All Rise...

Judge David Johnson will never forget to wear his safety goggles ever again.

The Charge

"It's nice to be different…or is it?"

The Case

From the A/V Geeks and Kino Lorber, Classic Educational Shorts: Rules for School is a collection of antiquated public service announcements designed for both schoolkids and teachers. Each short clocks in at about 10-15 minutes ("Mike Hits His Mark" is the epic of the bunch, with a runtime of 25 minutes).

Here's the lineup:

School Rules: How They Help Us (1953)
How Quiet Helps at School (1953)
Manners in School (1958)
Safe Living at School (1948)
Take Your Choice (1962)
School Spirit and Sportsmanship (1953)
Making the Most of School (1958)
Rescue Man (1982)
Mike Makes His Mark (1952)
Noontime Nonsense (1955)

Bonus Shorts

Maintaining Classroom Discipline (1947)
When Should Grown-Ups Stop Fights? (1955)
Civil Defense in School (1959)
Adult Guards for School Crossings (1960)
Story-telling: Can You Tell It in Order? (1953)

That's over three hours of throwback infotainment the purpose of which is…I don't know. I guess it's pointing and laughing at the hackneyed video lectures of yore. But that enjoyment is fleeting. Not sure how many times you'll come back to this disc (though I wouldn't fault you for showing dinner guests the PSA about the kid who refused to wear safety goggles and got blinded in woodshop class).

The specs aren't mind-blowing: 1.33:1 full frame, Dolby 2.0 Mono, the aforementioned bonus short films, and some film notes from A/V Geeks Founder Skip Elsheimer.

The Verdict

There's some fun to have with these cultural oddities, but the staying power isn't there. Thanks for the safety tips though!

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