| | Kansas City DVD
| Category | Dramas DVDs, Music (General) Movies, Crime Videos, Jazz, Period Piece, Kidnapping And Missing Persons, Scams And Cons, Organized Crime, Substance Abuse | | Starring | Miranda Richardson, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Steve Buscemi, Michael Murphy, Dermot Mulroney, Harry Belafonte, Joshua Redman, Craig Handy | | Director | Robert Altman |
In Kansas City during the Depression, a young man robs a gambler and is held hostage by a mysterious night club owner. In response, the man's wife kidnaps a socialite, whom she tries to trade for her husband. Director: Robert Altman; Stars Miranda Richardson, Harry Belafonte, Brooke Smith, Dermot Mulroney, Jane Adams, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Jennifer Jason-Leigh, Michael Murphy, Steve Buscemi. Robert Altman's hometown gets the director's signature treatment--exploring themes such as class differences, and the hypocrisy and delusion he finds extant in American culture--in this jazz-infused mobster tale set in the 1930s. When a small-time gangster crosses the town's mob kingpin and subsequently gets taken prisoner, his movie-mad wife kidnaps a drug-addled society woman in hopes of forcing a captive swap. Contemporary jazz musicians provide the evocative score in this atmospheric period piece.
Robert Altman's hometown gets the director's signature treatment in this jazz-infused mobster tale set in the 1930s. KANSAS CITY takes place in the jazz-drenched, depression-era milieu of the eponymous city, focusing on a 24-hour relationship between two extremely different women. Trashy, brassy and uneducated Blondie O'Hara (Jennifer Jason Leigh) is desperately searching for her equally lowlife husband Jack (Dermot Mulroney) who has been captured by the vicious Seldom Seen (Harry Belafonte) after attempting to rob one of his casino's greatest losers. In a move typical of her off-kilter personality, Blondie kidnaps Carolyn Stilton (Miranda Richardson), a rich, unhappy, drug-using socialite, and drags her around town as she searches for Jack. The experience these disparate women endure provides insight into themes Altman often explores in his films, including class differences, and the hypocrisy and delusion he finds extant in American culture. As in Altman's prior films--notably NASHVILLE and SHORT CUTS--he includes a terrific musical backdrop to add depth to the story. Assembling a who's who of modern jazz greats, KANSAS CITY captures perhaps some of the most invigorating musical performances that have been committed to celluloid, including an unforgettable tenor saxophone duel between James Carter and Joshua Redman. KANSAS CITY was released theatrically on August 16, 1996.
The film was shot on location in Kansas City, Missouri, director Robert Altman's hometown.
The film was shown in competition at the 1996 Cannes Film Festival, where it won the Golden Palm.
Musicians who came together to perform at the recreated Hey-Hey Club: Kevin Mahogany (vocalist); Russell Malone and Mark Whitfield (guitar); Victor Lewis (drums); Geri Allen and Cyrus Chestnut (piano); Ron Carter, Tyrone Clarke, and Christian McBride (bass); James Carter, Craig Handy, David Murray, and Joshua Redman (tenor saxophone); Jesse Davis and David 'Faithhead' Newman Jr. (alto saxophone); Don Byron (clarinet/baritone saxophone); Olu Dara, Nicholas Payton, and James Zollar (trumpet); Curtis Fowlkes and Clark Gayton (trombone).
Kansas City Reviews: "...Brimming over with vibrant, vital music....Jazz lovers, rejoice..."
-- Peter Travers, Rolling Stone "...Altman and KANSAS CITY are to be praised..."
-- Todd Boyd, Sight and Sound "...Jennifer Jason Leigh and Miranda Richardson are synergetic perfection..." -- 3 1/2 out of 4 stars
-- Mike Clark, USA Today "...[Altman] choreographs a swell story....So much is satisfying..."
-- Lisa Schwarzbaum, Entertainment Weekly "...The omnipresent jazz score is a constant pleasure....[The] production design provides a terrifically atmospheric world for the characters to inhabit..."
-- Todd McCarthy, Variety "...So much is wonderful and distinctive about this picture....KANSAS CITY is a moody, great-looking period piece..."
-- Kevin Thomas, Los Angeles Times "...There's a lot more to the film than its story....The film does a good job of re-creating the period..."
-- Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times
This is the only Craig Handy video. Kansas City | List Price | $19.97 (You save $5.02) | | Studio | Warner Home Video | | Orig Year | 1996 | | All Time Sales Rank |  26035  | | CD Universe Part number | 6810494 | | Discs | 1 | | Release Date | Feb 15, 2005 | | Rating | R (MPAA) | | Running Time | 115 Minutes | | Movie Details | Color |
Kansas City Review
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Kansas City DVD In Kansas City during the Depression, a young man robs a gambler and is held hostage by a mysterious night club owner. In response, the man's wife kidnaps a socialite, whom she tries to trade for her husband.
Source: Warner Home Video
Region [unknown]
Keep Case
Widescreen -
1.85
Audio:
Dolby Surround 5.1 English
Dolby Surround Stereo 2.0 English
Additional Release Material:
Audio Commentary
Trailers: Theatrical Trailer
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