Kismet

Kismet [VHS] Three dreaded words. . . Pan and scan. Ugh! How could they do that to Vincente Minnelli!? Anyway, while I'm forgiving the eighties, I'll mention that although the music is pretty good (some songs better than others). My real complaint, now that I'm old, is that the sets, costumes, and characterizations fit a more cartoon interpretation of the Arabian Nights. I'd love to see something a little more historically faithful (although realistically, the Arabian Nights, as translated into English, were pretty cartoon-y anyway).

I really enjoyed the dancing. The skill and choreography really were fantastic. The colors did their typical Minnelli thing, screaming from the screen (although not all of them made complete sense. For instance, Howard Keel spends several scenes looking like he's wearing (nay, popping out of - that guy had quite the chest) red long-johns).

It has come to my attention that I overuse parentheses. Hmph.

Anyway, the story has some fascinating ideas about fortune, good and bad, and wisdom vs. foolishness. Check it out if you've ever read Arabian Nights.

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