5 comments about Numbers & Shapes in Spanish [VHS].

1. We recieved the video as a gift and after the first viewing I thought it moved much too slowly, but my daughter loves it. She was counting to ten in Spanish at 21 mos and we're an English speaking household!



2. As an adult, I found the video slow and rather tedious -- however the kids loved it, and would actually sit still and lap it up. The music is soothing and pleasant (of course) and the content colorful and educational. I found some of the settings cluttered and I would have thought confusing for the children -- but I was wrong, they loved it. I would definitely recommend this and my son has expressed interest in the Spanish version now that he is older. It seems good (and strange) that he can learn the same information in a second language using exactly the same material that he originally learnt from!



3. I am very happy with this tape my son is almost 3 now and he still loves it!! I started him out on this tape along with the ABC's offered by Mozart in Spanish and in English version. My son was 3-4 months old when I purchased the tapes. I would play them over and over. Id start with a Spanish tape then does the English version. At first I was getting discouraged with them due to I thought my son was not picking up any of the in Spanish. He got the English version down. By the time he was a year old. One day hubby and I were having a conversation and there was our son saying his ABC's in Spanish soon after he was saying his numbers and shapes! By the time he was a 1 ½-2 he was saying his letter, numbers and shapes in English and Spanish. There are times my son chooses to play with his toys but as long as he hears it is still learning them. If you decided on these tapes they are a wonderful start. It will take a bit of time and even if they don't seem interested in looking at the letters they will still hear it over and over. I also purchased other Spanish tapes in which I will right reviews on as soon I am done with this review. What a great introduction to the Spanish language. Worth every penny!...



4. This Miracle of Mozart Numbers and Shapes along with the ABC video are among the best videos I have. If you never own other videos, at least own these two plus Leapfrog Letter Factory! I have collected NUMEROUS Number and ABC Videos (foster kids) over the past 20 years and have to say that I prefer these over ALL of the other videos except for the Leapfrog videos (but these are IMO a great start/foundation to use for letter recognition before they see Leapfrog Letter Factory). I began playing the videos for my own child at 9 months mostly because of the wonderful music. Between these Babyscapes videos and the Leapfrog Fridge Phonics toy, my child knew Numbers 1-10, and all of her ABC's AND their sounds at age 17 months. That is not to say that your child will (and it doesn't matter) but just to say that this is QUALITY television! I could have sat her in front of Elmo or Barney at these ages and she would have learned...what? She laughs at her ABC's and loves to say them! I hung ABC flash cards as a wall border in her room with poster putty. She looks at and points to her letters after I put her in bed. Later, from the living room, I can hear her calling out her letters (like counting sheep?)before she falls asleep! So cute! After kids learn all their letters, a great and fun video for learning letter sounds is Leapfrog Letter Factory and Leapfrog Word Factory (phonics!). I don't force early learning on my child; however, some opportunity/exposure is a good thing and I think most kids will show an interest in these videos if they aren't first overly-inoculated with hyper TV monsters like Elmo. How can kids be attentive and calm if their TV role models are bouncing off the walls? Get this video, play it, relax and enjoy. Don't damage your kids by "forcing" early education on your timetable. Give them some opportunity/exposure and have fun with it!



5. I didn't think much of this video when I first received it (very basic)... but my son (20 months) really likes it and all the repetition helps kids learn the numbers and shapes...

5 comments about Don't Make Waves [VHS].

1. After the rotund success of "Someone like it hot", this is perhaps, the most provocative satire about then lives and times of South California around a beautiful house that will become a particular hell. The cast is incredibly good.
   
   Don't miss it!



2. I recorded this off TCM last week, mostly because I saw it had an appearance by Sharon Tate from the same year she did "The Fearless Vampire Killers." Which is, of course, a perfectly good reason to see any movie.
   
   And while there's a fair amount here to satisfy people who just want to see Tate -- specifically some long, strange shots of her in a bikini bouncing endlessly on a beachside trampoline -- there's a lot more going on here.
   
   "Waves" is basically a rake's progress tale as stammering, backstory-free Tony Curtis arrives in California and charms/scams his way to the top of a Malibu swimming pool empire.
   
   Along the way he meets the aforementioned Tate (as a vacant but intrepid skydiver named ... Malibu); an accident-prone, broken-English-spouting Claudia Cardinale who destroys Curtis' little VW and then helps him stage his comeback; her sugar daddy (Robert Webber); his angry, voluptuous wife (a criminally underutilized Joanna Barnes); a queeny, crooked astrologer; future Mr. Universe David Draper; and, oddly enough, Jim Backus who, in an almost Charlie Kaufman-esque scene, plays himself and offers to do Mr. Magoo voice readings for Curtis at the promise of a free pool.
   
   It even has an animated opening sequence (depicting Curtis' VW on an antic world tour) with music by The Byrds.
   
   Basically, this is one of those glossy, widescreen, Metrocolor sexless sex farce confections from the waning days of the studio system -- Benjamin Braddock had to live somewhere nearby, but had he wandered into the story, the universe probably would've collapsed into itself.
   
   What's odd, though, is that this was made by director Alexander Mackendrick exactly 10 years after he and Curtis made "The Sweet Smell of Success" together. Mackendrick doesn't have material by Lehman and Odets this time; the script is by one writer (Maurice Richlin) responsible for Inspector Clouseau and "Operating Petticoat," another (George Kirgo) who'd just penned the Elvis Presley epic "Spinout," and -- should it even be a surprise -- an uncredited Terry Southern.
   
   Obviously, "Success" is the classic acid indictment of fame and corruptive ambition and the sting of betrayal. That film had its stark black-and-white photography, its potent and bustling New York aesthetic, its whip-cracking dialogue and a genuine taste of bile in its mouth. Which makes it not so much the *opposite* of the sunny, West Coast "Waves," but a reversed or negative image of it. It's Bizarre-O "Success."
   
   And one of the reasons "Waves" is interesting is because you can tell there's some kind of force behind it, you can smell a whiff of satire beyond its heavy seabreeze, perfume and cigar smoke. But those aromas never quite waft to the forefront. The movie is intelligent and somewhat literate without ever actually being smart; witty without ever really being funny; and fairly sexy without ever attempting to even acknowledge the ramifications of its own weird carnality.
   
   But it's also strangely paced and rambling without ever really being boring. As a result, I think it's a fascinating movie, even though the awkward slapstick grows tiresome and leads to a conclusion in which all the characters wind up in the same valley bachelor pad together and find themselves swept up in a SoCal landslide. But even then, it's hard not to admire the strange elaborate detail of ... the film's disaster effects (!). Yep, this is a bedroom farce in which Cardinale at one point literally has to leap for her life while a lavish patio crumbles under her feet. You can't tell me that doesn't have something to do with something besides the general plot.
   
   By the way: I'm reviewing the VHS version of this only because there's no DVD. Don't buy the tape, though, the compositions will of course get killed by the pan-and-scan.



3. very enjoyable, fast-paced feel-good flick from the mid sixties. The Mort Sahl scene is priceless! I don't understand why it's not out on dvd. Looking at the exorbitant amounts being asked for VHS versions, you'd think there would be a market for a dvd release with perhaps some extras like a Tony Curtis commentary.



4. One of Sharon's best films, she never looked better. They need to release this and Eye of the Devil on DVD.



5. This is one movie that everyone can enjoy. It's very funny and well-acted. Tony Curtis is so over-looked, and this movie is just another example of what a talented performer he is. Comedy was always Curtis' greatest strength and he plays it well here. But the movie is an excellent vehicle for Sharon Tate. Cast in the perfect role as a stunning bikini-clad beach goddess, Tate shows she has a talent for comedy as she plays the foil to Curtis' well-honed chops. All and all, this one is a delightful romp and worthy of an audience.

No comments about MUZZY The BBC Language Course for Children: Spanish -- Early Advantage.

4 comments about Lyric Language Spanish [VHS].

1. This video provides kids 3-8 a great introduction to foreign language. Using a kid-relevant approach, this video makes learning a foreign language fun for the whole family!



2. Kids really enjoy being able to see what they're learning and they make you interact with them and the music. Great to use with teaching purposes for toddlers (2-5), if you really want your kids to have an easy start to a foreign language.



3. I bought this video for my two-year-old daughter and was very disappointed. The people on the tape are a strange orange color and the quality is very poor. Also, my daughter became bored with the tape after about ten minutes. I would not recommend this video.



4. I borrowed this video from the library because I am learning Spanish and the teacher recommended trying kids materials to help learn. This video is wonderfull!! The songs are all beautiful. I find myself just humming and singing them. My kids 2 and 6 years also love the video and ask to watch it again and again. They use places/ situations that are interesting to kids, beautiful and engaging video footage and engaging songs to teach Spanish. The first song is about things you see in the zoo-- the lions that roar, the zebras with stripes, etc all filmed in the San Diego zoo. The colors looked fine to me, so the lady who had the problem with the yellow color might have had a defective video. There is also a song about the beach, Happy Birthday to you, The Rain (a very lovely song, my favorite), the Alphabet, The Grocery Store, The Days of the Week(my son's favorite), The Seasons, The Night, I Wish I could Fly, Jump (a song with numbers), etc. I also like the way that the songs are sung in English and Spanish both. The singers will sing a phrase in English, followed by Spanish, and many of the phrases are repeated several times to help with learning and retention. All the songs are accompanied by engaging videos of kids doing things they like (eg. looking at animals at the zoo, playing in the beach, shopping with Mom and Dad at the grocery store, celebrating at a birthday party, jumping rope, riding a hot air balloon, etc.) The singers include adults and children. I liked this video that I borrowed so much that now I'm looking into buying one. I think it's great for kids or adults wanting to learn Spanish. I also think it would be great for a Spanish speaking person who wants to learn English since it's sung in both languages.

5 comments about The Standard Deviants - Spanish, Parts 1 & 2 [VHS].

1. Normally I would have given a 5 star rating BUT I first bought Advanced Spanish - Beyond the Basics. I liked it so much I bought Advanced Spanish - Verbs, Spanish 1&2 and ¿Habla Español?. My tape of Advanced Spanish - Verbs is IDENTICAL to Advanced Spanish - Beyong the Basics. In fact it had that as the title for the video when you view the tape. The DVD of ¿Habla Español? is IDENTICAL to the Spanish 1 tape except for some quizzes. I wrote the company with this complaint and got no answer. If you go to their site you will find about 20 Advanced Spanish DVDs that have descriptions that all appear to be the same DVD with different titles. I would definitely not buy Spanish 1. Instead buy the ¿Habla Español? DVD. Other than this, I would be very careful buying from this company.



2. I really wish to a least be able to speak a little spanish and read it. This program actoring well it is queso ( chessey) and i hope they got better jobs nows. I hope I did not waste the money, but only time will tell.



3. Hey, anyone catch a young Kerry Washington? Anyway, I just watched this DVD for a second time and tonight I'll watch it a third. I am really catching on with this method, whereas a college course (that I aced) left my brain when the semester ended, and CDs in the car don't keep my interest. This method puts the language in context for me and it's working. Well now, someone who really, seriously, needs to know the language well might be less amused than I, but for someone like me whose intention is just to be able to pick up smatterings of what is spoken around me -- on the street, in shops, housekeeping staff, etc. -- I am having fun and getting more out of this DVD than I expected to.



4. My 9 year old grandson really enjoys this DVD, he has been playing it a lot lately. His forth grade Spanish class started last week and he was prepared.



5. This two pack of DVDS came in perfect condition. No complaints there.
   
   However, the quality of the instruction is ok. With cheesy, funny, and constant examples, it keeps students attention.
   
   Their pronunciation isn't always the best. Haven't found any outright errors yet but it wasn't as great as I thought it would be.

5 comments about Brainy Baby - Spanish [VHS].

1. I am native speaker, and I has been looking for products like this, I has been not lucky, biut this is really good, I was thinking how a girl with hispanic last name, half spanish, her mother is naive englisgh speaker can't talk in spanish. I has been disagreed with my son due that he choose by the easy path, talk english in home, Nathalia has been enjoy this DVD for the last 4 months, she has 33 months at this time, and she still interisting in this DVD, she start to associate english words with spanish work by herself, it is a completed inmersion to a little child , include to adult that is willing to learn spanish naturally, the only thibk is just 25 minutes, THANKS YOU BRANY COMPANY, I HOPE YOU WILL GIVE US MORE SPANISH DVD LIKE IT.



2. This DVD was good. I like the slowness of the dvd, as it works well for *very* beginning learners. I REALLY LIKED that it didn't flip back and forth between English/Spanish; it's much more effective to help children understand the context and meaning of Spanish without always giving a translation. Constantly encouraging translation just adds an extra step in the acquisition. Example - after multiple sloooow slides of apples, I guess they should get "manazana" right!? ;) Yet - it works!!
   At any rate, my kids will choose this DVD over others on my shelf of Spanish DVDs. Bottom line, there probably are better out there, but this isn't a waste of money either; it's slow, easy and good for beginners. I like to start/stop and give my kids a chance to use the vocab, etc. It works.
   Thanks!
   Spanish Professor and MOM



3. My daughter enjoys watching it for a little while. She's only 18 months old. She loses interest very quickly. Overall, a good dvd to begin teaching your child spanish.



4. I ordered two other Dvds with this one and Brainy Baby-Spanish was the best. It kept my 23 month old engaged, while 123 Cuentame un Cuento is a bit advanced and Galloping Minds -- I did not care for at all -- anyone can hold up flash cards! In any event, Brainy Baby-Spanish was worth the buy. I am a spanish speaking mother who wanted to find a good product for my daughter while I am at work so she may study the language while she is at home since my sitter only speaks limited spanish. Thank you Brainy Baby!



5. I bought this video for my soon to be three year old. She speaks and understands Spanish already I just purchased this more as a reinforcement. This would be perfect to introduce a child to Spanish but was a little too basic for her. The pictures were somewhat boring and dated. I was grossed out by the dirty feet and long toe nails. I'm weird about feet so that was not one of my favorite parts.

1 comments about Bring Back the Romance of Dance, Vol. 3 - Latin (Spanish & English Language) [VHS].

1. This video contains instructions for three Latin dances--rumba, cha cha, and salsa. Greg Gale provides the detailed steps systematically and from various angles. He teaches the footwork (and arm movements) methodically that enables the viewer (with use of the rewind/review buttons) to follow and learn the dance steps (he spends little time on how to dance with flair and artistry). With each dance, Gale teaches four to six basic steps clearly. Each dance lesson is concluded with a practice session where Greg Gale and Nancy Hays puts together in various combinations the lessons learned (and where Gale is more relaxed and conveys the enjoyment of the dance). Practicing repeatedly what is learned from this instruction-tape, one will be able to enjoy oneself on the dance floor. [NOTE: Your local public library may have a copy of this dance instruction tape.]

4 comments about The Family Circus Presents Lyric Language - Spanish/English 1 [VHS].

1. This video provides kids 3-8 a great introduction to foreign language. Using a kid-relevant approach, this video makes learning a foreign language fun for the whole family!



2. Kids really enjoy being able to see what they're learning and they make you interact with them and the music. Great to use with teaching purposes for toddlers (2-5), if you really want your kids to have an easy start to a foreign language.



3. I bought this video for my two-year-old daughter and was very disappointed. The people on the tape are a strange orange color and the quality is very poor. Also, my daughter became bored with the tape after about ten minutes. I would not recommend this video.



4. I borrowed this video from the library because I am learning Spanish and the teacher recommended trying kids materials to help learn. This video is wonderfull!! The songs are all beautiful. I find myself just humming and singing them. My kids 2 and 6 years also love the video and ask to watch it again and again. They use places/ situations that are interesting to kids, beautiful and engaging video footage and engaging songs to teach Spanish. The first song is about things you see in the zoo-- the lions that roar, the zebras with stripes, etc all filmed in the San Diego zoo. The colors looked fine to me, so the lady who had the problem with the yellow color might have had a defective video. There is also a song about the beach, Happy Birthday to you, The Rain (a very lovely song, my favorite), the Alphabet, The Grocery Store, The Days of the Week(my son's favorite), The Seasons, The Night, I Wish I could Fly, Jump (a song with numbers), etc. I also like the way that the songs are sung in English and Spanish both. The singers will sing a phrase in English, followed by Spanish, and many of the phrases are repeated several times to help with learning and retention. All the songs are accompanied by engaging videos of kids doing things they like (eg. looking at animals at the zoo, playing in the beach, shopping with Mom and Dad at the grocery store, celebrating at a birthday party, jumping rope, riding a hot air balloon, etc.) The singers include adults and children. I liked this video that I borrowed so much that now I'm looking into buying one. I think it's great for kids or adults wanting to learn Spanish. I also think it would be great for a Spanish speaking person who wants to learn English since it's sung in both languages.

5 comments about BBC Muzzy Spanish Early Advantage Set Language Course for Children.

1. We bought the Muzzy Spanish DVD program for our son when he was an infant. He is now two and a half and understands a lot of Spanish and he really loves the cartoons. I would recommend it. We are planning to get it in other languages as well.



2. I ordered this Sept 10th. With standard 10 days shipping and handling the product hasn't arrived, I have sent two email inquirys with no response and several phone calls, always getting put on hold forever. Finally I got a live person who said "Oh, it says this product is on back order, I didnt know it was on back order. Let me find out and call you back." Well it is Oct 10th and I have not had a call back and do not have the product. No one ever mentioned it is on back order and so I am out $250.75. A complete rip-off!



3. I am a father of a 3 year old boy and want him to learn Spanish. I saw the ad for this and it sounded perfect. I ordered it (thankfully for a 30 day trial) and I have to say I am apalled. I feel completely taken advantage of. This product is a complete scam. The founder of Early Advantage obviously got a great deal on the copyrights to this tacky cheaply produced early 70's program and decided to swindle us all through good marketing. I am astounded. Amazon should stop selling this IMMEDIATELY. Do not purchase it. Run don't walk. They put more into the decorative tin and the stuffed Muzzy doll than into the program. The price of it is UNBELIEVABLE for the amount of material that you get and the quality thereof. I wouldn't pick this up at a garage sale for 25 cents. I mean that. This is a shameless scam and I don't know how the people at Early Advantage can sleep at night. There are free programs like Sesame Street in Spanish (Plaza Sesamo) etc. that we can get on our television at home. Look further. Don't waste your time with this. You will be sorry if you order it. If you see a good review it is probably a plant from a representative of the company. I only gave this one star because it is not possible to give something "no stars."



4. I got the one with all the languages. Extremely overpriced but worth it. I have a 3 and 7 year old and they speak primarily English and understand spanish but do not speak fluently yet. I am Spanish but my husband is Italian. I bought it for that reason. I made them watch it first in English, then Spanish. They watched all the cds (1-12) and they speak spanish so much better. We are now working on Italian. Worth every penny.



5. We purchased this DVD set to assist in teaching myself and my toddler a second language since my husband speaks french. The audio in this DVD is very poor quality! You can't understand anything Muzzy is saying. The cartoon is very outdated. I had to make three phone calls to the company before I finally was able to speak with someone in order to return the product. The representative said okay, just return it. I had to ask her if she was interested in why I wanted to return the product. She said several people have complained it is outdated, obviously they are not interested in changing it.
   
   DO NOT waste your money on this product!!!

5 comments about Sesame Street - Sing, Hoot & Howl with the Sesame Street Animals [VHS].

1. My 20 month old son loves Sesame Street and all the puppets, but this video shows too many live animal videos. It doesn't keep his interest like the other videos.



2. This is my very, very favorite Sesame Street video, because it contains the clips I love best; the live-animal clips with goofy songs like "I'm a working dog," "I'm an aardvark," "Which came first, the chicken or the egg," and "I love being a pig." It also includes muppet classics like "We are all earthlings," and, my personal favorite, "Baa Baa Bamba." It's a half hour of shoe-tapping, hand-clapping fun - my toddler and I both love it!



3. Especially if you love 'Gladys The Cow' (one of my favourite muppets). She was hilarious on this video. The problem was that there weren't enough Muppet songs. there was some, but the others just showed real animals. they could have shown some more Gladys songs or maybe even some songs Kermit The Frog or that Animal Orchestra featuring Placido Flamingo and Seiji Ozawa



4. this was the first sesame street video i bought for my 18month old, and she is totally in love with it. her favorite is "who are the insects in your neighborhood" and she now buzzes like a bee every time she sees one. she's never been into the "new" sesame street, so for those who like classic skits/videos, this video has it. and the short length of time of the video is perfect.



5. My toddler and I love the songs on this tape. But, I am troubled by some of the images. There are aardvarks in a small pen and chickens laying eggs on conveyer belt in some sort of factory farm. I realize that the tape is 15 years old, but other tapes of the same era have better images.
   
   So, we switched to Sing Yourself Silly and Kids Favorite Songs. My daughter likes them just as well, but with better images.