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Christianity-The First Two Thousand Years

Actor: Christianity-First Thousand Ye
ASIN : B0000524FH
Sales Rank : 12005
Studio : A&E Home Video
Region Code : 1
Format : Box set, Color, DVD-Video, NTSC
Binding : DVD
EAN : 9780767030908
ISBN : 0767030907
UPC : 733961710007
Release Date : December 30, 2001
Publisher : A&E Home Video
Manufacturer : A&E Home Video
Availability : Usually ships in 24 hours
Label : A&E Home Video
Running Time : 400

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"This story is enormously unlikely." --Elaine Pagels, Professor of Religion, Princeton University

Pagels is right on the mark: what began two millennia ago as a Jewish sect has grown into the most widespread religion in history, despite unbridled oppression in its early years and countless denominational splits ever since. The last few years have seen a resurgence of interest in church history, and A&E's documentary Christianity: The First Thousand Years is a splendid example of solid scholarly research meshed with entertaining production values that speaks to this interest. The result is a resource with equal appeal for the historian and the theologian alike.

The issues that confronted the early church seem now quite strange since there are 2,000 years of tradition behind them today:

Should gentile converts to the Jesus movement have to adhere to the laws of kashrut?
What authority did Paul have as an apostle though he never personally knew Jesus?
What is Jesus' relationship to God?
How can a tripartite Christian theology be resolved with Judaism's strong tradition of monotheism?
Which texts should form the Christian scripture?
What relationship do the apostolic bishops at Jerusalem, Damascus, Rome, Constantinople, and elsewhere have to each other--and how should the church be structured?
What should be the central statement of faith of Christians?

Most of these issues were solved at the Council of Nicaea and at other early church councils--though authority of the papacy at Rome is a persistent divider both between the Eastern and Western churches and between Protestantism and Roman Catholicism. Christianity: The First Thousand Years provides background and the original perspectives that led to the East-West split--a split whose basis we hardly question today.

The rapid spread of the church from the controversial conversion of Constantine to the conquests of Otto is tied closely to the history of the Roman Empire itself. Without the empire as its catapult, it is unlikely that Christianity would have spread even to remote Iceland and Finland by the year 1000. The early church modeled itself structurally on imperial institutions, and it integrated itself into the fabric of imperial life. Indeed, the central role of Christianity in Byzantine life is one of numerous often-overlooked but fascinating historical perspectives that A&E manages to cover here.

The four-part set features Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee, whose unusual but pleasant voices will be well known to viewers of A&E's TV series Mysteries of the Bible. Like the TV series, Christianity: The First Thousand Years is marked by thorough scholarship, including interviews with many highly regarded scholars such as Pagels. Snippets of these interviews are interspersed with photography from the Holy Land and some reenactments, leading to an informative and revealing exploration of the early church. --Erik J. Macki

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The Impressionists: The Other French Revolution

Actors: Edward Herrmann, Victor Garber, Josef Sommer, Amy Irving, Paul Hecht
ASIN : B00005MKOP
Sales Rank : 19919
Director : Bruce Alfred
Studio : A&E Home Video
Region Code : 1
Format : Box set, Closed-captioned, Color, DVD-Video, NTSC
Binding : DVD
EAN : 9780767037983
ISBN : 0767037987
UPC : 733961702453
Release Date : December 28, 2001
Publisher : A&E Home Video
Manufacturer : A&E Home Video
Availability : Usually ships in 24 hours
Label : A&E Home Video
Running Time : 200

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This epic documentary does a wonderful job of recapturing the revolutionary impact the impressionists made while providing a historical and artistic context for this extraordinary group of painters. The work of Monet, Degas, Morisot, and their fellow impressionists has now become so familiar that its power to shock has all but disappeared.

Young and resolutely modern, these artists threw off the shackles of academic art to capture everyday life in paintings that were iconoclastic in both style and subject. At first they struggled to survive because their work was rejected by the conservative Paris Salon, but those with independent means helped those without (Monet in particular was frequently rescued from poverty by his friends), and gradually they became impossible to ignore. Bruce Alfred's script thoroughly explains the development of the impressionists' approach to art and reveals fascinating aspects of their individual personalities, while a combination of dramatic reconstructions, period photographs, and the paintings themselves creates a rich and informative visual tapestry. Anyone with an interest in the history of art will find much to enjoy. --Simon Leake

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Heroes of Iwo Jima

Actor: Gene Hackman
ASIN : B00005O7N2
Sales Rank : 47548
Director : Lauren Lexton
Brand : A&E
Studio : A&E Home Video
Region Code : 1
Format : Black & White, Closed-captioned, Color, DVD-Video, Full Screen, NTSC
Binding : DVD
EAN : 9780767041010
ISBN : 0767041011
UPC : 733961703368
Release Date : December 30, 2001
Publisher : A&E Home Video
Manufacturer : A&E Home Video
Availability : Usually ships in 24 hours
Label : A&E Home Video
Running Time : 94

Description

Heroes of Iwo Jima

The image of US marines raising the flag over Iwo Jima is the most reproduced photograph in history. The image became an icon and a symbol for the American commitment and fighting spirit. It lifted the morale of a home front whose sons were sacrificing their lives in the killing fields of the Pacific, and a rallying point for sustained economic and spiritual support. The image anchored war bond drives and American tenacity. But what is behind the image? Who were the men who fought to wrest the rocky island from the Japanese, inch by inch? Who were the men who sacrificed their youth, peace of mind, and all too frequently, their lives to obtain the strategic island? This History Channel presentation takes a look at the men and the battle behind the flag and the photograph. Heroes of Iwo Jima would be useful for classes on American History, American Culture, world History, Media Studies, Geography and Military History. It is appropriate for middle school and high school.

OBJECTIVES

Students will learn about the battle for Iwo Jima and the Pacific Theater in World War II. They will explore the costs and consequences of the battle and the role of imagery in wartime America. They will examine how the controversy of the photograph has reached almost mythic portions, and how a culture chooses what it will accept and reject.

NATIONAL HISTORY STANDARDS

Heroes of Iwo Jima fulfills the following National Standards for History for grades 5-12: Chronological thinking, historical comprehension, historical analysis and interpretation, historical research capabilities, historical issues-analysis and decision-making for Eras 8 and 9

Vocabulary

• Amphibious
• Armaments
• Camaraderie
• Clamor
• Controversy
• Disperse
• Elaborate
• Elusive
• Furor
• Indelible
• Initiate
• Myth
• Notoriety
• Phenomenal
• Premonition
• Somber

Discussion Questions

1. The image of the marines raising the flag over Iwo Jima is the most reproduced photograph in history. Why is this image so famous? Why did it become so popular so quickly?

2. The Iwo Jima image is one of the many images of history that are part of the world' s collective photo album. What other images of history are famous and easily recognizable? Why have these images become part of the collective photo album?

3. How did Americans react when they first saw the picture? Why did the picture have such an impact? What was the picture's role in the war effort?

4. American military forces fought World War II on two fronts, the European theater and the Pacific theater. What were the causes of the war? Why were Americans fighting in the Pacific? Why were they fighting in Europe? Who were their enemies?

5. The Iwo Jima picture has long been a topic of controversy. Why?

6. Why are the image of the flag raising and the story of Iwo Jima the tale of two flags?

7. There were two flags raised above Iwo Jima. Why was it necessary to replace the first flag?

8. Why was there confusion over whether or not the first flag raising had been photographed?

9. The image of the flag raising is the most famous example of the documenting of World War II. Discuss how technology in the twentieth century made World War II the most documented war in history up until that time.

10. Discuss how marine Michael Strank reflected the ambitions of millions of American immigrants in the early to mid twentieth century.

11. What was the "curse of Bouganville?" How did affect the marines at Iwo Jima?

12. Iwo Jima is a tiny, rocky island. Why was this island so crucial to victory in the Pacific?

13. Discuss the Japanese system of defense on the Iwo Jima.

14. Discuss the role of friendship and camaraderie in war.

15. The image of the marines raising the flag is frozen in time and history. What did the marines do after they raised the flag? Did they know they were making history?

16. The famous picture was a product of more than a photographer's lucky shot. How was the final picture a product of fate?

17. How was the photograph used in the war effort, especially on the home front?

18. Gold Star mothers did their part for the war effort. What were Gold Star mothers?

19. What was the burden of Iwo Jima for the flag raisers that survived? What price did they pay for being the heroes in the photograph?

20. How did marines train for battle in the Pacific? Where did they train? How did the military simulate conditions?

21. How long did the battle last? What were the costs of the battle?

22. Discuss some of the many heroic feats of the conflict.

Extended Activities

1. Go to Iwo Jima, http://www.iwojima.com/index.cfm to view the picture. What does this picture evoke? How do you feel about the picture? What story does the picture tell?

2. Imagine that you are a marine in the battle for Iwo Jima. Write a letter home to your family telling them about your experiences.

3. On a map of the Pacific. Locate the island of Iwo Jima. What are the island's characteristics? Where is it situated? How does the map illustrate the island's strategic importance in World War II?

4. Design a monument or memorial for the veterans of Iwo Jima.

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The flag-raising atop Mt. Suribachi during the epic World War II battle of Iwo Jima is the focus of this stirring documentary narrated by actor and ex-Marine Gene Hackman. James Bradley, son of one of the flag-raisers and author of the best selling Flags of Our Fathers, relates many of the stories surrounding the men who fought at Iwo Jima, and retired Associated Press photographer Joe Rosenthal, who snapped the classic photograph, also offers his battlefield recollections. Family members of the men who raised the flag on Iwo Jima speaking movingly of the men and what prompted them to enlist in the Marine Corps. The rumors that Rosenthal faked the photograph are debunked, and the enormous symbolism of the Marines raising the flag and what it meant to America after four years of horrific combat is intelligently discussed in this look at how a single moment in American history has assumed legendary significance. --Robert J. McNamara

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The Songmakers Collection

Actors: Burt Bacharach, Bobby Darin, Carole King, Jerry Leiber, Phil Ramone
ASIN : B00005O7N6
Sales Rank : 74707
Director : John Griffin, Morgan Neville
Studio : A&E Home Video
Region Code : 1
Format : Box set, Closed-captioned, Color, DVD-Video, NTSC
Binding : DVD
EAN : 9780767039512
ISBN : 0767039513
UPC : 733961703207
Release Date : December 25, 2001
Publisher : A&E Home Video
Manufacturer : A&E Home Video
Availability : Usually ships in 24 hours
Label : A&E Home Video
Running Time : 150

Description

In an office building a few blocks from Times Square, a group of talented teens rewrote the soundtrack to the American experience. Burt Bacharach, Dionne Warwick, and Bobby Darin are among the legends who passed through its doors. "You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling," "Up on the Roof," and "Hound Dog" are just a few of the hits that came pouring out. This unprecedented look at "The Hit Factory" includes in-depth portraits of some of the biggest names in music, along with a fascinating, behind-the-scenes look at the heady days when the Brill Building was the center of the pop universe. A treasure trove of unforgettable songs, rare photos, and interviews with everyone from Carole King to Phil Ramone makes The Songmakers Collection the definitive story of a musical revolution.

The story of a musical revolution, told by the writers, producers, and performers who made it happen. Includes: performance footage of stars like Dionne Warwick, The Righteous Brothers, Dusty Springfield, The Coasters, and many more; almost 100 interviews, including Burt Bacharach, Elton John, Dick Clark, Neil Sedaka, Stevie Wonder, Nancy Sinatra, and Dionne Warwick. >From the producers of A&E's award-winning Biography series. 300 minutes.

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Several of rock and pop music's best and most important early songwriters, along with some stellar performers, are profiled on The Songmakers Collection, a two-DVD set culled from five separate episodes of the A&E Network's Biography series. The centerpiece is "Hitmakers: The Teens Who Stole Pop Music," a 90-minute documentary about the many writers who worked side-by-side in New York's legendary Brill Building in the '50s and '60s. It's a fascinating story, featuring duos like Carole King and Gerry Goffin, Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil, Jeff Barry and Ellie Greenwich, and Neil Sedaka and Howard Greenfield, nearly all of them Jewish kids from Brooklyn who were at ease writing classic tunes for black and white artists alike. The tale is told in standard documentary style, via interviews past and present, photos, extensive film footage, and, of course, lots of music.

The remaining programs, all about 40 minutes in length, concentrate on individual artists or partners (inevitably, some of the same footage appears several times). Singer Dionne Warwick, best known for her interpretations of Burt Bacharach-Hal David material (and maybe for the Psychic Friends Network), is profiled in Volume One. The three features in Volume Two focus on the life and loves of Bacharach, the classically trained composer of so many pop standards; on Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, dubbed "the fathers of rock & roll songwriting" for their work with everyone from Big Mama Thornton and the Coasters to Elvis Presley and Peggy Lee; and on Bobby Darin, the ultra-versatile, swingin' talent who lived with the prescience of an early death due to heart problems (he died at 37). Great stuff, all in all--although a few more complete performances would have been nice. - -Sam Graham

Browse A&E Original Programming Online

Christianity-The First Two Thousand Years

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The Impressionists: The Other French Revolution

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In the Footsteps of the Holy Family

Heroes of Iwo Jima

Description

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The Songmakers Collection

Description

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