Official Synopsis:
Barack Obama's campaign for president is a grassroots movement powered by passionate and diverse Americans who demand change. This DVD is a collection of speeches by Obama as well as by Oprah, Caroline Kennedy, Stevie Wonder and Michele Obama. Everywhere Obama goes he draws huge crowds that cut across ethnic, religious, racial, class, gender and ideological lines. At 46, Obama would be one of our youngest presidents, and the first Black president of the United States. In his phenomenal run for the most important office in the world, Obama speaks directly to us. He brings his friends along with him to deliver his message of change, hope and inspiration.

  
Our Take:
This is the perfect time to release a DVD about Barack Obama, as the election is merely weeks away. (The DVD actually came out in early September). While this is a nice primer on Obama, it will probably only appeal to Obama supporters. Maybe if you could get a Republican to watch it, it might change their minds about him, but I doubt it. Barack Obama: The Power of Change is basically a collection of speeches by the Senator that showcase his impressive oratorical skills and his passion for change. We also get to see interviews with Obama and speeches by Michelle Obama and Oprah Winfrey, among other people. Most of the speeches are punctuated by pop-up trivia facts, which can be fun or annoying, depending on how much you like that kind of thing.

Occasionally, the video and audio quality of the speeches is a bit weak, and the DVD contains no extra features, but if you’re planning on holding a pro-Obama rally at your house before the election, this could be a nice tool to have.

Official Synopsis:

The story of the vampire has been told for thousands of years, and the vampire film itself spans the silent era to today's blockbusters. Why does our fascination with these creatures of the night never seem to die? In this Starz Original documentary, discover the evil, the eroticism and the legends of Bloodsucking Cinema through interviews that include directors John Carpenter (Vampires), Len Wiseman (Underworld) and Joel Schumacher (The Lost Boys); actors Kristanna Loken (Bloodrayne) and Stuart Townsend (Queen Of The Damned); special effects artists Stan Winston (Interview With The Vampire) and Greg Nicotero (From Dusk To Dawn); writers Marv Wolfman and David Goyer (Blade); critics Leonard Maltin and Harry Knowles, and film clips from the most immortal vampire movies in history.

Our Take:
Bloodsucking Cinema is a terrific documentary on the history of the vampire movie in cinema that features interviews with a number of important filmmakers who have tackled the genre as well as actors who have played them. You hear from John Carpenter, Joel Schumacher, Stan Winston, and others. I especially like that it doesn’t just focus on big-budget American films, but it also delves into classic cinema, cult favorites, and even foreign films such as the ‘70s outporing of vampire films from Spanish-speaking countries. I found it to be an entertaining and informative film on a subject I find interesting.

The DVD for Bloodsucking Cinema is a little less impressive, though. With a running time of less than an hour and no extra features, it’s hard to recommend buying this one. I would definitely say it’s worth renting, as it is a very informative documentary with a lot of insight into the genre and tons of obscure film clips, but it’s really light on overall content on the DVD front.

Official Synopsis:
The Beatles - Magical Mystery Tour Memories is an upbeat rockumentary featuring the vivid memories of those who witnessed the making of the cult Beatle movie, The Magical Mystery Tour, in 1967 and features a celebrity cast along with anecdotal stories and unseen 8mm home movie footage, as well as eye-witness accounts from fans, on-lookers and the cast of the movie. Featuring Tony Barrow (Beatles press officer), Mike McCartney (Paul McCartney’s brother), Miranda Ward (journalist and friend of the Fab Four), Spencer Davis (Spencer Davis Group), Tony Bramwell (Beatles road manager and close friend of Sir Paul McCartney), Neil Innes (Bonzo Dog Do Da Band), Freda Kelly (principal secretary to the Beatles Fan Club), Dame Peggy Spencer (choreographer), and Victor Spinetti (actor and close friend of John Lennon), sharing their memories with Victor supplying a fascinating commentary to the film. "This is a happy, upbeat film," comments David Lambert, producer and director of Arthous.

  
Our Take:
I don’t have high expectations of most new Beatles documentaries, because I feel like that well is pretty much dry. There have been so many documentaries and films and books and memoirs on the Fab Four that it really does seem like there’s nothing new to offer. The Beatles: Magical Mystery Tour Memories attempts to prove me wrong, and it (at least partly) succeeds.

The film focuses solely on the making of Magical Mystery Tour, the disastrous “movie” made by The Beatles in 1967. Through interviews with a number of people who were there for the filming, we get a fairly in-depth look at the craziness of the time in general and the shoot itself. We’re also treated to some previously unseen home video footage of the band, some new photos, and even some audio interviews with George and Ringo. While the film as a whole has its ups and downs and the quality of the footage varies quite a bit, it is an interesting film for anyone curious about that time in the Beatles’ career, which was quite strange.

Unfortunately, there are no extra features on the disc.

Official Synopsis:
Being Dad was the brainchild of Aussie friends Sam Holt and Troy Jones. Upon simultaneously learning their wives were pregnant, they began seeking answers to common questions, only to find there's actually very little material available for men. In their quest for answers, they quickly discovered they were not alone. Their first production in Australia instantly became a social phenomenon and broke all Australian sales records for special interest documentaries. Shortly thereafter, with support from the Australian government, segments from the film became widely-circulated countrywide through hospitals, birthing centers and prenatal classes. . They also saw the common shortage of helpful information geared towards men and a totally new and updated U.S. film project was born.

  
Our Take:
As a father myself (of twins, no less!), I’m always interested in products that are dad-centric. There are so many baby and pregnancy books for women, but it’s been my experience that there are very few resources for men, and even fewer resources that are any good. Being Dad is a great new DVD that works hard to rectify that situation.

Being Dad isn’t a step-by-step procedure manual. Rather, it’s a collection of vignettes and anecdotes from real dads from all over the place who share their personal stories about the birth of their children. There’s a lot of humor at work here (which I think is key in its success) and I think the video is easily accessible and entertaining enough to be worth watching for most guys. It’s not going to prepare you for everything, but the various stories of birth, premature delivery, complications, and a wide variety of topics ensures that you’ll feel like you know more than you do before watching the video.

Overall Picture:
Movie (Barack/Bloodsucking/Beatles/Dad): B/A-/B+/A-
DVD (all): C

- Mike Spring

Editor