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.

3 comments about Great American Scenic Railroads.

1. When I was buying this box set, I was imaging bridges, tunnels, forest, mountains, and a lot of american landscapes. Now my family and I are enjoying it. You can see trains in winter, summer, auttum and spring.

   The set includes:
   1.- Continental Divide & Donner Summit
   2.- The Surfline & California Western
   3.- The Blue Mountains& Mt. Rainier
   4.- Great Mississippi & Shenandoah
   5.- Durango & Silverton adn Cumbres & Toltec
   6.- Rio Grande & Union Pacific

   If your want to see 12 hours of railroading, this is for you.




2. Great American Scenic Railways. That title conjoured up an image for my wife and I that meant we were going to be getting our hands on something we, being a couple who have found we enjoy boat and rail sightseeing excursions, could put to good use as a vacation planning guide. How wrong we were. If, however, you're a rail-fan, Someone whose main focus is trains, train cars, yards, and rails, this set is probably a winner.



3. If you own lots of Pentrex videos/DVDs, you will be dissapointed to find that the Great American Scenic Railway shows are all recycled Pentrex programs repackaged and reformated. However, if you do not have those tapes, or want to upgrade to DVD, this is an excellent collection. The shows themselves are great, with acceptable sound and video. The only other problem with this set is the lack of bonus features. But overall, this is a great show for the railfan in everyone.

No comments about Lonely Planet Six Degrees Series 2: Tokyo.

No comments about Weird U.S., Vol. 3 (History Channel).

2 comments about Rick Steves' Germany & Scandinavia 2000-20007.

1. Has there ever been another travel guide more amiable, more informative, more eclectic and just plain likeable than Rick Steves? This somewhat nerdish but pleasant looking fellow will immediately win the viewer over with his charm, humor and smoothing, layback manner. However what will keep you watching program after program is his consummate knowledge of the sites and people he visits.
   
   While each journey is only 30 minutes in length Rick has a unique talent of synthesizing the many facets that make up a people and place. He leaves no stone unturned in his analysis; historical background, spiritual heritage, cultural underpinnings and political legacy are all equally touched upon to give the audience a fuller understanding of the rural and urban landscape.
   
   However not not an individual to dwell too much on the past, he provides a delightful tour of the markets, music, restaurants and nightlife. The kind of information would really want to know if you're out for a good time.
   
   The production values are also wonderful offering fanstastic visuals that are worth watching even if there where no commentary. Traveling with Rick Steves' is the next best thing to being there.
   
   This particular DVD contains seven episodes, thirty minutes in length. Imagine three and one half hours in gorgeous Germany and Scandinavia, better get started!



2. My wife and I really enjoy Rick Steves' travel videos. We especially liked this one because we have been to Germany and Scandinavia. The 30 minute episodes makes this DVD enjoyable. We now have several of these DVDs and love to share them with friends.

5 comments about Vol 10. Florida Beaches / WAVES: Virtual Vacations + Vol 9. Caribbean Daydreams (Side 2).

1. 'Hypnotic' is the word that comes to mind. I think Mr.Voevodsky creates the best 'feel-good' videos one can find. In simple, well-chosen still shots, he shows us the best beach-beauty Florida has to offer (and that is quite a lot). Shimmering white sand and sapphire sky frame passing catamarans and graceful shore birds busily bobbing for dinner in the gently surging surf. Only natural sounds for background and sunsets that electrify even as they soothe. No sand fleas. No humidity. No sunscreen required. I challenge anyone to stay tense after the first ten minutes of this work of art.



2. I came across this item by accident, bought it, and think it is one of the best investments I've ever made. This guy is a genius. If this DVD could be marketed in pill form, we'd all be stress-free. If you love Florida, and more specifically, its beaches, you MUST buy this DVD. I would never have believed that watching something on television could be this relaxing, but I do now. The scenes are nothing short of breathtaking, and the colour is just amazing. The only sounds are of the waves...no tinkling music or faux bird calls. You have the option of watching the beaches with or without the subtitles as the locations change, so if you see a scene and think you must go on your next trip south, you can see what beach the segment was shot at. Bahia Honda, here I come! To sum it up in a nutshell, this DVD is a must-buy for beach lovers, especially to 'tide' you over until your next visit.



3. Unfortunately, it's boring and the sound is not great either.
   Better watch it with your own music.



4. Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R3LV1B70X1L4OD SEE for yourself --> VIDEO CLIP FROM DVD <-- CLICK HERE to watch.



5. I bought two DVDs of Waves Virtual Vacation series. They're Best of Bahama Beaches and Florida Beaches. They're all waste of money because they show the same scenes from the beginning till the end.
   
   All I could see was the waves hitting the beach from one angle. After approximate 10 minutes the camera switched to another angle or another location. But basiclly it still showed the same scenes! That means, I still saw wave hitting the beaches. Once in a while I saw some trees plus the beaches and the waves. I could have made these DVDs with my own camcorder!
   
   They're not worth buying at all.

2 comments about Grand Canyon: The Hidden Secrets.

1. Please don't spend your entertainment dollars on this video. It was a tremendous disappointment. The picture quality is not good. If this is the same film shown in IMAX theatres, I bet there were a LOT of unhappy customers. The views of the Grand Canyon are limited and the story line is weak, at best. I never found out what the "hidden secrets" were. I am a huge IMAX fan and I knew this would not be the same when viewed on my TV. That was an understatement. If this had been given to me it still would not be any better. Please enjoy images of the Grand Canyon from another source. This is NOT the way you want to do it.



2. This documentary is shown in the IMAX theater in Tusayan near the entrance of the Canyon. I like the opening line, "Man clings to the edge of eternity." The film focuses on human activity. The Anasazi were the first people in the Canyon. The Spaniards found it in 1540. John Wesley Powell, a one-armed Civil War veteran, navigated the Colorado River in 1869. I was waiting for geology. It never came. The producers aim for a big screen experience and ticket sales rather than trying to impart knowledge. I wondered about the film's subtitle. It seems the secrets might be the fossils buried in the Canyon walls.

5 comments about Mount Kailash Return to Tibet.

1. This video is probably one of the best I have seen concerning Tibet. It covers Tibetan culture, geography, history and the beautiful music of Paul Horn. I would reccomend it to anyone who wants to see what Tibet is really like in its pristine condition. The music of Paul Horn in this video is as always a pure musical treasure.



2. I like it best the second part of the film, the scenary is fantastic. What I didn't like of the first part of the film was when the camera appears in slow motion, and I think there was no reason for that. Other than that I quite like it. If you are interested in Tibetan Buddhism I recommend you to read the books by W.Y. Evans-Wentz.



3. The visuals in both features (Journey Inside Tibet and Mount Kailash: Return to Tibet, both of which are included on the DVD) are lovely. In many spots, the camera simply lingers on a scene, almost like a photograph-- of a mountain with snow blowing off it or butter lamps burning, but because it is video, the snow moves, the flames flicker; otherwise, the scene simply lingers.
   
   However, the narration is not only apolitical, it is also simply flat and uninspiring. Paul Horn doesn't seem to have much to say about what he sees and feels. And I am not sure that he honors Tibetan culture and religion by super-imposing his flute playing on nuns chanting, workers singing folk-songs, yaks climbing, and so forth. To be honest, I would prefer to hear the authentic music of Tibet.



4. There are two documentaries on this DVD. The first, entitled Journey Inside Tibet, was made in 2000 when Grammy Award winning flutist Paul Horn travelled inside Tibet with his friend Lama Tenzin who fled his country 40 years before that.
   
   Paul Horn hoped to play his flute in the Potala Palace. Lama Tenzin wished to reunite with his family. They arrived at Kathmandu and visited the Tibetan refugee "camp" (actually a carpet factory). Here, they were told about how difficult and dangerous their journey was going to be. Then, the next scene shows the duo walking happily across the Friendship Bridge. Those expecting an arduous trek or a sneaky slip will probably be disappointed.
   
   The duo then crossed some high passes (on buses), often on muddy roads that cut through glaciers. There is a lot of beautiful mountain scenery and also a few "opportunistic" shots of incense production and Tibetan school children studying in their own language. The "sensationalists" may be disappointed to know that this is pretty much what goes on in Tibet most of the time. I think this documentary is able to put the political issues in proper perspective.
   
   The duo arrived at Tashilhunpo Monastery where Lama Tenzin met up with his family. At Lhasa, Paul Horn first played his flute at the Jokhang Temple while the monks chanted. Then, he obtained permission to play in the Potala Palace. A monk said that his flute sounded spiritual. Indeed it does. Paul Horn's music really blends quite well with the atmosphere of the Grand Assembly Hall of the Potala Palace.
   
   The duo finally visit Samye Monastery, the oldest temple in Tibet. Lama Tenzin prays inside while Paul Horn plays his flute.
   
   The second part of this DVD is a documentary made 3 years later in 2003. Lama Tenzin had passed away and Paul Horn wants to release his ashes on the Kailash kora. This time, there was political turmoil in Nepal. There was a rumour that Kailash was closed. Paul Horn wrongly attributed it to some Free Tibet movement and is worried that he might not be able to enter Tibet.
   
   Well, there was actually a Maoist (nothing to do with China) insurgency that swept over Western Nepal, taking the overland route from Nepal to Tibet out of the control of the Nepalese government. Entering Kailash from China was never a problem.
   
   Anyway, Paul Horn decides to do the 3-day kora (circumambulation of the sacred mountain) on foot. At 71, he was remarkably strong. Footage includes weary but amazingly pious pilgrims doing their prostrations and of course, stunning views of the sacred peak. With help from a yak, Paul Horn arrives at Dolma La, the highest point on the kora (above 5000m). A ceremony is held here to honour Lama Tenzin. After the trek, Paul Horn visits Lake Manasarovar.
   
   Maybe because of the high altitude, I find that Paul Horn's narration is not very well done. Perhaps there should have been more studio recordings for the narration.



5. I watched both dvd's. I think the second one was better entertainment. More of a trek adventure story. The first one was narrated by Kris Christopherson (a 70' & 80's country singer and actor) and this threw me a little. Didn't make the connection between Paul Horn, Paul's trek and Kris. I don't think this detracted from the story tho. The second one could be viewed by itself without losing any context.
   I liked it.

2 comments about Scotland: A Musical Journey.

1. This DVD is like a jewelry box with a drawer containing jumbles of brightly colored beads, gewgaws, and semi-precious stones. Except it is like a box with two drawers: one with travelogue-ish pictures, the other with unrelated music. There are too-color-saturated moving pictures of scenes from the Scottish countryside, islands, mountains, cities. There are bits and pieces of fairly familiar classical music accompanying them. There is no voice-over narration, no narrative thread, no indication when one, say, leaves the Isle of Skye and begins flying over Staffa, no clue about one's whereabouts except in a very vague sense lent by the sketchy titles to each 'chapter', e.g. 'Flight over Scotland and its Islands to Edinburgh', 'Eilean Donan Castle, Isle of Mull, Urquhart Castle, Loch Ness.' Nothing is specifically identified. Presumably one is simply to respond to beauty or grandeur or quaintness of each scene.
   
   The end result is that this 'Musical Journey' is a hodgepodge and although superficially pleasant to look at or listen to, it makes little sense. I can imagine that someone who has traveled in Scotland can identify many of the sights and remember their own experiences of, say, Blair Castle or Calton Hill. But otherwise it is no more a keepsake than a t-shirt or tartan tie gotten at a Princes Street boutique.
   
   The musical excerpts (but not who is playing them) are identified in the accompanying booklet, and are remarkable for their unrelatedness to the scenes they accompany. Why does the G.R.S. variation (No. 11) from Elgar's 'Enigma Variations' accompany pictures of a Scottish weaving mill except for a connection between its quick tempo and that of sheep running in a field or a loom's shuttle? Why does Handel's 'For, behold, darkness shall cover the earth' from 'Messiah' accompany scenes of Loch Rannoch? Why does an excerpt from Lucia di Lammermoor's Mad Scene underscore scenes of Eilean Donan and Loch Ness, and why does the excerpt end abruptly on an unresolved chord?
   
   This DVD seems to have been patched together visually and musically from other DVDs (or, more likely, VHS tapes) and this explains its budget price. I can imagine it playing quietly in a corner in an upscale doctor's waiting room or in the showroom of a travel agency. I have trouble imagining anyone voluntarily watching it more than once in their own home.
   
   But the pictures, confusing as they are, are nice.
   
   Scott Morrison



2. i bought this despite the other negative review. i'm so glad i did. we went to scotland last year, and viewing this was like getting to revisit our whole trip. i got to see things from all sorts of angles we didn't get to see before. we never got to tour fingal's cave so it was great to get to see it just as though we were there. the skies and clouds and mountain and loch vistas were all breathtakingly beautiful. there was the pristine white lismore lighthouse; the multi-colored buildings lining the water at tobermory; a sailboat in oban harbor; the lovely white and gilt interior of inverary castle...we will watch this over and over.

No comments about GlobeRiders IndoChina Expedition.