Jonathan Miller Movies

In this stage production from 2009, the English National Opera mounts Giacomo Puccini's seminal 1896 opera La Bohème , with principals including Roland Wood as Marcello, Alfie Boe as Rodolfo, Paul Putninš as Colline and David Stout as Schaunard. The English National Opera Orchestra and Chorus lend musical accompaniment under the baton of Miguel Harth-Bedoya. ~ Nathan Southern, Rovi

This 2001 performance of George Frederic Handel's opera, Tamerlano also includes a behind the scenes look at the production including comments by the director and conductor. ~ Cammila Collar, Rovi

An opera on video--Puccini's opera about the 1849 gold rush in California. This time at Teatro Alla Scala, Milan, Italy. Italian, with English subtitles. ~ Rovi

Winning Basketball with Larry Bird and Red Auerbach brings together two NBA greats to provide a complete guide to teaching children the basics of the game. This video is packed with tips from legendary coach Red Auerbach, the Boston Celtics' Larry Bird, and fellow Celtics Dennis Johnson and Kevin McHale, as well as other team members. Demonstrations simplify the dynamics of the game for aspiring players who want to learn from the pros how to handle the ball, shoot, rebound, and play defense. These strategies and drills are useful for improving the skills of players at all ability levels. In addition to offering thorough instruction, the video includes exciting footage of Bird's best plays.

~ Sally Barber, Rovi

Monty Python alum Eric Idle stars in an English National Opera production of Gilbert and Sullivan's classic comic opera, which relocates the setting of the original story from ancient Japan to a 1920s-era seaside resort in England. The Mikado has declared flirting to be a capital crime. Sentenced to death for his amorous banter, Ko-Ko (Idle) subsequently experiences a strange twist of fate that finds him assuming the role of "Lord High Executioner." But before Ko-Ko can sever the heads of any prisoners, he must first behead himself. Later, when the Mikado calls for an execution, Ko-Ko finds himself in the middle of a dire predicament involving his fiancée Yum-Yum and the ruler's son. Now, if Ko-Ko is to make it out of the situation alive, he must use his skills as an entertainer to keep the Mikado distracted from the grim task at hand. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

This English performance of Verdi's Rigoletto was produced by Jonathon Miller. ~ Rovi

This play gets its title from the name of a British holiday called Midsummer Day, the feast of John the Baptist, celebrated on June 24 with merrymaking. On Midsummer Night, witches, goblins, and fairies materialized to hold a festival of their own. Shakespeare's play capitalizes on the magic of the occasion. Set in Athens, it begins when Duke Theseus orders gala ceremonies for his coming marriage to Hippolyta, Queen of the Amazons. But domestic strife intrudes upon the gay atmosphere when one of the duke's subjects, Hermia, chooses Lysander as her future husband over her father Egeus' choice, Demetrius. Theseus reminds Hermia of a law requiring her to obey her father or face death or banishment. Hermia and Lysander then escape to the woods. There, tradesmen are rehearsing a play for the duke's wedding. Demetrius, the rejected suitor, searches the woods for Hermia, while another young lady, Helena, follows him, praying that he will bestow his love on her instead of Hermia. Also in the woods are fairies gathered to bless the duke's wedding. Oberon, the fairy king, argues violently with his queen, Titania, after she refuses to give him a boy he wants as a servant. In retaliation, Oberon orders a fairy named Puck to concoct a potion of flower juice, which, when squeezed on Titania's eyelids, will enamor her of the first creature she sees -- whether animal or man. Witnessing the love problems of Helena and Demetrius, Oberon decides a dose of flower juice will do them good. But because of mischief and mixups, Puck's potion anoints indiscriminately, and everyone temporarily falls in love with the wrong person. Titania ends up with bumpkin Bottom, a tradesman wearing the head of an ass. Eventually, remedial magic rights the wrongs and a triple wedding takes place. ~ Mike Cummings, Rovi

After looking at the bank bail-outs of cities in financial duress in the late '70s, this documentary proposes that the banks took power away from the municipal political leaders, to the detriment of the lower echelons of society (as social programs were cut in the process). Apparently the banks backed commercial and industrial development and cuts in city spending, policies that whether intentional or not, adversely affected the lower classes. One example of the dominance of bank interests is when a banker, Felix Rohatyn set up a series of solutions to New York City's financial crisis in 1975. He created the Municipal Assistance Corporation (Big Mac), soon to be followed by the Emergency Financial Control Board. As a result of bankers' interpretations of fiscal policy, the city closed daycare centers, fire stations, and hospitals. There is no doubt that directors James Gaffney, Martin Lucas, and Jonathan Miller intended to illustrate their own viewpoints, culled after five years of filming and writing. The segment on the city of Cleveland and its default in 1978 in which the efforts of Mayor Dennis Kucinich and the community to restore fiscal stability are shown as opposed by the banks and the Cleveland Electric Illuminating Co. may not be as objective as some would like. Viewers will have to judge the merits of the documentary's arguments based on their own knowledge and experience. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi

Bassanio (John Nettles), a young man of Venice, falls hopelessly in love with fair Portia (Gemma Jones), a wealthy heiress. But his pocket lacks the jingle to woo her. So Bassanio obtains a loan from the Jewish moneylender Shylock (Warren Mitchell), and his friend Antonio(John Franklyn-Robbins) agrees to repay it in three months. However, if Antonio fails to meet the deadline, Shylock says, Antonio must forfeit a pound of his flesh -- certain death -- as payment. In his heart, Shylock hopes Antonio will default so that he can carve up one of the Christians who mock and humiliate him simply because he is Jewish. Meanwhile, Portia entertains distinguished suitors from around the world. Although she loves Bassanio, her late father made her promise to marry only the suitor who passes a strange test: He must choose from among three caskets -- one gold, one silver, and one lead. If the chosen casket contains a picture of Portia, the suitor wins her hand in marriage. After princes from Morocco and Arragon select the wrong caskets, Bassanio chooses the right one. In the meantime, Shylock's daughter Jessica (Leslee Udwin) elopes with a Christian, Bassanio's friend Lorenzo (Richard Morant), and helps herself to her father's jewels and gold before leaving. When Antonio suffers a financial reversal and fails to repay the loan, Shylock demands the pound of flesh. A trial before the Duke of Venice ensues, in which Portia, disguised as a male advocate, addresses the court, telling Shylock he is entitled to his pound of flesh according to the loan agreement. Shylock, praising her for her ruling, prepares to cut into Antonio's chest. But Portia warns him that he must take only flesh, but no blood, for the contract says nothing of blood. Shylock drops his knife, realizing he has been defeated. As punishment for conspiring to kill Antonio, Shylock must forfeit property and become a Christian. As he leaves the court, a broken man, the other principals celebrate and live happily ever after. ~ Mike Cummings, Rovi