From Library Journal
Parents searching for alternative films for their children will be alternately baffled and outraged by Lyons's volume. In his search for age-appropriate movies other than the currently popular Disney cartoons, Lyons suggests numerous titles that are at best questionable. Consider some of his choices: Hoosiers for children aged ten and older; and Field of Dreams, Damn Yankees, and The Bishops's Wife for children aged eight and older. Lyons seems more interested in providing biographical tidbits than any information concerning level of violence, sex, and/or language. If you need an overview of available video offerings, stick with the cheaper, and more comprehensive, annuals, e.g., Mick Martin and Marsha Porter's 1996 Video Movie Guide (Ballantine, 1995) and Blockbuster Video Guide to Movies and Videos (Dell, 1995). The 800-plus videos annotated in the Facets guide are geared toward toddlers through age 12, with a healthy mix of popular (Sesame Street, Shelley Duvall's Faerie Tale Theatre series) and more esoteric titles throughout. Price and availability are included. Parents will appreciate the nonpreachy tone, and educators will value the subject index. The work is ideal for locating multicultural titles and/or films with strong female characters. Facets has long been known for the quality of its publications, and this guide continues that tradition. Highly recommended.?Anthony Adam, Prairie View A&M University Lib., Houston, Tex.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Well-known movie critic Jeffrey Lyons offers parents a thoughtful selection (comedy, adventure, drama, and musical) of "alternative" films that may be overlooked or forgotten but are not to be missed. In addition to offering helpful guidance to parents stalking the aisles of the video store, Lyons pays tribute to the stars and genres of movies over the years--comic greats (
A Night at the Opera), flamboyant musicals (
Meet Me in St. Louis),
swashbuckling adventure yarns (
Captain Blood), gentle classics (
Friendly Persuasion), and noteworthy recent productions (
Searching for Bobby Fischer). The alphabetical listings note cast, year, rating, director, and suggested age group. Each entry details the plot and gives extensive background--the place of the movie in an actor's career, previous or later versions of the same film, consideration of violent or frightening elements, and bits of wonderful behind-the-screen Hollywood lore. Lyons proffers the wealth of the decades that came before some of the dumb, dumber, and violent blockbusters of today.
Irene Wood
