title: Mary Poppins function popUp(URL,NAME) { amznwin=window.open(URL,NAME,'location=yes,scrollbars=yes,status=yes,toolbar=yes,resizable=yes,width=380,height=450,screenX=10,screenY=10,top=10,left=10'); amznwin.focus();} document.open(); document.write(""); document.close();  studio: Walt Disney Home Entertainment MPAA rating: G starring: Julie Andrews, Dick Van Dyke, David Tomlinson, Glynis Johns, Hermione Baddeley, Karen Dotrice, Matthew Garber, Elsa Lanchester, Arthur Treacher, Reginald Owen, Ed Wynn film release year: 1964 DVD release year: 2004 film rating: Four Stars sound/picture: Four-and-a-Half Stars reviewed by: Paul Lingas This is an incredibly in-depth DVD, the kind only Walt Disney Studios can muster. There are an incredible number of commentaries, featurettes, archival footage items, interviews and more. It just shows how well Disney maintains their films and studio elements. Say what you want about Disney, but they never miss a beat. Winner of five Academy Awards and nominated for eight more, “Mary Poppins” is truly a classic for children of all ages, and it is presented beautifully on this two-disc 40th Anniversary Edition DVD set. I’m rather blown away by this DVD, which captures all of the charm that is “Mary Poppins.”

title: Erasure - The Tank, The Swan and The Balloon Live! function popUp(URL,NAME) { amznwin=window.open(URL,NAME,'location=yes,scrollbars=yes,status=yes,toolbar=yes,resizable=yes,width=380,height=450,screenX=10,screenY=10,top=10,left=10'); amznwin.focus();} document.open(); document.write(""); document.close(); studio: Mute MPAA rating: NR starring: Erasure (Andy Bell, Vince Clarke) film release year: N/A DVD release year: 2004 film rating: Three Stars sound/picture: Three Stars reviewed by: Dan MacIntosh With the DVD release of “The Tank, The Swan and the Balloon Live!,” dance duo Erasure – keyboardist Vince Clarke and vocalist Andy Bell – present their biggest pop hits in brightly colored, highly visual fashion. You might just say they’ve conjured up a world where synth pop meets Broadway’s Great White Way. Filmed in 1992, right at the height of their popularity, Erasure appears both confident and contented before this audience of adoring British fans. At over two hours in length, it’s everything the average fan could possibly hope for, and then some.

title: Vida Blue And The Spam Allstars: Live At The Fillmore   studio: Image Entertainment MPAA rating: NR starring: Page McConnell, Oteil Burbridge, Russell Batiste, The Spam Allstars DVD release year: 2004 film rating: Four Stars sound/picture rating: Four Stars reviewed by: Jeff Fish For those of you who don’t know, Vida Blue was a totally dominant pitcher for the Oakland As in the early ‘70s when they won three straight World Series from 1972 to 1974. Vida Blue is also the name of a band that incorporates influences from jazz, techno, blues, psychedelia and, with this release, a decidedly Latin feel. Vida Blue’s core members are Page McConnell (Phish) on keyboards, Oteil Burbridge (Allman Brothers) on bass and Russell Batiste (The Meters) on drums and percussion. For this tour and for the album that they were supporting (The Illustrated Band), Vida Blue was backed by The Spam Allstars. After hearing the first Vida Blue album, I’ve been anxious to hear what they’d be coming up ...

title: Harry Connick, Jr.: Only You In Concert function popUp(URL,NAME) { amznwin=window.open(URL,NAME,'location=yes,scrollbars=yes,status=yes,toolbar=yes,resizable=yes,width=380,height=450,screenX=10,screenY=10,top=10,left=10'); amznwin.focus();} document.open(); document.write(""); document.close(); studio: Columbia Music Video MPAA rating: NR starring: Harry Connick, Jr., Big Band, Orchestra DVD release year: 2004 film rating: Three-and-a-Half Stars sound/picture rating: Four Stars reviewed by: Jeff Fish Harry Connick, Jr. has made a career out of reviving the lost art of class. I mean, who else can you compare Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin without being laughed out of the room? While watching this DVD, my wife came up with two words to describe Connick’s music and voice: smooth and buttery. I can’t think of two better words to describe this DVD, either. Not having been very familiar with his music previously, I always had the thought of Harry Connick, Jr. as a piano player first and foremost. But my impression now is that he is a first-class band leader, a great vocalist, a world-class pianist and a topnotch showman. His band is full of great musicians who are very ...

title: Festival Express function popUp(URL,NAME) { amznwin=window.open(URL,NAME,'location=yes,scrollbars=yes,status=yes,toolbar=yes,resizable=yes,width=380,height=450,screenX=10,screenY=10,top=10,left=10'); amznwin.focus();} document.open(); document.write(""); document.close(); studio: New Line Home Entertainment MPAA rating: R starring: The Band, Delaney & Bonnie & Friends, The Flying Burrito Brothers, The Grateful Dead, Buddy Guy Blues Band, Ian & Sylvia & The Great Speckled Bird, Janis Joplin, Mashmakhan and Sha Na Na DVD release year: 2004 film rating: Four-and-a-Half Stars sound/picture rating: Four-and-a-Half Stars reviewed by: Jeff Fish From the Monterey Pop Festival in 1967 to Watkins Glen in 1973, festivals were a huge part of the rock ‘n’ roll landscape. Some of the most memorable performances in rock history were recorded at festivals: Jimi Hendrix burning his guitar at Monterey and setting the world on fire is clearly etched into the rock consciousness, as well as his fiery rendition of “The Star Spangled Banner” at Woodstock; a little-known Big Brother and the Holding Company mesmerizing the crowd at Monterey; The Who at The Isle of Wight in 1970 was one of the greatest sets by any band in history. ...