Except for a rather campy opening, featuring cave men fighting over food, this video, aimed specifically at law enforcement officers, is very well done. At the same time, it is extremely unpleasant to watch. Citing injuries to officers from knife wounds as having increased 92% in the last decade, the program gives detailed information on the nature of the weapons (various knifes, as well as some truly ugly makeshifts: a razor blade taped to the back of a driver's license, lipstick tubes concealing small blades, fish hooks sewn into clothing to cut frisking officers, etc.); discusses different knife moves, throws, and grips; and offers suggestions on ways to both handle assailants, and administer self-help in the event of an attack. Re-enactments, actual footage, and interviews with victims are interspersed throughout. As we said, the program is very good; however, the narrow audience for the film, as well as the fact that library patrons are probably not as inured to violence and bloodshed as the average law enforcement officer, make this unsuitable for library collections. Not recommended. (Available from: Calibre Press, 666 Dundee Road, Suite 1607, Northbrook, IL 60062-2727.)
Surviving Edged Weapons
(1988) 85 m. $49.95 (plus $3 p & h). Calibre Press Inc. Public performance rights included. Vol. 4, Issue 2
Surviving Edged Weapons
Star Ratings
As of March 2022, Video Librarian has changed from a four-star rating system to a five-star one. This change allows our reviewers to have a wider range of critical viewpoints, as well as to synchronize with Google’s rating structure. This change affects all reviews from March 2022 onwards. All reviews from before this period will still retain their original rating. Future film submissions will be considered our new 1-5 star criteria.