Waukegan Public Library - DVD

Have You Heard About... The Natural History of the Chicken

Fran J — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 06:26:54 +0000

… the cute little baby chicks in the Children’s Department at the Waukegan Public Library? If you have already seen them, then The Natural History of the Chicken will be an extra treat. If you haven’t, you need to check out this DVD, ASAP.

You’ll cackle with delight as you watch some of the silly antics of people who make chickens pets. I especially liked the lady who put a diaper on her fluffy chicken so it wouldn’t make a mess in her house as it watched opera on TV. The story of the guy who raised roosters and drove his neighbors crazy with all of the cockle-doo-da-doodling is great. You’ll learn something about chicken farmers, chicken breeders and the conditions that chickens are forced to live in just to feed humans, and you’ll be amazed at how much chicken is consumed by the average person in one year.

The story of the Headless Michael is touching. In the 1940s, Michael’s head was chopped off, and he lived for almost a year. He toured the world and was hand fed. Amazing, but true. The story of Liza is spiritual. She longed for baby chicks of her own and almost died to protect them. How about the story of Valerie? Her owner gave her mouth to beak resuscitation when she froze in a nor’easter and the owner thought she was dead. If you’ve ever had to kill a chicken for food and pluck it and then eat it like I have, you’ll understand that every creature has more than one purpose in life. You will never look at a chicken in the same way once you’ve seen this educational, funny and touching DVD. It’s a one-hour family film, but be sure to watch it with little kids in case they have questions.

Reviewed by Terry (staff)

Have You Heard About... An Original DUCKumentary

Fran J — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 06:36:49 +0000

… a species of bird that can glide, dive and dabble, look dazzling and funny all at the same time? You have got to check out An Original DUCKumentary.

Did you know that there are 120 different species of ducks in the world? In this amazing DVD you will follow the story of the common Wood Duck, when mom duck hatches her brood in a very tall tree. Yep, a tree. Sixty to seventy feet off the ground no less, as duck eggs are a delicacy for a lot of predators. It takes just over a month for ducks to hatch, and of course, mom does all of the work. Daddy duck just keeps watch until everyone is safe in the water and then goes on about his business. Mom flies out of the nest to the water and calls to her darling little duckies to follow her. Ducks are born instinctively knowing what to do, so once the newly-hatched ducklings tumble to the ground (yes it’s a long, long fall, but they know just how to land without hurting themselves), they follow their mom’s call to the water where they immediately glide in, take a few looks around their new world and start to eat. Ducks don’t have to be taught to swim or how to eat or even where to find food or where to go in the winter, they just know. Ducks are very smart. In just a few short weeks, these cute little duckies are teenagers and starting to grow feathers. In the fall, ducks start to find a mate, and if the female finds the right male to protect her throughout the winter, in the spring, if they are still “talking” to each other, they will finally mate. There is no hanky-panky during the winter; it’s all about protection. Then the cycle starts all over again.

While the Wood Duck story unfolds throughout the film, you will get to meet at least fifteen other different species of ducks, each more fascinating and colorful and entertaining than the last. The Redhead is fickle and lays her eggs in several of her neighbors’ nests, so you have a foster-care mom scenario. The South American Torrent Duck is like a white water rafting junkie. You have to see this to believe in how they survive. Buffleheads, Pintails, Shovelers, Goldeneyes and Green-winged Teal are just some of the interesting ducks you will get to meet in this short family DVD. In the spring, head on over to the Waukegan Public Library’s Hinkston Park Branch, located in the Field House, and see our annual flock of ducklings as they grow up.

Reviewed by Terry (staff)

Have You Heard About... Lifted

Fran J — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 07:50:56 +0000

… sacrifice, struggle and yet being lifted by the end of a movie? In the DVD Lifted, you will meet Henry, a really talented kid with a singing voice so powerful it will have you crying by the end of the film. Henry’s dad is a military reservist and is recalled to Afghanistan. This movie starts out really slowly, and you might feel that it is not worth your time, but hang in there to the end, because it just could change how you look at life.

Most families in tough economic times struggle with daily life, but for the military family, it’s even harder. If you are a single civilian parent, yes it’s really hard to keep things together, but in the military, it’s doubly hard. One or both parents could be called to serve at any time or even the same time. If you are a reservist, never knowing when you might be called to active duty can be frustrating for any type of plans you might make. Civilians don’t seem to understand the attitude or need to be consistently organized, the “do it now” feeling, and the constant fear a military family goes through. You never lose this feeling. You try to prepare for the worst and hope it doesn’t happen.

Can or could you cope? Back in the early 70s, military pay was about $1.25 per hour. You were “on call” 24/7. Do the math for a one-month period and then look at your life now. Military pay is still less than the minimum wage. While Henry’s Dad is in Afghanistan, his mom struggles to pay the mortgage, no easy feat on a military salary. Henry’s mom is a drug addict who goes to meetings, but when things start to fall apart, Henry and his mom go to live with his redneck grandfather who doesn’t approve of Henry’s singing or the way he dresses. A phone call from Henry’s dad is joyous, but a loud noise in the background disrupts the call. It’s not until much later in the film that you realize what actually happened, when a flashback shows the scene in Afghanistan during the phone call. When Henry is bullied by kids in his school, he takes refuge in a church. Henry meets the local preacher, played by Ruben Studdard, who takes an interest in his singing and encourages him to enter a singing competition. Henry expects his dad to be there.

Henry’s mom knows what happened with the phone call. She can’t cope and goes back on drugs, leaving Henry to his own devices and his grandfather’s mean streak. With determination, Henry makes it to the singing competition, and he does well with the help of his father. However, his father really isn’t there. (This is where you will need a tissue – possibly several.) Henry is eliminated from the competition, but when one of his fellow contestants drops out gracefully with an explanation that leaves you in tears, you will understand why Henry is back in the competition. As a tribute to his dad, Henry belts out Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door by Bob Dylan with such raw emotion it will leave you breathless. The ending is about everyday life and military “angels.”

Male or female, you will enjoy this movie despite the slow start, even with the tears at the end. It is well worth your time to watch this film and not fast forward through it.

Reviewed by Terry (staff)

Have You Heard About... American Horror Story

Fran J — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 07:50:41 +0000

… the house in California that drives people to torment and madness? In the first season of American Horror Story, the Harmon family move into a beautifully-renovated Victorian house in California, hoping for a fresh start after husband Ben Harmon’s affair.

But the house (known to tourists as the “Murder House”) has an unspeakably-violent history. A middle-aged man had an affair with a next-door neighbor and burned his wife and children alive. A surgeon from the 1920’s developed a Frankenstein complex and stitched pig heads to dead bodies. A homosexual couple was brutally murdered by a man in a black rubber suit and then buried in the basement. And now, the house is waiting to claim the Harmon family next.

American Horror Story does not shy away from showing us the worst that human beings can inflict on each other. There’s torture, murder, sex, blackmail, mutilation, adultery, and insanity– enough to make you sit up and say, “Oh, no– They did NOT just do that!” And that’s just in the first three episodes!

Horror fans, this is a show too outrageous and creepy to miss. Prepare to become hopelessly, hopelessly addicted.

Reviewed by Katie (staff)

Have You Heard About... Journey into Amazing Caves

Fran J — Tue, 29 Jan 2013 07:52:01 +0000

… something being beautiful and scary that takes your breath away all at the same time? In the IMAX DVD Journey into Amazing Caves, you experience all of that and a lot more. In Greenland, you find these amazing cavers/scientists descending into the beautiful, but very dangerous, ice caves. The color of the blue/white ice is phenomenal as these people know that one wrong move and the ice above can come crashing down on them or the walls can suddenly close in on them as the ice is always moving. In this documentary, it was the deepest descent into an ice cave ever. Imagine a 100 mph blizzard, with extreme cold, worse than 50 below zero, in the middle of literally nowhere – that’s where this was filmed.

Next, these cavers/scientists head for Mexico, the Amazon and the Yucatan. Did you know that some trees in the Amazon are poisonous – sorta like poison ivy only worse? If the dangers of the cold and ice weren’t enough for you, then underwater cave diving, which is considered the most dangerous “sport” ever will send chills running down your spine. In underwater cave diving, when you use up 1/3 of your air tank, if you don’t turn around immediately, you will die. You need 2/3 of your air to get back. If you lose sight of the guide line you will die. Again, the scenery is eerily fascinating and breathtaking at the same time. The last stop is the Grand Canyon. Imagine dangling over the Grand Canyon in 112 degree heat and rappelling down to a cave. If you dangle too long you can lose the circulation in your legs. While this is only a 40 minute film, it will keep you on the edge of your seat.

Keep watching as the movie goes into “The Making of Journey into Amazing Caves.” While the cavers/scientists are doing their thing, just imagine that the film crew had to go into the ice caves, underwater and above the Grand Canyon in a helicopter before them to set up all of the truly death-defying action you see on the screen. One wrong move on their part could put everyone in jeopardy. One person on the film crew almost lost his life when a cable line slipped. Think of all of the equipment that is used in filming and how it had to be utilized to get these wondrous shots. Sometimes a scene had to be filmed as many as 10, 20 or 30 times, so it would be just right, and each time could be more dangerous than the first. I might be a bit prejudiced but all of this amazing journey is set to the music of some of my friends, the most fantastic musical group ever, the Moody Blues.

This is a short but wonderful DVD that the entire family will enjoy seeing many times.

Reviewed by Terry (staff)

Have You Heard About... The Magic of Belle Isle

Fran J — Tue, 15 Jan 2013 15:37:52 +0000

… the power of imagination and the inspirations of life? The Magic of Belle Isle is a story about a once famous writer named Monte Wildhorn, played by Morgan Freeman. He’s at an impasse in his life and in his writing, and he has taken to drinking. He’s also a bit of a philosopher. When he moves to Belle Isle for the summer, he gets acquainted with his next door neighbor, Charlotte O’Neil, played by Virginia Madsen. Charlotte has three daughters, one of whom makes up stories to tell her sisters. Monte tries to teach the middle daughter about writing and the inspirations of life, and he finds that with her observations of him he can become the writer he once was. Monte writes a children’s story for the youngest daughter, but Charlotte picks up on the fact that it is actually a love story of the two of them.

Monte and Charlotte have a very old-fashioned, courtly-mannered friendship that to me was very moving. Eventually, Monte stops drinking, and that’s when the magic starts to happen. This movie is a comedy, and although it seems slow moving at times, it really isn’t. It makes you think, and this is where the power of imagination and the believability of all things possible come in. It’s a story that will have you crying and laughing at the same time.

Reviewed by Terry (staff)

Have You Heard About... Secret of the Wings

Fran J — Tue, 25 Dec 2012 07:07:23 +0000

… Tinker Bell? Most people know she is the most amazing, most wonderful, bestest fairy of all, but if you haven’t already met her, this movie is a treat.

In the new DVD from Disney, Secret of the Wings, you will learn about friendship and the powerful bonds of sisterhood. Tinker Bell is a summer fairy who lives in Pixie Hollow with the fall and spring fairies. She is curious about the snow owls who come for the woven leaf baskets that the summer fairies make. These baskets are for the winter fairies in the Winter Woods for the snowflakes that they make, and that is strictly off limits to all of the summer, fall and spring fairies as their wings will freeze up, and they won’t be able to fly. Being the curious fairy that she is, Tink just has to try out the cold and snow of the Winter Woods, and of course she gets into trouble. But in this case, the trouble leads to her never-known sister, Periwinkle. What follows is pure Disney magic as these two sisters save Pixie Hollow from a cold snap. This is a delightful movie for the entire family to enjoy over and over again. Be sure to watch through the credits or you will miss about 30 seconds more of the movie when two fairies are on a glacier.

Be sure to watch the rest of the wonderful Tinker Bell DVD’s. Tinker Bell, Tinker Bell and the Great Fairy Rescue, and Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure.

Reviewed by Terry (staff)

Have You Heard About... Prep and Landing

Fran J — Thu, 06 Dec 2012 07:27:37 +0000

…the elves who make sure everything is ready for Santa’s arrival on Christmas Eve? The elite Prep and Landing unit has the task of making sure everything will run smoothly when the big guy arrives – everyone is asleep, the child is on the Nice list, cookies and milk are provided, and all of the other details. Without them going ahead to take care of things, Santa would never have time to reach every house in one night.

Unfortunately, Wayne has been working Prep and Landing for a long time, and he’s getting burnt out. Instead of the promotion he expected, he gets a complete rookie for a partner. Lanny thinks that being on Prep and Landing is the best thing ever, particularly with a great partner like Wayne to show him the ropes. When their mission is nearly compromised at one house, the two must work together to make sure a little boy isn’t disappointed on Christmas day. In the process, Wayne remembers why his job is as important to him as it is to the children he helps.

This movie could have easily become yet another overly-cute piece of holiday drivel. Instead, it balances sweetness, snark, and genuine comedy. The characters are believable and varied, and the animation is very well done. Renew your Christmas spirit with Prep and Landing!

Reviewed by Fran (staff)

Have You Heard About... Tooth Fairy 2

Fran J — Tue, 20 Nov 2012 07:05:17 +0000

… Larry the Cable Guy in a pink tutu? Larry the Cable Guy plays Larry Guthrie, a bumbling but loveable guy who is trying to win his girl, Brooke, back from Beau, who’s running for mayor. In Tooth Fairy 2, Larry lets slip that there is no tooth fairy. Big mistake. The head of the tooth fairies, who looks like a kid, is actually 500 years old and hears of this grave misspoken mistake. In order for Larry to win Brooke back he has to be a tooth fairy, dressed in a pink tutu. Mean ol’ Beau steals new toys from Brooke’s after-school day care to make Larry look bad. You’ll crack up at all of the situations that Larry gets into. You’ll meet Crusher the pig who helps Larry along. Will Larry collect all of the teeth he needs to git-r-done and win Brooke back?

This is a DVD for the entire family. You won’t have to explain to little kids what’s real or isn’t. It’s magic! In the special extras at the end the Tooth Fairy/Larry explains why you lose baby teeth, which is pretty cute also.

If you enjoy this DVD you might also like to check out the original Tooth Fairy with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. The very end of that DVD is well after the credits, and you don’t want to miss it.

Reviewed by Terry (staff)

Have You Heard About... Chimpanzee

Fran J — Tue, 25 Sep 2012 06:16:31 +0000

… comedian Tim Allen, a cute little guy named Oscar and the “rumble in the jungle”? Tim Allen, best known as “Tim the Tool Man” from TV’s Tool Time, is the narrator of Chimpanzee from Disneynature. As Tim describes what is going on in the African rain forest, you meet little Oscar, the cutest chimpanzee ever, that will melt you heart. Oscar and his mom are part of a group that takes care of each other. You’ll meet Grandpa, several aunts, uncles and cousins, and Freddy, the leader of the group. As Oscar learns about life from his mom, Tim is telling us what is going on in his best “tool man” dialogue that is at times funny and yet endearing.

As leader of this group, Freddy is always on the lookout for the best food (ants on a stick, anyone?) and safest places to stay (30 feet in the air).

Enter Scar, the leader of a nasty group of chimpanzees. Scar and his gang seem to want to take over the whole forest and all it has to offer. A battle for dominance leaves Oscar an orphan. How can little Oscar survive without his mom? Who is the “winner” of the battle?

Freddy becomes an adoptive parent. Through trial and error, you will see little Oscar thrive.

This is a family movie, but I recommend that parents watch it with kids under seven due to the battle scenes and one feeding frenzy. Nothing is graphic, but with the noise of these two scenes, little kids might not understand.

The photography is astounding. Keep watching and listening after THE END to see a little bit of how the movie was made.

Although this movie is in our Blu-ray collection, the case has both the Blu-ray and the DVD versions.

Reviewed by Terry (staff)