PBS, PBS Distribution Score With ‘Baseball’ Re-Issue

Courtesy: PBS/PBS Distribution

The countdown to the midpoint of Major League Baseball’s 2021 season is underway.  The biggest names in the league will come together next week to put their talents on display in the 2021 MLB All-Star Game.  The game will also determine home field advantage for the World Series.  With the season’s midway point almost reached and all eyes looking forward to the second half of the season, the upcoming break makes for a great time to also look back on the Great American Pastime’s history.  Audiences can once again do just that thanks to PBS Distribution’s recent re-issue of the Ken Burns documentary, Baseball.  Re-issued June 8 on separate DVD and Blu-ray box sets, the documentary is a wonderful presentation for any baseball fan.  That is due in no small part to its content, which will be discussed shortly.  The set’s packaging is especially important to address in this re-issue and will be discussed a little later.  The bonus content that accompanies the set is also of note and will be examined later, too.  Each item noted is important in its own way.  All things considered, these items make the set one more of this year’s top new DVD and Blu-ray re-issues.

PBS Distribution’s recent re-issue of the Ken Burns documentary Baseball is a presentation that any baseball fan will appreciate.  Its appeal is due in no small part to its featured content.  The content in question is exactly the same as that presented in the set’s original release in 2000 and its 2004 and 2010 re-issues (Yes, this is now the documentary’s third re-issue).  The content in question follows the evolution of “America’s Game” from the pre-Civil War years (the 1840s) all the way up to 2009.  Throughout the 23 hours which the program spans, viewers learn about how baseball has brought the nation together in some of its best and worst times.  It also ensures the history of the Negro League is thoroughly highlighted as part of the whole.  The story of Jackie Robinson’s impact on the league and its history is also part of the overall story, as is the impact of performance enhancing drugs in the late 90s and early 2000s.  Simply put, audiences who perhaps did not or do not own this documentary in its previous two releases get the original program – remastered – in this set.  None of the story is omitted, nor is anything added that was not in those releases.  To that end, audiences will be pleased to know that in terms of content, this latest presentation of Baseball is positive.  The primary content featured in PBS Distribution’s latest re-issue of Baseball is just one of its positives.  Its packaging adds to its appeal.

Baseball’s packaging is important to note because it is so ergonomic in comparison to that of the documentary’s prior releases.  Both the DVD and Blu-ray presentation spread the documentary’s 11 discs across three separate cases inside a bigger housing box.  This sounds somewhat bulky, but it really is anything but.  By comparison, the documentary’s 2004 DVD release was far less ergonomic.  It placed each “inning” of the story (yes, the story is divided into “innings” instead of “chapters.”  Got to love that marketing aspect.) on its own disc within a bigger box.  That means that said set was extremely large.  These new sets on the other hand, are far less space consuming.  Each box in this re-issue separates the set’s discs into a count of three, two, and six respectively.  The discs are separated on their own spindle and leaf separate from the other discs.  This protects the discs from one another, dramatically decreasing the chances of the discs being marred.  What’s more, it also ensures the set will take up far less space on audiences’ DVD/BD racks than that 2004 (and even 2010) re-issue.  Speaking of the 2010 re-issue, it separated the “10^th Inning” section as a standalone Blu-ray, while the rest of the documentary was still packaged as an overly bulky DVD set.  So again, what audiences are getting here in terms of packaging is a positive presentation in its own right, both on DVD and Blu-ray.  The packaging is exactly the same on both sets and far more ergonomic than that of the documentary’s previous releases.  It is just one more positive of this overall set.  The bonus content that accompanies the set rounds out its most important elements.

The bonus content that accompanies the documentary in its latest presentation is the same as that presented in the set’s 2010 re-issue.  Save for the update about the Red Sox winning the 2004 World Series title, all of the bonus content featured in that set is also the same as that in the set’s 2000 release.  So in other words, audiences get here, all of the same bonus content collected over the course of the documentary’s previous releases.  This means that no viewers will feel cheated.  The bulk of the bonus content is extra interview footage that did not make the final cut for the documentary’s main feature.  Among the most notable of the bonus interview footage is that which focuses on race relations in baseball’s history, asterisks related to PEDs, and the role of baseball post 9/11.  In regards to the matter of race relations, writer Gerald Early states that through much of baseball’s history, there was little attempt by the league’s heads to attract African-American audiences.  Fellow writer Howard Bryant expanded on Early’s comments, stating that instead of looking inward at America’s own African-American community, the league instead looked more toward Latin America and the college ranks.  He added (again, at the time) that this had been the trend over the course of the past 30 years.  On a related note, sportswriter Doug Glanville states counters that as he said “multiculturalism is the next level” for the league.  He was making the comment about the growing globalization of the game in regards to its reach and diversity in the league’s players.

In regards to the extra discussions on baseball’s role post 9/11, former Yankees manager Joe Torre joins Early, and sportswriters Tom Verducci and Selena Roberts to discuss how important it was at the time for the game to return.  Each points out in his/her own way that having the game return was fully necessary because it returned a sense of normalcy to the nation and helped to unite Americans, even if they were not Yankees fans.  As fellow sportswriter Tom Boswell best put it, “It gave us all something to rally around.”

The bonus commentary excerpts are only a portion of the more than two hours of bonus content featured in this re-issue.  Burns and producer Lynn Novick are also featured from their 2010 interview as they talk about how the documentary came about.  According to Burns, Baseball is for all intents and purposes, a “sequel” to The Civil War, another documentary for which he is known.  Novick ads her own comments, stressing that when Baseball originally aired in 1992, there was some trepidation because it aired right as the now infamous players strike happened.  The contrast of the strike and the virtual love letter to the game that was Baseball was stark.  That in itself is sure to make for some discussion among audiences.  Additionally, Novick raises discussion about concerns raised by the league’s heads when she and Burns came to them about making the documentary.  According to Novick, the league officials were concerned about Burns and Novick making the project “a hatchet job” and their changed opinions after seeing the finished product.  The concerns, according to Novick stemmed from the impact of the player’s strike on public opinion and the impact of the PED scandal on public opinion.  To that end, their concerns were justified.  It can be appreciated why the league would have been tentative about having this documentary released.  Keeping this in mind along with everything else shared in the interviews with Burns and Novick, and in the bonus interview segments, the whole of the bonus content makes for its own appeal.  When the appeal of the bonus content is considered along with that created through the documentary’s primary content and packaging, the whole makes this re-issue a positive overall presentation for baseball fans and those of PBS and Ken Burns.

PBS Distribution’s latest re-issue of the Ken Burns documentary Baseball is a positive presentation.  It will appeal equally to baseball fans and those of Burns and PBS.  That is proven in part through its primary content.  The primary content in question is the same as that presented in the documentary’s previous releases.  That means that whether audiences own the documentary’s previous releases, everyone will be on the same level in terms of that content.  The content in question takes audiences through baseball’s history, from its infancy in the pre-Civil War era up to 2009.  That is a wide swath of the game’s history.  The set’s packaging is also a positive for this presentation.  That is because in the case of the DVD and Blu-ray platform, the packaging is far more ergonomic than that of the documentary’s previous DVD releases.  The bonus content, like the primary content, is the same as that in the documentary’s prior releases.  As with that primary content, this also ensures that audiences are all on the same level.  The more than two hours of content adds its own share of engagement and entertainment for audiences.  When it is considered along with the documentary’s primary content and packaging, the whole makes this presentation one more of this year’s top new DVD and BD re-issues.  Baseball is available now.

More information on this and other titles from PBS is available at:

Website: https://www.pbs.org

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pbs

Twitter: https://twitter.com/PBS

To keep up with the latest entertainment reviews and news, go online to https://www.facebook.com/philspicks and “Like” it.  Fans can always keep up with the latest entertainment reviews and news in the Phil’s Picks blog at https://philspicks.wordpress.com.  

PBS’ New Burns Presentation Is Network’s Most Unique Doc So Far This Year

Courtesy: PBS/PBS Distribution

Ken Burns is a national treasure.  That is because of the stories that he has told through the many documentaries he has created throughout his career.  From the story of baseball’s history, to that of jazz and country music, to the impact of the Civil War and dust bowl and more, his documentaries have told in such rich fashion, the story of America.  After spending so many years being behind the lens, telling America’s story, the camera was turned to him for the first time last year in the new profile, Ken Burns: Here & There.  The hour-long feature was released on DVD last month.  It is an intriguing presentation that is worth watching at least once, as is proven by its main feature.  That aspect will be discussed shortly.  The program’s editing adds its own touch to the presentation’s success.  It will be discussed a little later.  The DVD’s average price point and related separate listings prove to be important in the program’s home release.  They will also be addressed later.  Each item noted here is important in its own way to the whole of the presentation in its home release.  All things considered, Ken Burns: Here & There is a presentation that the most devoted Ken Burns fans will appreciate.

PBS Distribution’s recently released DVD presentation of Ken Burns: Here & There is an intriguing work that will appeal primarily to Burns’ most devoted fans.  That is due in large part to the program’s main feature.  The feature in question is essentially Burns looking back on his life and career while ruminating on the importance of community and unity, regardless of our personal biases.  That is pretty much the basis for this hour-long program.  He waxes philosophical throughout the presentation, about the importance of understanding and appreciating where we are physically and in general, and the path that we took to get where we are today.     Along the way, there is also an argument in support of small town America added to the mix.  Whether manifest or latent, it is there and is welcome.   As the program progresses, he and many of his friends recollect his humble beginnings and how the documentaries that they have created have played into the person that he has become.  Those ruminations serve as the catalyst for Burns’ talks on understanding and appreciating America’s history, and in relation, one another because we are all part of that history.  So while the program is thankfully not just some self-serving bio that praises Burns and puts him on a pedestal, it is more or less a presentation that uses Burns and his works for what is essentially a commentary about the need for the nation to unite.  It just uses Burns’ career as its basis.  That is not to say that Americans do not need reminding about the importance of unity.  As a matter of fact, it is a message that is always welcome.  At the same time though, there is just something in the way it was all handled that makes the whole feel like the doc’s creative heads had trouble deciding where they wanted the focus to be in the program.  That partial seeming lack of direction does not doom the documentary, but will leave viewers with the slightest sense of discomfort and confusion.  Making up for that sense of confusion and discomfort is the program’s editing.

The editing that went into Ken Burns: Here and There will leave listeners with a better feeling than the story itself.  A key example is Burns’ recollection of an experience from his younger days when he happened along the grave of two men killed by Native Americans in 1775.  As Burns recounts the experience, his narration (of sorts) is paired with the visual of that very grave by itself in a slightly forested setting.  Leading up to that visual is the presentation of a rain-soaked road, covered in fallen leaves.  There is something about the combination of those visuals and Burns’ subtle delivery that makes this moment so powerful and memorable.  It is just one of the memorable moments that makes the program’s editing so noteworthy.  The discussions by Burns’ friends about his loyalty to his home town as viewers get aerial views of the small Rhode Island town have their own impact.  That is especially the case as they make note of how his devotion to the town led other film makers to call the town their home.  It is a validation of small town America that thankfully avoids letting itself get too schmaltzy.  As if all of this is not, the editing that ties vintage footage of Burns filming his documentaries, coupled again with his narration, shows a certain humility from Burns.  That humility will help keep viewers engaged in its own right.  It’s just one more example of the importance of the program’s editing.  When it is considered along with the rest of the program’s editing, the whole pairs with the story to make for at least some more reason to watch.  Taking into account the editing and the general content, the DVD’s pricing proves to be its own positive.

The average price point of Ken Burns: Here & There is $18.99.  That price is obtained by averaging prices listed through Amazon, Walmart, Target, Barnes & Noble Booksellers, and PBS.  The DVD was not listed through Books-A-Million and Best Buy.  PBS’ lists the DVD at $24.99 while all of the other noted retailers list the DVD at $17.49, below that average price point.  Being that the average and separate listings are primarily below $20, audiences will not break their budgets in buying the documentary, even if only for one watch.  For those more devout fans of Burns, the noted prices are even more appealing.  When the appeal brought on by this element is joined with that generated through the editing and the general story, the whole makes the program a piece that will find at least some appeal, especially among Burns’ most devoted audiences.  

PBS and PBS Distribution’s home presentation of Ken Burns: Here & There is an interesting presentation that deserves at least some attention.  That is proven in part through the program’s main feature.  The main feature is essentially Burns talking about the importance of self-identity, community, and unity, and tying those discussions into his body of work.  The editing that went into the main feature adds its own touch to the whole.  That is because of its ability to further pull listeners into the presentation.  The average and separate pricing for this DVD make for their own appeal.  They show that the DVD is relatively affordable.  That means whether one is a casual Burns fan or more devoted, the money spent is not over the top.  Keeping that in mind along with everything else examined here, the whole makes the DVD a presentation that is worth watching at least once.  It is available now.

More information on this and other titles from PBS Distribution is available along with all of PBS Distribution’s latest news at:

Website: https://pbsdistribution.org

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PBSDistribution.org

Twitter: https://twitter.com/PBSDistribution

To keep up with the latest entertainment news and reviews, go online to https://www.facebook.com/philspicks and “Like” it. Fans can always keep up with the latest entertainment news and reviews in the Phil’s Picks blog at https://philspicks.wordpress.com.

PBS To Launch New Amazon Prime Video Channel Next Month

Courtesy: PBS

PBS will launch a new Prime Video channel next month.

The network is scheduled to launch its PBS Documentaries channel on Aug. 4.  The channel will featured documentaries from PBS’ series, such as Frontline, American Experience and NOVA.  Audiences can view a trailer for the new channel here.

Andrea Downing, Co-President of PBS Distribution, shared her thoughts on the coming launch of the new streaming video channel in a prepared statement.

“PBS is the leader of high-quality, compelling nonfiction entertainment, and the PBS Documentaries Prime Video Channel is a natural addition to our current streaming offering on Prime Video Channels—PBS Masterpiece, PBS Living AND PBS Kids.,” she said.  “This channel will not only help bring engaging stories about life in all corners of our country to a new audience, it will provide needed revenues to sustain public broadcasting’s public-private partnership model for the benefit of all stations and the communities they serve,”

Documentarian Ken Burns, who most recently helmed the PBS documentary Country Music, and who has also helmed other PBS documentaries, such as Jazz, The Vietnam War and Baseball said in his own comments that he was anticipating the channel’s launch,

“We had long hoped to be able to have all of our films available in one place so the public would have access to the body of work,” said Burns. “We’re thrilled that this is now possible thanks to the efforts of PBS Distribution and Amazon to launch the PBS Documentaries Prime Video Channel and also through PBS’s Passport initiative that allows viewers to support their public television stations. Both will also contribute to the larger mission of PBS.”

PBS Documentaries is expected to have almost 1,000 hours of content available for audiences upon its launch.  Burns’ documentaries will be among that content, as well as Stanley Nelson’s documentary The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution.

Nelson shared his pleasure at the announcement of the channel’s launch through his own comments.

“I’m thrilled to see that my work will find a new home on this channel,” said Nelson. “PBS has become a premier destination for documentary programming in the U.S. and has been hugely invested in giving films by diverse storytellers and emerging filmmakers much-needed national exposure. I’m so glad that my film on the Black Panther Party, which can inform communities in our current historical moment, will be able to reach different audiences on this new service.”

Subscription to PBS Documentaries will cost $3.99/month with an Amazon Prime or Prim Video subscription.  It will only be available in the United States.

PBS Documentaries is just one of the ways in which audiences can view PBS’ documentary programs.  PBS also offers its own streaming service called Passport.  It allows people to pay a given fee to watch the network’s programs through its own website.

More information on PBS Documentaries is available along with all of PBS’ latest news at:

 

Website: http://www.pbs.org

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pbs

Twitter: http://twitter.com/PBS

 

To keep up with the latest entertainment news and reviews, go online to http://www.facebook.com/philspicks and “Like” it.  Fans can always keep up with the latest entertainment news and reviews in the Phil’s Picks blog at https://philspicks.wordpress.com.

CNN Films, Magnolia Pictures’ Gilda Radner Bio Is The Best Of 2019’s New Documentary Field

Courtesy: CNN Films/Magnolia Pictures

Movies based on actual events and biased news from both sides of the aisle have done so much damage to the world.  The movies based on actual events are over embellished forgettable works that tell half the story if even that.  The biased news on both sides of the aisle tells just as little as the noted movies, if not less.  To that end, one can’t help but be very thankful for all the new documentaries that are released each year.  The documentaries released this year went a long way toward making up for the problems caused by the noted news and movies, so many that there were more than enough to fit on any critic’s list of the year’s top new documentaries, but this critic tried to assemble a fitting list.

This year’s list features documentaries centered on topics, such as the history of Country Music, the Apollo 11 mission and a famed movie star.  Each documentary brings its own important and enjoyable presentation for audiences thanks to its unique content and story.  From one to the next, each proves itself fully deserving of a spot on any critic’s list of the year’s top new docs.  This critic’s list features, as with previous lists, the top 10 titles from the year as well as five honorable mention titles for a total  of 15 titles.  This list’s titles come from PBS, Cohen Media Group, Magnolia Pictures and even Shout! Factory, so they are not just from one company.  In other words, there is some diversity here.  Without any further ado, here for your consideration if Phil’s Picks 2019 Top 10 New Documentaries

 

PHIL’S PICKS 2019 TOP 10 NEW DOCUMENTARIES

1. Love, Gilda
2. Bad Reputation
3. American Experience: Chasing The Moon
4. Buster Keaton: The Great Buster
5. Ken Burns: Country Music
6. 8 Days: to The Moon and Back
7. American Experience; Sealab
8. Never–Ending Man: Hayao Miyizaki
9. NOVA: Apollo’s Daring Mission
10. Sinatra in Palm Springs: The Place He Called Home
11. NOVA: Last B-24
12. NOVA: Pluto & Beyond
13. NOVA: First Horse Warriors
14. Nature: Dogs in the Land of Lions
15. Nature: A Squirrel’s Guide To Success

 

To keep up with the latest sports and entertainment reviews and news, go online to http://www.facebook.com/philspicks and “Like” it.  Fans can always keep up with the latest sports and entertainment reviews and news in the Phil’s Picks blog at https://philspicks.wordpress.com.

Willie Nelson’s New LP “Rides” Its Way To The Top Of 2019’s Top New Country/Bluegrass/Americana Albums

Courtesy: SMG

This has been a productive year for the realms of country, bluegrass and Americana.  The genres are their own, but are so closely akin to one another that they are really one in the same.  To that end, the three genres deserve to be combined into one on any critic’s year-end list.  That is what this critic has done and is doing again this year.

This year’s list of the top new Country/Bluegrass/Americana records features a number of familiar names and some who might be slightly less familiar, but are still names worth getting to know.  There are also some compilations featured on this critic’s list this year.  From The Magpie Salute to Son Volt to Willie Nelson and the Carter family and more, this year’s list is full of music that fans of all three genres will enjoy.  As with every previous list, this collection features this critic’s Top 10 titles and five additional honorable mention title for a total of 15 titles.Each title is deserving of its own accolades as there is no negative title.  Without any further ado, here is Phil’s Picks 2019 Top 10 Country/Bluegrass/Americana albums.

 

PHIL’S PICKS 2019 COUNTRY/BLUEGRASS/AMERICANA ALBUMS

1. Willie Nelson — Ride Me Back Home
2. George Strait — Honky Tonk Time Machine
3. The Magpie Salute — High Water II
4. The Shootouts — Quick Draw
5. The Vegabonds — V
6. Old Salt Union — Where The Dogs Don’t Bite
7. Country Music: A Film By Ken Burns
8. The Carter Family — Across Generations
9. Billy Branch and the Sons of Blues — Roots & Branches: The Songs of Little Walter
10. Steve Earl & The Dukes — Guy
11. World Music Network — The Rough Guide To The Roots of Country Music
12. Zac Brown Band — Owl
13. Mandolin Orange — Tides of a Teardrop
14. Michael Cleveland — Tail Fiddler
15. Hootie & The Blowfish — Imperfect Circle

 

To keep up with the latest entertainment reviews and news, go online to http://www.facebook.com/philspicks and “Like” it.  Fans can always keep up with the latest entertainment reviews and news in the Phil’s Picks blog at https://philspicks.wordpress.com.

‘Country Music’ Will Appeal To Audiences Across The Country

Courtesy: Florentine Films/PBS/PBS Distribution

Country music is American music.  It is music that transcends generations and defies racial barriers while also garnering fans across the musical universe.  That far reach and impact of the oft-maligned genre is why famed documentarian Ken Burns made the decision recently to helm his latest project, simply titled Country Music.  Recently having aired on PBS stations nationwide, it was released on DVD and Blu-ray Sept. 17 through PBS Distribution.  The eight-disc, 16-hour documentary is a work that audiophiles and country music lovers alike will appreciate.  That appreciation is due in part to the program’s rich, expansive story of Country music’s history that is presented throughout the course of the program.  That breadth and depth of information builds a strong, solid foundation for the program.  Strengthening that foundation is the program’s bonus content featured with its home release.  The set’s packaging gives it its final touch.  Each item noted here is important in its own way to the whole of Country Music’s presentation.  All things considered, they make the documentary another successful presentation from PBS and from Ken Burns and company.  They make it yet another of the year’s top new documentaries.

PBS Distribution and Florentine Films’ new documentary Country Music is a presentation that will appeal just as much to audiophiles in general as it will to the most devoted country music aficionados.  That is due in part to the information presented through the course of the documentary’s 16-hour run time.  Audiences get plenty of history, starting at country music’s roots in the 1920s and taking them up to 1996.  Viewers learn about many of the most important figures that made Country music what it is today (E.g. Little Jimmie Dickens, Hank Williams, Jimmie Rodgers, Earl Sruggs and Lester Flatt, Charlie Pirde, Johnny cash, Loretta Lynn, Tammy Wynette, George Jones, etc.).  That is just one part of the interest, too.  Along with learning about those and other important figures, the documentary also points out why they were so pivotal to the evolution of country music. Audiences learn early on, the African roots of country and bluegrass through a discussion on the banjo. By connection, the discussion on Flatt & Scruggs reveals how Earl Scruggs’ banjo playing played into the evolution of banjo playing.  On another note, viewers learn that Jimmie Rodgers was the first country musician to develop the so-called blue yodel, and the impact that had on early country and western music.  Viewers learn of Hank Williams, his songs were written from his own personal experiences, making them so much more relatable to audiences.  That is why they are timeless works to this very day.  As if all of that is not enough, viewers learn about Bob Wills’ coupling of jazz and country to create what would go on to be called Texas Swing.  That genre would go on over time, according to the documentary, to become a standard country music subgenre from that point on.  There was also the contribution that acts, such as Kris Kristofferson and the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band made to the continued evolution of Country music during the 1960s.  They, along with the likes of Bob Dylan helped bridge folk rock and country, continuing the evolution of Country music as an art form.  Everything noted here is just a snapshot of all of the important history that is shared over the course of Country Music’s presentation.  There is far more for audiences to take in throughout the documentary that will also inform, engage and educate.  Audiences can learn for themselves just how much more is offered when they purchase this program for themselves.  The history and education offered through the documentary’s primary content is but one part of what makes the doc in whole so appealing.  The bonus content that is featured on each of the set’s eight discs adds its own appeal to the program.

The bonus content featured throughout the course of Country Music adds its own share of education and entertainment.  Riannon Giddens (ex-Carolina Chocolate Drops) discusses in one of the many bonuses included in the set, overcoming stereotypes and racial biases.  She also discusses the combination of various country and bluegrass styles that are prevalent in North Carolina.  In another of the many interesting bonus discussions featured in the program’s presentation, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band member John McEuen takes to discussing music theory at one point, comparing the composition style of Johann Sebastian Bach to a distinct style of picking on the banjo.  How’s that for a comparison?  That in itself shows even more the legitimacy of Country music.  Charlie Daniels offers his own music theory discussion as he talks about how he came up with the musical and lyrical presentation of his hit song ‘The Devil Went Down To Georgia.’  That discussion proves rather enlightening in its own right.  In another example of the importance of the bonus content featured in this set, Mel Tillis, yet another Country music legend, joins Kenny Rogers (yet another Country music legend) to talk about the creation of the song ‘Ruby, Don’t Take Your Love To Town.’  Alice Randall adds her own comments to the discussion, noting its place in the bigger picture of patriotic and protest songs during the 1960s.  It is just one more key discussion that is featured in the whole of Country Music.  There are far more bonuses than available time and space to discuss.  Keeping that in mind, that content and the content discussed here collectively shows with ease, the role that the set’s bonus content plays to its presentation.  When that collective content is considered along with the breadth and depth of the set’s primary content, the whole of all of that content makes the set’s overall presentation such that, again, is a very far-reaching work and will appeal to a wide range of viewers.

The combined primary and secondary content that makes up the body of Country Music goes a long way toward making this recently released collection appealing to audiences.  For all that it does to make the set so appealing, it is collectively just one part of what makes the set a positive work.  The set’s packaging plays its own important part to the collection’s whole.  Audiences will note that the eight discs that make up the set’s whole are spread across two separate boxes, four to a box.  The discs are placed on their own spot within their respective cases, protecting the discs from marring one another and themselves.  That approach also serves to save space on audiences’ DVD and BD racks.  That is even despite the use of two separate cases to hold the discs.

Adding to the interest of the packaging is that the back of each case features an in-depth summary for each episode.  That element, though mainly aesthetic, does a lot to add to the set’s appeal because it allows viewers to much more easily choose which disc they want to play.  That means not having to put in the disc and search through each disc to find out the subject of each episode.  Those responsible for the addition of this element are to be highly commended for their efforts.  When this is considered along with the more “mechanical” aspect of the packaging, the whole of the packaging becomes that much more integral to the whole of Country Music’s presentation.  When it is considered along with the set’s overall content, all elements considered make even more clear why this presentation is so impressive.  All things considered, they make clear that Country Music is one of 2019’s top new documentaries and DVD/BD box sets.  It should be noted that there is some foul language used at points, so while it is mostly family friendly, there is some not so family friendly content.  To that end, the set will go to critics’ lists of the top new grown-up DVD and BD box sets.  Other than that one aspect, there are no other negatives to the whole of Country Music.

Country Music, the latest documentary from Director Ken Burns and Florentine Films, is one of this year’s top new documentaries and top new box sets for grown-ups.  That is due in part to the combined primary and secondary content that makes up the body of the set.  The set’s packaging plays its own important part to the whole of the box.  Each item noted is key in its own way to the whole of Country Music.  All things considered, they make this set a presentation that will appeal widely to audiophiles in general just as much as it will to the most devoted country music aficionados.  It is available now.  More information on this and other titles from PBS Distribution is available at:

 

 

 

Website: http://www.pbsdistribution.org

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/PBSDistribution.org

 

 

To keep up with the latest entertainment reviews and news, go online to http://www.facebook.com/philspicks and “Like” it.  Fans can always keep up with the latest entertainment reviews and news in the Phil’s Picks blog at https://philspicks.wordpress.com.

PBS Distribution To Release ‘Country Music’ Docu-Series Tuesday

Courtesy: PBS Distribution/PBS

PBS’ new hugely touted Ken Burns presentation is scheduled to air on PBS nationwide Sunday night.

The docu-series will be available on DVD and Blu-ray next week, too.  It is scheduled for release Sept. 17 on DVD and Blu-ray.  The program, directed by Burns, takes listeners through the history of country music, going all the way back to its beginnings in the 1920s and all the way to the 1990s.

The story is presented through stories of County Music greats, such as Merle Haggard, Dolly Parton, Willie Nelson and Patsy Cline.  The program examines the ballads, hymns and blues compositions along with the noted stories to help tell the story of Country Music.

Along with directing the program, Burns also produced the series alongside Dayton Duncan and Julie Dunfrey.  Duncan also wrote the story.

Country Music runs 16 hours over a spread of eight discs.  It will retail for MSRP of $99.99 (DVD) and $129.99 (Blu-ray), but is available at reduced prices of $74.99 (DVD) and $99.99 (Blu-ray) through PBS’ online store.  More information on this and other titles from PBS is available online now at:

 

Website: http://www.pbs.org

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pbs

Twitter: http://twitter.com/pbs

 

To keep up with the latest sports and entertainment news and reviews, go online to http://www.facebook.com/philspicks and “Like” it.  Fans can always keep up with the latest sports and entertainment news and reviews in the Phil’s Picks blog at https://philspicks.wordpress.com.

PBS’ Vietnam War Docu-Series Is A Timeless Look At A Critical Conflict

Courtesy: PBS/Public Media Distribution

The clock is ticking on the year.  In a little more than 24 hours, 2017 will finally winding down and the world will be looking forward to 2018.  Before those final hours pass by, there’s still work to be done from Phil’s Picks in the year-ender department.  That work includes year-enders for the year’s top new box sets for grown-up audiences.  In saying grown-ups, that does not necessarily mean solely that the material is inappropriate for younger viewers, but that it might simply not appeal to younger viewers because of the issue of their ability to relate to the material in question.

PBS and Shout! Factory dominate this critic’s list this year with a rather wide array of titles with PBS’ new miniseries doc The Vietnam War taking top honors.  Whether or not one is a military or even history buff, this set is a must see.  Period.  The fourth season of PBS’ British import crime drama Endeavour is also on the list alongside new releases such as Shout! Factory’s Green Acres: The Complete Series, The Good Place: Season 1 and Ernie Kovacs retrospective Take A Good Look.  Smithsonian Channel even gets some nods with the first two seasons of Air Warriors and the first season of Sports Detectives.  Even mpi Media Group’s Gerry Anderson collection The Lost Worlds of Gerry Anderson is on this critic’s list.

As with every previous list from Phil’s Picks, this list features this critic’s Top 10 New Grown-Up Box Sets plus five additional honorable mention titles for a total of 15 titles.  Developing this list was anything but easy, but every title included was well deserving of its place in the list.  that being said, here for your consideration is Phil’s Picks 2017 Top 10 New Grown-Up DVD/BD Box Sets.

PHIL’S PICKS 2017 TOP 10 NEW GROWN-UP DVDs/BDs

1. The Vietnam War: A Film By Ken Burns and Lynn Novick
2. Endeavour: Season 4
3. Green Acres: The Complete Series
4. Sports Detectives: Season 1
5. Mystery Science Theater 3000 Vol. XXXVIII
6. Mystery Science Theater 3000 Vol. XXXIX
7. Ernie Kovacs: Take A Good Look
8. The Good Place: Season 1
9. The Lost Worlds of Gerry Anderson
10. Air Warriors: Season 1
11. Air Warriors: Season 2
12. Just Shoot Me: The Complete Series
13. Ned & Stacey: The Complete Series
14. Ice: Season 1
15. From Dusk Till Dawn: Season 3

That’s it for this list, but still not it for this year’s new DVD and BD titles.  Still up for grabs are spots on Phil’s PIcks 2017 Top 10 New Family DVD/BD Box Sets.  That list is nearly compiled and will be posted ASAP, so stay tuned!

To keep up with the latest sports and entertainment reviews and news, go online to http://www.facebook.com/philspicks and “Like” it.  Fans can always keep up with the latest sports and entertainment reviews and news in the Phil’s Picks blog at https://philspicks.wordpress.com.

PBS Announces Release Date For Ken Burns’ Latest Documentary Series

Courtesy: PBS/Public Media Distribution

Ken Burns and PBS have partnered to release the famed documentarian’s latest offering on DVD and Blu-ray late this summer.

Ken Burns: The Vietnam War will be released Tuesday, Sept. 19 on DVD and Blu-ray.  The 1,080-minute (18-hours) program examines the conflict in a previously untold fashion with interviews from almost 100 witnesses and uses rarely-seen, digitally re-mastered footage from historic news broadcasts, home movies and audio recordings from the Kennedy, Johnson and Nixon administrations.

Audiences can see a preview of the program online now here.

Lynn Novick, who co-directed and produced the documentary alongside Burns and fellow co-producer Sarah Botstein, said some surprising revelations were made over the decade in which The Vietnam War was created.

“We are all searching for some meaning in this terrible tragedy.  Ken and I have tried to shed new light on the war by looking at it from the bottom up, the top down and from all sides,” Novick said.  “In addition to dozens of Americans who shared their stories, we interviewed many Vietnamese on both the winning and losing sides, and were surprised to learn that the war remains as painful and unresolved for them as it is for us.  Within this almost incomprehensibly destructive event, we discovered profound, universal human truths, as well as uncanny resonances with recent events.”

Burns agreed, adding it remains a divisive topic even four decades after Saigon fell.

“The Vietnam War was a decade of agony that took the lives of more than 58,000 Americans,” Burns said.  “Not since the Civil War have we as a country been so torn apart.  There wasn’t an American alive then who wasn’t affected in some way – from those who fought and sacrificed in the war to families of service members of POWs, to those who protested the war in open conflict with their government and fellow citizens.  More than 40 years after it ended, we can’t forget Vietnam, and we are still arguing about why it went wrong, who was to blame and whether it was all worth it.”

Courtesy: PBS/Public Media Distribution

This latest offering from Burns and company also features new music composed by famed Academy Award®-winning producers Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross.  Reznor has also won numerous awards and accolades as the creative force behind Nine Inch Nails.

It offers more than 100 minutes of bonus material, too, including a 45-minute preview program, two programs focusing on contemporary lives of two people involved in the conflict and much more.

As if that expanse of bonus material is not enough, the program, which will air on PBS stations nationwide between Sept. 17 – 21 and Sept. 24 – 28, a companion outreach and public engagement program – provided by PBS stations nationwide – aimed at giving communities the chance to take part in a national discussion about the war.

A website and educational initiative will also be launched online at PBS Learning Media aimed at engaging teachers and students everywhere about the war.

The program spans 10 discs on both platforms and will retail for MSRP of $99.99 on DVD and $129.99 on Blu-ray.  It will also be available via digital download. The sets can be pre-ordered online now at discounted prices of $94.99 (DVD) and $124.99 (Blu-ray).

A companion standalone book is also available for order for $59.99.  The book and box sets can be pre-ordered online now via PBS’ online store along with complete sets that include the box sets and book.

More information on this and other titles from Ken Burns and PBS is available online now at:

 

 

 

Website: http://www.pbs.org/

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pbs

Twitter: http://twitter.com/pbs

 

 

 

To keep up with the latest sports and entertainment news and reviews, go online to http://www.facebook.com/philspicks and “Like” it.  Fans can always keep up with the latest sports and entertainment news and reviews in the Phil’s Picks blog at https://philspicks.wordpress.com.

Ken Burns’ Latest PBS Presentation Is The “Champion” Of Phil’s Picks’ 2016 Top 10 New Documentaries List

Courtesy: PBS/PBS Distribution

2016 was another great year for documentaries.  From ancient kings to movie magic kings and much more, the field of documentaries had plenty to offer audiences.  Believe it or not PBS showed again with its offerings why it remains the king of the documentary field and why it is the last true bastion of truly worthwhile programming on television.  It wasn’t the only outlet that offered quality documentaries this year, though.  Virgil Films and MVD Visual both had some stand out offerings, too.  Their films are included in this critic’s list of the year’s best new documentaries.

Topping this year’s list of the year’s top new documentaries is Ken Burns’ new profile of MLB great Jackie Robinson.  It isn’t the first of its kind by any means.  But it is one of the most in-depth profiles of the baseball legend.  Also included in this year’s list is a profile of another legend in his own right, Ray Harryhausen from MVD Visual in the form of Ray Harryhausen: Special Effects Titan.  It isn’t the first of its kind, either. But its story, interviews, footage, information and editing all combine to make this presentation stand out.  There is even a pair of documentaries on the “timeless” cinema classic Back to the Future included in this list.

As with each of Phil’s Picks “Best Of” lists, this list features this critic’s top 10 choices in the given category along with five honorable mention titles for a total of 15 titles.  So without any further ado, here for you is Phil’s Picks’ 2016 Top 10 New Documentaries

 

PHIL’S PICKS 2016 TOP 10 NEW DOCUMENTARIES

 

1. Ken Burns’ Jackie Robinson

 

2. American Experience: Space Men

 

3. American Experience: Tesla

 

4. Nature: Natural Born Hustlers

 

5. Secrets of the Dead: Cleopatra’s Lost Tomb

 

6. Secrets of the Dead: Teotihuacan’s Lost Kings

 

7. Ray Harryhausen: Special Effects Titan

 

8. American Experience: Bonnie & Clyde

 

9. Nature: Super Hummingbirds

 

10. Nature: Moose – Life of a Twig Eater

 

11. NOVA: Vikings Unearthed

 

12. OUTATIME: Saving The DeLorean Time Machine

 

13. Back in Time

 

14. Building Star Trek

 

15. Zydeco Crossroads: A Tale of Two Cities

 

To keep up with the latest sports and entertainment news and reviews, go online to http://www.facebook.com/philspicks and “Like” it.  Fans can always keep up with the latest sports and entertainment news and reviews in the Phil’s Picks blog at https://philspicks.wordpress.com.