1 comments about Modern Marvels - Baseball Parks (History Channel) (A&E DVD Archives).

1. Since it is in the series of Modern Marvels, I expect, at the beginning, to see the technology building the ball parks. It is, however, not what contents in this film. The main theme is the evolution of the ball parks from 19th century to the present. Of course, it is good to know why a ball park shapes like that, why is it situated at the outskirt of the city, and why it moves back to the heart of the city. Through the film, I just feel it misses something, perhaps many. For example, memorable moments, HOFers or teams with that park are worthy of mentioning.
   
   Like many DVD's of the THC, I always feel the running time is too short and I just grab the surface. This film is no exception. Every time when I begin to feel interested in what they mention, it just finishes and jumps to another. I'd like to see this topic addressed again in another DVD.

2 comments about Grand Canyon - The World's Great Natural Wonder.

1. A National Park since 1908 the Grand Canyon is one of the world's greatest natural wonders. It encompasses 2,000 square miles, reaches a mile down and ten miles across. It harbors a multitude of wildlife including mule deer, mountain lions, coyotes, bighorn sheep, wild turkey, blue heron, desert tortoises and the Kaibab squirrel, found nowhere else in the world.
   
   This DVD includes many features. Included are footage of many recreational adventure tours available in the National Park. Get the full story on how the Grand Canyon was formed. A very enjoyable section is classical music presented along with a montage of beautiful images from the park.



2. The DVD had a few minutes of interesting information, but the rest of it would make it a good sleep aid. It just never really captured the essence of the Grand Canyon, but instead spent a lot of time with boring, stock footage of nature scenes. I wanted to understand the scope and scale of the Grand Canyon; the geology; and the history and impact of it. Unfortunately, this DVD only scraped the surface of that type of information.

No comments about Historic Pubs of Dublin.

5 comments about Experience Italy! - DVD Exclusive Travel Video (2007).

1. This was a big help to me planning my trip to Italy. The hosts are very knowledgeable and personable. Gave me a lot of helpful info and beautiful pictures. Great!



2. Would have been confused about bus, train, tickets if they wouldn't have showed me on the video.........I really like the DVD.



3. The video is a great overview of Italy. The part about taking the trains was especially helpful. If you are going to Florence, Rome, or Venice, it will help you decide what you want to see.



4. This DVD gave a broad overview of some of the major areas of Italy utilizing local tour guides and was even humorous in parts. It was especially useful when it focused on travel tips such as how to use the train system, but I would have liked a little more depth regarding other tips like the best month/day/time to visit tourist areas, the pros & cons of using a tour group, a local guide or going it alone, etc. I'd say it was probably worth the price.



5. This DVD has been very helpful in my recent travel to Italy. The scenery is beautiful, and the suggestions provided were very useful. Thanks so much :-)

No comments about Great Hotels Season 2 - Episode 2: Disney's Wilderness Lodge.

5 comments about Michael Palin - Sahara.

1. I had the great priviledge to see Michael Palin's Sahara on the (real)BBC in Oxford (England) in 2002 with an Algerian friend. Unfortunately the BBC showed the production in the wee small hours ---but staying up all night was well worth loosding a little sleep. (Now, having recently purchased the DVD, I've had another grand experience with Michael as my guide.)
   
   We were greatly pleased to see that Palin chose to go into Algeria, despite the dire warnings about the dangerous conditions (due to the great unrest and genocide occuring at that particular time) because it is truly a beautiful country-land of contrasts! We enjoyed taking a trek through the Ahaggar region (Palin refers to it in English as the Hoggar), hearing that, despite what is said in the press, the Sahroui refugees were not kept in Tindouf against their will and were treated well by the Algerian government, and the mini-stroll through the Casbah in center Alger (Algiers in English) was a delight-if too brief. Oran (pronounced 'Waahran'-say it slowly and do pronunce the 'h'!) has an enviable spot on the beautiful hilly coastline above the even more beautiful Mediterranean. We were delighted to hear the journalist who accompanied Palin in the Casbah say-typically Algerian-'inch'Allah'with reference to a possible future event. We were sorry that Michael did not venture a little south of Alger to visit Algeria's vast array of Roman ruins, and isntead chose Libya for this. Bravo to Michael for showing the rest of the world at least a glimpse of our beloved Algeria. Be cooled by the oasis outside Hassi Messaoud -a breath of fresh air!
   
   The funniest statement of the film was when Palin alluded to the "longest bus ride" he'd ever taken when going accross the falt and palid Libyan desert.
   
   The journey Palin took with the touaregs is spectacular. Myriads of camels, a ton of dunes and sand, and the comraderie of the berbers of the desert. Be sure to look for the baby dorcas gazelle!
   
   From England to Gibralter (where the Barbary baboons hobnob with the gentry) thorugh the vast and breathtaking Sahara (of which Alogeria calims mmore than a lions-or is that camel's?-share, with glimpses of all the countries which share this most wonderful of all deserts. Meet the inahabitants along the way. You will have a wonderful surprise, and perhaps learn that people are people no matter where they call home.
   
   As Palin says, "See what is similar, not what is different" of these people.
   
   Enjoy your journey in this enchanted place!



2. BRAVO - MAGNIFICO!
   
   Michael Palin has done it again; taken a trip and brought his fans another video travel masterpiece!
   
   See what it's like, or at least similar to, backpacking through a vast and intriguing country, the Sahara Region, with a few side trips to cities, yes! I said cities, and a few tourist sites; Micheal Palin seems to prefer checking out what life is really like in these far-off places.
   
   Michael Palin does not march from one traditional tourist trap to another: that's what makes his travel videos so great! Very little time is spent at the regular tourist sites.
   
   Michael Palin's best laid plans are not alway's realized, and that's just another plus: hey, sometimes one must adapt; little or big, unexpected experiences can be fun!
   
   All of Micheal Palin's previous travel tapes are FANTASTIC, and now we have Micheal Palin's "Sahara."
   
   For those who have never seen a Micheal Palin travel video, I recommend buying them all (1.Around The World In Eighty Days; 2.Pole To Pole; 3. Full Circle; 4. Himalaya; and 5. Sahara) then sit back and enjoy the expertly filmed travels of this one-of-a kind explorer/traveler. For those of you who thirst for entertainment, I've led you to water, whether or not you drink is up to you.



3. Tragically, it is not easy to get access to BBC shows in the USA. There are some truly great series, for example all the travel series done by Michael Palin (some more amazing than others, but all very good). You might recognize him from his days as a star in Monty Python or from the film "A Fish Called Wanda." Part of what makes him a great travel series host is that he retains his humor while exploring extremely fascinating parts of the globe. His series are very balanced, informative, and entertaining all at the same time.
   
   The most refreshing thing about his series is that they are not presented as "look at all these great touristic places I have been," but rather the camera is more of a silent witness to his adventures. It really just follows him as he sets out to do his carefully researched itineraries ("Around the World in 80 Days," "Pole to Pole," "Full Circle," "Sahara," "Himalaya") or themes ("Hemingway Adventure," "Palin's New Europe"). His style is both objective and subjective. Whilst retaining a journalistic like objectivity he also lets you know how he subjectively feels about the places he visits and about how he personally feels in regards to his personal health both physically and psychologically: he shares his apprehensions, feelings of triumph or defeat, relief or disparity, amazement and disappointments, mourning or elation or even neutrality, sickness and homesickness or feelings of health; in other words, his style is to bring the richness of a written travelogue to film. You get the feeling that you are watching his diary; for example, when he does his post trip/editing room voice-overs and other commentary, he adds his comments from it.
   You see him get altitude sickness in the Himalayas ("Himalaya"), and you see him participate in a bizarre yet hilarious crossing-the-international-date-line ritual performed by the ship crew on his way from Japan to the USA (in "Around the World in 80 Days.") Moreover, the trips have quite large budgets so there really is no limit to what kind of itinerary he can dream up. In "Around the World in 80 Days" he set out to literally circumnavigate the globe, but not just in a ship, he uses any means of ground transportation he can find, which includes joining ship barges. The one stipulation is no air transportation. In other series his itineraries are equally as grand: in "Full Circle" he makes a trip around the Pacific Rim and has the unique privilege of hiring a helicopter to see some difficult to get to parts of far eastern Russia and after, true to Palin style, learns Russian drinking songs from the pilot while drinking vodka with him; in "Pole to Pole" he takes the only commercial plane that flies from South America to the South Pole, a ticket that is prohibitively expensive for your average traveller.
   
   It was very easy for me to get addicted to Michael Palin's series and I had the fortune of living in China where bootlegs of anything are easy to come by when I did. In the USA, his shows are difficult to come by. I know that the complete box set of all the series he has done so far (he has at least one or two more left in him) is sold at a bargain price in the UK. But for people living in the USA who cannot stand the fact that those DVDs are (probably) regioned to the effect that they will not even work on our DVD players here even when legitimately purchased and imported to the USA, perhaps the best alternative is to turn to the internet (cough, torrents, cough).
   
   FYI The BBC shop in the UK sells a 16 disc box set with all his travel series he has ever done for 40 pounds (about 80 dollars). It is so outrageous that DVDs are region coded so that they can price discriminate against the American audience.



4. An excellent series. I would have given it 5 stars, but it didn't quite measure up to the very high standard set by Around the World in 80 Days. I have already pre-ordered Michael Palin - Pole to Pole and am eagerly awaiting its delivery.



5. Once again the superb ex-Monty Python turned globetrotting national British icon Michael Palin invites us all to join him on his journeys around the world. This time the destination is the biggest desert in the world, the Sahara, and its surrounding countries.
   As usual the witty and insightful narration of Mr. Palin, as well as his encounters with local people and ex-pats from around the world makes for an interesting and inspiring series about this very inhospitable yet beautiful and little understood place. If nothing else, the series gives food for thought about how people live their lives in other parts of the world. At least it did for me.
   
   I will admit that "Sahara" is not the best of Michael Palins travels. There is a quality or feel about it that just doesn't really make you feel the same elation you normally would, watching Palins programmes. This is not to say that "Sahara" is bad television. By no means. Not being the best doesn't mean that it's bad. Perhaps it has to do with the sameness of the places he travels to in this series. There is little but sand, which maybe in some way makes it less fascinating. I don't know.
   
   As usual with the Palin travel DVDs there are a plethora of extra material in the form of clips that didn't make the final cut. a video diary, and of course an interview with Michael Palin.
   
   Not the best, but still very, very good. Highly recommended.

No comments about Robbie Coltrane - Incredible Britain.

1 comments about North America's National Parks (As Seen In IMAX Theaters).

1. This is the SAME movie as Timeless... A National Parks Odyssey, only it is in widescreen format and may have other enhancements. Again, same picture, but released in 2008 with better options. As for the movie itself, it's very good. Visually stunning. The time-lapsed scenes are amazing. It really is a visual treat and will show off the picture quality of your home theater system. The commentary is very good and informative, but I wish we could have heard more sounds of nature. Basically, it's some guy talking over a soundtrack of soothing music - piano, guiter, etc.. It's all very nice and mellow, but I wish I could have heard some of the sounds to go along with the amazing images. For example, a huge waterfall cascades down, and it would be nice to hear water crashing to the ground. Instead, all you hear is music. What about the "music" of nature? But it is an IMAX film from 2002, so consider that audiences would probably have been upset if there was no commentary... just nature sounds. Add this to your collection and PLEASE support The Nature Conservatory and The National Arbor Day Foundation.

5 comments about National Geographic - Africa.

1. To know a country is to know its people. Previously apart from South Africa, Africa was a homongenous blur to me. This series looks at the different regions of the continent through the eyes of the people who live out their lives there. It contrasts the traditional ways with the ways of change giving both a glimpse into the past and into the future. The flora and forna also feature but are featured more to show the struggle to survive in different habitats and a changing world.



2. Beautifully photographed. However, if you're interested in Africa from a political and historical standpoint, as I am, this is not really the video series for you.
   
   Excellent wildlife and nature footage (just as you'd expect from National Geographic) and even an attempt to convey some sociological lessons about "urban" vs. "tribal" differences.
   
   Overall, well worth watching, but don't look to it for very deep historical or political enlightenment about the continent.



3. . . . I have just begun to view this series via NETFLIX, and if the first disc is indicitive of the rest of the series then this is something i will be sure to purchase. As i cannot honestly review the series in it's entirety, this "review" is to make clear that despite any misprint here on amazon or on the packaging -(don't have the box so i can't say)- this series IS in full 16X9 anamorphic widescreen - it does state as much on the discs themselves. many people, like myself, will not buy/rent dvds if the aspect ratio is not preserved on disc. For those concered; have no fear, it's in gorgeous widescreen. 5-stars for disc 1 and the beautiful transfer



4. After reading all of the glowing reviews I couldn't wait to watch the series. Unfortunately, it was a little disappointing. Visually it is stunning and offers a broad view of the vast continent. The problem is in the narration. Ugh! While viewing some of the most exciting scenery in the world and gaining some insight into the many cultures of Africa the narrator seems determined to put the viewer to sleep. And rather than give the viewer a real taste of the local music, whenever someone bursts into song, whether in a children's game or at a funeral, they have chosen to pipe in some over-produced studio version of "African" music that is full of western influences. Indiginous African music is so beautiful in its rawest form; don't insult your audience by assuming that we can't appreciate music that hasn't been cleaned up and westernized.



5. This is the best documentary on Africa I have seen. I grew up in Africa, but have not returned since my family returned to the US. I watch every documentary on Africa I can get my hands on, and except for this one, they almost all completely ignore everything except large animals in game preserves. Africa is so much more, and I feel that this DVD is the first I've seen that actually captures a bit of real life in Africa. It is funny, happy, and inspiring, just like the people it is about. This does not come at the expense of amazing footage of the landscape or shots of exotic animals (including a short spot on the wildebeest, which is apparently a requirement for all documentaries of Africa). The human perspective makes the scenery and animals even more awesome. This DVD is a brief glimpse of Africa right now. It's amazing.

5 comments about Blue Water, White Death.

1. This is a documentary of people that are shark divers.
   They are actually searching for a Great White shark to film.
   This was filmed a couple years before JAWS hit the big screen.
   but this shows how sharks pretty much dominate the ocean.
   And after JAWS came out back in 1975 which upped the fear of
   sharks in the American public.
   Just remember these diver are pro's at what they do and have been doing this for many years.
   In fact a couple of the people that's on this documentary helped in the movie JAWS.
   Ever since I watched JAWS I've had a fascination with sharks.
   If your a shark diver or just like to watch shark diving this is
   one of the best that I've seen.
   I rate this DVD a 10 from 1to10!!



2. Blue Water, White Death is a wonderful blend of action, suspense and historical underwater cinematography.
   The shark encounters might seem a bit tame by today's standards, especially if you are used to watching leaping Great Whites on NG's Shark Week and other wild-life shows. But the movie was shot in the innocent pre-Jaws early 70's, when few people knew much about sharks or shark behavior.
   Watching the divers fend off schools of circling Oceanic White-tip sharks off South Africa is intense as it gets. Later, in Australian waters, you feel the adrenelin pumping as the divers film from inside cages while Great Whites rake their razor-sharp, serrated incisors along the bars.
   A special treat is watching legends Stan Waterman, Valerie and Ron Taylor, Rodney Fox, and the late Peter Gimbel, diving in their prime, and then seeing them today and listening to them reprise their exciting experience.
   The movie is unique and belongs in every ocean lover's collection.



3. This film is RARE. It is a ground breaking, historical documentry which, unfortunately, is very little known. If you are a serious diver, this is a MUST-HAVE.



4. This is a great documentary. The underwater photography and action are incredible. Also, the movie is worth watching just for the cast of characters - be sure to watch the reunion of the cast in the special features part. I am so glad that this movie is available again for everyone to see. GET IT!



5. Una pelìcula que hizo historia en el cine documntal del buceo, siendo sus protagonistas los primeros en filmar y fotografiar a los tiburones blancos sin protecciòn alguna de jaulas. imperdible!! muy emocionante las escenas extras con el homenaje a los integrantes del equipo casi 40 años despuès. realmente me emocionò y trajo a mi mente mis memorias de adolescente que soñaba con fotografiar tiburones bajo el agua, hoy lo he logrado y publicado esas fotos en varias revistas.