Dream Catchers

In Native American culture, the "dream catcher," a beautiful wooden hoop woven with twine in a spiderweb pattern and decorated with beads and feathers, was hung in lodges and on babies' cradleboards to act as a filter--catching the nightmares while allowing pleasant dreams to pass untouched through the center to the sleeping person. Host Don LeBlanc and Charlene Hofstetter demonstrate how to make a pair of dream catchers, one made in a traditional circle, the other created in a triangular pattern. Good instruction and close-ups are hampered somewhat by the fact that the production is shot outdoors with what appears to be a soft-focus lens (lending a dream-like ambiance, and making the viewer squint a bit). On top of that, one of the demonstrations is at the ocean, so that in addition to the fuzzy look, we have to contend with wave noise on the soundtrack. The solid demonstrations and popularity of the craft ultimately outweigh the not too terribly smart production choices. Recommended. (R. Pitman)