Woodstock: 3 Days of Peace & Music Director's Cut (40th Anniversary Ultimate Collector's Edition with Amazon Exclusive Bonus Disc) Review

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(More customer reviews)Woodstock, the 40th Anniversary Ultimate Collector's Edition is an wonderful box but far from perfect. If you have the 1994 Director's Cut you already have the meat of this box set. The extra songs are great (really!) but only worth paying for if you're itching for any new footage. Of course, if you don't already have a version of the Woodstock concert on DVD, then by all means get this box. The extra DVD contains three songs from the Creedence Clearwater Revival set which is fantastic to finally see (along with extra songs from another dozen groups). And PLEASE buy if from Amazon as they include their own exclusive DVD with a few very rare songs (limited time). The Life magazine reprint is fun but I would have preferred they replaced most of the "stuff" with another DVD. My personal peeve is the absence of Melanie. Even it you get this box set, it will still be worth the money to buy the 2 DVD set of +Jimi Hendrix: Live at Woodstock+ and (if you still have a VHS player that works) its also worth seeking out the VHS tape from 1991 titled, +Woodstock: The Lost Performances+ which contains a hour of songs that are not in the new box set. The extra songs in the new box set are not integrated into the Movie, so you will have to change DVD's to see all the songs of a particular group. Perhaps when the 50th Anniversary rolls around we will finally get a box that puts all the performance footage together as it ought to be. If not, maybe we can have our Cryogenically frozen heads defrosted in time for the 100th Anniversary (don't count on it). Oh, as to the complaints of others about the songs being "corrected", just ignore them, the sound is great.

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American Dreams - Season One (Extended Music Edition) (2002) Review

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(More customer reviews)"American Dreams" is a show that could have been on the air during the very timeframe in which it was set. In it's entirely too short three season run, it was a standout, simply because it was well written, wonderfully acted, and just plain entertaining - something to which the millions of reality shows and "Law and Order" clones cluttering the airwaves couldn't begin to compare. "American Dreams" captured both the lingering innocence and the burgeoning counter culture of the 60's. Kids spent their time listening to records and watching "American Bandstand", but surreptitiously attended war protests on college campuses. Dads earned a living and handed down advice and discipline while moms cooked balanced meals, but after the children were in bed, they discussed such taboo subjects as women's rights, race relations, and birth control. All of these subjects were addressed intelligently and realistically, but the writers never failed to add humor to the scripts as well.
Much of the show was from the viewpoint of Meg Pryor (played by the wonderful Brittany Snow). We first meet Meg as a sweet 15 year old who realizes her lifelong dream of becoming a dancer on "American Bandstand". The two hour pilot episode finds Meg and her wild child best friend Roxanne scheming to be pulled from the daily lineup of hopeful dancers outside the Philadelphia television studio where "Bandstand" is filmed, for a guest appearance on the show. It takes some conniving on the part of the always hilariously outrageous Roxanne, but one day the impossible happens, and both girls make it onto the show. Meg doesn't believe it could possibly get any better - until she catches the eye of one of the show's producers, who offers her a regular spot. Her ecstasy is short lived when she finds out that not only was Roxanne was not asked to be a regular, but her father will not allow her to be on the show. Meg's determination finally wins her father's permission, but her guilt over Roxanne leads to her decision to quit. A resolution is reached when the producer is impressed by Meg's loyalty and invites Roxanne to be a regular as well, but the pilot ends on a somber note with the assassination of President Kennedy.
This episode is characteristic of the rest of the season (and Seasons 2 and 3 as well). "American Bandstand" features prominently in the series as we follow Meg and Roxanne's daily adventures as dancers and minor celebrities. One of the highlights of the series was the outstanding performances of many 21st century bands playing 60's acts such as Jay and The Americans and The Kinks. However, it also tackles heavier issues, such as the Vietnam War (a major focus of Season 2, which follows the active duty of Meg's brother J.J.) and racism. Many storylines feature Henry, a black employee of Meg's father's appliance store, and his son Sam, with whom Meg forms a close friendship despite disapproval from both families and society in general. Over the course of the three seasons, Meg develops from a starry eyed "good girl" to an intelligent, socially conscious young woman, who challenges the gender roles set for her and always follows the path that she knows is right. But the show never forgot how to have fun as well.
"American Dreams" was one of the finest television shows ever produced. Thumbs down to NBC for not recognizing what they had. If only they'd given it a fighting chance (putting it in a decent time slot and allowing the episodes to be re-run in the off season), it would have been remembered as a legend years from now!

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AMERICAN DREAMS:SEASON 1 EXTENDED MUS - DVD Movie

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Peanuts: 1960's Collection (A Charlie Brown Christmas / Charlie Brown's All-Stars / It's the Great Pumpkin / You're in Love / He's Your Dog / It Was a Short Summer) (2009) Review

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(More customer reviews)This 2-disc set is going to be released on July 7th, 2009. It contains the classic heartwarming Charlie Brown/Peanuts Specials that aired from 1965-1969, which are all six specials that aired in the sixties. Those specials are:
A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965)
The perennial Christmas classic about the down on his luck Charlie Brown and his adorably pathetic Christmas Tree. This is where the Peanuts Specials all began.
Charlie Brown's All-Stars (1966)
It's ball season and Charlie Brown faces a moral dilemma when he can get his team new uniforms and a shot at being part of an official league if he is willing to kick Lucy, Violet, Patty, Frieda and Snoopy off the team.
It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown (1966)
Another perennial classic about poor Charlie Brown getting more trick's than treat's and ever optimistic Linus spending the night in a humble pumpkin patch. He believes in the Great Pumpkin.
You're In Love, Charlie Brown (1967)
Charlie Brown just wants the courage to meet his crush, the little red haired girl. When Linus and Peppermint Patty try to help things only get worse for good old Chuck.
He's Your Dog, Charlie Brown (1968)
Snoopy is supposed to return to Daisy Hill Puppy Farm for obedience training but winds up at the house of Peppermint Patty instead. Will Charlie Brown get his dog pal to come back home?
It Was A Short Summer Charlie Brown (1969)
At summer camp the boys are losing everything to the girls and putting up with poor conditions. Will the boys be able to prove themselves as winner's before the end of the summer? Maybe some help from the Masked Marvel (aka Snoopy) can do the trick.
Five of these six specials were either Emmy nominated or winning. Here they are being presented with remastered picture and sound quality, and on top of that the last two specials have never appeared on DVD before this. The set also includes a documentary, "The Maestro of Menlo Park - Profiling Composer Vince Gauraldi", which takes time to look at the life of the jazz musician who wrote the classic 'Linus and Lucy' Theme as well as other peanuts music.
There have now been forty-one specials in the Peanuts franchise and I'm hoping that they will work on releasing them all in these sort of chronological sets. This set is great for those who haven't bought the other Peanuts releases yet or fans that don't mind double dipping knowing that this time if these releases continue they will be in for a complete set.
All these specials are great for those looking to relive childhood memories or share wholesome entertainment with their children while teaching them core values. I understand television has to evolve to reflect the current times but I wish more current shows could show half the moral undertones found here in these specials. Luckily with this DVD set those interested in wholesome family entertainment can now share these six classic specials with their children.

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All the Peanuts episodes from the 1960s remastered all in one set. Timed to release around anniversary of Woodstock Festival where Woodstock will be the mascot.

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