Home Media Magazine - May 4-10, 2008 - (Page 17)

www.homemediamagazine.com REVIEWS I YIN & YANG YOGA WITH SIMON LOW Street 5/13 Acorn/Acacia, Special Interest, $19.99 DVD, NR. I BIG RIG Prebook 5/6; Street 6/3 Universal/Screen Media, Documentary, $24.98 DVD, NR. V eteran documentary filmmaker Doug Pray (Scratch, Infamy) turns his attention to America’s truck drivers with Big Rig, an insightful look at the overlooked and overworked men and women who keep the country thriving. Pray interviews countless truckers, spending quality time with a dozen of them from across the country. Some fascinating profiles emerge. There’s Loretta, who went from being homeless to meeting her husband at trucking school. The two now drive as a team to save their rocky marriage. Willy pimps his rig to attract the attention of the ladies. Doug, recently fitted with a prosthetic hand, got closer to God after his accident and now believes that the apocalypse is imminent. Hookers and truck drivers, we discover, get along well because they’re both stigmatized. Plus, they’re both stuck in the same places. In talking to the truckers and uncovering their doubts (high gas prices, public indifference, the increase in competition), Pray offers a stark contrast to the so-called freedom of the road as well as an opinion on America from the people who see all of it. By delving into the truckers’ political meditations, Big Rig gets repetitive and misses some possibilities. How do the drivers combat loneliness and fatigue? How do their families cope with the drivers’ extended absences? What’s driving school like for a student truck driver? Pray offers a glimpse at one school that begs for more attention. Well-edited, perceptive, and full of gorgeous, atmospheric photography of America’s urban and bucolic nooks and crannies, Big Rig will appeal to anyone craving an alternate take on the state of the union. DVD extras include a director’s commentary, “safety tips for 4-wheelers,” and a look behind the scenes. – Pete Croatto ain does not lead to gain.” Those are words a lot of aspiring exercisers will find comforting, and part of the introduction to Yin & Yang Yoga With Simon Low. Low and his two assistants lead participants through two different yoga workouts: Yin caters to soothing and relaxing poses, while Yang focuses on cultivating flexibility, energy and strength. The sort of Zen-garden-on-thebeach setting of the leaders helps lend a relaxing atmosphere and encourage practitioners to find a calming space in which to follow along. The 90-minute disc is nicely sectioned. It starts with a general introduction, then each workout has an introduction of its own and the workouts themselves are segmented. This makes it easy to do as Low recommends — watch the sequence first, then replay to move through the poses. This is also useful because the workouts include variations for “P practitioners with special physical considerations. Watching first lets the student choose which versions are appropriate for them. Another nice option is the choice to play the DVD with the soothing, new-age music on its own, or to play the music with Low talking through the poses. The explanations are thorough and easy to follow, so this is a good workout for beginners or experienced yoga practitioners. Beginners will appreciate the encouraging, rather than intimidating, tone of the guidance, as well as explanations of what each part of your body should feel while doing different poses. Experienced practitioners can set the soundtrack to music-only and just follow along. While the disc incorporates some more-spiritual aspects of yoga practice, it’s doesn’t feel like you have to be a crunchy granola, bean sprout person to enjoy it. The workouts encourage body awareness whether moving or resting, and there is an inviting tone to the instruction that makes you want to get up off the couch. – Holly J. Wagner May 4–10, 2008 Home Media Magazine 17 http://www.homemediamagazine.com

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Home Media Magazine - May 4-10, 2008

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