Figure Skating

Mannheim Steamroller - The Christmas Angel: A Story on Ice

This tale of good versus evil takes place in a magical land where toys come to life and evil is transformed into good. What makes The Christmas Angel especially entertaining is the combination of graceful skating by such well-known talents as Dorothy Hamill and Elvis Stojko and the emotive music of Mannheim Steamroller. The story tells of an evil gargoyle named Gargon (Stojko) who steals the Christmas angel (Tonia Kwiatkowski) from atop a snowy village's Christmas tree, thereby preventing the arrival of Christmas. A young mother (Hamill), along with a host of toys-come-to-life, follows Gargon into the dark otherworld in an attempt to rescue the stolen angel. In the end, the angel is freed along with a host of lost souls and Christmas is saved. Unfortunately, this engaging 45-minute story is given a hokey framing sequence of Olivia Newton-John and Chip Davis posing as parents reading a Christmas story to their children.

The costuming and sets are fun, bright, and absolutely captivating. The skating is spectacular, offering an optimal mix of solo and ensemble performances. Favorite Mannheim Steamroller renditions of classics like "Good King Wenceslas," "Angels We Have Heard on High," and "Greensleeves" add a pathos and drive to the story. DVD special features include a five-minute (minimally informative) interview with composer and narrator Chip Davis, brief textual biographies of the primary skaters, a video clip of Mannheim Steamroller: Christmas Live, and a short, written history of American Gramaphone. --Tami Horiuchi

1998 Olympic Overall Highlights

Every great moment of the Games, from the traditional Opening Ceremony to the grace of the world's most gifted figure skaters; Picabo Street descending the women's Super G course; the heroic skiing of Herman Maier; the amazing feats of a new breed of freestyle skiers; the excitement of bobsledding, speed skating and luge--and much more. Hosted by Jim Nantz.

1998 Olympic Gold Gift Set

The complete 4-disc set of 1998 Winter Olympics highlights: Figure Skating Competition Highlights, Figure Skating Exhibition Highlights, Hockey Highlights, and Overall Highlights.

1998 Olympic Winter Games: Figure Skating Exhibition Highlights

When the competition is over, many of the medal winners in the 1998 Winter Olympics celebrate their victories in a joyous spectacle on ice, free from the pressure of the judges. Hosted by Verne Lundquist, Scott Hamilton and Tracy Wilson.

1998 Olympic: Skating Competition Highlights

The complete technical and free programs of Tara Lipinski and Michelle Kwan, as well as highlights of pairs teams Ina-Dungjen and Kazakovap-Dmitriev, and medal-winning skating by Elvis Stojko and Ilia Kulik. Hosted by Verne Lundquist, Scott Hamilton and Tracy Wilson.

My Sergei

My Sergei is a romantic reverie delving deeply into the love and tragedy of Russian ice skaters Sergei Grinkov and Ekaterina Gordeeva. Paired in the early 1980s, Gordeeva and Grinkov matured into world and Olympic champions, and the working relationship blossomed into friendship, love, marriage, and parenthood. In November 1995, their fairy-tale life dissolved when Grinkov suffered sudden heart failure during a routine practice. Based on the bestselling book written by Gordeeva with E.M. Swift for Gordeeva and Grinkov's daughter Daria, this 90-minute film is extremely powerful. It is a rare and effective blend of narrated documentary, reenactment, extensive footage from the pair's skating career, and interviews with Gordeeva, family members, friends, and other famous ice skaters including Scott Hamilton, Viktor Petrenko, Kristi Yamaguchi, and Paul Wylie. --Tami Horiuchi