New Videos - March 2008
On DVD:
Small Town Gay Bar – DVD TAC-1698
Deep in the heart of the "Bible Belt," homosexuals still face intolerance and adversity. Several spirited bar owners, however, have shown the courage to create places for people to call home. ... presents an intimate portrait of establishments that provide much more than an evening of entertainment.
What Is Said About Arabs and Terrorism – DVD TAC-1699
The first of a multi-faceted documentary project focusing on Arabs and terrorism. Researched in six languages and filmed on location in eleven countries with 120 experts and politicians as well as hundreds of street interviews across the United States, Europe, and the Arab world. The first 3-episode miniseries of the documentary component of this project examines the dominant discourse on terrorism in the United States and Europe, and offers critics an opportunity to respond. The resulting documentary turns a critical eye on current American perceptions regarding the hypothetical link between Arabs and terrorism, while cutting to the heart of the historic and ongoing conflict of ideas between the Arab World and the West.
The World of Abnormal Psychology – DVD TAC-1700 v. 1-3
A video series that covers the spectrum of psychological disorders from simple stress to paranoid schizophrenia. In documentary style, therapists, physicians, and researchers weave their commentary on causal factors, treatments and prognoses around the patients' own stories.
The Life and Times of Allen Ginsberg – DVD TAC-1701
Depicts Allen Ginsberg, an American poet and social activist in the different decades of his life and activities; the director's cut updates the film to include information about Ginsberg's death.
3:10 to Yuma – DVD TAC-1703
Arizona in the late 1800s. Infamous outlaw Ben Wade and his vicious gang of thieves and murderers have plagued the Southern Railroad. When Wade is captured, Civil War veteran Dan Evans, struggling to survive on his drought-plagued ranch, volunteers to deliver him alive to the train that will take the killer to trial. On the trail, Evans and Wade, each from very different worlds, begin to earn each other's respect. But with Wade's outfit on their trail, and dangers at every turn, the mission soon becomes a violent, impossible journey toward each man's destiny.
2 Days in Paris – DVD TAC-1704
French photographer Marion and American interior designer Jack are attempting to rekindle their relationship with romance by taking a vacation in Europe. Their trip to Venice did not really work out. They have higher hopes for Paris. But the combination of Marion's overbearing non-English speaking parents, Marion's flirtatious ex-boyfriends, and Jack's obsession with photographing every famous Parisian tombstone and his conviction that French condoms are too small, only adds fuel to the fire.
Rescue Dawn – DVD TAC-1705
When U.S. fighter pilot Dieter Dengler escapes death after being shot down over one of the most intense front lines in the Vietnam War, his troubles were just beginning. He is taken captive by the Vietnamese Army and is forced to endure a harrowing stint in a Vietnamese prison camp. Dengler and a small band of his fellow captives stage a death-defying escape. Based on a true story.
The Devil Came on Horseback – DVD TAC-1706
This powerful and original film exposes the tragedy taking place in Darfur as seen through the eyes of an American witness, former U.S. Marine Captain Brian Steidle, who has since returned to the U.S. to take action to stop it.
The Simpsons Movie – DVD TAC-1707
Lisa convinces the locals to clean up the polluted Lake Springfield after a crowd of fans sink the Green Day concert stage. Meanwhile, Homer saves a pig from being killed in Krusty Burger and adopts it, calling the animal Spider Pig. After two days, Spider Pig fills up a silo with its excrement and not knowing what else to do, Homer dumps the silo in the lake, polluting it. The angry population forces the Simpsons to move to Alaska. Meanwhile the president is induced by his adviser from the EPA to put a dome over Springfield to hold in the population and destroy the city. When Marge sees the news on television, she tells Homer that they must return to Springfield to save their town and friends, but Homer is not convinced that the people of Springfield deserve their support.
Eastern Promises – DVD TAC-1708
Russian-born Nikolai Luzhin is a driver for one of London's most notorious organized crime families of Eastern European origin. The family itself is part of the Vory V Zakone criminal brotherhood. Semyon heads the syndicate and is the proprietor of a plush Trans-Siberian restaurant. But his friendliness at the restaurant masks a cold and brutal core. Fortunes are tested by Semyon's volatile son and enforcer, Kirill. But Nikolai's carefully maintained existence is jarred once he crosses paths at Christmastime with Anna Khitrova, a midwife at a North London hospital. Anna is deeply affected by the death of a teenager while giving birth to a baby. Anna resolves to try and trace the baby's lineage and relatives. The girl has a personal diary, but it is written in Russian. Anna's Russian-born uncle urges caution. Anna accidentally unleashed the full fury of the Vory. With Semyon and Kirill closing ranks and Anna pressing her inquiries, Nikolai unexpectedly finds his loyalties divided. Hanging in the balance is a harrowing chain of murder, deceit, and retribution.
Darwin’s Nightmare – DVD TAC-1709
A look at the Nile perch fishing industry in Tanzania, which is destroying the ecology of Lake Victoria while delivering few economic benefits to the Tanzanian people. A critique of post-colonial exploitation of Africa by the developed world and the forces of globalization.
The Deep Dive – DVD TAC-1710
Demonstrates the team approach to designing a better product. Designers at Ideo are given the task of redesigning the shopping cart in just 5 days. Shows group problem solving and innovation.
Dark Circle – DVD TAC-1711
A documentary that follows the trail of plutonium from the Rocky Flats Nuclear Weapons facility in Colorado, to the Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant in California, to Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan.
Citizen Vaclav Havel Goes on Vacation – DVD TAC-1712
Recreation of a 1985 trip that Vaclav Havel, then a prominent dissident, took around Czechoslovakia. Havel was tailed by the police throughout his trip and twice jailed as he, his friends, former policemen and others recall in interviews.
Licensed to Kill – DVD TAC-1713
A riveting journey into the minds of men whose contempt for homosexuals led them to murder. Videotaped confessions, home and police videos of gay bashings and murder scenes, news reports and graphic evidence from police files are fused together with interviews by the filmmaker with seven convicted killers.
Well-Founded Fear – DVD TAC-1714
A documentary about how political asylum is granted or denied through the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS). Shows how American ideals about human rights collide with the task of trying to learn the truth from asylum-seekers. Asks viewers to consider their commitment to protecting individuals from persecution and whether government institutions reflect their political beliefs.
Leona’s Sister Gerri – DVD TAC-1715
Her sister tells the story of Gerri Santoro, the real person in the police photograph of an anonymous woman collapsed on a motel room floor, dead from an illegal abortion.
Flag Wars – DVD TAC-1716
Chronicles the conflict in Olde Towne East, a historic district in Columbus, Ohio, when gay professionals move into the neighborhood displacing the longtime residents who are primarily African-American.
Silverlake Life: the View from Here – DVD TAC-1717
An extraordinary video diary of living with AIDS. Told with guts and humor by longtime companions Tom Joslin and Mark Massi, this powerful documentary celebrates the human spirit while capturing the emotional challenges of living with a fatal illness.
Of Civil Wrongs and Rights: the Fred Korematsu Story – DVD TAC-1718
In 1942, Fred Korematsu was an average 23-year-old California native working as a shipyard welder. But when he refused to obey Executive Order 9006, which sent 120,000 Americans of Japanese ancestry into internment camps, he became something extraordinary, a civil rights champion.
Speak Out: I Had an Abortion – DVD TAC-1719
Features several women, aged 21 to 85, who have had abortions and captures their stories and experiences.
Suicide Bombers – DVD TAC-1720
In a series of powerful and revealing interviews from inside Israeli prisons, this documentary examines the motives of Palestinian suicide bombers. A recruiter, a bomb builder, and three failed suicide bombers captured by Israeli security forces speak openly of their training, motivation, operational methodology, and profound belief in the idea of entering paradise as a shahid (a martyr for Islam). They discuss their hatred of Jews and Israel, their determination to die, and the personal motivations that have influenced them - including a failed love, a sense of personal revenge, the frustration of living under Israeli occupation, and envy for the prosperous Israeli lifestyle. In addition, Sari Nusseibeh (president of Al-Quds University) speaks with anchor Mishal Husain.
Looking for an Icon – DVD TAC-1721
A look at the true story of four World Press Photo award-winning photographs that have since become iconic images.
Nobi – DVD TAC-1722
In the most powerful of all Japanese anti-war films, acts of cannibalism bring home the terrifying brutality of war. Japanese troops are in retreat in the Philippines. Supplies run out and discipline crumbles.
The 40 Year Old Virgin – DVD TAC-1723
Andy Stitzer's friends go to great lengths to help him out of what they perceive to be a dire situation: at 40, he is still a virgin. They are heartened when he begins a relationship with a 40-year-old mother of three, until they learn that the two have a mutual no-sex policy.
Lacombe Lucien – DVD TAC-1724
Traces a young peasant's journey from potential Resistance member to Gestapo recruit. At once the story of a nation and one troubled boy's horrific coming of age, the disquieting portrait of lost innocence and guilt.
La souffle au Coeur (Murmur of the Heart) – DVD TAC-1725
A candid portrait of one boy's journey from childhood to adulthood. A precocious fifteen-year-old boy's sexual maturation and unorthodox relationship with his free-spirited mother is both shocking and deeply poignant.
Au revoir les enfants (Goodbye, Children) – DVD TAC-1726
A semi-autobiographical film based on the director's experiences as a schoolboy during the German occupation of France in World War II.
The Best of Nature: 25 Years – DVD TAC-1727
Outtakes of the past 25 years of the television program, Nature.
La voie lactée (The Milky Way) – DVD TAC-1728
Two French beggars on their way to Spain's holy city of Santiago de Compostela meet stigmatic children, crucified nuns, and others on their pilgrimage.
American Revolution 2 – DVD TAC-1729
The 1960s was defined by a common effort to fight against injustice. Mike Gray, a Chicago filmmaker, used his camera to document the politics of the streets from the riots in the social upheaval, to the rising of two prolific groups fighting prejudice. Captures the social upheaval that followed the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago and the emergence of the Black Panthers and the Young Patriots.
I Will Fight No More Forever – DVD TAC-1730
Shows events that led to the conflict in 1877 between the Nez Percés and the U.S. Army. Chief Joseph led the 300 Nez Percé braves, their women and children in the historic running battle against ten separate commands of the Army.
Broken Arrow – DVD TAC-1731
Tom believes the Apaches are treated unfairly. After befriending their leader Cochise and arranging a truce, he is called upon by an Army General to negotiate a government peace treaty, but later is the target of a renegade ambush.
La città delle donne (City of Women) – DVD TAC-1732
Modern day Don Juan finds himself set adrift on the stormy seas of middle age and feminism.
I vitelloni – DVD TAC-1733
This film compassionately details a year in the life of five young men lingering in post-adolescent limbo, dreaming of adventure and escape from their small town and struggling to find meaning in their lives.
Who the #$&% is Jackson Pollock? – DVD TAC-1734
Teri Horton, a 73-year-old former truck driver with an 8th grade education, buys a painting in a thrift shop for five dollars, but unbeknownst to her, the artist is Jackson Pollock. This adventure documents a 15-year war with the art world's inner circle, lifts the veil on how art is bought and sold in America and introduces audiences to the funny, profane and utterly unforgettable Teri Horton.
The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford – DVD TAC-1735
Everyone in 1880s America knows Jesse James. He's the nation's most notorious criminal and is being hunted by the law in 10 states. He's also the land's greatest hero, lauded as a Robin Hood by the public. No one knows of Robert Ford, at least not yet. But the ambitious 19-year-old aims to change that. He befriends Jesse and rides with his gang. And if that doesn't bring Ford fame, he will have to find a deadlier way. Friendship becomes rivalry and the quest for fame becomes obsession.
Höllentour (Hell on Wheels) – DVD TAC-1736
Le Tour de France is the toughest bicycle race of all. This film shows the torture and the pain, the fear and the courage of the riders on the Tour. It also showcases the supporting casts of managers, masseurs, fans, and more.
The King of Kong: a Fistful of Dollars – DVD TAC-1737
Unprecedented rivalry rocks the electronic world to its core. Join novice gamer Steve Wiebe on his quest to destroy the top score of gaming legend Billy Mitchell, the uncontested champion of the Donkey Kong world for over 20 years. Only one can truly claim the title King of Kong.
Luci del varietà (Variety Lights) – DVD TAC-1738
A newly restored print of Fellini's directorial debut. The film features the director's wife and frequent collaborator, Giulietta Masina, and it introduces Fellini's affection for carnivalesque characters and the variety show, both of which influenced much of his later work. The movie features the onstage and backstage antics of a provincial troupe of lovably inept vaudeville performers travelling laboriously from one small town to another for little pay and ever-uncertain receptions.
Simon Schama’s Power of Art – DVD TAC-1739
Focusing on eight iconic works of art, this series reveals the history of visual imagination through the ages. A combination of reconstruction, photography and storytelling transport the viewer back to the intense moments when great works were conceived and born: the murderous, messianic world of Baroque Rome; opulent, parvenu Amsterdam; paranoid, revolutionary Paris; Victorian England suffocating beneath riches and righteousness; the madhouses and brothels of Provence; the carnage of civil war Spain; 1950s New York, caught between Cold War jitters and Manhattan glitter. In each place, a great artist is backed into a corner, facing a crisis, given a chance to confound his rivals, enemies and critics one more time.
Arctic Tale – DVD TAC-1740
Follow Nanu the polar bear cub and Seela the walrus pup through exciting and often dangerous struggles for survival, with only their natural instincts and mothers' guidance to help them face the challenges of a world that is melting around them.
Cane Toads: an Unnatural History – DVD TAC-1741
Documents the history of the Cane toad in Australia. The cane toad - Bufo marinus - was imported to Australia in 1935 in an attempt to rid the country of the greyback beetle, which was devouring the sugarcane crop. Problem was, the beetle could fly, and the cane toad couldn't. What the cane toad was unusually proficient at, however, was making more cane toads. A humorous look at a serious problem.
La faute à Fidel (Blame it on Fidel) – DVD TAC-1743
When Fernando and Marie decide to dedicate themselves full time to various political causes, their nine-year-old daughter, Anna, must learn to face the world on her own.
The Darjeeling Limited – DVD TAC-1744
Having not spoken to each other in a year, three American brothers set off on a train voyage across India with a plan to find themselves and bond with each other. The brothers wanted to regain their friendship of each other. Their "spiritual quest," however, veers rapidly off-course -- thanks in part to over-the-counter pain killers, Indian cough syrup, and pepper spray. Eventually the three find themselves stranded alone in the middle of the desert with eleven suitcases, a printer, and a laminating machine. From this point forward, an unplanned journey begins.
Made in L.A. – DVD TAC-1745
Made in L.A. traces the moving transformation of three Latina garment workers on the fault lines of global economic change who decide they must resist. Through a groundbreaking law suit and consumer boycott, they fight to establish an important legal and moral precedent holding an American retailer liable for the labor conditions under which its products are manufactured. But more than this, Made in LA provides an insider's view into both the struggles of recent immigrants and into the organizing process itself: the enthusiasm, discouragement, hard-won victories and ultimate self-empowerment.
On VHS:
Before the Revolution – Videorecord TAC-1938
A young man flirts intellectually with communism and incestuously with his young aunt. But eventually he realizes that, for him, life will always be "before the revolution". The plot is loosely based on Stendhal's `The Charterhouse of Parma'.
The Way Home – Videorecord TAC-1939
Over the course of eight months, 64 women come together to share their experiences of oppression through the lens of race. Separated into eight ethnic councils, Indigenous, African-American, Arab, Asian, European-American, Jewish, Latina, and Multiracial, the women explore their stories of identity, oppression, and resistance.
Light in the Shadows – Videorecord TAC-1940
This video is a follow-up to "The Way Home" and is second in a series of video programs which explores the subject of race and discrimination in the U.S. Dialogue takes place between American women of varying ethnic backgrounds.
On CD:
The Basement Tapes (Bob Dylan) – Compact disc TAC-194
American Roots Music (Various Artists) – Compact disc TAC-195 v. 1-4 & text
