Off The Bookshelf Adventures in the Kingdom of Swing Search VHS

Bookmark the site

Return to Homepage

US Shopping
UK Shopping

Best Selling > VHS > Documentary

Search VHS - select a category

1.Jazz - A Film by Ken Burns starring: Richard Nixon, Charles J. Correll, Freeman F. Gosden, Edward R. Murrow, Franklin Delano Roosevelt January 02, 2001
Average Rating: >>More Details		Used Price: $26.49
The greatest compliment to this series is that it has created a torrent of discussion and the debates are still raging. I enjoy this series so much, I watch it nearly every year. My critique has been discussed at length, so I summarize this way: I appreciate Wynton Marsalis' discussion of the jazz with which he is familiar. This does not qualify Wynton Marsalis to decide, for everyone else, what constitutes jazz when the question of "fusion" comes up. Much of fusion, both then and now, is largely rhythm section dominated (elecrtic bass, drums, guitar and keys). Therefore, it may have been difficult for a Marsalis, a horn player, to appreciate. Why refer to Marsalis and not Burns? Because nearly all of Burns' analysis depends upon the ... Read More

2.Girl Groups: The Story of a Sound starring: Various Artists December 07, 1994
Average Rating: >>More Details		Used Price: $1.26
I am the credited director and co-producer of this documentary. I was surprised to see that Amazon actually has the video, I thought it was long gone. No DVD's, too bad. I drifted onto Amazon because a good buddy of mine loved this era and I wanted to get a copy for him. Glad to see that Girl Groups, The Story of a Sound still lives, such as it is. This film took almost a year of my life, a very stressful year at that since it is always difficult to juggle the creative storytelling aspect of making a film with the realities of budget and music/clip clearance. We went to ABC for footage from the show, Hullabaloo that they did not even know they had. We dug up stuff in Detroit. I flew there for a blizzard that winter and found footage from a local afternoon program, Teen Town that ... Read More

3.The Decline of Western Civilization starring: Lee Ving, Craig Lee (III), Roger Rogerson, Keith Morris, Don Bolles directed by: Penelope Spheeris
Average Rating: >>More Details		Used Price: $16.89
DVD wouldn't play in my players due to scratched disc. A total waste of everything involved with this transaction. It sucks.

4.Leonard Bernstein: Reaching for the Note starring: Alexander Bernstein, Leonard Bernstein, Nina Bernstein, John Corigliano, Jon Deak directed by: Susan Lacy October 27, 1998
Average Rating: >>More Details		Used Price: $4.39
Reviewer Hadrian12's spotlight review says perfectly everything to say about this film. Thanks for that. I can think of no more compelling 20th c. musician. Everything about Reaching for the Note is about the living lamp that is Bernstein's work, about the music he became; always breathing life, whatever his job. The film spends generous time with West Side Story, with a remarkable stretch of essential comments by Sondheim, Carol Lawrence, &Arthur Larents interspersing a cache of unbelievable rehearsal and performance footage. It's a master class in filmmaking, and we believe again how great a work West Side Story is. His symphonies, greater than the world knows, confirm the film's heart. In generous performance passages of the Kaddish Sym., the voice overs are subdued, as if in the live presence ... Read More

5.Richter, the Enigma starring: Svyatoslav Richter directed by: Bruno Monsaingeon February 02, 1999
Average Rating: >>More Details		Used Price:
This film about the incomparable Russian pianist Sviatoslav Richter is an experience for everyone who has been affected by this man's amazing talent. Richter was often called the best pianist in the world and not just by critics, but by many leading pianists of the day. This film contains treasures of archival footage of Richter in recitals, his own recollections of his long and fascinating life and the interviews given just before his death. Richter was notoriously camera and tape recorder shy, and the lengthy interview in this documentary is the only comprehensive interview he ever gave. For the most part the sole interviewee is Richter himself, but there are brief contributions from his piano teacher Heinrich Neuhaus, Richter's wife the soprano Nina Dorliac and pianist Glenn Gould, and so what you get is his life ... Read More

6.Wild Man Blues starring: Woody Allen, Letty Aronson, Soon-Yi Previn, Dan Barrett, Simon Wettenhall directed by: Barbara Kopple November 09, 1999
Average Rating: >>More Details		Used Price: $1.77
While this is, technically, an adequate-to-good documentary (Barbara Kopple always does technically proficient work) -- as for its truthfulness about the characters involved, specifically, Woody and his now-wife Soon Yi, it's an excellent example of Woody Allen's ongoing manipulation of the media. Consider this: It's the late 1990s, Woody Allen is in a world of trouble over his affair with a young, underage girl, Soon-Yi, who at one time was the adopted child of Woody's common law wife, Mia Farrow. He was also accused by Mia Farrow of molesting one of her other children. So what does Woody do? By mutual consent, he and Barbara Kopple agree to do a documentary about him and Soon-Yi. Kopple could hardly refuse. More than that, she goes ga-ga over her subject, throwing out all critical thinking ... Read More

7.Rodgers and Hammerstein - The Sound of Movies starring: Julie Andrews, Charles Boyer, Charmian Carr, Charles Farrell, Nancy Kwan directed by: Kevin Burns March 18, 1997
Average Rating: >>More Details		Used Price: $0.31
Both my husband and I thoroughly enjoyed hearing once again the music of Rodgers & Hammerstein and watching clips from movies that we saw many years ago. It all brought back pleasant memories and we've decided that they just don't write movie musicals like they used to. And what a shame.

8.Fleetwood Mac - The Early Years starring: Fleetwood Mac December 10, 1996
Average Rating: >>More Details		Used Price: $1.03
I can't believe we waited for 2 months to finally get this and what a disappointment. Only 54 minutes long and it cost a fortune. Most of the tracks were either dubbed or performed while some psuedo-psychadelic images danced across the screen. The openning narrative went so fast it was hard to keep all the dates straight. On the up side it was a treat to actually see the original Fleetwood Mac perform together albeit through poor camera angles and blurred images. It's crap, don't waste your money (like we did).

9.No Maps On My Taps directed by: George Nierenberg December 01, 1979
Average Rating: >>More Details		Off The Bookshelf's Price: $26.95 Prices subject to change. Used Price:
It's an important historical documentary , but if you want to see old taps dancers like showed in the dvd cover, avoid it. There are only few short cuts from genius like Bill Robinson and others and many and many conversations and interviews. Try old videos in VHS or the outstanding afro-american dancers in 'Stormy Weather', a Fox musical from the fourties, available in Amazon.

10.Adventures in the Kingdom of Swing starring: Benny Goodman directed by: Oren Jacoby December 07, 1993
Average Rating: >>More Details		Used Price: $1.73
The only criticism I have of this is that it could have been three hours long with all the available material and surviving members of his bands... well, it's still a 5 star video for the fan of jazz. Benny Goodman is a legend and the DVD is a short but fitting tribute.

page 1 of 36
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

Off The Bookshelf gives you a unique shopping experience, you can find all the products you like within a few minutes online, locate the latest charting CD's, DVD's & Games, read user reviews on the bestselling Books and Household products. All items are available to buy Used (at a greater saving) or New (at a great discounted RRP). Add the items to your shopping basket, pay securely online and we send these products to be delivered to your door. We take great pride in being able to offer you the great savings partnering with Amazon, offering you cheaper prices than the high street retailers, we have thousands of discounts on all the the items you can buy off the shelf and hope you find the website easy to use.

Thanks for visiting and browsing Off The Bookshelf

In association with Amazon.com

SME-WS
HolidayHavens - Holiday Rental Accommodation