Let the Music Play [Blu-ray]

Kickin' back with the Doobie's
To be fair I just got into the Doobie's in the last year. Saw my first concert of theirs last month (it rocked). So my knowledge on this band is some what limited. So this release could not come at a better time. The two hour plus Blu ray gives a great overview of a band that has gone thru a lot of changes over the years. It interveiws just about everyone who is still alive that has been thru the band or worked with them in a significant role (such as Ted Templemen the producer of some of their best records). The thing that struck me was how at peace the band is with their history. In most Band's members of one era would be trying to take credit over members from another. But here Michael MacDonald seems very comfterble saying his period of the Doobie's is not the true Doobie's sound. Don't worry he gets his credit for saving the band when the thought they couldn't go on after Tom Johnston had to leave for health reasons (bleeding ulcer). It also does not treat the reunion years as an...

Forty years and still making music and working together. A DB-produced documentary I found insightful as a DB novice.
In the essay by San Francisco Chronicle music journalist Joel Selvin which accompanies some great Doobie Brother memorabilia in the 8-page booklet inserted the BD case, Selvin refers to this 99-minute film as both a "sprawling documentary" and a "scrapbook", both terms that I think accurately describe the centerpiece of this DVD and Bluray package. When original DB member Pat Simmons discovered a trove of old videos spanning 40 years in his house, he - and the remaining DBs provided them to filmmaker Barry Ehrmann to create the film.

I'll admit up front that I have always liked the DBs but I was never a rabid fan and knew little about them other than what I heard on the radio. But, after watching this thoroughly enjoyable film, I know a lot more. And the snippets of songs I heard - there are no full performances in the film (how could there be? - they produced way too many hits) but nine are included as bonus tracks - brought back a lot of memories. All the important folks...

Wonderful!
Yes I am a member of the Doobies fan club and have met them on many of occasions. This just tops off what I already know about the boys. It is fantastic with great films and scenes I haven't seen before. You can't just watch it once and put it down the first time. Believe it or not I had to watch it twice because there is always something you miss.
If you think you know everything about them your wrong. I'm sure after seeing this we all still don't know everything, but this is really a great way to feel closer to understanding the truth behind them and what all happened throughout the years.

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Bieber, Justin - DVD Collector's Box

TERRIBLE DOCUMENTARY!!
This was SO disappointing! This documentary IS NOT endorsed by anyone who knows Justin Beiber! The interviews are with people who nobody knows and most of the info presented is stuff from youtube and other media sources that have already been released. The interviews are generic and do not even directly pertain to Justin. I would return this if I could! I bought it for my niece and my family watched it on Christmas and I was SO embarrassed that I bought her such a bad gift. I ended up buying her another present to make up for such a terrible gift and we donated the DVDs to a thrift store!

DVD Collectors Box
I really liked this as I have quite a few DVD's of Justin and this one had nsome things that I had not previosuly seenb
Also the bonus DVD on Usher was good to see as I have never watched any stories about him

Very Good DVD Set For Justin Fans
I got this for a nephew and he enjoyed it very much. He wasn't aware of the Usher background or the connection so the DVD focusing on him was welcome but the other Bieber DVD has now been watched by the young chap 3 times and certainly kept him quiet for the festive period. Good Choice

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The Aviators (Season 2)

Many views of a fascinating topic
Really well done show on aviation. Mixes the views of small private pilots with many views of the huge commercial enterprise, including traffic control, simulators, and commercial pilots. I think they aimed for keeping the average person interested in flight and succeeded brilliantly.

Must view series for any aviation enthusiast
Season 2 is the perfect follow on from Season 1, with one big exception - it's better! The topics covered are all interesting, and the way they're covered makes for easy watching for everyone. My 6 year old daughter loves to sit with me and watch, and she's understanding much of what she's seeing and hearing! I can't wait for Season 3!

Good Show!
I have enjoyed airplanes since I was very young. My dad would take me to the international airport in our city in Colombia and we would watch planes together and he would tell me all about the airplanes. This show is similar to that experience in my opinion. It is a great show for anyone interested in aviation whether they fly or not. Take some time and check this out!

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Turner, Ike & Tina - On The Road: 1971-72

Interesting Documentary
This footage of Ike and Tina was shot during the peak of their career. Except for some hot performances by the Ikettes, particularly Esther Jones who was with the revue for many years, there isn't much new performance wise that isn't available elsewhere with far better quality. Almost all of the footage is black and white, the quality ranging from good to bad. The sound quality is not good at all.
It is mainly the non-muscial moments that are the best of this documentary and make it a must have for fans. Glimpses of the creative process, Ike at his studio Bolic Sound playing music, Tina talking about writing songs, singing and and rehearsing with the Ikettes, the entire troupe traveling by plane and car, waiting in airports and motels, you get the feel of the well oiled machine that was the Ike and Tina Turner Revue; a professional team of hard working entertainers, and in spite of being in a spot light at night, most of the life does not appear very glamorous. Of particular...

*Picture* Quality Isn't Great, But It'll Do...
IKE & TINA: ON THE ROAD 1971-72 is basically a home movie filmed with a portable video camera, which was high tech at the time -- but sub-par by today's standards, of the dynamic duo of Ike and Tina Turner, their band The Kings Of Rhythm, and their backing vocals and opening act, The Ikettes as they toured in 1971-72.

What makes this film different from your average everyday amateur home movie is that it was filmed by famed rock photojournalist Bob Gruen and his then wife, Nadya Beck. Gruen's pictures have captured everyone from the Turners to John Lennon and have become iconic in rock and roll history.

In this film, he and Nadya actually become part of the Turner's entourage filming them not only on and back stage, rehearsals and on the road, but also their home life and in the recording studio. The movie captures the excitement that the Ike & Tina Turner Revue had on stage, and it also shows the artistic process of them recording tracks. You also get to watch...

WOW!
I DIDN'T KNOW IT HAD THAT MUCH INSIGHT INTO HER LIFE. I LEARNED HOW SHE LOOKED AND TALKED BEHIND THE CURTAINS. I THINK SHE IS A DOWN TO EARTH PERSON. I LIKE HOW SHE IS HERSELF AT HOME AND A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT PERSON ONSTAGE. I SEEN THE IKETTES AND THE WHOLE ENTOURAGE. EVERYBODY WAS CLOSE. I LIKE SOME PERFORMANCES ON THIS DVD THAT I NEVER HEARD OF. I THINK EVERYBODY IS TALENTED. FOR THE FIRST TIME I SAW THE CHILDREN PLAYING AROUND.

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Ken Burns: The Dust Bowl [Blu-ray]

Masterful
I was fortunate enough to see a preview cut of The Dust Bowl last week in an event hosted by PBS and it's typical Ken Burns. Burns revolutionized the documentary format in 1990 with The Civil War. His style and technique changed the way stories are told now by historians and filmakers around the world through film. So it should come as no surprise that The Dust Bowl is yet another great work by the masterful director. The film documents the Dust Bowl through iconic pictures and film as Burns usually does, but it is told through the eyes of the survivors in a way that makes the experience even more powerful. I would describe the film as The Worst Hard Time comes ALIVE! If you enjoyed the book by Timothy Egan you will no doubt love this film. If you have not read the book by all means do yourself a favor and do so. Egan is a major contributor of course along with other historians as they are used to frame the events of the era, but it is the "survivors" that truly make the film special...

Bluray Review: Great story, Fabulous characters but a bit repetitive
What John Ford attempted (and, in my opinion, succeeded) to do in the 1940 feature film "The Grapes of Wrath" - to put a human face on those farmers and their families who survived the challenges of the deadly dust storms, as well as the Great Depression in the "dust bowl quadrant" during the 1930s - Ken Burns has succeeded with his latest four-hour documentary that aired on PBS in November 2012 and was released by PBS Home Video on Blu-ray with some bonus features. If you've seen Burns' documentaries on the Civil War or World War Two, you will have an idea of what to expect. Actor Peter Coyote is back as narrator and Burns chose specific families whose members are still alive to tell their own stories. When Burns planned the film he took out ads in the four-state area which comprised the "dust bowl" seeking survivors. He received over 70 responses and - through a process of elimination, chose more than two dozen to interview at great length. These were individuals who were children...

Tales of the Black Blizzard
It starts with a few words: "Let me tell you how it was." In the space of four hours, Ken Burns tells you how it was on the great wide plains of America, in the 1930's, in the Dust Bowl.

Ken Burns' real talent is his focus on the average man and woman. Rather than focusing on the famous, the politicians and celebrities (though they do come into play at times), he introduces us to names from history that we never knew. So, in 'The Dust Bowl,' we get the story of the college-trained writer who set up a homestead in no-man's land, finding her husband there. We hear the story of the family with nine children, and the ambition to pass on a square mile of fertile land to each of them. We hear the stories of children born into a world of blowing dust and dirt, of some who survive, and some who didn't make it.

Make no mistake, this is a story of struggle and human endurance stretched to the limit, of hopes raised and then dashed again, year after year. It's a story of...

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Charlie Brown & Snoopy Show: The Complete Series

Finally its here
When I told Warner Home Video to release "The Charlie Brown & Snoopy Show" to DVD, they answered me. So here what the episodes are:

Season 1 (1983)
1.Snoopy's Cat Fight
2.Snoopy: Team Manager
3.Linus and Lucy
4.Lucy VS the World
5.Linus' Security Blanket
6.Snoopy: Man's Best Friend
7.Snoopy the Psychiatrist
8.You Can't Win Charlie Brown
9.The Lost Ballpark
10.Snoopy's Football Career
11.Chaos in the Classroom
12.It's that Team Spirit, Charlie Brown (also available on the

The Replacements - Color Me Obsessed: A Film About The Replacements

Great film about my favorite band but I only have one problem.
I will tell you the one problem I had with the film at the end of this review. I will start by saying that this has become my favorite documentary ever!! Now, unlike everyone who appeared in this film and unlike most viewers or fans, I wasn't alive when The Replacements were in their prime. I'm only in my early 20s and I discovered the band back in 2008 from a friend of mine. They have become my favorite band, to the point of obsession.

I won't go on about how there is no music or interviews from the band in the film. I will just say that this was the best way to tell the band's story. The Replacements were sort of that band that you herd about, you knew the name but you didn't know who they were completely. They seemed to be this legend that people had told. It was something that a lot of people had talked about but somewhere in the place of rock history, they were left out when The Beatles, The Velvet Underground or R.E.M. are mentioned. You just knew from what you had...

Not your typical music documentary
I've seen this film several times now and it is extremely well done. It's not your typical documentary in that it doesn't feature the band or the band's music. Rather, it is a funny, candid, and sometimes poignant recounting of stories about the band by fans and friends.

This really is a must-see for Replacements fans.

A lot to like, but not what I'd hoped it would be.
I suppose that it is what it is, and if I went in expecting it to be something else, then the problem is mine. But I'd thought there would be at least some footage of the Mats, maybe a bit of their music, even if both were de-emphasized. I should have done some research outside of watching the trailers, though I guess it should have occurred to me then that neither would be present in this film.

Watching this film is a lot like sitting at a bar while someone who knew a famous guy tells you all about him. Technically it's great, it's assembled with care and well-edited. Grant Hart's interviews in particular are a real treat.

But an hour and a half of that? I don't care who the chatty guy at the bar was, I'd have told him to shut up or just walked away mid-wistful recollection long before that.

I can't think of a situation where I'd watch it again, and I wish I'd have rented it instead of buying it.

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WWE: The Attitude Era

Lazy and Disappointing
Picked up my copy of the Attitude Era early as my friend work at the video store, here's a summary of my thoughts, for the full review check out Tribalwrestling website.

The Attitude Era was great, but the DVD/Blu-Ray is average. My original rating was 3 star, but upon second viewing I decided that it did not justify that rating.

Updated Rating : I'll give it 2 stars because WWE pick poor matches and the boring documentary was too short at under an hour ( just 57 minutes to be exact). The documentary at only 1 hour, for one of the most dramatic era in history...very lazy and poor.

The irony is that the recent release WWE13 Video Game had better coverage of the best moments and matches during the Attitude Era, most of which are totally missing from the home video. (Rock vs Mankind I Quit Match, Undertaker vs Kane feud).

In the documentary, they often had comments about how the product was too edgy and not suited for children. It became...

Disappointing story
The story portion of the DVD could have been great. With the amount of footage WWE has, they could have easily put together a timeline from 1997-2001 of some of the bigger storylines, matches, and developments from the Attitude Era. Instead it seemed as if their goal was to cram every piece of 'edgy' material into an hour with current superstars commenting on it. Sure they briefly covered "This is your life" from RAW and the Taker/Mankind HIAC match, some of the defining moments of that era, but plenty of other DVDs have done so as well. It felt lazy and rushed, and I wouldn't recommend this DVD to anyone.

WWE's Most Successful Time Period
Money, worldwide appeal, positive media coverage, ect...regardless of how you measure success, this was the most successful "era" in the World Wrestling Federation/Entertainment history because of it's characters, storylines, and production caught up to the times where the world was having a taste of "Attitude." This is WWE's story of the company during what they called "The Attitude Era" of the late 90's to 2000 told by such talents as Mick Foley, Triple H, Pat Patterson, Jim Ross, Big Show, Mark Henry, Christian, Brian "Road Dogg" James, Rikishi, Stephanie McMahon, Ron "Faarooq" Simmons, Vince Russo, Steve Austin, John "Bradshaw" Layfield and archival commens from Eric Bischoff & Sean "Val Venis" Morley. The biggest bonus here though is that there's no censorship here being a TV-14 presentation just like how WWE was during that era so you saw the middle fingers, the foul language (except what was beeped during the original airing), the only major edits being due to expired music...

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That's Entertainment: Trilogy Giftset [Blu-ray]

WHO COULD ASK FOR ANYTHING MORE?!?!
Upon its release "That's Entertainment!" became the biggest and brightest money maker of 1974...and it's no wonder. For a little over two hours one had the enchanted experience of being teleported to a world just this side of over the rainbow. Here is a cornucopia of magical scenes and snippets from MGM's most magnificent musicals. Directed with adroit - if self congratulatory - wit and concision by Jack Haley Jr. (son of Oz's Tin Man), "That's Entertainment!" is the sort of blindingly spellbinding extravaganza that reinforces MGM's once galvanic mottos of "art for art's sake" and "more stars than there are in heaven." At its gala premiere Jack Haley Sr. was heard declaring, "This isn't nostalgia. This is art." Rightly so, by 1974 the MGM musical had been dead for some time and the studio itself was on the verge of a restructuring that would ultimately reduce its holdings to garage sale status. But at least in this film such forgotten treasures were resurrected from oblivion to their...

Trilogy Captures Magic of Era...
While this trilogy of MGM musical tribute films have been available on VHS as a boxed set, the sheer quantity of unforgettable musical highlights showcased make them 'naturals' for DVD, with the format's superior 'search' accessibility, and improved picture and sound quality. There should be a 'warning label', though; these movies MAY cause you to start singing and dancing, and turn you into a musical 'junkie'!

Each film, besides offering a spectacular array of showstoppers, has a style uniquely it's own; the first, THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT! (1974), is the glossiest, with an array of 'guest stars' introducing clips (Sinatra, Bing Crosby, Elizabeth Taylor, Kelly, Astaire, Jimmy Stewart, and more) that is matchless; the second, THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT, PART II (1976), provides a last opportunity to see hosts Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly do a bit of singing and dancing together, and expands the 'musical' format to include montages of classic comedy, and tributes to Tracy and Hepburn,...

Thats Entertainment box set blu ray
Very dissapointed in Warner Home Video, this collection, especially Part 111, which has a wonderful John Mauceri overture, just looks, and sounds flat. I own the laser disc box set, and I use it as a reference, the quality and dynamic fidelity of the above stated overture, is nothing short of spectacular, the video quality is first rate. Having bought the previously released dvd box set, mainly for the anamorphic enhancment of segments that apply, this transfer offers no improvement on video, perhaps even less,and the sound, well just imagine putting on a pair of ear muffs. To sum up, save your money.

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Live at Montreux 2005 [Blu-ray]

Patti Has The Power
I've recently purchased a large selection of concert blu-rays to enjoy my new HDTV. Patti Smith's 'Live at Montreux' is one of the best of the bunch. Produced as part of the SoundStage series, which has also featured legends such as Stevie Nicks and Tom Petty (both which I also recommend), this blu-ray shines with incredible video and audio quality. The studio is reminiscent of the Austin City Limits studio; there's a respectful but excited crowd of about 500. It's nice to get these artists to tape in such an intimate setting with a director who knows how to put out a quality product.

It doesn't hurt that Patti sounds amazing. She has only gotten better with age. Backed by her full band, she performs a tight setlist of some of her classic songs, in addition to a couple covers. She nails 'Like a Rolling Stone' like she wrote it herself. If you are still reading this, just BUY IT!

Too Short!
Too short(83 minutes) could be my only complaint I could think of here. Like all the Montreux blu-rays I've owned video & sound are top-notch. A person gets spoiled watching the 2~3 hour concerts some bands give you(Rush,Springsteen,Dream Theater,etc.) I love Patti but 83 min. leaves so many great songs unsung. Buy it anyway.

Awesome show
The Patti Smith Band at full strengh with Tom Verlaine in the line-up. If your a fan of Patti's, this is a must.

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Beijing Punk

mu shu punk
short documentary - little over an hour - and perhaps a bit heavy on the self-congratulatoriness of the cbgb-franchising w/ club D-22 (although to be fair, not completely w/o merit), but overall a worthy xamination o' what i can only hope are the first few jagged stones thrown into the vast sea that is china

however the real tragedy is that these bands may be born, live a life o' constant struggle, and perish w/ hardly any notice from the outside world

working bands need to tour to survive - especially for those genres which are decidedly underground; and if, as the director/narrator says, 'they'll never be able to make it in china', then they will HAVE to go abroad.......yet if the gov keeps denying their visas, this will most likely suffocate these bands - which admittedly the chinese government probably has no problem w/, particularly as punk bands tend to have a political bent. on the other hand this may make them even more determined and relevant as their...





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America's 58 National Parks

Comprehensive and Visually Arresting
I watched all six plus hours with interest. I have been in 44 National Parks and am a avid hiker. The photography is excellent. Sometimes as with Brook Falls in Alaska with the bears catching salmon while standing on a waterfall breathtaking. Now and then a history lesson with sepia tones and short reenactments shows up. Not a good thing. But 95% of the content is visually stunning with great narration. I know of no other video that features all 58 national parks. The Alaska, Grand Canyon, Yosemite and Yellowstone portions are almost perfect. The material on the seldom seen parks like Biscayne, Dry Tortugas et al is very good. Overall an excellent effort.





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