ANIMAL FARM (DVD) DVD

Animal Farm
George Orwell's political fable about corruption and betrayal in post-revolutionary Russia gets a new look in this version that employs a cast of real animals alongside digitally manipulated critters and lifelike beasts crafted by Jim Henson's Creature Shop. At the Manor Farm, the alcoholic master Mr. Jones (Pete Postlethwaite) is cruel to his animals and has horribly mismanaged the property. One night, the wise but elderly pig Old Major (voice of Peter Ustinov) gathers the animals and speaks of a remarkable dream, in which the animals throw off their tyrannical human masters and learn to reap the fruits of their own labors. After Old Major's death, two other pigs, Snowball (voice of Kelsey Grammer) and Napoleon (voice of Patrick Stewart) lead a revolution that drives Jones from his land and leaves the animals in charge of their own destiny. After their revolt, Snowball and Napoleon rule side by side, but Napoleon soon becomes drunk with power and squeezes Snowball out of authority, eventually turning the other animals against him. With Boxer (voice of Paul Scofield), a simple-minded but loyal and physically powerful horse, as a role model, Napoleon leads the animals on a campaign of self-denial and hard work that will bring them security and freedom; however, it soon becomes obvious that Napoleon is growing fat while the other animals are starving, and he is quickly becoming the sort of creature he once waged war against. Animal Farm received its American premiere on the TNT cable TV network in October 1999; it opened as a theatrical release in several other countries shortly afterward. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Cast Pete Postlethwaite as Farmer Jones Kelsey Grammer as Snowball Ian Holm as Squealer Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Mollie Julia Ormond as Jessie Pete Postlethwaite as Benjamin Paul Scofield as Boxer Patrick Stewart as Napoleon Peter Ustinov as Old Major Alan Stanford as Mr. Pilkington Caroline Grey as Mrs. Jones Gail Fitzpatrick as Mrs. Pilkington Joe Taylor as Mr. Frederick Jimmy Keogh as Dennis Noel O'Donovan as Eric

Crew Morgan O'Sullivan - Co-producer Lionel Steketee - First Assistant Director John Stephenson - Director Colin Green - Editor Robert Halmi, Sr. - Executive Producer Richard Harvey - Composer (Music Score) Richard Harvey - Musical Direction/Supervision Brian Ackland-Snow - Production Designer Mike Brewster - Cinematographer Paul Lowen - Producer Greg Smith - Producer Jim Henson's Creature Shop - Special Effects Cinesite - Special Effects James Corcoran - Sound/Sound Designer Vernon Gresty - Supervisor/Manager Sue Rowe - Special Effects Supervisor Jonathan Privett - Special Effects Supervisor Martyn Burke - Screenwriter Alan Janes - Screenwriter Angus Bickerton - Visual Effects Supervisor George Orwell - Short Story Author

Animal Farm
In this 1999 adaptation of George Orwell's Animal Farm, special effects coax farm animals to speak out against tyranny and reenact the 1917 Russian Revolution. Studio wizardry turns real and almost-real pigs, ducks, chickens, and sheep into lip-synching actors portraying political heroes, villains, and the easily led hoi polloi. However, the dramatis personae lack the sassy vibrancy of cartoon characters. Moreover, close-ups of Old Major, the Lenin figure personified by the voice of Peter Ustinov, and Napoleon, the Stalin figure personified by the voice of Patrick Stewart, reveal these two pigs as little more than slobbering machines. When the jaws of either pig move, the viewer wonders how much gadgetry Jim Henson's Creature Shop used to create the illusion. In the end, what the film gives the audience is artificial realism that deadens the characters and reduces them to high-tech puppets. Consequently, the characters cannot generate the kind of hyperbole and whimsy that animate cartoon characters and make fantasy fun. During the 90-minute running time of the film, director John Stephenson and producer Robert Halmi Sr. generally adhere to the plot of Orwell's 1947 novel satirizing the excesses of communism. But they do take liberties on occasion, most notably when they show the collapse of the Animal Farm wall to symbolize the fall of the Berlin Wall. The solemn, humorless atmosphere pervading the production tends to make viewers yearn for a Daffy Duck or a Pluto to enliven it. ~ Mike Cummings, All Movie Guide
 

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General Specifications: Language Options: English Subtitle Options: Sound Processing: 5.1: 5 full-range channels. Includes 3 for the front speakers, 2 surround channels for rear speakers, & 1 low-frequency effects (LFE) channel to carry deep bass effects Additional Features: Full-screen version 5.1 Dolby Digital Interview with Kelsey Grammer Interview with Robert Halmi Sr. Storyboard comparisons Trailer The Animal rules Historical background Cast and crew information Production notes Digitally mastered Scene access Interactive menus MPAA Rating: NR DVD Discs Included: 1 DVD Sides: 1 DVD DVD Region Code: 1 Content Length: 91 min   DVD Chapters: Scene Index 0. Scene Index 1. Animal Farm [2:11] 2. Cruelty to Animals [2:23] 3. Protecting Their Own [1:44] 4. Laborers' Meeting [2:53] 5. Humans Are the Enemy [2:23] 6. Wrong Room [1:53] 7. Commotion in the Barn [2:50] 8. Neglected Farm Workers [3:23] 9. The Revolution Has Begun [6:05] 10. A New Beginning [2:18] 11. Touring the Human Home [3:08] 12. The Rules of the Farm [2:23] 13. Working Together [2:14] 14. Information Gathering [3:03] 15. Milk and Apples [2:53] 16. Human Invasion [2:40] 17. Defending the Farm [2:56] 18. Napoleon Against Snowball [4:31] 19. Building the Windmill [2:16] 20. Changing the Rules [4:04] 21. Breaking the Commandments [2:22] 22. Sabotage [3:06] 23. A New Song of Revolution [2:02] 24. The Hen's Sacrifice [2:26] 25. Propaganda Films [3:07] 26. The Most Loyal Worker [3:44] 27. The Glue Factory [2:32] 28. Alcoholic Leader [3:48] 29. Napoleon Becomes Human [2:53] 30. Animal Farm Has Fallen [2:23] 31. The New Owners [:52] 32. End Credits [3:42]