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To Sir, with Love [VHS] RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video Novelist James Clavell wrote produced and directed this 1967 British film based on a novel by E R Braithwaite about a rookie teacher who throws out stock lesson plans and really takes command of his unruly adolescent students in a London school Poitier is very good as a man struggling with the extent of his commitment to the job and even more as a teacher whose commitment is to proffering life lessons instead of academics The spirit of this movie can be found in such recent films as Dangerous Minds and Mr Hollands Opus but none is as moving as this one Besides the others dont have a title song performed by pop star Lulu --Tom Keogh Bebe's Kids [VHS] Paramount Men Who Sailed the Liberty Ships, The [VHS] Pbs Home Video This look at civilian sailors who served in the U S merchant marine during World War II is informative entertaining and at times deeply moving The men aboard the Liberty Ships the famed cargo vessels that were manufactured at an astounding pace to keep Americas troops and its allies supplied during the war faced long ocean voyages made impossibly dangerous by the constant threat of being torpedoed by a Japanese sub or a German U-boat Veterans of the merchant marine discuss their ordeals in interviews filmed aboard the Jeremiah OBrien the last surviving unaltered Liberty Ship and their reminiscences combined with well-chosen archival footage range from humorous to heartbreaking Its shocking to learn that American conservatives of the day denounced the civilian sailors as cowards and bums and the issue of how the men of the merchant marine were shabbily treated by American politicians during and after the war is discussed frankly After relating harrowing tales of danger at sea the veterans sadly recount how they were denied the government benefits accorded to other World War II vets for decades The men aboard the Liberty Ships played a vital role in the Allied victory in World War II and this thoughtful documentary is a fitting tribute to their contributions to their nation --Robert J McNamara Just Another Girl on the Irt [VHS] Miramax Films Sassy in-your-face account of an intelligent flippant Brooklyn girl who lives in the projects and dreams of college Ariyan Johnson is captivating as the teen with attitude and a brain but she cannot decide which should guide her She wants a better life but finds herself taking a very hard road First-time writer/ director Leslie Harris put together a sharp realistic very funny account of life for a young black woman It is rough around the edges however and is definitely hampered by the minuscule budget This may not always be pretty but it is consistently interesting --Rochelle OGorman Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry [VHS] Live / Artisan Roots 6 Video Box Set [VHS] Warner Home Video From the moment the young Kunta Kinte LeVar Burton is stolen from his life and ancestral home in 18th-century Africa and brought under inhumane conditions to be auctioned as a slave in America a line is begun that leads from this most shameful chapter in U S history to the 20th-century author Alex Haley a Kinte descendant The late Haleys acclaimed book Roots was adapted into this six-volume television miniseries which was a widely watched phenomenon in 1977 The programs cover several generations in the antebellum South and end with the story of Chicken George a freed slave played by Ben Vereen whose family feels the agony of entrenched racism and learns to fight it Between the lives of Kunta and George we meet a number of memorable characters black and white and learn much about the emotional and physical torments of slavery from beatings and rapes to the forced separation of spouses and families Nothing like this had ever confronted so many mainstream Americans when the series was originally broadcast and the extent to which the country was nudged a degree or two toward enlightenment was instantly obvious Roots still has that ability to open ones eyes and engage an audience in a sweeping memorable drama at the same time --Tom Keogh Toni Morrison: Profile of a Writer [VHS] Homevision Nobel Prize-winning author Toni Morrison is one of the leading novelists in the United States Her work--from The Bluest Eye to Song of Solomon to Jazz --is noted for its vivid imagery and powerful subjects Her best-known work though is Beloved which was made into a feature film directed by Jonathan Demme and starring Oprah Winfrey Beloved is the stark tale of a mother who makes a terrible decision rather than see her baby daughter suffer through slavery In this 52-minute profile Morrison discusses the inspiration behind her novel which is based on a true story as well as the imagery characters and language of the work Interspersed with the interview are dramatic readings from Beloved images of the time of slavery reinforce the discussion This video is excellent background for both the novel and the movie and it adds another dimension to Morrisons work --Jenny Brown Morehouse Men [VHS] PBS Home Video Founded in 1867 to educate promising African American male students Morehouse College in Atlanta has evolved into one of the nations leading institutions of higher learning This inspiring program profiles the school its spiritual mission and the rigorous demands it makes in molding the black leaders of tomorrow Todays Morehouse Men are following in the footsteps of many illustrious alumni including Reverend Martin Luther King Jr Olympic gold medalist Edwin Moses and filmmaker Spike Lee Atlantas Morehouse College has long been revered as a leading academic institution and as an all-male historically African American institution it has been viewed as a shaper of American black leaders including perhaps its most notable graduate Martin Luther King Jr In this video Morehouse is viewed through the eyes of its students during the 1993-94 academic year and their year at Morehouse is seen to be an experience in character and spiritual development as much as an exercise in academic endeavor Footage shot during a fall spirit night a late-night ritual to promote bonding among the student body sets the tone for the video which features interviews with Morehouse professors as well as notable grads filmmaker Spike Lee and Olympic gold medallist Edwin Moses Profiles of specific students show their development through the course of the school year and the mystique of being a Morehouse Man as opposed to merely a Morehouse graduate is explored in this intelligent examination of the character of this incredible educational institution --Robert J McNamara Bill Cosby, Himself [VHS] 20th Century Fox One of Americas most popular comedians Bill Cosby treats his fans to a funny satirical and heart-warming concert at Torontos Hamilton Place Performing Arts Center His material ranges from marriage and the unending trials of parenthood to the side-splitting antics of the very young and a hilarious encounter with a dentists drill and needle Insightful and witty this highly entertaining film is a rare cinematic treat filled with all the spontaneity and electricity that only a live performance can provide After I Spy and before The Cosby Show Bill Cosby left his own inimitable mark on the arena of stand-up comedy in this live concert showcasing his down-to-earth observations on the rigors and joys of family life Cosby using only a microphone and a chair discusses his take on raising kids and the illogical nature of children and the futility of trying to argue with a child that in the end may be smarter than you Notable highlights include Cosbys ruminations on the meaning of the all-purpose phrase I dont know to kids and Cosby describing the effect raising children has on his wife Camilles mental state and the pitch of her voice Containing the basis for the humor of his long-running situation comedy Bill Cosby Himself is a polished occasionally insightful and frequently hilarious night of comedy from one of the longtime masters of the form --Robert Lane Live in Concert [VHS] Mpi Home Video Watching Pryor go from imitating a drinking deer to a woman debating about going in the woods gives just a hint of the comedic genius of the man Crude foul and real this is the first and best of his concert films Pryor does dead-on impersonations of the respective races cussing trying to act tough getting kicked in personal spots But its his imagination that elevates him to a different level He gives his impressions of what animals think from his own animals a monkey a Doberman to police dogs and it seems so exact so prescient Not to mention the fact that he is self-deprecating in the extreme and has as much fun skewering himself as any other subject Still vibrant still funny --Keith Simanton