1 comments about Marco Polo - Return to Xanadu.

1. This film was originally made in 1972 by Eric Porter Productions in Australia, as that country's first animated feature film. It was a 50-50 co-production deal between Porter and American artist and script-writer Sheldon Moldoff.
   As one of the unit directors on the film, I thoroughly enjoyed working on it and, for its budget of maybe one-eighth of a contemporary Disney animated feature, I felt that it stood up pretty well.
   But I always thought that it would benefit from a bit of tightening up, and so was interested when Ron Merk contacted me a few years ago with the news that he and Moldoff were going to rework the film.
   In general, I think they have done a good job, although the climactic battle between Marco and the evil villain is not as good as I was hoping it would be. Nevertheless, I give it four stars - so go ahead and buy it, it's good fun!

No comments about Most Haunted Season 1- Episode 31: Greengate Brewery.

3 comments about Cold War Era Cartoon Chronicles.

1. Holy crap. I had no idea these types of films existed. These are not what I usually think of when I think of cartoons.
   
   These are not things for children. Instead they were created at propoganda to convince people that the communists were dangerous and to get americans to work harder.
   
   They are seriously scary propoganda. I reccomend them simply because it's important, I think, to see what the American governement is capable of creating so that if new leaders start to do this type of crap again.



2. At the turn of the century they wrote Atlas Shrugged as the first defense of captialism against the communist menance.
   
   Aparently in the mid 1950s the American governement decided that they needed to defend capitalism some more and so they created the tracks on this disk.
   
   Each track - "Leap Frog" springs to mind, shows in a different way exactly why communists were a danger and why America needed to work harder and make more money.
   
   I wish the goverenment would make more movies like this.



3. Good content, odd packaging. The dvd case isn't bad, but it is printed and the dvd itself is burned. It should play in most dvd players, but those with older dvd players may have some trouble. I didn't realize that this was from an independent distributor. That being said, the packaging is rather well done over all. I wasn't disappointed, just surprised.
   
   The content, itself, is pretty great. The films are a bit crackly, but the sound and picture are clear over all. The cartoons are very interesting examples of political propaganda. Some of them send a few mixed messages (ie. a policeman, being the good guy, stops a thief from stealing an apple, and then eats it himself anyways), and the stereotypes are quite over the top.
   
   Ultimately, though, these films illustrate an important point in time: when America wasn't afraid to call itself capitalist. Despite these films being made in a time (40's-50's) when the government was expanding its power, their core principles (pride in competition, free markets, and entrepreneurship) are ideas often criticized or taken for granted in today's age. Too often today companies are either seen as big and evil entities, or pitiful things that need to be subsidized by the government. These cartoons often portray companies in a better light, I believe, that of self-starting, self-interested organizations that ultimately benefit society. It is interesting to see where we once stood.
   
   If you're thinking about buying this because you are interested in pro-capitalist propaganda from the cold war era, or are an animation fanatic, then this is a pretty decent product. Not sure if you can find them on the Internet Archives or not, but the compilation was worth the price to me.
   
   Run time is about 1 hr. DVD menu could use some help. Especially since it kept restarting this annoying 2 minute intro promoting the company.

5 comments about 10 mph - Seattle to Boston.

1. This is actually a really cool documentary. It shows the diversity and strengths of our nation. A compelling true story that is enjoyable to witness. I highly recommend this to anyone that enjoys well made independent films.



2. Fresh... inspiring... hopeful... funny. This is a great documentary... the antithesis of Borat in that is shows you what MOST of America is REALLY all about - pursuing your dream, making connections, being happy. I highly recommend this!!!



3. I got to view this film at the Vail Film festival to a standing room only crowd. If you are looking for something to make you feel good about America and at the same time examine your own desires for exploring something that you have always dreamed of doing this is the film for you. The music keeps rapping in my head, ( its worth the watch just for the music), and the visual images captured on screen make this one flick you must add to you list of MUST sees.



4. An amazing and honest capture of the road from coast to coast. As someone who has traversed the United States several times, I can tell you Josh and Hunter have nailed it. The cinematography is breathtaking, and the story flows from city to city. The interviews and quotes from the people, are interesting, and give you a real feel for America.



5. This is a self-infatuated movie about three 22-year-olds who quit their jobs in a vaguely-defined "corporate America" to cross the country. Most of the film is of them talking amongst themselves about how they're running out of money, and about the "deep" experiences they are having on the trip. Along the way they visit plenty of interesting people, but since we don't see more than a minute or two of each, it's hard to get much out of the visits. Additional footage features excitement such as a couple of Segway crashes (some staged), dogs chasing the Segway, and carrying the Segway over a barbed wire fence. I have no doubt that the trip was eye-opening for the participants (who seem to have had no relevant life experiences or travel up to this point: never seen a cow before, I'd reckon), but it doesn't make a very interesting movie.

1 comments about Battle Beyond The Sun.

1. This was originally made as a political space adventure movie by the former Soviet Union in 1960 as "Nebo Zovyot". It is essentially the story of two superpowers which battle each other on various technological fronts, particularly the exploration of space. In its original form it is much longer (but more interesting) than the Corman edition, which is just over an hour long. For the post-surgical film I consider the brief running time to be an advantage.
   
   Corman took the original film, and with the help of a young Francis Ford Coppola (who elected to be billed as "Thomas Colchart"...I can't imagine why) sliced in footage of a couple of the most ridiculous looking monsters in film history (one has an anatomically suggestive radula), added atrocious dubbing and produced this mess. While the thing is so sliced and diced as to be essentially worthless even as a sausage, I think the biggest downside to it is the pacing: even at its supremely short running time it's just painfully boring.
   
   While I love movies of this genre, I can't really recommend "Battle Beyond the Sun" to anyone other than stalwart camp lovers or to people interested in the Soviet propaganda angle.

1 comments about 7 Days NEPAL.

1. This is EXACTLY like Vista Point NEPAL (DVD - 2007)
   Except this one is like 20 minutes longers. But its in the same order and same scenery. They just stay in Kathmandu a little longer in this dvd.
   I wish I could return vista point and keep this one. I dont need 2 of the same thing.

No comments about Historic Traveler: The Path to Independence.

No comments about Historic Pubs of Dublin.

1 comments about Rome - The Eternal City.

1. Great history of Rome, but didn't show what we thought it would....wanted more info on current Rome.

4 comments about Globe Trekker: San Francisco.

1. Globe Trekker is a travel series produced by Pilot Travel Guides. The hour-long program airs every week on PBS. Each episode features a new country, region, or city. There are about 10 or so alternating hosts.
   
   Justine Shapiro is one of Globe Trekker's most charismatic and charming hosts, and in this episode she just so happens to be paired with one of the most charismatic and charming cities in the world. Justine's journey starts with a beautiful night's stay in a "penthouse," which is actually a tastefully decorated shack on the roof of a hotel in downtown San Francisco. The next day, after taking in a beautiful morning view of the city from her penthouse, Justine takes one of those iconic trolleys to Chinatown. "Yes, people do fall off of these trolleys sometimes," the trolley operator says dryly in response to Justine's question, "It's a lot of paperwork when it happens."
   
   Upon arrival in Chinatown, Justine explains that early in the 20th Century many Chinese people moved to San Francisco in search of more opportunities, but instead they were often met with racism. The Chinese fought back by becoming a very self-sufficient community, creating a virtual city within a city, complete with Chinese stores, schools, and newspapers. Justine says that being in Chinatown feels a lot like being in China, which is logical since Chinatown is the biggest concentration of Chinese people outside of Asia.
   
   Justine's next stop is North Beach, the Italian district, which she describes as having been the center of the Beat Generation movement in the 1940s and 50s. In City Lights bookstore, which was a favorite Beat hangout, Justine meets the storeowner, and one of the few remaining true Beats, Lawrence Ferlinghetti. When asked why they were called the Beat Generation, Ferlinghetti offers the curious explanation of, "Well, Kerouac had this idea that it was to do with the Beatitudes. He was in search of enlightenment. I think he thought he could find it through alcohol, which is probably why he drank so much." Later, Justine attends a spoken-word session at another Beat landmark, Vesuvios. I love this part of the show because my favorite writer, Anais Nin, was somewhat affiliated with the Beat generation. This segment alone got me interested in Jack Kerouac.
   
   "As just about everybody knows, San Francisco is a mecca for the gay community," Justine says as she opens the next segment. Justine takes part in a walking tour called "Cruising the Castro," which is led by a woman named Trevor. Trevor explains that prior to 1849, San Francisco was a small backwater town. But when they struck gold, 40,000 people, from all over the country, flooded the city. Trevor adds, "When you take into account that most of those 40,000 were 18 to 25-year-old men, well, need I say more?" According to Trevor there was even a group of gold miners that openly referred to themselves as "The Lavender Cowboys."
   
   The visit to the Castro ends with a stop at the "The Names Project," which is a museum dedicated to the thousands of gay men from the Castro area that have died of AIDS. Before wrapping up the walking tour, Trevor says that the AIDS epidemic is an illustration of societal programming. "Men are taught that sex is a privilege," Trevor says, "and when you pair men, you have a double dose of that societal programming." Trevor says that it is not the same with women, which is why lesbians are the lowest risk group in the population with regard to AIDS infection. "Those people who say AIDS is a punishment for homosexuality," Trevor says, "have to accept that apparently lesbians are the chosen people." What Trevor means, obviously, is that AIDS isn't a punishment for homosexuality -- or else lesbians would be infected at the same rate as gay men.
   
   Justine later visits The Haight, or the Haight/Ashbury district. This is, of course, the birthplace of the hippie movement. Justine finds that the district has been transformed into something of a flower power theme park that no real hippie could afford to live in anymore. There is a remnant of the true 60s, however, that Justine is able to find: The Red Victorian. Managed by artist Sami Sunshine, The Red Victorian is a bed and breakfast, as well as something a hippie museum, with hippie artwork on display, hundreds of peace sings on display. "I was so happy to be a part of the 60s," Sami tells Justine. "I've taken all the idealism of the 60s and given it this place as a safe haven." This is actually my favorite segment of the show. Hippies are much maligned these days, and often it seems that those who were real hippies in the 60s subsequently turned their backs on the 60s. It was refreshing to see someone who was a real hippie in the 60s who still embraces it fondly. I would've made a good hippie.
   
   The Red Victorian has a different theme for each room. Justine settles on the Flower Child Room, with an authentic hand crocheted hippie quilt displayed on the wall.
   
   And in between the above-mentioned visits, Justine finds time to take part in "art attacks" across the city, visit Alcatraz and talk to a former inmate, celebrate Day of the Dead in the Latin Quarter, take a trip to Muir Forest National Monument to see the Redwoods (the tallest living things on earth), take a surfing lesson, experience "critical mass" (the one night a month when bikes take over the streets, purposefully blocking traffic), and partake of the local Vegan food culture (which she doesn't like).
   
   Globe Trekker: San Francisco is hands-down the best Globe Trekker episode I've ever seen. But then, I'm biased. Justine Shapiro is my favorite host, and San Francisco is one of my favorite cities. My own life is in many ways a product of the influences of the communities Justine visits. In a very real sense, my life is a direct result of one specific community -- the Italian community. My grandparents' people were from Genoa, Italy. People from Genoa who immigrated to the United States typically settled in two places: New York and San Francisco. I was born in the San Francisco Bay Area, and my last name is relatively common in the area.
   
   "Hate. Haight! I've got a new complaint!" ~ Kurt Cobain
   
   The only thing Justine forgot was a visit to the California Academy of Science. As a child, whenever we would visit family in the Bay Area, I would always beg my mother to take me to see those huge T-Rex fossils, the two-headed snakes, and those cool alligators that eerily stared up at us onlookers, perhaps hoping that one of us would fall in. Taking the train from Sunnyvale to San Francisco with my mother to see that exhibit is one of the happiest memories of my childhood. I just remember this great sense of excitement to know I was going to be going to the exotic San Francisco!
   
   Andrew Michael Parodi



2. This profile does a good job of reinforcing the image of San Francisco as a hippie mecca. If that's the San Francisco you're interested in then you'll enjoy this DVD. I found it, though, to be too outlandish and would have enjoyed a more conservative and mainstream take on the city by the Bay.
   
   From a practical perspective most of the hotels and activities will likely be unsuited for backpackers: the hotels are too pricey and the activities too time consuming, seasonal, or too expensive. Also, a day trip to the wine country or Yosemite are curiously missing.
   
   The price here on Amazon is excessive for a 45 minute video with little lasting appeal. I was lucky enough to find this at the library and borrowed it because I was interested in visiting the city. Unfortunately, the San Francisco shown here is not the one I'm interested in visiting.



3. If you want a brief, poorly executed tour of San Francisco counter-culture then this is the DVD for you. However, if you actually want to learn about the city and/or plan your trip there, find something else. A total disappointment.



4. The US is a big beautiful country of varying natural sightseeing in any destination imaginable as architecture and colourfulness of a human creativity.
   
   New York City and San Francisco are two cities I recommend everyone to definitely visit in the USA, and this video-guide has evoked my personal memories with disappointedly short glimpse at SF hardly convincible for tourists investing substantial funds in a trance-continental journey especially.