Description

All four of Carmen Electra's sexy Aerobic striptease DVD's together in a collectable box set! Includes the original "AerobicStriptease," "Fit To Strip", "Advanced Aerobic Striptease," and "The Lap Dance & Hip Hop." ... Read more

Reviews (44)

electra-fying Genius!
These workout videos have changed my life!

I got them for my wifey and now she is dedicated to
working out with them, and I am dedicated to watching her
work out with them!

All of this physical conditioning has really helped our
relationship, and we have put a couple of our other amazon
aquisitions to good use as well, namely the dvds "GODDESS WORSHIP"
and "NEW SEX NOW."

NOT WORTH IT
I bought the bloody dvd set and it is the worst thing I have ever bought.It gives no credence wha has been promoted about it.It has no substance and completely a waste of time.I would rather work one the old Cindy Crawford Videos compared to this.

Awsome
I just received my DVD yesterday and I'm about to buy discs 1 & 2 today! The lap dance was a little strange (I wasn't prepared with the right chair!) but it is a good warm up for the next disc. The Hip-Hop workout was awesome! I definitely worked up a sweat and I am pretty sore today. Carmen makes it look so easy to be sexy while doing this, but I did not exude the same confidence and found myself laughing at my own attempts to look sexy! It was really fun, though, and she takes the time to carefully explain each step. This makes it easy for the non-dancer types such as myself! After I got the steps down (I had to replay the disc several times!), I would rewind just until the last part which is when you go through the whole routine with the music. This is when I really started to get pumped up! I think this is a great workout program, and once I get the steps down well-enough, I think I may be able to feel more sexy while doing them!

So Much Fun!!!
Before I tried this series, I was convinced that Carmen Electra was just another mindless pretty face.Now, however, I really respect her for her talent at leading a clear workout that otherwise might be frustrating. Although these dvds don't quite provide a thorough workout and require a bit of coordination (I'm far from a dancer), I use them on the light days that I alternate with my heavier cardio.The workouts are light and fun, and Carmen's demeanor and instruction emphasize that the workouts are meant to be relaxed. I felt slightlly idiotic starting out, but I discovered that after a few workouts I began to feel sexier as I was dancing.These dvds are also GREAT if you want to have a few girlfriends over for a "learn to dance for your boyfriend" party!

not worth the money
I have all 5 of these "workout" DVDs let me tell you it is not worth it at all the only one worth buying is fit to strip. Its a workout. all of the DVDs could have fit onto one DVD they are lioke 15 min each. and she really doesn't teach you to strip. I couldnt wait to learn to lapdance and trust me this is not worth it ... Read more

Reviews (75)

Excellent Series
When investing in any DVD, especially a boxed set, you might ponder the question, "How often will I watch this?" Let me say that your purchase of The World at War will offer you endless viewing opportunities! Besides the 26 original episodes, all of the extra features that were produced afterwards are included in the set. There is so much information generated in over 30 hours of material that you will discover something new with each repeated viewing. Each episode will hold your attention from first to last, and they are efficiently indexed so you can easily review a map or replay a speech. Along side the emotional impact of the pictorial images, you have Carl Davis' moving score, a judicious use of period music, personal accounts from all the major powers, and Sir Laurance's strong narration, making this the most comprehensive documentary on the subject. Now if we can only have World War I, narrated by Robert Ryan, available, we would have the documentary bookends to the two most devastating wars in the 20th century.

The Finest WWII Documentary Ever Produced
For History buffs and those who have a keen, deeply felt interest in World War II beyond just the military events, the World at War, produced by Thames Television (1981) and released earlier on VHS by Thorn/EMI, is a 26 episode documentary set apart from all other documentaries about WWII. No other, with the exception of Walter Cronkite's CBS series, comes close to an unbiased, analytical perspective of a War that cost perhaps 50 million lives and took an emotional and philosophical toll we are still trying to comprehend today.

Narrated by Sir Laurence Olivier and covering all aspects of the war, this definitive series is used by many colleges and universities as a source for History and Documentary Film courses. There is an incredible depth of archive footage used; skilfully woven with interviews of major figures in the War from Britain, US, Canada, Europe and Japan. Many major eye-witness leaders and ordinary people who were still alive in 1981 contributed sometimes surprising, sometimes incredible, and sometimes haunting interviews. Yet, for all its skilful editing and historical sophistication, it is clearly presented and emotionally compelling. In my opinion, it is, along with Kenneth Clark's "Civilisation", the best ever produced British documentary.

What makes this a stellar and overpowering account of the War is Olivier's narration. Never blustery, patriotic, or theatrical, Sir Laurence delivers pointed, thoughtful analysis with his incredible command of English and oration. Music for the series was composed by Carl Davis and even the opening credits set an unforgettable tone in a haunting image of a child in a photograph, dissolving in flames. This series is for those trying to make sense of a 6 year period when the world went mad. Five Stars PLUS.

Very good. Probably THE documentary set to own
This kept me going for months (in one hour segments at a time). There is so much material presented here and I learned a lot.

I wanted to give 4.5 stars and only knock a half off for the sometimes annoying menu (it could have been presented in a more orgnaized fashion, I thought), or other small problems, but half points aren't allowed on the system. Very close to perfect!

Buyer Beware
This was a wonderful documentary as originally broadcast, but I'd avoid this product if I had it to do over again: the maker's quality control is awful. Disk 1 skipped badly. And I the same problem others have reported: two copies of one of the five disks (with me, disk 5), and one disk (disk 4) entirely missing.

"Remember"
This is an excellent, extensive, British-made documentary about events leading up to, and including, World War II. With 26 episodes, there is quite a bit of material covered. Excellent narration by Laurence Olivier, and a memorable score.

If you are a war buff, particularly WW2, this is the set to have. Can't say enough good things about it. ... Read more

Amazon.com

The definitive British sitcom is almost certainly Are You BeingServed?, which depicts the squabbles, misadventures, and flirtationsof the staff of Grace Brothers department store. The show was originallyconceived as a vehicle for an irreverent junior salesman named Mr. Lucas(Trevor Bannister), but it soon became clear that mocking a socialhierarchy isn't half as funny as taking it all too seriously. The showreally revolves around Mrs. Slocombe (Mollie Sugden), whose wildlychanging hair color and mercurial moods terrorize the rest of the staff,and cheerful but sly Mr. Humphries (the effervescent John Inman), one ofthe first gay characters on television treated with dignity--or at leastno more indignity than anyone else (the show makes some noise about notbeing sure if Mr. Humphries is gay or not, but no one in the audience willhave any question). But the rest of the cast is superb as well: FrankThornton as the elegant but leering floorwalker Capt. Peacock, WendyRichard as the sexy, impish Miss Brahms, Arthur Brough as cantankerous Mr.Grainger (who, sadly, died after the fifth season; other characters took hisposition on the sales staff, but never quite matched up), and NicholasSmith as the self-serving but incompetent manager Mr. Rumbold form a comicensemble that has rarely been equaled.

These characters, written withaffection and played with superb comic dash, endlessly jockey for statusand salary while simultaneously creating an alternative family (the corestructure for any sitcom on either side of the Atlantic). Are You BeingServed? deserves its devoted fan base, who will revel in thiscomprehensive 14-DVD box set (which includes specials about Inman, Sugden,and Richard, as well as other extras). --Bret Fetzer ... Read more

Description

THE COMMUNICATOR AWARDS, a prestigious international awards competition that recognizes outstanding work in the communications field, has conferred the 2003 AWARD OF DISTINCTION to four instructional DVDs produced by Classical Pilates Inc.: (1) Classical Pilates Technique: The Complete Mat Workout Series; (2) Classical Pilates Technique: The Complete Magic Circle Mat Series & Reformer Mat Workout; (3) Classical Pilates Technique: The 3rd Edition Complete Universal Reformer Series; (4) Classical Pilates Technique: The Studio Equipment Series. As a winner of these four Communicator Awards, Classical Pilates Inc. joins an exclusive list of video professionals who are recognized as the best within the industry. Entries are judged by industry professionals who assess the highest standards of excellence and whose work serves as a benchmark for the industry. ... Read more

Reviews (128)

Documenting The Real Thing
This DVD is an unapologetic documentary of Joseph Pilates' original mat workout series with superb demonstration of exercises, and expert verbal instruction by Bob Liekens. The workouts move quickly without stopping so that your heart gets pumping and your muscles start working. This is precisely the point: The Pilates method is supposed to be vigorous as you gain familiarity with the exercises. Learning Pilates is sort of like learning a language. You start slowly at first then you pick up the pace then interact with your new 'movement vocabulary.'

If you want a slower workout, the "modified basic" routine on this DVD gives you the basics. I recommend this video without reservation, yet you should always try to take Pilates lessons from a certified instructor, so you can glean the full benefits from the method, from this DVD, or from any other DVD.

Classical Pilates has the best example of Pilates done well. This DVD shows the full range of exercise levels.

A 10 Star Video!
I have been working out in the Pilates method for several years and take private lessons only once in a while. I live far from certified instructors who have extensive training, so I have to rely on mat classes and video instruction. When I heard about this Classical Pilates video, the recommendation seemed too good to be true, but I bought it anyway. This video is so pleasurable to watch because the demonstrators are precise, focused, dynamic, and fluid. This video is also thorough enough to be considered as a 'visual encyclopedia.' I have never seen another video that exhibits every level! Other Pilates videos charge about the same price, however, they only supply a single workout. The point is that I can grow with this video, and learn from Bob Liekens' insightful instruction, as if I were taking lessons in a New York City studio. Another thing I'm very satisfied with is that I actually get a workout! Many other videos show so many flashy camera angles, and explain the movements in so much detail, that I don't sweat. Classical Pilates claims to preserve the original Pilates method in their video. Since I do not know very much about the Pilates method, I can't adequately comment on this. But I have heard that Joseph Pilates was a tough guy and all around athlete who put his clients "through their paces," and he would encourage people to workout intelligently with robust energy. From watching other students and instructors practice the Pilates method, I can see that Classical Pilates technique is flawless, so I am inclined to believe that Classical Pilates keeps the true flame of Joseph Pilates' tradition burning brightly for the rest of us. I am very impressed

Hurts so Good
This DVD is a little dry, nothing fancy here, but it is a great - no, excellent - Pilates workout.

The buildup from Beginner to Advanced is appropriate (I did the Ana Caban (Giaim) beginning and intermediate Pilates DVDs to compare) -- but,WARNING you should probably have taken a beginners Pilates class or done at least one other Beginner Pilates DVD several times before diving into this one. The other reviews are correct, this is a technical DVD with little review of the basics of Pilates, so to start with this one would have been confusing and probably very frustrating.

The "Super Advanced" section provides a worthwhile goal, when I am feeling uninspired I look at/attempt those excercises.

If you can do the Advanced workout all the way through with correct pace, breathing, and form I would say you would be in very (very) admirable shape.

Conditioning & Healing
In addition to physical therapy, Pilates lessons and this video helped me recover from a back injury that stopped me in my tracks. Sometimes I lift heavy boxes as part of my job. One day I wasn't paying close attention. All of a sudden I felt a snap in my lower back. I could hardly stand upright; it hurt to stand up, sit down, even roll over in bed when I was sleeping. I couldn't exercise for several weeks.

Anyway, my PT said I should take Pilates. I was willing to try anything to help my aching back. This video starts off slowly, which was really important. After practicing the pre-basic workout for several weeks, I went on to the full basic workout. This was invigorating and it moves quickly. Now I'm practicing intermediate.

All in all, this video has helped me fully recover. I recommend this product to my friends and work associates. Thank you for making this video!

I Like The Style
The guiding ideas of this program seem to be: It's a workout. Do it well. Look good!

I play tennis, ski, and surf. I just enjoy being physically active, and I like to practice sports that involve discipline and skill. The same applies to body conditioning. Pilates is not easy. It demands concentration, strength, and creativity to do it well. I appreciate this DVD isn't a watered-down version of Pilates that underestimates my ability. So I'm learning, having fun, and staying in good shape. ... Read more

Reviews (20)

Feelgood Nonsense For Chumps
This is feel good nonsense for chumps and suckers - spiritually bankrupt morons who need wisdom and guidance from a fraud and charlatan who pretends to "channel" the spirit of Ramtha - a warrior from Atlantis - yes, that place that NEVER existed - who lived 35,000 years ago.hmmm, which would put him during the age of Cromagnon man.This is drivel that can be consumed by imbeciles who don't know the first thing about math and science, but THINK they do because they can regurgitate big, important-sounding words like "paradigm" and "quantum physics."Do you hear us all laughing at you?

Fool me twice? I don't think so
I must admit, I did pay money for the other 'bleep'-ing 'movie' these people put together. I found it to be boring, useless and uninspired. The semi-old semi-fat woman who, it turns out, claims to be a much older man in drags is what made watching that nonsense almost unbearable. Now, to make THAT woman the topic of another movie... now THAT's entertainment.

I suspect it would be entertaining to watch Tammy-Fae Bakker utter flatitudes for a couple of hours but... sorry... I am not going to actually pay for that.

Church of Sea Monkeys Declares Ramtha Mortal Enemy
Good Lord.
I thought what the bleep do we know was the worst thing to ever happen to humanity, but along comes the companion.More made up science and convienent math..... We must be clever if we throw around paradigm and astral all the time, right??
This is the Lowest Common Denominator Cult of all time.Heaven's Gate was twice as smart and even slightly more attractive as a whole.Create your Day is depends for the spiritually incontinent, water wings for the drownding souls.
I've always found much more comfort in actual physics, which are abundantly available, and don't make you disappear if you start questioning it.
So, if you love dum dum cult flicks, or have been trying to labotamize yourself at home this ones' for you!
But, if you have a soul, try just about anything else, including comic books and cartoons as they are far more morally sound and cost effective.

What scientists are saying about Ramtha!
I was very curious after seeing the movie What the Bleep, who was that blonde woman in the movie called Ramtha? I did some research and found there was a workshop from his school near where I live. It was only $250 for the weekend, with the first night free, so I said, hey, what the heck, let's find out and see. A while ago I stopped asking my friends about new movies I wanted to see. Most of the time I find they were wrong. I make it a rule to find out for myself first. So I went, and I was really impressed.
First of all, there was no cult thing, weird stuff going on, pyramids on your head or strange clothes, etc., as some critics keep saying. What I found was, right at the start of the session, they had us in the audience try out some remote-viewing with each other. Simple things we draw on a piece of paper and the person next to us has to know what we draw without seeing, and then take turns. Well, you are not going to believe me, but a huge amount of people were able to do it exactly right. This is way cool. I got it right, of course! I did not know I could do this. I thought this was only something out of the x-files, or something like that. If you ask me, finding this out about myself, and learning some really simple techniques to practice this on my own was well worth the money and the time going to this RSE workshop. I am having fun with this thing. I am trying to remote-view what my boyfriend is really thinking! Ha.

The other thing I wanted to share here is this scientific paper we got at the workshop with information about some scientific testing they did on Ramtha that got published by the scientists in The Journal of the American Society for Psychical Research, a trustworthy society founded in 1885, so it is the real deal as far as science goes.
This is what the scientists were saying about Ramtha, check it out:
"JZ Knight, who had been channeling Ramtha the Enlightened One, a spiritual teacher for the previous twenty years, `is not a fraud,' According to Dr. Stanley Krippner, a psychologist and the leading parapsychology researcher in the U.S. who rigorously tested Knight at Ramtha's School of Enlightenment (RSE) in Yelm over a period of 18 months."
" `She's not faking it,' added Ian Wickramasekera of San Francisco's Saybrook Institute of Graduate Studies, `because when we hooked her up to test her physiological responses, we got results which could not have been manipulated.' According to Wickramasekera, when Knight left her body and Ramtha took over, the heart rate hit a low of 40 beats per minute and then raced to 180 beats per minute. In her normal resting state, Knight's heart rate was between 85 and 90."
"According to conference organizer Gordon Melton, Wickramasekera was initially not interested in being involved in the study and did not expect to come up with such significant results.`You might see this in someone who is jogging or having a serious panic attack, but at the time Ms. Knight was sitting completely still,' said Wickramasekera, who used state-of-the-art equipment to test Knight. He conducted the physiological tests three times and the results were consistent in all three runs. `Science demands repeatability and Ms. Knight allowed us to perform these tests three times.' "
"Wickramasekera explained how eight standardized, physiological, psychological, and behavioral tests were administered. `When you go fishing you use a big net,' Wickramasekera said. `What we didn't expect was to find fish in all eight nets.' The results of the physiological tests showed that when Knight is channeling Ramtha, her muscle tension, pulse, and galvanic skin response increase while skin temperature and blood volume both decrease. Wickramasekera affirmed that Knight could not have voluntarily changed or faked all eight of these results."

I must say that seeing the Ramtha DVDs, Create Your Day, Cracking the Code to the Extraordinary, and A Message of Joy, now make a lot more sense to me after I went to the workshop and learned my natural talent as a remote-viewer (smile). Some of the things Ramtha says there may seem too simple and nothing new, but when you put them into practice with the simple techniques and instructions I got there over the weekend, now I understand the value and how far reaching and applicable they are to my life everyday. And I can do this in my own time, in the privacy of my own home, without having to go anywhere else. If you are interested in finding out some really cool, sci-fi stuff we can do with our brain and our mind, check this out. You may like it as I surprisingly did!

Learn How be in Control of YOUR Life
The "Create Your Day" DVD is in response to the overwhelming question of "How Do I Create MY Day?"

After seeing the great movie "What the Bleep" everyone is asking how Dr. Joe Dispenza goes about creating his day and asking "How Do I Create MY Day"?

The few negative reviews suggest to me some people are afraid to change, some people don't want to know they are in charge of their own life, some people want to continue to blame others for their circumstances. Let's hope you're not one of them. I used to be.

This DVD will empower you to see you ARE in charge of your own life. I watch this DVD everyday to remind me that power is in ME. If you haven't seen the movie "What the Bleep" then buy it and watch it often. If you are bored or tired of your life these two DVDs will set you on a new path of discovery. Enjoy! (smile)
... Read more

Description

Why settle for better sex? You can have A-M-A-Z-I-N-G SEX EVERY TIME! Learn the secret of G-Spot orgasms, female ejaculation, and simultaneous ejaculation with step-by-step techniques to give any woman squirting orgasms & any couple simultaneous ejaculating orgasms EVERYTIME. New Sex frees your sexual power & transforms your lovemaking beyond sights, sounds, & sensations of "regular sex."

The step-by-step video guide to New Sex will take you and your lover to uncharted sexual and emotional territories. In this tasteful erotic presentation for adults you will see & hear everything you need in order to feel life's ultimate pleasure.

I N C L U D E S:New Sex Techniques - Ultimate Female Orgasms - Ultimate Simultaneous Orgasms for Couples - Exquisite Intimacy & Golden Afterglow - Ultimate Erotic Massage - actual New Sex Experience demonstration featuring Penthouse Pet Melody X and Clint Arthur (HOT!)

The New Sex Experience enables ANY WOMAN to share G-Spot Orgasms, Female Ejaculation, Sacred Orgasms and Simultaneous Ejaculations with her lover. ... Read more

Reviews (35)

Meet Clint Arthur, aka "Arte"
New Sex Now is a step by step roadmap through uncharted sexual and emotional territories to the ultimate pleasure. It explains and demonstrates everything you need to know in order to enjoy the New Sex experience with any member of the opposite sex.

The step-by-step system (called the New Sex Technique) is a combination of physical and psychological aspects designed to create trust, relaxation, and desire. This allows a woman to fully "let go" and have a series of multiple orgasms and ejaculations. Once a woman is in this peak state of arousal, the man naturally attains that intensity with her.

Feel how much more intense and exhilarating New Sex is. Feel the intimacy and bonds of closeness get stronger as a result. Experience a dramatic difference in your sex - whole new level of primal intensity, one so noticeable that you can tell immediately. You will be amazed - it will have such a profound impact on your life. Not just empowering your sex-life, but also your health, relationships with family and friends, career, and every aspect of successful living.

Sex is very important to us all. Improve your sex and at the same time improve your love relationship with the most important breakthrough in sexuality since man left the stone-age.

Includes: ultimate female orgasms, ultimate simultaneous orgasms for couples, ultimate erotic massage, exquisite intimacy, golden afterglow & New Sex.

Running Time: 58 minutes

I Was Enormously Skeptical...
...because I had read so muh hype about this New Sex...but I kept an open mind and I am EXTREMELY glad I did. To say this experience revolutionized my lovelife with my husband and brought us to a new level of intimacy would be to grossly understate the impact of this technique. What can you say to explain to someone that there is a whole new world of sexuality waiting just beyond the known experience? What can you say to convince someone that a simple one hour tape or DVD could transform an "average" sex-life into something intense, amazing, extraordinary -- awesome...? I got this product because a really good friend insisted that I try it. I hope you can take my recommendation as coming from a good friend, because you will be thrilled by the experience of love taught by New Sex Now. Thi is truly a five star product that has changed my life enormously for the better.

Ah Frenchie - so obnoxious, so boring, so very very French!
Forget the French - That culture holds as its greatest hero one who was a Corsican, an Italian: Napoleon. And they still pimp themselves to the world as the ultimate arbiters of all things cultural, when they prove every day their barbarism to the world.

Poor, Deluded, monolinguistic things - Who besides third-world countries or Canadian provencials even speak French these days?

This video is worth the money - unless you pay in Franques - for any couple wishing more in their sex lives than 'bourgois', depressing sameness and French attitudes.

Thanks to this, I am in a great long term relationship
Before I watched this video I had no idea about ejaculating women. I'd heard about it but I thought it was an uban myth. But in this video I learned all about it and about how honored its been for thousands of years.

Then I was with a woman who ejaculated, and I was able to understand what was going on and I was able to honor her for the beautiful thing that she was sharing with me.

And what was really beautiful was that she was so grateful to me for being able to not be freaked out and to be supportive and excited by what was going on. She said I was the first man who had not shamed her for this.

Now we are in a committed long-term relationship and we have great sex all the time, largely because of what I learned from this video, and I am very grateful.

So Well Done
The presenter of this video is so heartfelt and committed to what he is doing. So sincere, so honest and full of integrity. It is very obvious when you watch this that he cares very much and believes in what he is doing. It is rare to find a work that is this honest and in which a performer makes himself so vulnerable. ... Read more

Description

Digifilm Inc is the first company to produce mainstream true multi-angle DVDs. Theyare an young independent and innovative media production and distribution company based in Astoria, New York city. They have produced several films, DVDs, CD-ROMs and websites for major clients. The Quick & Dirty Guides To Salsa is their first offering to the public under their own label. ... Read more

Reviews (23)

A Quick and Dirty way to learn salsa!
The sexy Quick and Dirty Guide is a great DVD that after learning a few steps through the innovative different angles, I feel like I am ready to hit the dance floor!

Gigi, the instructor, is clear and easy to follow. The 26 lessons are easy and as they progress, challenging enough for beginners like me. Moreover, the set has a classy and old world feel that makes me think of Cuba, as well as the music.

I never thought that learning to dance salsa could be this fun and easy. I highly recommend it.

At Last: Real Three Angle DVD!
As founder and developer of the All-Music Guide (allmusic.com) and the All-Movie Guide (allmovie.com), I have had the opportunity to review a great deal of music and film. I have been following dance music and videos for years, and Latin music in particular. And that is what moves me to write something about this amazing dance DVD.

Being a little bit of a DVD fanatic, I just have to say: FINALLY we have a high-quality DVD with true multi-angle shots! Even if I didn't want to dance to salsa music, I would keep this DVD just to show off my player. This entire DVD, from start to finish, is seamlessly viewable from three angles, which I choose at any time at the touch of a button, viewing everything from the back, the front, and from above. Why have we not seen the likes of this before?

And what a great way to learn to dance! This is the best dance video I have yet to see. The three angles give me a 360-degree view of what is going on. If I can't quite get the steps from one angle, I just look at it from another angle and there there they are. This is the way all dance videos should work.

The 26 lessons (I am at lesson 7) are clear and easy to follow. The steps are elegant and each lesson is broken out, so I can follow them, taking me from the very beginning (which is where I am at) to quite complex maneuvers. Did I mention that I can see them from any angle I choose? And the music is state-of-the art salsa.

Michael Erlewine, founder of All-Music Guide (allmusic.com) and All-Movie Guide (allmovie.com)

Cuban Miami Salsa style
This dvd has set a new standard for dance instructional dvd's with the 3 angles you can view of all the moves. You can view the whole dvd from the front, back, above angles or just a move.
You can rewind a move & watch it from a different angle.
I also like the memory feature that you can rewind as much of a chapter as you like.
The instruction is from the absolute beginners level through to the most common Miami Cuban Salsa moves.
This is a very enjoyable video to watch.
This has got to be the must buy Salsa instructional video for 2004.
Well worth buying.

The Quick & Dirty Guide to Salsa - Part 1, Beginners
This is the coolest! I was going to Miami & I've never salsa danced before & this taught me some hot moves.

Being able to change the angle I could really see how the dancers moved their feet...among other things. I can actually dance now.

Quick and elegant
For me the best thing about this DVD is it teaches you how to dance salsa in the same way most of the people do. It starts with basic steps and quickly moves to combinations that look great. It's quick but you don't feel that they run over details. You can change the camera and see how things look from a diferent perspective. 'Quick' but I wouldn't say 'dirty', salsa it's also 'elegance' and it's shown in this DVD. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Leonard Bernstein earned glory as a composer, conductor, and pianist(classical and jazz), but nothing gave him more pleasure than the joy of teaching.He presented the unique blend of spoken words and music known as the "Young People's Concerts" throughout his tenure as music director of the New York Philharmonic and for several years after. His enjoyment, and his audience's, can be seen vividly captured by the video cameras. He is an intensely interactive teacher, getting his audience to sing, springing a quiz full of trick questions, and singing a Beatles song to demonstrate a point.

Bernstein is completely at ease talking to his audience. He can takethe most abstruse subject - the meaning and function of intervals,tonality and atonality, the links between Gustav Mahler's troubled life and his music - and present them to a young audience with clarity,without condescension, and with a clear sense of the material'svalue. His subject-matter is enormously varied. For IgorStravinsky's 80th birthday, he simply tells his audience thestory of Petrouchka while conducting a dazzlingperformance of the colorful ballet. For a program on "FolkMusic in the Concert Hall," he plays some of Canteloube'sfolk song arrangements and the boisterous finale of Ives'sSymphony No. 2, full of borrowed pop and folk melodies.The influence of folk music is shown in folk song imitations byMozart and Carlos Chavez.

The sound and images, taped over a 15-year span when theart of recording was rapidly advancing, are varied in quality;the series begins in black-and-white and ends in vivid color. Not all of the programs are equally compelling, but all areworth close and repeated attention. --Joe McLellan ... Read more

Description

See how spoken and written words change the structure of water. This ground breaking work from Dr Masuro Emoto shows us that what we say, and feel and well as what we listen to has an effect on water, and because we are made up of water, it has an effect on us. This DVD shows how the water crystals are formed and the process used to capture the images of water as it is exposed to written and spoken words as well as music.This imagry was recently utilized in the movie What The Bleep Do we Know. This work has also been referenced by Wayne Dyer, Lee Carol, Gregg Braden, Drunvalo Melchizedek, and Jonathan Goldman to name a few. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

Accompanied by a menagerie of products, Ken Burns's expansive 10-episode paean, Jazz, completes his trilogy on American culture, following The Civil War and Baseball. Spanning more than 19 hours, Jazz is, of course, about a lot more than what many have called America's classical music--especially in episodes 1 through 7. It's here that Burns unearths precious visual images of jazz musicians and hangs historical narratives around the music with convincing authority. Time can stand still as images float past to the sound of grainy vintage jazz, and the drama of a phonograph needle being placed on Louis Armstrong's celestial "West End Blues" is nearly sublime.

The film is also potent in arguing that the history of race in the 20th-century U.S. is at jazz's heart. But a few problems arise. First is Burns's reliance on Wynton Marsalis as his chief musical commentator. Marsalis might be charming and musically expert, but he's no historian. For the film to devote three of its episodes to the 1930s, one expects a bit more historical substance. Also, Jazz condenses the period of 1961 to the present into one episode, glossing over some of the music's giant steps. Burns has said repeatedly that he didn't know much about jazz when he began this project. So perhaps Jazz, for all its glory, would better be called Jazz: What I've Learned Since I Started Listening (And I Haven't Gotten Much Past 1961). For those who are already passionate about jazz, the film will stoke debate (and some derision, together with some reluctant praise). But for everyone else, it will amaze and entertain and kindle a flame for some of the greatest music ever dreamed. --Andrew Bartlett ... Read more

Reviews (118)

The Best Series on Jazz, Despite Its Flaws
I am a jazz musician, son of a jazz musician, am conservatory trained, and this series stands toe to toe with the best lectures by the best music historians and music theory experts I have studied with. If Ken Burns chose to follow a the pillars of jazz in depth rather than give ten minutes to every musician to come along in the past hundred years, we are better for it. If you want ten minutes on each musician, read liner notes. Mr. Burns series will be remembered precisely because it does go into such depth. Bird, Duke, Pops and Dizzie do not come clear to you without much study. We should be grateful for the fact that this series is anything but shallow. It is true to the art. If this series, because of such depth, asks more of viewers than they want to give, then let such viewers only seeking entertainment seek that. Americans, everything is not entertainment.

Jazz itself, from its outset and to this very day, asks more of you than any other music. A series about it should do no less.

This series is not perfect. Jazz is also imperfect. As Thelonius Monk said, there are no wrong notes. So are there no bad jazz documentaries, as long as they are unflinching, whole, and about the forces that shaped the music. This one is. It's only real flaw is that it is too in love with its own story and the music. That is entirely forgiveable.

If you have any interest in jazz, buy or rent this series and watch each one like a student, and learn in wonder at the extraordinary music brought to us by African Americans. It is one of the glories of American culture, and of the world, and we should join Ken Burns, his historians, critics and musicians in joyously celebrating the collective creation of the geniuses that graced our land in the past 100 years.

"History," "Documentary," "Theory of" are not in the title.
The negative reviews of this series assume that Burns is compiling a documentary, writing a historical survey, or undertaking some theoretical analysis of jazz. Burns is above all a biographer. His primary interest is in the life of a particular artist, solider, athlete, explorer, etc.: the overall trajectory of their lives--the choices they make, the risks they are or aren't willing to take, their sufferings in the face of prejudice, misunderstanding, and failure--and how the individual life fits within the larger social context. Hence his emphasis on annecdote, personal letter and photograph, character analysis, and why he has baseball players and actors and club owners as well as scholars and musicians commenting on these people. And why he traces the entire career of someone like Louis Armstrong or Billy Holiday, rather than devoting more time to contemporary muscians whose story it is still too young to be told. Everything else is secondary to this main concern, and to miss this focus is to miss the point of all Ken Burns' documentaries. To grasp it is to experience life within a wider, wiser, almost epic, context. The so-called jazz expert who is miffed over some apparent omission, or overemphasis, or seeming bias, is like the librarian who has all the books catalogued and all the facts at their fingertips but can't see that they might refer to something outside the four walls of their narrow expertise.

Provides a very useful orientation
Jazz is a relatively recent interest for me--maybe half a dozen years. I'd learned about scattered fragments of jazz, but never developed a systematic understanding, a clear orientation--though a couple of times I'd tried: I bought Gary Giddons' "Visions of Jazz," for instance, which is very good but just didn't capture my imagination.

Ken Burns' "Jazz" gave me what I've been wanting for years--a clear, evocative, comprehensive way into the genre as a whole.

Okay, it may not be the last word on the history of jazz. Yeah, some things really irritated me--like the slighting, mentioned by many, of Bill Evans, and the excessive excision of many white musicians to make the generally accurate point that jazz springs more from the experience of Black Americans. (Hint to Burns: You make your argument stronger by showing how apparently contrary data fit, not by leaving them out.) But over all, I found this a very helpful overview. And I enjoyed getting to know the biographies of, and the personal relations among, the players.

You won't likely get such an orientation from buying a few of the original CDs *instead* of the "Jazz" series. Few of us have the ears or training to discern what's taught in this series. You'd be highly unlikely to realize that, for instance, what was new with Be-Bop is improvising on the underlying chord changes rather than the melody. You'd really have to be perceptive and paying attention to notice what distinguishes Kansas City jazz from New Orleans jazz from New York jazz from West Coast jazz. And *no* album can place *itself* in history. For instance, you cannot learn from listening to an album featuring Coleman Hawkins-or Charlie Christian or Kenny Clarke--that *before* that album people played very differently. In short, you'd have to be far better trained musically and far more observant than most of us are, and listen to dozens (if not hundreds) of albums, to learn what this series teaches.

As I watched over a period of a couple of weeks, I bought several of the CDs that Burns produced to survey the music, and I found them very instructive. No, as listening experiences, they're not as good as some of the various albums on which the cuts originated. But that's not the point: They are very good ways to get an overview, to get oriented, to know where to go next.

After seeing this series and studying the accompanying CDs, when I go into the music store and start perusing the jazz disks, I find that I recognize a whole lot more and can surmise a whole lot better what's what and what would interest me. For instance, tonight I saw "From Spirituals to Swing," a three CD set of Carnegie Hall jazz concerts in 1938 and 1939. A month ago, the list of personnel would have meant near-nothing to me--I probably wouldn't have even known what I was looking at, and I doubt I would have looked at the thing for more than thirty seconds. Now, though, I studied and comprehended the personnel and got all excited--"This I gotta hear." So I bought it, and it's great.

Now, isn't that reason enough to recommend this series?

That the overall interpretive framework of the series may need correction is not a trenchant criticism, in my opinion. To get a comprehensive understanding of anything, you have to start with *some* systematic framework, which you can then modify, maybe even refute, as you encounter further data. Logically, the first such framework you acquire has to come from someone else, unless you are a genius of extremely wide learning.

No, Ken Burns' "Jazz" isn't the only guide to jazz you'll ever need--as others have noted, some of the omissions are glaring. But it's fine place to start.

If you really want to get a sense of jazz, this is an excellent investment, in my opinion. Yeah, it's pricey--but cheaper than, say, an adult education course on jazz appreciation at your local community college (if you include texts and other supporting material). And if you don't want to spend the money--well, you can hint real hard to your significant other that you'd like it for your birthday or Valentine or some such thing.

Postscript: I almost didn't buy this because of the characterization of Wynton Marsalis's role by several other reviewers here. I'd never much liked his music--it always seemed too cerebral, almost architectural, for my tastes--chilly, not very visceral. (That's just my personal taste--I also find most of Ella Fitzgerald--except her duo wok with Armstrong--a bit emotionally distant, unlike Sarah Vaughan or Billie Holiday or Carmen McRae or many others.)

I was skeptical about any documentary that made Marsalis the central story teller.

Well, two things: (1) He just isn't the central story teller here. He does not have anything approaching the majority of commentator air time. It is certainly true that he plays a role analogous to Shelby Foote's in "The Civil War"--he is a unifying presence, especially in the early going and toward the end. This is just good film making--to establish "characters" whose presence throughout helps give unity to the piece. (2) I really liked Wynton in this documentary. He came off as much earthier, more laid back, mischievous, funnier and more fun, than I ever would have imagined. And he is really quite illuminating, especially when he explains various musical concepts--like the "Big 4." (I went back and listened to "Thick in the South," thinking maybe I'd like his music more now. Nope. Still feels too thought-out, too chilly, to me. Oh, well.)

Could have been so much better
I guess it says something that I have gone back and watched Burns' "Civil War" documentary more than a dozen times since I first saw it, and have only watch "Jazz" once since the first time. The Civil War documentary certainly is rife with factual inaccuracies but by & large gets the essential story of the conflict right. "Jazz," on the other hand, treats its subject as though the last 40-50 years never happened. It is as though the Civil War documentary would have lingered over the years 1861-1863 incessantly, then sped through the last two years ("Oh yeah, there were a couple of battles, Atlanta burned, Lee surrendered, the war was over. The end." Something like that) as though they didn't matter.

As I found the documentary going into its umpteenth hour and we STILL weren't out of the 1930's yet, I had a bad feeling about where this was going. You would have thought that Louis Armstrong had been annointed as the Jazz Pope and he ruled over the world of jazz for 40 years. In his proper context, Armstrong is very important, but Burns seems positively fixated on him. He dwells on every facet of Armstrong's upbringing & early career. Unless he planned on making a 60-hour documentary, there was no way Burns could hope to do justice to the more recent history of the genre, and sure enough he basically hits the fast forward button once the be-bop era is coming to a close.

Personally, I cannot stand fushion jazz, but nonetheless some mention needs to made of a style that was dominant in jazz for almost as long as the swing style, for crying out loud. Also, relying almost exculsively on Wynton Marsalis (doing his best impression of a crochety old man on his front porch, railing at a world that has passed him by) really was not a good idea & imbues the entire documentary with a hopelessly retrograde flavor.

I watched it once, and came away disappointed. I watched it a second time, hoping that I could find more to appreciate, but only found that it continued to disappoint. I don't know if it merits any future viewings, and that is indeed a shame, because it is a subject that deserves better treatment than this.

Excellent for what it is
It's surprizing how vociferously some "snobs" condemn "Jazz" simply because it's not as comprehensive as they seem to think it should be. From reading these reviews you would think Ken Burns is a half-step above a holocaust-denier for not including Roland Kirk or Eric Dolphy. "Jazz" is a wonderful, inspiring and, yes, traditional look at the art form. Newcomers shouldn't be dissuaded because it's not as complete as it should be. ... Read more

Amazon.com

A 26-episode World War II documentary, Victory at Sea is one of the most important series in the history of television. Made in 1952, the show was a huge success, winning many major awards and even spawning albums featuring the orchestral score by Richard Rodgers, best known for his musicals with Lorenz Hart and Oscar Hammerstein II. Produced with the full cooperation of the U.S. Navy, each 26-minute program consists of black-and-white wartime film set to a narration by Leonard Graves. The two years leading up to America's entry into the war are dismissed in episode one, while the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor gets a show of its own, the raid depicted in a brilliantly edited montage that almost certainly contains "docu-drama" footage. Each episode contains at least one powerful stand-alone sequence in the tradition of Serge Eisenstein (Battleship Potemkin), these action-suspense set-pieces giving the programs an urgent, surprisingly modern feel. Indeed, the emphasis is at least as much on entertainment as information, the factual content delivered in poetic narration, the score transforming the war into a more than usually serious Hollywood adventure. The documentaries are nothing if not wide-ranging, covering parts of the land war despite the title, and including everything from the Atlantic convoys and U-boat "Wolfpacks" to war in Alaska, the South Atlantic, and the Far East, the Pacific War, and the Fall of Japan. There is an attempt to include other nations--certainly the D-Day episode acknowledges the British far more than Saving Private Ryan--but inevitably the focus is on America's war.The very dated narration gives a fascinating insight into how America saw WWII in the early 1950s, while the dynamic cutting and often genuinely remarkable wartime footage make Victory at Sea still gripping today. Twenty years later, Granada's The World at War would become the definitive television WWII history, but this release offers a unique opportunity to see a series of great importance from the very early days of television. --Gary S. Dalkin ... Read more

Reviews (31)

5 stars for content but ZERO stars for TERRIBLE AUDIO MIX
I loved the content. Other reviewers here have verbalized my feelings concerning the quality of the video. However, the sound mix is so poor that if you set the volume to an appropriate sound level for the very nice music you are completely unable to hear the voice of the narrator. Even if you have your finger on the volume control constantly you are unable to dynamically raise and lower the audio volume to try and hear the narrator without blasting your ear drums with the elevated music sound level. I would advise anyone buying this DVD set to consider it acceptable ONLY if you listen to it with a 5 channel speaker set up with a dedicated center channel (for speech, etc.) where you are able to individually raise and lower that channel of sound. Even then you may be astonished just how much boost the center channel is going to need compared with the other sound channels. Frankly, this DVD release needs to be redone as far as the audio is concerned! Other than that, the video is great....

Victory at Sea DVD Is Awesome
I recently purchased this DVD and was very skeptical after reading all the comments about the sound track. However, I didn't find any issues with either the sound track or the narrative for all four volumes. I have a Panasonice DVD Player with the Dolby Digital,DTS Digital Surround and MPEG, and the music score by Richard Rogers is one of the reasons for buying this DVD. It is a " Must Have" for military history buffs. If you have a PC with a DVD/CD ROM Combination, you can use it to view this DVD and adjust the sound track to blend in with the narrative.

Sound issues and the original
I have the original soundtrack on LP, with the NBC Symphony Orchestra conducted by Richard Rogers himeself. It's my father's and needless to say, it does not get much play time for preservation sake. I also own both CDs "Victory at Sea" and "MORE Victory at Sea," (BMG Music 1992) both conducted by Robert Russel Bennett and contain slightly arraigned versions of the very familar complete soundtrack by the RCA Symphony Orchestra and is remixed in extremely good Dolby Surround. The original soundtrack is fairly clear and does sound a little tinny and was recorded in mono. (Unless it was a dual issue in both stereo and mono. I only have the mono.) While a properly mixed original soundtrack would sound great, IMHO, the Dolby version would sound even better. What I'm getting at is, it's not the soundtrack's fault this apparently sounds so bad. I really wanted to buy this, but I think I'll hold off and wait and see.

One star too many!
What an unmitigated hustle this dvd collection turned out to be. Equal portions of venom and spite are hereby awarded to History Channel and NBC for this travesty. My 5.1 dts sound system did nothing to alleviate the worse than poor sound quality/balance issues. This legendary series and it's participants certainly deserve better than this quick and dirty rendition gives. Maybe the capital "H" seen in the lower right hand corner of the teevee screen actually stands for "hustle". I would gladly purchase a remastered and remixed set but for now am left with this doorstop.

Good atmospheric and stirring stuff!
I came across the soundtrack many years after first hearing snippets from it on the original T.V series of the same name.
I was enthralled by the sheer vibrancy and 'now-ness' of this great piece of modern classical music. You can easily picture the great ships of both the American and Japanese fleets as they engage in the greatest sea battle of all time. The spinning, swooping aircraft as they play thier all important roles of hunter/killer.
The evocation of individual men and women enjoying a rare respite from battle in some of the quieter passages, shore leave. All part of this amazingingly descriptive music. It will continue to be an important piece by sheer virtuosity of the skillful interplay of individual instruments producing an altogether sucessful blend of sombre, stirring and gentle, very easy to listen-to-again and again music. I cannot praise it enough! ... Read more

Reviews (27)

If you have no time or are a beginner, buy this
8 minute arms are fast and easy, and you can do it without weights or with weights (or soup cans if you don't have weights). 8 minute legs are easy, and you use your chair or couch, perfect for the beginner. 8 minute abs are a bit difficult, definetly work your way into those. 8 minute buns are not for the weak kneed, you definitly need an exercise mat. All the workouts are so fast, it doesn't even feel like your working out.

I think I like it...
When I looked at the title, I thought - what the hey - only 8 minutes. I can do that.

I rec'd it from AMZN a couple days ago and brought it home, popped it in the DVD player and away I went. So far so good.

The workouts are fairly precise, SHORT and short. Short is good for those of us who don't care to work out except for a nice walk outdoors.

The lead guy is tolerable - he's built which makes me have the illusion that if I do these workouts 8 min. each day I'll become buff :) His outfit often takes attention away from the video though....it's white w/ black stripes and suspenders - straight out of the 80's. The music? Blechhhh. Corny corny corny. BUT - you're not getting this for the music - you're getting this because it's ONLY 8 minutes a day, which if I can handle it? Anyone can :)

The "legs" workout is alright - I've only done it once so far. The "buns" workout rocks. Really felt the results, especially the next day. The "arms" workout is just OK without weights, but adding even 2 or 5 pounds to each arm really makes a big difference.

One of the best things about this is that it's short but it also has a constant countdown in the corner of the screen. It keeps track of how many seconds you have for the current exercise and how many minutes total you have left for your workout. I really like that.

I plan on alternating "buns" and "legs" every other morning and doing "arms" each day regardless.

All in all I would recommend this DVD set. I also ordered the Winsor pilates DVD and will enjoy seeing the difference in presentation and results. BUY this - certainly doing 8 minutes a day is much better than doing nothing at all. If not for your physique, for your self esteem :)

8 Minute Workouts Review
Terrific! These are virtually perfect. Who doesn't have just 8 minutes? If I don't have time to workout I can at least find 8 minutes to do one of these workouts.

Each of the two DVDs includes bonus workouts that range from 10 - 20 minutes long. So if you don't have time to do a full workout, you can do a 10 minute sample and one of the 8 minute workouts. This is a great addition to the DVDs.

I highly recommend these. The 8 minute buns and abs really take some time to build up to their level, but since the exercises are not timed to the background music you can work at your own speed! And they have minute and second countdowns in the lower corner of the screen so you can take a 5 or 10 second break until the next set of exercises starts! These are AWESOME.

Love this DVD
I have tried many other workouts but this one gave me the best results in a shorter amount of time. Each workout is 8 minutes long so it is easy to fit into your busy day. I have had knee surgeries on both knees and cannot do most of the excerise programs on the market but with the 8 minutes workouts I have lost one inch off my waist, legs and buns in 6 weeks. This DVD is excellent!

Just What I was Looking For!!!!
on the days that i go running i like to come back and do a quick toning exercise... just so i feel like i covered all the bases. i was bored with doing the normal crunches and am not familiar enough with free weights to put together my own routine. these videos are perfect.. eight minutes is a perfect amount of time and it's nice to have some instruction. ... Read more

Description

Never danced? No problem! Join us on the dance floor with this fantastic 2 hour salsa dance DVD. The instruction is clear & concise. The productions values are stellar, and the quality is amazing. Yes, you will be salsa dancing, with your partners, by the end of this video! It's a step-by-step approach, tailored and refined by teaching thousands upon thousands of students how to dance salsa. This video covers the very basic steps, the foundation of leading and following, and a couple of nice salsa patterns. This stellar 2 hour DVD provides everything you need to know to get yourself dancing! Purchase it today, and be dancing tomorrow. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Entertaining and comprehensive
I was highly recommended to buy this DVD by a friend who also owns one. In fact, I thought this video was very helpful to me since I'm a little shy in the public (stage fright). But it helped me practice my steps at home before I took any actual salsa classes or dancing on the dance floor. The instructor breaks down the beginning steps in details making it quite easy to do the beginning steps. It is wonderful to be able to take classes or dance with others having some of the background introduced on this DVD. It gave me more confidence to dance in the clubs. I especially liked the tips of what not to do by the instructor. I thought it was quite entertaining. I would recommend this to anyone who is interested in learning salsa.

This Salsa DVD is awesome!
For the first time ever, there is a separate window that displays the actual footwork up close while the moves are being shown! There is no possible way to misunderstand or be confused. The teachers have eliminated all of the typical intimidation that comes with learning any new dance. The pace is perfect; not too fast nor too slow.

The teacher's sense of humor is constant and made me laugh over and over again (especially during the etiquette sequence) and relaxed me and took out any nervousness I had. I felt as if I was right there in the actual lesson!

The written tips (after each segment) are a constant reminder to focus on the important points. So, it's impossible to forget what you've just learned.

The etiquette section is something I've never seen any teacher explain on any video, and is very helpful when I am ready to delve into social dancing.

If one is a beginner, there is no better DVD video one can get. It's simple, yet interesting. You receive a tremendous amount of material for your money, yet it is very easy to understand.

And the best part of this is you don't need a partner to practice. Because no matter what you are, a lead or follow, both teachers teach the steps you need to know.

Very easily the greatest dance video I have ever seen! I highly recommend this SalsaCrazy Salsa DVD Video for anyone.

SalsaCrazy teaches Salsa
This is one of the best Salsa videos I have seen in a long time. The video is well produced, clear and enjoyable to watch. There is information for all levels of dancers. Beginners will really be able to understand the basic rhythm and Footwork of the basic step. All dancers will get important tips about leading and following techniques. I am particularly impressed with the section on dance ettiquette. Everybody needs to know how to gracefully deal with mishaps on crowded dance floors. Finally the section on salsa history has been neglected in most videos but this video presents a good introduction to the Afro-Cuban and Afro-Puerto Rican roots of Salsa dance and music. A definite winner.

Highly Recommended!
I got this video because I've been wanting to salsa dance for awhile, but have always been intimidated by the scene and always shied away from the idea of being the klutzy beginner around people who already danced. I was pleasantly surprised by the length of this video (and hour and a half long!) which is longer than any other i've looked at. Let's just say the video gave me a great foundation and armed me with enough skill to finally go out- I've since started going to some of the clubs and love it! I've even been asked who I've taken lessons with. I credit the clear and complete teaching on the DVD. It's also funny, and both the guy and girl instructors do a great job of explaining everything thoroughly. I'm already improving, and I can't wait for volume 2, which is supposed to come out soon? Def. going to get it! I think I'm going to send it to my sister, who's been wanting to learn too.

GREAT for beginners
I loved this video. If you don't know how to dance yet, you soon will!! Try it out! ... Read more

Amazon.com

It's a good bet that any American kid growing up in the '70s or '80s learned some elementary lesson from the seminal musical series Schoolhouse Rock!. Airing from 1973 to 1984 (and often revived), the ABC Saturday morning shorts effortlessly introduced kids to grammar, science, multiplication, money, and American history--three minutes at a time. In one smart, comprehensive 2-disc set, all 46 songs and plenty of extras are collected. The four creators developed the series slowly, a welcome diversion from their advertising agency jobs, and ended up taking home four Emmys over the years. The background material includes 10 audio commentaries and a making-of feature for the new song, "I'm Gonna Send Your Vote to College." The DVD subtitle option is a great bonus for those who need to know every word from such favorites as "Three Is a Magic Number," "Interjections," "I'm Just a Bill," and "Conjunction Junction." (Ages 3 and older) --Doug Thomas ... Read more

Reviews (108)

This Is So Cool--Facts can be Fun!!
And it's even educational! I was so pumped (now that I have a DVD player) to hear that they were releasing a big-time anniversary edition of Schoolhouse Rock in its entirety. I've had four of the videos for years, but this set is so much better. Disc One has all of the original songs--you can play them in order, randomly, just the top ten--and an all-new song about the Electoral College (inspired, no doubt, by the 2000 presidential election). The way you can navigate your way through any and/or all of the songs is very easy and great for when you don't just want to hear about grammar (or history, math, etc. . .).

What really puts this over the top, though, is Disc Two, with a bucket load of extras: the lost "Weather Show," a new computer three-song set, a making-of feaure, top 20 countdowns, an interactive trivia game, music videos by contemporary artists, audio commentaries, Emmy Award footage, etc. . . . I can't wait to explore even more than I got to last night! This will be such a great tool for my 21-month-old daughter (who will know how a bill becomes a law and how to use a conjunction in a sentence!) and a ton of fun for me in the process.

The video quality isn't MONSTERS, INC., but it doesn't have to be. The old animation holds up just fine, as does the audio, which audiophiles could probably complain about if they want to poop the party for the rest of us. What really stands up to the test of time, aside from the basic content, is the music. These guys (primarily) did some really good arranging, little of it in the rock 'n roll genre, ironically. Jack Sheldon delivers some spectacular jazz vocals on several of the more famous tunes. Complicated yet catchy melodies are the strength--that's why we all remember "I'm Just a Bill" and "Conjunction Junction"--with great backing vocals and instrumentation to boot. The contemporary artists' renditions didn't hold up to the originals, but they were pretty interesting to hear. The interactive stuff will be great for kids hearing these songs for the first time. The interviews and commentaries are really interesting, especially in hindsight. Great new additions, discoveries, and formats all add to the charm of the original forty-six songs. How they managed to get all of that factual information into essentially a music video, while keeping the kids (and me) entertained, is still a mystery to me.

Bottom Line: You'll be hard-pressed to find a better combination of education and entertainment. If there are any factual inaccuracies, they are minor enough to overlook and could actually spark interesting conversations. The basic content is right on-the-money. The fact that they'll actually be talking about and be interested in the grammar, history, science, and economics is important enough to overlook any minor flaws.
The fact that my daughter, who two years (and a couple of months) old, actually knows that "Wow!" is an interjection, a fact that most of my juniors (I'm a teacher) wouldn't know off the top of their heads, speaks volumes. . . !

Schoolhouse Rock totally rocks!
I'd been waiting to see if I'd get this for my birthday, but I couldn't wait anymore. I bought it today and had to pop it in. These great animated shorts helped kids learn multiplication, science, grammar, american history and money. You want an explanation of our national debt? - watch Tyrannosaurus Debt :-).

The first DVD has all the original shorts categorized by groups, you can play them by group, or play them all in order or play them all or shuffle. If you choose a particular group, you can pick the ones you want to play in the playlist or select the Play All button. I was having a blast seeing remembering how many of these I could still sing.

The 2nd DVD is the Extra Credit portion of the set. You can watch with Captions or Audio Commentary. I really had fun with the "Earn Your Diploma" Trivia and the Arrange A Schoolhouse Rock song. The Earn Your Diploma gives you a set of questions to answer to each group (Science, Money, etc). When you get them all right, you get a clue which when you solve all the groups you can then solve the Master Jumble to become a Schoolhouse Rock Graduate. The Arrange A Schoolhouse Rock Song has 3 of the Schoolhouse rock songs mixed up and its up to you to get the lyrics in order. When you get them right, the song clip will play. The music videos section was funny - the first 3 had the original animated shorts but the music/voices were redone by Better Than Ezra ("Conjunction Junction"), Lemonheads("My Hero Zero") and Deluxe Folk Implosion("I'm Just A Bill"). I didn't care for the last one by Goodness ("Electricity, Electricity"). That was just a music video but that one doesn't take away from the rest of the DVD.

I saw one review here getting a little too deep in reviewing the american group. I say, don't worry about it - these were meant to help kids learn and I can say they definitely did me good. This collection was well done and it's worth the price :-)

School House Rock
I learned more from this as a kid than in school. To expensive on Amazon, I got it cheaper at my local Vons grocery store.

Wow! Hurray! Hey! Hallelujah!
Yes, I'm using all the Interjections from SchoolHouse Rock to sing it's praises. I grew up with Schoolhouse Rock, but to be honest I thought about it only when my husband and I laughed nostalgicly about memorable songs like Conjunction Junction. Then, he bought the 30th anniversary edition for our daughter (he was trying to qualify for free shipping when he was buying the Tripletts of BelleVille!). So, it can be said that neither of us