Reviews (39)

Very good horror film entry
Others put this film down comparing it to other less than imaginative horror films, but that is not the case at all. This is a film head and shoulders above the rest of the early 80's slasher films.Actually one of the best.The murderer in this movie is particularly vicious and cruel (that's what makes it way cool)obviously taking delight with each murder. (Notice the smile on the murderers face after one murder in particular?)Both funny and engrossing. Yes I agree with other reviews, the murders, at least some of them are imaginative , as well as clever.I liked the psychological bent of the film. A worthwhile way to spend an evening of video viewing. Give it a try.

Horror movie classic. Who is the killer? Best twists!
Here is another horror movie classic. College kids like this one. Melissa Sue Anderson (Little house on the Prarie) and a gaggle of other university students are being killed one by one. Each one of the students are a little on the crazy side, so no telling whom the killer may be. Her mom had died. Eventually her dad and herself move back into town and the family house. "Virginia" is really down and bothered. But she is making friends in school and considers herself to be in the Top Ten. Cast also includes Tracy Bregman (Days Of Our Lives, Young and the Restless, Bold and the Beautiful) and Glenn Ford (Superman [1978]). Can you guess who the killer is? This RCA home video print is not too good. The color is faded. The film being Canadian might have something to do with that. But this is a good film worth watching and good acting from Melissa Sue Anderson.

Highly Underrated Slasher
5 out 5 stars when it comes to slashers! Clever plot twists, inventive murder scenes, and a great build up to the ending. Plus: Melissa Sue Anderson is great as our lead character, Ginny. Worth a watch!

cheesy fun
okay so it isn't the best movie ever but it's fun and funny. i liked it.

You Say It's Your Birthday
Thanks to horror classics like Halloween, The Howling, and The Exorcist, the genre saw a resurgence in the 70's and 80's, not even matched by today's standards. More often then not though, most of them were just pale imatations of, the crazed killer stalking teens with raging hormones plot. Very few of these films broke away from the pack, comming up with a new spin, an exception is the mildly clever Happy Birthday To Me.

Thanks to severe head trauma, Virginia Wainwright, (Melissa Sue Anderson, who tried to shed her past role on TV's Little House, but hasn't done much since) part of her brain is damaged, to the point where she can't remember her recent past. When she returns to school at the Crawford Academy, she is welcomed into the Top Ten, a snooty social clique. Things turn deadly, as someone starts killing off the members of the group. With her 18th birthday approaching Virginia starts to doubt her own sanity, thinking that the killer's real identity, may indeed, be linked to her own forgotton past - or that she herself may even be the killer, acting out, during one of her blackouts.

Directed by Lee J. Thompson, who worked on the original Cape Fear and Battle For The Planet Of The Apes, elevates the film a bit, and makes you (almost) forget that it's really just a slasher flick. The interesting twist of the possiblity that the heroine may be the murderer is also kinda fun. The film is also given even more credability, by the prescence of the great Glenn Ford, as Dr. David Faraday. The script has all the familiar horror film cliches, of course but as I said, it's still got enough there to make it watchable and even fun.

Happy Birthday To Me is not yet available on DVD. Therefore, VHS will have to do for now. It may be hard to find a copy of it. If you do...Rent don't Buy...It's worth a look for horror enthusiasts *** and a half stars ... Read more

Reviews (5)

One of the best in the series
This video has it all. Two inspiring Dragon Tunes, and 3 episodes of "Never-say-die" action. Never mind that "A Feat on her Feet" has Cassie singing a parody of Jingle Bells...The other two stories on the tape are nursery-rhyme-parody free (with only a short stint of the original lyrics of "Ring-a-round-the-rosie" in "Zak takes a dive", and only the first 5 words to the song "Rain, rain, go away" in "A liking to biking" (the song was promply interrupted by Max exclaiming "And don't come back!"). And you also get a good laugh out of "A Liking for biking", which is a must watch if you want to understand one part of "A Feat on her Feet", when Max makes a comment that links to "A Liking for Biking". If you must get a Dragon Tales video, get this one! You won't be disappointed!

Singing and Dancing and Learning New Skills
Playful. Delightful collection of stories, songs, kind characters. Shows friends being supportive and positive as younger characters learn new skills. Presented in segments with breaks in between that allow the kids to dance and sing. Ages 2-5.

Great Fun
My 2 1/2 year old grand-daughter and I love to watch Dragon Tales together when I go to visit. She can't get enough of the songs and the cute dragons. I love watching her sing along and play along with the dragons as they teach her good manners and ethics. I can't wait to find a new tape in the stores so I can take her a "suurprize" when I go visit. She likes Cassie the best but they are all cute to watch. I hope more of this "good entertainment" is made so we can share more hours of fun together.

A great positive role-model for the "I can'ts"
Fun, upbeat and educational. Another Dragon Tales winner! In our house, we try to avoid the "I can'ts". These three Dragon Tales episodes have given our 3-year old something to relate to when she doesn't succeed at something new. Each of the three stories shows the intrinsic rewards of sticking-with something until you master it. It also provides a great upbeat song "Yes you can" to sing along with your kids when they are about to say "I can't do it!". Another plus is that the video is long-enough to entertain and teach within a toddler/pre-school attention-span, but not too-long (you don't have to turn it off mid-stream and endure the screams!). And, did I mention that the songs are fantastic! Finally, a pre-school video that parents can enjoy watching with their children!

Educational and fun
My brother loves this show and watches it everyday. I've seen this episode with my brother a couple of times and I think it is really educational. The concept of using dragons who are usually asociated with fire and warfare to teach kids good lessons is fantastic. it works too! My brother has learned many things from Dragon Tales. Dragon tales is also good for kids who want something besides Barney. This video would make a great gift. ... Read more

Reviews (12)

Even grown ups will like it! It made a fan out of me!!
I initially bought the movie for my uncle's kid for christmas...ANYTHING to get him out of his psychosis with "bob the builder"!!

It's a surprisingly good movie! I thought it would be cheesy like the previous reviewer described, but it's really not all that cheesy (and mind you, cheesy IS pretty relative when it comes to CHILDREN'S entertainment!!)...Granted, there WERE some parts of the movie that were a bit within the bounds of RIDICULOUS...but those parts weren't any more ridiculous than those of some major Hollywood motion pictures such as "THE CORE" or "ARMAGEDDON"...And the episodes from the tv show are SOOOOO cute!!! (I only wish I had stuff this cool to grow up on when I was a child!!)

So, if you have a kid who's into the toys or the show, he'll absolutely FLIP over this movie!! You will not waste a PENNY of your money on this one (you may even end up liking this yourself, heh heh)...As embarassing as it is to admit, I'll have to return to buy ANOTHER copy of this movie, since watching Rescue Heroes has now become my newest guilty pleasure >;.)

Even grown-ups will like it! It made a fan out o me!
I initially bought the movie for my uncle's kid for christmas...ANYTHING to get him out of his psychosis with "bob the builder"!!

It's a surprisingly good movie! I thought it would be cheesy like another reviewer had described, but it's really not all that cheesy (and mind you, cheesy IS pretty relative when it comes to CHILDREN'S entertainment!!)...Granted, there WERE some parts of the movie that were a bit within the bounds of RIDICULOUS...but those parts weren't any more ridiculous than those of some major Hollywood motion pictures such as "THE CORE" or "ARMAGEDDON"...And the episodes from the tv show are SOOOOO cute!!! (I only wish I had stuff this cool to grow up on when I was a child!!)

So, if you have a kid who's into the toys or the show, he'll absolutely FLIP over this movie!! You will not waste a PENNY of your money on this one (you may even end up liking this yourself, heh heh)...As embarassing as it is to admit, I'll have to return to buy ANOTHER copy of this movie, since watching Rescue Heroes has now become my newest guilty pleasure >;.)

Kids love it, AND Mom loves it!
I am so glad to have found this Rescue Heroes movie and the Rescue Heroes toys! My 4 year old son came home from daycare playing (acting out) Power Rangers, and all he was doing was wanting to kick, punch, shoot, and fight. I was desperate for an alternative which was action packed and definately still catering to boys. This is IT! He and his 5 year old sister now pretend play Rescue Heroes, and I'm much more comfortable with what they're learning. And the Rescue Heroes are great role models for real life. I'd recommend to all parents trying to reinforce non-violence, when so much coming at kids is violent.

Very cool!
I like the movie because it's cool! My favorite part is the earthquake. I like their mission select backpacks. Jack Hammer is my favorite.

Rescue Hero for Life!
This movie was the first exposure to the Rescue Heroes for my two boys, ages 4 & 2. We watched it in our van on a long car trip and they watched it 2 consecutive times (3 hours) without taking their eyes off it! Its very intense, non-stop action and may be a bit much for kids under 3. It is somewhat educational, positive, and very entertaining for the age group. This is one of the best movies I have ever purchased for my kids. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Very dissapoiting...NOT what I expected
After loving Halloween 2, and it's creepy hospital setting, I was very excited to hear that there were two other hospital-slashers in the early 80's; this and "Hospital Massacre". I hadn't been able to find these two movies until I went to this video store out of town that is known for having a HUGE selection, as well as a lot of hard-to-find movies. I was very pleased to not only find "Visiting Hours" and "Hospital Massacre", but a whole other bunch of scary movies I wanted to see. I got "Sleepaway Camp 2", and then decided to get only one hospital movie; I chose "Visiting Hours" due to the supieror cover art. Well, it's no Halloween 2. In fact, it's not even a slasher movie!; it's purely a drama, laced with thriller/suspense elements. And it's boring, boring, boring...One other problem is that alot of the movie foucuses on the killers personal life. We see him talk and act in his "normal" life. This not only made it more boring, but it made it so the guy wasn't even so scary anymore! The hospital setting is not that creepy even, and the parts in the hospital that are soppoused to be suspensful and scary don't happen till towards the end. Other Notes: "Visiting Hours" was actually based off a book, which is now out of print. And most horror films based off books aren't always all that exciting. This isn't...Lastly, this is a very "mature" kind of horror film; it isn't something you'd watch on Halloween with a group of freinds, and doesn't have the thrills and chills of "Halloween 2" or the fun of the "Friday the 13th" series. And don't be fooled by the cool box art!

"Visiting Hours" misses more than hits
A brutal, anti-woman lunkhead (Michael Ironside) begins to stalk television journalist (Lee Grant) after she delivers an over the edge editorial on women's rights. He attacks her in her home, where she is wounded but escapes. He soon follows her to the hospital, where he waits for his second chance. Some unpleasant scenes, such as when he cuts the hose on an elderly woman's respirator and we watch her face contort in horror as she suffocates. Another charmer is when he stabs a nurse with a kitchen knife and then photographs her as she lies moaning in pain on the floor. He even kicks her legs for effect. Okay, I'll stop before I get on a roll. Lee Grant gives an awful performance, and she's an annoying crier to boot. William Shatner is wasted in a small supporting role. Watchable, but not much going here.

tepid revenge flick
If you crossed "Halloween II" with "I Spit on Your Grave" and subtracted the sex & nudity of the latter, you'd get "Visiting Hours," a would-be horror movie that pits an outspoken TV personality (Lee Grant, in an awful performance) against a hulking, muscular freak who has a personal vendetta against her (although it's not made clear exactly WHAT that vendetta is). He attacks her in her home once, and when she's transferred to a hospital, there's even more chances for his deadly intent. Unfortunately, this is less a horror film and more a portrait of Humans Behaving Badly, with Michael Ironside doing a good job of being imposing and threating, but also unrelentingly unpleasant as a result. Jean-Claude Lord's direction sucks the suspense out of scenes, and in the end, "Visiting Hours" is just one big 'kill-or-be-killed' festival with the typical undercurrents of misogyny. Avoid it.

visiting hours
.i love horror shows,and this one is the most terrorfing one i ever did see, it keeps you on the edge of your seat .knowing that at any moment some one will be making you jump right out of your skin.

visiting hours
love to see the closet sceen,with the pictures of the dead he has on the wall in his closet. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Whoa this was good
I must say this was my favorite X-Men episode. Magneto announces that he has made an asteriod for mutants to live in peace. Prof, Beast, and Gambit check it out. Magneto meets a man named Fabian Cortez who is very human hating. He sent Magneto off of the asteroid and then blamed the X-men. Beast and Prof excaped but they kept Gabit with them. After Cortez made him wear one of those collars, Emilia Volt-one of Prof's x-girlfriends helps prove Gambits innocence. Rogue and Wolverine went back to the asteroid to rescue Gambit. This is just a minor glimpse of what happens. I say that u should definitely check it out!

AWESOME !!!!!
This is one of my favorites. It is well put together, with a great story and plot. Lots of action. And a new, really evil bad guy. Gambit is in it alot, not to mention all the other X-Men and Magneto. Great episodes !! It is well worth the money.

Gambit's share
I first seen this episode on fox, and Gambit being my favorite x-men I enjoyed it. If some of you may have noticed he's not in most of the shows like other x-men. But I think it has a good plot, and how they done it, how to make it look like Magneto died and the same with Gambit. I thought that was clever, but the x-men (Wolverine, Rogue,Beast ,and Prof. X) go to Astriod M to rescue Gambit and stop the bad guy from luanching the warheads, but magneto come's back and helps the x-men. Over all I thought it was pretty cool episode. ... Read more

Description

Dragon Tales: Follow the Clues follows the adventures of 6-year-old Emmy and her 4-year-old brother, Max, as they discover a magic dragon scale in the playroom of their new house that can transport them to Dragon Land. In this enchanted land they meet Ord, Cassie, Zak, Wheezie (a two-headed dragon), and Quetzal--all fantastical dragons possessing very human qualities. The tape includes three episodes:

"A Picture Is Worth a Thousand Words."
Ord decides giggle flowers would make a nice present for his mom on her birthday, so Doodle Fairy draws a map to a meadow full of them. Our friends learn the meaning of picture symbols.
"Follow the Dots"
Ord is afraid he has lost his father's favorite whistler, but Number Gnome knows where it is and shows everyone how counting from 1 to 10 will help them find the whistler.
"Wheezie's Last Laugh"
Mr. Pop steals Wheezie's laugh, plus he's switched all the animal sounds around. During a merry chase, everyone in Dragon Land learns that everything has its own special sound, especially Wheezie, in this segment where children learn to distinguish sounds. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

One of the better ones.
This video is way better than "Big Brave Adventures". While it does have a song parody in story #2 - "Follow the dots", it's really not as grating as the one found in "Calling Dr. Zak" in the "Big Brave Adventures" video. This one's up in my "Good" list with "You can do it". I'd recommend picking this one up as well.

Silly Songs and Giggly Flowers
Super presentation. Fun music, clear voices, good graphics. Lively and positive. Pushes critical thinking and promotes pro-activity instead of re-activity. Great introduction into exploring and investigating. "Shows characters using their brains." Children were mesmerized, watched it from start to finish. They danced and sang along. They especially enjoyed the Silly Sounds Song and imitated the silly sounds. Dot-to-dot exercise held their interest. "We liked the silly songs and giggly flowers." Ages 2-5.

Dragon Land
In "A Picture's Worth A Thousand Words," Emmy has a video camera and is going to make a movie in Dragon Land. Emmy treats Max bad and doesn't let Max be in the movie. She says, "My movie is about Dragons, not little boys!" When Emmy gives Max the job of sound effects, Max doesn't do much so he goes to Quetzals. (By the way, Cassie is the star and they are looking for a mouse named Cheddar.) When Max helps Quetzl make a sandwich, Cheddar is near by and eats the sandwich. Ord and Cassie smell the sandwich, and come to Quetzal's to help. Then, Zak and Wheezie come, too. Then, Emmy decides to make Max the star of her new movie.

In "Follow The Dots," Ord, Cassie, Zak, Wheezie, Emmy, and Max are playing a game when Ord's dad's best whisler flys into the air. Then it gets lost. A little guy named The Number Nomb gives them disks and they have to find and count the number of things beside it. When they do it all, 1 through 10 they look what the drawing connects to and it connects to an arrow and Ord finds the whisler.

In "Wheezie's Last Laugh," some little guy puts sounds from different sounds from different things on to something that dosen't belong there. When he takes away Wheezie's laugh, the little guy leaves his thingamagicy that he used to take away things. Then, they put things back where they should be and they find the little guy's hideout. Then, Zak puts a wierd noise for the little guy's laugh. Then the little guy gives Wheezie back her laugh and Zak gives the little guy his laugh back. ... Read more

Reviews (15)

Fluffer Stuff
First Off this DVD only has 5 episodes

1. Out of the Past
2. Out of the Past II
3. Nightcrawler
4. The Lotus and the Steel
5. The Final Decision (Bonus)

Only 1 episode really has to do with Wolverine. The rest is fluff. In "Out of the Past" Part one we see how Wolverine got his claws. In "Lotus and the Steel" he goes back to a monastery in Japan. In the third and fifth episode, Wolverine is just a regular X-men. This DVD is just a way the studio can make a quick buck because of the X-men 2 Movie hype. The X-men Animated Series is great and should be released as a BOX SET, not single discs. But getting back to the DVD. There are other episodes that are probably better for this DVD. Like “Red Dawn” with Omega Red, “Repo Man” which tells of his claws and time with Alpha Flight. “Weapon X, Lies, and Videotape” tells of his time as Weapon X. And “Old Soldiers” which is about his adventures in WWII with Captain America. But technically the transfers to dvd look clean and crisp.

They shouldn't tease us like this.
I like these episodes. In fact the bonus episode The Final Decision may be one of the best X-men episodes, but come on. I wish they'd start releasing the whole series on DVD. The way they've done it, they're just teasing all of the fans out there. Throwing us a bone every now and then.

I think there were probably some episodes that might have given us more insight into Wolverine than some of these did. Weapon X, Lies, and Videotape would have been a good one, but They're still good episodes. I love the commentary. It's very good, although he could be a little more relevant at times. I'd say over all it's an excellent DVD, picture and sound are great. It's just too little, but it's not too late. If they'd get a TV station to start showing this again, peak some interest in the young kids, they could sell the whole series on DVD and it would sell great. It's one of the greatest cartoon series of all time and they should market it more.

What i really wanna see...
I bought this DVD, it generally was good, however it's sopposed to be about the history of WOLVERINE, not his "currrent" adventures... the WWII episode would have been better & some of the other Weapon X and Sabretooth oriented episodes would have been welcomed, personally I WOULD KILL(literally) for a boxed set of all 76(or so) episodes, in their entirety on DVD... that would make the greatest Chirstmas gift ever, now that's an X-FANS dream come true!!

With Wolverine, everything is great!
I'm sorry others seemed disappointed in this DVD collection, but I was utterly satisfied! Something else that satisfied me completely, as far as Sci-Fi/Action books are concerned, was THE ADVENTURES OF DARKEYE: CYBER HUNTER...an extremely fast-paced book that takes place in the 23rd Century and reads like a script for a movie due to its unique "log entries" that really pushes the story along! Great read! I highly recommend it!

Incredibley dull films.....
Very cheaply put together DVD on Wolverine and some forgetable shows from the early 90's X-Men series, horrible edited in this DVD sad to say. The Chris Claremont interview shows what a dull/uninventive writer he really is. I'm glad he's not involved with the X-Men movies in any way. Only Stan Lee is. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

BLACKTHORNE'S GREAT GREAT GREAT GRANDSON?
Sorry - I love this movie! It is like seeing Pilot Major John Blackthorne's great great great grandson, showing up in our time with a PhD, and displaying all the best characteristics of his sexy and suave, great great great grandfather. The story is an amusing murder mystery, but Richard Chamberlain's acting is wonderful. He is sexy, sensitive, smart, and totally in control as Dr. Nat Bridger, University professor - turned sleuth - investigating the murder of his brightest student. Dr. Bridger has great on-screen chemistry with Ridley, his love interest, and causes the screen to sizzle with some very steamy bed and shower scenes and particularly when he gives Ridley a licentious look and says, "I knew what you were offering". He is dashing, daring, debonair, and deliciously Blackthorne with his great beard, masculine bearing, and sexy samurai personage. Maybe Blackthorne made it out of the Japans after all........chuckle.

yawn.
This movie was just plain dull so don't bother. I am a Richard Chamberlain fan and after seeing Shogun and The Thorn Birds this movie is just a waste of his talent and my time.

Muder By Phone
Alright...'Murder By Phone'. It was an okay movie. I definitely think it could've been a lot better. It's one of those cheesy 80s horror flicks. I found it more funny than scary, though I admit, I'm gonna be scared to answer the phone for a while! This movie is pretty much about a crazed murderer dude who kills his victims by calling them + then playing a high frequency sound which makes them have like convulsions + then he sends high voltage through the phone + they die. This movie is also a little confusing at times. (Keep in mind, I saw the movie at like midnight) This is DEFINITELY a REALLY good movie to watch with a bunch of your friends during a sleepover in the middle of the night! ... Read more

Reviews (1)

This movie has turned from a "Must See" to a "Must Not See!"
Prettykill is more than disappointing, the whole thing is just confusing. It doesn't make any sense. Especially, when David Birney didn't do much. Suzanne Snyder did most of the acting. I don't know why she wasn't the main character. Seeing it the second time made me want to hate it even more! ... Read more

Reviews (9)

Def Con 4
There's no denying that this is not the best of films, but despite this, I found it to be interesting to watch; filmed twenty years ago, it deals with a common concern of the time: nuclear war, and more specifically, human survival after such a frightful event. The main protagonist of the film is a crewmember of a (top secret) nuclear missle platform orbiting the Earth. Several months after the war, the craft is brough down for some unknown reason somewhere in Nova Scotia, Canada. Here they find a world that has naturally become much more primitive and dangerous, and survival inevitably depends upon adapting to this new unfortunate state of reality. Now, the movie certainly lacks a number of qualities: acting is mediocre, the screenplay quite cheesy at times, and over all the story isn't all that profound. But the movie is, like I said, interesting, because it is in a way, a reminder of the fears, concerns and expectations of what is now a bygone era. And for this reason, it deserves, in my opinions a third star.

CONELRAD TOP 100 FILM
First off let me state that I was very surprised and entertained by this B flick. I almost saw it in the theaters
in the 80's and wish I had, instead I went to see "Blade Runner", and the "Road Warrior" again. OK so it isn't on that level of movie genius. I can tell you something though; the reviewers who pan this film with 1 star are those who probably love a film like "On The Beach" or "Fail Safe", and who rave about a 50's communist made film like "First Spaceship On Venus". Not to say those (the first 2) are bad films, they are not, but in both films the ending is not happy. These reviewers HATE to see anyone live and try to prosper in a post atomic war. It could easily be a horrible film, but the plot and character twists and turns keep it on edge. It's pretty cool (at least to me) to think of a manned "star wars" space platform that comes back to an atomic ravaged world and the survivors stories afterward. Definite cult status and made the CONELRAD.COM TOP 100 (some big budget flicks didn't make it!)!

DEF-CON 4...another perspective
Look, everything ther other reviewers said about this movie is true, but so is this: I like this movie alot. I've watched it again abad again for almost 15 years now. Yea, it's kinda B-rated (budget flick). But it's a cult classic, IMO. You've got to see it to appreciate it. Watch with an open mind. See if you can rent it 1st before you buy. If not, then ask yourself why this old, b-rated movie still commands a top selling price. See? This cult classic b-rated flick is endearing, extraordinary and mutated. :-) You'll really like it or you'll hate it. Good luck.

Jon graham
This movie is rewatchable,...there's alot to be said for that. Basically a post apocalypse theme with pretty thin plot line,...but the action and "actions" or should I say post nuclear war behavior is more than entertaining and almost funny if it weren't for the very real themes concerning lack of food and killing. Definately watch this film whether you like nuke films or not.

How bad is it.......................
I have to tell you a true story; the poster art was so cool I had to see this picture, yet what I got was the biggest disappointment next to The Avengers. The film starts off with a great idea and the opening scenes show good promise when the crew of a nuclear-armed space station has to react to World War 3. A few months later they have to bail out when an earth-based hacker discovers they might have a load of nukes onboard. Once on ground one of their party falls prey to an unknown predator while the other two have to contend with a gang run by a teenager. The rest of the movie is a bore as it turns into a cheap Mad Max/Road Warrior knock-off.

Like many of these films, they all lack the one element that made Mad Max so great, non-stop action. This movie is boring and looks cheap. The only cool thing is the opening scenes and the super cool poster. I wonder why this would even be released on DVD, as I can't remember a single actor I would recognize. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Cause and effect
Well, this video is an okay video. My only gripe is in story 2 - "Calling Dr. Zak", when the gang sings a slightly modded (but thankfully non-perverted) version of 'This old man'. Now, if you are an avid reader of my reviews, you'd remember that I have a problem with that song, thanks to you-know-which-purple-monster's perversive parody leaving a bad taste in my mind and making me hate him as well as that tune regardless of the words. But the song was justified with Zak stepping on a spineypine (a possible result of what you get if you mate an aardvark with a porcupine) - setting the scenario for the main storyline, as well as Emmy and Max having to go to the doctor's the next day when they performed the song again near the end of the show. The first and third story as well as the Dragon Tunes, well, I have no gripes with them. In fact, I find the second Dragon Tune a relief to hear after all that teeth-gritting from 'Calling Dr. Zak'. Pick it up if you want - but fast-forward through the song in 'Calling Dr. Zak' unless you have nerves of steel.

Crisis-Proof with Play
Wonderful production, beautiful scenery, brightly colored characters. Good "crisis-proofing" for potential crises like sleepovers, doctor visits and darkness. Good role models for sharing feelings and working through fears with play. Children loved it. They danced and sang along and immediately identified with the characters. "I slept over at my grandma's house and I was scared too." "Lets pretend we're going to the doctor's office." "The dragon had a thorn in his foot." Ages 2-5.

Great TV Show
I am almost 14 years old, but I still love this. I watch it all the time on PBS.

nothing new
these are simply three episodes of dragon tales that can just as easily be viewed on pbs. my 3 year old enjoyed them but tired of the same three episodes after a short time.

Dragon Tales chases away pre-schooler fears
Move over Barney! My 3-year-old has refused to watch Barney ever since she first saw Dragon Tales. She gets to choose one hour of television a day and this Dragon Tales video has been a consistent choice. "Dragon Tales: Big Brave Adventures" appeals to pre-schoolers like all of the episodes because of the pre-schooler-like dragons who face many of the same challenges our own children face and because of the upbeat, danceable, singable songs (that appeal to parents too!). Even my 1-year-old dances along! "Big Brave Adventures" features three must-see fear-conquering episodes that offer kids a dragon in a situation they can relate to and that offer parents a point of reasoning with preschooler fears about the doctor, fears about the dark, and fears of doing something new without mom and dad. ... Read more

Amazon.com

From the makers of Sesame Street comes a trio of animated cartoons that creatively impart life lessons to the preschool set through fantasy stories and catchy music. Each 12-minute tale, based on the popular television series, transports Emmy and her brother, Max, to Dragon Land. There a community of dragons (who come in all the colors of bubble gum) helps them tackle common sibling conundrums. Today's lesson on sharing is a difficult one for oversized Ord, a lovable dragon who learns that being selfish results in a one-way ticket to loneliness. Kiki, the baby of the dragon clan, gives her friends an opportunity to share their sleepy-time talents when her naptime routine is disrupted. And when Cassie, the pretty-in-pink dragon, meets a talking crayon, she discovers that holding on tight to possessions takes all the fun out of owning them. Couched in sunny humor, Dragon Tales forgoes preaching but offers messages that empower kids to become problem solvers. Best of all, following each episode is a 60-second song to reinforce the theme while inspiring a few wiggles. --Lynn Gibson ... Read more

Reviews (6)

An okay video.
Well, Despite the not-too-promising title (Ugh! I hate Barney!) and the fact that at all the stories on the disc has at least one nursery rhyme or nursery rhyme parody, the disc does have it's high points as well. Like when Ord drinks up the milk in Kiki's milk bottle, then plays innocent. Or Cassie puckering up her lips due to frustration in "Bad Share Day". Pick it up if you're a Dragon Tales hardcore (like me), or if you think you can stomach the nursery rhymes and nursery rhyme parodies. Otherwise, you're better off with "You Can Do It".

The episode entitled "To Kingdom Come" is not very good.....
I like Dragon Tales,and I am commenting on this particular episode because of it's upsetting spoof of the line in the Lord's Prayer,"Thy Kingdom Come,thy will be done"
I am a Christian and cannot believe they would make a show for preschoolers that is titled that. Even the story line is not very pleasing. Ord goes to a place called "Kingdom Come",and there's a little troll who tells him "You can only come to Kingdom Come,and you can't leave it." If you ever do watch this show with a kid,explain to them that it was wrong for the makers of this program to make a show about "Kingdom Come". The other episodes are great but I suggest you not buy this video since it has "To Kingdom Come" on it. Buy another video in the series.

Friendship and Teamwork
Entertaining. Story is perfect for this audience. Emphasizes friendship and teamwork. Teaches kids to see and understand simple concepts. No one is judged whether he or she is a human or dragon. They're all friends. The kids enjoyed the stories and the dancing. "My friends will love the magic crayon just like me." "I like to see Ord. He is so silly." "The dragons and the kids all treated each other so nice." "All the girls will like this. The boys won't like it so much." Ages 2-5.

Message may be lost on younger viewers
The Dragon Tales videos are very well done, with catchy music and likable characters. My two year old daughter loves Dragontales so when she started showing signs of not wanting to share, I thought this particular video, "Learning to Share", would be a great way to help her understand the merits of being unselfish. Unfortunately, the video's message was lost on my daughter and the whole thing backfired. Toddlers learn by modeling. They immitate those they admire. My daughter saw her favorite characters being selfish and saying "I don't want to share" and bickering over possessions and she started immitating them, which increased the behavior I was trying to prevent. Now she's much more selfish than she was before seeing this video and I'm having to try to overcome the bad example she saw on Dragontales. I've put the video away and don't plan to bring it out again for a very long time, if ever. So bottom line here is that this video would probably be great for an older child who can understand the moral of the story but use caution when selecting it for an impressionable toddler. I'm sure there's a lesson here about trying to teach children important life lessons with videos and I'm embarrassed that I even thought that it was possible. Even though this video has been a disaster for us, I'm still giving it a high rating because I believe it could be educational for the right audience. This has been a learning experience for me. Now that I've made this mistake, I'll be much more diligent about previewing my child's programs, no matter how good their reputation is, so that I can judge the appropriateness of the material for her. I guess that's advice that any parent would be wise to follow.

Here's a solution to the "It's MINE" problem
Our 3-year-old LOVES this show for the stories and the mustic. Our 1-year-old even loves to dance to the songs. And, as a parent, I am so thankful for a pre-school video that I can enjoy watching with my kids -- I hate to admit it, but I actually LOVE the songs! These three episodes that each deal with sharing are some of my personal favorites, and they have helped me intervene when my 3-year-old is being selfish. They really are a great teaching tool as well as good entertainment for the kids. I'd recommend them to any parent of toddlers and preschoolers. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Not What You'd Expect.
Judging from the cover, and Shannon Tweed's name above the title, this is another one of those mediocre, straight to video "Erotic Thrillers." Granted, there's a time and a place for those movies (specifically Cinemax at 3 a.m.) But "Cold Sweat" is miles ahead of its competition. Ben Cross is a hit man who is haunted by the ghost of an innocent victim. At the same time, he tries to balance family life, with a wife and kids, and the extreme violence his job requires. Enter Dave Thomas, a vicious little man who wants his wife, Shannon Tweed, offed. A whole plethora of complications follow, none of which you ever honestly expect. Granted, the film is still low budget, and the production values hurt the quality. But the witty script and expert direction, and most of all, the acting make up for that. Ben Cross is an engaging leading man, a solid actor who really makes you believe he's haunted by demons. It's a real shame that his career took such a nose dive after "Chariots of Fire." Dave Thomas is given a chance to create a fully dimensional character, and prove that he's also an underrated actor. Certainly, he never got that chance on "Grace Under Fire." You'll have to hate him, but you'll never be bored by watching him. The biggest suprise is Shannon Tweed, who proves in this movie that she can actually act. She steals the last scene of the film. Her fans won't be disspointed, eithier. She looks great, and has her own share of erotic moments, check out the growing lotion scene. And finally, the film has a well used "theme song," "Too Much Pride," by Chris Rea. It's used five or six times in the movie, yet I never tired of hearing it. It perfectly describes the "worn out" mindset of the charcters. All in all, there is some superior trashy entertainment for another lonely Saturday night, solid entertainment. ... Read more

Description

Episodes:
Four Little Pigs - Max and Emmy decide to put on a puppet show in Dragon Land.They choose to act out "Three Little Pigs," and Ord, Max and Cassie offer to play the pigs.Emmy wants to be the wolf, but so do Zak and Wheezie, who are tired of always having to provide the music.They don't want to play if they can't be the wolf, so they leave.
No Hitter - Max is really angry that Emmy won't let him be the pitcher when their team takes the field, so he hits her in the arm. Quetzal leads Max off the field for a timeout to explain that hitting hurts and simply is not allowed.He must use words instead of fists.But later when Ord unintentionally catches a ball that was headed for Max, Max kicks him in the tail.
Quibbling Siblings - Zak is excited about trying to find a rare Jugglebug for school sharing time.But Wheezie's being a real pain - making noise while Zak's trying to sleep, ruining his breakfast, and losing his magnifying glass.Zak retreats by placing a large cone over his head to block her out.She doesn't understand why he's so angry, so Emmy and Max explain and Wheezie begins to realize how important the mission is to Zak.

Dragon Tales: Let's Be Friends also features two songs, Betcha Can and Wiggle. ... Read more

Amazon.com

The "Roller Coaster Dragon" has come to Dragonland, and Emmy, Max, and their dragon friends can't wait for a ride. When they're forced to wait in line for an agonizing 10 minutes, Wheezie's impatience is almost unbearable. Can the group help Wheezie learn to wait patiently? Max's anger is out of control in "The Fury Is Out on This One"--it's so hard being young and outmatched in every Dragonland game. In his rage, Max accidentally releases a fury, a little monster that feeds on anger and can only be kept in control by taming one's temper. Quetzal, Emmy, and Zak offer helpful suggestions on anger management, but only Max can put them into practice. "Quetzal's Magic Pop-Up Book" opens the gateway to a world where imagination magically becomes reality. Emmy, Max, and the dragons are enthusiastic participants, but the group soon finds that its impetuous imaginings lead straight to chaos. A little plot planning and turn taking results in a more ordered story that satisfies everyone. Two fun dragon tunes separate the three episodes: "Pretend" stresses the strength of imagination and pretending, and "Zoo" encourages lots of active animal impersonations. What a great way to teach kids ages 3 to 7 about imagination, patience, anger management, and cooperation. --Tami Horiuchi ... Read more

Reviews (5)

This is great for kids!
My sister is 6, and she just LOVES this show, and especially these three episodes. While most people think that the characters are annoying and insipid, I find that while kind of obviously dumb, I would let my kids watch this ANY day over Barney or Rugrats. The morals are good, and they use interesting ways to get their point across, as well as encouraging the children to jump up and exercize during their songs between stories. I would reccomend this show to just about anyone who wants good clean videos for their children.

A show so bad, it's almost offensive.
I gave it 3 stars just because of my daughter, aged 4. She loves it, can't get enough, probably learns all sorts of niceness from it. I admit that. I, on the other hand, am repeatedly irritated by its insipid characters, creatures, stories and blatant bleeding-heart preachy-ness. As if that wasn't annoying enough, there's the animation. I haven't seen anything so unnatural since... Well, there's quite a few freaky cartoons around but this one is actually trying to be good animation and it's failing. The artists need to go back to school and learn a little basic physics and anatomy. Other shows have been able to get away with having animators who are obviously incompetent by having wit or charm in the story, many of them kids' shows, but this one doesn't have what it takes.

All smiles for this one
Lovely, colorful, great entertainment with catchy music. Teaches patience and waiting your turn - universal themes that are hard
for little ones to master. Shows good manners such as when one dragon burps and says excuse me. Never speaks down to audience. Equal treatment of boys and girls. Kids who watched were "all smiles." They very much related to the characters and their challenges. One four-year-old said, "One kid got mad, and a bad fairy grew bigger as he got madder. But his friends helped him to get unmad and then the fairy got small." Best for 2 to 5-year-olds.

Great educational fun
The whole "Dragon Tales" series is GREAT. It helps kids deal with emotions (like when Max is so angry that he releases 'the fury", and has to learn to calm down in order to capture it before it harms others), teaches them to share and take turns, and to help friends in need.I particularly like the songs and dancing between episodes. It gets my child "on her feet" rather than just sitting for the whole hour in front of the tv set. It's wonderful!!! If you have a pre-schooler, this is the show to watch.

Great show...on video poorly
The great PBS kids show on video with several releases now. BUT the videos are all EP/SLP mode...shame on them. Why not SP the quality of the video and audio is horrible, such a shame to do this to a great kids TV show. ... Read more

Description

Episodes:
Zak's Song - The dragons summon Max and Emmy to help them locate the source of beautiful music they're hearing in Dragon Land. When they find the music-makers - the Do-Re-Mi birds -- the group is eager to join them in song.Rather than follow Zak's instructions to softly imitate their sounds, the others take an aggressive approach, only to panic the birds and force them into a hasty retreat.
Get Offa My Cloud - Emmy and Ord plant a garden and Cassie waters each plant with a single drop of Wonder Water to make them grow very big. fast!Max tries to "help," but uses too much Wonder Water.Instantly a huge sunflower shoots up into the sky taking Max along with it.He finds himself on a cloud with a tiny guy named Squink, and when the wind blows their cloud far from the stalk, it's up to Max to find a solution and rescue them both.By sprinkling the Wonder Water onto some seeds, he's able to grow a giant carrot, and they slide down it to safety.Squink pronounces Max his hero for solving their problem all by himself.
Much Ado About Nodlings - Max ignores Cassie's warnings to watch out for Nodlings in the grass and accidentally drives his toy bulldozer into a wagon the tiny Nodling gnomes are using to gather mushtrees. Initially Max is reluctant to take responsibility, but as he and the gang try various ways to fix the situation and none of them work, he begins to feel bad and becomes determined to do the right thing.He offers the trailer from his bulldozer as a replacement, and everyone is happy.

The three adventures in Dragon Tales: Do the Right Thing are linked by two songs, Shake and Silly. ... Read more

Amazon.com

In Let's Stick to It, Max and Emmy demonstrate for the preschool masses that dusting off their dragonscale calls for a certain measure of mojo. To start with, they square off against a disagreeable giant to help rescue a flock of songbirds in "Zak and the Beanstalk." "Whole Lotta Maracas Goin' On" proves less intimidating, but splitting up to secure the makings of maracas also fast becomes anything but a snag-free operation. "Up, Up and Away," the final saga in this paean to perseverance, leads the dragon/kid crew into a squeaky-clean mess as Ord traps himself in an unburstable bubble. Sandwiched between episodes is the catchy Dragon Tune "Get Up," and its placement couldn't be better--the uptempo mover and shaker serves as a respite from the dragon dilemmas, and its happy hop-to-it message will stick to little kids long after Let's Stick to It reaches its umpteenth viewing. --Tammy La Gorce ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Not a regular episode of Dragon Tales
Our daughter loves Dragon Tales the series. However, this is the one DVD she won't watch.

Great for children and parents
My daughter loves dragon tales. It is a great dvd because it incorporates kids in it as well and music of different types. We were both interest in watching this one. ... Read more