Josh Lucas in "Glory Road"
courtesy of Disney Home Entertainment
"The Hoosiers Legacy"

Several years ago there was a movie about Indiana basketball titled "Hoosiers." It was a much beloved movie and very successful. Since that time there have been many attempts to present another "Hoosiers." Rarely do the movies even come close. "Remember the Titans" did but many others did not.

Now we have "Glory Road" on DVD and it is a story about the first all black basketball team to play in the NCAA Championship. The team was from Texas Western in El Paso, Texas and the coach was Don Haskins. The school had never recruited any black players until Haskins (Josh Lucas) was hired, and his decision was quite controversial in the 1960's.

Watching the players win games and go towards the championship is very exciting but there is not enough attention to the individual players to make this story stand up to the "Hoosiers" test. We also don't learn enough about Haskins and what his ideas and ideals were.

"Glory Road" is a good film but it is certainly not in the league with "Hoosiers" so remember that when you take it home to watch. "Glory Road" is glorious but "Hoosiers" was the best!

"Munich" is also a good movie but it is not the classic you might expect from filmmaker Steven Spielberg. The film is about the aftermath of the Munich Olympics Massacre where eleven Israeli athletes were killed by Palestinians. Israel recruited a team to get revenge and that is what the movie concerns.

Eric Bana, Daniel Craig and Geoffrey Rush head the cast and all are good. It just seems the movie stands back from the characters and never gets too close. You get a feeling for what they are doing but you never get a feel for the characters themselves.

"Munich" is an important movie because of its subject matter but it is not Spielberg's best made film.

Disney's "Dumbo" has been a classic with kids for years and years and years. Now there is a video titled "Dumbo: Big Top Edition" and it has the film plus a huge array of "extras." These include sing along songs and games based on the movie. And at the center is the story of Dumbo, the baby elephant that can fly.

One of the best-loved songs from this movie is "Baby Mine" and this DVD features a music video of the song. It is performed by Jim Brickman and Kassie DePaiva. Other songs in the movie include "Casey, Jr" and "When I See An Elephant Fly." 

So don't miss out on this Disney treat; get the movie on DVD today. Remember it is "Dumbo: Big Top Edition."

For Fathers Day a good gift would be the DVD of "Home Improvement: The Complete Fourth Season." This hit TV series starring Tim Allen and Patricia Richardson has laughs galore. Your dad will be caught up in the comedy and fun of watching Tim and his wife Jill making it through the problems of raising three sons (Zachary Ty Bryan, Jonathan Taylor Thomas and Taran Noah Smith).

Season Four had some of Tim's funniest adventures and when Tim Allen is funny, well he is funny! So take this treat home for Dad and make his day even more special than usual.

"The Night Stalker" was not the success "Home Improvement" was, in fact it only lasted one season. But it now lives on DVD as "Night Stalker: The Complete Series." This collection includes four unaired episodes, and all star Stuart Townsend as crime reporter Carl Kolchak. Gabrielle Union co-stars.

This is a pretty good adventure about stalking vampires and the dangers that ensue. It might not have made it on TV but it is worth a watch on DVD. Give it a try

For the Scooby-Doo fans, and who isn't, there is a new DVD titled "What's New Scooby Doo? Volume 9: Route Scary Six." This one is made up of four Scooby Doo episodes regarding road trips. It is more mysteries and more scary goings on with all the gang.

The Scooby Doo fan base is a big one and they are going to be excited about a new DVD. Make sure your home enthusiasts get a copy.

Steven Seagal has a new movie on DVD titled "Shadow Man." It tells a story about kidnapping, espionage and the shadowy world of covert operations. Seagal is once again the hero of the piece and is believable.

This is a run of the mill espionage film but every once in a while that is enough. So if you don't have high expectations, have some fun with "Shadow Man."

 

 

 

 

 

©2006 Jackie K. Cooper

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