Martin Luther

Starring:Annette Carell, Alexander Gauge, David Horne, Alastair Hunter, Fred Johnson, Philip Leaver, Hans Lefebre, Pierre Lefevre, Niall MacGinnis, John Ruddock, Egon Strohm, Guy Verney, Leonard White
Studio: Vision Video
Product Type: DVD

Average customer rating:

Fairly Representing Corporate Employees and Executives
BOVINE GROWTH HORMONE is giving us CANCER
A Truly Chilling New Reality
5 Star Content
Important Film

The Corporation
Starring: Mikela J. Mikael , Maude Barlow , Pope John XXIII , Martha Stewart (II) , and Kofi Annan
Director: Jennifer Abbott , and Mark Achbar
Manufacturer: Zeitgeist Films
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room
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Why We Fight

ASIN: B0007DBJM8
Release Date: 2005-04-05

Amazon.com

An epic in length and breadth, this documentary aims at nothing less than a full-scale portrait of the most dominant institution on the planet Earth in our lifetime--a phenomenon all the more remarkable, if not downright frightening, when you consider that the corporation as we know it has been around for only about 150 years. It used to be that corporations were, by definition, short-lived and finite in agenda. If a town needed a bridge built, a corporation was set up to finance and complete the project; when the bridge was an accomplished fact, the corporation ceased to be. Then came the 19th-century robber barons, and the courts were prevailed upon to define corporations not as get-the-job-done mechanisms but as persons under the 14th Amendment with full civil rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness (i.e., power and profit)--ad infinitum.

The Corporation defines this endlessly mutating life-form in exhaustive detail, measuring the many ways it has not only come to dominate but to deform our reality. The movie performs a running psychoanalysis of this entity with the characteristics of a prototypical psychopath: a callous unconcern for the feelings and safety of others, an incapacity to experience guilt, an ingrained habit of lying for profit, etc. We are swept away on a demented odyssey through an altered cosmos, in which artificial chemicals are created for profit and incidentally contribute to a cancer epidemic; in which the folks who brought us Agent Orange devise a milk-increasing drug for a world in which there is already a glut of milk; in which an American computer company leased its systems to the Nazis--and serviced them on a monthly basis--so that the Holocaust could go forward as an orderly process.

The movie goes on too long, circles too many points obsessively and redundantly, and risks preaching-to-the-choir reductiveness by calling on the usual talking-head suspects--Noam Chomsky, Howard Zinn, Michael Moore. And except for an endlessly receding tracking shot in an infinite patents archive, there's scarcely an image worth recalling. Still, it maps the new reality. This is our world--welcome to it. --Richard T. Jameson

Description

In this acclaimed documentary from the co-director of MANUFACTURING CONSENT: Noam Chomksy and the Media, 40 corporate insiders and critics—including Michael Moore, Noam Chomsky, NO LOGO author Naomi Klein and Nobel Prize-winning economist Milton Friedman—explore the nature and spectacular rise of the most pervasive institution of our time. Combining analysis with footage from advertising, television news and industrial films, THE CORPORATION is an entertaining and provocative look at the inner workings, curious history, controversial impacts and possible futures of the modern global conglomerate. This Two-Disc Special Edition features more than 8 hours of additional material.

Customer Reviews:

Fairly Representing Corporate Employees and Executives.......2007-07-04

A few things I'll never forget:

1. Never, ever drink milk unless it's organic. www.foxbghsuit.com/
Until, that is, our FDA decides to act conscientiously and ban the use of Bovine Growth Hormone as Europe and Canada have already done. The FDA won't do this until "the People" get angry about the issue and ask them to do so. We haven't gotten angry about it enough because people who don't seek out independent media sources haven't heard much about the adverse health effects. Contrary to popular belief, the United States doesn't have free press - a fundamental function of a well operating democracy. Fox "News" - a source of information and entertainment (infotainment) for many - bribed their journalists who'd done an investigative report on BGH and its distributors. FOX refused to air the story after BGH manufacturers, Monsantos, threatened to sue. FOX withheld vital information from the public in order to maintain good relations with its corporate buddies.

2. A LLC - limited liability corporation - is considered a person under our law, with rights and responsibilities as we do. However, the responsibilities only extend so far. Corporations are amoral and have essentially one function - to make profit. It is the only biding principle. They are required by law to make profit for their shareholders. Scary when you think about the implications.

3. How do you become more profitable - EXTERNALITIES. Put the loss on someone else. Make someone else pay so our profit margin increases. A prime example of an externality is the outsourcing of labor to another country. The externalities in this case would be 1) Financial and other loss invoked on local labor force who has been laid off and 2) Financial and other loss invoked on cheap labor force who is getting paid far less than what they should. Another example of this is seen in the privatized military corporations such as Blackwater that have placed undue financial burden on government. When one of their mercenary soldiers dies, the soldier's family is eligible for up to $4,000/month in compensation. That's our tax dollars paying for corporate soldier who made ten times as our soldiers and whose allegiance was paid to a corporation only who profited immensely from their death. Read Jeremy Scahill's Blackwater for more on that issue. Blackwater: The Rise of the World's Most Powerful Mercenary Army

4. IBM profited substantially from the Nazi machine. Individuals in the company knew it all along. You'll see.

BOVINE GROWTH HORMONE is giving us CANCER.......2007-06-29

BGH means no dairy product sold in USA is safe: not the cheap cheese I got on sale, not the Buttoni tortellini also on sale, not the 2 for 1 sour cream not the neufchatel cheese for rugelach and not the butter! There goes my baking, my homemade ice cream and my quick cheese fix. Aaargh!!!

Canada and Europe continue to ban BGH.

Rupert Murdoch's Fox looks pure creep in this and Michael Moore is sympathetic.

A Truly Chilling New Reality .......2007-06-08

The Corporation throws light on the rule of the few. With cameos from Michael Moore and Noam Chomsky. If this film does not move you to action.......

5 Star Content.......2007-05-29

The information in this DVD should be seen by everyone. I give the DVD 4 stars, however, because the direction and production could use some improvement. It's a bit slow.

Important Film.......2007-05-17

This film is one of the most important documentaries I've ever seen. It does an excellent job of informing us of what has warped our way of life that makes it so hard for us to be an independent people and a nation. Forget politics! Find out about the true power...Corporations.

Average customer rating:

Music video or feature film?
very, very disappointing... and bad
Amazing.
Very disappointing end to the series
Botched Opportunity

Naqoyqatsi
Starring: Greg Louganis , Bill Clinton , Elton John , Marlon Brando , and Dalai Lama
Director: Godfrey Reggio
Manufacturer: Miramax
ProductGroup: DVD
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Koyaanisqatsi / Powaqqatsi (2 Pack)
Baraka
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Powaqqatsi - Life in Transformation
Akira Kurosawa's Dreams (Sub)

ASIN: B00005JLIA
Release Date: 2003-10-14

Amazon.com

Whether your intellect is completely engaged or passively detached, any viewing of Naqoyqatsi is likely to provoke a fascinating response. You can view it as a magnificent, visually stimulating music video (as critic Roger Ebert suggested you should), or in context as the third and most unsettling film in director Godfrey Reggio's "qatsi" trilogy, each titled from the Hopi language, and preceded by Koyaanisqatsi and Powaqqatsi ("Life out of Balance" and "Life in Transformation," respectively). "Life as War" is the translation of this film's title, and Reggio's theme is not one of conventional warfare, but of daily life as warfare in the age of rapidly evolving technology. The entire trilogy views humankind as a blight on the pristine nature of Earth, but here the theme is taken to its inevitable extreme: a constant flow of new and archival images--manipulated with solarization, digital enhancements, thermal effects, 2-D and 3-D animation, etc.--combine to convey athletic and military regimentation, culminating in the doomsday flowering of missiles, rockets, and all varieties of nuclear weaponry. The cumulative effect, when combined with Philip Glass's mesmerizing score (his best of the trilogy, with cello solos by Yo-Yo Ma) is one of doom-laden portent, but, as Stephen Holden observed in the New York Times, the film is also arrestingly beautiful as it weaves its hypnotic, apocalyptic spell. For those who wish to delve further, Reggio, Glass, and editor/visual designer Jon Kane provide valuable insight in a bonus panel discussion. --Jeff Shannon

Description

Miramax Home Entertainment and Oscar(R)-winning filmmaker Steven Soderbergh (Best Director, TRAFFIC, 2000) present NAQOYQATSI ("Life As War"), from filmmaker Godfrey Reggio, in collaboration with composer Phillip Glass, whose original score features renowned cellist Yo-Yo Ma. In this cinematic concert -- the concluding film of the Qatsi Trilogy preceded by the critically acclaimed KOYAANISQATSI ("Life Out Of Balance"), and POWAQQATSI ("Life In Transformation") -- mesmerizing images reanimated from everyday reality, then visually altered with state-of-the-art digital techniques, chronicle the shift from a world organized by the principles of nature to one dominated by technology, the synthetic, and the virtual. Extremes of intimacy and spectacle, tragedy and hope, fuse in a tidal wave of visuals and music, giving rise to a unique artistic experience that reflects Reggio's visions of a brave new globalized world.

Customer Reviews:

Music video or feature film?.......2007-05-18

Having read some other reviews here, I have to agree with their basic criticism. Then again, perhaps this film should not so much be critisised as a feature film, but as a music video, or in fact a video installation that took the wrong door. Watching this as a feature film is unbearable for anyone with a sense of plot. Also, it has so many flashy effects that there should be a seizure warning on the package. But the film certainly goes well as a background for Phil Glass' very enjoyable music, or for running it in the background during a weird, geeky party you are having in an abandoned Detroit warehouse...

very, very disappointing... and bad.......2007-01-23

The first film in this trilogy, Koyaanisqatsi, is a classic.
The second, Powaqatsi, is not as good but still worth watching.

Naqoyaqaatsi, to quote some other reviewers, is just 'a mishmash of computer-treated footage, signifying nothing'... 'all quite forgettable'... except that the feeling of disillusionment and disappointment is hard to forget... The absence of Ron Fricke and his incredible cinematography that mad the other films so great stops this from even being interesting.
Don't waste your time.

Amazing........2007-01-12

If you have not watched this yet and have any inclination to, PLEASE DO. It is not a "movie with a plot" so to speak, but a film/documentation of society and culture. I love it. (But watch Kooyanisqatsi first. ) In comparison, it is what Kooyannisqatsi would have been had it been made 20 years later. I think it's brilliant.

Very disappointing end to the series.......2006-12-13

The first film in this trilogy, Koyaanisqatsi, is a classic, and features what is possibly the best score Philip Glass ever wrote for anything.

The second, Powaqatsi, is not as good but still worth watching.

This third installment offers none of the thought-provoking imagery of the first two films. It's just a mishmash of computer-treated footage, signifying nothing, and all quite forgettable. I wonder what went wrong?

Don't waste your time.

Botched Opportunity.......2006-12-02

First, let me say, I LOVE Koyaanisqatsi, the original film in this trilogy. Koyaanisqatsi is a true visual poem that tells a straight forward story about what we humans are doing to the earth.
The second film in the trilogy, Powaqqatsi, wasn't as good as the first but it was still fairly understandable as a critique of how humans exploit one another.
Naqoyqatsi could have been the best in the series since it had ample opportunity to show us the horrors of war. Instead, it comes off as a sophomoric exercise in video experimentation, nothing more. If not for Philip Glass' music, I would not have given this film any rating at all.
I write this criticism in hopes that Godfrey Reggio sees it. He should pull this travesty off the market and reshoot the entire film with stronger footage showing us, as clearly as he did with "Koy", why war (the topic of "Naq") is so horrific. If you want an effective critique of violence, try "Clockwork Orange". Naqoyqatsi is simply a mess.

Average customer rating:

Lessons Learned of a great man - Dr. MLK
Vedio History
Good Context for, Presentation of an Exemplary Speech
Excellent speech.
Perfect

Martin Luther King Jr. - I Have a Dream
Starring: Martin Luther King Jr.
Manufacturer: MPI Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Martin Luther King: Historical Perspective
Biography - Martin Luther King Jr.: The Man and the Dream (A&E DVD Archives)
Our Friend, Martin
The Rosa Parks Story
The Greatest Speeches of All Time

ASIN: B00069FLAY
Release Date: 2005-01-11

Amazon.com

One of the greatest and most memorable moments in the civil rights movement occurred when 200,000 people marched on Washington, D.C., on August 28, 1963. Not only was the gathering of so many united people extraordinary, but that day Martin Luther King Jr. stood before the marchers and delivered his most eloquent and inspiring speech. This video offers the "I Have a Dream" speech in its entirety, as well as footage of the opposition the protesters faced, such as the fire hoses the police in Alabama used to disperse the crowds. The narrator explains that the hoses shot 700 pounds of pressure, enough to strip the bark off a tree. However, the grimness of this era is not the only focus in this video. Dr. King had so much hope and faith in the success of the civil rights movement, and the greatest demonstration of this is in the famous speech. He uses modern metaphors and poetry to get his message out clearly, as when he describes the capitol as having given blacks a check marked "insufficient funds," but he reminds us that they will refuse to believe the bank of justice is bankrupt, that they will cash their check for riches of freedom and security of justice. Throughout the speech he emphasizes his mission: nonviolence as a method of overcoming ("Soul force against militant force") and the importance of walking together as a unified group, and never walking alone. Although the video ends with his death, it still leaves the viewer feeling uplifted with Robert Kennedy's memorial address, pleading with Americans to hold on to Dr. King's views and adopt them as their own. A concise video with one of the greatest speeches of our time. --Samantha Allen Storey

Description

"I have a dream today." On August 28, 1963, Martin Luther King spoke these words as he addressed a crowd of more than 200,000 civil rights protesters gathered at The Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC. Two months earlier, President John Kennedy had sent a civil rights bill to Congress, but it was struck down. Although Kennedy was concerned about the possibility of widespread violence during this protest, he realized he was powerless to stop it and embraced the movement instead. Known as the "March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom," the country expected to hear King deliver strong words to his opponents. Instead, his "I Have a Dream" speech was one of heartfelt passion and poetic eloquence that still echoes in our memory.

Customer Reviews:

Lessons Learned of a great man - Dr. MLK.......2007-03-13

Our Diversity Council has started a Lunch and Learn series reviewing cultural presentations. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr's speech - I Have A Dream was well received and many of the participants left the session with a renewed sense of appreciation for the role he played in bringing the nation together. You could tell his message came from his heart as he rarely looked down at his written speech. This gentle man touched the hearts of many then - and he continues to make an impact today. What a comparison it was to hear Dr. King's speech and then to hear Jesse Jackson's speech 20 years later. I would strongly recommend this movie.

Vedio History.......2007-02-08

There are literal scorces of footage of the modern Civil Rights movement. None, however, expect for short scenes and excerpts, has ever recorded the entire speech delivered by Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream Speech" at the March on Washington in August, 1963. This is an invaluable DVD simply for that reason along. Teachers, students, groups and others can well benefit having a copy of this vedio history.

Good Context for, Presentation of an Exemplary Speech.......2007-01-24

Great presentation of MLK's incredible speech. Newsreel footage of "The Big March" provides context and takes you back in time.

A young Peter Jennings narrates the beginning of the first selection on the DVD.

Excellent speech........2007-01-14

I'm living in germany.
This is a speech which is surely one of the best ever spoken.

It is a combination of excellent speech and a lesson of history.

Something you should have in your collection.

The quality of the DVD and material is not the most important thing. A text of the speech is not included for interested non US buyers, but you can get it in the internet.

Regards,
Lutz H.

Perfect.......2006-03-12

Essential for any thinking man over the age of 40 in the United States.

Average customer rating:

Powerful Stuff boys and girls.
a must watch
Reflections on The N Word-Divided We Stand
Watch this movie and then start talking about it
For once, I can't think of a title for a review. Eesh.

The N Word - Divided We Stand
Starring: Paul Mooney , Laurence Fishburne , Bokeem Woodbine , Talib Kweli , and Whoopi Goldberg
Director: Todd Williams (VI)
Manufacturer: Urban Works
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Paul Mooney: Know Your History - Jesus Is Black and So Was Cleopatra
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The N Word: Who Can Say It, Who Shouldn't, and Why
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The Untold Story of Emmett Louis Till

ASIN: B000BF0DBK
Release Date: 2006-01-16

Description

Easily the most inflammatory, shocking and historic word in the English language, the N word has smoldered in the American psyche for over a century. It has morphed from a source of hate, degradation and embarrassment to a term of endearment used amongst the many races of young people. But is that OK? Surf the web or eavesdrop in the lunchroom and you will find the N word is alive. Has overuse removed its horrific origins; has it lost its power to insult and enrage? Given the word's continually shifting use, The N Word is a brave and bold confrontation of the taboo, exploring the history and relevance of the word and the social status within and between races. The N Word ignites the conversation. Let the debate begin!

Customer Reviews:

Powerful Stuff boys and girls........2006-08-05

Excellent and well thought out. I enjoyed this from start to finish, the poem by Saul Williams was mind blowing, the recitations by Jazmin Guy and others were deeply moving as well. sadly, most people that use the word were put on the spot in this DVD and were incredulos to the origin of the word. So that lesson on the origin alone is worth the price or rental. Why more African-Americans are not watching these types of flims is beyond me. Great job.

a must watch.......2006-04-26

this is the kind of film that will have a healthy discussion on the usuage of the word. it goes back through the history of time in the findings&usage of the word through the years&how it was used.Richard Pryor truly made it Powerful,but also he himself upon going on a trip to Africa den-nounced it.it never went away,but it got re-named&brought back.it has different meanings to different people depends on who you talk to.this film will have you talking&then you have to make up your mind where you stand on the use of the word. but this is the kind of film that is a must see for all people to me.

Reflections on The N Word-Divided We Stand .......2006-03-14

The film immediately bought me into a new and unique way to look at the profound and divisive effects of just one word. The film helped me to experience a set of painful feelings that I had previously not shared. The broad number of people saying the N word in such various context was a very creative way to help outsiders become insiders to the feelings caused by that word. Congratulations to the writer and director!

Watch this movie and then start talking about it.......2006-02-06

This is one of the best documentaries I've ever watched, and one of the most powerful. It is an exploration of the `N' word, and all the power, hurt, and connotations it has. Most of Hollywood and some of the music community offers their views on the word- when to use it, when not to, who to use it with. But this movie is so much more than that.

It sounds way to much like an after school special to say that this movie will open up a dialogue between you and anyone you watch it with, or explain it to. Yes, this is the case with this film. Once the subject is breeched- and this is the perfect icebreaker to do it with- then you and others can start talking about what this word means to them and how it has impacted them or those they love. Everyone has something to say about it. So listen and learn. It's powerful in a very magical way.

Just don't watch the film and expect easy answers on race or community issues, but do watch the movie and expect to have a very thought provoking experience.

Recommended for everyone, but parents might want to screen this movie before watching it with young children as it has adult subjects and language.

But watch this movie, then watch it with those you love. You'll be glad you did. Talking about these issues is the only way to solve anything.

For once, I can't think of a title for a review. Eesh........2006-01-29

I was hesitant to review this movie. Why? Because it's the kind of movie that'll either help or harm someone based on their score. It's like when someone gives a Michael the Hutt Moore movie a low score, everyone assumes that reviewer "doesn't know the truth" and is ignorant. But when they give it a good review (for whatever sick reason), everyone else assumes that the person doesn't know their facts, and will believe whatever they're presented with. I say this because it's true. If I were to give this movie one star, the majority of people out there wouldn't read my review, and just vote "no" immediately, thinking I'm racist. But if I gave it 5 stars, everyone will be merry, prance about, and know I'm not racist because of the high score. In saying this, I'm hoping that you will read my entire review, and go from there. I rented The N Word if only because of the tagline: Nothing promises to be as controversial, or combustible, as...THE N WORD. The fact that someone could make an entire documentary on something that's been covered in many books blew my mind. What could it be about? Would it just be people going on about the obvious- how bad the word is? All the back of the box really says is that the n word is "easily the most inflammatory, shocking and historic word in the English language". Despite there being many words worse. What I got was mostly what I expected- a history of the word, and different celebrities going on about it.

The N Word starts out with a poorly done montage of historical clips and footage from the modern times. I say poorly done because the modern footage is given that psudo-grain look to make us try and appreciate it more than we already should. This technique isn't used again. Black celebrities and George Carlin join together and share their stories about the first time they heard the word, or were called it. Some people interviewed here are more comfortable with the word than others, some never had much of a problem with the word as they can realize that we're living in a different time period now, and others just plain love the controversey the word causes. Later, they go over the origin of the word. It originally came from the Latin word for black, as most of us know, but whether or not it was used in the deraguatory sense isn't known. Those interviewed then go into what they think about how the word's used now, and most of them all agree that it's used in the same way as "dude" or "man" are used by white people. But it depends on the way you say it to determine if it's an insult or not. All of this is interesting of course, but it's not telling us anything new. We know it's a bad word, but -why- is it still being used by people of all colors if apparently, the majority of the world's population sees that it's a word beneath anything? Why can some people get away with saying it as long as they're part of a race that got that word in the first place? To me, that was the more important question, and it isn't touched until 2/3 through. Halfway through, normal people on the streets are interviewed, and see say that they see rappers as making the word mean nothing anymore- because the word's thrown around so much that it doesn't matter. They're right. How many mainstream rap songs use the word as a regular part of their lyrics? A good few minutes in this documentary are dedicated to Richard Pryor, showing us just how much he influenced not only comedy, but society as well with his humor. I've always loved Pryor's work, but the segment here gives a good, in-depth look at how he started to change America's look at black people. How he'd play white clubs and use the word more than I thought humanly possible in a single joke. It's one of the better parts in this film.

Even now, it's hurting my head trying to make sense of everything in the movie. It's almost like two different movies were edited together. You have the section dealing with the word, and then another section dealing with black history in America and entertainment. The first 20 minutes of the movie were poorly done- the history of the word being combined with celebrities' stories of when they first heard the word are mixed together, cutting off eachother just when one of the two gets good. And while this movie's dedicated to one racial slur, I wish some of the people talking about other cultures and countries using similar words for their own people would've been looked at a little more. We get a story about what Russians used to call eachother, a word meaning "lowly pesant", which was interesting and going somewhere. But he's then cut off, and we're back to other stories about the n word from George Carlin. A rapper interviewed here is asked if he has an inner-struggle with the word since he uses it so much in his songs. He says he does, but he's making albums for the kids, and it's up to their parents to explain to them the context. What a winner, eh? If he's so torn about the word, how about he not use it until he's figured out how he feels 100%? There's more that I could talk about, but it'd take too long. I was hoping for The N Word to be more than just interviews- to have someone who narrated everything, trying to explain if this word should be abolished or not. Seriously, why is this word still being used, and why is it still so controversial? Asians never call eachother a racial slur, but then freak out when anyone of any other race calls them that? Until someone rediscovers the word, I don't think there'll ever be a real verdict on if the word is truly bad, or if it's ok as long as you're part of that race and end it with a "a" instead of a "er". All the movie is, is celebrities and historians exploring the word, never really going anywhere with it. Yes, it's an interesting movie, but it could've been done better. Had this been a mini-series on TLC, I think it could've had more depth. And just for the heck of it, I finally saw voice actress Cree Summer for the first time here. If you don't know her by name, you've most likely heard her voice numerous times. She voices pratically every black character in cartoons. Susie from Rugrats, Foxxy Love, etc. While I'm sick of her being seemingly the only black voice actress, it was good to finally get a face with her.

Being a basic documentary, the picture quality isn't going to reach motion picture status. Everything is clear though, and only the archive footage looks bad. Though some interview spots suffer from faded colors and blurs (George Carlin and Ice Cube especially), it doesn't affect the movie at all. The audio's good too- they really cleaned up some of the older footage and audio clips.

The only special feature is a commentary by the writer/director Todd Larkins and producer Helena Echegoyen. It starts out well- why the movie was made. Todd Larkins saw something on where Flava Flav was censored from using the word because the movie companies that owned what program he was on had banned the word. This upset Todd and he went from there. Overall, this is a good track- Todd talks almost non-stop, though he mostly talks about the people in the movie and how he got them. Helena provides some background info on each person as well, making for a very informative track. This whole thing's almost like a very detailed bibliography. Sadly, Todd, at one point, says he was going for an MTV style of graphics and edits. Bad Todd, bad. There are no trailers for this movie.

As you can tell by my abnormally unoragnized review, I don't know what to make of this documentary. It shouldn't get good reviews just because it touches a subject that so few are willing to do, but it shouldn't get bad reviews either because of its lack of direction. What we have here is a good series of interviews, but no real conclusion on the word. While it should be obvious to everyone that the word -is- bad no matter how you say it, The N Word gives a 50/50 to both sides. One of my friends tonight, said this: "But god, where's all the debate? It's offensive whenever someone other than a black person uses it. Sometimes though, black people use it as an insult. Too bad that's only about...5% of the time". He's right, but I guess the decision's still up to you.

Michael Jackson - Dangerous: The Short Films

Average customer rating:

I LOVE YOU MICHAEL, FOREVER...
Slightly Disappointed, but i still love Michael
Outstanding
A great Michael Jackson compilation
Bloated, overstylized videos with more money than soul.

Michael Jackson - Dangerous: The Short Films
Starring: Naomi Campbell , Adolf Hitler , Michael Jackson , James Earl Jones , and Martin Luther King
Director: Michael Jackson , John Landis , John Singleton , Billy DiCicco , and David Fincher
Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music

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Similar Items:

History on Film, Vol. 2
Michael Jackson - Video Greatest Hits - HIStory
Michael Jackson: Live in Bucharest: The Dangerous Tour
Number Ones
Moonwalker

ASIN: B00005A1T0
Release Date: 2001-11-13

Description

Songs: Black or White, Heal The World (Super Bowl version), Remeber the Time, Will You Be There, In the Closet, Gone Too Soon, Jam, Heal the World, Give In to Me, Who Is It, Dangerous. 112 minutes.

Customer Reviews:

I LOVE YOU MICHAEL, FOREVER..........2006-02-25

ANY REAL FAN OF MICHAEL'S SHOULD OWN THIS. YOU WON'T REGRET IT. I PROMISE.

Slightly Disappointed, but i still love Michael.......2005-08-03

i was so exited to get this DVD, but i guess i didn't read the Amazon reviews carefully enough, because i didn't know that there wasnt a real video for Dangerous, but it was only the song with clips behind it. this dvd would be better if it wasnt consisted of so much clips, and tearful speeches by michael. it should have been more videos. real videos, not clips. it was still good. i really enjoyed "In the Closet". thats basically the highlight of the dvd. i'm just glad i didnt have to spend more than 11.43$ for this half-ass tape! hope this helps.

Outstanding.......2005-07-08

This set of videos is a must for any MJ fan, and is not likely to fail to impress those less familiar with his work with "Dangerous". This set of films contains some of his most high-energy and star-studded videos. Eddie Murphy and Naiomi Campbell are among those featured. Michael continues to amaze with innovative dance moves and technologically advanced effects, even by today's standards. Most videos are a feast for the eye, and Michael uses these videos to test the bounds of physical expression. My personal favorites from this set are Black or White, Give In To Me, Remember the time, and In The Closet. Give In To Me is an all-out rocking ballad featuring Slash as lead guitarist. MJ shows his versatility of being able to go from pop and R&B to rock, as he did previously on "Bad" with "Dirty Diana". "In The Closet" is a sensuous song that departs from the typical MJ video which features extravagant sets and background dancers. The video is simple, the only other person in it being Naomi Campbell, and Michael sports a more puerile appearance than in his other works. The way Michael dances and moves to the beat of this song is astounding. This was a powerful video. Pretty much all of us have seen Black or White, famous for the morphing scene at the end. This dvd allows you to see the full version, complete with the then controversial "panther" scene at the end, where Michael does some spectacular dancing in the middle of the street. Remember The Time is set in Ancient Egypt. MJ is an entertainer for the Pharoah (Eddie Murphy), but he ends up sweeping the Queen (Iman) off her feet. There is a very good dance scene complete with background dancers, and Michael shows off his one of a kind voice when he goes a capella during this dance set. At the end, when the Pharoah's guards are closing in on him, he does one of his signature spins and is reduced to a pile of dust, which the wind wisps away. Though those are my favorites from this set, all of the films are very well done, and the music of course is excellent. More than just a singer or songwriter, Michael is above all else a performer. Having done some of the biggest tours of all time, he can electrify an audience like none other. The concert footage on this dvd shows why whether you love him or hate him, when he takes over a stage, one cannot help but watch.

A great Michael Jackson compilation.......2005-04-28

This is a great Michael Jackson compilation and if you have the CD, you should definately go out and buy this too! It includes 11 of the best videos of all time, some of which are either very rare or unreleased. Only 4 of the 11 videos here were singles (including 2 versions of Heal The World), and 7 of them were from the album Dangerous but not released as singles, which makes this a treat for any MJ fans. The picture and sound quality for this DVD are amazing and indeed, Michael is a great performer and dancer in these videos!

What's not to like?! 2 versions of Heal The World, The full video for Black Or White, the great video for Remember The Time (one of my favourite Michael Jackson videos!), the version of Dangerous from the world tour, In The Closet which features Naomi Campbell plus more great videos!! The DVD also includes Discography and Behind The Scenes Footage!!! This will definately keep you entertained, especially if you are a MJ fan!

Bloated, overstylized videos with more money than soul........2005-01-07

Dangerous was the project on which Michael Jackson began to lose sight of reality -- not just physical, but artistic grasp of reality.

"Smooth Criminal" is in my estimation the last great video he'd made, but even on that classic, you can see two incongruous personae emerging in Jackson's music-video approach. The celebrated nightclub dance sequence is understandably considered a landmark in the art of music video, but if we jog our memory, we'd also remember there's a long, boring, glitzed-up, and utterly foolish sci-fi plot built up around that sequence. (Joe Pesci as a drug villain and Michael Jackson the giant robot, anybody?)

Well, on the videos from Dangerous, Jackson let his love of Steven Spielberg and fantasy filmmaking take over, and lost sight of the musician and performer. There are some moments in these videos that are entertaining and remind us of vintage Michael Jackson videos, but these moments are never the centerpiece. Eddie Murphy and "Magic" Johnson hamming it up delightfully in "Remember the Time", Naomi Campbell's sensuous writhe in "In the Closet", and the ripping hard-rock performance by Slash, Gilby Clarke and Muzz Skillings in "Give In to Me" are great -- but they are also always pushed to the back by other far less interesting elements. The worst part is, there isn't a single video on here that uses Jackson's greatest visual gift, which is dance. Not a single precision-choreographed dance sequence (as seen in "Beat It", "Smooth Criminal", "Thriller", "Bad"...) among these videos, just utter chaos with fifty people each doing something different in the muddled, cacophonous dance "scenes" in "Black or White", "Remember the Time" and "Jam". Was there even a choreographer? And did s/he actually work with the director to figure out the moves and angles? These videos pale alongside Janet Jackson's videos from Rhythm Nation: 1814, just a couple of years prior.

Jackson also seems to acquire a kind of visual ADD in these videos, pulling together elements that don't mesh at all. The intro to "Black or White", while amusing in a juvenile way, has nothing to do with the song; the special effects in "Remember the Time" look cheesy, and "Jam" is nothing but a bunch of amusing cameos (Heavy D, Michael Jordan, Kris Kross) and mashed-together shots with no method to the madness. And let's not forget that utterly moronic "panther" ending to "Black or White"...if the sequence actually had something to do with Jackson's message and the song, I believe the controversy over that segment might have been less pronounced. Looking at it over a decade later, this sequence remains what it seemed, gratuitous destruction and lewd, aimless, undisciplined dance moves aimed to shock, and with no narrative, musical or thematic context whatsoever.

The only self-contained and coherent videos here are "Who Is It" and "Give In to Me". The former, though opaque in its imagery, at least achieves stylistic unity, while the latter is a straight-ahead rock performance video. Poor editing spoiled its rock-out impact, though -- it makes you yearn for "Dirty Diana". And in the end, the only lasting moment of transcendence here, and the only piece up to the par of Jackson's Thriller and Bad videos, is the famous "morphing" sequence in "Black or White". It's visually attractive, fun, and helps get across the message of the song. Something most of these videos fail to do; it's little wonder that Jackson's later DVD collections tend to include very few of the Dangerous videos. They really are the nadir of his music-video oeuvre.

And after having bought four Michael Jackson music-video DVDs (not even counting the concert DVD that came with the Ultimate Collection boxed set, and my old VHS copies of Moonwalker and The Legend Continues), I'm compelled to slam those fascistic "Brace Yourself" intros that Jackson always slaps at the beginning of his video collections. Wagner-sized vocal chants, marching death squads, and hysterical masses? Who does that remind us of? That same megalomania, which makes Jackson constantly bombard us with messages of how great he is, is what had eventually sunk his music and videos to such pathetic levels as we've seen in the last 10 years. He never rediscovered the joy of music as we'd heard on Off the Wall and Thriller, and with the way his career is going now, it's not likely we ever will again.

Average customer rating:

Great!
Excellent kids' movie about Martin Luther King Jr.!
A great elementary school video about a great man
I watched this in elementary!
Great pick for MLK day

Our Friend, Martin
Starring: Edward Asner , Angela Bassett , Lucas Black (II) , Theodore Borders , and LeVar Burton
Director: Rob Smiley , and Vincenzo Trippetti
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
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Disney's Ruby Bridges
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Martin Luther King Jr. - I Have a Dream
. . . If You Lived at the Time of Martin Luther King

ASIN: B0000TPAHY
Release Date: 2004-01-13

Amazon.com

This animated time-travel adventure features a stellar cast and is a delight for kids and adults alike. When Matt, a black teenager, has to go on a class field trip to the museum of Martin Luther King Jr., he thinks that he'd rather play baseball. But the trip turns into an exciting adventure when he and his best friend, Randy, who's white, are sent back in time to meet Dr. King.

The story is also remarkably moving, as Matt and Randy learn what Dr. King did for humanity, and come to see him as a real person, not a historical figure. Matt and Randy experience segregation firsthand when they aren't allowed to eat on a train together. Together, they witness the bus boycott, the Birmingham riots, and the "I Have a Dream" speech. They discuss the theme of "non-violent resistance" with their new friend Martin and the work of Ghandi in India. As King tells Matt, "We must meet hate with love. It will take time, but somebody's got to start." Authentic historical footage blended with animation make this an excellent choice for teaching kids about the legacy of Dr. King. --Elisabeth Keating

Description

What begins as a routine class project for a diverse group of sixth-graders turns into a magical, time-traveling adventure they'll never forget! Authentic historical footage of Martin Luther King Jr. is blended with colorful animation as the students learn about - and actually meet - the civil rights leader who challenged all Americans to turn his dream of freedom into reality. Produced in association with the King family, "Our Friend, Martin" features an unprecedented all-star voice cast and a hot hit soundtrack with music performed by top contemporary artists and classic Motown greats. It's a fun, new way for your family to share Dr. King's inspiring message of hope and courage that changed the course of our nation's history.

Customer Reviews:

Great!.......2007-03-08

My kindergardener watched this in class and loved it. He begged the teacher to play it on multiple days. I purchased this for him and he watched it twice in one night. A great way to help children learn! What a great all-star cast!

Excellent kids' movie about Martin Luther King Jr.! .......2007-02-17

I borrowed this movie from a colleague at work to show to my class of special needs students. After viewing it with them, and seeing their reactions, I had to buy it. It teaches values that are so vital to humanity. The movie provides first hand accounts with actual footage and cartoon characters. I would recommend this item to share with any child to teach tolerance, acceptance, forgiveness, and to teach about the great Martin Luther King Jr. I would even recommend it to adults, who sadly, in the 21st century continue to be hateful.

A great elementary school video about a great man.......2007-01-13

This video was shown at my daughter's elementary school today. She enjoyed watching the cartoon version of this and thought the characters in the movie are cool. The challenge of making history seem real and meaningful to young people continues to be a big one. Even the greatest of names are difficult to bring to life when they aren't associated with someone who is living today.

In this fantastic story we have two friends, one black and one white, learn about King during a school field trip, and soon find themselves traveling through time to meet King in his youth and then follow him through history, up until the day he was killed in 1968. In the process, they learn a lot about racial segregation and King's role in working to bring down the barriers in the U.S. south. At times, the shift from cartoon to news footage seems a bit forced, but it works most of the time. Although the story lacks substance, this is not a major problem since King's own story is so compelling.

The cast of voices is impressive, with 16 recognizable names, including leading African American performers such as James Earl Jones, Whoopi Goldberg, Oprah Winfrey, Danny Glover, Samuel L. Jackson and others. The film was made in co-operation with the King family, with Yolanda and Dexter also lending their voices to the production. While there's no attempt here to provide a complete picture of King's life, the major events of the civil rights movement are covered off quite well. The combination of animation and real footage was up to par and I recommend this movie to everyone.

I watched this in elementary!.......2006-09-19

I watched this movie every Martin Luther King Day in elementary. I started in 4th grade then ended up in 6th. Every year I was still engrossed in the message and the characters that were put forward. I, in highschool, am ordering this movie to show my little sister who hasn't seen it and hasn't appreciated MLK. It's a must for people OF ALL AGES to see the world through MLK's eyes and what it would be without him. It allows people to connect with MLK and to see what he really strove for. I love this movie, it will never grow old! I hope to show this to my kids one day.

Great pick for MLK day.......2006-03-27

As a first grade teacher it was hard to find a movie that the kids would enjoy and learn from. This movie was great for both of those needs. The kids love the movie and I also enjoyed watching it. It was a great pick for MLK day.

Average customer rating:

the soul of the 60s distilled
What America Is Really Like
Boring
Fabric of 60s Counterculture Politics: Weaving the Threads
Nice

Berkeley in the Sixties
Starring: John Searle (III) , Jackie Goldberg , Susan Griffin (II) , Jack Weinberg (II) , and Nancy Davis
Director: Mark Kitchell
Manufacturer: First Run Features
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B00006JMQC
Release Date: 2002-12-10

Amazon.com

This outstanding documentary by Mark Kitchell, six years in the making, is a comprehensive and insightful story of campus and community activism as born at the University of California at Berkeley. Using extensive archival footage and bridging the distance between past and present with more recent interviews, Kitchell shows how a 1960 protest aimed at the House Un-American Activities Committee was the launching point for the Free Speech movement, which evolved into organized opposition against the Vietnam War, support for the Black Panther party, and the feminist movement. No simple valentine to student-demonstration days, the film brilliantly uses contemporary perspective to show how great legacies and inevitable failures were simultaneously born in a charged atmosphere. Not to be missed. --Tom Keogh

Customer Reviews:

the soul of the 60s distilled.......2006-08-03

This documentary goes to great lengths to show how the free speech movement in Berkeley devolved into a revolutionary struggle and lays much of that blame on campus activistst becoming so enamored of the Black Panthers -- who themselves had a keen instinct on how to manipulate their image in the media to Macy's Day float-size proportions -- that they gave up the driver's seat or exited the vehicle altogether. Through video footage of protests and riots, and interviews with key players who have obviously agonized about how things turned out and how they could have turned out differently, a well-sketched picture emerges of the political life of the '60s, a time which may never be repeated but whose ripples hopefully will never give way to stillness.

What America Is Really Like.......2006-02-25

Berkely in the Sixties explores one of the worst catastrophes in American History. When the student movement began in the fall of 1964, students wanted the freedom of political protest on campus at the University of California. The administration forbade any student groups related to non-campus activities. The students all banded together and staged a sit-in which captured national attention and brought the university to a standstill.

When it ended in the summer of 1969, police gassed and shot American citizens as if, as one lady said, "we were the Viet Cong." In between was MLK, The Black Panthers, and Vietnam. This film is a must-see for all Americans. The deleted scenes are lengthy and a bit dry, but are worth viewing.

Ironically, the University of California describes itself as "a lively place of student activism," a whitewash of the administration's brutality against its students and faculty members who sympathized with the student's cause.

Boring.......2006-01-13

I am very sympathetic to the"movement" of the Sixties, and took an active part in it, but I find this type of "talking heads" documentary boring as hell, even though it is interspersed with news footage.
An example of a truly great documenary of the time is the film "The War at Home", available on video (1979, director Glenn Silber).

Fabric of 60s Counterculture Politics: Weaving the Threads .......2005-01-15

This is a superb, valuable documentary.

Berkeley was at the epicenter as the counterculture politics of the '60s emerged. And revisiting the political ferment of '60s Berkeley can offer an unusually helpful overview of these interwoven political currents. This film does that very, very well. It rises far,far above films which simply recount the intense experimentation with sex, drugs & rock 'n' roll that eventually charcacterized the counterculture. This film focuses on the often-less-understood, and fascinating, politics of the time.

The fascinating footage (including early glimpses at Reagan as a
relatively new "pol"), the deft editing, the years-later retrospective reflections of "now-grown-up" participants in the Berkeley "FSM" (Free Speech Movement) -- these are all very engaging, and beautifully assembled. But what makes the film great for me is its clarity in reflecting the interplay of counterculture themes: the movements for free speech and for civil rights, the movement against the Vietnam War, and assertion of the new feminism. Along with the energetic pursuit of "sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll," these elements - blended into one 'tsunami' of a movement -- were experienced by us all coming of age during that time, throughout the US and throughout much of the world. But as a young person during that era, who became very swept up in the self-proclaimed "dawning of the Age of Aquarius," I recall also feeling unclear on how these ideological components -- which otherwise seemed to me distinct and substantively unrelated - became intertwined in the social politics of that era.

Whether the film is slanted, and whether "The Movement" was positive or negative, seem to me besides the point. The Movement was; like it or not, that reality is indisputable. From varying perspectives, our entire culture experienced it, and was affected by it. Most of the many millions of us on college campuses during that time were forever changed -- for good, for ill, or both. This film presents the most coherent depiction I've seen of how this happened, what it's "logic" was - and manages to do so engagingly, without becoming pedantic. That's a whole lot for one film to do, even for someone who respects and loves film as our culture's greatest current art form.

Nice.......2004-03-19

I would like to tell you a little bit about the documentary by Mark Kitchell entitled Berkeley in the Sixties. This film is a great synopsis of the 60s civil rights and counter culture movements based out of UC Berkeley. The film was released in 1990 and contains interviews with everybody from members of the Black Panthers to Country Joe and the Fish. It starts at the beginning of the sixties with the events that would eventually lead to the first protest to the hippies and Peoples Park and so on, interviewing people even into the late 80s. The film kept my attention and was very educational.

Biography - Martin Luther King Jr.: The Man and the Dream (A&E DVD Archives)

Average customer rating:

Concise History
A good one hour documentary, but not the best in the world

Biography - Martin Luther King Jr.: The Man and the Dream (A&E DVD Archives)
Starring: Martin Luther King Jr. , and Biography
Manufacturer: A&E Home Video
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Martin Luther King Jr. - I Have a Dream
Biography - Mahatma Gandhi: Pilgrim of Peace (A&E DVD Archives)
Biography - Nelson Mandela: Journey to Freedom (A&E DVD Archives)
Martin Luther King: Historical Perspective
Biography - Abraham Lincoln: Preserving the Union (A&E DVD Archives)

ASIN: B0002V7NZ2
Release Date: 2004-08-10

Amazon.com

Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. will live long in our collective memory as a symbol of peaceful resistance to injustice. But, of course, he was more than a symbol--he was a man. Biography: Martin Luther King Jr. uses striking images and first-class research to explore both sides of this tragic hero. It tells us how his comfortable upbringing made him resistant at first to his role as leader of the civil rights movement, but also how he ultimately came to terms with it and even accepted the inevitability of his martyrdom. Documentary footage of his brilliant speeches and interviews with friends and associates make for a penetrating look at the inspirations and frustrations that made up this great man's life. --Rob Lightner

Customer Reviews:

Concise History.......2006-10-13

This intriguing video covers a lot of ground in 60 minutes or less and does so in classic A & E quality.

The story begins where it should, in the beginning. The early years of Martin's life are significantly impacted by his dad. "Daddy" King is painted as a culturally elite and powerful black leader. This did some harm to my limited understandings of the elder King but were necessary to establish the reason for some of King Jr's college aged decisions.

The video revealed some hidden truths about Pastor King's life. Secrets I had never heard of or imagined possible. The delivery of these secrets is believable due to the testimony of the involved parties. A few shocking facts are also revealed from the politics of the day.

In short, this video is almost too concise to do justice to the legend and fame of Dr. King. On the other hand, much can be learned and appreciated from this "short story".

A good one hour documentary, but not the best in the world.......2000-06-08

This was an interesting documentary, but the directorial artsy stuff was quite curious. Filters (?) on the camera lenses gave the skies wierd hues and landscapes were odd colors, too. And that "turn the camera sideways" thing was in most of the still shots.

Those nuances almost drew my focus away from the story of King's life, which was not what the director intended, I'm sure.

This is one of the first documentaries I've seen on King where it freely discusses the whole FBI-King wire tapping incidents and the skirt chasing episodes. Also discussed the fact that Daddy King (MLK's Dad) rose up from abject poverty and his own children grew up in relative affluence - compared to most of the black community.

But if you want to learn more about the Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King, Jr., I'd recommend "Eyes on the Prize" put out by PBS.

It's longish - but I guarantee you can't watch one episode without weeping tears of joy and gratitude at the price that was paid by MLK and others to buy freedom for men and women of color.

Eyes of the Prize is still the definitive series on the history of civil rights.

Description

CITIZEN KING, a two-hour documentary from acclaimed filmmakers Orlando Bagwell and Noland Walker, explores the last five years in the life of slain civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. Personal recollections and eyewitness accounts of friends, movement associates, journalists, law enforcement officers, and historians illuminate this little-known chapter in the story of America's most influential moral leader in the 20th century.

Customer Reviews:

Citizen King as Preacher King.......2006-12-26

INTRODUCTION:
I admire Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., but honestly I did not know much about him, except what I learned in high school United States history. Now I know why I admire the life, works, and words of Dr. King, even though as any mortal human he had his faults. This DVD, is a documentary of the most influential years of Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK) (and sadly the last years of his life) 1963 to 1968. This DVD, will show all the complex and intriguing aspect of King's life and I feel that the viewer will be delighted with this presentation and its discoveries.

In the US, there is a day set aside as a public holiday called "Martin Luther King Day" and commemorates the civil rights struggle of the African Americans in the 1960s and is personified by the monumental persona of *Preacher King.*

From the very beginning of the DVD, the narrator tells us the key to understanding Dr. King. This key, is the fact that, first and foremost, Martin Luther King Jr. was a minister, a baptist preacher.

PRODUCER:
This is a documentary production that feels like a movie. There is a narrator that does an excellent job at walking the viewer through the well-documented steps of the civil rights movement and the life of Dr. King. The footage made me feel like I was part of the action, ... very personal, up-close cinematography. Another reviewer of this DVD (see "The Best of MLK on DVD") mentions that there is a movie of MLK produced by Paul Winfield.

I found this DVD in a local public library in Santa Cruz. The quality of this documentary is so honest and unbiased, that I am contemplating buying it for my collection.

CONTENT:
In 1955, Rosa Parks, another African-American Christian of deep faith, has the courage and moral integrity to fight against the racist Jim Crows laws of the southern states. Her simple action, ... and protest, was to not give up her seat on a public bus to an elder white man. This act of peaceful civil disobedience put the grease on the wheels of the civil rights movement struggle against the racist Jim Crows laws of the southern US states (and subsequent imprisonment of those protesting).

This DVD documentary starts in 1963, the year of the important Bermingham Alabama's "Chrildren's Crusade" and the "March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom" - the place of Dr. King's famous speach "I have a dream." What I liked about "Citizen King: An American Experience - 1963 to 1968)" is the many good (and some bad) things I learned about Dr. King.

I learned - that Dr. King was not only for the equal civil public right of African Americans (back then referred to as negroes), but also spoke out against poverty, militarism (e.g. Vietnam conflict), and materialism.

I learned - that Dr. King received the Nobel Peace Prize and what he did with the money.

I learned - that Dr. King was an influential figure at the White House in the Johnson administration, that He was a man who knew his emotions well and was very diplomatic in any situation.

I learned - that Dr. King was hated or chastised by some fellow African Americans (in the north - Chicago, or the west - California) and called "Dr. Martin Looser King" for his peaceful and Christian methods.

I learned - that Dr. King had amorous phone conversations with other women than his wife, and that the family King (Martin, Coretta, and kids) survived this life obstacle. I learned that the FBI was pro-actively involved in undermining the civil rights movement.

And the *most fascinating* thing was finding who the most important thinker/writer was in Martin Luther King's life. While I had heard of Gandhi's influence on King's philosophy and practice of nonviolence (see wikipedia article on Dr. King), I did not know that King had read and admired another Christian minister and outspoken fighter against racism (Jews)- Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Minister and pastor King's "Letter from Birmingham Jail" - "a passionate statement of his crusade for justice" - sounds very much like Bonhoeffer's posthumously published "Letter and Papers from Prison." As outspoken fighters for freedom and spiritual truth, both pastor Bonhoeffer and preacher King had a untimely and early death, at the hands of the evils in our world.

CONCLUSION:
As a white protestant American AND an immigrant from eastern Europe, the life, works, and words of brother Martin Luther King Jr. is of monumental importance. What started as a protest on a bus, as marches of peaceful civil disobedience in a region of the United States, lead to a quarter million people marching on Washington D.C., a nationally televised speech - "I have a dream!", and to national legislation giving African Americans their rightful equal-rights as citizens (the Voting Acts Right, and the Civil Rights Act).

To understand King as he was at the core (first and foremost, a Christian minister, a Baptist preacher) is to be like the FEW white folks who literally joined hands with King in the marches for human equality of the 1960s. I'm sad that not more white Christians in the South (and the rest of the U.S.) visibly joined the fight for what the American Constitution calls "certain unalienable Rights" with which they are "endowed, by their Creator" ... specifically "Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness."

The Best of MLK on DVD.......2005-06-29

Along with the Paul Winfield movie on MLK (which the late Winflield does for Dr. King what Denzel did for Malcolm X), this is clearly the best documentary of MLK that is avaialble on DVD.

Basically, it does not do much on his early years and skims the all-too familiar story of the Momtgomery bus boycott. But it deals with a lot of lesser known matters of his career from 1963 to his assassination in 1968.

The "Children's Crusade" of Birmingham in 1963 is handled from all angles, as well as the events leading up to the March on Washington and the all-too familiar Dream Speech. We learn a lot more about lesser-known matters such as the issues surrounding his receiving the Nobel Prize, the Selma and Chicago campaigns (one important error here is that Dr. King himself never actually marched in the antiblack community of Cicero, Ill. in 1966, Dr. King marched in the equally racist Gage Park, but other independent marchers went to the notorious Cicero). And we also look into his campaigns against the Vietnam War and poverty in America, which usually get short shrift when Dr. King is taught to American schoolchildren, and the issues leading to his assassination.

This documentary is even more blatant than the Winfield movie in pointing out Dr. King's flaws (womanizing, poor health habits, questionable associations, etc) but it is a balanced portrait in showing the good that Dr. King attempted to accomplish during this time without compromising on his Ghandian philosophy.

One particularly intriguing segment shows Dan Rather, who now prides himself on his professed sympathy for the movement, annoying Dr. King with questions about Communist associations (c. 1963). Mike Wallace is also shown disturbing Dr. King (around 1966) about whether he is making white people tired with his demonstrations. Dr. King's anger in both cases is controlled, but apparent.

But overall, the King novice as well as history fans, high school, and college students will do well to watch this in conjunction with the Paul Winfield film. Both will show the historical layman that Dr. King was about far more than dreaming dreams and making pretty speeches.

Best King Documentary I've seen in a long time.......2005-02-12

Over time (and wisdom) I've enjoyed learning about history. In doing so, I've gained a new perspective on appreciation for those who have made a difference in my country and my life. This video reminds me of how things change so quickly (relatively speaking) and how soon we forget. For awhile I was equating the King Holiday with the same feeling as Washington's Birthday, just another day. Not any more. I enjoy a quality documentary such as this to remind me to thank those of the past as well as the present for making my life a whole lot better.

Average customer rating:

Great for the younger crowd!
If You're Born in the Eighties, and love the 70's!
Too polite and puppyish
Great for newbies, good for others, probably not for critics.
The Artist, the Art Form and Public Taste

A Decade Under the Influence
Starring: Peter Boyle , Mike Medavoy , Monte Hellman , John Cassavetes , and Jimmy Carter
Director: Richard LaGravenese , and Ted Demme
Manufacturer: New Video Group
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Documentary | Genres | DVD | Video

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ASIN: B0000AKY7F
Release Date: 2003-09-30

Amazon.com

How did Hollywood make so many great, challenging, offbeat films in the 1970s? A Decade Under the Influence lists the reasons--or rather, lets the people who did the filmmaking list the reasons. The decade-shaping interviewees include Martin Scorsese, Robert Altman, Francis Coppola, et al. The film's argument has actually been conventional wisdom for at least 10 years, but it's well-supported by an abundance of clips, which should inspire even hardcore film buffs to seek out rarities such as Thunderbolt and Lightfoot or The King of Marvin Gardens. One might observe that the scarcity of women directors or black filmmakers suggests that the decade was not entirely golden, and the memories may be burnished a bit by nostalgia. But there's no question that the big studios were far more adventurous back then, and this briskly moving survey gives a lively Film 101 lecture in exactly why. --Robert Horton

Description

The 1970s was an extraordinary time of rebellion. As political activism, the sexual revolution, the women's movement, and the music revolution contributed to social unrest across America, American cinema witnessed the emergence of a new generation of fil

Customer Reviews:

Great for the younger crowd!.......2007-03-24

As someone who didn't live through the 70's and doesn't know all too much about 70's filmmaking, this was a great little insight.

I can understand how some people may be greatly disappointed by this film...

If you experienced the 70's during a time in your life when movies really made an impact or you just simply know a lot about films from this era, there might be quite a bit left to be desired.

But for me, someone who's greatest and most thorough knowledge of films only spans from the late 80's on - A Decade Under the Influence is great!

You get to hear about how filmmakers dealt with the studio's, how the studio's dealt with the filmmakers, how the face of the leading man changed from someone very attractive to the guy next door, how actresses approached their jobs during that time, and how directors and producers approached filmmaking like never before.

This is definitely for younger people or those who never really knew much about films from the 70's in the first place.

And luckily since I don't know what's missing from it that could make it better, I don't have anything to complain about...

Overall, I highly enjoyed this film!

If You're Born in the Eighties, and love the 70's!.......2007-03-07

This is the film for you to learn about all the independent spirit that seems both in it's height, and in it's originality, which has paved the road for our famous, our entertaining directors of today. This is not to say that there is not a better picture to be made of the seventies, but it's the best one that's out at this time. Get it if you have interest in Filmmaking History, and here how the independent movement really started. A time when art was more important than ignorant obedience for a film with a talking fish. Hear about how athe great films changed the way people saw movies. Hear about it, and love it.

Too polite and puppyish.......2007-02-19

This is about the shallowest possible overview of American filmmaking in the 1970s, a decade of remarkable films ill-served by overly reverential interviews with key figures from the period, too-brief and often poorly chosen clips from their films, and lazy media clips (Nixon, Vietnam, and so forth). No subject is ever asked hard questions about his work, no unpleasant truths are aired, and all are treated as if they were fragile Icaruses who flew too close to the sun. Please. William Friedkin, for one, is a terrible director who's lucky to've had any success at all. I can't improve on what "El Kabong" said in his review: people didn't line up to see The Exorcist for its sensitive treatment of religious issues, but because of its sensational money shots of vomit and spinning heads. And Altman, may he RIP, had in the end a terrible batting average, making stinkers like Popeye and Quintet at least as often as he produced stunners like McCabe & Mrs. Miller or 3 Women. (Ah, 3 Women...why didn't we get a scene from *that*?) If ADUTI gets neophytes to view some of the mentioned movies, then OK, but on its own merits it is nothing special. However, I did greatly enjoy the (infra-red?) clip of 1975 audiences reacting to JAWS: very funny!

This documentary originally aired on cable in three 50-minute episodes, and that's how it's packaged on this DVD. Was it actually released in theaters in a different edit?

Great for newbies, good for others, probably not for critics........2006-12-21

After reading the other reviews and after loving this documentary, because like most people from the United States, I didn't have much culture in film when I first saw this on TV, I must share that this documentary lists so many great films that most people have never seen. It also identifies a great period in U.S. cinema when many Hollywood studios made real and gritty movies like in independent film today. So if you want to educate yourself on Hollywood and U.S. film between the major changes of the old school glam and the new school blockbusters, this is a great place to start or continue your education. Keep a pen and paper handy to write down many great movies to watch!

I have not seen "Easy Riders Raging Bulls" nor "The Kid Stays in the Picture", but if you like documentaries about films, check them out too but "A Decade Under the Influence" is a great place to start. I also recommend "The Z Channel" for some of the best foreign films and many other obscure films to put on your list of movies to see. It also includes a dark and tragic story of a film lover who wanted everyone to see them.

If you've seen many of the movies from these times, you many not enjoy watching these documentaries. If you expect it to be a philosophical discussion of cinema and the change at the time, it probably will come up short. But if you're like me and you want to watch and learn about even a couple new movies you've never heard of, they're worth their weight in gold!!

The Artist, the Art Form and Public Taste.......2006-08-21

"Cinematic success is not necessarily the result of good brain work but of a harmony of existing elements in ourselves that we may not have ever been conscious of, an accidental coincidence of our own preoccupations and the public's."
-Francois Truffaut, FILMS IN MY LIFE

This quote appears at the beginning of the first of the three episodes that comprise the docudrama A DECADE UNDER THE INFLUENCE. Even before the New Wave film makers like Godard and Truffaut, however, France of course had an established film history and an established history of intellectual discourse on film that went back at least as far as Renoir (who described cinema as a state of mind). Or to say that in a slightly different way the French do not just value individual films they value cinema and revere it as an art form on par with all of the other art forms and the French over the years have evolved a way of talking about cinema and theorizing cinema in an intelligent and insightful way. Thats something that America has never really had. We've had a few interesting film critics but criticism is not the same as thoughtful analysis of an art form. If you watch a documentary about French film you are going to get a very theoretical discussion going but American documentaries can not get away from telling the history of cinema from the cash angle. It is ironic because the film makers who made A DECADE UNDER THE INFLUENCE seem to be driven by a desire to answer the question why American films in the seventies were so good and why films now are so bad, but the documentarians are only interested in those independent films that made money and thus have some kind of noteriety and so they never abandon the cash angle. In America we have a kind of blue collar ethic when it comes to the arts; we do not like elitist things and so we refuse to discriminate between "film culture" (which sounds elitist) and the "movie industry" (a phrase which does not offend American sensibilities). Americans are willing to defend the marketplace and let supply and demand decide what cultural products will be made available for public consumption but they are not willing to acknowledge that art is not created by business men. I'm not knocking America just acknowledging that what is wrong with our film culture is that we don't have one; what we have is a film marketplace.

This documentary is very good at showing who influenced the American independents. The American directors of the early seventies were influenced by the foreign films of the sixties (hence the cover art and title of this documentary). In the seventies for a brief stretch of time we did have what looked like a film culture because a lot of very interesting people, mainly film students, were making some really original work but there was never any support system for these independents save for a few forward thinking voices at a few forward thinking newspapers and magazines. Even then American intellectuals interested in film (like Sontag) talked about foreign films not American films. Whats really missing from this documentary is a discussion of why Americans have such a hard time discussing "American art" and why they are so uncomfortable with the category. Of course its not just film that suffers in the American cultural marketplace but all of the art forms (and all forms of culture and intellectual life that attempt a more thorough analysis of ourselves than the mass-market entertainments offered by Hollywood). So its fitting that an American documentary about American cinema should begin with a French quote because there just isn't any homegrown film culture to speak of that supports the film artist. I think what Truffaut is saying is that an artist can only follow the dictates of his own interests and if the public happens to be in the same state of mind as the artist then you have a box office hit. In other words its a kind of accidental harmony that brings an artist recognition by a public. Truffaut and Godard made very few hits in their day but the French film culture that they helped establish never abandoned them nor pressured them to make concessions to the public taste. In the second episode Orson Welles is quoted as saying that a film is good to the extent that it reflects the person that created it. That seems to me to be a very apt way of stating the differecne between a piece of art and a piece of entertainment. French film culture supports artists; the American film industry only supports its artists so long as they bring in good box office.

This documentary is very good at explaining just how that cash rule was momentarily suspended in the early seventies and that for a brief time there was a place for the artist in the mass market entertainment world of Hollywood. In the early seventies the Hollywood formulas no longer seemed relevant to