Buena Vista Social Club

Product Description

"The Buena Vista Social Club" guitarist Ry Cooder s celebrated album featuring the recently re-discovered talents of Cuba s foremost folk musicians sold millions of copies and earned a Grammy Award. Now Cooder teams up with acclaimed director Wim WendeFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: DRAMA Rating:  UPC: 012236101765 Manufacturer No: 10176

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In 1996, composer, producer, and guitar legend Ry Cooder entered Egrem Studios in Havana with the forgotten greats of Cuban music, many of them in their 60s and 70s, some of them long since retired. The resulting album, Buena Vista Social Club, became a Grammy-winning international bestseller. When Cooder returned to Havana in 1998 to record a solo album by 72-year-old vocalist Ibrahim Ferrer, filmmaker Wim Wenders was on hand to document the occasion. Wenders splits the film between portraits of the performers, who tell their stories directly to the camera as they wander the streets and neighborhoods of Havana, and a celebration of the music heard in performance scenes in the studio, in their first concert in Amsterdam, and in their second and final concert at Carnegie Hall. The songs are too often cut short in this fashion, but Buena Vista Social Club is not a concert film. Wenders weaves the artist biographies with a glimpse of modern Cuba remembering its past, capturing a lost culture in music that is suddenly, unexpectedly revived for audiences in Havana and around the world. Wenders makes his presence practically invisible, as if his directorial flourishes or off-screen narration might deflect attention from the artists, who do a fine job of telling their own stories through interviews and music. It's a loving portrait of a master class in Cuban music, with a vital cast of aging performers whose energy and passion belie their years. --Sean Axmaker

Customer Reviews:

BUENA VISTA SOCIAL REVIEW.......2007-09-09

EXCELLENT MOVIE FOR LOVERS OF CUBAN MUSIC.

RY COUTER AT AL DID AN EXCELLENT JOB IN SEARCHING FOR SOME OF THE ORIGINAL MEMBERS AND FINDING SUITABLE NEW ONES TO MAKE A GREAT DVD.

JASCONS

Intro to the people behind the music.......2007-08-01

The music has been beautiful, but this DVD gives you the ability to see the people and faces behind the music. We enjoyed it very much.

Buena Vista Social Club video.......2007-07-04

I'm a fan of old Cuban music, and I found it amazing how this incredible talent was reawakend to full bloom instantaneously when Ry Cooder put it together in this documentary. I had enjoy the CD, but had not had the opportunity to watch and enjoy the old timers in the video. Compay Segundo has been a Cuban legend since he first appeared in the scene in the '30s. I had no idea he was still alive. Thanks to Mr. Cooder for giving him a few days of happiness, and sharing him with us one more time. The greates revelations for me though was Rubén González at the piano who seemed to have not lost one ounce of his brilliance after all these years even with arthritis and little practice, and Ibrahim Ferrer whose voice kept as fresh as when he was a teenager. Simply amazing!

cuba!.......2007-05-30

this is a wonderful documentary bringing even more of a voice to those giving us this wonderful music! some parts use subtitles. presents a nice history of the time.

Essential for anyone who loves music .......2007-05-10

Essential for anyone who loves music. Ry Cooder is to be complemented for his work in bringing the musicians together back then. I saw the BVSC live about 6 years ago, and it was one of the most amazing and inspiring performances I have ever seen. The movie is a bit slow in parts, and the music is somewhat brought down by Ry Cooder unfortunately. I have the greatest respect for him as a master guitarist (his other collaborations are outstanding) but here he looks hopelessly out of place as the BVSC chugs on with their amazing brand of rootsy lightness. Cooder sits around producing a melancholy wail once in a while from his slide guitar, and that's about it. Pity. But still, if you are into music - and particularly Latin music - you HAVE TO SEE this film :)

Pearl Harbor - The Director's Cut (Three-Disc Vista Series)

Average customer rating:

A MUST HAVE FOR ALL WAR MOVIE FANS
Not the worst war film ever made but not the best either
It Could Have Been Worse, But I'm Not Sure How...
If you hated this film, it's your own fault for watching it
a five star attack is bookended by a two star romance that was old hat in 1941 and is just bad now.

Pearl Harbor - The Director's Cut (Three-Disc Vista Series)
Starring: Ben Affleck , Josh Hartnett , Kate Beckinsale , Cuba Gooding Jr. , and Jon Voight
Director: Michael Bay
Manufacturer: Buena Vista Home Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00005Q3TZ
Release Date: 2002-07-02

Amazon.com

Sometimes bigger is actually better. Nearly matching the size of director Michael Bay's ego, this massive four-disc set is a veritable Pearl Harbor archive, and ironically, Bay's film remains the least interesting component. It's a purely conventional Hollywood take on the tragedy, using a clichéd love triangle between two ace pilots (Josh Hartnett, Ben Affleck) and a Pearl Harbor nurse (Kate Beckinsale) as an "intimate" means of spectacularly re-creating the attack that thrust America into World War II. The director's cut adds little to the previous DVD release, apart from authentic R-rated carnage during the Japanese raid, and minor expansion of the Hartnett-Beckinsale romance. Commentaries range from superfluous (Bay and film historian Jeanine Basinger) to highly entertaining (Ben Affleck and costars) and technically informative (primary production team), and a spirited examination of visual effects (with Bay and ILM supervisor Eric Brevig) is guaranteed to fascinate anyone interested in physical effects and CGI. A broad "making of" documentary is noteworthy for one-time viewing, while abundant historical records make this a valuable compilation of definitive materials.

The History Channel's "One Hour over Tokyo" and "Unsung Heroes of Pearl Harbor" provide depth that Bay's movie lacks, and Charles Kiselyak's interactive timeline is arguably the finest feature included, providing an in-depth historical perspective on U.S.-Japan relations. Even a brief reenactment of a Pearl Harbor nurse's journal is moving in a way that Bay's film can only try to be, while the "Interactive Attack Sequence" provides a multifaceted exploration of the entire production process (a highly educational feature for aspiring filmmakers). All in all, these four discs offer an admirable balance between Bay's technically impressive but ill-conceived epic and a thorough, fitting tribute to those who endured hell on that fateful Sunday in 1941. --Jeff Shannon

Description

PEARL HARBOR: THE DIRECTOR'S CUT Vista Series DVD is the most extensive exploration of moviemaking ever presented. Four discs showcase more than 60 new shots in the film and over 12 hours of new special features. There's never been anything like it before. History comes alive in the unforgettable epic motion picture PEARL HARBOR, the spectacular blockbuster brought to the screen by Jerry Bruckheimer and Michael Bay. Astounding visual and audio effects put you at the center of the event that changed the world -- that early Sunday morning in paradise when warplanes screamed across the peaceful skies of Pearl Harbor and jolted America into World War II. This real-life tale of catastrophic defeat, heroic victory, and personal courage focuses on the war's devastating impact on two daring young pilots, Ben Affleck (ARMAGEDDON) and Josh Hartnett (BLACK HAWK DOWN), and a beautiful, dedicated nurse, Kate Beckinsale (SERENDIPITY). PEARL HARBOR is extraordinary moviemaking -- a breathtaking reenactment of the "date which will live in infamy" and a heartfelt tribute to the men and women who lived it.

Customer Reviews:

A MUST HAVE FOR ALL WAR MOVIE FANS.......2007-02-11

This is an awesome movie in recreating the attack on Pearl Harbor. None have done it better. Tora Tora Tora is better for historical fact, but this movie puts you in the attack. Love story aside, this movie captures the essence of the times and of the attack. You feel the emotion of what has just happened. Don't miss out on a great movie because of the secondary story of the love affair. If all possible see this movie on a large widescreen TV with surround sound. The DVD has DTS sound. I swore bullets were flying by me. They filmed this at Pearl! right at the spots where this whole thing took place. They took bits of the stories from the men and women that were there and put them into the film. For the little bit of historical fact that was not right, like Dan Akaroyed's part in the film; it is overshadowed by the real stories and information that was put in the film. The negative thing about this movie is the lead actors Ben Affleck,Josh Hartnett and Kate Beckinsale. They were good, but needed to be stronger. Now Alec Baldwin who is a great actor anyway was fantastic. A great movie! Great special features on the DVD.

Not the worst war film ever made but not the best either.......2006-09-23

I originally had high hopes for this film. After seeing the vastly superior "Tora,Tora,Tora!" I was looking forward to seeing the attack on Pearl Harbor done with today's special effects.
Unfortunately they had to throw in one of the most ridiculous love stories ever set in a war film.
The plot has to do with two childhood friends who join the Army Air Corps. While going through a physical, Ben Afleck falls in love with Kate Winslet. He then volunteers to go help the British as a fighter pilot and is subsequently shot down and presumed dead. Josh Hartnett (Affleck's best friend) falls in love with her and after months of not hearing from Ben she falls in love with Josh. Ben returns and he and Josh have a big fight...
Anyway the attack sequence was the most exciting part of the movie, it looks and sounds great if you have a home theater and a big screen TV, but if you want to see the sequence in it's entirety I suggest you go with the Vista version it's quite a bit more graphic and would have probably earned the movie an R rating (those folks at Disney probably would have hated that!) as well as all the bonus materials they include:
An interactive timeline of the events leading up to pearl harbor.
Deleted scenes
Blooper reel
Several documentaries on making the film
A great set of post cards with the actors that look like old war posters
Production diaries
The stars at boot camp
And much more....

So if you've got almost three hours to kill and want to see a great action sequence get this set and just chapter skip to the bombing.

It Could Have Been Worse, But I'm Not Sure How..........2006-08-27

The post-Don Simpson decline of Jerry Bruckheimer reached what was, at the time, an all-time low with the release of "Pearl Harbor."

There are very few movies that are just barely watchable, and one of them all but bankrupted the company that made it. No such luck here. Both Bruckheimer and Michael Bay should have been banished from Hollywood for this mess. Or, better yet, Bruckheimer should have conned Tony Scott into directing it, since he seems to be the only director he can get consistently good results out of.

In its favor, though, the lush Technicolor cinematography and ILM's frighteningly realistic visual effects almost draw attention away from the wooden acting and turgid love story. Too bad you have to sit through nearly an hour of said love story before you get to the movie's showpiece: the destruction of the Arizona. If you want something to show off your home theater setup, just cue this section up, and make sure you're playing back the DTS track. Oh, yes, and make sure you have enough to pay for any broken windows, cracked plaster and/or blown speakers that may result...

Maybe instead of releasing an extended version, they should have considered putting out a much shorter version. Like one that skips over everything before and after the attack.

If you hated this film, it's your own fault for watching it.......2006-04-26

It's a comment that sure rings true: on South Park, Cartman speaks of an injustice while Michael Bay continues to make movies. While Bad Boys, Armageddon and the Rock had cool action sequences, they were also ADD-influenced in its editing and the emotional parts of the film just rang absolutely hollow. Anyone remember the animal cracker scene from Armageddon? Well imagine a love story that's perfect for Days of Our Lives and you find a really hollow effort but with great effects.

Obviously set around the time of the Pearl Harbor attacks in 1941, we actually instead follow 2 pilots Danny and Rafe as they end up falling in love for the same nurse, Evelyn. Rafe goes away, is presumed dead and Danny and Evelyn start a relationship. In soap opera fashion, Rafe comes back who's not happy then the attack starts. This continues until the Doolittle Raid to Tokyo.

If you want a great sound demo for your stereo you of course have to cue in the actual attack. Running just shy of a half hour, it's extremely well-done and worth the price of admission, or rent or purchase. ILM did a great job and it of course has that trailer shot everybody loves. Unfortunately it's the main reason to watch the film because it's essentially 90 minutes of bad dialogue until we get there. The same problem plagued Titanic where you can literally divide the film into 2 halves and the first suffers because it took so long to get to the 2nd.

The dialogue is that bad with some that are supposed to be inspired lines but come across as laughable, especially Colonel Doolittle's since it's essentially a big speech. The love story is of course laid on a bit thick and it's not a well-written one at that. Another problem is the certain faux-epicness of it all with big slow motion shots with planes flying overhead, big camera moves around people and it just makes me cringe since they have an almost indulgent feel about them.

This is of course the big double dip where it includes everything they should've had on the original release. You get the commentaries, production diaries and featurettes as well as some historical documentaries. To add insult to injury, the historical looks have more substance than the actual film does. Oops. The director's cut adds some more gory shots that seem kind of sudden and out of the blue at times, especially with people's familiarity with the normal cut.

The effects are great but the film itself has a detached feel about it all, as if it's nothing more than a really cool action sequence. Private Ryan and Apocalypse Now's action sequences where exciting but also emotionally compelling where you felt the horrors of war, here it's just "look at the neat stuff!". I'm not demeaning the attack and massive loss of life but this film feels completely hollow in that regard.

I have no idea whether to recommend this or not so I'm going to give it the rating of a CR, meaning a cautious recommend. If you buy the film and love it then all the power to you but if you hated it, don't say I didn't warn you, this is Michael Bay after all.

a five star attack is bookended by a two star romance that was old hat in 1941 and is just bad now........2006-04-25

michael bey's "pearl harbor" is one of those "what could have been " movies. with a screen play that would have been laughed at in 1941, mr bey has tied his great f/x scenes of the attack, to a love story that is the last word in corny. the number of times logic is given up in favor of the sappy love story just kills this flawed take on america's darkest day(9/11 not withstanding)!! at nearly three and a half hours it goes on forever and really after the attack there isn't much story left to tell. a very big miss fire from mr. bey and company!!!!!!!!!!!

Average customer rating:

Excelente musica cubana !!!
I kept asking myself "what was missing" after watching
Rest in Peace, Pio!
How could it be?
What a disappointment!

Soneros de Verdad - Sounds of Cuba
Starring: Soneros de Verdad
Manufacturer: Standing Room Only
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Cuba | Caribbean & Cuba | International | Styles | Music

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ASIN: B0006SSQ2A
Release Date: 2005-01-25

Description

Soneros de Verdad (Sounds of Cuba) is a full-length live performance featuring the stars of the Buena Vista Social Club including Pio Leiva, Guillermo Rubalcaba and Julio Fernandez that blends traditional Spanish sounds with fiery Afro-Cuban rhythms. Songs include: Chan Chan, Francisco Guayabal, Danzon y Son (instrumental), A Buena Vista Barrio de la Habana, Instrumental y Bolero, Pena me da, El Cuarto de Tula

Customer Reviews:

Excelente musica cubana !!!.......2006-08-25

Program:
1- Chan chan
2- Francisco Guayabal
3- Danzon y Son
4- A Buena Vista Barrio de la Habana
5- Instrumental y Bolero
6- Pena me Da
7- El Cuarto de Tula

Luis Frank is the host and leader sonero. Guillermo Rubalcaba is excellent at the piano, in a style similar to the late Ruben Gonzalez. Another great pianist, Jesus Rubalcaba, makes a short appearance. Daniel "Gordo" Ramos does a good job at the trumpet, and Jose Angel Espinosa plays the tres. This could have been one Pio Leyva's last appearances. The setting at Habana's Club Chan Chan highlights the traditional architecture. Highly recommended !!! I'm sad it's only 60 minutes long ...

I kept asking myself "what was missing" after watching .......2006-08-18

Then it struck me: there was no happiness on this video; none of the joy of Buena Vista is here.

Pio, clearly not in the best of health, does not seem to want to be there, and only performs one full song. It seems, as Ibrahim's family claimed was done to Mr. Ferrer shortly before his passing away, that poor Pio was "encouraged" to perform more than was advisable for his waning health in order to generate hard currency.

The musicians,well, it's about what you'd expect from Cubans. All done with no cuts, do-overs, etc., improvised on the spot, etc., but Cuban music is judged to different standards, and by those standards this is lacking a certain flair. The musicians were there, but so much of the emotion wasn't. I get the feeling Pio's condition was felt by the rest of the guys. How else could it be, when Cuban music is so driven by the instant communication of emotions between the artists?

At the beginning of the video, Pio is asked about his health, and he gives the international hand-signal for 'so-so.' The pretty much defines this release.

KP

Rest in Peace, Pio!.......2006-03-25

I'm not quite sure what the other reviewer was watching but I know this, he must not have been coherent. This is an amazing piece of musical history and EVERYONE should check it out. Amazingly skilled musicians is all I hae to say. Rest in peace...Pio!

How could it be?.......2006-02-09

I have the CD "A Buena Vista: Barrio de la Habana" by Soneros de Verdad and can only recommend it to lovers of Cuban music. It has songs in all the subgenres of Cuban music - son, bolreo, afro, guajira ... all in superb quality of musicianship. Additionally it has nice thick booklet with details on musicians, photos, and all the lyrics. Plus it's both in Spanish and English - very valuable for someone like me who's learning Spanish.

I have not seen the DVD yet, however I strongly doubt whether the same group of musicians that produced such a nice album could be so bad in concert as previous reviewer suggests.

Of course, if one wants just one album / dvd of Cuban music in his "world music" collection, the "Buena Vista Social Club" will do, but to say that songs are "original" only as performed on that particular album is just plain wrong.

What a disappointment!.......2005-07-03

This DVD is terrible! All the songs are from the Buena Vista Social Club but are butchered. The musicians are constantly missing notes, they bring on "special" guests who can barely play their instruments. Save yourself the expense or at least rent this botched effort before you buy it.

Average customer rating:

Cuba Vista
Starring: Various Artists
Manufacturer: TV Matters
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Cuba | Caribbean & Cuba | International | Styles | Music

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ASIN: B0000CG8GU
Release Date: 2003-11-04

Charlie Rose with Steve Reddicliffe, Bill Carter & Ken Tucker; Ry Cooder & Wim Wenders (September 17, 1999)

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Charlie Rose with Steve Reddicliffe, Bill Carter & Ken Tucker; Ry Cooder & Wim Wenders (September 17, 1999)

Manufacturer: Charlie Rose
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Description

A discussion with television critics Steve Reddicliffe of TV Guide, Bill Carter of The New York Times, and Ken Tucker of Entertainment Weekly on the upcoming season's returning and new shows. They also discuss the recipients of the recent Emmy Awards. Then, guitarist Ry Cooder and director Wim Wenders speak about their prize-winning film about Cuba, Buena Vista Social Club. The movie tells the story of the resurgence of a jazz music group in Cuba whose popularity had declined with Castro in power.

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