or
Sign in to turn on 1-Click ordering.
or
Amazon Prime free trial required. Sign up when you check out. Learn more
More Buying Choices
Have one to sell? Sell yours here
Cats - Ultimate Edition [DVD] [1998]
 
See larger image
 

Cats - Ultimate Edition [DVD] [1998]

Elaine Paige , John Mills , Andrew Lloyd Webber    Exempt   DVD
4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (71 customer reviews)
Price: £10.00 & this item Delivered FREE in the UK with Super Saver Delivery. See details and conditions
o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o
In stock.
Dispatched from and sold by Amazon.co.uk. Gift-wrap available.
Want guaranteed delivery by Wednesday, May 30? Choose Express delivery at checkout. See Details
Amazon.co.uk Currency Converter
Amazon.co.uk allows you to pay for your items in your local currency. Restrictions apply. Learn More.
Learn about LOVEFiLM
Amazon.co.uk’s choice for film and TV series rental has over 70,000 titles, including thousands to watch online - search LOVEFiLM for titles. Enjoy a 30-day free trial and a £15 Amazon.co.uk gift certificate if you become a paying member. Learn more at LOVEFiLM.com

Frequently Bought Together

Customers buy this item with Cats (Original London Cast Recording) £8.99

Cats - Ultimate Edition [DVD] [1998] + Cats (Original London Cast Recording)
Price For Both: £18.99

Show availability and delivery details



Product details


Reviews

Amazon.co.uk Review

This pop-cultural phenomenon has been performed on stage for more than 50 million patrons in 26 countries for almost 18 years, churning more than US$2 billion in ticket sales. Now that Cats has finally made it to the small screen, attention must be paid not just by fans of this critic-proof show, but also by those entertainment mavens who have somehow avoided Cats until now. The video version has been restaged but, alas, not really reconceived for its new medium.

The video cast, assembled from London, Amsterdam, and New York productions, is competent. Ken Page as Old Deuteronomy, Jacob Brent as Mr. Mistoffelees, and Elaine Paige--the original London Grizabella, the Glamour Cat well past her prime--are a great deal more than that. Paige has toned down her theatrical belting of her big number, "Memory", and allowed the faded ruin of her character's soul to prevail in close-up. For all the "covers" of her signature song, Paige's version remains definitive. The video is, by definition, more intimate, not always a good thing: costumes are even more Halloweeny in garish close-up, the cats less cuddly without that all-important interaction, the stage's appropriately midnight lighting transmuted to a Las Vegas neon. And the chorus of cats in production numbers is even clunkier and more amorphous in two-and three-shots.

The one complete newcomer to the cast is the 90-year-old icon among English actors John Mills, a delight as Gus the Theatrical Cat. Sir John and his character show the youngsters how it's done in close-up, largely behind the eyes, abetted by a heart-tugging delivery of his one song. Yet virtually all of the songs are lip-synched, further robbing the video Cats of its onstage seeming spontaneity. It's clearer than ever that Lloyd Webber's music is mostly twaddle, with the important exception of "Memory", which instantly and rightly became one of the genuine theatre standards not dependent on context, in the vein of Stephen Sondheim's "Send in the Clowns". On the plus side, most of the Cats characters and lyrics, from TS Eliot's 14-poem Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats, are far better defined and understood from the video version. --Robert Windeler

Amazon.co.uk Review

Cats is a pop-cultural phenomenon that has been performed on stage for more than 50 million patrons in 26 countries for almost 18 years, resulting in more than two billion dollars in ticket sales. Now that Cats has finally made it to the small screen, attention must be paid not just by fans of this critic-proof show, but also by those entertainment mavens who have somehow avoided it until now.

This video version has been restaged but, alas, not really reconceived for its new medium. Most of the cast--assembled from London, Amsterdam and New York productions--are competent. Ken Page as Old Deuteronomy, Jacob Brent as Mr Mistoffelees and Elaine Paige--the original London Grizabella, the Glamour Cat well past her prime--are a great deal more than that. Paige has toned down her theatrical belting of her big number, "Memory", and allowed the faded ruin of her character's soul to prevail in close-up. For all the covers of her signature song, Paige's version remains definitive. The video is, by definition, more intimate, which is not always a good thing: costumes are even more Halloweeny in garish close-up, the cats less cuddly without that all-important interaction, the stage's appropriately midnight lighting transmuted to a Las Vegas neon. And the chorus of cats in production numbers is even clunkier and more amorphous in two- and three-shots.

The one complete newcomer to the cast is the 90-year-old icon among English actors, John Mills, a delight as Gus the Theatrical Cat. Sir John and his character show the youngsters how it's done in close-up, largely behind the eyes, abetted by a heart-tugging delivery of his one song. Yet virtually all of the songs are lip-synched, further robbing the video Cats of its onstage spontaneity. It's clearer than ever that Lloyd Webber's music is mostly twaddle, with the important exception of "Memory", which instantly and rightly became one of the genuine theatre standards not dependent on context, in the vein of Stephen Sondheim's "Send in the Clowns". On the plus side, most of the characters and lyrics, from TS Eliot's 14-poem Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats, are far better defined and understood from the video version. --Robert Windeler, Amazon.com



Tags Customers Associate with This Product

 (What's this?)
Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
 
(4)

Your tags: Add your first tag
 

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews
69 of 70 people found the following review helpful
Cats is Purrfect!! 4 July 2003
Format:DVD
What can you say that's bad about this DVD? This is a must buy for every musical fan! I have watched this over 80 times now and i am NOT joking either, it's addictive.The plot, though not very strong is simple, once a year a tribe of Cats meets in a junkyard for the annual Jellicle Ball in which their leader chooses one of the cats to go to the Heavyside Layer where they can be 'reborn and come back to a different Jellicle life!' The dancing is superb, the singing even though not always up to scratch is excellent in the big numbers. Credit has to be given to John Partridge who makes a fabulous Rum Tum Tugger, Jacob Brent who is adorable as the magical Mr. Mistoffelees, Drew Varley and Jo Gibb as the naughty catburglars Mungojerrie and Rumpelteazer and Phyllidia Crowley Smith who is a very graceful Victoria. Elaine Paige does justice to the role as Grizabella and although i have seen the stage show twice, no Grizabella can live up to hers. The Jellicle Ball is one of my favourite numbers, nearly 13 minutes of solid dance it is breathtaking (the editing of the film is not always brilliant as you do see quite a few mistakes and cameras but only after you watch it for the 50th time will these start to stand out!) and you're guaranteed to be singing Mr. Mistoffelees and memory for days after you watch it! Go and but this, you won't be dissappointed!
Comment | 
Was this review helpful to you?
33 of 34 people found the following review helpful
Superb..... 1 Jun 2003
Format:DVD
This ultimate edition is really worthy of its name. You get 2 DVD discs of absolute gold which will appeal to Cats fans and first time viewers.

I bought the video when it first came out but decided to upgrade to the DVD version for the quality aspect, I was not dissapointed.

You get the production on the first disc which is much better on this format as you hear little noises that were not picked up on the video.

On the second disc you get the "making of Cats" featurette which goes backstage to talk to the cast and the creators. You also get a short make up demo from the make up artist from the theatre and fantastic interviews with Andrew Lloyd Webber, Gillian Lynne, Cameron Makentosh, John Napier, Trevor Nunn and Gerry Schoenfield.

Now that the London production has closed this is the sedond best way to enjoy it in all its glory.

This is a must buy item which will be watched many times over.

Comment | 
Was this review helpful to you?
36 of 38 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
I confess I am a huge Lloyd Webber fan, and having seen Cats myself when I was 10 (22 years ago!) I still remember it in detail. I have always adored the music and recently introduced my children (aged 5 and 4) to the songs on CD as they already adored Joseph. They loved Cats which is why I bought this to them from Father Christmas.

Since they can't see it in the theatre anymore, this is a great way for them to see the Cats show and understand how the songs are brought to life. The Jellicle Cats opening is super, as is The Gumbie Cat, The Rum Tum Tugger, Skimbleshanks et al.

BUT the 2 key changes ruined it for us. Firstly WHY does this not feature the original tune for Mungojerry & Rumpleteezer? The new tune is frankly rubbish and unmemorable. And secondly, John Mills as Gus is all very well but it means that Growltiger (including Billy McCaw) has been cut altogether. This is one of the key pieces in the 2nd act and was the main song that my pirate-mad boys wanted to see. The disappointment when it cut from Gus straight to Skimbleshanks was palpable - we had tears!

If you don't care about these 2 songs but adore everything else, you really will love this DVD. But if you're as familiar with the original as we are, the addition of the Pekes and Pollicles (which is excellent) in no way makes up for the lack of Growltiger or Mungojerry&Rumpleteezer.
Was this review helpful to you?
Most Recent Customer Reviews
A good musical
Enjoyed the DVD of Cats but I am glad that i did not pay to go and see the show. Not completely my kind of music.
Published 1 month ago by Douglas 44
brilliant
well worth watching have watched it several times already and will watch it again and again..a lot cheaper buying the cd than watching it at the theatre..
Published 1 month ago by dollie
What a great musical
I had heard many of the songs on the radio and TV, but i had never seen the musical which they came from. Read more
Published 3 months ago by M. Haywood
a night out in theatreland !
excellent DVD took me back to when my late wife and I had several days in London and saw this show - complete with John Mills.
Published 4 months ago by Gunner
cats
brought this for my daughter who as a child wore out the vhs tape of cats, she mentioned it in Novemeber so i decided to get her the DVD saw the anniversary one and wow she is... Read more
Published 5 months ago by Julia C. Cockram
Cats Musical
Fantastic, outstanding musical. Lovely songs and music,and extraordinary cats! Enjoyable entertainment for children, adults and musical lovers. Do not miss it!
Published 5 months ago by fab
cats dvd
great dvd, super dancing and singing, the characters all come across as realistic, most enjoyable, can watch it over and over again
Published 6 months ago by rod
super show
i have seen the show several times and had got the video but as everything has now got to be digital i have now got the dvd and love it
Published 6 months ago by Ms. Sandra A. Brown
Very disappionting
Bought this after having waited years to see it. What a load of rubbish! I was so disappointed. I had bought it to watch with my daughter, her views were the same as mine -... Read more
Published 6 months ago by Nel
Cats dvd
It was just like sitting in theatre again.We all enjoyed it and will watch it over again.My daughter loves it.
Published 9 months ago by Nut6case
Search Customer Reviews
Only search this product's reviews

Customer Discussions

This product's forum
Discussion Replies Latest Post
Aspect Ratio? 2 10 May 2010
See all discussions...  
Start a new discussion
Topic:
First post:
Prompts for sign-in
 


Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
   
Related forums


Listmania!


Look for similar items by category


Look for similar items by subject









i.e., each product must be in subject 1 AND subject 2 AND ...

Feedback


Amazon.co.uk Privacy Statement Amazon.co.uk Delivery Information Amazon.co.uk Returns & Exchanges