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Showing posts with label the. Show all posts
Showing posts with label the. Show all posts
Wednesday, July 17, 2013
Thursday, July 11, 2013
The Universe: Complete Season 2 (4 Disc) [Blu-ray] [Region Free]
With the DVD release of this, the complete second season of The Universe, the History Channel has now devoted a combined total of more than 25 hours, not including bonus material, to its documentary study of that combination of time, space, and matter that we call our universe. That’s a lot. But then you consider the mind-boggling age and size of the universe itself: 13.7 billion years old, and big beyond our comprehension; infinite, in fact, and expanding rapidly. By those measures, it’s apparent that this fascinating series could probably air for longer than The Simpsons and Gunsmoke (the two longest running shows in TV history) put together and still not run out of things to talk about.
The 18 episodes from Season Two cover an appropriately wide range of topics, from "Cosmic Holes" to "Cosmic Collisions," from supernovas to gravity. There are episodes about the weather in space, the largest objects in space (hint: they’re really, really big, like the so-called "cosmic web" of galaxies, which is a hundred million billion times bigger than Earth), and travelling to and colonizing space. The amount of information and data provided is enormous. Jargon abounds, including terms like "lunar transient phenomena," "pulsar planets," "hot Jupiters," "dark matter" and "dark energy," "collisional families," the "heavy bombardment period," and many, many more. And the numbers are mind-boggling: for instance, it’s estimated that the impact of the asteroid that landed on the Yucatan Peninsula some 65 million years ago, wiping out the dinosaurs, was equal to that of dropping a Hiroshima-sized atomic bomb every second for 140 years! Still, some may find the episodes that involve informed speculation more interesting than those that deal in facts. We know that the Moon affects ocean tides, but does it also have an effect on human behaviour? If the Big Bang was the beginning of the universe, what came before it? Instead of using rockets to go to space, can scientists actually build a "space elevator" that will reach from an orbiting satellite some 60 thousand miles down to Earth? All of this is delivered by way of very convincing computer-generated imagery and other effects, along with dozens of interviews with astronomers and other experts, photos, film footage, and so on. Best of all, while it can get a bit dense, technically speaking, by and large The Universe will be readily accessible to most viewers. --Sam Graham
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Friday, June 21, 2013
Friday, June 7, 2013
Wednesday, May 22, 2013
Wednesday, May 8, 2013
Saturday, May 4, 2013
The Universe: Complete Season 2 (5-Disc) [DVD]
With the DVD release of this, the complete second season of The Universe, the History Channel has now devoted a combined total of more than 25 hours, not including bonus material, to its documentary study of that combination of time, space, and matter that we call our universe. That’s a lot. But then you consider the mind-boggling age and size of the universe itself: 13.7 billion years old, and big beyond our comprehension; infinite, in fact, and expanding rapidly. By those measures, it’s apparent that this fascinating series could probably air for longer than The Simpsons and Gunsmoke (the two longest running shows in TV history) put together and still not run out of things to talk about.
The 18 episodes from Season Two cover an appropriately wide range of topics, from "Cosmic Holes" to "Cosmic Collisions," from supernovas to gravity. There are episodes about the weather in space, the largest objects in space (hint: they’re really, really big, like the so-called "cosmic web" of galaxies, which is a hundred million billion times bigger than Earth), and travelling to and colonizing space. The amount of information and data provided is enormous. Jargon abounds, including terms like "lunar transient phenomena," "pulsar planets," "hot Jupiters," "dark matter" and "dark energy," "collisional families," the "heavy bombardment period," and many, many more. And the numbers are mind-boggling: for instance, it’s estimated that the impact of the asteroid that landed on the Yucatan Peninsula some 65 million years ago, wiping out the dinosaurs, was equal to that of dropping a Hiroshima-sized atomic bomb every second for 140 years! Still, some may find the episodes that involve informed speculation more interesting than those that deal in facts. We know that the Moon affects ocean tides, but does it also have an effect on human behaviour? If the Big Bang was the beginning of the universe, what came before it? Instead of using rockets to go to space, can scientists actually build a "space elevator" that will reach from an orbiting satellite some 60 thousand miles down to Earth? All of this is delivered by way of very convincing computer-generated imagery and other effects, along with dozens of interviews with astronomers and other experts, photos, film footage, and so on. Best of all, while it can get a bit dense, technically speaking, by and large The Universe will be readily accessible to most viewers. --Sam Graham
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Saturday, April 27, 2013
The Blue Planet - 3 DVD Box Set [2001]
An epic, eight-part series that took five years to complete, The Blue Planet firmly re-establishes the BBC as the world's pre-eminent producer of top quality nature documentaries. Exploring every aspect of marine ecosystems, from coastal marshes to deep-sea trenches and from polar waters to tropical reefs, The Blue Planet is thorough and informative, yet never less than thrilling.
Sir David Attenborough is one of the most well-respected (and well-known) personalities in the field of nature programmes and his narration is flawless as he educates and inspires without patronising his audience or anthropomorphising his subjects. Spectacular camera work (of a standard not seen since the BBC's classic Life on Earth series) captures images of a fascinating world rarely seen by human eyes--in fact, in several instances, the subjects and behaviours filmed for this series have never been witnessed before, let alone caught on camera. This is particularly apparent on the series highlight, "The Deep" (Programme 2), where film crews discovered two new species in the depths of the ocean: a grotesque fish named the Hairy Angler and a fantastic, pink octopus-like creature, which is so new that it remains unnamed (but was nicknamed "Dumbo"). Both are testament to the fact that, although oceans cover two-thirds of the Earth, we know less about them than we do the moon. It is proof that, to us land-dwellers, much of our Blue Planet is alien indeed. A handsomely illustrated companion book is also available. -- Robert Burrow
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Tuesday, April 16, 2013
The Flight of the Condor [VHS]
Andrew Sachs (Manuel in Tv's - Fawlty Towers) narrates this absolutely stunning BBC nature video.
Almost 2 years in the making, it takes the viewer to South America, a continent of violent extremes, dominated by the world's longest and most spectacular mountain chain, the Andes, it's a land of ice and fire, where a glacier thundering into the ocean is surrounded by dense forest alive with humming birds.
Using the resources and experience of the universally famous BBC Natural History Unit and five wildlife cameramen, Michael Andrews has produced a unique photographic portrait of a little known yet intensely beautiful world.
There's also a wonderful South American music soundtrack too !.
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Friday, March 22, 2013
The Universe Complete Season One [Blu-ray][Region Free]
The sky and outer space have fascinated man for centuries and the History Channel's series The Universe is the story of man's study of the cosmos from his earliest attempts to map and understand the heavens through modern day scientific studies, advances, and theories. A mix of historical footage, modern space imaging, and conceptual computer graphics presented in high-definition, the visual component of this production is absolutely breathtaking. Each of the thirteen 44-minute episodes begins with a general introduction of subjects ranging from the sun to individual planets, alien galaxies, the search for extra-terrestrial life, and scientific theories like the Big Bang. Each topic is then broken down into a series of segments that detail specific ideas, theories, or components integral to the understanding of the main topic as well as historical material, current studies and theories, and projections of potential future events and scientific advances. The 90-minute "Beyond the Big Bang" feature relates "the story of everything"--from the universe's formation following the "Big Bang" to its eventual projected demise from unchecked expansion dubbed the "Big Rip." Leading experts from universities and scientific institutions around the world do a great job of taking very complex subjects like galaxies with spiral density arms and relating them to easily graspable concepts like a city with a downtown core surrounded by suburbs and plagued by freeway traffic jams. Amazing photographs from the Hubble space telescope, infrared views from the Spitzer space telescope, and x-ray images from the Chandra X-ray Observatory augment understanding as do demonstrations of modern science's ability to simulate historical events like the formation of earth and to project future cosmic events. The Universe is a fascinating and understandable study of space that speaks to viewers ranging from the generally curious to the serious student of cosmology. --Tami Horiuchi
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Sunday, March 10, 2013
The Great British Countryside [DVD]
No matter where we live, the rocky upheavals of Britain's epic past are still with us - and still drive how we live today.
Television favourites Julia Bradbury (Countryfile) and Hugh Dennis (Outnumbered) present this new BBC series of adventures in four stunning British landscapes:
? Cornwall and Devon
? Highlands
? South Downs
? Yorkshire
For a country of its size, Britain has the biggest variety of geology on earth, which has created not only a beautiful landscape, but also a fascinating industrial heritage, a rich history and many legends.
Hugh and Julia make a pair well met. Obsessed by the shape of the landscape, and how it formed, Hugh studied it as part of his degree course at Cambridge University while Julia has loved walking the British countryside since she could toddle.
Special Features: Picture Gallery, Subtitles
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Saturday, March 9, 2013
The Great British Countryside [DVD]
No matter where we live, the rocky upheavals of Britain's epic past are still with us - and still drive how we live today.
Television favourites Julia Bradbury (Countryfile) and Hugh Dennis (Outnumbered) present this new BBC series of adventures in four stunning British landscapes:
? Cornwall and Devon
? Highlands
? South Downs
? Yorkshire
For a country of its size, Britain has the biggest variety of geology on earth, which has created not only a beautiful landscape, but also a fascinating industrial heritage, a rich history and many legends.
Hugh and Julia make a pair well met. Obsessed by the shape of the landscape, and how it formed, Hugh studied it as part of his degree course at Cambridge University while Julia has loved walking the British countryside since she could toddle.
Special Features: Picture Gallery, Subtitles
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