When Stanley Kubrick recruited Arthur C. Clarke to collaborate on "the proverbial intelligent science fiction film," it's a safe bet neither the maverick auteur nor the great science fiction writer knew they would virtually redefine the parameters of the cinema experience. A daring experiment in unconventional narrative inspired by Clarke's short story "The Sentinel," 2001 is a visual tone poem (barely 40 minutes of dialogue in a 139-minute film) that charts a phenomenal history of human evolution. From the dawn-of-man discovery of crude but deadly tools in the film's opening sequence to the journey of the spaceship Discovery and metaphysical birth of the "star child" at film's end, Kubrick's vision is meticulous and precise. In keeping with the director's underlying theme of dehumanization by technology, the notorious, seemingly omniscient computer HAL 9000 has more warmth and personality than the human astronauts it supposedly is serving. (The director also leaves the meaning of the black, rectangular alien monoliths open for discussion.) This theme, in part, is what makes 2001 a film like no other, though dated now that its postmillennial space exploration has proven optimistic compared to reality. Still, the film is timelessly provocative in its pioneering exploration of inner- and outer-space consciousness. With spectacular, painstakingly authentic special effects that have stood the test of time, Kubrick's film is nothing less than a cinematic milestone—puzzling, provocative, and perfect. —Jeff Shannon

Indiana Jones, an archaeologist and adventurer, battles Nazis and travels the globe searching for rare and mystical artifacts.
Track: 1: Indiana Jones & The Raiders Of The Lost Ark,Track: 2: Indiana Jones & The Temple Of Doom,Track: 3: Indiana Jones & The Last Crusade,Track: 4: Bonus Disc
Media Type: DVD
Artist: INDIANA JONES COLLECTION
Title: INDIANA JONES COLLECTION
Street Release Date: 10/21/2003
Domestic
Genre: ACTION / ADVENTURE

After Aladdin discovers the Genie in the lamp, he uses his wishes to help win the heart of Princess Jasmine, despite the evil tricks of the Grand Vizier Jafar.
Genre: Feature Film Family
Rating: NR
Release Date: 5-OCT-2004
Media Type: DVD

Imaginatively rendered but slightly chilly, this 1951 Disney adaptation of the Lewis Carroll classic is also appropriately surreal. Alice (voiced by Kathryn Beaumont) has all the anticipated experiences: shrinking and growing, meeting the White Rabbit, having tea with the Mad Hatter, etc. Characterization is very strong, and the Disney team worked hard to bring screen personality to Carroll's eccentric creations. For a Disney film, however, it seems more the self-satisfied sum of its inventiveness than a truly engaging experience. —Tom Keogh

Classical music has been scientifically proven to encourage cognitive development in young children. Baby Beethoven, a 29-minute Baby Einstein production, presents excerpts from five of the composer's most famous symphonies, as well as incidental music, in a child-friendly, sensory-rich format. Familiar Beethoven themes like the Ode to Joy from his Ninth Symphony are playfully rendered on electric piano and accompanied by colorful images of toys in action, puppetry, and babies at play. The musical excerpts are relatively short and the imagery is quick-paced and varied enough to grab the limited attention span of viewers age 1 to 36 months. Unlike previous Baby Einstein presentations, each symphonic excerpt (though not the incidental music) is labeled—a feature that encourages further exploration of favorite pieces. Baby Beethoven is an aural and visual feast that promotes creativity, mental awareness, and an appreciation for classical music in infants, toddlers, and their parents. —Tami Horiuchi

Expressive faces and the exploration of arms, legs, and other body parts simply fascinate babies and toddlers. From Head to Toe focuses in on eyes, ears, hands, and other appendages with rapidly changing, close-up photography of real-life children alternating with puppetry, toys, animals, and sculptures and paintings by famous artists. Accompanying the vivid images are whimsical versions of classical pieces by famous composers like Bach, Handel, and Corelli, made kid-friendly by the "Music Box Orchestra," as well as the traditional "Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes." Baby Einstein videos are famous for this tried-and-true format that appeals to the limited attention span of very young viewers while encouraging cognitive development—the visual mix and pace in this presentation are especially effective. DVD features include language tracks in English, Spanish, and French; pictorial discovery cards with written and spoken words; an exploration of the five senses; puppet segments excerpted from the show; a read-aloud version of the book Mimi's Toes; and a listing of featured toys. (Ages 9 to 36 months) —Tami Horiuchi

The beauty of this entry in the Baby Einstein catalog is its integration of puppets, toys, and live farm footage to help babies and toddlers make the connection between their plastic play sets and stuffed animals with images of a real farm. As always, the spoken language is minimal, omitting the pesky verbs and adjectives that would confuse the very young. The 30-minute main program is divided into sections: barns and equipment, animals, planting crops, and harvesting. Background music ranges from "Old MacDonald" to Schumann, and DVD extras include a 6-minute puppet show and visual "discovery cards" identifying animals and farm paraphernalia with a single word. (Ages 6 months to 3 years) —Kimberly Heinrichs

It's called "the Mozart Effect," the notion that exposing youngsters to the melodies of the maestro can improve verbal ability, spatial intelligence, creativity, and memory. It's a pretty big leap of faith to understand that effect unless you personally see a toddler react to the stimulation. The Baby Einstein folks have a series of tapes (Baby Einstein, Baby Bach) that add visual stimulation to the bouncy recordings (using vibraphone, Rhodes electric piano, and even a glockenspiel). The melodies are heard against colorful imagery of spinning tops, wave machines, soft baby toys, mobiles, and the like. Several parenting groups and magazines have heralded the tapes for children 1 to 36 months, but the Orwellian aspect of introducing babes in arms to the TV screen may cause many to just pick up the CD. —Doug Thomas

There's no denying a youngster's attraction to water, and the folks at Baby Einstein tap into that natural interest—and broaden it. They take babies and toddlers from bathtime to the beach, from tap water to waterfalls and geysers. A puppet octopus and duck serve as guides through clearly labeled sections: Ocean, Rivers and Lakes; Rain Drops and Puddles; Water at My House. A child speaks the title at the beginning and end of each unit, but those are the only words in this 24-minute "video board book." The rest of the sounds come courtesy of Handel, Telemann, Beethoven, and Johann Strauss. Both toy animals and real ones swim through the scenes and the footage of dolphins, sea turtles, and marina fish are fascinating enough that preschoolers won't mind sitting in with younger siblings. (Ages 1-3) —Kimberly Heinrichs

A Parents Choice recommendation, Baby Newton Discovering Shapes DVD is hosted by colorful and playful puppets who take your child on a field trip through a shape-filled world of sights, motion and sound. DVD Features: * Baby Newton Discovering Shapes Video * Discovery Cards * Puppet Shows * Baby Einstein Catalog * Baby Newton Toy Chest Age: 1 year + Awards: Kids First! Endorsement

The baby-to-toddler set gets an expedition through a variety of animal habitats across the planet in this installment of the Baby Einstein series. Despite the title, there is no real biblical connection to the material other than Noah's Ark toys and a few paintings (minus Noah and family). The subtitle "Animal Expedition" is far more accurate, as the 38-minute program takes the youngsters through the African savannah, rainforest, ocean, Australian Outback, and polar regions. As in its predecessors in the series, this one focuses on a few animals in each segment with repetition through toys, puppets and nature footage. Spoken words are minimal, but percussion and classical music (Beethhoven, Bizet, and Mozart, here) are maximized. (Ages 1 to 2) —Kimberly Heinrichs

The fourth "video board book" from the Baby Einstein folks is their most engaging product yet. Aimed at slightly older audiences (ages 1 to 4), Baby Shakespeare combines poetry with the usual mix of festive classical music, bright objects, and happy thoughts designed to stimulate young minds. This video is aimed at exposing little tykes to the language context. Twelve words (grass, tree, etc.) are explored in pictures and poem form with plenty of playful stops for kids singing their ABC's and close-ups of brightly colored toys in action. Older kids can follow the poetry in a beautiful enclosed picture book of poem text and sharp outdoor photography. We even meet Baby Einstein's first host: a dragon puppet named Bard, who (along with his friends) playfully participates in the action. He deserves a repeat performance. —Doug Thomas