benny-hill

One of the purposes of the DVD is to restore a movie so it can be seen in its original theatrical release. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang is a great family movie musical and the DVD version is released in standard format. Someone got lazy here and it is seen on DVD as it is shown on network televsion. Its too bad, because widescreen adds so much to a movie and it would have added more to Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.Note: Look for Benny Hill as the Bulgarian toymaker.
Postscript/Edit review Nov 18-03: The Special Edition DVD will be released in both fomats (Widescreen/Pan and Scan). From most of the reviews I've read of the current DVD, the complaint was that it was not released in Widescreen. Someone at MGM/UA must have heard about the complaints and rectified the situation. I originally gave the DVD (not the film itself, because this is a great film musical starring Dick Van Dyke) 2 stars, but the movie deserved 4--and please ignore the title of review. Thank you MGM/UA, Sknayfan-03!

Theyve finally rleased this film in widescreen as they should have done years ago. And for the record this is NOT a DISNEY movie! It was made and released by UNITED ARTISTS. Don't you guys read the credits?

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang on DVD is now in WIDESCREEN and at last we get a bang for our buck. "Why issue a classic widescreen epic on DVD if you are not going to present it in its original aspect ratio?" That was my original question along with many many more fans as this Ian Fleming tale. Count Zborowski is no longer as disapointed about this DVD as he must have been when he lost the original Chitty-Chitty-Bang-Bang in 1922. This is an outstanding DVD presentation with pleny of extras for the young and old alike.

Classic Comedy of all time.
If Benny Hill was born in America He would have made
"Saturday Night Live" ..I believe.
I Wonder what's he doing now.

While reading the reviews of this tape I saw that a Mr. Kwon O Sub wondered where Benny was these days. I am sad to tell him, if he hasn't already found out, that Benny is probably entertaining God at this time. He passed away some time ago.
This doesn't take away from his magical talent left behind for all of us to enjoy. Through the wonders of tape and DVD we can enjoy, and laugh our rears off, anytime we choose. I am sure this would please Benny. I admit you had to learn to love his unique talent, much in the same way as you probably did beer the first time or so you tasted it. He could make you laugh without saying a word. The mischievious look he could have on his face was all which was needed. It is also true that he was the writter of most of the skits. He was, and remains one of the true comedic talents of all time. Somehow, the British just seem to know how to bring a comedy sketch to "life", and find humor in most everything. I would recommend that you look for all the tapes and DVDs available from The Bennny Hill Show. You might be surprised to find, among his "Hills Angels" Daphne, from the American show Fraiser. She was a Hills Angel.

Great skits! minimal music sketches, fortunatly. Not so much skirt-chasing goes more for straight comedy skits.

This was yet another in a series of big-budget comedies that were so stuffed that had to include an intermission. (This 138 minute film has an intermission at the 79 minute mark, followed by a 6-minute Entr'acte, so that the second act is only 52 minutes.) It's also possibly the best one, along with IT'S A MAD, MAD, MAD, MAD WORLD, but where IAMMMMW was at times overlong and peopled with nasty characters, you can care about the people in TMMITFM. It's funnier-with much broader comedy than the other, and a careful sense of time and place. There are a few laggy romantic bIts, but Those Magnificent Men is a fine film well served by 20th Century Fox. Well recommended.

Jamie Teller

1965 was the year of the big screen action race comedies with lots of stars, grand costumes, lavish sets and authentic classic vehicles. "The Great Race" a 1910 auto race from New York to Paris and the "Those Magnificent Men and Their Flying Machines" a 1910 International Aircraft race from London to Paris.

What makes this 1965 Action Comedy so Grand is the attention to detail by Director Ken Annakin who had 6 replica flying machines built by real aero - engineers from the original blue prints and specifications. The accuracy of these replicants even proved the critical pilot weight limitations. They had to even substitute a female stunt pilot to fly the French mono - wing because the original pilot was a very small man. Now available for the first time on a spectacular panoramic 2.20:1 Aspect ratio. (Anamorphic WideScreen DVD (automatically adjusts picture to viewing tv size) with Dolby Surround Sound.) NOTE: THIS IS A FANTASTIC MOVIE TO WATCH ON WIDESCREEN 16:9 HDTV!!!!!

This film is 138 minutes and has many extras which include very detailed information and the history regarding all the 1910 vintage aircraft used in the film.

With an All-star 1960's International cast; Stuart Whitman, Sarah Miles, James Fox, Robert Morley, Red Skelton, Gert Frobe, Jean-Pierre Cassal, Benny Hill, Alberto Sordi and Terry Thomas.

This is a magnificent movie and the ingenuity and comedy of 1910 flight is a delight to watch on the BIG SCREEN. Enjoy.

This is an absolutely wonderful movie. I have watched it again and again. It seems to be one of the funniest movies I've ever seen, yet it was a very good old fashioned, innocent, and more professional humor than most other comedies. I think it is a work of art and should be added to DVD format. Being that much of my family is German, Gert Fröbe was my favorite character. A funny and warm resemblance of the Prussian gentleman of the time. All the national characters were funny too. Terry Thomas was wonderful and gave me plenty of laughs. The Frenchmen and the Italian (Emilio) were great too. You will just feel naturally happier after you watch this movie. Don't even hesitate to buy it!

One of the purposes of the DVD is to restore a movie so it can be seen in its original theatrical release. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang is a great family movie musical and the DVD version is released in standard format. Someone got lazy here and it is seen on DVD as it is shown on network televsion. Its too bad, because widescreen adds so much to a movie and it would have added more to Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.Note: Look for Benny Hill as the Bulgarian toymaker.
Postscript/Edit review Nov 18-03: The Special Edition DVD will be released in both fomats (Widescreen/Pan and Scan). From most of the reviews I've read of the current DVD, the complaint was that it was not released in Widescreen. Someone at MGM/UA must have heard about the complaints and rectified the situation. I originally gave the DVD (not the film itself, because this is a great film musical starring Dick Van Dyke) 2 stars, but the movie deserved 4--and please ignore the title of review. Thank you MGM/UA, Sknayfan-03!

Theyve finally rleased this film in widescreen as they should have done years ago. And for the record this is NOT a DISNEY movie! It was made and released by UNITED ARTISTS. Don't you guys read the credits?

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang on DVD is now in WIDESCREEN and at last we get a bang for our buck. "Why issue a classic widescreen epic on DVD if you are not going to present it in its original aspect ratio?" That was my original question along with many many more fans as this Ian Fleming tale. Count Zborowski is no longer as disapointed about this DVD as he must have been when he lost the original Chitty-Chitty-Bang-Bang in 1922. This is an outstanding DVD presentation with pleny of extras for the young and old alike.

This was yet another in a series of big-budget comedies that were so stuffed that had to include an intermission. (This 138 minute film has an intermission at the 79 minute mark, followed by a 6-minute Entr'acte, so that the second act is only 52 minutes.) It's also possibly the best one, along with IT'S A MAD, MAD, MAD, MAD WORLD, but where IAMMMMW was at times overlong and peopled with nasty characters, you can care about the people in TMMITFM. It's funnier-with much broader comedy than the other, and a careful sense of time and place. There are a few laggy romantic bIts, but Those Magnificent Men is a fine film well served by 20th Century Fox. Well recommended.

Jamie Teller

1965 was the year of the big screen action race comedies with lots of stars, grand costumes, lavish sets and authentic classic vehicles. "The Great Race" a 1910 auto race from New York to Paris and the "Those Magnificent Men and Their Flying Machines" a 1910 International Aircraft race from London to Paris.

What makes this 1965 Action Comedy so Grand is the attention to detail by Director Ken Annakin who had 6 replica flying machines built by real aero - engineers from the original blue prints and specifications. The accuracy of these replicants even proved the critical pilot weight limitations. They had to even substitute a female stunt pilot to fly the French mono - wing because the original pilot was a very small man. Now available for the first time on a spectacular panoramic 2.20:1 Aspect ratio. (Anamorphic WideScreen DVD (automatically adjusts picture to viewing tv size) with Dolby Surround Sound.) NOTE: THIS IS A FANTASTIC MOVIE TO WATCH ON WIDESCREEN 16:9 HDTV!!!!!

This film is 138 minutes and has many extras which include very detailed information and the history regarding all the 1910 vintage aircraft used in the film.

With an All-star 1960's International cast; Stuart Whitman, Sarah Miles, James Fox, Robert Morley, Red Skelton, Gert Frobe, Jean-Pierre Cassal, Benny Hill, Alberto Sordi and Terry Thomas.

This is a magnificent movie and the ingenuity and comedy of 1910 flight is a delight to watch on the BIG SCREEN. Enjoy.

This is an absolutely wonderful movie. I have watched it again and again. It seems to be one of the funniest movies I've ever seen, yet it was a very good old fashioned, innocent, and more professional humor than most other comedies. I think it is a work of art and should be added to DVD format. Being that much of my family is German, Gert Fröbe was my favorite character. A funny and warm resemblance of the Prussian gentleman of the time. All the national characters were funny too. Terry Thomas was wonderful and gave me plenty of laughs. The Frenchmen and the Italian (Emilio) were great too. You will just feel naturally happier after you watch this movie. Don't even hesitate to buy it!

Outstanding biography of one of the world's most eccentric and reclusive TV heroes. Novick pulls no punches in his examination of just why such an oddball rose to the top in the world of Tv spanning 30 years.

This is one of the finest biographies I have read in years -- it penetrates deeply into the formative experiences and motivations of this strange and reclusive figure, and brings him vividly to life. Many interviewees discouraged the author from this task, but he persevered, and we have much to thank him for. All Benny Hill fans will now watch and enjoy his familiar sketches -- shamelessly recycled over the years -- with an added appreciation for their origins and rationale. Lewisohn helps us to delve into the psyche of this mysterious man, at once the embodiment of little Englishness, yet also a sensitive soul and a student of foreign cultures and languages.

The book is not unblemished. Benny's 50s farce, "Who Done It", is not nearly as abysmal as the author suggests (it's adequate slapstick with a few laughs -- how many 50s British movies has Lewisohn seen, there are many worse!). Benny's frugality is surely comprehensible in a man who had withstood wartime privations; and that character trait, combined with the much-hyped locker-room chit-chat with Bob Monkhouse, was regrettable but entirely standard male behavior for the 1950s. Despite all the conventional wisdom to the contrary, Benny did evolve. And--again with respect to Lewisohn--Benny scaled some of his finest heights of inspiration during his latest years with Thames. I am thinking of the Chubby Dodds documentary, and Murder on the Orient Express, and the "Family" skit, which bring smiles and laughter without fail, though I know them back to front. Of course, he was a comedian who operated rather too comfortably within his decent but clearly defined artistic parameters. Yet what was comforting for Benny was also reassuring for us... Lewisohn is right that Benny Hill's work will return to favor some day. It deserves to.

This is a fascinating, first-rate biography of one of the twentieth century's most beloved comedy figures; a man who is now largely overlooked in his home country despite having been its most successful comic export outside of Charlie Chaplin. Benny Hill was a complex man who led a simple (if somewhat peculiar) life, and this book provides tremendous insight into not only his personal foibles and professional endeavors, but also the motivations and reasons for his intriguing private behavior and public rise and fall. Drawing on extensive research and fresh interviews with many of the key figures in Benny's life, Mark Lewisohn's writing combines warmth, empathy and humor with analysis, objectivity and attention to detail -- the comic inventiveness and outright stealing of other artists' ideas; the abnormally excessive frugality; the sexual indulgences and hopelessly failed relationships... whether you want to know about the man's career, his love life or the fact that he just loved a quick game of Kalooki, it's all here. Buy this book!

This Album is 'fantastic' - if you only buy one album this year buy this.... what more can I say ?

I cried, I laughed and I collapsed in a heap ......

DON'T KNOW WHERE TO TURN TO. I'M LOOKING FOR A ROCK BAND ON THE 80'S CALLED, BLACK & BLUE. THE (&) MIGHT BE (AND) OR (N). DON'T REMEMBER. THEY HAD SEVERAL CD'S WHICH WERE AWESOME TO ME, AND IF YOU COULD HELP ME BUY SOME, I'D BE VERY GREATFULL. THANKS. DON'T KNOW WHERE TO TURN TO.

This musical soundtrack is my favorite! It has a diverse offering of artists who range in vocals from a very robust and alluring tenor to enchanting soprano. The types of songs go from fun & upbeat to "somebody-please-get-me-a-tissue" blues. These selections will make you envision whatever scene/theme that is being performed and will force you to crawl into the number and savor/enjoy the fun or the blues of it.

I love it!! I believe you will, too.

This Cd compilation is comprised of mainly older Benny Hill recordings. There are over 20 tracks, so it is certainly worth the money. The quality is not bad, but not incredible. It is a shame that none of the recordings from his later career made it onto the Cd. Overall, a worthwhile purchase.

Here is a wonderful collection of songs from traditional sources and many written by Meyer of O'Connor.

Especially appealing the Irish jig sounding "Chief Sitting in the Rain" where the bass line sounds at times like a jug being played, a really unique, neat sound. "Butterfly's Day Out" will get your mind soaring and fluttering around while "Etienne Et Petuna" is bouncy and bright as the spring flower of its title.

My favorite though of all these favorites is "Druid Fluid" where there is this interchange first between cello and violin, then between bass and cello. Magnificent!

Most of differing taste will find some great listening here, whether into classical, country or folk, there is a mixture here of all tastefully and expertly performed.

i found this cd and got it cause i like bluegrass music and the title stood out. this cd has totally turned me on to Edgar Meyer's music, all of which is absolutley beautiful. i'm so glad i found out about this guy. his other cd's are just as good if not better than this one. the music on this cd is very calming and soulful, the kids i babysitt for even like it! they especially like "Butterfly's Day Out", it's a fun song. Letting them listen to this cd has helped me keep them from sitting in front of the tv for hours and hours. You should also go sample Edgar Meyer's cds "Uncommon Ritual", and "Short Trip Home" they are awsome.

This is a truly unique set of pieces which all together work wonderfully. I had some concerns that the totality would end up with a lot of the same sounds/themes just re-worked to fill up the CD. WRONG! Each piece stands on its own as original,energetically played and just great to listen to. I have put this disc on random play and have been pleased to hear phrases and themes I had not noted before. It one of those special recordings that has no weak tracks or fill pieces. Thanks guys!