DVD Corner

Know Your Mushrooms and Herb And Dorothy DVD Reviews

“Herb And Dorothy” is an interesting, but slow moving documentary.

 “Know Your Mushrooms” is an educational, but sloppy documentary.

Herb And Dorothy

GRADES:

Content: B-

Picture: B

Audio: B-

Extras: C+

“Herb And Dorothy” is a feature length documentary film that revolves around retired postal clerk Herbert Vogel and ex-librarian Dorothy Vogel. For those unaware of who these people are, they are a married couple living in New York who have acquired a huge, valuable art collection over the past few decades. Rather than buy and sell the art pieces, the Vogels opt to collect the art works as art is their main passion/hobby in life. Via photos and interviews, this documentary film looks into the couple’s past and present as well as the art pieces they own from the likes of Richard Tuttle and Sol LeWitt.

You don’t have to be an art fan to appreciate “Herb and Dorothy.” In fact, you don’t even have to like their taste in art to appreciate this documentary. The appeal of the material is their amazing life story. It’s refreshing to see people who live the life that they want. The Vogels could have become rich by selling their art, but instead they merely keep all of their art and live in a small, cramped little apartment. The couple isn’t concerned with wealth, but rather art itself and making friends with fellow artists. It’s simply a touching story and it shows viewers how powerful hobbies (such as art) can be in a person’s life.

Despite being an engaging movie, I will admit that several scenes run long here. There’s really no point in lingering on certain shots or actions for an extended period of time. The movie should have been edited down a little. But, ‘Dorothy’ is still a rewarding documentary that is worth a gander.

The fullscreen picture quality is fine for a documentary. The Dolby Digital Stereo track, on the other hand, is merely so-so. Some of the interviewees can be hard to hear in spots.

Extras: Two “Herb And Dorothy” trailers, 7 deleted scenes, and footage from the Hamptons International and Provincetown Film Festivals and the NYC Special Premiere.

Know Your Mushrooms

GRADES:

Content: B-

Picture: B+

Audio: B+

Extras: B-

As someone who despises mushrooms, I didn’t think “Know Your Mushrooms” would be up my alley. Alas, it turns out to be a fairly engaging documentary. Director Ron Mann does a fine job of giving viewers a glimpse into the world of mushrooms while also exploring its various uses. Basically, it’s an educational film with a purpose and there’s nothing wrong with that. Plus, it doesn’t hurt that the soundtrack boasts artists like Ray Charles and The Flaming Lips.

On the downside, ‘Mushrooms’ does have its fair share of flaws. First and foremost, the presentation is somewhat chaotic. There are random animated trivia asides with CGI mushrooms, weird archival footage, footage from the Telluride Mushroom Festival, interviews, lots of shots of people picking and eating mushrooms, discussions about mushrooms being used as drugs and medicine, and some headache inducing handheld camera work. On top of that, the movie ends abruptly and seems way too short. Director Ron Mann could have easily expanded upon certain topics or shown more of the interviewees (namely enthusiastic mushroom hunter Larry Evans and Fungophile Gary Lincoff).

The widescreen picture is quite sharp looking for a documentary. The CGI usage, however, tends to vary in quality.

The interviewees and songs sound as clear as can be on this Dolby Digital 5.1 audio track.

Extras include a trivia track, “Know Your Mushrooms” theatrical trailer, 3 deleted scenes, an interview with Ron Mann, a Gary Lincoff lecture, a short film by Larry Evans titled “Welcome To The Fungal Jungle,” and a listing of Mushroom clubs in North America.

December 14, 2009 - Posted by nicklyons1 | 1 | Art, Herb And Dorothy DVD Reviews, Know Your Mushrooms DVD Review, Mushrooms