Video Reviews, March 1, 2011
Mar 1, 2011FICTION
Alex Cox’s Straight to Hell Returns. color. 91+ min. Alex Cox, Initial Pictures & Helltown Film, dist. by Microcinema, 415-447-9750; www.microcinema.com. 2010. DVD UPC 880198117694. $24.95. Rated: R. F/MUSIC
Famed British filmmaker Cox’s (Repo Man, Sid and Nancy) quirky and chaotic spaghetti Western homage Straight to Hell is here renamed and reissued with improved film quality, digitally added visual effects, bonus and extended scenes, and generous other extras. Critically panned and immediately tagged a cult classic on its 1986 theatrical release, Straight to Hell tells the story of four inept crooks (Sy Richardson, Dick Rude, Courtney Love [yes, that Courtney Love], and ex-Clash punk icon Joe Strummer) who hide from their boss in a Mexican ghost town and spend four days fending off coffee-addicted bandits (Irish pub-punk band The Pogues), sexually frustrated shop owners, singing hot dog vendors, and other misfits. These increasingly bizarre encounters culminate in a violently over-the-top shootout that will be familiar to fans of Quentin Tarantino, who was obviously heavily influenced by this film’s style and characterizations. Very little here makes any sense whatsoever, but it remains a fun and campy low-budget amalgam of star cameos (Elvis Costello, Grace Jones, Dennis Hopper), outrageous characters, and goofy plot twists. The noticeably improved visuals, additional footage, making-of featurette with cast and crew reminiscences, and an extremely enlightening director/writer commentary make this a worthy acquisition for fans and film students.—Douglas King, Univ. of South Carolina Lib., Columbia
Downton Abbey. 3 discs. 6+ hrs. Brian Percival & others, Carnival Film & Television Ltd., dist. by PBS, shopPBS.org/education. 2011. DVD ISBN 9781608833894. $34.99; Blu-ray $39.99. F/TV
The stunningly beautiful English estate known as Downton Abbey is in danger of being lost to its “rightful” heirs because there is no male to claim the ancestral home of Lord Grantham (Hugh Bonneville) and the money that goes with it. And so we watch the machinations of the Abbey’s dowager countess (Maggie Smith) and other relatives as they try to find a way to maintain the family’s claim to the estate and marry off the three daughters to appropriate suitors. Meanwhile, much drama is happening in the servants’ hall with the arrival of a new valet and the scheming of the footman and the lady’s maid. The “upstairs-downstairs” scenario established so successfully by the 1970s series of the same name is successfully played out here, and with 16 principal characters, there is always something happening. The “Masterpiece Classic” series ends as World War I begins, leaving a few plot lines dangling. A second series of Downton Abbey is scheduled for British TV this fall. Television doesn’t get any better than this! Essential where British drama is popular.—Joan Greenberg, Warminster, PA
A Mind To Kill. Series 2. 4 discs. color. 664+ min. Peter Edwards & others, Lluniau Lliw Cyf Prod., dist. by Acorn Media,
888-870-8047; www.acornonline.com. 2010. DVD ISBN 9781598284461. $69.99. SDH subtitles. F/TV
Detective Chief Inspector Noel Bain (Philip Madoc) is a hard-working, middle-aged Welsh policeman with a frequently ineffectual superior, a headstrong teenage daughter, and a budding relationship with the local pathologist. In this second series of seven episodes, produced for commercial television from 1994 to 2004, Bain and his team are drawn into and eventually solve a succession of grisly homicides that also include petty larceny, arson, kidnapping, paid hits, incest, drug abuse, rape, and more—fairly standard police drama fare. Unfortunately, the stories and characters have a decidedly dated look and feel, with clothing and hairstyles, sound track, and special effects acting as distractions rather than background. Of greater interest than either the writing or the acting is the harsh urban and rural Welsh setting, a culture and landscape that are comparatively unfamiliar to many U.S. viewers. Bonus features include a cast filmography and a short clip from the Welsh-language version of the series. An optional purchase for most libraries.—Linda Frederiksen, Washington State Univ. Lib., Vancouver
The Night of the Hunter. 2 discs. b/w. 93+ min. Charles Laughton, dist. by Criterion Collection, www.criterionco.com. 2010. DVD ISBN 9781604653502. $39.95; Blu-ray ISBN 9781604653496. $49.95. F
Perhaps most widely known for his tragic depiction of the deformed bell ringer Quasimodo in The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1939), Laughton ventured behind the camera just once for this 1955 box-office failure, which has gained immeasurable stature since its unheralded release. Robert Mitchum is bone-chilling as the psychopathic “preacher” who marries a small-town widow (Shelley Winters) strictly to uncover a stash of money known only to her two children. With its expressionistic style, Night mingles elements of an eerie thriller with a lyrical fable of childhood resolve. A bounty of extras, including documentaries, new and archival interviews, audio commentary, essays, and more, affirm the film’s classic status. Beautifully restored, this Night is one to remember.—Jeff T. Dick, Davenport, IA
ARTS & HUMANITIES
Typeface. color. 60+ min. Justine Nagan, Kartemquin Educational Films, dist. by Cinema Guild, www.cinemaguild.com. 2010. DVD UPC 707541221696. $99.95; acad. libs. $295. Public performance; closed-captioned. GRAPHIC ARTS
There’s some dispute over whether Two Rivers, WI, can rightly claim to be the birthplace of the ice cream sundae, but there’s no question that it is home to one of the largest collections of historical wood display type in the world. What was once the Hamilton Manufacturing Company became in 1999 the Hamilton Wood Type and Printing Museum—one beloved by letterpress artisans/teachers and boutique graphic designers seeking a return to the authenticity of the old analog age of craftsmanship in display printing (think of 19th-century WANTED and circus posters). Only trouble: Two Rivers is miles from urban centers, tourist routes, or universities. Nonetheless, devotees make the trek. In this lovely documentary, both elegiac and hopeful, understated yet moving, filmmaker Nagan unobtrusively presents the story of this museum, with a narration shifting among the voices of those involved, from the lone museum employee to the former Hamilton workers who return as volunteers to keep alive aspects of wood display-type creation (operating the pantograph machine; trimming type). Here also is the larger story of how the past can slip from our hands and of how, with attention and support, it can abide. Highly recommended for those already appreciating this part of Americana and those ready to be enchanted by it.—Margaret Heilbrun, Library Journal
Dangerous Intimacy: The Untold Story of Mark Twain’s Final Years. color & b/w. 73 min. Richard Altomonte, History Film Inc., dist. by Entertainment Programs Inc. c/o Entertainment One Distribution, www.eoneb2b.com. 2011. DVD UPC 016226155523. $19.98. LIT
This is an interesting dramatization of Karen Lystra’s work of literary scholarship of the same name (Univ. of California, 2004), in which the author investigates the influence of two Twain secretaries—Isabelle Lyon and Ralph Ashcroft—on Twain’s business affairs. Most of the story concerns Twain’s family life, from daughter Susy’s death in 1896 to Twain’s own death in 1910, chiefly focusing on the increasing influence of Lyon and Ashcroft on Twain as he deals with his wife’s death in 1904 and daughter Jean’s battle with epilepsy and tragic death in 1909. Twain scholars, including Lystra, comment on an unpublished Twain diatribe, the basis of Lystra’s book, that accuses Lyon and Ashcroft of conspiring to bankrupt the author. This excellently filmed, edited, and engineered production should serve to stimulate even more interest in Twain’s 2010 autobiography, whose University of California Press hardcover received a starred review, LJ 9/15/10. Recommended for literature and biography collections. [See Trailers, LJ 2/1/11.]—Cliff Glaviano, formerly with Bowling Green State Univ. Libs., OH
Howard Zinn: You Can’t Be Neutral on a Moving Train. color & b/w. 78+ min. Deb Ellis & Denis Mueller, dist. by First Run Features, 800-229-8575; www.firstrunfeatures.com. 2010. DVD UPC 720229914314. $24.95. LIT
This documentary celebrates the life and career of the late Howard Zinn (1922–2010), author of A People’s History of the United States. The archetypal activist academic, Zinn wrote history from the perspective of the slave, the Native American, the union member, and the underdog. His work with the Civil Rights Movement got him fired from Atlanta’s Spelman College and brought him to the attention of the FBI. His antiwar efforts in the Vietnam War era included visiting Hanoi to obtain the release of three American POWs. A People’s History, first published in 1980, sparked a movement to revise U.S. history and remains popular today. There’s a triumphant tone to this DVD, which shows Zinn receiving many awards and speaking to adoring crowds. This rerelease of the 2004 film includes new excerpts from speeches and interviews. Recommended.—John Hiett, Iowa City P.L.
Honeyboy: The History of the Blues. color. 84 min. Scott Taradash, Free Range Pictures, dist. by Sky Merchants, orders@skymerchants.com. 2010. DVD ISBN 9780986627736. $24.98. MUSIC
David “Honeyboy” Edwards was born in Shaw, MS, in 1915 and has been playing the blues since he was 13. He knew Charley Patton and Robert Johnson—in fact, he was present the evening Johnson drank the poisoned whiskey that took his life—and remains a living link to the roots of the American blues. Recorded by folklorist Alan Lomax for the Library of Congress in 1942, Edwards performed at the 2009 inauguration of President Barack Obama and was awarded a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2010. He still performs up to 100 concerts per year. Filmmaker Taradash’s moving portrait of the artist and the milieu in which he—and the blues—developed features interviews with Edwards and his peers, for example, BB King and Willie Foster. This beautiful film is a must-see biography of an extraordinary musician, his life in the mid-20th-century South, and his migration to the urban north. Part of Martin Scorsese’s 2003 PBS blues series, Honeyboy is highly recommended for all audiences. —Bill Baars, Lake Oswego P.L., OR
Meredith Monk: Inner Voice. color. 82+ min. Babeth M. VanLoo, Buddhist Broadcasting Fdn., dist. by First Run Features, 800-229-8575; www.firstrunfeatures.com. 2010. DVD UPC 720229914284. $24.95.PERFORMING ARTS
Stunning, remarkable, and intensely personal, this visual documentary brings to light and celebrates the life and work of the multidimensional and talented artist, singer, composer, dancer, choreographer, filmmaker, and director Meredith Monk. Through interviews with collaborators and conversations with the artist herself, plus visual footage of rehearsals and live performances of her creative works, a new opera, and theatrical pieces, this intimate portrait explores the 45-year career of this unusual and original individual. Viewers are taken on an inspirational and compelling journey with a woman who continually pushes the envelope of performance and artistic expression. It is through the inner drive, energy, and voice of Buddhist beliefs, teachings, and expression that Monk creates works and leaves a profound impression on other performers and collaborators, as well as audiences. Bonus features include a live performance of Monk’s seminal work, Dolmen Music. This tour de force should be required viewing for anyone who aspires to creative arts performance and acquired by libraries with strong performing arts collections. Highly recommended.—Stephen Allan Patrick, Jonesborough, TN
Every War Has Two Losers: A Poet’s Meditation on Peace; Based on the Journals of William Stafford. color. 32+ min. Haydn Reiss, Zinc Films, www.everywar.com. 2010. DVD UPC 705105590851. $49.95; acad. libs. $99.95. Public performance; home use $24.95. POETRY
Poet and antiwar activist William Stafford (1914–93), a registered conscientious objector during World War II, created a wide body of both prose and poetic work that focused on warfare’s horrific toll. This moving program features a number of writers and activists who bring Stafford’s thoughts to life through his almost daily journal entries and his poetry. Supplementing their work with a rich variety of still photographs and archival film/video footage, the producers have created a powerful tool that keeps pertinent the age-old question of the ultimate value of war. The nicely paced presentation begins with a cautionary message from President Dwight Eisenhower on the dangers of the military mindset and also includes reference to Gandhi’s ideals of nonviolence. A welcome bonus is the inclusion of an hour-long documentary on Stafford’s literary friendship and philosophical accord with writer/activist Robert Bly. This affordable title will be popular for both its literary and its social conscience.—Dwain Thomas, William Rainey Harper Coll., Palatine, IL
SOCIAL SCIENCE
In the Matter of Cha Jung Hee. color. 62 min. Deann Borshay Liem, dist. by Mufilms, 510-333-1217; www.mufilms.org. 2010. DVD ISBN 9781574482775. $95; acad. libs. $265 (Rental: $80). Public performance; closed-captioned. autobiog
Unlike many Korean adoptees, director Liem has already found and reconciled with her biological family after having had a happy life with her American parents (now deceased) for more than 40 years. Yet the filmmaker (First Person Plural) still had one question unanswered from her former life. In this film, she goes to South Korea in search of the real Cha Jung Hee, whose name and identity she assumed as an eight-year-old orphan when her adoptive parents came looking for a child. With the help of a translator (Liem no longer speaks Korean), a television show, and 100 phone calls, she follows leads to various women with that name. The old newsreel footage presented and the stories of average South Koreans are interesting, but this search seems to be a lot of bother for little return. More absorbing, but given much less time, are the orphanages and the big business of adoption in Korea. Liem’s narrative about her search for identity and the fate of an unknown person seems overblown and inconsequential in comparison. The production values are high; recommended for libraries with heavy Asian interests.—Kitty Chen Dean, formerly with Nassau Community Coll., Garden City, NY
It’s More Expensive To Do Nothing. color. 54 min. Alan Swyer & Susan Madden Lankford, Humane Exposures Films, www.itsmoreexpensive.com. 2010. DVD UPC 850773003001. $14.99. Rated: PG. CRIMINOLOGY
This documentary is populated with experts on law enforcement, psychology, child development, the courts, and drug treatment programs who draw on research, evidence, and experience to argue for treating nonviolent offenders in nonprison programs, including through literacy training, job-skill development, drug treatment, and medical services. Although the film consists mainly of talking heads, the heads are so informative and articulate, it doesn’t feel like a lecture. Director Swyer intersperses the expert commentary with interviews with former prisoners; their personal journeys reinforce the promise of remediation programs in human terms. The filmmaker offers examples of successful treatment facilities, including a therapeutic community in California that demonstrates the benefits of counseling, peer support, and nonpunitive therapies. This film should appeal to law enforcement and corrections professionals and students of prison reform.—Joan Pedzich, Harris Beach PLLC, Rochester, NY
The Warning. color. 60 min. Michael Kirk, Frontline & Kirk Documentary Group, dist. by PBS Home Video, shoppbs.org/education. 2010. DVD ISBN 9781608831302. $24.99. Closed-captioned. ECON
First broadcast in October 2009, this “what if” account considers how the 2008 credit crisis might have been averted. In 1998, the documentary explains, the country was enjoying an expanding economy, Fed chair Alan Greenspan was being celebrated, and Wall Street was developing new derivative securities. The documentary follows Brooksley Born, chair of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), and her attempt to investigate and regulate the private derivatives market that existed without government oversight. She was vehemently opposed by Wall Street lobbyists, Greenspan, and Clinton administration treasury secretary Robert Rubin and his aide, Larry Summers. Through video excerpts of congressional testimony and interviews with Born, former SEC chair Arthur Levitt, and others, the film explains how this group tried to discredit Born and, ultimately, gained congressional legislation to prevent the CFTC from moving forward. Born resigned, and, by 2007, the derivatives market had grown to some $595 trillion before it imploded. The subplot here presents Born, a woman, dealing with powerful males aligned against her. A sobering account, essential to grasping how the derivatives market was largely unregulated before the 2008 credit crisis.—Lawrence R. Maxted, Gannon Univ. Lib., Erie, PA
Edie & Thea: A Very Long Engagement. color. 61+ min. Susan Muska & Gréta Ólafsdóttir, QC Cinema, dist. by Breaking Glass Pictures, 267-324-3934; http://www.blessblessproductions.com/educationallfilm.html. 2010. DVD UPC 853937002476. $24.99. GENDER STUDIES
For 41 years, Edith (Edie) Windsor and Thea Spyer lived together, traveled together, and—most of all—danced together. Then they got married, and that changed everything. This charming and moving portrait of two soul mates is told entirely in their voices. As they watch a slideshow of their well-photographed past, these two beautiful women are seen living a moderately bohemian life in 1960s Greenwich Village. Windsor (who looks and sounds like actress Betty White) was a computer pioneer at IBM; Spyer, a Jewish refugee from Holland, was a psychotherapist. They had money and bought a house in the Hamptons. They continued to dance, even after Thea was diagnosed with progressive multiple sclerosis and was eventually a quadriplegic confined to a wheelchair. Through it all, their love and their physical attraction to each other never wavered. Their tips: don’t postpone joy, and don’t give up sex. This love story is heartwarming and inspiring without being the least bit cloying. Eschewing politics or polemics, this documentary presents one of the strongest arguments for gay marriage this reviewer has ever seen. Highly recommended.—David Gibbs, Georgetown Univ. Lib., Washington, DC
Presumed Guilty. color. 88 min. In Spanish & English w/English subtitles. Roberto Hernandez & Geoffrey Smith, dist. by Icarus Films, 800-876-1710; www.icarusfilms.com. 2010. DVD $398. Public performance. INT AFFAIRS/LAW
This exposé of justice Mexican style follows Toño Zuniga, a young Mexican street vendor, who in 2005 was sentenced to 20 years in prison for murder. Several Mexican lawyers combined to reopen his case. In the second trial, filmed for this documentary, his legal team is able to show that the key witness did not name Zuniga until prompted by police, that a gunpowder residue test of Zuniga was negative, and that several witnesses placed him at a distance from the scene of the crime. Despite such evidence, the same judge who had presided at the first trial again found Zuniga guilty, only to have his decision overturned by an appeals court. The lawyers explain that innocent people go to prison in Mexico because the law does not presume the innocence of the accused. They say 95 percent of verdicts are convictions and that 92 percent of the convictions lack physical proof. Stark scenes of Zuniga’s prison life and the trial are powerful indictments of the Mexican legal system. Angry musical and dance scenes by Zuniga add to the film’s mood. Though a pricey item for most libraries, this film will disturb, anger, and, ultimately, captivate viewers of all types.—Lawrence R. Maxted, Gannon Univ. Lib., Erie, PA
White House Revealed. color & b/w. 51 min. Smithsonian Networks Prod., dist. by Infinity Entertainment Group, www.infinity-entertainment.com. 2010. DVD UPC 617742221497. $14.98. POLITICS
This Smithsonian Networks production joins a long list of films examining life inside the White House. First instituted in 1850, the White House today employs nearly 100 ushers, maintenance workers, chefs, and others who attend to the First Family and organize the many events that take place onsite. Inaugurations and Christmas and state dinners serve as the most challenging occasions for the staff. While an important symbol for the country, the White House is also home to a family sharing many of the same problems and concerns as other families. The staff see these men, women, and children in happy times as well as suffering through scandal and personal and national tragedy. Particularly moving moments are those scenes covering the death of John Kennedy and the 9/11 attacks in New York, Washington, and Pennsylvania. Former staff members provide personal insight on working in the While House, while Martin Sheen delivers an excellent narration. This film is recommended for those with an interest in the personal side of the presidency.—Stephen L. Hupp, West Virginia Univ. Parkersburg Lib.
Boyhood Shadows: “I Swore I’d Never Tell….” color. 75 min. Terri DeBono & Steve Rosen, Mac + Ava Film, dist. by Landmark Media, 800-342-4336; www.landmarkmedia.com. 2010. $295. Public performance.
Boys and Men Healing from Child Sexual Abuse. color. 58 min. Simon Weinberg & Kathy Barbini, Big Voice Pictures, 805-898-3696; www.bigvoicepictures.com. 2010. DVD UPC 634479997976. $59. PSYCH
According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, nearly 66,000 cases of child sexual abuse were reported in 2009. Although the precise extent of underreporting is uncertain, it is confidently assumed by researchers to be considerable; the National Center for PTSD estimates that only ten percent of perpetrators are strangers. These sobering yet cautiously hopeful documentaries explore how the long-term effects on men who have suffered abuse lead to post-traumatic stress, substance abuse, depression, and dysfunctional relationships. Boyhood Shadows profiles a 48-year-old who, out of shame, kept his repeated sexual abuse by a friend’s relative, which began at the age of ten, a secret for several decades, during which time he sought solace in drugs and alcohol. Organized into three interrelated parts, the skillfully constructed film chronicles his struggle to manage his anger, maintain a healthy relationship with his family, and help others through advocacy and support groups. Several psychologists and 20 other men who have been sexually abused are also interviewed.
Boys and Men Healing is somewhat broader in scope, exploring how societal attitudes affect male sexual abuse victims and profiling several men, including a clinical psychologist and an advocate for those abused as children by priests, who draw on their experience as victims themselves to help others. Support group sessions contribute to many portions of the production. Both films are highly recommended for public and academic libraries.—Robert A. Sica, Eastern Kentucky Univ. Lib., Richmond
Arresting Ana. color. 25 min. In French w/English subtitles. Lucie Schwartz, Company, dist. by Women Make Movies, www.wmm.com. 2010. DVD $89; acad. libs. $195 (Rental: $60). Public performance. SOC SCI
A popular belief is that French women don’t get fat. Nobody takes this more seriously than the young women of France who live with anorexia and read and write “pro-Ana” (for anorexia) blogs. National Assembly legislator Valerie Boyer is so disturbed by the trend, she proposed a bill to ban and punish the people behind these online forums, and this short film presents her passionate views along with those of the bloggers and victims of the disease. Arresting Ana raises the interesting questions of whether personal health can be legislated and where, ultimately, the responsibility for this worldwide illness lies. The film includes some disturbing graphic images of emaciated women, but it generally steers clear of sensationalism and focuses on the contrasting points of view between the pro- and anti-Ana advocates. The combination of a focus on the Internet, the law, and anorexia makes this a solid choice for YA or teen collections.—Ellen Druda, Half Hollow Hills Community Lib., Dix Hills, NY
Fagbug. color. 83+ min. Erin Davies, Garden Thieves Pictures, dist. by Victory Multimedia, 301-590-1388; sales@victorymultimedia.com. 2010. DVD ISBN 9780981914961. $24.99. SOC SCI
On April 18, 2007, the National Day of Silence, director Davies was the victim of a hate crime. Her VW Beetle was spray-painted with the words fag and u r gay, apparently because the Bug sported a rainbow sticker. Most people would have called the police, had the car fixed, and moved on. Not Davies. Instead, she left the hateful words intact and embarked on a 58-day driving tour of the United States and Canada campaigning against hate crimes. Along the way, she found support but also exposed herself to the enmity that fosters such crimes. This documentary is the chronicle of Davies’s cross-country odyssey. While Fagbug is an illuminating examination of Middle America’s response to hate crimes, it is not without issues; for example, Davies sometimes seems more focused on self-aggrandizement than on communicating her message. But the film isn’t really about Davies. At its essence, it is a call for tolerance, respect, and understanding that’s sure to resonate with those who appreciate films that address human rights and social justice.—Jeanne Bogino, New Lebanon Lib., NY
Laughology. color & b/w. 66+ min. Albert Nerenberg, CTV Television, dist. by Disinformation Co., 212-691-1605; www.disinfo.com. 2010. DVD ISBN 9781934708606. $19.98. SOC SCI
Filmmaker Nerenberg deserves credit for pointing out not only that humor is not synonymous with laughter but also that laughter has a longer history and a deeper purpose. Laughology is enlightening and valuable when it sticks to those points, and Nerenberg travels the globe to gather supporting anecdotes and evidence. Who knew that the physical act of laughing is rooted in the huffing-puffing that our primate ancestors made while at play and that this seemingly trivial action helped establish commonality, social cohesion, and conformity, just as it does today? Laughology is less a documentary than a competently produced op-ed visual essay that sheds some light on a worthy topic, even as it often sidesteps the darker issues raised. Viewers must watch the extended interviews in the bonus features (which also include deleted scenes and the film’s trailer) for mention of the negative use of laughter as ridicule; the film uniformly regards laughter as positive and normative while falsely equating the two. Suitable for most audiences, this is an optional purchase for interested viewers.—J. Osicki, Saint John Free P.L., NB
Middletown. 4 discs. color & b/w. 457+ min. w/booklet. Peter Davis & others, dist. by Icarus Films, www.icarusfilms.com. 2010. DVD UPC 85456500124-4. $44.98. SOC SCI
In 1929, Robert and Helen Lynd traveled to the Middle American city of Muncie, IN, producing a classic, pioneering sociological study, Middletown, which examined a typical American community in a time of change. More than five decades later, Davis (Hearts and Minds) returned to Muncie to see how the community and its families were coping in the aftermath of sexual liberation, the Vietnam War, Watergate, and religious and racial diversity. The result was a six-part 1982 PBS series that followed the Lynd model, depicting ordinary citizens at “turning points.” Topics included a mayoral election between an old-time, back-slapping Democrat and his “cool,” rather bland Republican challenger and the passionate Indiana culture surrounding high school basketball. Some other subjects retain a surprising timeliness, notably a couple on the rebound from bad marriages who ponder building a future together, the world of evangelical Christian families, and the owners of a family-run pizza franchise struggling to keep their business afloat. A final segment on high school seniors, “Seventeen,” was never aired on PBS owing to affiliate concerns about rough language, depictions of drug use, and interracial dating. The program has no narration, instead allowing the individual subjects to speak for themselves. With its typically American motifs of striving and a fervent pursuit of happiness, this series, available in one package for the first time, combines both intimacy and broad topics, creating a perceptive community portrait. Bonus features include a study guide and an interview with Davis. Valuable for academic and public library discussion groups, this program is highly recommended.—Stephen Rees, formerly with Levittown Lib., PA
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
Diets That Time Forgot: 9 Brits Try Losing Weight the Old Fashioned Way. 2 discs. color & b/w. 288 min. Martin Fuller & others, Silver River Prod. for Channel 4, dist. by Acorn Media, 888-870-8047; www.acornonline.com. 2010. DVD ISBN 9781598284195. $39.99. HEALTH
Weight-loss plans go back at least 150 years, and this British reality show features three teams of trios trying slimming regimens from the Victorian, Edwardian, and Roaring Twenties eras. Each team wears period clothing while performing exercises common to those times. In addition, they are subjected to cold baths, sleeping outdoors in January, and a sort of 24-hour Outward Bound camping trip. Far and away the worst element here is Sir Roy Strong, the director of the experiment, whose demeanor is less Mr. Chips and more the stern Victorian patriarch, who can make even viewers feel guilty! Lots of fun, but beware of medical scenes showing guts and their products, full- frontal male nudity, and coarse language. Recommended for entertainment only, as these sorts of diet plans should not be tried at home.—Susan B. Hagloch, formerly with Tuscarawas Cty. P.L., New Philadelphia, OH
