No comments about Over New England - Deluxe Box Set.

1 comments about New Zealand From Coast to Coast.

1. Since I'd visited New Zealand, I thought this DVD would be a good reminder of the places I'd been. Instead it showed me dozens of places I want to see. Such a gorgeous country deserves a great video like this.
   
   The DVD is set up to run as one long travelog, or you can hone in on the region you're interested in. Keep clicking and you'll see web sites, email addresses and phone numbers for specific attractions (although this is pretty unobtrusive -- I was most of the way through before I noticed this option.)
   
   A couple things not to miss in this DVD: the rugby match in Wellington, the albatrosses near Canterbury on the South Island, bungee jumping off the Sky Tower in Auckland.

5 comments about Nostradamus.

1. Nostradamus is a thrilling tale, that has an ideal plot and a very interesting plot. It is really good and deserves a lot of credit.



2. This is the worst movie ever made. It has the worst script, actors, and every other bad movie element. It is total CRAP!



3. Not knowing much about the history of this movie, it seems like it might have been a pilot for a tv series? At any rate, NOSTRADAMUS benefits from sharp performances from Rob Estes and Joely Fisher, and some good pacing. Estes plays a detective who apparently is the real 16th century prognosticator, Nostradamus. Although it's never really explained in full, it makes for some interesting plot twists. The special fx aren't all that special, but the movie keeps your interest by throwing many different plausibilities at you. The ending is definitely open for a sequel or a series, hard to tell which!!



4. I've seen this movie on the Sci-Fi channel, I stopped to see it because I was interested in Nostradamus. However, it has apparently nothing to do with him, except on some scenes. This movie is confusing a terribly compiled. It doesn't give any type of information whatsoever about this great prophet. It's not worth buying...not at all.



5. It's FICTION.....But A Really Good Action/Adventure Story..Definately Not Boring at all...I Really enjoyed watching it.

3 comments about The Royal Canadian Pacific.

1. As echoed by the narrator on this enjoyable DVD, The Royal Canadian Pacific, from the "World Class Trains" series, this once-in-a-lifetime journey is not reserved only for the affluent. It is also a treasure for the average person who dreams of splurging on a fantastic rail trip of this caliber. For the price of a first-matinee movie ticket, this 55-minute DVD offers the viewer stunning vistas of Western Canada that an airplane ride cannot provide.
   
   As you, the armchair traveler, climb aboard The Royal Canadian Pacific with a small group of eager passengers, you too can pretend to anticipate the gourmet meals and fine music in well-appointed railcars. Eloquent narration and seemingly gentle movements of the train make for a pleasant journey.
   
   From your cozy chair or sofa, watch nature's bounty pass by like mobile landscape paintings. The map that unfolds during the DVD's running helps orient you to Western Canada's geography and history. Glancing out of the large, curtained window to your left (or right), listen to the history of First Nation people who once were the only inhabitants of the vast land known to us today as Canada -- not to mention the entire North American continent. After your virtual journey, you may never look upon a river, mountain or valley the same way ever again, for First Nation people considered these magnificent formations -- along with the sky -- to be sacred. In addition to the beautiful, if fleeting, scenes, you will hear spiritually ambient music that may leave you with a lasting impression of how people and other animals fit into nature's intricate tapestry.
   
   Sip from a cup of tea as you also learn the history of The Royal Canadian Pacific itself and discover how, with the deep pockets of railroad barons, railroad construction literally created industries and towns across Canada. (This also happened in the United States.) In terms of European settlement in Canada, this railway journey explores only English and Scottish influences. The train does not travel to, from or within the French-settled province of Quebec. Therefore, those who are looking for a DVD about Quebec would need to look elsewhere.
   
   The Royal Canadian Pacific is a relaxing, educational and entertaining DVD that will be worth repeated viewings. For all you know, one day it might inspire you to book the same luxurious rail journey. Believe me when I say that you will gain a new appreciation for the expression "All aboard!"



2. While the color was much better than the Rocky Mountain Pass trip DVD, the train is different. They so highly taught it as a First Class Luxury trip, I think you'd have to be in the wealthy class to even afford to go on this trip. The scenery is not as good as the Rocky Mountain Pass trip from Vancouver to Banff, I'd take that one first. It looks a lot more fun, while this one shows 5 star luxury, it's not my style of fun. The DVD itself is fairly colorful, but so intent on showing how high class the trip is, I think it turns more people off to the trip, than on. I'd recommend seeing the DVD however, so you do not make the mistake of taking this particular trip. Take a better trip, you'll have more fun.



3. My husband loves anything about trains. He especially loves the music on the train CD's. Enjoy the ride.

5 comments about Globe Trekker: Peru.

1. Although this isn't the best work in the Globetrekker series, it still has that authentic tramping quality to it. I'll admit that it unfortunately ends on a downbeat note.
   
   But showing the economic condition of Lima is critically important ... the current government is one of the worst in the hemisphere, because they've caved completely into US demands to abuse its people & resources. This is arguably the most important thing a traveler should know about Peru, and especially about Lima: the poverty there is caused by the continuous, overt stealing of the country's wealth by private enterprise.
   
   To understand how this works, check out the superb documentary about Jamaica: "Life & Debt".
   
   Yes, Peru is one of the most amazing, diverse and beautiful places in the world. But reality is hard to argue with, and this DVD offers a good sanity check. Go to Peru, it will change your life .... if you don't hide in a tourist hotel.



2. Why would they like to concentrate on the bad side of a city that much? I almost think they purposely did it that way, maliciously, and it's a shame. Lima has so many beautiful places to visit, but this people went to Villa el Salvador instead. When they visit Brazil or New York, did they only showed the fabelas or the Bronx for instance? the answer is NO.
   YES what they show is reality but only in certain areas of Lima, come on all cities have their shady areas, Lima's bad neighborhood are not more dangerous that the Bronx in New York City for instance. The way they show it it's manipulated to make the viewer think that Lima has nothing else to show than poverty, which if you ever visit Lima, you'll see that it's far from true. For those ignorant people below who wrote that it is the reality of Peru I would tell to get an air ticket and fly to Peru first and then talk all they want about it, it's not enough to sit in front of a Newspaper or TV news to know the reality of a country. Poverty is in deed the reality of all Latin America, not only Peru, and Peru's economy has grown more rapidly that any country in Latin American, except for Chile, in the last few years, That has made of Lima in sort of like the economic center on the region, a modern, vibrant, cultural and dynamic city... why do these people don't show that. I'd like to figure that one out.



3. I am Peruvian American and saw this video on PBS. Although I see why it would offend most peruvians, it is the TRUTH of what a beautiful and culturally rich country has become. Those people that criticize this video should instead be urging their government officials to "clean up" their city and show a more presentable view to tourists throughout the world. I myself visited Peru back in 2003 and as a tourist was disgusted by how "unclean" Lima was. I felt ashamed that people living in the capital could let their city go to waste like this and all the blame goes to the President and the Mayor of Lima for not cleaning up their city. As soon as you step out of the airport you don't have to go very far to see that this video all is doing is showing how Lima really is(at least in most parts since the part where 'los blanquitos, pitucos' live, isn't like this at all and is where most tourists if not all go to stay.
   People say: "This not not the entire Peru". Yes indeed, but why would tourist be lied about, then be dissapointed once they see the sheer reality? Because they cannot purchase a ticket back home on their first day of travel so they have to stay the entire trip?
   All in all, I must say I enjoyed the video especially Iquitos and Cuzco. I can say that the provinces outside Lima are more attractive to go visit. Beautiful scenes!!! Someday I hope I have the privilige to explore Peru the way it is meant to be enjoyed.. Chauuuu



4. Not enough emphasis on the positive side of Peru. Macchu Picchu was about a one minute segment. Some shots were nice but not worth the money ! Sorry I wasted it on this DVD !



5. I have traveled to Peru and am very upset that I spent my money to watch someone criticize and make fun of the country. He pays to see a shaman then makes fun of him, calling it "Mambo Jambo". Instead of pointing out the various architectural styles (the Spanish and the Moorish), he just says something like "Here you see some Spanish architecture, but look at all the rubbish on the ground." There's so much to see and experience in Peru, but it's like all he wanted to do was pick places he could make malicious jokes about.
   
   I love watching the way Justine Shapiro shows a country, even when she sees things she does not like. I'm headed to buy some more that have her as the host and will never spend my money on any DVD with this Neil Gibson person again.

3 comments about Windham Hill - Autumn Portrait.

1. With todays graphics, video cards, cameras, DVD players, television sets etc., this release cannot hold up to the standards--the resulting resolution is fair at best (I can remember way back when I used the VHS rendition of this and the "Winter" release as video/audiophile standard test tapes).

   But the magic of this and the "Winter" release is the scenery and the interpolation of the music along with it.

   The new age music and the very beautiful scenery is just what is needed upon your laptop if you are on a long flight or if you live in a concrete and steel city (to remind you what trees and snow and peace is all about).




2. The picture was a bit too grainy and indistinct for full enjoyment (judged aagainst newer DVDs, please don't think that the quality is so "bad" as to be unwatchable, it just could be much better). The quality of the 10 year-old VHS that I borrowed from the library was hardly worse.

   The musical tracks are very good and the images of Vermont are wonderful. They deserve better treatment.

   Windham Hill, please digitally re-master this (preferably in 5.1) and I would be willing to plunk down the purchase price all over again.

   As it stands, buy it and enjoy it as unfortunately, this is the only way we can enjoy this wonderful collection (at least for now).




3. I enjoy watching all of the Windham Hill DVDs. I first purchased 4 of them as laserdiscs, which is how I was introduced to the Windham Hill music and videos. Now, I have the entire collection of DVDs. They are so beautifully done. Though there is no commentary, I believe they are some of the best nature films produced.
   
   Autumn Portrait is my favorite of the series mainly because fall is my favorite season. The colors are exquisite, adding tremendous warmth, and making this extremely 'feel-good' to watch. It is also a very romantic DVD, very good for getting into the mood, especially after a long day of screaming kids, when they are finally settled in bed. My husband and I both enjoy watching this and highly recommend it others.

5 comments about IMAX Presents - Niagara: Miracles, Myths & Magic.

1. This is a badly produced IMAX film. There is a tale with mediocre imaging and sound... what a waste of time and money!



2. Repetitive amateur and boring recreations- someone in the crowd points and yells "Look over there- it's {fill in what went over the falls here}!" - mar this dvd. Recreations are fine when they are done well, but not in this movie. There some truly stunning shots of the falls, but they are too few and too brief. The real mystery of the falls is that Annie's cat, a small black kitten when it goes into the barrel, comes out of the barrel at the bottom of the falls as a larger and obviously older white cat- huh? Save your money!



3. After seeing this movie on the IMAX screen, I just had to own it. It's not the same, obviously, because of the size of my TV screen but it's still a good movie.



4. This video just glosses over the history of the falls and throws in some fluffy depictions to make people feel warm and fuzzy. I watched "Niagara-A history of the Falls" by the History Channel first which was 100 percent better than this DVD. Without the knowledge gained from watching this DVD first I would have not understood parts of the IMAX DVD.



5. We watched this feature at the Falls IMAX theatre and while short and limiting in its coverage was a great primer (both in setting the stage for the majesty of the falls and in giving you a little background) for actually experiencing the falls. My wife and I both found the soundtrack (by Conti) added a lot to the feature and we would like to buy it. Alas it does not seem to be in release. Can someone comment on this?
   
   Oh, and by the way, everyone in the theatre got the fact that the cat, which had gone in the barrel black, got soo scared it had turned white in it's journey over the falls. It was greeted with laughter. You may think this was a poorly contrived gag, but it was not a continuity issue.

No comments about A Musical Journey: Finland - A Musical Tour of Helsinki and the Finnish Landscape.

5 comments about Woman In the Moon.

1. (4.5 stars, actually)
   
   Fritz Lang is one of my favoritest directors, and this lesser-known film, his final silent, was nothing less than the riveting high-quality product I've come to expect from him. Like a couple of his other films, it does take awhile for the story and characters to be fully set up and for the viewer to be drawn in, but once things do finally start happening, it just gets better and better. Lang loved long films, and just like with a book that runs over the "normal" length, such a film too naturally will take a bit longer in setting up the plot and characters. And since it runs to almost three hours, it doesn't need to get everything and everyone established lickety-split and to have everything wrapped up nicely and neatly in an unrealistic amount of time.
   
   Wolf Helius is a prominent scientist who works in the rocket business and who is deeply interested in space exploration. Professor Georg Manfeldt is an eccentric older friend of his who has been reduced to poverty and disgrace because of his obsessive research into the existence of gold on the Moon. Prof. Manfeldt talks Helius into financing his dream expedition to finally prove his 30-year-old theory right. Helius's best friend and chief engineer Hans Windegger is persuaded to come along too, and Windegger's fiancée Friede, whom Helius also loves, insists she join all of them. The expedition and the preparations for it turn out to be anything but routine, since some rival elements know all about their plans and the belief that there is gold on the Moon. One of these criminals, Turner, also joins the flight. During the flight and after the rocket has successfully landed (despite having a number of potentially serious technical problems), human nature gets the better of everyone, and jealous rivalries, pettiness, and greedy self-interest start erupting right and left. It all builds up to a great ending, made even better by how it's not one of those endings the average viewer could have predicted coming a mile away.
   
   Though it naturally will appear a bit dated today, in an era where space travel is a reality and not a sci-fi fantasy, the space technology actually seems pretty advanced and accurate for 1929. I'd personally consider a lot of the sci-fi films of the Fifties and early Sixties to be a lot more dated. As has been mentioned, the scientific staff consulting for this film did know about some of the things that ended up depicted in a rather unrealistic matter (esp. the fact that people had air to breathe on the Moon!), but it possibly was left that way because the average moviegoer might not have liked the alternate. There are also a number of plotholes that are never resolved or explained, such as just how Helius was knocked out in the taxi when Manfeldt's papers were stolen from him, why anyone is supposed to believe there's gold on the Moon, what purpose some of the people on the flight are supposed to serve apart from dramatic tension between the characters, and what exactly happens to Manfeldt after he finds his gold. Still, relatively minor problems aside, this is one compelling film, one which deserves to be ranked higher among Lang's phenomenal work.



2. Perhaps so soon after Metropolis, you'd expect nothing less than another great silent film from Fritz Lang: especially since this one was not done on a shoe-string budget. But even given that thought, this film exceeded my expectations. It's still a gripping tale with special effects that are fascinating to see and actually have an effect. I found myself wishing that, for one night, I could become a member of the population that saw it for the first time in theaters. What it would have felt like as they were about to land on the moon!!! Obviously, many stories and films have re-used the characters in one way or another - but this original hasn't lost any of its impact on that account.



3. This copy has the full dinner scene which is a bit lengthy for a modern audience. However it does make the film complete.
   
   It is classic, so little else to say. If you are a fan of silents, Fritz Lang, or Science Fiction, this is a worthy addition to have if not to watch.



4. I decided to buy this DVD after seeing the rocket launching sequence on television's `Classic Arts Showcase'. I was amazed that the quality of the miniatures and full-size mockups seemed so far advanced for the year of filming. This is a long film by any standards and must have seemed even longer to audiences viewing this almost eighty years ago. We take for granted that space shuttles are assembled in a large building and are rolled out to their launch site, but we can only imagine what their minds made of this at a time when people were only starting to take to the skies in the most primitive of aircraft. I find it amazing that so many of the movie techniques and clichés that, perhaps, we now criticize for their lack of originality; first saw their use in this film.
   
   I agree that the film could do with a little judicious editing, but the quality of the film together with the excellent music accompaniment make its purchase an obvious choice for any movie buff, especially one interested in science fiction.



5. Made at the artistic pinnacle and end of the silent era in 1929, this beautiful film is gripping, stunning and very surprising for the nearly three hours of its duration, and as thus, perhaps also the high point of Fritz Lang's career. After his success with the now classic Sci-Fi drama "Metropolis" a few years earlier, Lang once again collaborated with screenwriter (and wife at that time) Thea von Harbou, to produce another outstanding creation, this time including elements of his other successful films with themes of espionage and intrigue. The result is a very smooth-flowing, captivating and engrossing story which borders on reality and fantasy. Conceived some decades before rocket and space travel technology, the scenes depicting the trip to the moon are at times amusingly simplistic but other times remarkably close to reality and very impressive. Yet even in its simplicity there is elegance and style, and the viewer is reminded that this is a highly artistic silent film. Attention has been given not just to the sets but also the characters and their relationships to one another which build to a climax near the film's end. Fritz Lang was able to draw out the emotions and ideas which drive a person, and this is superbly done in the main characters: the ostracized professor whose ideas about finding precious metals on the moon are ridiculed, the two friends planning a moon trip and their love triangle with a fellow female astronaut, as well as the ever-intriguing agent of evil played by Fritz Rasp who excels in such roles. With Germany's best cast and crew on hand, "Woman in the Moon" should be better known than it is, but its excellence is subtle somehow, and seems to reveal itself more each time you view it. And viewing is certainly a pleasure, with absolutely perfect picture quality in pristine black and white, accompanied by a most suitable piano and orchestral score. This film is more than just an outstanding example of early Science Fiction; it is a work of art in Lang's own style and apart from the light-and-shadow Expressionist style used frequently by his German colleagues. There is much light and brightness in this film which suits the mood of boldly going where no man - or woman - has gone before, and it leaves the viewer with a positive and satisfied feeling.

5 comments about The Cold Equations.

1. This is one bad movie. Almost the entire 93 minutes takes place inside a small space capsule with horrible acting and dialogue. Don't waste your money - I did.



2. In 1954 Tom Godwin wrote the classic story "The Cold Equations". In 1986 noted novelist/screenwriter Alan Brennert ("Her Pilgrim Soul" a classic Zone episode and one of the best of the 80's revivals and the author of the terrific novel MOLOKA'I)adapted it for the 1986 season of "The Twilight Zone". The Zone was cancelled. CBS brought it back in syndication and story editor J. Michael Straczynski ("Babylon 5", "Crusade" and a noted novelist as well) helped get it into production in 1988. The 1988 version at 22 minutes remains the definitive adaptation of Godwin's story.Ther's also a TV adaptation from for the series "Out of This World" that was done in 1962 but, unfortunately, I've never seen this version so can't compare.
   
   This Sci-Fi original TV movie isn't bad--it deals with the same issues that drove the original story and Zone adapation--just padded out a bit with additional material that makes it longer without making it better. Director Peter Geiger does a good job with the material. I've seen unfair criticism of the writing (the teleplay here is by Geiger with Stephen Berger who wrote "The Astronaut's Wife" along with two other writers)and acting of the TV movie. The performers do a solid job with the material they have.
   
   Could the movie have been better? Maybe. The limited budget doesn't do it any favors and the TV format (with a minor crisis before every commercial)doesn't do it any favors either. It's a pretty solid versions although I do agree that the definitive version is the shorter Zone version (now available) scripted by Alan Brennert.



3. The female lead, Poppy Montgomery, is known as a member of the cast, "Without a Trace." In that T.V. series, she follows one rule: Learn who the victim is. I suggest you watch, "The Cold Equations," with this one rule in mind. Our science-fiction movie presents an immutable situation and its consequence; a "cold equation" that is neither moral or immoral, nor a law of justice or mercy. Lee's intention to stay hidden was a choice that was to lead to the death of all on board the spaceship and the deaths of all those needing the medical supplies that the spaceship was carrying. Lee was a "murderer" when, as a stowaway, she remained onboard after the spaceship launched. When Lee was confronted with the only solution to the situation - her own death - she labeled the pilot a "murderer" in a burst of borderline rage. Transferring her status of "murder" to the pilot began a lengthy period of psychological twists and turns that had the utility of merely postponing her death.



4. Very Disappointing! The original story by Tom Godwin was one that haunts the reader forever. I read it many years ago as a young teen. When in college, a professor presented the class with a booklet he asked us to read and discuss. When I read the first sentence "He was not alone", I flipped the booklet over. When asked by the professor why I wasn't reading I replied: "I've read it". He smiled and said "I understand".
   The DVD version changes the focus of the story from the internal struggle of the pilot to one of rebellion against the "Evil Corporation". This was not the thrust of the original story. While the general storyline was loosely kept, the DVD lacks the tension and ghostly quality of the original opus by Mr. Godwin. I do not recommend the DVD. Seek out an anthology and read the short story instead.



5. I haven't figured out the title for this movie, but it wouldnt matter. This made for tv movie from 1996 is a tepid character study with little action to make it entertaining.
   I will credit Bill Campbell (ENOUGH, THE 4400) and Poppy Montgomery (WITHOUT A TRACE) for attempting to bring some substance into their roles; considering the weak script, they do a good job, although Poppy's character is unlikeable through most of the film. Campbell is sincere and makes us feel some empathy for him. The movie is based on a short story and obviously padded to flll its time slot, and is recommended only for true scifi fans.