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Category:    Home > Reviews > Drama > Backstage > Melodrama > Relationships > Concerts > Rock > Pop > Soul > Country > Blues > Mystery > Made On Broadway (1933/MGM/Warner Archive DVD)/Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame In Concert DVD Box Set (2009 - 2017/Time Life)/Room 37: The Mysterious Death Of Johnny Thunders (2019/MVD/Cleopatra Blu-ray/DVD/

Made On Broadway (1933/MGM/Warner Archive DVD)/Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame In Concert DVD Box Set (2009 - 2017/Time Life)/Room 37: The Mysterious Death Of Johnny Thunders (2019/MVD/Cleopatra Blu-ray/DVD/CD Set)



Picture: C/C+/B & C+ Sound: C+/C+/B C+ B Extras: C-/B/C Main Programs: C+/B+/C+



PLEASE NOTE: The Made On Broadway DVD is now only available from Warner Bros. through their Warner Archive series and can be ordered from the links below.



The following music related titles are not necessarily filled with music, but are definitely associated with them...



Harry Beaumont's Made On Broadway (1933) has Robert Montgomery extorting money from all kinds of people because of the way he secretly controls Broadway, but he breaks from his usual pattern when a young woman (Sally Eilers) is down and out and about to self-destruct and gets an interest in her. He even gets his ex-wife (Madge Evans) to help out, making her suddenly a big star on the Great White Way. However, a few twists, turns and a subtle helping of melodrama kick in to make this more interesting than it first seems.


MGM was trying to launch a few stars here, but it is Montgomery who became the big success in the long run and this is somewhat glamorous and glitzy for its time, well handled by legendary journeyman Beaumont. It is a backstage drama with some corruption in the mix and has some good moments, but it is still short at a mere 68 minutes and maybe it could have used another reel or two with a richer script to match.


The 1.33 black and white image shows that the film looks good the way it was made, but this is a copy that is not in the best of shape and the film needs restored. Despite that the lossy Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono sounds a bit better than expected. An Original Theatrical Trailer is the only extra.



The Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame In Concert DVD Box Set combines three previously-released sets, the latter two being issued on Blu-ray as well, but we only get DVDs here. The first part is a 3-DVD set called The 25th Anniversary Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame In Concerts that took place over two days (October 29th and 30th, 2009) and celebrate the great success of the Hall and the music it honors. Crosby, Stills & Nash do two hits, then are joined by more with Bonnie Raitt, Jackson Browne and James Taylor. Stevie Wonder isa joined by Smokie Robinson, John Legend, B.B. King, Sting and Jeff Beck. Paul Simon does one of his great solo hits, then is joined for more with Crosby/Graham and Dion. Then he is joined by Art Garfunkel for two more classics. Aretha Franklin performs Baby I Love You and Don't Play That Song, then is joined by one-0time duet partner Annie Lennon of Eurythmics (Sisters Are Doing It For Themselves) to sing Chain Of Fools.


Metallica perform Enter Sandman, then are joined for more by Lou Reed, Ozzy Osbourne and Ray Davies. U2 play two of their hits, then are joined by Bruce Springsteen, Patti Smith and Roy Bittan for Because The Night and then by Mick Jagger, Fergie and will.i.am for Gimme Shelter. Jeff Beck has his own moment with Sting, Buddy Guy and Billy Gibson of ZZ Top, then Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band finish the 5.5 hours of content with Jungleland and many other songs as joined by Sam Moore, Tom Morello, John Fogerty, Darlene Love and Billy Joel, closing it all with a tribute to Jackie Wilson.


Hope this comes to Blu-ray at some point, but it is a must-see set, yet we get two more sets as great.


The In Concert set covers the inductions from 2010 to 2013 and we reviewed that set on Blu-ray at this link:


http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/15282/Arthur+Fiedler/Boston+Pops+Greatest+Hits+Of+Th


Lastly is the In Concert set without 'encore' attached to it (also issued separately on Blu-ray) and it covers the ceremonies from 2014 to 2017. Technically recorded a bit better, inductees include Peter Gabriel, Cat Stevens, Linda Ronstadt (who was not there, so the late, great Glenn Frey gives an unforgettable speech not knowing she would live to sing again, followed by Carrie Underwood, Stevie Nicks, Emmylou Harris, Sheryl Crow, Bonnie Raitt and Frey singing her hits), The E Street Band, Nirvana (Micheal Stipe gives a bold speech then the surviving members perform their hits and are joined by the likes of Kim Gordon), Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, Paul Butterfield Band, Bill Withers, Green Day, Stevie Ray Vaughn and Double Trouble, Lou Reed (with Laurie Anderson giving a powerful acceptance speech), Ringo Starr (joe Walsh and Paul McCartney join him), Deep Purple, Bert Berns, N.W.A., Chicago, Cheap Trick, Electric Light Orchestra (Dhani Harrison gives us a great speech about them), Joan Baez (who gives one of the greatest speeches in the history of the Hall), Tupac Shakur, Journey and Pearl Jam (inducted by David Letterman, substituting at the last minute for the original speaker) and it should be added that Paul Shaffer plays on almost everything here.


Again, more excellent, classic, unforgettable moments and all must-see. This is a great gift set for serious music fans and I hope more are on the way soon.


The anamorphically enhanced 1.78 X 1 image and lossy Dolby Digital 5.1 mixes on all the sets are fine for the format, though the later two sets are just not as rich as the separate Blu-ray releases of the same. I cannot imagine these playing better on DVD, so those who are fine with the format will have few complaints.


Extras include booklets with illustrations, tech info and essays for all three sets.



Finally, based on a true story and set in New Orleans, Room 37: The Mysterious Death of Johnny Thunders (2019) follows the troubled musician Johnny Thunders (Leo Ramsey) who retreats to the town to escape his life, but instead ends up going down another dark path. Staying at a bizarre hotel, his room gets robbed and he loses a ton of cash and his stash of methadone, spiraling to a series of events and hallucinations that lead to his untimely death.


Room 37 also stars Jason Lasater, Jimbo Barnett, and Robert Fleet.


The film is presented in 1080p high definition with a widescreen aspect ratio of 2.35:1 and two standard audio mixes in lossy Dolby Digital 5.1 and Dolby Digital 2.0. The film is well shot and looks pretty cinematic on disc for being a lower budgeted production. Not too many gripes about the presentation here but more detail could be found in upscaling it to 4K. There's also a lesser, compressed version of the film on standard definition DVD with the same widescreen and audio specs. The biggest comparison can be seen on darker moments, when more compression is evident on the DVD than the Blu-ray.


Special Features: Slideshow and Trailer.


Also included is the CD soundtrack of the film with songs by New York Dolls, Walter Lure and the Waldos, Sylvain Sylvain, Rusted Robot, and of course original songs by Johnny Thunder and the Heartbreakers.


While it mixes fact with fiction, Room 37 starts out interesting, but ultimately has one too many scenes of overacting that get a bit tedious. Still, the film is shot and produced surprisingly well considering this is a film I hadn't heard much about prior to this release. Worth a watch.



To order the Made On Broadway Warner Archive DVD, go to this link for them and many more great web-exclusive releases at:


http://www.wbshop.com/



- Nicholas Sheffo and James Lockhart (Room 37)

https://www.facebook.com/jamesharlandlockhartv/


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