Product Details

• Actors: Lauren Yohe, Jack Sheldon, Darrel Stern, Sue Manchester
• Directors: Tom Warburton
• Producers: George Newall, Michael Eisner
• Format: Animated, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DVD, NTSC
• Language: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 2
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: Walt Disney Video
• DVD Release Date: August 27, 2002
• Run Time: 283 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (679 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B00005JKTY
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #471 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
  • #40 in Movies & TV > DVD > Kids & Family
• For more information about "Schoolhouse Rock! (Special 30th Anniversary Edition)" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Editorial Reviews

Schoolhouse Rock the timeless collection of animated songs that taught an entire generation that "Knowledge Is Power" is on DVD for the first time in this Ultimate Collector's Edition 2-disc set.Now every day can feel like Saturday morning as you sing along with "I'm Just A Bill" "Three Is A Magic Number" "Interjections!" and the rest of your favorite tunes. Featuring a catchy new animated song by the original series' creators the 30th Anniversary Edition DVD rocks your house with every Schoolhouse Rock short ever created!Disc 1: The Original 46 Animated Songs All-New Song "I'm Gonna Send Your Vote To College" Play-All Feature Shuffle-All Feature Rockin' Top 10 JukeboxDisc 2: The Long-Lost Song "The Weather Show" Never-Before-Released On Video "Scooter Computer And Mr. Chips" 3-Song Set Behind-The-Scenes Footage Top 20 Countdown "Earn Your Diploma" Trivia Game Arrange-A-Song Puzzles 4 Music Videos By Contemporary Artists Emmy Awards Featurette Nike Commercial Of "Three Is A Magic Number" Audio Commentaries 5.1 DTS Of All-New Song "I'm Gonna Send Your Vote To College"System Requirements:Running Time: 283 Min. Color. This feature is presented in "Standard" format. Copyright 2002 Buena Vista Home Video.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: CHILDREN/FAMILY Rating:  UPC: 786936157826 Manufacturer No: 2304803

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

334 of 339 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars nostalgic, and still effective, edutainment, September 10, 2002

By 

audrey (white mtns) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Schoolhouse Rock! (Special 30th Anniversary Edition) (DVD)

This material does seem a bit dated, so it's easy to forget that this was a radical idea when it first came out -- learning can be fun! It still is, thanks to the reissue of the material found on this two-disc set. Shortly after receiving a complimentary copy, my husband was singing along to old favorites and our toddler was having a grand old time learning the songs. All original 46 songs from the show are here, as well as the brand new "I'm Gonna Send Your Vote to College", about the electoral college, and a lost song, "The Weather Show". There are also three songs with the series' only continuing characters, Scooter Computer and Mr. Chips.

You can view a full selection list or see items grouped into categories of Grammar Rock, Science Rock, Multiplication Rock, America Rock or Money Rock, and a jukebox capability allows you to make playlists of songs to be played in order or on shuffle. There's a short trivia game with quizzes and word scrambles, puzzles, four music videos (by the Lemonheads and others) singing SHR songs to the SHR video, a featurette about the show's Emmy wins, a Nike commercial using a SHR song, and fun, interesting commentary by several of the SHR team. This dvd version is terrific, demonstrating that the Schoolhouse Rock team is still just as dedicated to quality programming and education as it ever was. The accompanying booklet is packed with color and information -- including the words to eleven songs.

Very nicely done and highly recommended, not only for nostalgic value, but for its continuing ability to inform and entertain.

244 of 250 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Part of the American Consciousness, October 5, 2004

By 

Daniel L Edelen (Mt. Orab, OH USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Schoolhouse Rock! (Special 30th Anniversary Edition) (DVD)

Schoolhouse Rock is an unusual American cultural phenomenon. Nearly every person who grew up after the late Sixties is familiar with the series. How ubiquitous is it? I would predict that if you started humming "Conjunction Junction," "I'm Just a Bill," or "Three Is a Magic Number" in a room of a dozen people, three-quarters would know the reference and at least a couple would probably join in humming or singing the words.

This is unimpeachable stuff. To say that this 2-disc set is definitive is to do injustice to the word "definitive." EVERYTHING you would ever want to know about Schoolhouse Rock is here. All forty-six cartoons ever done for the series are included, even the "Scooter Computer and Mr. Chips" series that looked at computers. The electoral college toon that was done later is part of this collection, too.

The extras on the second disc are outstanding. In addition to Scooter Computer and the rarely seen "The Weather Show," you get a behind the scenes look at the electoral college song, a Top 20 countdown of the best in the series, a puzzle game that features the songs, four music videos of the songs arranged by contemporary pop/rock groups, a feature on the Emmy Awards won by the series, commentary by the creators, and more.

The navigation design of the DVD is superb. Only want to see the "Multiplication Rock" or "America Rock" toons? You can select the specific series you want, play all within a series, or pick each specific toon from a series. You can also choose to play all forty-six toons or just the ones chosen by fans as the top ones. There's a built-in shuffle feature as well. Every DVD should be this easy to navigate and use.

Even the booklet that comes with this edition is helpful. The lyrics for the top ten toons are included as is the history of Schoolhouse Rock. A chapter breakdown is included at the end of the booklet.

Schoolhouse Rock is virtually impervious to review due to its unbiquitous nature within a whole generation or two of Americans. The cleverness of the animation enlivens the topic discussed, not to mention holding the attention of young children. The songs are exceptionally catchy; I'm still amazed at how they managed to do such a great job marrying the Preamble of the Constitution with a hummable melody. Definitely a reflection of the musical styles of the day, songs like "Verb: That's What's Happening" (done in the style of the soundtrack of "Shaft") or "The Preamble" (70s Folk/Rock) capture the era perfectly. It makes those of us who grew up in those days misty-eyed for a return of that AM radio sound to today's music.

If you have kids (or are just nostalgic at heart), this DVD is essential. I'm using it as homeschool material for our kids. When my son sings the songs, it's great to know another generation will appreciate the merits of Schoolhouse Rock. No question, this 30th anniversary edition of Schoolhouse Rock is truly worthy of five stars.

77 of 80 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Good-For-You Cartoon DVD, March 10, 2004

By 

"hkwrites" (Southern California, United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Schoolhouse Rock! (Special 30th Anniversary Edition) (DVD)

After hearing my preschooler memorize and recite pointless nursery rhymes, I decided to put her brain to better use. Enter "Schoolhouse Rock." Now, instead of hearing about four-and-twenty blackbirds baked in a pie, I'm hearing "12x8 is the same as 10x8 plus 2x8... 80 plus 16 is 96." Yes, really. Her grandmother was equally impressed when asked "What's a conjunction?"

Schoolhouse Rock presents Multiplication, Grammar, American History, and Science and Computers in all it's emmy-winning glory. The music -- rock, jazz, bluegrass and country -- are masterfully produced and yes, danceable. The cartoons are hip, funny, well-crafted and support the curriculum well. It's education with attitude.

Here's the best part: it is fun! Give your children the remote and let them repeat their favorites over and over again. Before you know it, they'll have a brain packed full of good stuff. I can't tell you how many grammar quizzes I passed by remembering the lyrics "Lolly Lolly Lolly get your adverbs here," "then I unpacked my adjectives," and "a noun is a person place or thing." Many of my friends hummed the tune of "the preamble" to the constitution during history exams.

There is only one drawback -- some of the songs use improper English like "ain't." There is a jukebox feature on each component which allows you to select which tracks to play, so you can omit those if you like.

I'd also recommend the CD Box Set or the individual CDs to reinforce the material, but not in place of the DVD.