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PreS-Gr4—StarFish, a five-piece band from Maplewood, NJ, draws inspiration from '70s classic rock bands in their tunes and instrumentation, but their clever, kid-friendly lyrics raise the dozen original songs to a sky-high level. Opening with the rocking "The Starfish Stomp" (channeling Bruce Springsteen as he rattles off a list of cities, states, and countries that are dancing this dance), their sound ranges from rap/funk ("My Name Is No," a funny song about a boy who thinks his name is "no" because grownups are always telling him that) to reggae ("Sick Day," a justification for skipping school) to ballad ("Spread Your Wings," a wake-up song that gets rocking as the boy warms up with the day) to rock aplenty ("Time Out," "Bike," and "Rhymes"). StarFish close with a cover of the glam rock song made famous by Sweet, "Little Willy." Smart music and lyrics make a smart sound sure to appeal to kids and parents alike.—Stephanie Bange, Wright State University, Dayton, OH
In this beautiful, heartrending, yet horrifying film, North Koreans tell their stories of imprisonment, sexual slavery, torture, murder, and escape to China or South Korea during the nearly 50-year regime of Kim Il Sung (1912—94). The interviews are illustrated through the interspersion of dance sequences, archival news footage, and drawings. Particularly interesting are the North Korean propaganda films celebrating Kim Il Sung as God and showing in the face of mass starvation happy workers, elaborate military displays, and the creation of a new flower in 1988 in honor of the 46th birthday of Kim's son and successor, Kim Jong Il. A valuable time line traces 20th-century events in Korea. Bonus features include previously unreleased footage of camp refugees. This mesmerizing film displays excellent production values and is highly recommended for Asia collections.—Kitty Chen Dean, formerly with Nassau Community Coll., Garden City, NY
Reviewed by Kitty Chen Dean , Nov 01, 2010

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