MBR: The Library DVD Shelf
- From: Midwest Book Review <mwbookrevw@xxxxxxx>
- Date: Sun, 29 Apr 2012 13:54:20 -0700 (PDT)
The Library DVD Shelf
The Fades: Season One
BBC
2/Entertain
0780684850, $34.98, www.bbcamerica.com
THE FADES: SEASON ONE provides a fine supernatural horror story
telling of a young man haunted by apocalyptic dreams and ghosts. A
vengeful spirit has found a way to break the barrier between the
living and dead and teen Paul and his friends find themselves in
danger and challenged in this powerful first season DVD, which
includes featurettes, deleted scenes, and outtakes. Any collection
strong in supernatural horror shows will find this a winning series
filled with action, tension and unpredictable twists and turns of
plot.
Capitol Crimes
Featuring Bill Moyers
Athena
c/o Acorn Media Group
8515 Georgia Avenue, Suite 620
Silver Spring, MD 20910-3403
9781598287479 $49.99 www.acornonline.com AthenaLearning.com
Emmy and Peabody Award-winning journalist Bill Moyers hosts Capitol
Crimes, a two-hour PBS documentary on DVD about Jack Abramoff, one of
the most notoriously corrupt lobbyists of modern history. Abramoff
used every machination possible to circumvent the law and funnel money
to crony politicians. He lied to multiple Native American tribes about
how their political contributions were being used and what they were
getting from them, utilized a crooked public relations firm that
literally charged its customers ten times what its services were
worth, took money from Russian oil barons, helped enable the continued
exploitation of workers in the Marianas (who lived in subhuman
conditions; female workers could be forced to have abortions) and
flagrantly broke campaign financing laws, until he was finally caught
and exposed. Capitol Crimes is not only about one man and his allies
in corrupt money laundering; it reveals how horrendously money-driven
our political system has become. A bonus discussion between Bill
Moyers, author Thomas Frank (who wrote "What's the Matter with
Kansas?") and Congress-studier Norman Ornstein, recorded during the
2008 election campaigns of presidential candidates Obama and McCain,
re-examines the causes, effects, and legacy of the Abramoff scandal
and what continuing corruption means for modern America. A second, 83-
min. DVD "Buying the War" also investigates the media's role in events
leading up to the 2003 invasion of Iraq. Overall, "Capitol Crimes" is
a frighteningly educational portrait of greed, corruption, and
machinations that imperil the heart of American democracy, worthy of
the highest recommendation for both public and college libraries, as
well as the private DVD libraries of concerned American citizens
everywhere. 2 DVDs, 117 min. plus 196 min. bonus features, full
screen, SDH subtitles.
The City Dark
Ian Cheney
Bullfrog Films, Inc.
PO Box 149
Oley, PA 19547
1937772071 $295.00 www.bullfrogfilms.com
The City Dark is a thought-provoking documentary about light pollution
- how the spread of civilization and cities has flooded our skies with
light. What is the price living in cities where one is almost
completely unable to see stars at night? Certainly, it becomes much
more difficult for astrophysicists to observe the night sky, and the
risk increases that when an asteroid inevitably comes into a collision
course with the planet, it might not be spotted as soon as we would
hope. Light pollution has a severe negative impact on wildlife;
hatching sea turtles are less able to find the ocean before they
dehydrate, and migratory birds are disoriented on their journey,
attracted to the illumination of the city that ultimately kills them
when they fly directly into buildings. Even humans suffer from
excessive light exposure; light during the nighttime hours can inhibit
the production of melatonin in human skin, and potentially make people
more susceptible to cancers, particularly breast cancer (women who do
"shift work" have a dramatically higher rate of breast cancer, and
this is suspected to be a cause). Is a compromise possible? Lighting
designer Herve Descottes has worked to create lights that can
illuminate city streets without blotting the stars from their sky,
directed so that the light radiates only downward where it's needed,
rather than upward where it only causes problems. The City Dark is an
extraordinarily thoughtful documentary, highly recommended especially
for public and school library collections. Two versions of "The City
Dark" are offered on the DVD, an 83 min. version and an abridged 58
min. version, both with SDH subtitles.
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
With Alec Guinness as George Smiley
Acorn Media Group
8515 Georgia Avenue, Suite 620
Silver Spring, MD 20910-3403
9781598287622 $59.99 Blu-ray www.acornonline.com
Based on the enduringly popular book by John le Carre, Tinker Tailor
Soldier Spy is the classic British drama now available in the stellar
clarity of Blu-ray. Set amid the height of the Cold War, Tinker Tailor
Soldier Spy follows sidelined agent George Smiley (played by the
illustrious Alec Guinness), whose mission is to uncover a mole working
at the highest level of the British Secret Intelligence Service. A
wealth of bonus features enhance this classic of espionage and
betrayal, including an exclusive interview with director John Irvin,
deleted scenes, an interview with John le Carre, production notes, a
glossary, and a le Carre biography and booklist. The definitive
version of a superlative British drama, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is
highly recommended. 6 episodes on 2 Blu-ray discs, 324 min. plus bonus
features, 1080p (some bonus 480p), fullscreen, SDH subtitles.
Amazing Eggs
Featuring Chef Dave Christopherson
Learning ZoneXPress
PO Box 1022
Owatonna, MN 55060
$49.95 www.learningzonexpress.com
Ideal for viewers of all ages from grade 6 through adult, Amazing Eggs
is an educational cooking DVD that covers how to select, store, and
prepare eggs. From what the eggshell's color means and the nutrients
that can be found in eggs, to how to store eggs, the proper
temperature at which to cook eggs, and a hands-on walkthrough of how
to create a diversity of egg dishes, Amazing Eggs lives up to its
title. The recipes covered include scrambled eggs, sunny side up egg,
over easy egg, basted egg, poached egg, hollandaise sauce, omelet,
strata, frittata, and quiche. Amazing Eggs is an excellent choice for
viewing in home economics classrooms, as well as a useful reference
DVD for public library collections. 21 min., closed captioned.
I, Claudius 35th Anniversary Edition
Starring Derek Jacobi
Acorn Media Group
8515 Georgia Avenue, Suite 620
Silver Spring, MD 20910-3403
9781598287509 $59.99 www.acornonline.com
Now available in a special 35th Anniversary Edition packed with bonus
features, I Claudius is the complete, Emmy-winning British television
series (rated one of the "100 Best TV Shows of All Time" by Time
magazine!) based on the novels by Robert Graves. Starring Derek Jacobi
(known for his work in "The King's Speech" and "Cadfael") as Claudius,
as well as Sian Phillips, John Hurt, Patrick Stewart, George Baker,
Margaret Tyzack, and James Faulkner, I, Claudius is an epic of
historical depravity, excess, ruthlessness, and cutthroat politics set
in the Roman Empire during the reigns of emperors Augustus through
Claudius. Beset by murderous intrigue on every side, particularly
during Caligula's reign of terror, Claudius the stuttering scholar
Claudius learns early on that he must play the fool in order to stay
alive! Bonus features include extended original versions of episodes
one and two, a behind-the-scenes featurette, a documentary concerning
the failed film adaptation, a Derek Jacobi interview, and a booklet
with an article about the series' historical accuracy as well as a
Julio-Claudian family tree. I, Claudius is a consummate classic, and
worthy of the highest recommendation for both personal and public
library DVD shelves. 12 episodes on 4 discs plus bonus disc, 668 min.,
fullscreen, SDH subtitles; contains violence, nudity, and sexual
content.
Tough Times on the Southern Pacific
Pentrex
2652 East Walnut St.
Pasadena, CA 91107
1563423278 $29.95 www.pentrex.com
Tough Times on the Southern Pacific is a DVD of authentic, archival
footage of historic disasters that beset the Southern Pacific
railroad, as captured by Southern Pacific's own film crews. From the
"Christmas flood of 1964" that eradicated entire towns and swept away
almost 100 miles of rails, to the retrieval of a derailed train that
crashed at the mountainside of Donner Pass, to fire, earthquake, and
even explosions that rocked a train carrying bombs and destroyed the
town of Antelope, Tough Times on the Southern Pacific is an amazing
capture of not only the worst that nature and the forces of chance had
to offer, but also the resourcefulness of the people who cleaned up in
the wake of devastation. Hi-Fi sound and narration enhance this
captivating documentary, highly recommended for railroad fans
everywhere. The six main segments are "Eel River Canyon", "Recovery of
the 8946", "Trestle Fire on the Great Salt Lake", "Earthquake on the
San Joaquin Division", "Flooding along the Rio Grande", and "Explosion
in Roseville Yard". 54 min., standard definition, fullscreen.
Travel with Kids San Diego
Janson Media
88 Semmens Road
Harrington Park, NJ 07640
9781568394292 $14.95 www.janson.com
Part of the award-winning "Travel with Kids" series, Travel with Kids
San Diego is a family-friendly DVD guide showcasing San Diego's
highlights in two half-hour episodes. From the history of Old Town and
Balboa Park to wonderful surfing, body board, and coastal destinations
to the amazing animals of San Diego Zoo and San Diego Wild Animal
Park, Travel with Kids San Diego lives up to its title with family-
friendly sights and activities galore. Bonus features include a trip
planner with recommendations for lodging and transportation, a "San
Diego at Home" section with suggested recipes and crafts, and even a
bloopers reel. Prospective vacationers and armchair travelers alike
are sure to thoroughly enjoy Travel with Kids San Diego! 57 min.
Exhale: Core Fusion 30 Day Sculpt
With Elizabeth Halfpapp and Fred DeVito
Acacia
8515 Georgia Avenue, Suite 650
Silver Spring, MD 20910
9781598287905 $19.99 www.acacialifestyle.com
Exhale: Core Fusion 30 Day Sculpt is a five-week fitness plan on DVD,
featuring 30 segments carefully selected from Core Fusion creators
Elizabeth Halfpapp and Fred DeVito's most popular exercise programs.
Each week has a chosen array of six 20-minute workouts (and a rest
day) that blend body sculpting and cardio moves into a balanced total
session. Motivation and nutrition tips round out this excellent, easy-
to-use fitness course, which requires no equipment other than
inexpensive light hand weights and a mat. Exhale: Core Fusion 30 Day
Sculpt is an excellent way to get in shape for the summer, especially
for people with packed-full winter schedules! 180 min., widescreen.
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