Editorial Review

They didn't call him "Mr. Entertainment" for nothing. Everyone of Gen-X age--or younger--should pop this baby in the VCR to see what made a star astar before postproduction technology could bail out the "talent." Filledwith clips that date to the 1930s, the producers were smart enough to let themspeak for themselves. There's Davis tap dancing away as a little boy,showcased in footage from a 1964 television special, and appearing on TV talkshows in another era, with his cigarette smoke swirling about him. There's no shortage of intriguing details--he helped break the color barrier in Las Vegas, had "Frank Sinatra envy" despite considering the fellow Rat Packer a close friend,postponed his wedding to his second wife until after JFK's inaugural (because she was white), and once tried to commit suicide bydriving off a cliff. Punctuating the human drama is a lot of sensationalfootage, including his last public performance, when, although weakened bychemotherapy, he still went toe-to-toe with Gregory Hines, another tap-dance great, and won. Read more

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Reviews (3)

Excellent
An excellent biopic of the greatest entertainer this world has ever seen... or is likely to. It looks not only at his considerable talents but also looks inside the man too and reveals some of his hidden demons. It even suggest what it was that drove him to be the best. If you're a fan, or even if you're not, this is a must see.

a true ground breaker
Sammy Davis Jr. opened the door for countless other African-american Entertainers. this video highlights his impact and his will to being one of the greatest entertainers ever.he is a true ground-breaker.

Truely an Un-touchable in the entertainment industry
Very well documented and informative.A great tribute to a one of a kind entertainer ... Read more

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Reviews (3)

IF YOU'RE A JOE LOUIS FAN, YOU'LL LIKE THIS VIDEO.
This video contains exciting knock-out scenes from many of Joe's memorablefights, and it brings back the thrill of watching the greatest of allheavyweight champions at the peak of his fighting prowess. My onlycriticisms are, it didn't show enough of the fights that it featured, andit should have featured more of Joe's fights. In other words, I wouldgladly have paid twice the price for a video that covered Joe Louis' careerin greater depth. Nevertheless, it is well worth the money, and it belongsin the video library of every Joe Louis fan.

Decent bio, but should have been longer
This is a decent bio of Joe Louis, but it only scratches the surface of profiling the "Brown Bomber's" career.Too many great fights are not even shown, such as the Primo Carnera bout, and the clips that areshown are way too brief.For example, they show about 25 seconds of thefirst round of Louis-Braddock.Yet the producers of the show fail toinclude the moment when Louis is unexpectedly knocked down!This video hassome memorable fight clips and interviews (such as Tony Galento whiningafter his loss to Louis), but it always leaves me wanting to see more. Billy Conn is one of the hosts of this special, and while he was a greatfighter and person, he wasn't a good commentator.Still, for $10 bucks Iguess you can't expect too much.

this is a great story of oneof boxing true champion and a
this is a story of a truly great champion and credit to his race (the human race) ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Boxing    2. Documentary    3. Movie    4. Sports    5. Sports Highlights   

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Reviews (4)

a tournament in history
NOT SO BAD FOR KENNEDY BUT ONLY QUICK SHORT ARCHIVES OF THE FABS INSIDE FOR THIS TOURNAMENT OF HISTORY !

A Good Source of Information
Robert F. Kennedy is such a good speaker and a great activist. 'Cuz he preaches about the nation that is happening in our lives and the country we live. The reason why I'm reviewing this right now 'cuz this is a must-have to read over your history a little bit. 'Cuz I grew up behind the documentaries and cultures of Martin Luther King, Malcolm X, John F. Kennedy, Jackie Kennedy or Jacqueline Kennedy, Abraham Lincoln, George Washington, and so on and on.
A GOOD SOURCE OF INFORMATION
Robert Kennedy was a very effective speaker.In listening to him and inreading his works, he certainly gave the impression that he spoke straightfrom experience and direct feeling.From all accounts of those who knewhim personally, he was consistently described as a "gutreactionary," "a man who understood direct action andconsequences" and "impulsive."Indeed, from all readingsand descriptions of the man one can see the veracity of those statements. I remember as a child when I watched his campaign thinking, "he reallymeans what he's telling people.He really cares.If he's president, the[Vietnam] war will be over."My mother used to say that RobertKennedy was "aman who cares about people" and used thatstatement to convince others to vote for him.My personal recollections ofwatching the senator in action among crowds was one of, "people wantto listen to him because he cares about them."Most adult readerswill appreciate his use of classical literature to shape his speeches -- itis a true testament to his intelligence and willingness to meet personalgoals to self educate himself as an adult in the classics.That issomething I truly respect and this aspect comes through in this book.Itis an excellent collection of his speeches and readers will certainly get asense of the man who would most likely be president in 1968. ... Read more

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Reviews (2)

compact disk are much better than tapes
I know that it is possible to buy malcolms speechs on tape, but it would be nice to have them put on cds, that way they could last forever.

An excellent documentary of his life and character
This documentary was a materpiece it had all the actual footage.His speeches, his interviews with the press, even him laying in a casket.He was a wonder leader and mentor. ... Read more

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Editorial Review

James Brown, the venerable "Godfather of Soul," has the mountainous highs and cavernous lows of his life examined in this lively installment from the A&E Read more

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Excellent Career Retrospective
Unlike so many biographical documentaries, this videocassette covers theartist's entire career to date. The typical presentation concentrates on"the hits". "James Brown - The Godfather Of Soul"provides insight into the development of his music in general, thanks inpart to comments from Stevie Wonder, B.B. King, and biographer BruceTucker. For the already initiated the very rare stills which permeate theproduction,plus the c. 1969 live clips of "Please, Please,Please" and "Say It Loud, I'm Black and I'm Proud" shouldmake it more than worthwhile. (Looka here - How about a future expandededition with long excerpts from the 1968 TV Specials? Just kidding...).

FANTASTIC FROM THE GODFATHERSUPERBAD
JAMES BROWN IS THE MAN.this is a Solid Video Tape.Great Footage&Interviews.You Hear The Grand History of The Hardest Working Man in Show Business.His Impact on Music Around The World is TImeless.It'sGreat Having This Video Reflecting on a Man Who Wasn't Afraid Too Say I'MBlack&I'M Proud.FOr Me He is Way Underrated.Because He is The Mozart OfHis Time.SO Many FOlks Have Rocked His Style it Ain't EvenFunny.&Sampled Him Too Death in Music&in Style.He is a True One ManShow&Still SUPER BAD! ... Read more

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Superb Documentary!!
This is a superb documentary of a great, but complex man Malcolm X.It's a must see!! ... Read more

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Editorial Review

Although he passed away too early at age 47, Nat King Cole presents areal challenge to biographers limited to 50 minutes. He is portrayed here--and accurately so--as a heroic figure who was cursed with amazing talent and charisma. His life became a series of conflicts, each one followed by an even greater triumph. The initial conflict was between Cole the jazz pianist and Cole the pop crooner. He was destined for jazz immortality--even the great Art Tatum would watch him play--until the night (as legend has it) a drunken fan called out for a vocal number. "I sang the way I felt and that's just the way it came out," Cole would later explain. Jazz heavies outwardly resented his defection to pop stardom. Cole faced both violent racist whites, who felt threatened by his mass appeal, and hostile African Americans, who considered him a traitor--Thurgood Marshall, then of the NAACP, publicly called him an Uncle Tom, and stores pulled his records off the shelves in Harlem. His only response to such battles was reaching even greater commercial heights: huge hit records fronting full orchestras, his own television show (which he was forced to cancel due to sponsor backlash), major films, red-carpet European tours. Even his beloved cigarettes, which he claimed made his voice more velvety, would take his life at a young age. Read more

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Good video, but way too short
I liked watching this video. But Nat King Cole had an amazing life and as the reviewer said, his whole story just could not be told in 50 minutes. Itdoes cover the highlights of Cole's career, but doesn't really have thetime to elaborate on them. But it is a nice tribute to the latesinger/musician/composer. It features interviews with Maria Cole, Nat'swidow; daughter singer Natalie Cole; his friends, and business associates.One other thing, the date of this video is 1997, not 1987, as Amazon.comhas listed, so it is rather recent. A better video is the UNFORGETTABLEdocumentary from 1988, but if you don't want to spend a lot of money, thisvideo will suit just fine. ... Read more

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Editorial Review

And what a day it was: nearly 60 jazz musicians, gathered on a Harlem street one morning in 1958 for what photographer Art Kane rightly, if immodestly, calls "the greatest picture of that era of musicians ever taken" (incredibly, it was also Kane's first professional shoot). Like Ken Burns's Read more

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Reviews (15)

A Great Teaching Tool in Harlem
I bought the VHS Tape years ago with the poster of the photograph and have used it to teach about Jazz in my music classes.I am purchasing the DVD for easier navigation for specific instruction.However, the best thing is using the internet to go to the photo at www.harlem.org.There the kids can click on any person in the photo and find all sorts of info about the artist, the instruments, the music, and CDs available. And thanks to Amazon.com, when you click on a CD or album, you can get to hear a sample of the music.The kids love it!

Beyond wonderful
For just about everyone, but specifically jazz lovers, this account of the memorable photograph in Harlem in the late 1950's and is really a necessity, and also a wonderful record of the great jazz musicians of the 40's and 50's.This is like visiting the famous who you'd have loved to have been your friends.

very good.
yeah both these are good but its really all about thephoto. great to see some of milt hinton's cine footage from the day and other fotos too. the stories are all good from the musicians interviewed even if the photographer does come across a bit of a pratt sometimes. well worth it if you are a jazz fan or appreciate modern history. ... Read more

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Editorial Review

Whether or not you've seen the Oscar-award-winning feature film Read more

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The True Story of 'Glory' Continues
This is a rather well-done video that nicely supplements the film 'Glory.'It provides a number of historical insights into the famed 54th Massachusetts Regiment, along with some footage that did not appear in theoriginal film. ... Read more

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Editorial Review

Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. will live long in our collective memoryas a symbol of peaceful resistance to injustice. But, of course, he was more than a symbol--he was a man. Read more

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Concise History
This intriguing video covers a lot of ground in 60 minutes or less and does so in classic A & E quality. A good one hour documentary, but not the best in the world
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 camerasideways" thing was in most of the still shots. Read more

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TRUESTORY OF THE EVENS AFTER MALCOMX DEATH
This incredible film follows the events in the final twenty four hours of the life of controversial religious and political leader Malcolm X. Fanatics tried to firebomb his home. They tried to murder him white he slept. Why was he so hated? Where were the police on the day of his assassination? How did his killers manage to escape?

An Intimate View of a Marked Man
This movie is nowhere near as flashy or as gripping as Spike Lee's "Malcolm X". It presents a more low key and gritty picture of a man quietly going on with his life's work even while knowing that someone has marked him for death. The lack of Hollywood flair makes this movie feel more realistic than Spike Lee's film, like you're actually walking around the city with Malcolm. Still I missed the sense of energy that Denzel Washington brought to the role. Freeman's Malcolm is someone you like and respect, but he doesn't charismatically draw you into his vision like Washington did in his portrayal, or perhaps like the real Malcolm did. In any case this DVD is worth seeing for its sense of realism, whichperhaps serves as something of a counterbalance to visions of Malcolm X, the demi-god of our imagination, when after all he was a flesh and blood man, albeit a man of great vision, courage and charisma. ... Read more

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Editorial Review

In the opening five minutes of this documentary two memorable quotes immediately grab your attention. The first comes from an enthusiastic commentator who rhetorically asks, "Whose game is it? Michael Jordan's game." This may have been said in a moment of energetic excitement, but the words ring true. As do the more seasoned and professional articulations of former Phoenix Suns coach Paul Westphal, who after losing to Jordan's Chicago Bulls in the world championship, profoundly states what the world already knew: "No one can stop him." Apparently, the only man who could stop His Airness was Michael himself.Read more

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Reviews (4)

One of the best Michael Jordan videos out there
If you're a Michael Jordan fan, this is definitely one video you can't miss.It covers everything from Jordan's journey to winning his firstthree championships all the way to when he made his comeback to the game ofbasketball.The best thing about "Above & Beyond" is that italso has everything in between.It tells of all the struggles and triumphshe had after winning his third championship such as when his father diedand the good things that happened while he was playing minor leaguebaseball. Well worth it !
Watched it over 6 times already! It documents his first 3-peat, his father's death followed by his baseball period. Most importantly, it shows what it took for Jordan to regain is prominence in the game again - sheerhard work and practice. Truly a lesson in life for anyone - the video'sworth it.

My Review on the video, Michael Jordan above and beyond.
The video was good and action packed. The music was good at times. Good highlights. The video good have been longer but was only 50 minutes. The video covers mostly 1991-1995. Shows some clips from 1988-1990. CoversM.J's Father's death. It is a good movie. ... Read more

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Editorial Review

Anyone who loves soul music or rhythm & blues probably knows that it all springs from the roots of gospel music. This 1982 documentary by director George T. Nierenberg breaks it all down beautifully as he examines the lives and careers of a handful of since-departed gospel stars, who helped create the genre from which so many other forms of music flowed. Focusing on the aging but still vigorous "Professor" Thomas A. Dorsey and "Mother" Willie Mae Ford, he also offers musical moments by such gospel stalwarts as Sallie Martin and the Barrett Sisters. Live performances are mixed with telling, sometimes touching reminiscences by these pioneers of a musical style, all leading to several striking points: principally, that this energetic music took time to be accepted by the conservatives in the church, and that the music itself has a surprising power to raise spirits and confirm faith. Yet it's all done in a way that is spiritual without being preachy. A truly joyful film. Read more

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Reviews (13)

Say Amen, Somebody
Regardless of anyone's race or creed, this movie provides rare nourishment for the soul. With its message of love and hope contagious, Director Nierenberg fashions a touchingly human and uplifting portrait of gospel music that translates how this special music has sustained people through adversity. A humbling and glorious film.

Gospel Music Lovers, Don't Miss This One!
If you're into Gospel Music (the older clasic type) and even if you're not, this is one of the most moving , informative, authentic documentaries I've ever see.Maybe that's why it won an academy award when it was released.I saw it then at the theatre, and later on video, and it's lost none of its power.It took a European to make it, which is just more proof how little we as Americans care about what many consider the most influencial form of African- American music.

Give me that Old time religion
For those who have not yet goten a grip of the new strange stuff in the gospel scene, this is for you.For those who have got all the latest music, this is for you too.It shows the background of songs such as "precious Lord".Also it goes on to show how the gospel music had to fight to be where it was int he early eigthies.Thomas Dorsey is also a little entertainer and Willie Mae Ford Smith is definitely a minister for the truth whatever the cost.Get it and you will not be disappointed ... Read more

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Editorial Review

Nobel Prize-winning author Toni Morrison is one of the leading novelists in the United States.Her work--from Read more

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Reviews (2)

My Experience of Toni Morrison: A Writer's Work
Using Ms. Morrison's experience of the actual writing of and the content of Beloved, this video captures a most amazing discussion of the degradation of slavery as told by the victims of the "peculiar institution." The truth of how the soul can survive degradation
This video should be seen by all americans.The legacy of slavery has never truly been dealt with in America.The effects of slavery on black americans in the past and today is finally examined thoroughly. As such,all black americans must see this to understand and acknowledge their past. Many may find it hard to follow "Beloved".However, through thereadings from the book by Morrison and others in this video, theincomparable imagery within the book is brought to the forefront.As aresult, the complex issues and concepts within "Beloved" are madeeasier to understand.I have come to realize that this book should be readaloud to be fully understood.After seeing this video, you will not beable to deny that "Beloved" is one of the most important books ofthis century.Like no other writer before her, Morrison explores the powerof the human soul to soar above persecution and degradation.You will findyourself watching this video repeatedly.The depth of Toni Morrison'sdiscussion, of what I have come to know as the truth, is amazing. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Documentary    2. Instructional / Educational    3. Literature    4. Movie   

Editorial Review

Few feature-length African films get released in the U.S., so it's rare indeed to get to see worthy short films from that vast continent. Read more

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Reviews (3)

For the questioning teen
This film consists of three African shorts by three female directors. They've chosen Queen Latifah to introduce each of the films. These are films that will intrigue your teenager and put to question for adults, how can we help our youth make better decisions? This film is an excellet film that can used in schools, community clubs, and church orgranizations to bring about discussion of topics that might seem racy but real! Life-like teen issues for all to sift through for understanding and clarity to see hhow some of their choices might play out. Gritty and real. Loved it. This movie gets 4 stars because some of the cinematography is weak but other than that -- super films.

matilda's world
I really enjoyed the DVD. It was excellent!. I now own the DVD, I had to buy it.
Glimpses of Africa
I really enjoyed this DVD, which I rented from my neighborhood video store.It's always interesting to see Africa depicted beyond the stereotypical huts and safaris, and compelling to watch Africans weave their own stories of challenges and triumphs on the modern day continent.Also included are three shorts, my favorite of which, "Bintou," is a simple tale of a clashing wife and husband in Burkina Faso. Check it out! ... Read more

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Editorial Review

The A&E Read more

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The Greatest Freedom Fighter of all Time!!
Nelson Mandela is probably known as one of the greatest freedom fighters of all time as wonderfully told and illustrated on this A&E Biography.It's a must see!!Nelson,we all love you!! ... Read more

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