No comments about Musical Journey: Russia/Ukraine - St. Petersburg Sebastopol Odessa.

3 comments about Bob Dylan's New York.

1. This is classroom moved onto the street. The two narrators are walking encylopedias (almost) of Bob Dylan and certainly admire him. Most of the material is shot outside walking around various boroughs of NYC with narrative commentary. I missed inside shots such a Bitter End and other cafe venues as well as Dylan's apartment etc. It is essentially a visual tour and if you like that buy it. Bob Dylan - No Direction Home is much more comprehensive in every way if you are looking for more material. But for the inquisitive and collector, this DVD does hold some value and information and would be worth the few dollars it will cost you.



2. I bought this DVD with the expectation that it would have some pertinent interviews with people involved in the NYC ca. 1960's, and would at least see the inside of some of the important places in Greenwich mentioned. This DVD is a home-made thing, narrated by a 3rd class radio host in NYC and some girl who does a walking "Bob Dylan" tour in NY. The girl's voice is absolutely not orator quality, as she has a very annoying nasal tone that makes her hard to listen to. The Disc Jockey rambles on about things that aren't relevant to the Dylan quest, often times not relevant to the conversation between him and the nasal girl. There are no interviews, except for a short one with the disc jockey's wife who merely recounts a time when she met someone famous and announces that their dog's name is Dylan. There are no internal shots of any of the famous buildings. The disc jockey and the girl simply walk about Greenwich and up into Chelsea and stand in front of the building telling stories about it that can be picked up in any brochure. I am sorry I wasted money on this home made faux-paus as I was actually doing research on the Chelsea during the sixties and thought this would have some interesting facts. It didn't. I don't care if the DJ and his wife named their dog Dylan. I barely made it through the entire DVD (2 of them, actually) listening to the girl who should never ever speak in public for an audience. I advise not to buy this poor quality DVD. You'd be better off going online and sending to NYC for some brochures on Greenwich and Chelsea. I'm sure the people who are in this mundane spectacle are nice, and well meaning, but, really, don't waste your money here.Bob Dylan's New York



3. THIS IS JUST WALK AROUND THE VILLAGE WITH 2 FANS POINTING OUT PLACES WHERE DYLAN LIVED AND PERFORMED. MOST INFORMATION (WHICH, AS A DYLAN
   FAN, YOU ALREADY KNOW) IS GIVEN BY A WOMAN WITH THE MOST ANNOYING, NASAL
   VOICE SO YOU'RE TURNED OFF AT THE GET-GO. THE FELLOW WITH HER ENLIGHTENS US WITH ANECDOTES ABOUT HE AND HIS WIFE -- SUCH AS THEY HAD THEIR PICTURE TAKEN AT THE EXACT SPOT WHERE BOB AND SUZE DID FOR THE "FREEWHEELIN'
   ALBUM COVER. HOW CUTE IS THAT? I CAN'T BELIEVE I ACTUALLY WATCHED THE
   WHOLE THING BEFORE THROWING IT IN THE GARBAGE.

1 comments about Maui: Island of the Sun.

1. What an amazing DVD! The best of the best on Maui. Restaurants, activities, best beaches, tours and more. Everything you need to know about Maui before you travel or after you've returned to re-live an amazing vacation.
   
   Absolutely stunning photography in this DVD as well as one of their other tiles, Seascapes & Sunsets.
   
   I highly recommend both.

3 comments about The Big Plane Trip.

1. My son was 3 when he first saw The Big Plane Trip, and since then we have purchased several more titles from the Big Adventure series. Each video is so well presented that adults enjoy watching them along with the children. They are well filmed and intelligently narrated. I especially like the way children ask and answer questions on the video. Currently my son is in love with The Big Airshow. We also have The Big Submarine, The Big Aircraft Carrier, The Big Zoo, and others. They are pretty much a guaranteed hit, and grown-ups as well as children come away with more knowledge.



2. My 4 year old watched the whole video and said "That was the longest commercial I ever saw! When is the video going to begin? I then had to explain to her that we were watching the video. She was very disappointed as well as me. It was extremely boring and not geared for a four year old.



3. A part of this video was available through our cable company on demand. I got tired of watching the other programs my son always seemed to choose (over and over again) so I put this on hoping it'd be some good. My son loved it! He loved it so much I had to purchase it because he'd ask for it all day long and they'd taken it off cable. Someone had commented their daughter didn't like it and she was disappointed. This video is an educational video. It's not a tv show like Jay Jay the jet plane. It's a way for you to educate your child about whatever they enjoy, that's what the Big Adventure series is. If you've ever owned a video from Small-Fry you'd know that. It's a great alternative for people like me who'd prefer to educate their child instead of just letting them mindlessly watch cartoons over and over again. My son loves this video as well as the Big Train Trip. I'm going to try the construction video and the fire station video. I hope my son enjoys them as well as this one and the Big Plane Trip.

No comments about The Great Gardens of England.

5 comments about The Magnificent Scenery of Ireland.

1. The views picked are some of the best of Ireland. However, since it was recorded on a VHS tape and then transfered to DVD, it does have that fuzzy quality like VHS tapes. If you can get by that, you will love the scenery.



2. This was a gift for my parents and they thoroughly enjoyed it.



3. This DVD is exactly what its title claims: scenery of Ireland. Yes, the video is magnificent! But it would have been much more meaningful to someone who's never been there before to know more specifically what he/she is looking at. The video is divided into 4 areas of Ireland. Captions or a voiced description would have been helpful. With every move of the mouse, the video re-starts which is aggravating, and makes it difficult to utilize the control buttons at the bottom of the screen.



4. I purchased the DVD with the hope of viewing parts of Ireland that my wife and I had not yet had the opportunity to see on vacation. We recognized places we had been, but the lack of audio or text does not give you and clue as to where the beautiful location is or how you may find out more about it. Would not recommend if you were looking for a DVD that provides information or insight on planning a trip. Great if you want to see how beautiful Ireland is and listen to some elevator music. Could not watch the entire DVD at approx. 60 minutes, just too boring.



5. I bought three dvd's and this one was the best and most vivid photography. I was in Ireland for two weeks in May. I am now home sick...

1 comments about Weird U.S., Vol. 1 (History Channel).

1. Two shows here: "Strange But True"& "Road To Weirdsville". The first show has, I think, four stories. I won't waste time giving a synopses of each one. I'll just say that the worst episode of "Ripley's Believe It Or Not" or any other show of that nature would tower above this. The stories are not strange and are not particularly interesting. In the second show, hosts Mark & Mark travel to various cities in the U.S. in search of the weird. I don't think that anything they found can qualify as weird. Whatever they found that was of any interest such as the miniature White House in Florida or archival film footage and history of Coney Island was completely ruined by the incompetence of Mark & Mark. Just when I was getting interested in the subject matter, there pops up one or the other making lame quips and mugging for the camera.

5 comments about Music in High Places - Alanis Morissette Live in the Navajo Nation.

1. It's okay. Much better than most other Alanis DVDs.



2. Was good to see Alanis in a more natural environment and experimenting. What will she come up with next?! I had seen snaps of this and just had to own it. Nature and Alanis just fit right in and you actually get to see her speak. I love it!



3. I own several in the MIHP series, and while the production on all of them is excellent, I'm really disappointed in some of the titles that are not anamorphic. This one IS letterbox, but require zooming in to fill a 16:9 set, which reduces the video quality greatly. Thus, I give it 4 stars instead of 5.
   
   See the Goo Goo Dolls or India Arie for a difference.
   
   Love the tunes, though.



4. It's a nice DVD, recommended for anyone who digs Alanis' music. But are these recordings live, as the title would suggest? I don't think so. What the boys play on their instruments is *not* what we hear. Lipsyncing a song is one thing, but syncing the picking of a guitar or beating a drum is a lot more difficult. I would have preferred this production with real live sound. They could have left the jib and the steadycam at home.



5. Loved seeing Alanis perform in this natural setting. Having had visited these locations it was wonderful seeing them again with her and her band. I wish there had been additional 'scenes & interviews' included. What is filmed is repeated again in extra footage....a disappointment. If you are only interested in the music you will be pleased.

5 comments about Warren Miller's Fifty.

1. Well, I've seen the films from the last few years and this flick does a nice job in condensing the those and other stories over the last Fifty years. Music soundtrack was good and there were some fun parts. Good for all round viewing. Planning to order a copy.



2. warren millers fifty is an awsome ski movie even better than freeriders,snowriders2,and snowriders.It is the ski movie of movie of the milleneum.what a go warren and keep riding. (\o/)



3. This is one of Warren Miller's best. It's a great compilation of fifty years of videos with one of the best sound tracks I've ever heard. Five minutes into this, you'll be waxing your skis!!



4. Warren Miller has to be the most influential (downhill) ski film maker in history. What they do, they do well and it shows in "fifty." But too much of the same good thing has become repetitive. There is more to skiing that just getting pulled downhill by gravity. Besides, there are a dozen people producing the same films. Great video, now it is time to broaden the scope.



5. As usual, from the ski movie master Warren Miller, a great skiing movie, with lots of incredible scenes and acrobatics. It just gets you ready fo the ski season and shows those who don't ski how awesome this sport can be. Great fun overall.

5 comments about Charlotte Church - In Jerusalem.

1. Ms. Church does not have a good voice at all....which I expected the opposite of according to all the rave reviews I've been hearing from the media.



2. Charlotte's first concert video had her playing at the Brixton Academy in the UK. That was fine, she was full of poise and confidence for a pre-teenager. In doing a concert in Jerusalem, she nearly retains the same poise. No, her vocalizations are perfect; it's inbetween songs that she talks at a clip, belying an apparent nervousness at playing at the Tower of David. After all, it's a very historic site, and maybe the awe that place inspires got to her. Fortunately for her, she doesn't sing as fast as she talks, otherwise this would be a short video, plus it might've been retitled The Chipmunk In Jerusalem. But it's okay--she turned to full form by the time the Enchantment concert in Cardiff was filmed.

   Seriously though, all but four songs are taken from Charlotte's self-titled sophomore release. The first of the two is the song she leads off with, "Jerusalem," part of the epic written by poet William Blake, which begins, "And did these feet in ancient times, walk upon England's mountain green."

   One of Charlotte's little speeches involves her favourite instrument, the Uillean pipes, which has a sound like a bagpipe except less shrill, and which has been used by Enya and the Corrs, to name at least two Celtic artists. Uri Miles was the only Uillean pipe player they could find in Jerusalem, and he plays on "The Last Rose Of Summer" after giving the crowd a brief demonstration. Hey, at least it floated Charlotte's boat.

   There are two intermissions here. During the first, the orchestra playing selections from Georges Bizet's Carmen is intercut with silent footage of preparations for the concert, including soundmen, light people, choreographer, the orchestra, Charlotte of course, and Marina Blumen, who comes out briefly later. In the second, the orchestra plays the Intermezzo Cavalleria Rusticana, while footage of Charlotte walking the streets of the city, wearing a blue dress and purple headscarf, and ordinary citizens of Jerusalem are seen.

   Her signature tune "Pie Jesu" is done with Marina Blumen, and here we see the use of second banana done to a tee. Charlotte's clearly the glamorous star, slender, pretty, wearing her sleeveless magenta dress, and having a superior singing voice while Marina, round-faced, taller, a pit on the portly side and wearing a black outfit, pales beside her, vocally as well. Paging Gwillem Evans... (the kid who duetted with her on the first concert video).

   She ends her set appropriately enough with "The Holy City," which she reprises the last verse as an encore. She is clearly at her best and most radiant here.

   The Ra'anana Symphonette Orchestra led by Julian Smith do a bang on job, as do the Cantus Choir when they back her up in "The Lord's Prayer" and "Guide Me, O Thou Great Redeemer," which is one of the better songs here.

   However, the lighting isn't anything to shout home about, and she could've done a few more songs that used the choir more. One other oddity. Despite sporting nice long-sleeved pink dress on the video cover, she never wears it during the concert. Other than that, her voice is perfect, even if her rapid-fire talking gets a bit distracting.




3. Charlotte Church in Jerusalem is a wonderful concert performed in the shadows of the Tower of David in Jerusalem, and Charlotte is in fine voice throughout, but a couple of things make this my least favorite of Charlotte's concert DVDs. It's relatively short for one thing, clocking in at just 49 minutes - and that includes two orchestra intermissions. For another thing, the lighting is just horrible - maybe it looked great in person, but on video the stage is lit by some very harsh red and blue lights that oftentimes make Charlotte's tongue appear to be blue.
   
   Despite its faults, though, this DVD does give us the always-impressive Charlotte Church singing a number of classical and religious songs, most of which can be found on her second, self-titled album. Singing in such a historically important setting, Charlotte performs with great reverence and grace. She is accompanied by the Ra'anana Symphonette Orchestra under the direction of Julian Smith, and the Chamber Cantus Choir joins her on two songs. There seemed to be a minor timing issue with the chorus on one song, but the orchestra is superb. Uri Miles, possibly Israel's only Uilleann Pipes player, lends an appropriately Irish sound to the song Last Rose of Summer, and Marina Blumen joins Charlotte to sing Pie Jesu. Blumen is greatly overshadowed by Charlotte, who had really settled in to her performance by that point. There are two intermissions, which seems rather strange given the short length of the DVD itself, but the orchestra fills the gaps wonderfully, especially with two selections from Bizet's Carmen.
   
   My favorite songs are, not surprisingly, the ones sung in English. The Lord's Prayer is a beautiful song that Charlotte always sings with great feeling, and she quickly follows up with a powerful version of Guide Me, O Thou Great Redeemer. Ave Maria is another stand-out selection, followed closely by La Pastorella and Plaisir d'amour. Having begun the concert, appropriately enough, with the song Jerusalem, Charlotte concludes by singing The Holy City, which she soon reprises before calling it a night.
   
   The DVD doesn't come with many bonus features. There is a discography of Charlotte CDs and videos, a set of pictures from Charlotte's time in Jerusalem (but the concert itself features a number of video shots of Charlotte touring the city), and - my favorite - a music video for Dream a Dream (featuring Billy Gilman). I absolutely love this particular song, so the inclusion of the video earns much appreciation from this Charlotte fan.
   
   All in all, this is a wonderful DVD; I just wish it were longer and featured more flattering lighting. I would rank this last among Charlotte's DVDs, but that does not mean Charlotte Church in Jerusalem is not worth watching. Devoted fans like myself will definitely want to add this title to their collection.



4. Charlotte outdoes herself in this concert. Of course she had the help of a fabulous orchestra and conductor. I think that her voice was starting to mature around the time of this concert. She didn't always hit the notes right on (off by a mere half-note), but she always corrected herself. Despite all of that, every song was sung beautifully. Ave Maria is my favorite, with the breeze toying with her gorgeous hair as she sings her heart out.
   
   There is no doubt that Charlotte has worked very hard on her breathing and vocal techniques, which are an improvement from Voice of an Angel. The only part I didn't like was the duet with the Marina girl. Marina had this terrible expression on her face, and sings equally bad and bland. Charlotte can't help but outshine Marina. I always skip this song. I also thought that the silent film playing during intercession could have been made into an extra feature for the DVD. There was one point where it looked like Charlotte was giving an interview; I would have loved to see that on the DVD.
   
   I'm not making any excuses for Charlotte only being 15 during this recording. This is her best classical performance, and she knows exactly what she's doing. I give Char 5 stars for her performance, but the lack of features on the DVD and Marina person take it down to 4.



5. My "2 Thumbs Up!" to Charlotte Church for this "masterpiece" of
   
   Christian Music and Musical Movie. A marvellous Christian DVD and
   
   Musical presentation! A wonderfully meaningful rendition of the
   
   Holy Land and rich Christian Music presented in the beautiful setting
   
   of Jerusalem and scenes from the Holy Land! I thoroughly enjoy watching
   
   and listening to this DVD - again and again! I never get tired of it!
   
   I highly recommend this DVD to everyone who enjoys good Christian
   
   music especially the phenominally beautiful voice of Charlotte Church.
   
   Paul Kee-Hua Hang, Jr.
   Author of:
   "Blessings by the Dozen" (2007) and
   "More...Blessings by the Dozen" (2007) and
   "From:...A Matter of SURVIVAL
   To:...Blessings by the Dozen" (2008)