The Metropolitan Opera's production of "The Magic Flute" was broadcast live in HD, providing viewers around the world with a front-row seat to this renowned opera. "The Magic Flute" is one of Mozart's most beloved operas, featuring a combination of comedy, drama, and enchanting music. This production, directed by Julie Taymor, brought a fresh and imaginative interpretation to the timeless story. The live HD broadcast allowed audiences to experience the magic of the opera in high-definition, with incredible detail and clarity. The stunning set designs and intricate costumes were beautifully captured on screen, transporting viewers to the fantastical world of the opera. The opera tells the story of Prince Tamino, who embarks on a quest to rescue the beautiful Pamina from the hands of the evil Queen of the Night.
Beast and the Magic Sword Blu-ray Review
Once upon a time, a professional weightlifter and developing actor named Jacinto Molina Álvarez developed a script based on his love of Universal Studios’ Wolf Man movies, entitled La Marca del Hombre Lobo ( Mark of the Wolfman ). German investors were impressed enough to produce a film version of Molina’s story in 1968, directed by Enrique López Eguiluz and starring the screenwriter under the German-approved pseudonym “Paul Naschy.” La Marca del Hombre Lobo was a hit and led to an entire franchise of films starring Nacshy as the cursed werewolf, Count Waldemar Daninsky. Naschy expanded his empire to include a long series of horror films, in which the writer/actor/sometimes director appeared as other classic movie monsters and madmen.
Naschy put El Hombre Lobo to bed for five years following 1975’s Night of the Howling Beast (Spanish: La Maldicion de la Bestia ; aka: The Werewolf and the Yeti ) , then soft-rebooted the character for the ‘80s with Night of the Werewolf (Spanish: El Retorno del Hombre Lobo ; aka: The Craving , 1980) . This pseudo-remake of the original Mark of the Wolf Man also borrows a number of elements from The Werewolf vs. the Vampire Woman (Spanish: La Noche de Walpurgis ; aka: Shadow of the Werewolf , 1970). Despite now competing with Hollywood special effects spectacles, like Joe Dante’s The Howling (1981) and John Landis’ An American Werewolf in London (1980) , Night of the Werewolf stoked enough interest in the character for Naschy to make The Beast and the Magic Sword (Spanish: La Bestia y la Espada Magica ), in 1983 during a stint producing, directing, and acting in Japanese/Spanish co-productions.
The Beast and the Magic Sword is arguably Naschy’s most sought-after picture. This was in part due to its lack of availability outside of Spain (it was one of the few El Hombre Lobo movies not to find its way onto the VHS format), but the film’s ambitious concepts alone were plenty to whet fan appetites. Even those unfamiliar with the franchise can probably appreciate the appeal of a Medieval-knight-turned-werewolf interacting with pre-Edo Period Japanese samurais. It’s exactly the kind of audacious mash-up antics that fuel B-horror and were much needed following Night of the Werewolf’s cannibalization of Naschy’s already boilerplate storylines. This film doubles as an origin story for our plagued wolfen antihero, which, coupled with the werewolf and samurai/ninja escapades (not to mention the flashy color palette) really gives The Beast and the Magic Sword a comic book appeal. It’s especially charming given that the first act is basically a hyper-accelerated early era Naschy costume horror drama, to the point that it sometimes feels like watching one of his older movies in fast-forward. The melodrama and swashbuckling violence washes over the viewer at such an incredible clip that the switch in location, style, and even pacing (the screenplay is crammed with so many characters, plot points, and set pieces that it never really slows down, but the Japanese-set scenes feel less hectic) comes as such a pleasant surprise that I almost wish I didn’t know I was watching a genre mashup. And now I suppose I’ve ruined your chance to experience the baffling change-up in real-time as well. Sorry.
It took until 1996 for an aging Naschy to bring the character back again, for Licántropo , followed in 2004 by Tomb of the Werewolf , an unfortunate softcore entry written & directed by notorious American schlockmeister, Fred Olen Ray.
The opera tells the story of Prince Tamino, who embarks on a quest to rescue the beautiful Pamina from the hands of the evil Queen of the Night. Along the way, he is guided by the bird catcher Papageno, and faces numerous trials and challenges. One of the highlights of the production was the use of puppetry, which brought the characters of Papageno and the Three Ladies to life in a truly unique and captivating way.
Video
As mentioned, The Beast and the Magic Sword was never released on video (or, apparently, even in theaters) outside of Spain. The best option fans had was a PAL DVD from Vellavision, though it didn’t have English subtitles, so they’d either need to know Castilian or find a .SRT file. Mondo Macabro has gone the extra mile for this, the film’s HD, North American, and English-friendly debut, including a new 4K scan of the original film negative and the option to watch the film in either 1.33:1 full frame or cropped 1.66:1. It’s not unusual for Spanish films from the time to be shot open-matte and even presented that way in theaters, but the slight cropping looks better to my eyes. The choice is ultimately entirely up to the viewer, though I’ve included a couple of comparisons on this page to help. Overall, I’m very satisfied with the image quality, especially given the film’s pseudo-lost status and fact that it was cobbled together on a small budget. Furthermore, I’m willing to blame a lot of the most obvious shortcomings on the material itself – not necessarily due to the condition of the material, but the mistakes and choices made during filming. Naschy and cinematographer Julio Burgos aim for a soft and sometimes frosted look, which leads to side effects, like fuzzy fine details and snowy grain. The bigger issue is that the filmmakers failed to correctly pull focus a lot of the time, making for inconsistent clarity, especially in the European-set sequences (once the story arrives in Japan, clarity is much more consistent). These types of artifacts are sometimes magnified by digital noise, but there isn’t a lot of obvious telecine scan noise (I noticed it most during some shots of Daninsky’s transformation and battle with a tiger, a bit past the one hour mark). Color vibrancy and dynamic range is strong, which is especially important given the major style shift from Europe to Japan.
The puppetry added an extra layer of visual interest and whimsy to the opera. The cast of the production was exceptional, with standout performances from tenor Toby Spence as Tamino and soprano Dawn Upshaw as Pamina. The vocal performances were powerful and moving, capturing the emotional depth of the characters. The live HD broadcast allowed audiences who may not have had the opportunity to see a live performance at the Metropolitan Opera to still experience the magic of the opera. It also provided a unique perspective, with close-up shots and behind-the-scenes glimpses that would not be possible in a traditional live performance. Overall, the Metropolitan Opera's live HD broadcast of "The Magic Flute" was a magical and immersive experience. It brought together the artistry of opera, the talents of a world-class cast, and the technological advancements of high-definition broadcasting to create a truly unforgettable production..
Reviews for "Embark on a Journey of Fantasy and Adventure with the Met Opera's Live HD Broadcast of The Magic Flute"
- John - 1 star - I was really disappointed with the Met opera magic flute live in HD. The production felt lackluster and the acting was unconvincing. The singers' voices didn't seem to match the characters at all, making it hard to connect with the story. Overall, I found it to be a boring and forgettable experience.
- Sarah - 2 stars - I had high expectations for the Met opera magic flute live in HD, but unfortunately, it didn't live up to them. The set design was subpar and didn't transport me into the fantastical world of the opera. The costumes also felt cheap and poorly executed. While some of the musical performances were impressive, they couldn't make up for the overall disappointing production.
- Mike - 1 star - The Met opera magic flute live in HD was a total letdown. The stage direction was confusing and lacked coherence, making it hard to follow the plot. The pacing was off, with some scenes dragging on for way too long. The orchestra was the only redeeming quality, but even their beautiful music couldn't salvage this disappointing performance. I would not recommend it.