Wednesday, December 26, 2012

The Wildest Dream [DVD]




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Britain's Lost World - Story Of St Kilda [DVD]




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Big Cat Week : Complete BBC Series 1 & 2 [DVD]




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David Attenborough - State of the Planet [DVD] [2000]


State of the Planet is long overdue. The BBC's Natural History Unit has finally delivered a hard-hitting documentary series on the extinction crisis many scientists believe is beginning to threaten the integrity of the entire biosphere. The combination of stunning camerawork, glossy production, David Attenborough's inspirational whispering narration and subject matter of the greatest and most urgent import makes State of the Planet riveting and required viewing.

The three programmes cover the scientific understanding of the crisis, the extent to which humans are implicated in the wave of extinctions currently sweeping across our planet, and the ways in which we might slow or halt the current precipitous decline in Earth's biodiversity. In brief, the conclusions are that we know astonishingly little about the diversity of life on Earth, that our species is implicated at every level in precipitating this, the "sixth great mass extinction", and that we are only just beginning to see possible ways out of the environmental mess that we have created. Viewing the second programme (our malfeasance) directly before the third (our attempts at remediation) makes it abundantly clear that we have a very long way to go.

The participation in the series of some of the world's leading authorities on biodiversity and extinction--Ed Wilson, Terry Erwin, Sylvia Earle, Sir Robert May--adds considerable gravity to Attenborough's already weighty presentation. However, the programmes would have been much improved had the experts been allotted more than the odd sound-bite. And why only three programmes on such an important and urgent issue? Even the terrifically expensive and time-consuming Walking with Dinosaurs got six. More of the serious stuff, please. --Chris Lavers

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Saturday, December 22, 2012

The Year of the Working Sheepdog [DVD]


A fascinating document of a fast-disappearing way of life, The Year of the Working Sheepdog is an examination of a living, working farm. Followed by cameras over the course of 12 months, shepherd David Kennard and narrator Christopher Timothy take the viewer through the seasons on Kennard's North Devon farm, accompanied at all times by his faithful set of Border Collie sheepdogs. With the Atlantic coastline forming a spectacular backdrop, the shepherd and his dogs demonstrate the incredible relationship between man and animal, a relationship rarely matched for sheer instinct and communication.

With its low budget production and Timothy's enthusiastic narration, The Year of the Working Sheepdog is ever so slightly reminiscent of an old-style education film, but nonetheless paints a charming picture of a longstanding way of life. There is little evidence of the increasing mechanisation of the industry and the crises that would affect many farms, Kennard's included, but this is certainly recommended to those with an interest in the countryside and its unique ways. --Phil Udell

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Saturday, December 15, 2012

The Story Of Science: Power, Proof and Passion [Blu-ray][Region Free]


United Kingdom released, Blu-Ray/Region B DVD: LANGUAGES: English ( Dolby Digital 2.0 ), English ( Subtitles ), WIDESCREEN (1.78:1), SPECIAL FEATURES: 3-DVD Set, Interactive Menu, Scene Access, SYNOPSIS: For three thousand years, we have struggled to answer the great questions: the what, the where, the how and the why of mankind and our planet. In this fascinating series, award-winning journalist Michael Mosley explains how our knowledge of science has grown over time. We learn about some of the great figures in the history of science - Galileo, Newton and Darwin - but also of the astronomer who lost his nose in a duel but helped create a new vision of the cosmos and the alchemist who tried to make gold from human urine, and set us on the course to modern chemistry. An insightful and entertaining series, The Story of Science reveals how the political upheavals of history combine with iconic inventions and discoveries, along with the ideas of great thinkers, to create the advances that have transformed our lives.

Episodes Comprise:
1. Cosmos - What is out there?
2. Matter - What are we made of?
3. Life - Where did we come from?
4. Power - Can we control nature?
5. Medicine - Can we live forever?
6. Mind - What is human nature? ...The Story of Science - Season 1 - 3-Disc Set ( The Story of Science: Power, Proof and Passion ) (Blu-Ray)

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