Cosmic Rhapsody; Wildlife Fantasia

Although the term "music video" generally conjures up images of a wild-eyed singer spitting out nearly incomprehensible lyrics while a nearby thrash guitarist spends more time using his guitar as a phallic symbol than a conveyor of sound, the latest "music video" releases from IVN are made from a kinder, gentler mold. Cosmic Rhapsody takes viewers on a tour of the solar system and beyond, using NASA footage, computer animations, and artist's renderings. Colorful sights of solar flares, shots of Earth from space, moonscapes, and close-ups of Jupiter's stormy surface are set to a pleasing background of Beethoven, Berlioz, Elgar, and others. However, a couple drawbacks make this a less than optimum music video. 1) Neither titles nor credits provide any clue to what we're seeing or hearing. For example, images of swirling gases--while pretty--are very confusing as to location. I have a hard enough time pinpointing the origin of gas in a small social gathering, let alone the universe. 2) Planetary surfaces are not always easy to identify and can be rather bland. (I could turn the heat up on my morning pancakes and film the results in black and white, and I'll bet many couldn't tell the difference between the moon and Aunt Jemima. Too, I wasn't always sure what was real and what was merely a representation in Cosmic Rhapsody, and call me picayune but I like to know the difference. On the other hand, this is a music video, after all, not an astronomy text, so maybe I'm overreacting.Wildlife Fantasia, however, is a fine example of the nature music video genre. I gained a new appreciation of seaweed as I watched some undulate to the gentle strains of Debussy, and I discovered that orangutans could be fairly graceful as they swung through the Borneo forests to Reger's The Virgin's Slumber Song. Lounging cheetahs, scampering penguins, soaring eagles, and industrious ants are but a few of the beautifully filmed sights on display in Wildlife Fantasia, and unlike much similar fare the wildlife footage is meticulously cut to the music, often dazzlingly so. Although suitable for all audiences, one of the overlooked uses for this kind of video is with pre-literate children. Scenes of animal antics, nurturing wildlife families, and even pictures of animals working--all set to stirring classical music--set up pleasant and respectful associations in children's minds at an early age. Plus they love to watch these kinds of tapes, and they sure beat Saturday morning chopsocky cartoons like Double Dragon.Cosmic Rhapsody is an optional purchase. Wildlife Fantasia is highly recommended. (R. Pitman)