Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #61702 in DVD
• Released on: 2004-04-20
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: Closed-captioned, Colour, Dolby, DTS Surround Sound, DVD-Video, Full Screen, Subtitled, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: English, Spanish, French
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .25 pounds
• Running time: 140 minutes

Customer Reviews

Sondheim's perfect musical
This is a brilliant version of the Sondheim blockbuster. There is brilliant camerawork throughout the show which means that you do not miss any of the action. Lansbury is as always wonderful and hilarious to watch with her Cockney singing. Hearn is not as good as Cariou in the original recording of the show; his voice is not as powerful or as smooth. Occasionally, there is sometimes trouble with the sound quality of the orchestra. Particularly before the entrance of Mrs Lovett - the romping fanfare she receives before we see the pie shop for the first time.

Despite a few mishaps - this DVD is perfect for any fan of the show if you want to see a stage version over and over again. Buy it if you love Sonheim's Sweeney!!

No Place Like London!
Buy this DVD for the moving performance and the magnificent voice of George Hearn in the title role, as well as for the classic comic romp of Angela Lansbury, whose voice and splendid diction are also thoroughly suited to the complexities of the music. In "Sweeney Todd," Sondheim is at his most melodious. Although it is hard to choose my favorite among songs such as "No Place Like London," and "Not While I'm Around," the third ensemble of "Johanna," in which the hauntingly beautiful melody stands in sharp contrast to the ghastly action onstage, ranks high.

Almost all the voices are equal to Sondheim's brilliant score, which belongs in the pantheon of grand opera. The exception is the girl playing Johanna, whose shrill soprano voice is forced to such an extent that it goes sharp; thus one loses not only the thread of the melody, but also the lilting beauty of the "Green Finch and Linnet Bird" song. As one who loves the audio CD, in which soprano Sarah Rice floats effortlessly through the aria, I was severely disappointed.

Fortunately, the rest of the cast is splendid: especially the Beggar Woman, Anthony the Sailor, and the boy Toby (The DVD edition has more or less toned down the extent of Judge Turpin's perversions, which are blatant in Edmund Lyndeck's incredible version of "Johanna" in the audio CD.). Unfortunately the DVD does not provide the cast list on or inside the box, so I shall have to go back to the end of the disc and see who's in it besides the stars.

Nevertheless, the stars are shining brightly in this dark comic opera over a London that seems more like Paris of the Grand Guignol, the horror spectacle which once sent shivers down the spines of Parisian theatre goers. Even though the horror of the plot is unlikely to thrill the jaded modern audience, the performance of George Hearn certainly will.

Been waiting for this for YEARS!!
I saw this on the BBC about 20 years ago. I luckily recorded it on Betamax (yeah - a long time ago!) I then had to transfer it onto VHS when my beta packed up. I have been watching a VERY poor quality copy of this for the past 20 years. I went out and bought a brand new multi region dvd player to buy this dvd. This verion IS history. Angela Landsbury and George Hearn are just AMAZING. Landsbury quite right getting a Tony for her performance. The other amazing advance is that it is now in remastered 5.1. AMAZING. If you love Sondhiem, if you love this musical - then BUY it - you'll not be dissapointed. I've been waiting for 20 years for this - I'M NOT