Customer Reviews

Football America [VHS]

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

What could you expect from a tape on football? I saw this on TBS when it was originally aired, and I was flat out mesmerized. The tape is a composite of several football vignettes in different parts of the USA. The tie-in of the game to the community is really beautiful, and there are few stories as memorable as that of the Gallaudet College's team and its struggles to compete with schools whose players are not hearing impaired. This tape is well done and would make a good gift for a football fan, a young player, or someone needing inspiration in coping with a handicap.

Buyer beware: this is not the full 94-minute Phil Tuckett film that aired on TNT in 1996. While the four segments are certainly good, it is not as advertised. The film had 10 segments, this condensed version has four - not sure why. I would blame NFL Films; I'm of no idea how that conglomerate came to be known as documentary filmmakers. The few legit films they made, such as Lombardi (1968) and The Pottstown Firebirds were never released, while instead marketing compilation junk vids like "NFL Crunch Time" as documentaries.

Again, it is a good but shortened - by half - version of the full film. Maybe it's just sports docu filmmakers in general... aside from the greats like Leon Gast, Greenspan, Burns, Tollin, Dan Klores, etc., many films that make it to release seem to be clusterf'ed from what their original intent was. Don't be shocked if you find this film, or segments from it, edited into another direct-to-video release, marketed as a different film - another commonality of pre-DVD sports docus.

This is an awesome video, chronicling several great football stories from small-town America to college & semi-professionals. I got this for my husband and he watches it often. Stories are inspiring to anyone with any appreciation for football. This would be a great gift for any football-loving American.