Chicago: One Magnificent City (1991)

Eliot Ness vs. Al Capone

January, 1947. The public receives the news of Al Capone's death with indifference, although twenty years earlier he had ruled Chicago's crime underworld with brute force and corrupting many touchable individuals. Until the day the head of the Untouchables Brigade, Eliot Ness, entered the scene. Since then, a cruel battle between the two of them began, a battle that ended in trial, conviction, disease, insanity and death.

Michelle Obama: Life After the White House

Former First Lady Michelle Obama's story has just begun. The Obamas have remained quite busy with their new life of activism which includes their issue-oriented production company, Higher Ground, which won an Oscar for Best Documentary in 2020. Mrs. Obama's autobiography, Becoming, has become the best-selling memoir of all time and even won a Grammy following the publication of her book. Get lost in the incredible journey of this modern-day First Lady's story in the making...

Hoop Dreams

Every school day, African-American teenagers William Gates and Arthur Agee travel 90 minutes each way from inner-city Chicago to St. Joseph High School in Westchester, Illinois, a predominately white suburban school well-known for the excellence of its basketball program. Gates and Agee dream of NBA stardom, and with the support of their close-knit families, they battle the social and physical obstacles that stand in their way. This acclaimed documentary was shot over the course of five years.

Synonymous With

A student's increasingly intimate line of questioning causes his interview with a local horror host to take a vulnerable turn.

Disasters of the Century

This entry in the "Reel Moments" video series contains newsreel and archive footage of famous 20th century disasters, including: the collapse of the Tacoma Narrows bridge, various ship sinkings, racecar crashes, and assassinations, with emphasis on the assassinations of Martin Luther King, John F. Kennedy, and Robert F. Kennedy.

Department 56: The Building of a Village Tradition

Learn how to create the perfect holiday village display.

kid 90

As a teenager in the '90s, Soleil Moon Frye carried a video camera everywhere she went. She documented hundreds of hours of footage and then locked it away for over 20 years.

Life After People

In this special documentary that inspired a two-season television series, scientists and other experts speculate about what the Earth, animal life, and plant life might be like if, suddenly, humanity no longer existed, as well as the effect humanity's disappearance might have on the artificial aspects of civilization.

Chicago 10

Archival footage, animation and music are used to look back at the eight anti-war protesters who were put on trial following the 1968 Democratic National Convention.

Panama: Exploring the Panama Canal

Exploring the Panama Canal is a fascinating journey through the land of mystery and adventure and the Canal that divides it. Through rare archival footage, you'll experience the history of the Canal, from its failed beginnings to the Herculean effort of 35,000 men to build this most strategic of ocean routes. You'll witness the Canal in operation from a front-row seat in the Command Center, towers and computer stations that control the locks. Spectacular location shooting takes you ashore into the exotic Republica de Panama where you'll delight in the native culture, history and bustling lifestyles of Panama City and Colon. Exploring the Panama Canal - an unforgettable voyage you'll enjoy for years to come!

VHS Massacre: Cult Films and the Decline of Physical Media

This lively documentary explores the rise and fall of physical media from the origin of film all the way through the video store era into digital media, focusing on B-movie and cult films. With icons like Joe Bob Briggs (MonsterVision), Lloyd Kaufman (Toxic Avenger), Greg Sestero (The Room), Debbie Rochon (Return to Nuke 'Em High), Deborah Reed (Troll 2), Mark Frazer (Samurai Cop), James Nguyen (Birdemic) and many others.

'85: The Greatest Team in Football History

Through never-been-seen-before footage and fascinating interviews with key members of the 1985 Chicago Bears -- Mike Ditka, Jim McMahon, Mike Singletary, and others -- you will hear the inside story of their historic season.

Chuck Norris vs Communism

In late eighties, in Ceausescu's Romania, a black market VHS bootlegger and a courageous female translator brought the magic of Western films to the Romanian people and sowed the seeds of a revolution.

Best of Enemies

A documentary about the legendary series of nationally televised debates in 1968 between two great public intellectuals, the liberal Gore Vidal and the conservative William F. Buckley Jr. Intended as commentary on the issues of their day, these vitriolic and explosive encounters came to define the modern era of public discourse in the media, marking the big bang moment of our contemporary media landscape when spectacle trumped content and argument replaced substance. Best of Enemies delves into the entangled biographies of these two great thinkers, and luxuriates in the language and the theater of their debates, begging the question, "What has television done to the way we discuss politics in our democracy today?"

How to Make a Sandwich

Based on the popular phone service, "How To Make a Sandwich" is a short film directed by Drake Sanderson that depicts the rise of media star, Peter Willard, and his acclaimed sandwich-making skills. From breads to meats to condiments, follow Peter as he teaches you how to make the perfect sandwich!

Movie Hoarders: From VHS to DVD and Beyond!

Filmmakers and collectors lift the curtain on their manic media obsession that is not only a huge part of their lives, but the lifeblood of their existence!

Special When Lit

What made more money than the entire American movie industry through the 50s and 60s? Pinball. Special When Lit rediscovers the lure of a lost pop icon. A product of the mechanical and electrical age, the American invention swept the world and defined cool. Now it is relegated to a nostalgic footnote deserving a better fate. Joining the fans, collectors, designers and champion players from across the globe who share a world many of us didn't know still existed.

VHS Revolution

Using testimonies by pioneers and witnesses of the times, delve into the feverish visual culture the media generated – with far-fetched examples of canine television games, seduction manuals, aerobics class while holding a baby, among others.

At the Video Store

Equal parts personal essay, intense rumination, and playful satire, this movie laments the death of the American Video Store while it searches for the missing human element in today's digital landscape.

Terror on Tape

A video store clerk showcases clips from Z-grade horror movies to curious customers.

The Janes

Defying the state legislature that outlawed abortion, the Catholic Church that condemned it, and the Chicago Mob that was profiting from it, the members of “Jane” risked their personal and professional lives to support women with unwanted pregnancies. In the pre-Roe v. Wade era — a time when abortion was a crime in most states and even circulating information about abortion was a felony in Illinois — the Janes provided low-cost and free abortions to an estimated 11,000 women.

Rewind This!

Home video changed the world. The cultural and historical impact of the VHS tape was enormous. This film traces the ripples of that impact by examining the myriad aspects of society that were altered by the creation of videotape.

Adjust Your Tracking: The Untold Story of the VHS Collector

A documentary capturing the modern day VHS culture and VHS collectors.

Wise Guys 2

After the release of his debut film, documentarian Richard Chase journeys down a rabbit hole to uncover the lost second episode of his initial film's subject: Wise Guys.

VHS Massacre Too

The last stand of the American exploitation film. In a post video store era, media consolidation has led to the censorship and near death of the independent and exploitation film industry. Joe Bob Briggs (Last Drive-in), Debbie Rochon (Toxic Avenger IV), Lloyd Kaufman and James Rolfe (Angry Video Game Nerd) take us on an adventure that leads from the last Blockbuster video store in Bend Oregon to Troma Entertainment in New York, all in an effort to examine how history keeps repeating itself from the video store era to the modern streaming.

The Saint of Second Chances

Mike Veeck, son of MLB franchise owner Bill Veeck, blows up his father's career. Exiled from the game he loves, the younger Veeck spends the next few decades clawing his way up from rock bottom, determined to redeem himself.

Destination Vancouver

Vancouver's wealth of beauty and culture has enchanted visitors from all over the world. In this video tour of British Columbia's peerless city, you'll visit all the major attractions including selected parts of the Lower Mainland, Stanley Park, the Vancouver Aquarium, the UBC Museum of Anthropology, Grouse Mountain, Gastown, Granville Island and many more fantastic sites.

Chicago at the Crossroad

While gun violence was on the decline in most major US cities, why did it continue to increase in Chicago's segregated communities? What is known about the systems that created the problem, the laws that isolated it, and the policies that abandoned it? Using dramatic footage, including interviews with residents on the front lines over the last 15 years, this documentary opens a rare historical window into the systematic creation of poverty stricken communities plagued by gun violence. 

Gangs: Turning the Corner

This 60 minute video captures in a dynamic format the people and programs that are successfully turning the corner on gangs. Stories and examples from across the United States will highlight winning approaches to confronting the gang problem.

United in Grief

Suffering debilitating grief from the passing of his best friend who introduced him to the world of dance, Derrick must confront a monster that seeks to separate him from everything he loves.

The Orient Express

The next best thing to being there is to experience The Chronicle Travel Library with its most comprehensive collection. Chronicle Videocassettes brings the Orient Express to you.

Cooked: Survival by Zip Code

Filmmaker Judith Helfand's searing investigation into the politics of “disaster” – by way of the deadly 1995 Chicago heat wave, in which 739 residents perished (mostly Black and living in the city’s poorest neighborhoods).

Long Gone Summer

An examination of the 1998 MLB season and the home run race between Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa. The two sluggers' race to hit the most home runs, later overshadowed by the steroid scandal, left a permanent mark on baseball history.

Dance Away: Get Fit with the Hits: The 80's

The heat is on as you work out with an awesome collection of 1980s hit tunes in this Esquire DANCE AWAY—GET FIT WITH THE HITS videotape. This innovative aerobics workout/dance program integrates fitness with fun. Exercise expert Molly Fox provides comprehensive low-impact aerobics instruction as you work out to a decade of hit songs sung by their original artists.

Home Movie

A young man returns to his hometown in the countryside of Minas Gerais and revisits the memories of his grandparents through conversations and restored personal files.

Walt Disney World Resort In Florida Holiday Guide Video

Presenter Andrea Boardman adventures through all of the Disney theme parks, dining options, Water parks, Downtown Disney area and hotel resorts that were available at the Walt Disney World resort in 1998.

All These Sons

On Chicago's South and West sides, the scourge of guns and gangs is destroying countless lives. Taking matters into their own hands, two men dedicate their lives educating, empowering and healing young Black men at high risk for being victims—or perpetrators—of deadly gun-violence.

Pooh: The Derrick Rose Story

A never before seen look at the meteoric rise of Derrick Rose, the young Chicago superstar that was suddenly derailed by devastating injuries and unrealistic expectations for a hometown hero.

Disney: Through the Looking Glass

Tito del Amo, a passionate 72-year-old researcher, takes the final step to unravel the enigma about the alleged Spanish origin of the American cartoonist Walt Disney, making the same journey that his supposed mother made to give him up for adoption in Chicago. A journey that begins in Mojácar, Almería, Spain, and ends in New York. An exciting adventure, like Alicia's through the looking glass, to discover what is truth and what is not, with an unexpected result.

Inside The Mob's Bloody Valentine

The St. Valentine's Day massacre is the stuff of American legend, and the tale is familiar to nearly everyone. But the story of that bloody day in Chicago has never been told, or seen, like this before. Cutting-edge graphics and frenetic recreations accompany Johnny Fratto, son of onetime Al Capone-associate Louis "Lew" Fratto, back to Chicago, where he uncovers massacre myths and learns more about the life his father and uncles led when they roamed those lawless streets in the 1920s. Johnny gets guidance and opinions from a team of renowned Chicago gangster experts, and bridges the gap between the stories he heard as a little boy and the reality he lived growing up in a mob family. Johnny's take about what happened on Feb. 14, 1929 will surprise you.

How to Protect Yourself Against Weapons

Master John Tsai began his Kung Fu training in Kasshiung, Taiwan, at the age of 7. His life long talents for developing potential go beyond the reach of his schools today. He holds titles of state and world wide champions. This Instructional video will guide you in all you need to know to PROTCT YOURSELF AGAINST WEAPONS. Learn from the Master! Foremost teacher of Shaolin Kung Fu Today.

Adventures Beyond: Witches Ghosts & Phantoms

From the Adventures Beyond, an exploration into the world of the paranormal.

The Lumineers - Live from Wrigley Field

In September of 2022, with over 41,000 fans in attendance, The Lumineers took fans on an anthemic, foot-stomping journey with the BRIGHTSIDE World Tour, ending their largest worldwide tour to date at Chicago's historic Wrigley Field.

Public Housing

Public Housing is Wiseman’s unflinching portrayal of life at the Ida B. Wells housing project in Chicago, a raw exposition of the daily conflicts between residents and the bureaucratic machinery to which they are continually subjected. With intimate detail and an abiding dedication to his subject, Wiseman unearths the hidden facets of institutions to find humanity and sites of unexpected beauty.

Spain: Everything Under the Sun

Come with us to sunny Spain, land of bullfights, flamenco, and 2,000 years of history. Begin in Madrid's Royal Palace and see the paintings of Velázquez and El Greco, then go on to the Prado for Goya. Stroll through the oldest part of the city, to the Plaza Mayor and the restaurant Botin, where Hemingway dined. Take an excursion to Ávila, the walled 11th century home of Saint Teresa. Continue on to the Alcazar at Segovia; Toledo and the famed cathedral; Córdoba and its gypsy caves. Savor the exotic flavor of Granada, center of Moorish Spain, and pause in the Alhambra, where nightingales sing in the gardens. Soak up sun along the Costa del Sol and then complete your tour in Barcelona, Spain's second city.

Irish Chicago

The colorful stories of Irish-American immigrants and their descendants who lived the history and exemplify the repeated cycle of the outsider becoming the ultimate Chicago citizen-insider.