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vidlib@videolibrarian.com
 
Updated April 29, 2008 |
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The Jewish Americans  (2008) 2 discs. 360 min. DVD: $34.99 ($64.95 w/PPR). PBS Video (tel: 800-344-3337, web: www.pbs.org). Closed captioned. ISBN: 1-4157-3844-0. 
Originally broadcast on PBS, The Jewish Americans covers 350 years in the lives of members of the Jewish faith, who have struggled to maintain their religious identity while also being fully accepted as Americans. Beginning with 23 Jewish exiles seeking safe haven in New Amsterdam in 1654, writer-director David Grubin does an admirable job of charting the often rocky and treacherous "tug of war between being American and being a Jew." Carl Reiner, Mandy Patinkin, Sid Caesar, Jules Feiffer, playwright Tony Kushner, and Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg are among the more recognizable personalities who offer illuminating commentary and bittersweet reminiscences. But Grubin presents what he calls in a bonus "making-of" featurette" an ensemble of voices" rather than "a star-studded parade," with authors, historians, sociologists, academics, and rabbis contributing personal and cultural history. Narrated by Liev Schreiber, The Jewish Americans is comprised of three two-hour episodes, "They Came to Stay," "The Best of Times, the Worst of Times," and "Home"—each a richly textured tapestry of talking heads, still photos, archival footage, and audio and film clips (including the inevitable Gentleman's Agreement) that illustrate the Jewish influence on American life. Songwriter Irving Berlin wrote "God Bless America," as well as the holiday classics "White Christmas" and "Easter Parade." Jerry Siegel and Joe Schuster created Superman. Gertrude Berg—as Molly Goldberg of the Bronx—offered sage advice and homespun wisdom on radio, television, and in the movies. One illuminating segment points out how assimilated movie mogul Louis B. Mayer's Andy Hardy films, with their "fairy tale visions of small town life," were the "American fantasies of a Jewish immigrant." Antisemitism rears its ugly head throughout the series, ranging from the hysteria surrounding the 1915 murder trial of Georgia factory worker Leo Frank, who was falsely convicted in the murder of 13-year-old Mary Phagan, and subsequently lynched by a homicidal mob, to American indifference towards Hitler's "Final Solution.” An ambitious and profoundly moved by documentary miniseries, this is highly recommended. Aud: H, C, P. (D. Liebenson)
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The Best of Comedy Central Presents: Uncensored (2007) 176 min. DVD: $19.99. Paramount Home Entertainment (avail. from most distributors). Closed captioned. ISBN: 1-4157-1444-4. 
You certainly get your money’s worth with this very generous collection of eight Comedy Central specials featuring some of today’s very best practitioners of the art of stand-up (plus the unaccountably popular Dane Cook and Carlos Mencia). The well-chosen all-star lineup represents a variety of styles: tightly-wound social commentator (Lewis Black), observational (the clean-working Jim Gaffigan and Brian Regan), ventriloquist (Jeff Dunham), and off-center jokesters (the late Mitch Hedberg and the thoroughly fresh Demetri Martin), but—surprisingly—women and African-American comics are missing here. Although the specials span the years1999-2004, time has not dulled even the more topical material: watching Black work himself into a lather over the 2001 Super Bowl’s halftime show featuring the unholy trinity of *NSYNC, Aerosmith, and Britney Spears just doesn’t get old. Classic bits preserved here include Gaffigan’s reflections on the manatee, Regan’s deconstruction of the instructions on the Pop Tarts box, and Black’s apocalyptic discovery of a Houston street corner that featured a Starbucks across the street from another Starbucks. Mencia has developed a reputation for stealing other comedians’ material: while not quite a smoking gun, one bit—in which he excoriates people who live in uninhabitable or dangerous areas to move—echoes Sam Kinison’s classic “world hunger” routine. The profanities, bleeped on television, are unbleeped here. DVD extras are confined to brief promos for The Colbert Report, L'il Bush, The Sarah Silverman Show, and South Park. Highly recommended. Aud: P. (D. Liebenson)
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Biofuels: Alternative Energy Supply  (2007) 22 min. DVD: $89.95. VEA (tel: 866-727-0840, Web: www.veavideo.com). PPR. Biofuels: Alternative Energy Supply offers a solid overview of the role of biofuels as a vital component in the shift towards sustainable energy. Beginning with a short history of humankind’s fuel consumption, the program points out the disadvantages of fossil fuels (which not only create pollution but are also finite resources—both of which lead to various social and political problems) before introducing the five major types of biofuels—biogas, ethanol, butanol, vegetable oils, and biodiesel. Viewers will learn how each is produced (as well as their byproducts and uses), along with relevant vocabulary and chemical formulations (i.e., butanol is C4H10O). While both the advantages and disadvantages of producing and using biofuel are addressed, biofuels are here presented in a generally positive light—as a necessary consideration for a world that is quickly depleting its fossil fuel stores. Recommended. Aud: H, C, P. (E. Gieschen) |
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Reposition Yourself: Living Life Without Limits  (2008) 56 min. DVD: $19.95. Genius Products (avail. from most distributors). Closed captioned. ISBN: 1-5944-4901-5. 
Evangelical Christian ministers today talk less about fire and brimstone and more about motivation, empowerment, and self-fulfillment. Bishop T.D. Jakes, one of Time Magazine’s “25 Most Influential Evangelicals,” is one of the major voices of this new movement, which some traditional Christian leaders have criticized as insufficiently religious. Regardless, Jakes—who has published over 30 books (including several bestsellers)—is tremendously popular, and in this hour-shy program he presents the stories of many people—some successful, some down-and-out—who were able to redefine themselves, refocus their lives, and achieve fulfillment. The Bishop’s point here is fairly simple: it’s never too late to better your life. While there is some scriptural context to the message, by and large Reposition Yourself isn’t a whole lot different from what you might expect of Tony Robbins, Dr. Phil, or Deepak Chopra. Viewers are unlikely to discover anything here that they haven’t seen, heard, or read elsewhere, but overall the program is well done and some will undoubtedly find it to be inspirational. A strong optional purchase. Aud: P. (E. Hulse)
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Val Lewton: The Man in the Shadows (2008) 87 min. DVD: $19.98. Warner Home Video (avail. from most distributors). Closed captioned. ISBN: 1-4198-5269-8. 
Given the fact that Val Lewton’s name is familiar only to film buffs—especially classic horror film aficionados—this welcome documentary may be of limited appeal. Lewton’s most celebrated films—Cat People, The Curse of the Cat People, I Walked with a Zombie, and The Body Snatcher—were popular successes in their day (Cat People is said to have saved the struggling RKO Studio), but today are most likely to only run on the Turner Classic Movie network (which originally broadcast this program). Writer-director Kent Jones’ Val Lewton: The Man in the Shadows, narrated with a true believer's passion by Martin Scorsese (who also produced), sheds light on Lewton, whose "poor, simple, lucky little films" had a style all their own, creating worlds that were familiar, but strange, in which horror mingled with everyday life. The Lewton touch evoked terror not with gratuitous or graphic shocks, but by the ingenious use of sounds and evocation of mood (as in the classic swimming pool scene in Cat People—it's what the audiences cannot see that is most frightening). Although Lewton left behind no audio recordings, home movies, or filmed interviews (his words are read by actor Elias Koteas), Jones’ profile still goes beyond a simple career retrospective to etch a vivid portrait of an auteur whose films resonated with recurring haunting themes and autobiographical touches. Combining solid talking head interviews (with King of the B-movies Roger Corman, Lewton's friend and principle director Jacques Tourneur, and Lewton's son, among others) and thoughtfully selected clips, this illuminating documentary is recommended (and also available as a bonus DVD in The Val Lewton Horror Collection six-disc boxed set, priced at $59.98). Aud: C, P. (D. Liebenson)
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Pennsylvania Train Stations: Restored and Revitalized (2007) 56 min. DVD: $14.95. Inecom (avail. from most distributors). PPR. ISBN: 1-59218-053-1. 
Many people dream of turning historic buildings into businesses, galleries, restaurants, libraries, and even homes. In Pennsylvania, folks have done precisely that with decommissioned railway stations, as viewers will discover in this beautifully produced tour of several marvelously refurbished buildings that showcase the remarkable work (both restorative and new) on these vintage structures, most of which had fallen into serious disrepair. Although all of the 16 restored stations presented here feature unique stories, librarians will especially enjoy the visit to the public library in California, PA, where librarian Wyona Coleman tells the story of how the building was converted to a library—with walls almost a foot thick—back in 1958 (a recently donated caboose from the Norfolk Southern Railway now serves as the children’s story time room). Sure to be appreciated by a wide range of viewers—from armchair travelers and rail fans to budding entrepreneurs—this is highly recommended. Aud: P. (C. Block)
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China Emerging (2006) 27 min. DVD: $49.95. Disney Educational Productions (tel: 800-295-5010, web: www.edustation.com). PPR. Closed captioned. ISBN: 1-59753-159-6. ABC News Classroom cobbled together this introduction to China’s rising status in the global arena out of stories from Good Morning America, World News Tonight, and Nightline that generally focus on China’s growing economic, technological, and scientific power, and the risk it poses to American hegemony. In one segment, Bill Weir visits |
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Garden Insects (2007) 51 min. Organic farmer/filmmaker Chris Korrow introduces the ants and aphids, bees and wasps, beetles and butterflies, and other little critters living in or near his backyard in rural Kentucky. Divided into 12 insect family segments, and shot in the style of a nature documentary with plenty of wonderful close-up footage, Garden Insects focuses specifically on how various insects benefit or harm the garden. When it comes to pests, Korrow points out that predators often work better than chemicals: the dreaded aphid, for example, is the preferred meal of lacewings, hoverflies, and ladybugs (viewers see each of these insects in their egg, larval, and adult stages, so that gardeners can easily identify them). Korrow dispels myths about maligned arthropods such as black widow spiders, which tend to be shy, or wasps, which help keep the insect population in balance (and sometimes eat black widows). Korrow’s comments are aimed at the layperson (no use of Latinate scientific nomenclature here), and exhibit a deep respect for the natural world’s complex interrelationships. A fine program for amateur gardeners and nature enthusiasts alike, this is recommended. Aud: P. (J. Wadland) |
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Improving Your Speaking Skills (2007) 50 min. DVD: $99.95. Speechskills (tel: 800-994-2042, web: www.speechskills.com). It’s evident that instructor Cara Hale Alter knows whereof she speaks: her every inflection and body movement here serves the message she’s communicating—namely, that every presenter needs certain skills in his or her toolkit. In Improving Your Speaking Skills, Alter—who teaches at Stanford and does commercial voice work—presents a solid program aimed at those who want to deliver more at the podium. Alter stresses that public speaking is a physical activity that requires practice. Skills taught here cover body-mechanic basics such as correct breathing and controlling volume, as well as articulation, inflection, and pacing. In addition, Alter addresses the subtle psychology of stance, posture, eye contact (tricky with large crowds), and answers that big question—what do I do with my hands? Packaged with the DVD is a CD-ROM with a PDF format workbook. Also newly available is the 30-minute Speaking with Credibility and Confidence, priced at $79.95. Highly recommended. Aud: J, H, C, P. (C. Block) |
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Super Comet: After the Impact (2007) 84 min. DVD: $14.99. Image Entertainment (avail. from most distributors). 
As a huge comet hurtles towards certain collision with planet Earth, America launches a nuclear warhead in a last, desperate attempt to explode the comet in order to avoid catastrophe. When the attempt fails, survivors of the disaster must try to find a way to live in a world stripped of life’s essentials as the comet triggers worldwide tsunamis, molten surface temperatures followed by a new ice age, months of total darkness, and mass extinction of both plants and animals. This “what-if?” Science Channel-aired documentary appears to borrow much of its premise from the fictional films Armageddon and Deep Impact, as it interweaves scientific information with a hypothetical scenario that follows the fortunes of a few individuals and families as they search for ways to deal with the unimaginable. Lacking food, electricity, and means of communication, what’s left of the social order threatens to unravel as people migrate toward the coastlines, which seem to offer the best chances of survival. Eventually, the sun returns and nature’s wasteland begins to slowly heal, although humankind’s future may be radically different from its past. Combining special-effects-laden docudrama sequences with expert interviews, the film mixes sensationalism with science, when a more straightforward approach might have better conveyed the information. Optional. Aud: C, P. (S. Rees)
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