My cousin Steve notwithstanding, I think that there’s no finer animal than the Frisbee-catching dog. To see a little bundle of fur go racing across a field and leap about 30 feet into the air to grab an airborne disc ranks right up there in my list of pleasurable activities. I was overjoyed, then, to receive the Frisbee Dogs Training Video ($14.95; call 800-242-7961 to order), which goes into great detail to teach you how to turn your ordinary, lazy mutt into a Frisbee-catching wonder.
Although it was shot cheaply and simply, the producers at Skydog Productions went to great pains to make “Frisbee Dogs” a solid show. The on-camera host, dog trainer Peter Bloeme, is likeable, enthusiastic, well-spoken and fun to watch. The photography in the park is crisp, the sound is clear and the jazzy musical score is worlds better than most how-to video Muzak. We also see terrific footage of former World Champion Frisbee dogs like “Whirlin’ Wizard,” one of the original Frisbee chasers.
The heart of the tape is teaching, and Bloeme carefully takes us through steps to train a puppy or an older dog. He’s terrific at teaching a variety of dogs tricks like jumping, flip ping, and my personal favorite, taking a Frisbee from your mouth.
All of which made me wonder, naturally, if Ringo Starr was by any chance a Frisbee dog in a former life. The ex-Beatle got together with some of his rock-‘n’-roll buddies to make Ringo Starr and His All Starr Band: Live From Montreux (MPI Home Video; $19.98). I realized right away that there were two specific problems with this tape. One, Ringo was bound to do some singing. Two, he was bound to sing Ringo songs. And, the stage was far too cluttered to include any Frisbee dog highlights.
Nevertheless, the show proved to be a good-time rock revival, with guests like Burton Cummings, Joe Walsh, Todd Rundgren and Dave Edmonds doing most of the heavy work.
Quickly, before my ear turned to tin, I tuned in Sarah Vaughan: The Divine One (BMG Video; $29.98), a lovely documentary about the life of the great jazz singer.
I think Ringo put it best when he once sang, “I’d like to be/under the sea/in an octopus’s garden . . .” Now kids, that was some music, not like some of this meaningless trash they listen to these days. I thought of it as I watched Micronesia Underwater (Bennett Video; $29.95), a diving video that visits the gorgeous islands of Micronesia.
Okay, be honest: How many of you actually know where Micronesia is? Look on your globes on the stretch of the Pacific between Guam and the Philippines, and if you squint you might make out the tiny island chains that make up the Marianas, Marshalls and Caroline groups. Some of the best scuba diving in the world is done on the reefs outside of countries like Yap, Chuuk and Palau, and this video takes us underwater for a visit.
I’ve had the pleasure of traveling in the region and have dived many of the sites described in the video. Although they give overviews on the sites, with splendid underwater photography, they barely touch on the exotic beauty of the islands and their reefs.
The same goes for the spooky shipwrecks of the Truk Lagoon, which are terrific, mute bulletin boards about the ravages of war. Here, we peruse a few artifacts, admire the sea life, and then move on. The narration is dull and flat-voiced, the editing and music are lifeless, and curiously, the above-ground pictures are far inferior to the underwater shots.
It’s a video that might whet your appetite about the marvelous waters and cultures of Micronesia, but you’ll have to go there yourself to really appreciate the region. While you’re at it, why not bring along your dog and some Frisbees. Now, here we go, boy. I’m throwing it now. Jump! Catch! Good boy!
