Taboo (2002) (Ws Dub Sub)

Starring:Nick Stahl, Eddie Kaye Thomas, January Jones, Lori Heuring, Derek Hamilton, Amber Benson
Director: Max Makowski
Studio: Sony Pictures
Product Type: DVD

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.

Average customer rating:

Taboo - The Original Adult Classic

Manufacturer: Standard Digital
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Taboo 2 - The Story Continues
Taboo 3 - The Infamous Love Story Continues
Taboo 4 - The Younger Generation
The Devil in Miss Jones
Insatiable ~ Starring: Marilyn Chambers - Original Classic 1980

Product Features:

full length original
DVD extras: Audio commentary w/ Kay Parker, director & writer
New digital transfer
Photo gallery
Chapter list

ASIN: B000MVXTXM

Product Description

The Original Classic! Adult Video's All-Time Bestseller! Taboo is a landmark adult film. Originally filmed in 1979, this 1980 release broke through many barriers and has not only beenia perennial best-seller in the adult video world...but made history on several fronts. Taboo is the first adult film to have seriously focused on the subject of inbreeding and presents it with "serious passion and excitement" according to Adam Film World... In 1983 Taboo also scored another first when it received an unprecedented nod from the prestigious Video Software Dealers Association (VSDA) special inaugural award for X-rated films. This recognition was considered by many as a turning point in the acceptance of adult entertainment by the mainstream video industry. Finally. Due to its overwhelming popularity, it was the first adult motion picture with numerous sequels in release. Kay Parker portrays a woman whose husband has left her for his younger secretary, forcing her and her son to fend for themselves. In order to put her life back together, she takes a secretarial job. After her boss makes an uncomfortable pass at her and she falls into the divorcee's role of meaningless parties and blind dates, she becomes caught in a vortex of lust and passion for her young son Paul.

Average customer rating:

Wrestlemania goes Hollywood
ANOTHER GREAT mania
Cheaper than pay per view
Wrestlemania 21
Wrestlemania 21

WWE - WrestleMania 21
Starring: Jonathan Coachman , Sean Morley , Khosrow Vaziri , Howard Finkel , and Jon Heidenreich
Director: Kevin Dunn (III)
Manufacturer: World Wrestling
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0006SSNXW
Release Date: 2005-05-10

Description

On March 31,1985, the Wrestlemania legacy was born at Madison Square Garden in New York City.This sold-out event is the origin of what has become the greatest sports-entertainment franchise in American history. WrestleMania has dazzled millions of fans over the past 20 years by showcasing the greatest WWE Superstars of all time in marquee matches and featuring celebraties from music,sports and entertainment.The Legacy continues with WrestleMania 21, live on Pay Per View Sunday April 3,2005 at 7pmEST.WrestleMania 21"Goes Hollywood" in a big way with this special 4-hour extravaganza, live from Los Angeles' Staples Center .The 3-disc Collectors Edition includes complete 4 hour WrestleMania 21,plus behind-the-scenes interviews and the WWE Hall of Fame induction ceremony featuring Hulk Hogan,"Rowdy" Roddy Piper,The Iron Shiek and more.

Customer Reviews:

Wrestlemania goes Hollywood.......2007-04-08

THIS EVENT WAS GREAT OVERALL. AUSTIN IN PIPER'S PIT, HHH VS. BATISTA, EDDIE VS. REY, HBK VS. ANGLE, THE FIRST EVER MONEY IN THE BANK LADDER MATCH FEATURING JERICHO, EDGE, SHELTON BENJAMIN, KANE, CHRISTIAN, AND CHRIS BENOIT, TAKER VS. ORTON, CENA VS. JBL, AND A SPECIAL APPEARANCE BY HULK HOGAN. IN MY OPINION, THE PIPER'S PIT SEGMENT WAS THE BEST PART OF THIS WRESTLEMANIA 21. HHH VS. BATISTA WAS A PRETTY GOOD WRESTLING MATCH. AT THIS POINT, BATISTA WAS A BETTER WRESTLER THAN HE IS NOW. EDDIE VS. REY WAS A GOOD WRESTLING MATCH TO KICK OFF THE SHOW. MONEY IN THE BANK TRULY DELIVERED IN LARGE PART DUE TO SOME UNBELIEVEABLE AGILITY DISPLAYED BY SHELTON BENJAMIN. HBK VS. ANGLE WAS A REAL CLASSIC. THE MATCH DID WELL WITH TELLING A STORY IN THE RING ( A SKILL WHICH THE YOUNG GUYS OF TODAY SIMPLY CANNOT DEVELOP OR DO). THE NEVER DIE ATTITUDE OF HBK GOING AGAINST THE INTENSITY OF ANGLE WAS A GOOD FIT. TO SEE PIPER AND AUSTIN IN THE RING TOGETHER WAS TRULY CLASSIC AND THEN TO SEE AUSTIN STUN PIPER WAS GREAT. EVEN THOUGH IT WOULD HAVE BEEN MUCH BETTER TO SEE HOGAN IN A MATCH AGAINST A LEGITIMATE OPPONENT, HIS PRESCENCE ALONE TORE THE ROOF OFF THE STAPLES CENTER. ORTON VS. TAKER WAS ALSO NOT A BAD MATCH. TAKER IMPROVES TO 13-0 WITH THE TOMBSTONE PILEDRIVER. ALL IN ALL, A GOOD EVENT FILLED WITH A FEW UNFORGETTABLE WRESTLEMANIA MOMENTS.

ANOTHER GREAT mania.......2007-03-22

1)WWE Tag Team Champions face each other
Rey Mysterio(c) vs. Eddie Guerrero(c)
Good opening match-up. 8.5/10

2)First-Ever Money in the Bank Ladder Match
Chris Benoit vs. Chris Jericho vs. Shelton Benjamin vs. Edge vs. Christian w/ Tyson Tomko vs. Kane
AWESOME ladder match!. 9.5/10

3) Legend vs. Legend Killer Match
Undertaker vs. Randy Orton
. 9/10

4)WWE Women's Championship
Trish Stratus(c) vs. Christy Hemme w/ Lita
. 6/10

5) Interpromotional Match
Shawn Michaels vs. Kurt Angle
!!!!!. 10/10 this match had me Excited THE whole time !!!!!!!!!!!

6) Sumo Match
Big Show vs. Akebono
This was a "HUGE" waste of time. Akebono throws the giant out of the ring to win the match. 1/10 THIS SUCKED WHAT A WAST OF A MANIA !!!!!!

7) WWE Championship
JBL(c) vs. John Cena
8.5/10

8) World Heavyweight Championship
Triple H(c) vs. Batista
. 9/10

Another great mania but not as good as the others SORRY WWE !!!!!!!!

Cheaper than pay per view.......2007-03-17

Well it was cheaper than pay per view but it I suppose since everybody already knew what happened it wasn't worth it lol.

Wrestlemania 21.......2007-03-10

Rey Mysterio vs Eddie Guerrero:These 2 guys are continuing their ongoing feud. And at Wrestlemania, everything is bigger and better. This like all their other matches against each other, just bigger and better. 7.5/10

(Money in the Bank Ladder Match)
Chris Jericho vs Chris Benoit vs Shelton Benjamin vs Edge vs Christian vs Kane:This was a well executed match. The ending is destined to disappoint. 8/10

Undertaker vs Randy Orton:This one could have gone either way, and it was overall a very exciting match. The ending just took the cake. 9/10

(Women's Championship)
Trish Stratus vs Christy Hemme:This was an average Women's match. Average Women's matches don't belong at Wrestlemania. At least the belt was on the line. 6/10

Shawn Michaels vs Kurt Angle:Smackdown vs Raw or old school vs new school. Whatever you label it as, there's no denying that this was a hell of a match. 8.5/10

(Sumo match)
Big Show vs Akebono:This wasn't even really a match, just 2 fat guys fighting in undies. That makes me laugh, so you get 6 stars! 6/10

(WWE Championship)
JBL vs John Cena:This match was good enough to be the main event, but there is another match equally as good right after it. Now that's Wrestlemania! 9.5/10

(World Heavyweight Championship)
Triple H vs Batista:This is awarded the match of the night. It was near perfect, and was a great way to end Wrestlemania 21. 9.5/10

Overall:A great supply of great matches. A must buy. What can I say? It's WRESTLEMANIA!!!! 9/10

Wrestlemania 21.......2007-01-21

WWE Wrestlemania 21
Los Angelas, CA
April 3, 2005

1) Rey Mysterio vs. Eddie Guerrero
This was an awesome opener, lots of back and forth action between these two, in my opinion this was Rey's best WM match thus far. Great match.
Winner: Rey Mysterio 8/10

2) Money in the Bank Ladder match- Chris Jericho vs. Chris Benoit vs. Edge vs. Shelton Benjamin vs. Christian vs. Kane
Outstanding ladder match, it was even better because there was six superstars in the match. There's a point in the match where Benoit german suplexes Jericho and the ladder!!! Edge wins by hitting Benoit with a chair off the ladder. Best ladder match of the year!!
Winner: Edge 10/10

Hulk Hogan makes an apperance.

3) Legend vs. Legend Killer
Undertaker vs. Randy Orton
This match was great too, in my opinion this match was better than their Hell in a Cell match at Armageddon but anyways Undertaker wins with the Tomestone after a great counter to the chokeslam into the RKO by Orton. Undertaker goes 13-0 at WM.
Winner: Undertaker 8/10

4) Women's Championship
Trish Stratus (C) vs. Christy Hemme w/Lita
Poor match, Christy can't wrestle if her life depended on it. Not even worth watching just skip.
Winner: Trish Stratus 3/10

5) Shawn Michaels vs. Kurt Angle
MATCH of the night, outstanding match from two great wrestlers. Worth buying to see this match. Lots of close pin falls and Angle misses his moonsault from the top rope but Angle wins with the ankle lock making HBK tap out.
Winner: Kurt Angle 10/10

6) Piper's Pit
Stone Cold Steve Austin Stuns both Rowdy Roddy Piper and Carlito.
6/10

7) Sumo Match
Big Show vs. Okebono
Not worth seeing just skip but it is better than the Trish/Christy match.
Winner: Okebono 5/10

8) WWE Championship
John Cena vs. JBL (C)
Not a very good match in my opinion but a decent match. Their "I Quit" match at Judgement Day is better. Cena wins with his FU.
Winner: John Cena 6/10

9) World Heavyweight Championship
Batista vs. Triple H (C) w/Ric Flair
Great way to end the show, a very good brawl from Batista and opening up Triple H mid-way in the match. Better match than their Backlash match but not better than their Hell in a Cell but a great match. Batista wins with the Batista Bomb.
Winner: Batista 9/10

Average customer rating:

What Did You Say?
F*ck Yeah!
Good documentary
Funny Stuff
Parochial documentary

F**K - A Documentary
Starring: Timothy Jay , Evan Seinfeld , Steven Bochco , Drew Carey , and Justin Timberlake
Director: Steve Anderson (IX)
Manufacturer: Velocity / Thinkfilm
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000KB488Y
Release Date: 2007-02-13

Description

F**K explores how this one syllable word has completely permeated the English language, yet is still widely held to be obscene. Through film and television clips, original animation, and the insight of scholars, linguists, comedians, actors, and writers including Pat Boone, Drew Carey, Billy Connolly, Janeane Garofolo, Ron Jeremy, Miss Manners, Bill Maher, Alanis Morrisette, Kevin Smith, the late Hunter S. Thompson and many more, F**K examines the colorful history of its namesake. Even people who do "it" for a living are interviewed, as we discover what it is about this word that both unites and divides English speaking people.

Customer Reviews:

What Did You Say?.......2007-05-30

"F**K: A Documentary"

What Did You Say?

Amos Lassen and Cinema Pride

Probably the last thing any of us ever expected to see a movie about is the word "f**k". Well, here it is and it stars among others Pat Boone, Ben Bradlee, and Drew Carey. Sam Donaldson, Janeane Gorafalo, Ron Jeremy, Alanis Morisette, Hunter S. Thompson and many others. They al come together to discuss the word. Steve Anderson gives us a documentary of interviews, archival footage, man-on-the-streets, animation and what have you so that we can better understand and use the word "f**k". (I thought I did pretty good but boy, did I learn a lot).
It seems as if everyone is in this movie--a penetrating critique that either enriches or infects civilization as we know it. Anderson sets out to discover where the word comes from, why it is considered offensive and if there is any possible benefit to be gained from it. The history of the word is amazing in its theory.
"F**K" is one of those words that can have a lot of or be devoid of meaning. It is the mother of all curse words, the one our parents told us we should never use. Anderson gives us short chapters which examine and reexamine the word. Myths are debunked and things that we thought we knew about the word seem not to be true after all.
The movie is profound and silly at the same time. Let's face it--it is probably the most used word in our language today. It offends and empowers and it is central to the idea of free speech. It can mean so much or so little and so much depends upon inflection.
Here is the one word that you can still not say in front of your parents and many agree that it is the most offensive word in our language (but they use it anyway).
Anderson does not use sensationalism. It does lean in the direction that the word is no big deal but it does give a variety of opinions about its use. Anderson interviews everybody--linguists, professors, laymen etc and everyone has an opinion. There is no question to the versatility of the word and we see that there is really never a situation in which you cannot use it.
This is a light-hearted look at popular culture based upon one word and it worth looking at.

F*ck Yeah!.......2007-05-04

If you wish to laugh repeatedly, and also wish to learn a little about the origin and evolution of the most commonly used cuss word, then rent this movie. It documents quite thoroughly the right-wing's attack against the use of profane language, and even allows many of them to respond with their justifications for condemning mere human language, a basic right protected under the 1st Amendment. (Not as THEY interpret it, of course!)

Though the Right is represented here, this is definitely a movie only the more liberal-minded will truly enjoy, for it is quite "profane" and harsh toward conservatives who wish to legislate their brand of morality in the U.S., especially in its exploration of the Lenny Bruce trials and George Carlin's "seven dirty words." So, in other words, it's quite biased, but so what? The Right cares not for the equal representation of ideas, so disregard the ignoramus that gave this movie one star because it was unfair to the Right (boo hoo!).

If the prospect of living in a BushWorld frightens you, then rent this movie. John Ashcroft, the former Attorney General under W, is perfectly illustrative of the world social conservatives want: when he was giving a press conference, he covered up the Venus deMilos' breast becuase it made him uncomfortable. A great work of art, censored because it made an uptight prig uncomfortable. Next they'd start censoring Shakespeare, Milton, Chaucer, etc.

Haven't these people read the Old Testament? There's much worse to be found there: justification for the raping of women, justification for the selling of young girls into slavery, justification of slavery, stoning the unruly child to death and on and on and on, massive genocide and justifications for.

Maybe we should censor, or ban, the Bible next...

Good documentary.......2007-03-25

This was along the lines of the Aristocrats! I was really happy to see some Hunter S Thompson in there. Drew Carey hits the best note with the suggestion for the next documentary, because this word is almost passé by now, whereas that word (the 'c' word) is still more taboo.

Funny Stuff.......2007-03-16

It wasn't quite what I was expecting but I was still pretty good. I was expecting more of a documentary and history of the word. Most of the film was comedians take on the word. Still worth checking out!

Parochial documentary.......2007-03-04

F**k s**ks. This is a boring pseudo documentary that is much more interested in bashing Bush and other right wing nut jobs than discussing the word itself. It also seems to believe the word only exists in the United States so aside from Billy Connolly every other guest here is an American.

Taboo - The Complete First Season (National Geographic)

Average customer rating:

One of my favorite programs
Huicholes of Mexico
A Series that sorely tests your belief systems!
I show it to my students, they like it alot
For those interested in the bizzare

Taboo - The Complete First Season (National Geographic)
Director: Morris Abraham
Manufacturer: Nat'l Geographic Vid
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Taboo - The Complete Second Season (National Geographic)
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ASIN: B0001Z4P46
Release Date: 2004-06-08

Description

Customer Reviews:

One of my favorite programs.......2007-06-14

This great series from National Geographic examines numerous practices that many people in the West would consider taboo, just because they're so radically different from our way of life. It forces the viewer to confront one's own taboos, and hopefully one will come away with a more open mind and more educated about and understanding of different cultures and customs. Disc one contains the episodes "Drugs," "Healers," "Food," and "Bloodsports"; disc two contains "Evil Spirits," "Voodoo," "Marriage," and "Witchcraft"; disc three contains "Sexuality," "Death," and "Rites of Passage"; and disc four contains "Tests of Faith" and "Tattoo." The series takes the viewer to such far-ranging locales as Malaysian Borneo, Benin, Togo, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Mexico, Japan, India, Greece, Norway, Holland, Venezuela, Haiti, the Philippines, Thailand, and various places in the United States. Not for the easily-offended, moral absolutists who see the world only in black and white and feel that only their way is correct, or the squeamish, it presents these stories (three per episode) in the context of culture, religion, history, and geography and shows that what we consider taboo is not only perfectly normal but unthinkable to not do for a person in a place like Thailand, South Africa, or Mexico. As an animal-lover, some of these segments were rather hard to watch, but I had to take into consideration that this is normal behavior in other cultures, and that many things which Westerners do, such as sending the elderly into homes, putting small children into daycare, pampering and shielding children incessantly, and not showing a lot of reverence for elders and ancestral spirits, would be considered taboo and unacceptable to them.

Among the thought-provoking questions it raises are:

Would you let your underage child be married?

Would you drink your own urine?

Would you let your small child have his or her face ritually scarred?

Would you club to death and then eat your own beloved pet dog?

Would you have yourself crucified or walk across coals in the name of faith?

Would you be willing to revise your Western-centric notions of what the major world religions are to include Voodoo, animism, and witchcraft?

Would you engage in a bloody brawl with your neighbors to ensure a good harvest?

Would you rip apart a live guinea pig and burn a llama fetus as part of a healing ceremony?

Would you drink the blood of a cobra and eat its meat?

The fourth disc includes the bonus features of an exotic menu, a picture gallery, trailers for recommended programs, and commercials for National Geographic itself. All in all, it's a must-see series for those interested in world cultures and shattering the idea that there's only one moral and acceptable way to behave, the Western way, with anything else disturbing, wrong, and sinful. A series like this can only be for the good, what with building bridges of understanding, tolerance, and acceptance across cultural divides.

Huicholes of Mexico.......2007-06-04

I loved the episode DRUGS. I have visited the Huicholes twice, and I thought this episode was well done.
I am wondering about the set featured here for sale...it says 2 discs instead of 4 discs, and the running time does not seem long enough for ALL the episodes in season 1.
I didn't like many of the episodes... (as mentioned in other reviews) I also found them a little "too much".

A Series that sorely tests your belief systems!.......2006-01-10

I was very anxious to receive this collection. I had never seen the series nor have I known anyone that has. Yes, I read the customer reviews. I can't say I wasn't warned. Living in one of the most tolerant and culturally diverse cities in the United States, I had this ill conceived notion that I'd "seen it all".
I couldn't imagine being 'shocked' or disturbed by anything "cultural", or even "taboo". This series lives up to its title and then some.

Unfortunately, I have just removed the very first disc, with a strong temptation to toss it in the trash can. Personally, I am not suited to view this kind of material.

I do applaud National Geographic for allowing those that are interested in viewing such bizarre 'around the world' cultural rituals, and giving those interested a very frank ringside seat in which to do so.

Clearly, what little I saw of this series has brought me to the self realization that I am in no way as open minded as I thought I was. The world is much bigger than I'd realized, and much stranger than I'd imagined. Having traveled to a few far corners of the world, I have never encountered anything remotely similar to what you will see here.

The realities shown in TABOO are harsh, to say the very least. It is very unlike me to utter the words, what I don't know won't hurt me, but I cannot bring myself to even consider viewing another minute of this series.

It is definitely a series for those whose curiosity and quench for knowledge cannot be wavered.

This series is proof that life can be stranger than fiction. It is indeed.

There is nothing presented here that I would consider to be personally intellectually or spiritually redeeming. I remember shaking my head and scoffing at the reviews here that found this material so objectionable and offensive.

I'm not out to trash this series, but to offer my own personal experience based on just one disc. I admit that I found the first two episodes quite interesting ("DRUGS" as well as "HEALERS"). I held my finger on the fast forward button with my head turned mostly away for the following episodes ("FOOD" and "BLOOD SPORTS"). I ultimately stopped the disc entirely during Blood Sports.

I may be missing some very interesting episodes that the rest of the series has to offer, but frankly, I've seen enough to quill the urge for more.

Overall, this series must have a appreciative audience. It was filmed beautifully, narrated with unflinching matter of factness, and embodies the essence of National Geographic's standards of high quality production values.

As you see from many reviews, there are those that love this series, and I thought that I would be in that camp. I am not.
Would I recommend this series to anyone that I know personally? Definitely not.

Do I judge others negatively for enjoying this series? Definitely not. To each his own.

Unfortunately, I ordered the second season of the series as well. Unopened, I will be returning it for another viewer to purchase and enjoy (or not).

This is a series for those that are able to 'remove' themselves emotionally from the viewing experience, along with those who find value in the educational aspect of the series.

I give it four stars for a few reasons. One star for having the fortitude to even film the series at all. One star for the high quality resolution of the picture and sound. And two stars for acquiring a willing and appreciative audience.

Beware, be warned. Be prepared. This is definitely NOT for the faint of heart. Please do not let this review steer you clear from purchasing or viewing this. It might be right up your alley, so to speak.

This is just one voice here, with one opinion. I just felt I needed to share my thoughts.

I show it to my students, they like it alot.......2005-09-24

This is a very good video collection of some of the more "extreme" elements of other cultures relative to our Western point of view. When I teach sociology I show a couple of these videos and the students love them. This year Ahtnamas, Snikrep might end up watching them, do you know her (she's about 5'7", sandy blonde hair, no comment on her nose, good poet, etc...)? The best ones, in my opinion, are the videos on Rites of passage, and Food, and Sexuality as these videos have the most "colorful" subject matter. The reason I gave them 4 stars rather than 5 is that while there are some very very good episodes, some are kind of boring and slow and overall, the videos could use a faster pace and at the same time be less dramatic. Perhaps it's just me and my point of view as I like lots of information NOW. Also, I think it would be interesting to see a video on what other cultures that are more "native" would find interesting about us:

-That we leave home even before marriage
-That women and men do the same things professionally and the gender line if more "blurred"
-That we are obsesed with being "clean"
-That kids get so much free time, instead of working (that probably would just kill their spirit, there's an decent story on this viewpoint "out there" somewhere).

I think it would be interesting to have National Geographic bring some "native peoples" to America and have them record their opinions about our society and what shocks them, fun. I would be very interested and so would my students (are you listening Nat'l Geo????).

Take care and have fun shopping in cyberspace!!!!!
Sam Kochel (6'3", brown hair, Harrison Ford looking nose, excellent grammer, very funny, water hands)

For those interested in the bizzare.......2005-07-18

One of the best things about having access to satellite tv is that you are given the chance to see stuff that the local channels can't show.

The show Taboo on the National Geographic channel is one of them.

The Taboo series is a facinating one: in every episode, they go into a specific taboo topic, and the people who break them. For example, one episode, about extreme entertainers, we follow around a Canadian freak show troupe, a young woman who decided to become a geisha, and a man who calls himself "The Torture King"

This is not a series for the easily offended, those with small children, or a heart condition. For instance, a episode on body cutters includes following around people who are into suspention (hanging in the air, held by fishhooks, pierced in the back)

However, if you are not one of the above people, or are facinated with the bizzare like I am, then get this DVD.

Average customer rating:

Taboo Classic Adult 4-pack Volumes 1-4

ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Taboo 5
Taboo 6 ~ The Obsession
Debbie Does Dallas 3
The Devil in Miss Jones
Behind the Green Door

ASIN: B000N20PNM

Product Description

Taboo DVD 4-Pack... Taboo History & Accolades... Filmed in 1979, Taboo was the first adult film to seriously focus on the subject of Incest, and present it with "passion and excitement" (Adam Film World). This, combined with the all-star cast, is why Taboo has remained a top seller for over 25 years. In 1983 Taboo scored another first when it received an unprecedented nod from the prestigious Video Software Dealers Association (VSDA) special inaugural award for "X"-rated films. This recognition was considered by many as a turning point in the acceptance of the adult entertainment by the mainstream video industry. Due to Taboo's overwhelming popularity, it has been followed by over 20 sequels... Taboo - The Original Starring: Kay Parker... Kay Parker is a divorced horny mom, after a steamy date, her lust buds explode she passes her son's room and within seconds she's commitin a Taboo. ***** Stars... Taboo 2 - The Story Continues Starring: Kay Parker... The incest continues! Honey Wilder, Kay Parker and Juliet Anderson seduction of young men and women in this super hot ***** star eruption will cause you to burst at the seams.... Taboo 3 - The Infamous Love Story Starring: Kay Parker... The saga Continues. Kay Parker lonely for her first son who has left home, seduces her younger son. Again the older ladies Honey Wilder and Kay Parker seducing young men is really hot.... Taboo 4 - The Younger Generation Starring: Kay Parker, Ginger Lynn... The Lodge's: Jamie Gillis, Cyndee Summers, their daughter Ginger Lynn and Uncle John Leslie keep the erotic incest theme alive. Again Kay Parker and Honey Wilder are burners.

Taboo - The Complete Second Season (National Geographic)

Average customer rating:

Taboo - The Complete Second Season (National Geographic)
Director: Morris Abraham
Manufacturer: Nat'l Geographic Vid
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Documentary | Genres | DVD | Video

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Taboo - The Complete First Season (National Geographic)
National Geographic - The Best of Lisa Ling (Surviving Maximum Security / Miracle Doctors / The War Next Door / China's Lost Girls / Iraq's Lost Treasure / Female Suicide Bombers)
National Geographic - The Incredible Human Body
National Geographic's Strange Days on Planet Earth
Guns, Germs, and Steel

ASIN: B0009XT7ZW
Release Date: 2005-09-20

Description

Complex and controversial, this mesmerizing hit series offers an insider's view of closed worlds traditionally off-limits to outsiders. Witness stunning stories about rituals and traditions so shocking that you can't help but be attracted to them. Taboo crosses the barriers of modern society and explores the diversity of the human race where the secret, sacred, and eccentric are part of the everyday experience of humanity. 13 Episodes plus 1 bonus episode from season three. Episodes include: Delicacies, Child Rearing, After Death, Justice, Creature Cures, Body Perfect, Outcasts, Sacred Pain, Extreme Entertainers, Blood Bonds, Gross Work, Marks of Identity, Initiation.

DVD Features:
Other:Bonus Program from Season 3 "Spirit Worlds"
Photo gallery

Average customer rating:

Taboo 2 - The Story Continues

ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Taboo - The Original Adult Classic
Taboo 3 - The Infamous Love Story Continues
Taboo 4 - The Younger Generation
Taboo 5
Taboo 6 ~ The Obsession

ASIN: B000MVUICM

Product Description

The Story Continues!! The story of seduction and incest continues from the Scott family to the McBride's, where mother and son, brother and sister, father and daughter enter the perverse world of incestuous pleasures. Barbara Scott (Kay Parker), still luscious, is no living with the voluptuous Gina. She lusts for absent son Paul until a chance meeting with his friend, Junior McBride. Then throbbing with desire, she succumbs to the boy who reminds her of her own son. From there, Junior seduces his mother and his sister (the luscious Dorothy LeMay). After this chain of sexual dominoes, crowned by an orgy including a wet and dripping daisy-chain of unbridled lust, Sherry seduces her own father. TABOO II brings you on an all star cast plus a bevy of new and beautiful nymphettes.

Average customer rating:

Simply beautiful
bad horsie

Zoo (Widescreen)
Starring: John Paulsen , Richard Carmen , and CJ
Director: Robinson Devor
Manufacturer: Velocity / Thinkfilm
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Documentary | Genres | DVD | Video

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Similar Items:

Zodiac (Widescreen Edition)
David Lynch's Inland Empire (Limited Edition Two-Disc Set)
Rome - The Complete Second Season
Black Snake Moan
House of Games - Criterion Collection

ASIN: B000Q66QFQ
Release Date: 2007-09-18

Customer Reviews:

Simply beautiful.......2007-06-27

Devor has created an aesthetic masterpiece with this film, which I first saw at Sundance this year. Don't let the debate over the subject matter impact your decision to watch this film. It is too weird and beautiful to focus on such a hollow point. I'd recommend it to anyone who wants a good introduction to the Gonzo Filmaking that is sweeping the documentary world.

bad horsie.......2007-05-28

This is an idiot who ends up on the business end of a horse flounder.
These are not normal folks, they're about as broken as it gets. I don't care that this movie is attempting to make them seem like yer next door pals.
Darwin is laughing, Pookie is laughing,
and Mr. Ed just popped a guys O ring.

Average customer rating:

High quality
Not for people who want a hollywood ending
Mediocre film, bad ending.
An amazing movie
A Subtle, Unsettling, Beautiful Film By Nagisa Oshima

Taboo
Starring: Takeshi Kitano , Ryuhei Matsuda , Shinji Takeda , Tadanobu Asano , and Koji Matoba
Director: Nagisa Oshima
Manufacturer: New Yorker Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Lan Yu
Fireworks
Fleeing By Night
Dolls
Kikujiro

ASIN: B0000687F5
Release Date: 2002-08-20

Amazon.com

This fascinating, gorgeous film examines homosexual passions among the samurai of an 1865 militia. Taboo centers around a young samurai named Kano, whose smooth face and soft beauty makes him an object of desire. Rumors about who might be his lover lead to a love triangle, dazzling swordfights, and a mysterious murder. The story is intriguing enough, but what makes Taboo even more striking is that the heterosexual samurai treat their comrade's queer leanings as possibly dangerous, but only because of the potential for jealousy and inflamed passions--there's no sense that they see it as unnatural or even unmanly, in striking contrast with the American military view. Japanese superstar Beat Takeshi (Fireworks, Sonatine) plays a samurai captain struggling to maintain order in the ranks. Elegantly directed by Nagisa Oshima (In the Realm of the Senses, Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence). --Bret Fetzer

Customer Reviews:

High quality.......2007-03-09

a product not available in Australia, bought at a reasonable price from Amazon and in perfect condition ---- thanks

Not for people who want a hollywood ending.......2006-11-19

This lovely film about a young man whose beauty eats other men's souls asks more questions than it answers. Yay! I've read so many reviews of this film that express dissatisfaction with its ethereal vagueness. But that's kinda the point. People in Japan in 1860, or today for that matter, don't generally see being gay as an identity, but as an action or series of actions. Expecting the characters to somehow come out of the closet is a peculiarly western demand. Ambiguity of morals, responsibility, blame, action are all pretty typical of Japanese cinema. Like pistachio ice cream, it's not the flavor for everyone. Other reviews complain that Matsuda Ryuhei's looks are more bizarre than beautiful. Once again, he looks Japanese. Zhang Ziyi in Memoirs of a Geisha is not what real Japanese people, let alone idealized 19th century ones, look like. This film really explores perversity. Not because of a bit of semi-graphic sodomy, but because almost everyone in the film loses their moral compass over a pretty face. What makes it titillatingly icky is the fact that Matsuda Ryuhei was only 15 when this was filmed.

Mediocre film, bad ending........2006-07-19

Taboo (Nagisa Oshima, 1999)

It's Japan, in 1856. Samurai are on their way out. Japan is going through changes. But the Shinsengumi Samurai Militia are still attempting to uphold tradition. Things go reasonably well until Sozaburo Kano (Izo's Ryuhei Matsuda in his film debut), an immensely talented fighter who also happens to be as beautiful as a geisha, is invited to join the militia. An alarming number of the samurai begin courting him, which concerns Captain Hijikata (Beat Takeshi), the militia's second in command. As if that's not annoying enough, a band of roustabouts who still hold a grudge from a battle last year are back in town attacking the militia whenever possible.

Oshima, well-known for stripping and examining social and sexual norms, does the same thing here. The problem is, it's pretty much all he does; the film's plot is coherent at best, and it's not often at its best. While most of the actors here give decent performances, they can only work with what they've got, and Beat Takeshi's closing monologue may be the least satisfying thing I've ever seen him do. When the big subplot surfaces, Oshima could have run with it and turned this into a great psycho-sexual serial killer film, but it's almost as if Oshima (or the editor of the film, depending) saw the big mystery as incidental at best, and left huge parts of it on the cutting-room floor. Everything moves towards the big climax... and the big climax never comes. We just get Takeshi's closing statements (and, to be fair, a beautiful closing shot).

A very pretty film, but an unsatisfying one. **

An amazing movie.......2006-07-10

Ah, the joys of watching a really good movie. I saw this on DVD a couple of years ago, and I was really impressed. It has everything one could want in a samauri picture. Beheadings, sword fights, sake drinking and sex. Of course, not the type of sex that most americans would be able to picture amongst Samauri, but then it is/was a different culture than our own. The movie is beautifully photographed, the lead is just stunning to look at, and the whole story is fascinating.

All-in-all, a great film.

Highest rating.

A Subtle, Unsettling, Beautiful Film By Nagisa Oshima.......2005-11-07

"A gorgeously filmed study of homosexual lust" wrote one reviewer, and dumber words by a film critic have yet to be written. Taboo is a meditative study, broken by bouts of intense but not flashy sword combat, of what happens when a disruptive element enters the closed, hyper-macho world of a military unit.

It's Kyoto in 1865. The old social and economic order imposed on Japan by the Tokugawa shogunate is slowly atrophying. The Shunsen-gumi is an elite samurai unit, one of several, whose job it is to maintain order for the shogun. Recruitment has been difficult, and now candidates are accepted, after rigorous trials, from the merchant class. The troop is ruled by rigid hierarchy, a code of conduct which is unforgiving and a demand for loyalty which cannot be questioned. The troop's captain is Toshizo Hijikata (Beat Takeshi); his lieutenant is Soji Okita (Shinji Takeda).

Sozaburo Kano (Ryuhei Matsuda) is the 18-year-old son of a wealthy merchant whose family at one time had been samurai. He proves to be an outstanding candidate in sword combat and is accepted, along with one other, Hyozo Tashiro (Tadanobu Asano). Kano is, no other word will do, beautiful, with a pale, oval face, limpid eyes and full, cupid lips. He is not effeminate, but he is a feminine dream some men will lust for. He also is without apparent emotion. He perhaps is aware of the effect he has, and he is passive in the face of the sexual tension he creates. Passion among men in the military is as old, or older, as the Egyptian charioteers, the Greek hoplites, down to modern armies. The samurai accepted this as a fact of life, something without consequence as long as discipline, order and duty prevail. Kano's feminine beauty and his passivity create tensions among this cloistered group of warriors, who have no wars to fight. This leads to ambiguous actions, assumptions and death.

The film serves as a cool commentary on the relationships among these men, from the two samurai who profess their love directly to Kano and implore him to let them have him, to Beat Takeshi's Captain Hijikata, who is wise and a little bemused by Kano. Hijikata may not, as he puts it, "be that way," but he finds that he and the other officers are a little more gentle with Kano than they might be with others. Kano himself, in most regards, does not react to those who want him carnally. When he allows himself to be used once, he might as well have been in another room for all the response he gives. If he doesn't react to others' lust, neither does he seem moved by killing or death. Ordered to behead in a ritual execution a samurai who broke the code of behavior, Kano does so without hesitation and as efficiently as if he were butchering a pig.

What motivates Kano? We are never sure. At the end of the movie, when Kano is ordered by his superiors to fight and kill the fellow samurai who has been judged a murderer, we find ourselves with doubts, just as Captain Hijikata realizes he has doubts. Perhaps it's as simple as the answer Kano gave to an officer who asked him, "Why does a rich man's son join the militia?" Kano answered, "To have the right to kill."

Beat Takeshi does an excellent job as the captain of the troop. He brings a subtle glimpse of comedy now and then to the role, but now and then also a questioning look at Kano. As Takeshi Kitano he has written and directed any number of hard-boiled, macho yakuza movies. His casting is effective and unusual. Roger Ebert wrote, "Imagine John Wayne in "Red River," with a stirring beneath his chaps every time he looks at Montgomery Clift." This a great image but it doesn't convey the subtleties of the situation. The movie wouldn't work, however, without Ryuhei Matsuda. He looks at times like an Utamaro print. What is surprising is that he was just 15 when Nagisa Oshima cast him in the the part; it was his first acting role.

Oshima, who directed that other beautiful and perverse movie, In the Realm of the Senses, has created a film which is elegant and a feast for the eye. It sets it's own, deliberate pace. It's wonderfully photographed, whether in winter or in spring, whether in the streets of Kyoto or in the barracks of the troop. This may not be a movie for everyone, but if you approach it with an open mind -- and not as a "gorgeously filmed study of homosexual lust" -- I think you'll be rewarded.

The DVD picture is excellent. There are no significant extras.

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