REELBLACK'S HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE

Books Music and DVDs WortH Buying or Adding To Your Rental Queue updated8/23/07

Celebrate the holiday season with these 12 great gift ideas that get our "Stamp of Approval."

1. Reelblack Season 5 Membership(s) - Truly the gift that keeps on giving. For only $25, members get 8 more months of benefits including priority notification of free advance screenings of movies like MAD MONEY starring Queen Latifah and FIRST SUNDAY starring Ice Cube. Order by credit card or snail mail. If purchasing as a gift, be sure to include gift recipient's Full Name and E-mail address and the address where the membership kit should be mailed. Price $25.00 Exclusively at http://reelblack.com/membership.htm

2. Roots-The Complete Collection - This special DVD boxset includes the full ROOTS and ROOTS: THE NEXT GENERATION miniseries, plus the holiday special, ROOTS: THE GIFT. (Note: Alex Haley's QUEEN, starring Halle Berry is not in this set, but it will be released in January, 2008 by Warner Home Video). Price $99.00 www.amazon.com

3. The Adventures of Teddy P. Brains - Philly filmmakers Joseph Lewis III and Eugene Haynes created this original animated feature designed to educate and entertain children from 5-8 years of age. http://www.teddypbrainstv.com

4. Marvin Gaye Here My Dear Expanded Edition. Marvin's classic 1978 album is augmented by a special bonus disc of alternate takes and remixes by some of today's top producers, including Philly's own Ahmir ?uestlove Thompson and James Poyser. $30.00 from www.hip-o-select.com or Sound of Market/Jaz Sounds 11th Street in Center City

5. Talk To Me/ Pride - Lion's Gate Pictures delivered the goods with these two 70s era biopics that gave Don Cheadle and Terrence Howard a chance to shine. $15 (each) at Wal-Mart, Target and Best Buy.

6. Premium - East Coast filmmaker Pete Chatmon's debut feature stars Dorian Missick, Hill Harper and Zoe Saldana stuck in a love triangle. From CodeBlack Entertainment. $15 (each) at Wal-Mart and Best Buy.

7. Oscar Micheaux: The Great And Only -- An engrossing and thorough biography of America's First Black Filmmaker and renaissance man. $29.95 Borders/ Barnes and Noble.

8. Filmadelphia - Philly movie critic Irv Slifkin's digs deep to in the crates to catalog dozens of feature films shot or set in the City of Brotherly Love. $20 at all area booksellers.

9. Gary Coleman's Personal Stuff on Ebay - Gary Coleman of Diffren't Strokes is selling lots of his personal stuff on eBay, from signed photos to his Saturn convertible. Check often. A great piece of pop history can be yours in one click. $20 - $20K http://search.ebay.com/_W0QQsassZbrassonline

10. Rufus Harley: Courage - All four of late Philadelphia bagpipe/jazz musician Rufus Harley's albums from the late 1960s and early 70s released by Atlantic are now available exclusively online from www.rhinohandmade.com ($40). Also be sure to check out the limited-edition, Aretha Live In Philly CD, also on the site ($20).

11. Motown Great Performances/ Stax DVDs Motown/Universal has done an excellent job compiling Classic TV performances from the 60s and 70s by some of their top acts including Diana Ross & The Supremes, Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, The Temptations and Marvin Gaye and Concord Music Group has not only revitalized the Stax label, but they've done a lot to revive the legacy of Memphis' answer to Motown, with a special 2CD re-issue of the Wattstax Soundtrack and 3 new DVDs: RESPECT YOURSELF is the definitive history of the label. OTIS REDDING: DREAMS TO REMEMBER is a 90 minute compilation of rare TV appearances and STAX/VOLT LIVE IN NORWAY is a fully restored show from 1967 originally shown on European TV.

12. That's The Way of The World on DVD - 2007 marked the DVD premiere of the 1977 feature film, THAT'S THE WAY OF THE WORLD, starring Harvey Keitel and Earth Wind and Fire. Long lost and seldom seen, it would make an awesome gift for any fan of 70s Funk and R&B. $20 at Sound Of Market Street and Amazon.com.