Product Details

• Actors: Marianne Moore, Tina Fehlandt, Barry Alterman, Peter Wing Healey, Kraig Patterson
• Directors: Matthew Diamond
• Writers: Charles Burns
• Producers: Jac Venza, Joan Hershey, Judy Kinberg
• Format: Classical, Color, NTSC
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: Nonesuch
• VHS Release Date: December 15, 1992
• Run Time: 90 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 6302914345
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #260,351 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

36 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a wonderfully twisted adaptation of a classic holiday ballet, December 25, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Hard Nut [VHS] (VHS Tape)

Mark Morris is briliant in his adaptation of the "Nutcraker" this modern dance version is amazing to watch and will entertain people off all ages! I first veiewed this masterpeice on public tv and have been searching for it ever since. Mark Morris style can be compared to the likes of Tim Burton or Terry Gilliam. Pure candy for all the senses.

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Retelling of the Classic Ballet, November 18, 2007

By 

G. Minella "gm" (Whitestone, NY United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Hard Nut (DVD)

Mark Morris' verison of Tchaikovsky's ballet is a treat that shouldn't be missed. Updated to the 1960's and staged in what can only be discribed as a giant comic book like setting, it brings a new freshness and twist to the classic story. From the machanical Barbi Doll and Robot gifts that are brought by Drosselmeyer, to the G.I. Joes fighting the mice, to the Yule log on the TV screen its a lot of fun add to that Morris' clever and original choreography it is a great way to spend an evening. I don't think this has been shown since its first airing on PBS many years ago, and I'm glad to finally have it on DVD as my tape was almost worn out. Give it a try.

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Modern version of Tchaikovsky's spectatular christmas ballet, January 28, 2003

By 

Philip Halabi "philiphalabi_1999" (Irvine, Ca United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hard Nut [VHS] (VHS Tape)

I watched The Hard Nut in my school library and it was well done. I liked how they modernized the ballet by having the dancers wear more modern day outfits rather than the old fashioned clothes in the original ballet. The idea of having a fire place burning in a tv was a great idea. The maid was great. I thought it was funny when she was playing with Princess Pirlipat when she was a baby and making faces. There are a few differences in this movie from the original ballet. One is that Marie never actually had a sister named Louise. I've read the E.T.A. Hoffman version and there is only Marie and her naughty little brother Fritz. Another difference is that the two big presents that Drosselmeyer brings are a Barbie doll and a robot instead of a ballerina and a toy soldier. Also, during the battle scene, Fritz's GI Joes fight the rats instead of the toy soldiers. In Act II, Marie doesn't go to the Land of Sweets. Instead she listens to Drosselmeyer's story of The Hard Nut which tells how his nephew got to be the nutcracker. The idea of Drosselmeyer going around the world looking for the hard nut was a pretty good idea instead of just having the representatives of each country dance while Marie and the nutcracker are seated in the original. One thing they removed is the Arabian dance. I don't know why but it didn't make a huge difference. The snowflakes and flowers are both male and female instead of only females like in the original. In the pas de deux almost all of the characters are dancing unlike the original where it's just the Sugar Plum Fairy and her cavalier. Also, Clara does the dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy instead of the Sugar Plum Fairy. The movie ends where Marie and Drosselmeyer's nephew end up in Toyland, while in the original, Marie goes back home. Overall, this was a great film.