathleen C. Fennessy