Soundstage: America Live In Chicago (2008) Review

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(More customer reviews)Koch Vision and Soundstage presents "AMERICA LIVE IN CHICAGO" (2008) (77 mins/Color) (Dolby digitally remastered) --- The early-'70s light folk sound that became popular in America was defined by the very band that shared a name with the country that embraced them. America ruled the Top 10 charts of that era with their evocative harmonies and acoustic-styled ...Full Descriptionmusicianship. America's performance on the acclaimed PBS concert series Soundstage features all their greatest hits along with riveting versions of 'California Dreaming' and 'Nowhere Man' - plus an interview with founding members Gerry Beckley and Dewey Bunnell.
America owned the charts in the 1970s with their folk-infused pop, and the band now enchants fans once more in this intimate live performance. Filmed for PBS's Soundstage concert series, the remarkable set includes all of America's hits, such as "Horse With No Name" and "Sister Golden Hair," and features a special duet with singer-songwriter Christopher Cross.
Track Listing in Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround - English
1. Riverside
2. Ventura Highway
3. You Can Do Magic
4. Don't Cross The River
5. Daisy Jane
6. The Last Unicorn
7. I Need You
8. Head and Heart
9. Till The Sun Comes Up Again
10. Tin Man
11. Woman Tonight
12. Sandman
13. The Border
14. Horse With No Name
15. Sister Golden Hair
16. Lonely People (with Christopher Cross)
17. Muskrat Candlelight
18. Only In Your Heart
19. California Dreaming
20. All My Life
SPECIAL BONUS FEATURES:
1. Bonus interview with Gerry Beckley and Dewey Bunnell.
Great job by Koch Vision --- looking forward to more high quality titles from the Sound Stage Collection film market --- order your copy now from Amazon or Koch Vision where there are plenty of copies available on DVD, stay tuned once again for top notch releases --- where they are experts in releasing long forgotten films and treasures to the collector.
Total Time: 77 mins on DVD ~ Koch Vision 6579 ~ (9/02/2008)

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Captured in High-Definition and Mixed in 5.1 Surround Sound. AMERICA – LIVE IN CHICAGO presents an unique and intimate performance from the legendary band that defined the early ‘70s folk sound and ruled the Top-10 charts with their evocative harmonies and acoustic-styled musicianship. The memorable 20-song set includes greatest hits as well as rare live versions of "Head And Heart", "Till The Sun Comes Up Again" and "The Last Unicorn" – plus a special on-stage appearance by Christopher Cross on the song "Lonely People." Features: Riverside, Ventura Highway, You Can Do Magic, Don’t Cross the River, Daisy Jane, The Last Unicorn, I Need You, Head And Heart, Till The Sun Comes Up Again, Tin Man, Muskrat Candlelight, The Border, Woman Tonight, Only In Your Heart, California Dreamin’, Lonely People (with Christopher Cross), Sandman, Sister Golden Hair, All My Life, Horse With No Name ALSO INCLUDES: Bonus Interview with Gerry Beckley and Dewey Bunnell

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National Geographic - World's Most Dangerous Gang (2006) Review

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(More customer reviews)You've probably heard about high profile gangs that make up some of the American landscape and those would include some like the Crips, Bloods, Hell's Angels, Mexican Mafia, The Latin Kings, Chinese Triads, Japanese Yakuza, and Skinheads. These are just a few and they are all notorious in their own right but there is an even more insidious gang that is growing at a frightful rate on a global scale.
In the 1980's in Los Angeles, the gang MS -13 came from humble beginnings but now spreads across 33 different states in America and 6 different countries around the world. The estimated numbers are ten thousand members in the United States and up to one hundred thousand worldwide. It seems like virtually no communities are left untouched by their presence as they expand like a plague through urban and rural settings.
MS -13 is touted as the fastest growing and most violent gang in America at the present time. They have their own culture and abide by a set of rules and rituals that they follow to the letter. Enforcing these measures, protecting their turf, and conducting day to day business oftentimes means using murder, maiming, and other brutalities to accomplish whatever they need to. They are made up of individual cliques inside distinct territories that govern themselves but there is evidence of a top hierarchy that has influences down through the ranks. Organization in criminal activities appears to be well structured also and money is made from drug smuggling and dealing, extorting protection money, gun running, and other illicit affairs.
National Geographic has put together a detailed, informative, and scary documentary that is well supported with interviews from law enforcement officials and past and present members of the MS -13 gang. This program does contain graphic video footage and some disturbing images but it is not excessive in my opinion and I see it as a necessary element in supporting the overall messages here.


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You've spotted the graffiti and seen their tattoos. And you've read the shocking headlines documenting their brutality. But what is driving the rapid spread of the ultra violent gang MS-13, which has infected big cities and small towns across the country. Lisa Ling takes you deep inside a merciless world hidden in plain view. Through revealing interviews with active members, National Geographic reveals the extreme culture and rituals of the MS-13 gang.

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Super High Me (2007) Review

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(More customer reviews)While there aren't many stand-up comedians that I find to be terribly funny, Doug Benson's experiment with getting high for a month straight provided many chuckles. More importantly, it provided insight on the movement to expand Medical Marijuana in California and the DEA repression they face. This film could've easily become a documentary on the Medical Marijuana movement, and hopefully some filmmakers will make a movie that focuses on that struggle.
Benson's 30 days of smoking and eating herb was inspired by the 30 miserable days Morgan Spurlock spent eating fast food in Super Size Me (another film I'd highly recommend).
I especially enjoyed Benson's visits to places like the "420 Temple", and a trip he made to Vancouver to visit the "Prince of Pot" - Marc Emery. Emery is a former seed distributor and the editor of the excellent "Cannabis Culture" magazine (which isn't available through Amazon, but can be found at most bookstores).
"Super High Me" also introduces us to some Medical Marijuana patients, including a young woman who first started using it at the age of 17 when she was going through her cancer treatments. It's a crime that cannabis isn't legally available to anyone who wants it for medicinal, spiritual, or recreational reasons. Pot is forbidden because big pharmaceutical companies don't have a patent on it.
People who want to explore more of the political, social and economic issues involving marijuana will want to check out DVDs like:
Emperor of Hemp: Every Revolution Needs a Hero
Grass
American Drug War: The Last White Hope
Books:
The Benefits of Marijuana: Physical, Psychological & Spiritual
Cannabis Culture
To keep up on all sorts of issues, media material, and pot gatherings:
High Times
And a couple of DVDs to help us chant down Babylon:
Manufacturing Consent - Noam Chomsky and the Media
The Corporation
Songs of Freedom

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Determined to find out the true effects of marijuana on the human body, stand-up comedian and former Stoner of the Year Doug Benson documents his experience avoiding pot for 30 days and then consuming massive amounts of the drug for 30 days. More than just an amusing story of one man's quest to get super high, this documentary also examines the hotly contested debate over medical marijuana use.

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Ronald Reagan - A Legacy Remembered (History Channel) (2002) Review

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(More customer reviews)This is a well done, though brief look into the life of a great man and the greatest President of the last half of the 20th century. The only fault is just the brevity given to the topic of President Reagan's great accomplishments. This is a thoroughly enjoyable documentary, and filled with information and great words. A treasure for true history buffs.

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RONALD REAGAN:LEGACY REMEMBERED - DVD Movie

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Korea - The Forgotten War (History Channel) (2005) Review

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(More customer reviews)I have been fascinated with the Korean War since a grade schooler in the early 60's. I spent three seperate one year tours in South Korea in the 70's and 80's while in the U.S. Army, and toured some of the battlefields while there.
I purchased this in 1987 on VHS and really enjoyed it then. But, it does lack punch. There are no interviews of surviving veterans on either side. The work only covers the most basic points of the war and never goes into some of the more controversial incidents. (1). The brutality of the Rhee regime (Who the U.S. supported). (2). The poor performance of the U.S. Army combat units (3). The collaboration of U.S. POWs with their communist captors (which resulted in the Code of Conduct). (4). Why such a modern military force as the U.N., with all it's fire power, was forced to retreat from a bunch of "pajama clad" Chinese, who had no heavy artillery or air support. But, as always Robert Stack is an excellent narrator, and the war is presented in chronological order with decent (somewhat grainy) black and white footage.
The DVD is only 100 minutes long, so they did what they could in that amount of time.
There is so much more to that war than is covered here. For some good reading Donald Knox and Max Hastings both wrote excellent books. I give this DVD 3 1/2 stars.

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Item Name: Korea - The Forgotten War (History Channel); Studio:A&E Home Video

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The American Heritage Series (2007) Review

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(More customer reviews)David Barton has done his homework. How refreshing to learn the facts that are sadly omitted in today's public schools. All our kids should learn this to fully appreciate the heritage of this great county and what was in the hearts of our nations founders. Learn what you should have been taught and gain a new pride and love of our country and why these truths must be taught, lest we forget and become unrecognizable as America. If you have SkyAngel TV, you can watch these shows on The Golden Eagle Channel.

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Join historian David Barton and experience the untold story of our nation's history in the American Heritage Series.Discover the forgotten and astonishing story of our nation's foundation in the American Heritage Series.For centuries, Americans were taught a truthful view of history that recognized the Godly heroes and moral foundation our nation was founded upon. But in recent years, a new version of history has assaulted the moral and spiritual fiber of our nation, leaving the truth of our past eliminated and forgotten. Until today. From Separation of Church and State, to the Civil Rights Movement, the heroism of our founding Fathers to the building of our nation's monuments, this series will inspire every American to reclaim the Godly, true story of our nation.
This product is manufactured on demand using DVD-R recordable media. Amazon.com's standard return policy will apply.

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Never Back Down (Single-Disc Edition) (2008) Review

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(More customer reviews)I just got back from seeing Never Back Down and I have to say this movie was awesome! I really was not expecting much and figured this would be a Fight Club rip off. After watching it it was nothing like I expected and I ended up being really entertained and got in to the whole story. Sean Faris plays Jake Tyler a high school football player, who is dealing with the guilt of his fathers death. When his mom moves the family to Orlando Jakes fighting and angry past follow him. He meets a girl named Baja who is being used by her boyfriend Ryan to get Jake to fight him. Baja lures Jake to a party only to have Ryan beat him up pretty badly. After being humiliated Jake takes his friend Max's advice to learn a mixed-martial from a man named Jean Roqua. He will not only learn valuable lessons and discipline to deal with his angry past, but also to settle a score and define himself. In the tradition of Fight Club, The Peaceful Warrior and a bit of inspiration from The Fast and The Furious movies Never Back Down is one action packed rush!

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Genre: Feature Film-Action/AdventureRating: UNRelease Date: 29-JUL-2008Media Type: DVD

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Squidbillies, Vol. 2 (2009) Review

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(More customer reviews)Hands down the best show featuring land dwelling cephalopods ever made. One thing the show has going for it is a total disregard for continuity. It's fun seeing characters mutilated or killed repeatedly. Also, it is a show about hillbilly squids. They live in Northern Georgia and are protected by the Endangered Species Act so they're free to raise hell. In addition to the squids other regular characters include a Sheriff and an evil capitalist named Dan Halen that looks like a....I don't know. He has no knees and looks like half a ball sac. He talks like Orson Welles and is immortal and then there is Krystal. And well, come to think of it, you got a bunch of great characters including the Reverend (another bizarre creation) and the Devil and Jesus too --both as you've never seen them before. Anyway, I've seen hillbilly shows and hillbillies in person and the same with squids and putting the two together to make one creature makes perfect sense. The animation is superb. Crude and decadent as it should be. One aspect of the show that I love is the narration featured on some episodes. Cracks me up like an Easter egg. Just the tone of it. The second volume is even better than the first one. Do it to it.
6 Stars.

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Item Name: Squidbillies, Vol. 2; Studio:Turner Home Ent

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Make 'Em Laugh: The Funny Business Of America (2009) Review

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(More customer reviews)I'll admit right up front, I am a sucker for this stuff. I'll try to write an objective review here, but I have been absolutely loving watching these DVDs over the past few days, so it may be tough.
Focused on comedians known for their television and movies appearances, this is a 2009 PBS documentary on American comedy. Introduced by Billy Crystal, the six 53-minute episodes cover a century of men and women who, as Crystal once said, "make funny with the ha-ha." Each show progresses through a series of well-edited film clips of particular stars, which are mixed with appreciative, often enlightening, interviews -- more than 100 in all -- from comedians, producers, writers and historians, everyone from Mort Sahl and Sid Caesar to Judd Apatow and Will Ferrell.
Watching it is sorta like watching the typical PBS program, where you feel so seriously educated you should be stroking your beard. But most is, for me at least, like watching your own mind flashback through all the best moments from the television shows and old movies you watched growing up. What a treat!
From an intellectual standpoint, what I liked best about this series is how well it explores comedy in the first half of the 20th century. For example, the show on satire spends quite a few minutes on Will Rogers, and watching it I really came to appreciate how entertaining he really was, in a way I never had before. Same for Sid Caesar and Tom Lehrer (a performer I had barely heard of), Buster Keaton, Laurel and Hardy and many others.
As a PBS show, this one is, in its own way, every bit as engrossing as a Ken Burns production. Not as long, not as serious, probably not as good, but often just as interesting.
There's certainly as much depth. In the show "When I'm Bad, I'm Better" there's a great segment on Moms Mabley. In the show on physical comedy, I personally loved the short segment on Keaton's Sherlock Jr. In my work, I have learned about this film because it's the basis for the live host in the Walt Disney World attraction The Great Movie Ride. It was a delight just to see someone else mention it!
BONUS FEATURES
Each disc has a set of extras: a collection of 15 or so interview segments that didn't make it into the documentary itself. These aren't very long, just 90 or so, but there is a Play All button, which turns each set into a nice little feature that runs about 20 minutes. On disc two, for example, you get a couple of minutes of noted producer and manager Bernie Brillstein discussing the brilliance of the 1950s Martin and Lewis shows at New York City's Copacabana nightclub, followed by two minutes of Carol Burnett recalling a conversation with Lucille Ball about Desi Arnaz (quoting Ball recalling a time when after she asserted herself "that's when the put the `s' on my last name"), then George Carlin talking about his mom's sense of language...these go on and on, and are both interesting and easy to watch, especially while you're cooking, doing chores, or, like me now, typing on a laptop.
WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN BETTER
On the downside, there are some obvious gaps. Though Jim Carrey and even Jaleel "Urkel" White get lots of screen time, nowhere in the six shows is there even a mention of Rodney Dangerfield, David Letterman, Joe E. Lewis or Henny Youngman, or for that matter silent-film stars Charley Chase or Harry Langdon. Also, Red Skelton barely -- and I mean BARELY -- appears! In fairness, however, I should point out that what is here is well edited. To include other comedians without reducing the watchability of the series would have meant another episode or two, something that I bet just wasn't realistic.
EPISODE LIST
Here's a brief description of each episode:
WOULD YA HIT A GUY WITH GLASSES? NERDS, JERKS & ODDBALLS'
The misfit -- including silent film legend Harold Lloyd, Bob Hope, Phyllis Diller, Jonathan Winters, Andy Kaufman, Robin Williams, Cheech & Chong, Woody Allen and Steve Martin.
HONEY I'M HOME! BREADWINNERS AND HOMEMAKERS
Focused on sitcoms, this episode starts with George Burns and Gracie Allen, the married couple who moved their popular radio program to television, then continues with clips from The Goldbergs, I Love Lucy, The Honeymooners, The Dick Van Dyke Show, All in the Family, The Cosby Show, Roseanne, Seinfeld and The Simpsons.
SLIP ON A BANANA PEEL: THE KNOCKABOUTS
Physical comedy, with Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, the Marx Brothers, Laurel and Hardy, the Three Stooges, Martin and Lewis, Lucille Ball and Jim Carrey.
WHEN I'M BAD, I'M BETTER: THE GROUNDBREAKERS
Not just Lenny Bruce and George Carlin, but also Mae West, Moms Mabley and Richard Pryor.
NEVER GIVE A SUCKER AN EVEN BREAK: THE WISEGUYS
W.C. Fields, Groucho Marx, Jack Benny, Phil Silvers, Joan Rivers, Paul Lynde, Redd Foxx, Eddie Murphy, Chris Rock and Larry David.
SOCK IT TO ME? SATIRE AND PARODY
For me, this show is the best of them all. It includes clips and discussions of Will Rogers, Abbot and Costello, Sid Caesar, Johnny Carson, Mel Brooks, Laugh In, Saturday Night Live, even Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert.
The series is narrated by Amy Sedaris. Perhaps best known as the star of the 1990s Comedy Central series Strangers With Candy or most recently as the principal in Nickeodeon's Gym Teacher: The Movie, she plays it straight here. Fans of those shows will hardly recognize her.
Though PBS purists may not like the relative fast pace of the show, its briskness makes it hard to turn away from. My Amazon reviews usually take about 30 minutes to write. This one has taken three days! I try to type, but keep getting distracted!
By the way, this documentary has a companion book, Make 'Em Laugh: The Funny Business of America.

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Hosted By Billy Crystal & Narrated By Amy Sedaris, 3-DVD Set Presents A 6-Episode Series Chronicling A Century Of America's Funniest Entertainment And Its Most Legendary Comedians!

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Roads to Riches (2003) Review

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(More customer reviews)When I watched this movie I was pleasantly surprised. The story started out to be what I thought was going to be another "Quiz Show", but it turned out a lot different. It's a great movie for those who enjoy a love story with a twist. It's plot was ironic in places, and the ending was a bit of a surprise. I actually found it to be quite interesting to see how people so beat up, find hope in each other and end up being happy in the end.

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ROADS TO RICHES - DVD Movie

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