Aladdin FLM 59

90 mins. in Spanish NO subtitles 1993

Disney animation

When Aladdin wins the love of Princess Jasmine, he has to deal with Jafar, the Sultan's evil advisor. Luckily, he has the help of the comical Genie, who grants him 3 wishes! Maravilloso!

 Bella y la Bestia/Beauty and the Beast FLM 60

95mins. in Spanish

Disney Classic, animation "A+"

A dashing, bold prince rejects an old woman's request for lodging and is consequently turned into an ugly beast. In order to return to his normal body, he must find a woman to fall in love with him! The unlikely romance that develops between the pretty Beauty and the ugly Beast reminds us that true beauty lies within.

Wonderful characters, including the talking teapots, dancing candlesticks, singing clocks, and performing silverware make this story totally enchanting! Fantastico!

Blood Wedding FLM 057,a

70 mins. in Spanish with English subtitles "A" Color

Good visual and audio quality

Introduces the view to the flamenco stage and to the ballet which parallels Garcia Lorca's renowned drama of the same name. Superb!

There is a minimal dialogue as the viewer is drawn into the backstage preparations for the dress rehearsal. A brief interview of the star/director reveals the passion for dancing that the professional dancer possesses. The second half of the film is the dress rehearsal (w/o interruption) of the actual ballet.

Suitable for High School Beginner through High School Advanced.

+of particular value in demonstrating basic flamenco movement. Ballet plot fairly easy to follow.

Cancun, Mexico FLM 006

50 mins. in English

Excellent audio and visual quality

This travelogue includes an overview of the area of Cancun. It includes area sites, places to go, things to do: Ballet Folklorico, shopping, night spots, sports including parasailing, jet skiing, windsurf, dancing, and reggae. A side trip to Isla Mujeres is included where the various water sports available there are discussed, the archeological ruins of Tulum are visited, the natural aquarium at Xelha with its seven lagoons is shown. Excellent portrayal of area.

In addition to showing sites available in Cancun area, a reference guide is included which highlights where to go, what to do, night activities. Accommodations at various hotels are also discussed.

Suitable for Middle School through Mature Advanced.

+Excellent, fast paced video illustrating various sites in Cancun area.

 Cartas del Parque

 La Ciudad y Los Perros FLM 041

135 mins. in Spanish with English subtitles

Fair visual quality and good audio quality

An exploration of how a person can discover/maintain/lose human dignity and

self-respect in a debasing, inhumane, and hostile environment. Themes of finding and accepting truth are set against a backdrop at a boys' military academy where expediency and survival are the bottom line.

A young man named Jaguar dominates the other students through intimidation. Events undermine his authority as some of his circle are unable to live up to his unyielding code. Meanwhile another student is compelled to seek and reveal the truth. A few students

and one of the military cadre are crushed by the system in the process. The surprising final scene reveals the villain and the hero to be the only ones who have preserved their integrity.

Suitable for High School Advanced and above

+Themes presented here are of universal interest and the setting underscores some of

the political realities of ultra-conservative South American Politics.

-Mature,savvy students will be able to understand that the disgusting behavior, frequent obscenities, depravity and violence are essential to the setting and plot and integral to

the theme.

*Obscenities, challenges traditional values

Colorful Mexico FLM 008

The Day of the Dead Celebration FLM 64

20 mins. in English 1991

Join in the present day celebration of the Day of the Dead. SInce pre-Columbian times,

the towns of Mexico remember the dead with special rituals. Every November 1st and

2nd the people prepare themselves to receive their dead relatives. They adorn their houses, they make offerings of food, flowers, and wine for the dead to enjoy. The cemeteries are decorated with beautiful flowers and handicrafts. Mass is attended at

the end of the day & the cemetery is lit with candles to guide their dead in the long way back everyone spends the night in the cemetery! This video will keep your kids' attention!

Destinos part 1 (7 videos) Request video 1-7

A Spanish soap opera that immerses your students in everyday situations with native speakers and introduces them to the cultures, accents, and dialects of Mexico, Spain, Argentina, and Puerto Rico. Mysterious and entertaining story. Each program is 30 minutes incl. review.

Unit 1-program 1-2

family,ser,articles,gender,posession,cognates... Unit 2(Un viaje a Sevilla) programs 3-6 numbers,animals,days,time,estar,ir,present,subject pronouns,adjectives,regular verbs,academic subjects...

Unit 3-(Un viaje a Madrid) programs 7-11

clothing,months,seasons,colors,saber,conocer,present of irregulars,stem-changing,reflexive pronouns,ser/estar,interrogatives

Unit 4(Un viaje a Argentina) programs 12-18

numbers, 100+,foods, preterite,reflexive verbs, gustar,double obj.pronouns,prepositions...

Unit 5(Un viaje a Puerto Rico) programs 19-26 directions,family,weather,house,present,past progressive, imperfect, preterite,por/para,negatives,tener, comparisons, estar, sentirse, acabar de, hace...que,al +infinitive...

Free Willy FLM 62

112 mins. in English with Spanish subtitles 1993

The story of a troubled young boy's touching friendship with a captive Orca whale named Willy, and his plan to return Willy to his natural habitat. An extraordinary, motivational story of a young person determined to make a difference in the world!

The Holy Innocents FLM 056

108 mins. in Spanish with English subtitles "B+" 1984

Excellent visual and audio quality

Portrays the lifestyle of the Spanish peasant and that of the landowners.

Focuses on the lifestyles of a peasant family and their struggle. It deals with the illness of one daughter, another daughter who must work for the landowner, a son about to go into military service. In addition, the eccentric brother (uncle) comes to live with the family and causes additional difficulty with the landowners because of his unseemly toilet habits.

Suitable for High School Advanced and above

+Shows the disparity between the working class and landowners in Spain.

-The plot seems to be rather weak. The story causes one to think about differences between social classes which is good however not all of our students could handle some of the challenges to our values

*Obscenities, Challenges Traditional Values

Letters from the Park

Machu Pichu FLM 011

12 mins. in English

Poor visual quality and good audio quality

This short video provides historical and architectural information about the mysterious city. Unfortunately it is a glorified film strip showing only still shots which fade into each other while the narrator lectures. There are no sound effects or background music and the poor quality of the snapshots fails to capture the physical texture or majestic dimension of the Lost City.

Suitable for Middle School through High School Intermediate

+Informative historical date in lecture portion.

-Visually monotonous and aurally boring

Madrid FLM 003

Mariachis FLM 012

Mexican Youth/Teens Today FLM 067

Mexico

30mins. 1993

From ancient ruins to modern resorts, scuba diving to sunbathing. Mexico is a place that has earned its reputation as the vacation destination of millions! The ruins of Chichen Itza are home to ancient pyramids and ceremonial sites dating back to the Mayan Indians. Cancun combines crystal-clear water, pure white beaches and a never-ending nightlife. Swim amongst the breathtaking coral of Cozumel that is home to a rainbow of tropical fish. The Sea of Cortez connects mainland Mexico with the rugged deserts of the Baja peninsula. Living is easy on the beautiful beaches of Acapulco.

Mexico's Beach Resorts FLM 007

50 mins. in English

Excellent visual quality & Good audio quality

The purpose of this video is to view the resorts both on the Gulf and the Pacific. All major areas are discussed very well.

The video trip takes one to the following resorts: Cancun, Cozumel, Acapulco, Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo, Manzanillo, and Puerto Vallarta. History and geography is included in this

trip by Rand McNally. Some of the activities shown include scuba diving, swimming, snorkeling, wind surfing, riding a nautilus, and fishing. Transportation and hotels in the areas are also included.

Suitable for Middle School through Mature Advanced

+Very informative and shows potential activities at Mexico's resorts.

Mexico City

30mins 1993

Modern-day Mexico City is a product of its tumultuous past;the legacy of the Aztecs, the influence of the Spanish, American and French invasions, civil war and revolution have all left their mark. Ancient ruins, and towering skyscrapers, bustling markets and quiet parks, and a variety of cultural and ethnic backgrounds merge to create the vibrant energy of Mexico City!

Muzzy Language Course-Spanish

The BBC language course is for toddlers to even teenagers! Proven listen and learn, see and learn techniques. Your students will learn Spanish easily. The complete course includes 4 full-color animated video cassettes plus a Video Storybook and Activity Book. Requested by many teachers. Starring fuzzy green Muzzy and the gang. 70mins. Request Video 1-4.

El Norte FLM 037 (DVD)

135mins in Indian, Spanish & English with English Subtitles

Excellent visual and audio quality

A perennial favorite of students and teachers alike el Norte may serve many instructional purposes in the Spanish classroom--from enrichment to focused study of human rights issues in Central America to immigration policies in the USA.

An Indian brother and sister must flee their Guatemalan village. They travel through Mexico to California where they begin their new life in el Norte. The plot encompasses moments of terror and tenderness, laughter and grief, dignity and depravity while it is equally stimulating visually.

Suitable for High School Intermediate - Mature Advanced. *Obscenities

+This film is of such fine quality in every aspect of cinematography the teacher may focus on any of its many strengths: Visual elements, character development, exploration of human values, psychological insights, human rights, the plight of the immigrant... Anyone who sees this film gains in both their understanding of spoken Spanish and the issues facing the people of Central America.

The Official Story FLM 009a-c

50 mins. in Spanish with English Subtitles

Fair visual and audio quality

A psychological study of one establishment woman's awakening from ignorance and

denial to a glimmer of realization about the political realities that entitle her to a certain socioeconomic status. It is a thought-provoking political commentary made even more incisive by its ironic lack of resolution.

Thanks to seemingly random events and social encounters, a high school history teacher learns enough truth about recent Argentine history to understand her role of complicity

in tolerating the incredible atrocities and injustices that permit her a comfortable lifestyle including an "adopted" daughter.

Suitable for High School Advanced & Mature Advanced.

+Ironically, this film's strengths will probably make it unsuitable for many classes. The

plot is so understated and the character development so subtle that only the aficionado

will have enough political awareness and cross cultural expertise to follow them and enough curiosity to persevere to its denouement. There is, of course, plenty of dialogue in Spanish, but not enough action to justify showing it for the linguistic experience along.

-Designed for a narrow audience who, perhaps in Argentina at least, need to confront the notion that some people rely on corruption, collaboration and pure ignorance to sustain their political power.

Rey Leon / Lion King FLM 63

98 mins. in Spanish NO subtitles 1994

When an adorable cub is born to Mufasa, the Lion King, a throng of animals come to see their future leader. But before the cub, Simba, can rule the kingdom, he has to grow strong and learn about all the creatures of the land.

When Scar, Simba's evil uncle, takes over the kingdom, he lets the laughing hyenas eat all the food. It is up to Simba to return to the Pride Lands and restore peace, sustenance, and happiness! Featuring Elton John's hit songs "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" and "The Circle of Life" in Spanish. A cinematic jewel! Magnifico! 

Ruta Maya

1995 Color English 47 mins.

Visit a 3000 year old culture. Drive along unpaved roads to Mayan ruins. Sleep in a hammock. Scuba dive along a 150 mile long barrier reef. Swim among dolphins. Enter a Mayan tomb. Visit the large market place. See women weaving with their back strap looms. Roads decorated with flower petal mosaics for the Easter holiday. An excellent video that will keep your students' interest from beginning to end.