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Food, Inc. Description

Food, Inc. Features

• In Food, Inc., filmmaker Robert Kenner lifts the veil on our nation's food industry, exposing the highly mechanized underbelly that's been hidden from the American consumer with the consent of our government's regulatory agencies, USDA and FDA. Our nation's food supply is now controlled by a handful of corporations that often put profit ahead of consumer health, the livelihood of the American farm

Food, Inc. Review

Food, Inc. lifts the veil on our nation's food industry, exposing how our nation's food supply is now controlled by a handful of corporations that often put profit ahead of consumer health, the
livelihood of the American farmer, the safety of workers and our own environment. Food, Inc. reveals surprising and often shocking truths about what we eat, how it's produced and who we have become as a nation.

Q&A with Producer/Director Robert Kenner, Co-Producer/Food Expert Eric Schlosser, Food Expert Michael Pollan and Producer Elise Pearlstein

How did this film initially come about?
Kenner: Eric Schlosser and I had been wanting to do a documentary version of his book, Fast Food Nation.  And, for one reason or another, it didn't happen. By the time Food, Inc. started to come together, we began talking and realized that all food has become like fast food, and all food is being created in the same manner as fast food.

How has fast food changed the food we buy at the supermarket?
Schlosser: The enormous buying power of the fast food industry helped to transform the entire food production system of the United States.  So even when you purchase food at the supermarket, you’re likely to be getting products that came from factories, feedlots and suppliers that emerged to serve the fast food chains.

How many years did it take to do this film and what were the challenges?
Kenner: From when Eric and I began talking, about 6 or 7 years.  The film itself about 2 ½ years.  It has taken a lot longer than we expected because we were denied access to so many places.

Pearlstein: When Robby brought me into the project, he was adamant about wanting to hear all sides of the story, but it was nearly impossible to gain access onto industrial farms and into large food corporations.  They just would not let us in.  It felt like it would have been easier to penetrate the Pentagon than to get into a company that makes breakfast cereal.  The legal challenges on this film were also unique.  We found it necessary to consult with a first amendment lawyer throughout the entire filming process.

Who or what influenced your film?
Kenner: This film was really influenced by Eric Schlosser and Fast Food Nation, but then as we were progressing and had actually gotten funding, it became very influenced as well by Michael Pollan and his book Omnivore’s Dilemma. 

And then, as we went out into the world, we became really incredibly influenced by a lot of the farmers we met.

What was the most surprising thing you learned?
Kenner: As we set out to find out how our food was made, I think the thing that really became most shocking is when we were talking to a woman, Barbara Kowalcyk, who had lost her son to eating a hamburger with E. coli, and she’s now dedicated her life to trying to make the food system safer. It’s the only way she can recover from the loss of her child. But when I asked her what she eats, she told me she couldn't tell me because she would be sued if she answered.

Or we see Carol possibly losing her chicken farm … or we see Moe, a seed cleaner who’s just being sued for amounts that there’s no way he can pay, even though he’s not guilty of anything.  Then we realized there’s something going on out there that supersedes foods. Our rights are being denied in ways that I had never imagined. And it was scary and shocking. And that was my biggest surprise.

So, what does our current industrialized food system say about our values as a nation?
Pollan: It says we value cheap, fast and easy when it comes to food like so many other things, and we have lost any connection to where our food comes from.

Kenner: I met a cattle rancher and he said, you know, we used to be scared of the Soviet Union or we used to think we were so much better than the Soviet Union because we had many places to buy things.  And we had many choices.  We thought if we were ever taken over, we’d be dominated where we’d have to buy one thing from one company, and how that’s not the American way.  And he said you look around now, and there’s like one or two companies dominating everything in the food world. We’ve become what we were always terrified of.

And that just always haunted me – how could this happen in America?  It seems very un-American that we would be so dominated, and then so intimidated by the companies that are dominating this marketplace.

How has the revolving door relationship between giant food companies and Washington affected the food industry?
Pearlstein: We discovered that the food industry has managed to shape a lot of laws in their favor.  For example, massive factory farms are not considered real factories, so they are exempt from emissions standards that other factories face.  A surprising degree of regulation is voluntary, not mandatory, which ends up favoring the industry. 

What have been the consequences for the American consumer?
Kenner: Most American consumers think that we are being protected.  But that is not the case.  Right now the USDA does not have the authority to shut down a plant that is producing contaminated meat.  The FDA and the USDA have had their inspectors cut back.  And it’s for these companies now to self-police, and what we’ve found is, when there’s a financial interest involved, these companies would rather make the money and be sued than correct it.  Self-policing has really just been a miserable failure.  And I think that's been really quite harmful to the American consumer and to the American worker. 

Pearlstein: The food industry has succeeded in keeping some very important information about their products hidden from consumers.  It’s outrageous that genetically modified foods don’t need to be labeled.  Today more than 70% of processed foods in the supermarket are genetically modified and we have absolutely no way of knowing.  Whatever your position, you should have the right to make informed choices, and we don’t.  Now the FDA is contemplating whether or not to label meat and milk from cloned cows.  It seems very basic that consumers should have the right to know if they’re eating a cloned steak.

Is it possible to feed a nation of millions without this kind of industrialized processing?
Pollan: Yes.  There are alternative ways of producing food that could improve Americans’ health.  Quality matters as much as quantity and yield is not the measure of a healthy food system.  Quantity improves a population’s health up to a point; after that, quality and diversity matters more.  And it’s wrong to assume that the industrialized food system is feeding everyone well or keeping the population healthy.  It’s failing on both counts.

There is a section of the film that reveals how illegal immigrants are the faceless workers that help to bring food to our tables.  Can you give us a profile of the average worker?
Schlosser: The typical farm worker is a young, Latino male who does not speak English and earns about ,000 a year.  The typical meatpacking worker has a similar background but earns about twice that amount.  A very large proportion of the nation’s farm workers and meatpackers are illegal immigrants.

Why are there so many Spanish-speaking workers?
Kenner: The same thing that created obesity in this country, which is large productions of cheap corn, has put farmers out of work in foreign countries, whether it’s Mexico, Latin America or around the world.  And those farmers can no longer grow food and compete with the U.S.’ subsidized food.  So a lot of these farmers needed jobs and ended up coming into this country to work in our food production.

And they have been here for a number of years.  But what’s happened is that we’ve decided that it’s no longer in the best interests of this country to have them here.  But yet, these companies still need these people and they’re desperate, so they work out deals where they can have a few people arrested at a certain time so it doesn’t affect production. But it affects people’s lives.  And these people are being deported, put in jail and sent away, but yet, the companies can go on and it really doesn’t affect their assembly line.  And what happens is that they are replaced by other, desperate immigrant groups.

Could the American food industry exist without illegal immigrants?
Schlosser: The food industry would not only survive, but it would have a much more stable workforce.  We would have much less rural poverty.  And the annual food bill of the typical American family would barely increase.  Doubling the hourly wage of every farm worker in this country might add at most to a family’s annual food bill.

What are scientists doing to our food and is it about helping food companies’ bottom line or about feeding a growing population?
Schlosser: Some scientists are trying to produce foods that are healthier, easier to grow, and better for the environment.  But most of the food scientists are trying to create things that will taste good and can be made cheaply without any regard to their social or environmental consequences.

I am not opposed to food science.  What matters is how that science is used … and for whose benefit.

Can a person eat a healthy diet from things they buy in the supermarket if they are not buying organic? If so, how?
Pollan: Yes, the supermarkets still carry real food.  The key is to shop the perimeter of the store and stay out of the middle where most of the processed food lurks.

How are low-income families impacted at the supermarket?
Kenner: Things are really stacked against low-income families in this country.  There is a definite desire of the food companies to sell more product to these people because they have less time, they’re working really hard and they have fewer hours in their day to cook.  And the fast food is very reasonably priced.  Coke is selling for less than water.  So when these things are happening, it’s easier for low-income families sometimes to just go in and have a quick meal if they don’t get home until 10 o’clock at night.  At the moment, our food is unfairly priced towards bad food.

And, in the same way that tobacco companies went after low-income people because they were heavy users, food companies are going after low-income people because they can market to them, they can make it look very appealing.

What can low-income families do to eat healthier?
Schlosser: As much as possible, they can avoid cheap, processed foods and fast foods.  It’s possible to eat well and inexpensively.  But it takes more time and effort to do so, and that’s not easy when you’re working two jobs and trying to just to keep your head above water.  The sad thing is that these cheap foods are ultimately much more expensive when you factor in the costs of all the health problems that come later.

Pollan: It’s possible to eat healthy food on a budget but it takes a greater investment of time.  If you are willing to cook and plan ahead, you can eat local, sustainable food on a budget.

If someone wanted to get involved and help change the system, what would you suggest they do?
Pearlstein: I hope people will want to be more engaged in the process of eating and shopping for food.  We have learned that there are a lot of different fronts to fight on this one, and people can see what most resonates with them.  Maybe it’s really just “voting with their forks” – eating less meat, buying different food, buying from companies they feel good about, going to farmers markets.

People can try to find a CSA – community supported agriculture – where you buy a share in a farm and get local food all year.  That really helps support farmers and you get fresh, seasonal food.  On the local political level, people can work on food access issues, like getting more markets into low income communities, getting better lunch programs in schools, trying to get sodas out of schools.  And on a national level, we’ve learned that reforming the Farm Bill would have a huge influence on our food system. It requires some education, but it is something we should care about.

What do you hope people take away from this film?
Schlosser: I hope it opens their eyes.

Kenner: That things can change in this country. It changed against the big tobacco companies.  We have to influence the government and readjust these scales back into the interests of the consumer.  We did it before, and we can do it again.

Pollan: A deeper knowledge of where their food comes from and a sense of outrage over how their food is being produced and a sense of hope and possibility of the alternatives springing up around the country.  Food, Inc. is the most important and powerful film about our food system in a generation.

Food, Inc. Information

For most Americans, the ideal meal is fast, cheap, and tasty. Food, Inc. examines the costs of putting value and convenience over nutrition and environmental impact. Director Robert Kenner explores the subject from all angles, talking to authors, advocates, farmers, and CEOs, like co-producer Eric Schlosser (Fast Food Nation), Michael Pollan (The Omnivore's Dilemma), Gary Hirschberg (Stonyfield Farms), and Barbara Kowalcyk, who's been lobbying for more rigorous standards since E. coli claimed the life of her two-year-old son. The filmmaker takes his camera into slaughterhouses and factory farms where chickens grow too fast to walk properly, cows eat feed pumped with toxic chemicals, and illegal immigrants risk life and limb to bring these products to market at an affordable cost. If eco-docs tends to preach to the converted, Kenner presents his findings in such an engaging fashion that Food, Inc. may well reach the very viewers who could benefit from it the most: harried workers who don't have the time or income to read every book and eat non-genetically modified produce every day. Though he covers some of the same ground as Super-Size Me and King Corn, Food Inc. presents a broader picture of the problem, and if Kenner takes an understandably tough stance on particular politicians and corporations, he's just as quick to praise those who are trying to be responsible--even Wal-Mart, which now carries organic products. That development may have more to do with economics than empathy, but the consumer still benefits, and every little bit counts. --Kathleen C. Fennessy

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The Great Rift: Africa's Greatest Story [Blu-ray] Description

The Great Rift: Africa's Greatest Story [Blu-ray] Features

• GREAT RIFT, THE BLU-RAY (BLU-RAY DISC)

The Great Rift: Africa's Greatest Story [Blu-ray] Review

The producers of Life, Galapagos and Yellowstone bring us The Great Rift. Visible from space, Africa’s Great Rift Valley runs four thousand miles from the Red Sea to the mouth of the Zambezi – a diverse landscape of erupting volcanoes, forest-clad mountains, spectacular valleys, rich grasslands, vast lakes and mighty rivers. Home to the greatest concentration of animals on earth – lions, crocodiles, elephants, hippos and flocks of flamingos – and pastoralists such as the Maasi – this is a land of constant geographical turmoil. It will take you to another world – a world of exotic extremes, where the forces of nature have shaped the landscape and so created a hotbed of evolution. It is the very cradle of mankind.

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Labels: Africas, Bluray, Greatest

Sesame Songs - Sing Yourself Silly! Description

Sesame Songs - Sing Yourself Silly! Features

• Big bird and his pals are making musical mayhem as they sing the goofiest, nuttiest, silliest songs ever. Join in with sesame Street favorites Oscar, Emie, the Count and more as they tickle your funny bone with tunes like everything in the Wrong place ball, Mary Had A Bicycle, and more James Taylor drops by to sing Jellyman Kelly, and Jermy Irons, Jane Curtin and Paul Simon lead an all-star cast o

Sesame Songs - Sing Yourself Silly! Review

Movie DVD

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Labels: Sesame, Silly, Yourself

Best of Elmo's World DVD Collection Description

Best of Elmo's World DVD Collection Features

• Elmo's World: Birthdays, Games & More Join Sesame Street's curious red monster as he explores birthdays, games and pets! Elmo's World offers kids and adults a fresh and light-hearted take on the world around them. Each episode comes to life in Elmo's bright, exciting and very original room - the drawer, door, shade and TV all join in the fun. And he's even visited by a singing

Best of Elmo's World DVD Collection Review

Studio: Genius Products Inc Release Date: 08/01/2006 Run time: 150 minutes

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Labels: Collection, Elmos

Serpentine - Belly Dance with Rachel Brice :: Bellydance Technique & Yoga for Strong, Relaxed & Sinuous Movement Description

Serpentine - Belly Dance with Rachel Brice :: Bellydance Technique & Yoga for Strong, Relaxed & Sinuous Movement Review

Serpentine - Belly Dance with Rachel Brice: Belly Dance Technique & Yoga for Strong, Relaxed & Sinuous Movement is a unique blend of yoga conditioning, belly dance technique drills, choreography and mini-classes designed by Rachel Brice, star performer and instructor of contemporary belly dance, whose technique, artistic style, and warm personality contributed to the rise of Tribal Fusion belly dance.

Rachel's instructional method offers you tools to achieve precision of isolations, deep full-range movement, as well as flexibility and strength that will give you the sinuous serpentine grace characteristic of Rachel's own dance style. Her drills, combinations and yoga sessions are designed to help you establish your own regular dance practice, customized to fit your creative goals and lifestyle.

The two main sections of Serpentine are 1. Technique and 2. Choreography & Classes.

The Technique section opens with Yoga for Belly Dance carefully crafted to enhance your strength and flexibility, qualities crucial for relaxed, effortless dance. A veteran yoga instructor with many years of practice, training, and yoga teaching experience, Rachel Brice leads you in a beautiful flow of classic yoga postures and stretches. She teaches yoga in the Viniyoga tradition as transmitted by Gary Kraftsow and the faculty of the American Viniyoga Institute, LLC.

The Yoga is followed by three drills sessions: Leg Strengthening Drills, including a variety of travel and level-change exercises, and mini-combinations;

Isolation Drills (shoulders, torso, and pelvis) where you practice belly dance isolations and then layer each one on 4 footwork patterns; and the Shimmy Drill, a delightful high-energy non-stop shimmy practice with Rachel's signature shimmy layering. The Technique section ends with a Finishing Yoga Practice.

Rachel's Choreography & Classes section features two choreographies; A fast and playful dance set to music of progressively increasing tempo, and a flowing slow dance including backbends and fluid serpentine movement punctuated with elegant accents. Each choreography is performed in costume and then demonstrated from the back with Rachel facing the mirror. Rachel teaches you the combinations for each choreography step-by-step with practice first at a slower pace, and then the faster. A special DVD feature offers practice loops for each combination.

To promote correct and safe backbending technique, Rachel Brice teaches a mini-class on the biomechanics of backward bending, and leads you in the Yoga for Backward Bending practice designed to increase the flexibility and the range of motion in your back and develop a strong habit for proper muscle support when executing backbends.

Additional classes and materials include: Yoga Breathing; arm and footwork patterns to be used during the drills; basics of the 10-point dance posture; and two performances by Rachel Brice.

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Labels: Bellydance, Movement, Rachel, Relaxed, Serpentine, Sinuous, Strong, Technique

Baby Einstein - Baby Da Vinci - From Head to Toe Description

Baby Einstein - Baby Da Vinci - From Head to Toe Features

• BABY DA VINCI(TM): FROM HEAD TO TOE is a playful and engaging introduction to the body for babies and toddlers. Little ones will learn to identify their head, shoulders, knees, toes, and more in three languages! This fun and interactive exploration features delightful puppet shows, real images of children and animals, and famous paintings set to the beautiful music of Bach, Morley, and Vivaldi. ~~

Baby Einstein - Baby Da Vinci - From Head to Toe Review

A whimsical introduction to the body for your baby!
-- Encourages baby to identify their eyes, ears, hands, feet and more
-- Exposes little ones to words in English, Spanish and French

From the day their eyes open, babies begin to observe new things around the world and about themselves. Baby Da Vinci From Head to Toe presents them with a playful and interactive introduction to the human body in three languages -- English, Spanish, and French. With a whimsical blend of adorable puppets, real children and animals and famous works of art, this captivating program also features upbeat classical music. Plus, engaging sing-along versions of "Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes" invite you and your little one to join in at home. It's a fun, fascinating way to share the joy of discovery -- from the ends of wee noses to the tips of tiny toes -- with your baby!

DVD Features
-- Repeat play
-- Language tracks (Spanish, French and English)
-- Discovery cards
-- The five senses
-- Puppet shows
-- Story time with "Mimi's Toes"
-- Toy chest

Baby Einstein - Baby Da Vinci - From Head to Toe Information

Expressive faces and the exploration of arms, legs, and other body parts simply fascinate babies and toddlers. From Head to Toe focuses in on eyes, ears, hands, and other appendages with rapidly changing, close-up photography of real-life children alternating with puppetry, toys, animals, and sculptures and paintings by famous artists. Accompanying the vivid images are whimsical versions of classical pieces by famous composers like Bach, Handel, and Corelli, made kid-friendly by the "Music Box Orchestra," as well as the traditional "Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes." Baby Einstein videos are famous for this tried-and-true format that appeals to the limited attention span of very young viewers while encouraging cognitive development--the visual mix and pace in this presentation are especially effective. DVD features include language tracks in English, Spanish, and French; pictorial discovery cards with written and spoken words; an exploration of the five senses; puppet segments excerpted from the show; a read-aloud version of the book Mimi's Toes; and a listing of featured toys. (Ages 9 to 36 months) --Tami Horiuchi

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Labels: Einstein

Sesame Street: 40 Years of Sunny Days Description

Sesame Street: 40 Years of Sunny Days Features

• Relive your favorite Sesame Street moments with this one of a kind Sesame Street Collection! Everyone remembers the familiar words to the Sesame Street theme song, and the even more familiar tune, but how much do you really know about the world's most famous street? When did Elmo first begin speaking in that world-famous falsetto? Can you name the musician that sang Slimey into space? Which Muppet

Sesame Street: 40 Years of Sunny Days Review

Relive your favorite Sesame Street moments with this one of a kind Sesame Street Collection! Everyone remembers the familiar words to the Sesame Street theme song, and the even more familiar tune, but how much do you really know about the world's most famous street? When did Elmo first begin speaking in that world-famous falsetto? Can you name the musician that sang Slimey into space? Which Muppet was most distraught by Mr. Hooper's passing? Who is the voice behind Abby Cadabby? Can you guess which clip was voted the fan favorite in an online poll? Find the answers and much, much more packed into this special anniversary DVD set, which includes clips from all 40 seasons, interviews with cast and crew, including Jim Henson, as well as amazing behind-the-scenes peeks at how Muppet magic is created.

Sesame Street: 40 Years of Sunny Days Information

Sesame Street has been educating and entertaining kids for 40 years. But the kind of TV programming for children that we currently take for granted didn't exist until Joan Ganz Cooney and Lloyd Morrisett dreamed up the concept of curriculum-based, educational children's television in the late 1960s. By 1969, lots of research, consultation with educators, and testing had culminated in Sesame Street--a show that was groundbreaking not only for its educational content, but also for its integrated cast and realistic setting. Amazingly, the show hasn't really changed all that much in 40 years--it still maintains its focus on educating kids and helping them understand and deal with things they're likely to encounter in their real lives. It accomplishes those goals with great characters, skilled puppetry, and the latest technological advances in animation. Summing up 40 years of Sesame Street programming in about five hours is no easy task, but this two-disc set is a great compilation of "best-of" memories, arranged by season. Classic scenes with Ernie singing "Rubber Ducky" and Kermit crooning the moving ballad "It's Not Easy Being Green" are obvious favorite choices, as are recurring segments such as the "Pinball Machine Count" (sung by the Pointer Sisters), "Ladybug Picnic," "Monsterpiece Theatre," and Cookie Monster attacking pile after pile of cookies. Scores of famous singers, actors, and sports stars have guest starred on Sesame Street over the years. This compilation includes performances by Lena Horne, Henry Winkler, Mr. (Fred) Rogers, James Taylor, Smokey Robinson, Pee-wee Herman, Marilyn Horne, Tony Bennett, Robert De Niro, Olamide Faison, Alicia Keys, Matt Lauer, David Beckham, and Neil Patrick Harris. In addition to an assortment of typical Sesame Street segments featuring everyone's favorite characters, both Muppet and human, there are also several hugely memorable episodes, including when Big Bird learns that Mr. Hooper has died and isn't ever coming back, Luis and Maria's wedding and the birth of their first child, Snuffy's first appearance before someone besides Big Bird, and the time a hurricane blew away Big Bird's nest. Other favorite segments like "Elmo's World," "Bert and Ernie's Great Adventures," various alphabet and counting songs, and a star-filled rendition of "Sing, Sing a Song" are also included in the compilation. Among the bonus features are optional pop-up facts and "Behind the Street" scenes; interview footage with actors/puppeteers, producers, and puppet designers/builders; TV montages; a fan-favorite scene; and a preview of "Abby's Flying Fairy School," a segment that features Sesame Street's first-ever CGI animation. Whether reliving childhood days watching the show or sharing it with a whole new generation, everyone will be thoroughly entertained by this great collection of Sesame Street programming. --Tami Horiuchi

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Labels: Sesame, Street

The World at War (30th Anniversary Edition) Description

The World at War (30th Anniversary Edition) Features

• More than 30 years after its initial broadcast, THE WORLD AT WAR remains the definitive visual history of World War II. Unsurpassed in depth and scope, its 26 hour-long programs feature an extraordinary collection of newsreel, propaganda, and home-movie footage drawn from the archives of 18 nations, including color close-ups of Adolf Hitler taken by his mistress and original news rushes that prese

The World at War (30th Anniversary Edition) Review

More than 30 years after its initial broadcast, THE WORLD AT WAR remains the definitive visual history of World War II. Narrated by Academy Award winner Laurence Olivier and digitally re-mastered for DVD, this is epic history at its absolute best.

Unsurpassed in depth and scope, its 26 hour-long programs feature an extraordinary collection of newsreel, propaganda, and home-movie footage drawn from the archives of 18 nations, including color close-ups of Adolf Hitler taken by his mistress, that present an unvarnished perspective of the war's pivotal events. Penetrating interviews with eyewitness participants--from Hitler's secretary to Alger Hiss to ordinary citizens who stood outside the battle lines--add spine-tingling, first-hand accounts to an already unforgettable viewing experience.

Informative and unbiased, THE WORLD AT WAR is the recipient of numerous accolades, including an International Emmy Award, The National Television Critic's Award for Best Documentary, and knighthood for its creator, Sir Jeremy Isaacs.

The World at War (30th Anniversary Edition) Information

Sir Jeremy Isaacs highly deserves the numerous awards for documentaries he has earned: the Royal Television Society's Desmond Davis Award, l'Ordre National du Mérit, an Emmy, and a knighthood from Queen Elizabeth II. His epic The World at War remains unsurpassed as the definitive visual history of World War II.

The Second World War was different from other wars in thousands of ways, one of which was the unparalleled scope of visual documents kept by the Axis and Allies of all their activities. As a result, this war is understood as much through written histories as it is through its powerful images. The Nazis were particularly thorough in documenting even the most abhorrent of the atrocities they were committing--in a surprising amount of color footage. The World at War was one of the first television documentaries that exploited these resources so completely, giving viewers an unbelievable visual guide to the greatest event in the 20th century. This is to say nothing of the excellent, comprehensible narrative. Some highlights:

• A New Germany 1933-39: early German and Nazi documentation of Hitler's rise to power through the impending attack on Poland
• Whirlwind: the early British losses in the blitz in the skies over Britain and in North Africa
• Stalingrad: the turning point of the war and Germany's first defeat
• Inside the Reich--Germany 1940-44: one of the most fascinating documentaries that exists on life inside Nazi Germany, from Lebensborn to the Hitler Youth
• Morning: prior to Saving Private Ryan, one of the only unromanticized views of the Normandy invasion
• Genocide: this film is one of the most widely shown introductions to the Holocaust
• Japan 1941-45: although The World at War is decidedly focused more on the European theater, this is an important look into wartime Japan and its expansion--early 20th-century history that lead to Japan's role in World War II is superficial
• The bomb: another widely shown documentary of the Manhattan Project, the Enola Gay, Hiroshima, and Nagasaki

The World at War will remain the definitive visual history of World War II, analogous to Gibbon's Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. No serious historian should be missing The World at War in a collection, and no student should leave school without having seen at least some of its salient episodes. Rarely is film so essential. --Erik J. Macki

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Labels: Anniversary, Edition

The First World War - The Complete Series Description

The First World War - The Complete Series Features

• Condition: New
• Format: DVD
• Box set; Black & White; Color; DVD; Full Screen; NTSC

The First World War - The Complete Series Review

This definitive ten-part series offers insight and analysis to provide a coherent and strategic military narrative of the worldwide conflict that changed history.

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Labels: Complete, Series

Nature's Most Amazing Events [Blu-ray] Description

Nature's Most Amazing Events [Blu-ray] Features

• Witness the planet's most breathtaking natural events, and follow the dramatic wildlife stories behind them. Combining the epic cinematography of Planet Earth, with all the emotion, intimacy and storytelling of a wildlife diary, this series charts the effects of global climatic phenomena which transform entire landscapes, drawing in thousands of animals and determining their fate. Each episode is

Nature's Most Amazing Events [Blu-ray] Review

Witness the planet's most breathtaking natural events, and follow the dramatic wildlife stories behind them. Combining the epic cinematography of Planet Earth, with all the emotion, intimacy and storytelling of a wildlife diary, this series charts the effects of global climatic phenomena which transform entire landscapes, drawing in thousands of animals and determining their fate. Each episode is set in a different part of the world - from the great flood of the Okavango delta to the plankton blooms of the Pacific Ocean, and from the Indian monsoon to the race for survival triggered by the annual Arctic melt - and shows how immense natural forces, often starting thousands of miles away, drive a chain reaction that culminates in a spectacular wildlife event. For some animals, it's a window of opportunity, but for others, it's the most dangerous time of their lives. Follow their emotional, involving stories to a dramatic climax where their fate will be revealed. Episodes: The Great Melt, The Great Salmon Run, The Great Migration, The Great Tide, The Great Flood, The Great Feast.

Nature's Most Amazing Events [Blu-ray] Information

Nature's Most Amazing Events takes up the mantle left by the stunning BBC series Planet Earth, and offers a closer look at some of the most fascinating and dramatic natural happenings on the planet. Narrated by David Attenborough, it digs in some detail into the impact of certain events on nature, and manages to hone in on small stories in the midst of major happenings. It's a breathtaking cocktail. What particularly lifts Nature's Most Amazing Events too is the stunning photography. Many will recall just how superb the shots in Planet Earth were, but if anything, Nature's Most Amazing Events tops it. The cinematography here is world-class, and it greatly enhances the series around it as a result. That said, there's more than enough substance to Nature's Most Amazing Events as it stands anyway. Diligently made and researched, and presented in an accessible, yet not condescending manner, it's another major success for the BBC in this area, and further cements why it's a world leader where natural-history documentaries are concerned. Credit must go too for the decision to include the making-of material. Back when the BBC broadcast The Blue Planet, this material was often just as interesting as the main feature itself, and the same is true here. It's a genuinely fascinating insight into the production of such an ambitious, and unmissable, series. --Jon Foster

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Labels: Amazing, Bluray, Events, Natures

Happy Feet (Full Screen Edition) Description

Happy Feet (Full Screen Edition) Review

In the great nation of Emperor Penguins, deep in Antarctica, you're nobody unless you can sing - which is unfortunate for Mumble (ELIJAH WOOD), who is the worst singer in the world. He is born dancing to his own tune...tap dancing. As fate would have it, his one friend, Gloria (BRITTANY MURPHY), happens to be the best singer around. Mumble and Gloria have a connection from the moment they hatch, but she struggles with his strange "hippity- hoppity" ways. Away from home for the first time, Mumble meets a posse of decidedly un-Emperor-like penguins - the Adelie Amigos. Led by Ramon (ROBIN WILLIAMS), the Adelies instantly embrace Mumble's cool dance moves and invite him to party with them. In Adelie Land, Mumble seeks the counsel of Lovelace the Guru (also voiced by ROBIN WILLIAMS), a crazy-feathered Rockhopper penguin who will answer any of life's questions for the price of a pebble. Together with Lovelace and the Amigos, Mumble sets out across vast landscapes and, after some epic encounters, proves that by being true to yourself, you can make all the difference in the world.

Happy Feet (Full Screen Edition) Information

For anyone who thought the Oscar-winning documentary March of the Penguins was the most marvelous cinematic moment for these nomads of the south, you haven't seen nothing yet. Happy Feet is an animated wonder about a penguin named Mumble who can't sing, but can dance up a storm. George Miller, the driving force behind the Babe (and Mad Max) movies, takes another creative step in family entertainment with this big, beautiful, music-fueled film that will have kids and their parents dancing in the streets. From his first moment alive, Mumble (voiced Elijah Woods) feels the beat and can't stop dancing. Unfortunately, emperor penguins are all about finding their own heart song, and the dancing youngster--as cute as he is--is a misfit. Luckily, he bumps into little blue penguins and a Spanish-infused group (led by Robin Williams) and begins a series of adventures. Miller has an exceptional variety of entertainment: Busby Berkley musical numbers, amusement-park thrills, exciting chase sequences (seals and orca lovers might like think otherwise), and even an environmental message that doesn't weigh you down. Best of all, you don't know where the movie is going in the last act, a rare occurrence these days in family entertainment. A fusion of rock songs, mashed-up and otherwise, are featured; this movie is as much a musical as a comedy. Mumble's solo dance to a new version of Stevie Wonder's "I Wish" by Fantasia, Patti, and Yolanda may be the most joyful moment on camera in 2006. --Doug Thomas

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Qi Gong For Beginners Description

Qi Gong For Beginners Review

QI GONG FOR BEGINNERS is the perfect way to explore and experience the numerous benefits of Qi Gong. Used for thousands of years in China to build energy, improve & maintain health and cultivate peace of mind, these easy to learn practices are designed to enhance you vitality and well being. This DVD contains 8 customized routines to increase your physical and mental energy, reduce stress, improve balance and help with flexibility.

DVD HIGHLIGHTS: - 8 customized routines to learn the Eight Pieces of Brocade Qi Gong

- Easy to follow, step-by-step instructions

- Exclusive Interview with the instructor

- Modifications of poses for less-flexible people

- Routines from 5 - 45 minutes

From the creators at bodywisdom media comes a new expert line of DVDs! Excite, inspire and encourage your journey of healthy and balanced living.

Qi Gong and Tai Chi master Chris Pei leads tailored workouts ranging from 5 to 45 minutes. This safe and effective program is suitable for every body, all ages and schedules.

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*** Product Details & Prices Updated: Apr 19, 2011 04:00:09

Labels: Beginners

Veggie Tales: An Easter Carol Description

Veggie Tales: An Easter Carol Review

VEGGIE TALES:EASTER CAROL - DVD Movie

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Labels: Easter, Tales, Veggie

Cats - The Musical (Commemorative Edition) Description

Cats - The Musical (Commemorative Edition) Review

CATS:COMMEMORATIVE EDITION - DVD Movie

Cats - The Musical (Commemorative Edition) Information

This pop-cultural phenomenon has been performed on stage for more than 50 million patrons in 26 countries for almost 18 years, churning more than billion in ticket sales. Now that Cats has finally made it to the small screen, attention must be paid not just by fans of this critic-proof show, but also by those entertainment mavens who have somehow avoided Cats until now. The video version has been restaged but, alas, not really reconceived for its new medium.

The video cast, assembled from London, Amsterdam, and New York productions, is competent. Ken Page as Old Deuteronomy, Jacob Brent as Mr. Mistoffelees, and Elaine Paige--the original London Grizabella, the Glamour Cat well past her prime--are a great deal more than that. Paige has toned down her theatrical belting of her big number, "Memory," and allowed the faded ruin of her character's soul to prevail in close-up. For all the "covers" of her signature song, Paige's version remains definitive. The video is, by definition, more intimate, not always a good thing: costumes are even more Halloweeny in garish close-up, the cats less cuddly without that all-important interaction, the stage's appropriately midnight lighting transmuted to a Las Vegas neon. And the chorus of cats in production numbers is even clunkier and more amorphous in two- and three-shots.

The one complete newcomer to the cast is the 90-year-old icon among English actors John Mills, a delight as Gus the Theatrical Cat. Sir John and his character show the youngsters how it's done in close-up, largely behind the eyes, abetted by a heart-tugging delivery of his one song. Yet virtually all of the songs are lip-synched, further robbing the video Cats of its onstage seeming spontaneity. It's clearer than ever that Lloyd Webber's music is mostly twaddle, with the important exception of "Memory," which instantly and rightly became one of the genuine theater standards not dependent on context, in the vein of Stephen Sondheim's "Send in the Clowns." On the plus side, most of the Cats characters and lyrics, from T.S. Eliot's 14-poem Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats, are far better defined and understood from the video version. --Robert Windeler

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*** Product Details & Prices Updated: Apr 17, 2011 02:48:05

Labels: Commemorative, Edition, Musical

Meet the Sight Words Box Set (Meet the Sight Words 1, Meet the Sight Words 2, Meet the Sight Words 3) Description

Meet the Sight Words Box Set (Meet the Sight Words 1, Meet the Sight Words 2, Meet the Sight Words 3) Review

Many words don't follow basic decoding rules and are taught in pre-k and kindergarten classrooms as 'sight words', 'instant words', 'high frequency words' or 'star words.' A new reader finds sight words very frustrating until they are memorized. A good reader will be able to instantly recognize sight words without having to 'figure them out.' Preschool Prep Company makes learning sight words fun and easy by implementing the technique used in their other award winning DVDs (Meet the Letters, Meet the Numbers, Meet the Shapes and Meet the Colors). Now childreen can master sight words witht the same rapid speed that they learned letters, numbers, shapes and colors! Preschool Prep DVDs have won over 25 national awards and are used in thousands of schools! You will be amazed at what your little one can learn.

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Baby Babble - Speech-Enhancing DVD for Babies and Toddlers Description

Baby Babble - Speech-Enhancing DVD for Babies and Toddlers Review

Other Titles by these authors
Baby Babble 2: First Words P, B, M DVD
Let's Talk Together - Home Activities for Early Speech and Language Development (Book)

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*** Product Details & Prices Updated: Apr 15, 2011 02:00:06

Labels: Babble, Babies, SpeechEnhancing, Toddlers

Life (narrated by David Attenborough) [Blu-ray] Description

Life (narrated by David Attenborough) [Blu-ray] Review

From the award-winning BBC Natural History Unit, makers of Planet Earth and The Blue Planet: Seas of Life, this is the original UK broadcast version of Life, with narration by renowned naturalist David Attenborough and music by Oscar® and Emmy® winning composer George Fenton In Planet Earth, we brought you the world as you’ve never seen it before. Now, get closer with Life. Four years in the making, filmed over 3000 days, across every continent and in every habitat, with breathtaking new high definition filming techniques developed since Planet Earth, Life presents 130 incredible stories from the frontiers of the natural world, 54 of which have never been filmed before. Packed with excitement, revelation and entertainment, this remarkable 10-part blockbuster captures unprecedented, astonishingly beautiful sequences and demonstrates the spectacular and extraordinary tactics animals and plants have developed to survive and thrive.

Life (narrated by David Attenborough) [Blu-ray] Information

This enthralling BBC series examines "the lengths living beings go to to stay alive," in the words of Sir David Attenborough (Oprah Winfrey narrates the Discovery Channel version). Aided by breathtaking high-definition cinematography, the makers of Planet Earth explore the more colorful strategies the world's creatures employ to procreate, evade predators, and obtain nourishment. Cameras travel though the air, under the water, and right into the faces of insects, like the alien visage of the stalk-eyed fly. Except for "Challenges of Life" and "Hunters and Hunted," each episode covers a different category, such as mammals and birds. Among the more memorable images: three cheetahs move with the relentless rhythm of mobsters, a school of flying fish glides through the air with the grace of ballerinas, and a Jesus Christ lizard skips across the water, like, well, you know. The strangest sights range from a pebble toad bouncing away from a spider like a rubber ball and brown-tufted capuchin monkeys pounding palm nuts with stone tools like the apes in 2001: A Space Odyssey. Witty writing and skillful editing, which distills thousands of hours of footage, make the learning go down easy (at one point, Sir David references Jurassic Park, which featured his brother, Richard).

If the sound effects seem overamped, George Fenton's score is always on the money, adding humor and suspense at crucial moments (martial drums for the mud skippers, woozy brass for the Darwin's beetle). Nonetheless, delicate sensibilities may find some sequences disturbing, as when Komodo dragons feed on a water buffalo or when a leopard seal dines on a penguin (according to Attenborough, the Komodo siege caused the camera operators "emotional turmoil"). More often, the filmmakers capture the moment of impact before moving on. The set comes complete with 10 featurettes on the four-year production. --Kathleen C. Fennessy

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Labels: Attenborough, Bluray, narrated

IMAX: Grand Canyon Adventure: River at Risk [Blu-ray 3D] Description

IMAX: Grand Canyon Adventure: River at Risk [Blu-ray 3D] Review

From the makers of Everest comes a powerful and cautionary film about the threat to one of America's most iconic landscapes. Grand Canyon Adventure: River at Risk follows the great Colorado River as it reveals the most pressing environmental story of our time--the world's growing shortage of fresh water.

Join environmental advocates Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. and Wade Davis as they set out with their daughters, traveling deep into the Grand Canyon and down the river that runs through it. Your pulse will quicken as you are invited to join this thrilling ride downriver through raging rapids and breathtaking canyons. With stunning photography and sweeping aerial shots the renowned filmmakers capture all the majesty of the Colorado and The Grand Canyon in the largest film format ever made.

Narrated by Academy Award-winning filmmaker, actor and noted environmentalist Robert Redford. Featuring the songs and music from the Grammy Award-winning Dave Matthews Band. This film will leave you with a deeper respect for rivers and water everywhere and the realization of how ordinary people can make a difference for our parched planet.

Originally conceived, photographed and released in ultra high-resolution IMAX® 3D process. The 3D image is optimized for home viewing by scanning the original 15/70 image at an 8K resolution for the 3D Blu-ray release. This 3D Blu-ray will play on a standard Blu-ray player.

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*** Product Details & Prices Updated: Apr 13, 2011 01:00:07

Labels: Adventure, Bluray, Canyon

America: The Story of Us [Blu-ray] Description

America: The Story of Us [Blu-ray] Features

• A riveting adventure of how America was invented, this stunning Blu-ray version of AMERICA THE STORY OF US focuses on the people, ideas and events that built our nation, covering 400 years of American history in the most extensive and in-depth television series ever produced by HISTORY . From the rigors of linking the continent by wagon trails to the transcontinental railway, the engineering of st

America: The Story of Us [Blu-ray] Review

From executive producer Jane Root of Planet Earth, comes the breathtaking journey through history--unlike any other in the past 40 years--with live-action recreations of key historical events through the use of cutting edge CGI animation, giving viewers an immersive view of history in the making.

Stills from America: Story of Us (Click for larger image)

America: The Story of Us [Blu-ray] Information

With 12 chapters spread out over three discs and a total running time of more than nine hours (not including bonus material), the History Channel's America: The Story of Us is a sprawling primer on the history of the country and its people. Starting about 100 years after Columbus with the arrival of the earliest white settlers from across the Atlantic and finishing in the present day, the series can boast episodes devoted to major conflicts like the Revolutionary War, the Civil War, and World War II; the more gradual but still significant developments that helped shape the nation (like western expansion and the mass migration to major cities); and the various elements and forces (the discovery of oil; the growth of industry, engineering, and infrastructure; the development of the automobile and other means of mass transportation, and, of course, the accumulation of vast economic and military might) that combined to make the United States the world's dominant superpower in the 20th century and beyond. To the filmmakers' credit, the darker aspects of this history--slavery and racial strife, the treatment of Native Americans, the internment of Japanese Americans during WWII--are not given short shrift. And while much of the material is dealt with in fairly broad strokes, there are also various enlightening details in each chapter. Who knew that George Washington established a network of spies who wrote notes in invisible ink in order to deceive the British, or that the most valuable currency for those who first explored the West was beaver pelts?

A combination of reenactments, photos, CGI, models, and other elements delivers a great deal of information here, along with frequent references to Americans' pioneer spirit, devotion to hard work, and belief that if you can dream it, you can do it. Yet this isn't an especially scholarly document. The events depicted, from the Boston Tea Party and Paul Revere's midnight ride to the Alamo and the Gettysburg Address, not to mention more lurid tales like the Donner Party and the St. Valentine's Day Massacre, should be familiar to those with even a cursory knowledge of US history. The emphasis on star power, be it the comments from a parade of talking heads including actors, musicians, politicians (President Barack Obama among them), athletes, soldiers, and so on, or the focus on charismatic historical figures like John Brown, Daniel Boone, and many others, reflects our celebrity-obsessed culture. And the constant hyperbole (narrator Liev Schreiber intones some variation of "What's about to happen will change things forever!" at least half a dozen times in the first episode alone) becomes tedious. Then again, considering the number of Americans who can't find their own country on a map, presenting the material like a dramatic TV show instead of textbook was a shrewd idea. --Sam Graham

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*** Product Details & Prices Updated: Apr 12, 2011 00:24:05

Labels: America, Bluray