Schoolhouse Rock! (Special 30th Anniversary Edition)

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.


Part of the American Consciousness   October 5, 2004
Daniel L Edelen (Mt. Orab, OH USA)
87 out of 90 found this review helpful

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.


Nothing out there today compares with these short vids   March 7, 2005
Charles P. Lloyd (Salt Lake City, Utah USA)
34 out of 35 found this review helpful

I read a bunch of the reviews for the Schoolhouse Rock DVDs before buying them, but knew I would get them anyway. And I'm glad I did.

Our three kids, 11, 8, and 5, all love these and have hardly stopped watching them since they arrived. That's fairly typical with new videos or DVDs, but this is the first one we've bought where the kids walk around singing about adjectives, the shot heard 'round the world, how electricity works, and interplanet Janet.

Face it. Anyone who watched Saturday morning cartoons in the 70s and 80s probably can still recite the preamble to the US Constitution. And tell you where the piece of paper in "I'm just a Bill" is sitting. And with a bit of coaching, could tell you what the function of conjunctions is. ("Hookin' up words and phrases and clauses," for those who never saw them.)

I haven't seen anything out there today that compares with these as far as teaching kids useful information in an entertaining way. My kids love them. My wife and I still love them. And there are a couple of new ones, including one about the electoral college, and an even better one about Tyrannosaurus Debt, the US deficit, how it started, and how it keeps growing.

I had no trouble with the jukebox format or navigating my way around. I was surprised how easy it was based on some of the other reviews, but no problems here.

If you ever watched these when you were a kid, get these DVDs. If you have kids, get these DVDs. If you've never heard of them but want to watch some entertaining, short, educational cartoons, get these DVDs.

Darn, that's the end.


It's all SchoolHouse Rock's fault!   August 27, 2002
30 out of 33 found this review helpful

It's all SchoolHouse Rock's fault!

It (that's a pronoun) sucked me in as a kid with its great melodies and clever lyrics as I learned everything I ever needed to know in school. While other kids wondered why I knew so much about the parts of speech or how I knew so much about math OR America, I was setting the curve and ultimately became high school valedictorian. Then I went to college and earned degrees in both mathematics (master's) and music (bachelor's).

Bob Dorough, Jack Sheldon...it's all your fault!

Now that I've been a college mathematics teacher, a high school & middle school band director, and now a senior software engineer, I listen to SchoolHouse Rock while I work and my little baby girl now has SchoolHouse Rock on DVD. Hopefully, it'll be your fault she has a head start in school also!

;-)

Thanks,
CLR

PS- HEY ABC/DISNEY...WHY DON'T YOU SET ASIDE AT LEAST 30 MINUTES EVERY SATURDAY MORNING FOR A SOLID BLOCK OF SCHOOLHOUSE ROCK??!! It may not have trading cards to license, but it would be the best thing on TV (again)!