Generations of American children sat in dark classrooms and absorbed wisdom in the form of 16mm educational and social guidance films. Through the flicker of dim projector bulbs and the warble of optical soundtracks, a blueprint for better living in the Atomic Age was spelled out in no uncertain terms. It's all here, from the etiquette do's and don'ts shorts of the 1950's to the anti-drug hysteria films of the 1960's, making the world a safe, clean, and polite place once again. In Volume 2, discover how to fit in, keep clean, choose between right and wrong, and behave in the cafeteria. Films include: Lunchroom Manners, Soapy the Germ Fighter, The Outsider, Manners in School, Shy Guy. Historical notes on each film by collection curator Skip Elsheimer of A/V Geeks; Bonus interactive filmstrips.

****

I'll make the same comments for all 4 DVDs in this set as they are all quite similar. All prints share extensive damage mostly in the form of streaming vertical scratches. This almost looks intentional as if adding an element of realistic charm to the already excessive 'kitsch' that these short 'education' films share. I can't think of a better way to start the evening with friends than by showing one of these marvelous attractions that are just too irresistible. The true hilarity involves the mis-information that many of these early films report ('Women should wash their hair at least once every 2 weeks...').

There are no subtitle options but the packaging and menus connote a professional job and they certainly didn't scrimp on the content with each DVD having approx. 2 hours of material with 10-12 of these 'condensed' features. The unique packaging is as wonderful as the 'camp' of the content. Even the included liner notes show advertising lingo, logo's and layouts of the era of these short films. Numbers 3 + 4 (Driver's Ed and On the Job) are slightly better authored than there two predecessors with 5.1 'classroom experience' audio as an option to the existing 2 tracks plus their scroll feature is a bit smoother and the media is better divided.

There are other DVDs in this series available outside this lunchbox including Religion and Patriotism. I'm sure they are equally as fun. I can't imagine anyone not getting something out of these DVDs and the Lunchbox is a better way (monetarily) than buying individually.

NOTE: Be Careful - we have put our links to Amazon selling of these items but there are others listed by third parties for more money. Amazon claims to have them in stock at the moment. This is sure to be something that fetch ridiculous prices when they are officially out-of-print.    

Gary W. Tooze