Enter your search terms Web curledupdvd Submit search form	FAERIE TALE THEATRE: BEDTIME TALES Actors: Shelley Duvall, Elliott Gould, Christopher Reeve, Tatum O'Neal, John Lithgow, Carole King Creator: Shelley Duvall   Distributor: E1 Entertainment DVD release: 20 October 2009   Runtime: 207 min. (1 disc) Format: AC-3, Color, Dolby, DVD, NTSC DVD features: Aspect ratio 1.33:1, Audio tracks (English - Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround, Dolby Digital Stereo), "Jack and the Beanstalk," "Sleeping Beauty," "Rip Van Winkle," "Goldilocks and the Three Bears" Through E1 Entertainment's newly released DVDs of Shelley Duvall's fantastic early '80s series Faerie Tale Theatre, fresh young generations can experience some of their favorite stories and fables through a new dimension: theatre. These straightforward DVD format editions of the original shows are filled with superb actors, sets, costumes, dialogue, and a magic quality that cannot be reproduced or reinvented - and if it isn't broke, don't fix it! Shelley Duvall proved herself a master storyteller and educator with her theatre series, and children have embraced both the theatre arts and classics of youthful literature because of her. The Bedtime Tales DVD collects four Once Upon Time episodes: "Jack and the Beanstalk" (Dennis Christopher and Elliot Gould), "Sleeping Beauty" (Beverly D'Angelo, Bernadette Peters and Christopher Reeve), "Rip Van Winkle" (Harry Dean Stanton and John P. Ryan), and "Goldilocks and the Three Bears" (Tatum O'Neal, Alex Karras, Brandis Kemp, Donovan Scott and John Lithgow). In "Jack and the Beanstalk," Jack must provide for his mother and himself, but food is scarce and money is scarcer still - until he is given some magic beans. When the stalk grows up through the clouds, Jack decides to climb it and finds a world of giants! Getting the giant's treasure - and staying off the menu - becomes Jack's highest priority in his many trips up the magic beanstalk. The Faerie Tale Theatre interpretation of the classic bedtime tale "Sleeping Beauty" tells the traditional tale - the Disney version is nowhere to be found here. Handsome prince Christophe Reeve is destined to kiss the sleeping beauty, but he does not find her without much trial and error. The Faeries protecting Beauty are unique in many ways, and their skills are not always strong enough to battle the angry Faerie determined to cast her evil spell. No worries though - love and goodness will triumph over evil because Sleeping Beauty has to wake by a kiss from her prince. The many colorful and unique scenes in "Rip Van Winkle" will induce laughter in the young and entertain those viewers old enough to understand the dialogue. Rip is a dreamer whose imagination exceeds the norm, and it sometimes gets him into trouble. When Rip travels deep into some mysterious mountains, a ghost captain and his spectral crew change Rip's life forever. "Goldilocks and the Three Bears" stars Tatum O'Neal as Goldilocks and John Lithgow as her father. A selfish and deceitful child, Goldilocks wanders into the forest without permission and trespasses into the home of three bears. Through a surprising friendship with the bear family, the girl learns the error of her ways and the significance of doing right instead of wrong. The Faerie Tale Theatre productions are meant for school age children and though fantastic, are not ideal for younger audiences. The theatre is very much alive in these productions and younger audiences may find the dialogue and settings more difficult to follow. Whether young or old, the masterful storytelling and enticing mix of theatre arts and movie magic makes for a very enjoyable family night. Faerie Tale Theatre is represented online at www.faerietaledvd.com.
		reviewed by Lucinda Tart
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