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| Hairspray (Widescreen Edition) | 
 enlarge | Director: Adam Shankman
Actors: John Travolta, Michelle Pffeifer, Queen Latifah, Zac Efron, Christopher Walken
Studio: New Line Home Video
Category: DVD
List Price: $19.98
Buy Used: $2.85
You Save: $17.13 (86%)
New (65) Used (81) Collectible (2) from $2.85
Avg. Customer Rating:  273 reviews
Sales Rank: 732
Format: Ac-3, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, Dvd-video, Subtitled, Widescreen, Ntsc
Languages: English (Original Language), English (Subtitled), Spanish (Subtitled)
Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Number Of Items: 1
Running Time: 117
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1
Dimensions (in): 7.5 x 5.3 x 0.6
MPN: TRNDN11212D
UPC: 794043112126
EAN: 0794043112126
ASIN: B000W4KT6E
Theatrical Release Date: July 20, 2007
Release Date: November 20, 2007
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Condition: dvd is a ex-library copy in a library case guaranteed to play great or your money back no shipping to APO FPO AK HI
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| Customer Reviews:
 Show-stopping tunes, powerful story, and stellar cast make Hairspray a winner! July 28, 2007
2 out of 3 found this review helpful
You Can't Stop the Beat in Hairspray, the $75 million dollar remake of the 1988 John Waters' film. Everything in the production is spectacular, from the scenery to the music, from the cast to the costumes.
Hairspray takes place in the '60s and tells the story of young Tracy Turnblad (Nikki Blonsky), a pleasantly plump teenager who dreams of dancing on the Corny Collins' Show, a teen dance program on TV. She and her friend, Penny (Amanda Bynes) watch the show every afternoon, much to the dismay of Edna Turnblad (John Travolta in a female fat suit), Tracy's mom. So when the show's teen heartthrob Link Larkin (Zac Efron) announces that a memeber of the show will be leaving, Tracy goes to audition for the show, once again, much to the dismay of Edna, who's afraid that the other kids will make fun of Tracy because of her weight.
She's right. Tracy is forced out of the audition by Link's snobby girlfriend Amber (Brittany Snow), and her mom, Velma (Michelle Pfeiffer), who runs the TV station. But after a brief encounter with Link at school, Tracy decides not to give up and goes to audition again. She catches the host, Corny Collins' (James Marsden) eye, and she wins a part on the show, which upsets Velma and Amber, who wish to end her career immedietly. Tracy also learns about racism when romance blooms between Penny and Negro dancer Seaweed (Elijah Kelley). Tracy befriends Link and marches with Seaweed's mother, Motormouth Maybelle (Queen Latifah) to make things right. It's from there that everything goes wrong.
The cast also includes Christopher Walken as Tracy's father and Allison Janney (Best known for her leading role in The West Wing TV series) as Penny's mother.
Hairspray is a winner through and through. It teaches lessons about integration, being different, and trying your best. It is also just plain fun to watch. The superstar cast brings the characters to life and the music is splendid and catchy. (Buy the soundtrack too if you can). There are also many laugh-out-loud performences, including John Travolta and Allison Janney as the two moms and Michelle Pfeiffer as Velma. the costumes are lavish and realistic as well.
Hairspray was originally a non-musical film by John Waters. Then it was adapted into a Broadway musical. From there it was made into this movie. This film captures the spirit of Broadway, while achieving things that couldn't be done on stage.
Overall, Hairspray is one of the must-see films of the year. It is hilarious and fun while carrying inspiring messages. One thing's for sure, when I left the theater after Hairspray, I was in a better mood than I was in before.
Strictly Hairspray July 26, 2007
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
"Hairspray" manages to capture the early 1960's, makes you wanna dance and teaches you a lesson about racial prejudice without hitting you over your hairpiece. And there is a whole potfull of good actors-- some famous, others not. I'd give the solid A's to Nikki Blonsky who plays the pudgy adolescent Tracy Turnblad, who has to deal with being different (Fat girls don't dance); and Michelle Pheiffer as the practically anorexic blonde Velma von Tussle who is determined that her daughter Amber will win the dance contest. Christoper Walken as Tracy's father and the husband of Edna (John Travolta), who along with Queen Latifah as Motormouth Maybelle give respectable performances. John Waters, the creator of the original "Hairspray" has a unique walk-on role much in keeping with what we would expect for him.
Although John Travolta is often funny as the overweight, reclusive Edna, he never convinced me that he wasn't just himself wearing a dress. And at times with all that makeup and additional weight he was carrying around (although he was quite agile in his dance routines) he looked for all the world like a hog. Both Robin Williams as Mrs. Doubtfire and Dustin Hoffman as Tootsie were much more believable as women.
The music is catchy although probably nothing Striesand will include in her next concert. The dancing is hot; the movie at times will remind you of the fantastic Australian film of a few years ago, "Strictly Ballroom," both in the virtuosity of the dancers and the farcial elements.
"Hairspray" is a good way to spend two hours on a Sunday afternoon inside a cool theatre out of the July heat.
pure, transcendent fun July 25, 2007
3 out of 4 found this review helpful
The original John Waters movie "Hairspray" was one of the genuine unalloyed delights of the 1980's. Since the material seemed tailor-made for the stage from the outset, it was only a matter of time before some astute dramatists (in this case, Mark O'Donnell and Thomas Meehan) would get around to converting it into a smash Broadway show - and, indeed, their creation went on to win the Tony Award for Best Musical of 2002. Now "Hairspray" has come full circle, returning as a full-fledged movie musical that will lift your spirits and set your toes to tapping in record-setting time. Needless to say, only a total curmudgeon could resist the pull of this film.
The musical "Hairspray" stays true to the ebullient spirit, ribald satire and offbeat humor of the original film while adding a generous helping of original song-and-dance numbers that take the material to a new level. Newcomer Nikki Blonsky assumes the role, originated by Ricki Lake in the 1988 film, of Miss Tracy Turnblad, the eternally sunny teenager with a heart as outsized as her fulsome figure and ceiling-scraping coiffure. Obsessed with the fashions and accoutrements of early '60's pop culture, Tracy takes Baltimore by storm when she secures a spot as a regular on the Corny Collins dance show on local TV. Once ensconced on the program, the naively optimistic Tracy, a true product of her time, spearheads the effort to bring white and black teens together on the dance floor, a radical proposition for 1962 that does not sit well with the bigoted station manager and major segments of the city`s population. As such, the movie is what "Grease" or "Bye Bye Birdie" might have been had they been imbued with a social conscience. Yet, even though this "Hairspray" is immensely enjoyable on any number of levels, we still miss some of the trademark subversiveness that Waters brought to the original (Tracy`s being thrown into "special ed" classes at school, for instance, has been summarily dropped). For all its undeniable glory and charm, this is a softer, more user-friendly version of the story than we're used to seeing. But the original's themes of inclusiveness, of breaking down social barriers, and of being true to oneself still come through loud and clear.
As a crowd-pleasing musical, "Hairspray" kicks into high gear from its opening moments and never lets up. Director Adam Shankman allows the innate energy of the material to burst out in any number of ways - be it the dazzling, high-stepping choreography; the gracefully gliding camerawork; the sharp, rhythmic editing; the bright, flashy color scheme; the clever, witty lyrics; or the nostalgia-inducing and humorously exaggerated hairdos and costumes. There's even a wonderful scene in which Tracy's love interest sings a song to her framed picture - and the picture sings back! This intense stylization allows "Hairspray" to exist in a never-never fantasy land where centuries of racial prejudice can be wiped away in the blink of an eye, and we never question the plausibility of it for a second. It's a dream we want to believe in and, if it becomes a little self-congratulatory at times, well, who but the most dour party pooper is going to be complaining about that when the rest of us are having such a great time?
Much of the credit for "Hairspray"'s success goes to the actors, all of whom do a splendid job capturing the offbeat, fun-loving spirit of the piece. As Tracy, Blonsky perfectly conveys the innate sweetness, wide-eyed innocence and boundless energy that make the character so tremendously appealing to the audience. John Travolta, appearing in full fat-suit and drag, is a hoot as Tracie's supportive but supremely self-conscious mother, Edna, as is Christopher Walken as the devoted husband and father to the zaftig Turnblad clan. Michelle Pfeiffer, Amanda Byrnes, James Marsden, Queen Latifah, Britanny Snow, Zac Efron, Elijah Kelly, Allison Janney and Jerry Stiller round out the spectacular, powerhouse cast.
The score by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman is not only exuberant and catchy in its own right, but perfectly captures the rhythm and style of the music of the period. I guarantee that your toes will be tapping quite a bit throughout the course of this film.
In a summer in which audiences have seen one bloated mega-blockbuster after another crash and burn before their very eyes, it is a joy to be able to report that here at last is the genuine article - a perfect summertime entertainment that restores your faith in commercial moviemaking and will have you coming back for more.
"Hairspray" is excellent! July 23, 2007
"Hairspray" is excellent! The cast led by John Travolta (great as usual as Edna Turnblad) and newcomer Nikki Blonsky (who's excellent, by the way, as Tracy Turnblad) is excellent! The directing and choregraphing by Adam Shankman (who also directed "Cheaper By The Dozen 2" (2005), "The Pacifier" (2005), "Bringing Down The House (2003), "A Walk To Remember" (2002), & "The Wedding Planner" (2001) is excellent! The screenplay by Leslie Dixon (based on John Waters' 1988 screenplay and Mark O' Donnell's musicial play) (who also wrote the upcoming "The Heartbreak Kid" (2007) is excellent! The music by Marc Shaiman (who also did the music to the upcoming "The Bucket List" (2007) is excellent! The cinematography by Bojan Bazelli (who also did the cinematography to "Mr. And Mrs. Smith" (2005) is excellent! The film editing by Michael Tronick (who also did the film editing to "Mr. And Mrs. Smith") is excellent! The casting by Tina Gerussi, Richard Hicks, David Rubin (both of them did the casting to the upcoming "Charlie Bartlett" (2007) is excellent! The production design by David Gropman (who also did the production design to "Little Children" (2006) is excellent! The art direction by Dennis Davenport (who also did the art direction to "The Lookout" (2007) is excellent! The set decoration by Gordon Sim (who also did the set decoration to "Breach" (2007) & "Chicago" (2002) is excellent! The costume design by Rita Ryack (who also did the costume design to "Charlotte's Web" (2006) is excellent! This is one of the better musicals in recent history. One of the best films of the year.
 More music but far less laughs July 22, 2007
3 out of 7 found this review helpful
More music,more dancing,more stars,but a lot less laughs is the only way I can think to truly access the new "Hairspray" from Adam Shankman. My toes never stopped feeling the beat.But I honestly have to agree with others that despite the flashiness and glitz of the screen production, all that was politically charged and so uniquely weird about John Waters movie and even the Musical on Broadway was missing.Two of the best numbers from the live show were cut."Mama,I'm a Big Girl Now" which was the defining number between Tracy and Edna and with the omission of the classic jail scene, "The Big Doll house",which was another great number about ladies sizes is gone.Apart from all that,simply put, all of the great John Waters humour is missing.Like I said,lots of music, lots of dancing,but for me all that made the other "Hairsprays" hits was really lacking.It was okay, but I will stick with the John Waters film and drop back over to Broadway for a better time! At least "Hairspray" fares better than "The Producers".
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