Aftermath

Starring:Richard Chamberlain, Michael Learned, Zeljko Ivanek, Doug Savant, Lisanne Falk, Raye Birk, Darryl Hickman, Scott Jaeck, J.A. Preston, Denis Heames, Adam Biesk, John Cothran Jr., Marcus Giamatti, Cyndi James Gossett, Rosanna Huffman, Marjorie Monaghan, Tommy Morgan Jr., Jeanne Mori, Lance Slaughter, Christopher Durmick
Director: Glenn Jordan
Studio: Platinum Disc
Product Type: DVD

Average customer rating:

A legacy for my children...
History in video
Funny and Entertaining Documentary
"Keep hope alive..."
a great contemporary documentary

When the Levees Broke
Starring: Spike Lee
Manufacturer: HBO Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000J10F14
Release Date: 2006-12-19

Amazon.com

Director Spike Lee's When the Levees Broke is the definitive document of he unmitigated disaster that was, and is, Hurricane Katrina. It's also a contemporary manifestation of an ancient tradition: an oral history, told by the people who lived it, with no narration and only the occasional use of archival cable and broadcast news footage in addition to Lee's own film. And a grim tale it is, an "American tragedy" subtitled "a Requiem in Four Acts," each of them about an hour long ("Act V," appearing on the third of the set's three discs, is a lengthy epilogue with new material not included in the original HBO broadcast) and focusing almost exclusively on New Orleans, as opposed to the Gulf Coast region in general.

Act I sets the scene; as the hurricane nears the Crescent City, some residents leave town, while others stay behind, figuring they'll just ride the storm out (Mayor Ray Nagin's "mandatory evacuation" order rings fairly hollow, as there's no public transportation provided for the many who don't own vehicles and thus couldn't get out even if they wanted to). The real problems begin after Katrina makes landfall on August 29, 2005. Displaced New Orleaneans crowd into the Superdome, soon to become a living hell for those stuck there; the incredibly poorly engineered levees break, flooding some 80 percent of the city; and people start dying by the hundreds, victims of drowning, lack of food, water, and medicine, and other causes. And so it goes. Act II finds the survivors struggling to keep it together while the federal, state, and local assistance they've been promised fails to show up; Act III traces the dispersal of these so-called "refugees" (as one man puts it, "Refugees? You mean they took away our citizenship, too?") all over the country, not knowing where their families, friends, and neighbors are, or even if they're still alive; and Act IV deals with the slow rebuilding of the city while insurance companies refuse to pay claims and money keeps going toward the Iraq war effort instead.

Several themes predominate here. One, of course, is the appalling performance of authorities on nearly every level, who ignored specific warnings about the levees and then professed ignorance after the fact; Lee doesn't have to go out of his way to make George W. Bush, FEMA chief Michael Brown, and other members of the Bush administration (not to mention his own mother) look bad, as they do an excellent job of that themselves. Another is the shameful ineptitude of the response; it's hard not to be disgusted when it's pointed out more than once that while we were able to provide supplies and assistance to Indonesians within two days of the 2004 tsunami, American citizens were virtually ignored for five days or more. Most of all, When the Levees Broke (which includes optional commentary by Lee for all four acts) leaves us feeling the sheer rage of the poor and dispossessed of New Orleans, where the population is 70 percent African-American. Confronted with the ignorance, arrogance, and callousness of the people whose job it was to protect them, they can point to just one cause: racism. --Sam Graham

Description

One year after Hurricane Katrina decimated New Orleans, director Spike Lee presents a four-hour, four-part chronicle recounting, through words and images, one of our country?s most profound natural disasters. In addition to revisiting the hours leading up to the arrival of Katrina, a Category 5 hurricane before it hit the coast of Louisiana, When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts tells the personal stories of those who lived to tell about it, at the same time exploring the underbelly of a nation where the divide along race and class lines has never been more pronounced.

Customer Reviews:

A legacy for my children..........2007-06-28

I am from New Orleans and I am a victim of Hurricane Katrina. I lost my home as well as 98% of all of my possesions. Luckily, I was able to evacuate to a relative's house in Baton Rouge (about 75 miles west of N.O.), so my family and I were spared the immediate aftermath and the horrific conditions experienced by those who were unable to get out of the city.

Through this film, however, I was able to feel the pain and loss of my neighbors and friends. It was very difficult for me to watch and I broke down and cried several times. New Orleans is my home and will ALWAYS be my home. No matter where I go or end up living (I have relocated and now live about 30 west of N.O.), New Orleans will forever be a part of my soul. If you are not from there, you probably wouldn't understand. It was so damn difficult to see familiar places and people undergoing such a tragedy.

A piece of my heart died on August 29th, 2005 and another piece died when I watched this film, but I HAD to see it. It is important for eveyone to see this film because it raises many questions that have yet to be answered. How can such brutal and barbaric conditions be allowed to continue for so long in one of the richest countries in the world? Why did it take so long to get help? Why was the city so unprepared for such a catastrophe? Why have the problems NOT been solved 2 years after the event?

I still don't know any of the answers.

All I know is that I must own this film. I must have it to show my children one day (my daughter was 2 at the time the storm hit and my 2nd child is on the way) so that they never forget where we came from and the many mistakes our generation made when trying to deal with this crisis. Hopefully, others will show this to their children as well so that they can learn from these mistakes and make sure that something like this never happens again.

The ONLY pet peeve I have with the film (it's a small one) is that it seems to take the point of view of the black, underprivileged portion of the city's population. Yes, these were the majority of those that suffered in the aftermath, but Katrina affected EVERYONE in this region. I felt that the objectivity of the film should have been a bit more balanced.

As for the reviewer who thought this film was funny, I wish you peace and hope that one day your heart will be softened and you will learn to have compassion for your fellow man. Yes, New Orleanians suffered, but we are ALL citizens of the planet Earth. When a man dies, we are all diminished because we are all a part of mankind.

History in video.......2007-06-26

...such a sad account but an accurate representation of recent acts of racism, "white privilege", and the powerlessness of African Americans in the U.S.

Funny and Entertaining Documentary.......2007-06-26

I really enjoyed this documentary, from a sociological point of view. This documentary showed the brute savageness of anarchy. These residents of New orleans are pure animalistic savages 10,000 years behind the rest of civilization. To watch their lives unfold in this tragedy is an experiment I found fascinating.
I laughed and was entertained for hours. Recommended!!!!

"Keep hope alive...".......2007-06-17

As did many, with baited breath, I anticipated the release of Spike Lee's, When the Levees Broke. Unfortunately, this piece focused more on racial injustice than the failed emergency response of the aftermath. As are most issues related to the treatment of African Americans in this country; especially when it involves the south, this piece was heavily immersed in racial finger pointing. While I can give Lee a thumbs up for much of the footage, I'm disheartened that he failed to properly address the economic attitude of the out of step and disenfranchised African American community of New Orleans. Moreover, that no one has grasped the notion that experience rules all is remarkable. For instance, the Israelis' remarkably rapid responses to major castrophies is in direct correlation to the frequency with which they happen. While it's true that the gross lack of coordination on several levels; state, local and federal to name a few, added to the tradegy of Katrina, to place the blame solely at the doorstep of the federal government was grossly unfair. Last time I checked, this country embraced capitalism and democracy, not communism. FEMA is not a rescue organization: "FEMA works in partnership with other organizations that are part of the nation's emergency management system. These partners include state and local emergency management agencies, 27 federal agencies and the American Red Cross." (This quote was found at FEMA's website on the about us page.) And that list includes the local Police department, the local Fire Department, the city planners, the emergency medical professionals and so on. At the end of one of the tapes Mayor Nagen points out the differences between himself and Mayor Rudy Guiliani & Katrina and 9/11. He points out that 9/11 was essentially a contained event; in effect, quarantining the emergency site. And that's true! But what he failed to mention was how quickly New York City's first responders COORDINATED AND EFFECTIVELY IMPLEMENTED their efforts, completely overlooking the comical and inept nonexistent local cohesion of New Orleans first responders. It doesn't matter whether you like Mayor Guiliani or not; the fact is, he was downtown with his first responders. They all converged on ground zero like hungry locusts and started responding. (To be fair: An in-depth analysis of Mayor Guiliani's contributions reveal several shortcomings; in fact, many people believe he was more of a hindrance than help). In any event, the response seemed measured and methodical, coordinated and rehearsed and above all, professional. Something else that's rarely mentioned is the level of assistance the victims provided one another. It's now evident that in New Orleans that was not the case. BLACK ON BLACK crime soared during the Katrina aftermath. Looters, to include the police department, were caught on film; no less, stealing and looting. Isn't their motto to protect and serve? People were stealing TV's and DVD's, clothes and everything else and to what end? Electricity wasn't restored for months. If not anything else, it was a poor showing of character for some of the city's first responders. I think you would've been hard pressed to find the cops stealing during the 9/11 crisis. Keep in mind this is not condemnation of those who stepped up with intregrity. Nonetheless, this behavior has been famously celebrated by the residents of New Orleans for years. The Superdome population seemed completely paralyzed. Instead of quarantining victims' into categories, ie the sick, the weak, the young, the old, the hurt, etc; which is to be expected during major castrophies in a modern society, the citizens organized a prayer march. Talk about bringing a knife to a gunfight? These are the situations that bore leaders. If the entire population could be convinced that a prayer march was an effective means of addressing the catastrophic situation at hand, then poverty should be listed as the least of New Orleans disenfranchised populations' problems'. Most people set back as if they could do absolutely nothing except wait. Another critical question that needs to be answered is why African Americans seem so reticent about tackling or addressing the development of BLACK ON BLACK crime? And why didn't Spike Lee take the opportunity to address this phenomenon in his piece. I suspect our nation would've witnessed the exact same scenario in any and/or all of the nations major cities. It's well known that most of America's major metropolitian area's are African American strongholds, Detroit, D.C., Baltimore, Atlanta, Miami and several other cities have similiar demographics. What received no coverage was the plight of all the so-called "white-trash" in the country-side who were also seperated from their lives and loved ones. They also received little, if any, timely assistance from the government. On steel horseback and keeping hope alive, Jesse Jackson and the Rev. Al Sharpton made their requisite appearances and speeches. While Jackson didn't make an appearance in the piece, he's recorded as referring to the situation at the Superdome as a "Slavery" type situation. What's most sinister about these two phonies and their ilk is their impeccable sense of timing. These two never pass on an opportunity to address the camera's and effectively innoculate and brainwash a gullable African American audience. Another glaring misappropiation was the constant inference to slavery. OH MY GOD! First a paralyzed population questions the response of the government, but to complain about the lack of sympathy exercised on behalf of the help was infuriating. Soldiers have families too! But to compare the military staging effort to the slave trade took the cake. All military efforts in that situation involve a certain measure of disassociation to accomplish the mission. Soldiers cannot empathize or sympathize with rescuee's and properly accomplish the mission.
For the record, every ethnic group on the planet has suffered atrocities on behalf of another group. China, by way of Japan, The Irish; by way of the British, the Tutsis, by way of the Hutu's. And haven't the Jews been punished by everyone at one point or another? And who was it that coined the phrase, "Hymietown?" In any event, both men have lined their silk pockets by eloquently misleading the poor, disenfranchised masses; mostly African Americans, about the shortcomings of a nation, by focusing on the misgivings of our past with misleading; yet, sympathetic prose. For example, Jackson's famous rallying cry is "Keep hope alive," but the quote in it's entirety reads, "Keep hope alive, but never satisfied." And Lord knows he's been true to form. The inference is satisfaction once delivered, renders the deliverer useless. Translation, no more fancy speaking engagements, civic invitations or special inside the loop priviledges. Jackson has had several opportunities to put his money where his mouth is. To be honest the behind the scenes powerfully elite in D.C. have for years all but begged him to run for Mayor of that city, and he has on every occasion refused! Because, he said, "Being an elected official doesn't give me the room to manuever effectively." Translation, he does not want to be held responsible or accountable for public failures. Which puts into question the legitmacy of his Presidential bids. Not to be outdone, the Rev. Al Sharpton is a master at spinning what others say. Granted; given their tremendous political success, to be so well connected and having had for a long time, access to the world's finest educational institutions, the first family, immediate an otherwise, seem surprisingly aloof in public. It's quite evident that the Bush family has lived among the socially elite for so long, that they are completely disconnected from common class America. Although the first First Lady's comment about the new plight of some of the victims was a bit abrupt. It was delivered without malice and with good intentions. It was poor form of Sharpton to capitalize on the manipulation of that comment in the heat of battle. For the record, I know that our country garners a checkered racial past; especially down south. Hell everyone knows our past, but the fact is, sooner or later you have to learn to do for yourself. Sooner or later you have to implement a personal life strategy to find success. Parties and prayer (the well advertise means of expression in New Orleans) have never and will never suffice as an effective or efficient means of addressing poverty. I'm not a religious scholar but doesn't the inscription read, "God helps those whom help themselves?" And if that's the case, doesn't the translation mean you CANNOT depend on the government or God or anyone else for the matter, in times of need? Case in point Katrina.

Here are some points I think Lee failed to properly address:

1. Why didn't the Mayor set up shop at ground zero and use the media's cameras to communicate directly with FEMA and the White House? Provocative maybe, but given the circumstances, effective!

2. What happen to the city's first responders?

3. How come this piece didn't address the extremely high level of BLACK ON BLACK crime committed during the aftermath?

4. How could they respond without military assistance?

5. How come we didn't hear more about the intense animosity between the Mayor and the Governor?

6. How come the piece didn't delve deeper into the why's and why nots of modern building strategies of civic protection not investigated like that of other nations, ie the Netherlands, Japan and China?

7. How come the decision making City Council members weren't identified, questioned and held to task on camera?

8. Why didn't we see or hear about the shortcomings of the insurance agencies? They completely abandoned the entire Gulf coast. Some of these people paid on there policy for more than 50 years.

9. Why didn't the Coast Guard and other successful agencies receive more attention?

10. What are the ensuing plans for keeping this from ever happening again? Who's involved? How much does it cost? And are other cities following suit?

In the end, New Orleans has become famous for what some have said is their unique way of life (corruption tolerance). From the very beginning politicians have been famously corrupt in that city. And from the beginning the citizens have celebrated and supported renogade behavior. Case in point; Congressman William Jefferson, indicted on federal bribery charges, after the FBI found $90,000 in his freezer. The Speaker, understandably so, wants him out, but the National Black Caucas is protecting him. I submit to you the audience, that if, as an elected congressional representative, you cannot find a better place to hide ill-gotten gain than a freezer, that you may be too stupid to run for office, let alone re-election. And it's episodes like this that are the real drag on African American progress. If the citizens of New Orleans continue to fail to see how these and a history of other highly publicized, yet locally acceptable representative shortcomings affect their tenuous existence, then broken levees are the least of their concerns.

a great contemporary documentary.......2007-06-13

Not a Spike Lee fan I was enthraled at this films scope and insight. It not only changed my view of our government's role in disaster relief it also showed its callus disregard for the poor caught in this kind of situation. A new approach is needed in dealing with disaster relief and "heads should roll" in dealing with the last people in charge!

Average customer rating:

WOW, Phew, and I have no idea what I feel....except I want more like this
Where is Jesus in all this?
Power and Money Corrupt (again)
The Sacrifice of Father Thomas Doyle
A powerful film diluted by excess and lack of focus

Deliver Us from Evil
Starring: Oliver O'Grady , and Thomas Doyle
Director: Amy Berg (II)
Manufacturer: Lionsgate
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B000NIVJH2
Release Date: 2007-05-08

Amazon.com

A devastating investigation into the pedophilia scandals tearing apart the Catholic Church, Deliver Us From Evil begins by looking into one priest, Father Oliver O'Grady, who agreed to be interviewed by journalist/filmmaker Amy Berg. O'Grady's genial calm is at first ingratiating, until he begins to describe his crimes with an unsettling sociopathic detachment. But O'Grady's blithe interview is only half of the story, as the documentary also unveils how church superiors covered up O'Grady's crimes and shuffled him from diocese to diocese in northern California, finally placing him in an unsupervised position of authority in a small town, where he sexually assaulted dozens of children; the video deposition of Los Angeles Cardinal Roger Mahoney is a grotesque portrait in brittle denial. What makes Deliver Us From Evil crucial viewing, however, are the remarkable interviews with a few of the victims (now adults) and their parents, whose stories are wrenching and riveting. With the support of a priest seeking to reform the church, two of the victims actually go to the Pope, seeking some form of help in addressing O'Grady's crimes. This stunningly potent documentary combines raw feeling with lucid and persuasive discussions of the reasons for--and disturbing breadth of--this crisis within the Church. --Bret Fetzer

Description

The true story of the most notorious pedophile priest in the modern history of the Catholic church.

Customer Reviews:

WOW, Phew, and I have no idea what I feel....except I want more like this.......2007-06-17

What a totally powerful movie. I grew up Catholic, and Irish, in a very 'strict" Irish Catholic way, but somehow in 2nd grade I stopped believing in it and remember saying the same 'confessions' the remainder of the time I 'had' to go and do that. In high school, I only went to church on Sundays as my mother would have fits otherwise, and pretended to go to 'instruction' during the week. I was never a 'victim' TG, but something about it rang untrue very early.

This blew me out of the water. The conspiracies, the new Pope, who definitely does NOT deserve his post, the reason behind celebacy, so much was revealed. And it was extremely well done and the people in it were so darned brave to come forward. They deserve our praise, as I cannot imagine their pain. I hate to say it, but these praises bestowed upon many Cardinals and even the Pope do not deserve it. He would not be Pope were it not for President Bush, and if that doesn't speak volumes, then I don't know what does.

The church lied, deceived, covered up, denied, and it still goes on. Its a VERY important movie, and I really suggest everyone watch it. Its documentary style with 'real' people who suffered through so much, and a priest who has no clue as to what he has done. See it and weep, or rage.

Where is Jesus in all this?.......2007-06-08

This film is harrowing and heartbreaking. O'Grady is a pure psychopath. His light, airy descriptions of the horrors he inflicted on dozens of children as young as nine months old is chilling. He is incapable of truly understanding that he has done anything wrong, instead tut-tutting the damage he wrought as merely "unfotunate events" or "tragic occurrences", somehow removed from himself.

The man is clearly damaged goods, broken and lacking in empathy: in short, a textbook psychopath, happy to be the centre of attention...

But O'Grady is not the real villain, as vile as he is. No, the real evil here is the Roman Catholic hierarchy and their lust for power and money who enable the destrcution of innocent children in the thousands. From John Paul II, through Joseph Ratzinger, formerly Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith and the current Pope, down to the execrable Cardinal Mahony, we see people who have the audacity to say they speak for God and follow Christ while knowingly allowing the rape of children to protect their worldly power.

The victims of the horror are shut out, ignored and belittled by a callous corporation whose executives presume to be spiritually superior while hiding behind lawyers.

The mindset of the world's first multinational corporation is illuminated by the courageous Father thomas Doyle who labours on behalf of the victims, but is unable even to get a letter from the victims past the Vatican guards.

Of course, no Chuch officials agree to be interviewed...

The documentary is a masterpiece. It is a gripping and maddening glimpse into the mind of a psychopath and a chilling illustration of Matthew 7:

"Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.
16 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?
17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.
18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them."

Our old pal George Bush shows up like a dirty shirt to comfort the comfortable and afflict the afflicted.

Highly recommended!

Power and Money Corrupt (again).......2007-06-05

Apart from 10 minutes in which the filmmakers and the film's protagonist make a lame attempt to explain WHY priests are likely to sexually offend, this movie is brilliant and should be viewed by parents, church leaders of any faith, politicians, psychologists and law enforcement officials. In other words, just about everyone. It is yet another tale of power and money corrupting (supposedly) good men. Father O'Grady is a sick puppy who of course should be behind one set of bars or another (either jail or a mental ward of some sort), but his superiors who allowed him to continue his ways will, I think, someday occupy a special place in hell. Using the church, the business of saving souls, to attain power, and allowing children and families to be torn apart in order to reach that power, is nothing short of evil.

Those of us who call ourselves Catholics should all demand that Rome admit its mistakes, apologize to all victims and set a strict standard of turning all criminals within the church over to law enforcement officials. Hiding behind the church to allow criminals to prey on children can not be accepted.

The Sacrifice of Father Thomas Doyle.......2007-06-04

Deliver Us From Evil portrays how the Catholic Church grossly mismanaged the crisis of pedophilia within its hierarchy. It depicts how the victims of Father Oliver O'Grady continued to suffer as a result of being sexual abused. The experiences of the Jyono family are particularly touching, especially when Bob, the father, confesses that he no longer believes in God because of the terrible things that happened to Ann, his daughter.

O'Grady was a very odd character. He seemed childish and naïve to believe that his victims would come to see him and perhaps forgive him. Quite surprisingly, he admitted that he was sexually abused as a child by a priest and by his older brother. Of course, this fact does not excuse what he did.

As the documentary reveals, Pope Benedict XVI led the Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith (formerly known as the Inquisition) from 1981 to 2005, and one of his duties was to protect children from being harmed by priests. Unfortunately, he did a very poor job, and numerous lawsuits have been brought against the Church as a result. He was "accused of conspiracy to cover up sexual abuse" in the US and was granted "immunity from prosecution" by President Bush.

The inability of Church officials to appropriately address this crisis remains bewildering. Some have suggested that their negligence was a consequence of fear as well as the culture of secrecy that exists among the clergy. Former Oklahoma Governor Frank Keating compared their attitude of silence and concealment to that of La Cosa Nostra. As Jason Berry and Gerald Renner note, "the great sin in ecclesiastical culture was to violate its ethos of secrecy. Cardinals take an oath to the pope to safeguard the church from scandal -- to prevent bad information from becoming public." The suggestion by Auxiliary Bishop James Quinn in 1990 that the Church hide the records of its sexual offenders in the Vatican embassy because it has diplomatic immunity did not help matters.

Father Thomas Doyle and two others wrote in 1985 a secret report for the bishops, warning of a national scandal if sound policy was not adopted to handle the problem of sexual abuse. They predicted that the Church would face "extremely serious financial consequences" and "significant injury" to its image and estimated that "total projected losses for the decade" might reach $1 billion. Moreover, they warned that "in this sophisticated society, a media policy of silence implies either necessary secrecy or cover up."

Contrary to the 1985 report, the bishops declined to establish a national crisis intervention team. Naturally, the problems the Church deferred still haunt it today. Given its stringent moral code, the Church was regarded by a growing number of people as hypocritical and negligent because it allowed its clerics to physically and mentally abuse its followers.

Yet the most depressing aspect of Deliver Us From Evil is the sacrifice of Father Doyle, a subject not extensively examined by the filmmakers. For breaking the unwritten rule of getting too close to scandal, he was dismissed from the Vatican embassy in 1986 and lost his faculty position at Catholic University. Daniel Wakin of the New York Times writes that Doyle was "quietly removed from his job as an Air Force chaplain" in 2004 by Archbishop Edwin O'Brien, and many believe the decision stemmed from Doyle's outspoken support for sexually abused victims. A man of great moral courage, Doyle remains committed to helping victims and their families, calling the sexual abuse "rape and brutalization of the person's body" and also of "their soul [...] and the anguish and all that goes with that are still there."

A powerful film diluted by excess and lack of focus.......2007-05-28

As I write this, there are already eighteen reviews on Amazon.com, so I have to ask myself whether, after reading them all, I should post a nineteenth. Obviously, I decided I should, largely because so many of the reviews here are so passionate, often owing to the statuses of the reviewers. Indeed, when one ersatz reviewer prefaces a review with "I have not seen the movie," another is a spokesperson for the Catholic Church, and a third edited the film in question, there is a need for more reviews from people who have no personal involvement with the film or its subject except for membership in the human race.

"Deliver Us from Evil" is a remarkable film in at least one salient respect. Prominent in the film is Father Oliver O'Grady, who, by his own admission, molested children while he was a priest in California. What makes his presence so remarkable is that he recounts many of his deeds in an almost stoic fashion and at length. (Thankfully, though, his accounts as they appear in the film are generally not graphic in detail--with the exception of one scene.) O'Grady appears in scene after scene in the film, all of them filmed, I assume, in Ireland, where O'Grady is free after having served seven years in prison in the United States.

We also meet some of the now-adult victims of clergy molestation. One in particular stands out, though I hasten to add that she stands out from the others primarily because of the time the film spends with her and her parents. I do not doubt that the other victims, including those not shown or named, have harrowing stories, but Ann Jyono's case is especially poignant. Her parents were interviewed extensively for the film, and their comments, especially her father's, are deeply painful to watch. For example, there is one scene in which Mr. Jyono tearfully recalls that his daughter refused to tell him what was happening to her because he had said previously that he would kill anyone who hurt her, thus leading her to remain silent lest her father keep his promise and endanger his soul.

"Deliver Us from Evil" is about more than the victims and one molester, though. It is about institutions: the church itself and the priesthood. Indeed, the film spends a great deal of time and effort assigning blame to Cardinal Roger Mahoney of Los Angeles and even the current pope. The charges range from allegations that the church deliberately shuffled pedophile priests from parish to parish, never allowing the new parish to know what it was getting, to more general claims that the church seems more concerned with its finances than with the victims here. On this point, the film loses some steam and some credibility. It may be that every accusation in the film is true--I have no way of knowing--, but what comes through is so one-sided that I had to wonder how much really was true. Granted, the end of the film tells us that the Catholic Church declined to be interviewed, but one cannot help but wonder what responses church officials might have to some of the claims in the film. What we do see of church officials comes through depositions, and here, too, questions arise. Depositions are long, boring, and sometimes contentious affairs, so a few hand-picked minutes of footage is almost certainly misleading in one way or another.

The weakest aspect of "Deliver Us from Evil" is its tendency to offer hypotheses regarding the cause of the molestation. Is it the celibacy requirement for priests, which, the film assures us, has no scriptural support and was created so that the church could gain priests' property when the priests died? Is it, as the film hints, a case of abuse begetting abuse? The film's 103-minute run time is simply insufficient for these issues, especially when there is nobody to defend, say, the celibacy requirement. Instead of a debate, we get one-sided opinions. Certainly I do not begrudge people their opinions, but when the film advances, without opposition, the argument that the celibacy requirement, since it states that all sex for priests is bad, effaces the line between sex with a consenting adult and molestation, there are problems. Is the argument really that men who would otherwise form healthy sexual relationships with adults if they were allowed instead form them with children? If not, what exactly is the point? We never learn since the film just includes this claim without elaboration.

In the end, it may be that the problem is simply too big for one film. By trying to touch on so many different aspects, the filmmakers lose their focus and produce a film with far less power than it could have had. There is still a great deal of raw emotion here, but it is nonetheless diluted. And that's a real shame, because there are two scenes at the end of the film, both involving the Jyono family, that demonstrate what the film could have been. In one, Ann Jyono and another victim travel to the Vatican in the hope of delivering a letter to the Pope only to be turned away. In another, Mr. Jyono, seated next to his daughter, announces with firm belief that there is no god and the Bible is all written by men. There are so many aspects to this statement and the obvious loss of faith that are significant, but perhaps none more so than the fact that as he makes these statements, Ann sobs silently next to him.

Average customer rating:

A MUST-SEE CLASSIC
Frightening Thought
A wickedly entertaining 80's propaganda film
the day after
When we are in the eye of the hurricane, for many people will be an unthinkable stage!

The Day After
Starring: Jason Robards , JoBeth Williams , Steve Guttenberg , John Cullum , and John Lithgow
Director: Nicholas Meyer
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Category 6 - Day of Destruction
Red Dawn (Collector's Edition)

ASIN: B0001WTVUW
Release Date: 2004-05-18

Amazon.com

Few American movies have dealt as graphically with nuclear holocaust as The Day After, which accounted for the controversy that surrounded the telefilm at the time of its initial network broadcast. In previous films, nuclear warfare was a matter for crusading politicians or military might, but here, both are kept in the background (the airman played by William Allen Young is more concerned with returning to his new wife than his duties) and the focus is fixed firmly on middle America--literally so, as the setting is Lawrence, Kansas, the near-center of the country. Audiences are briefly introduced to a representative cross-section of American life, including a doctor (Jason Robards), a young bride-to-be (Lori Lethin), a graduate student (Steve Guttenberg), and an academic (John Lithgow), before the Bomb hits nearby Kansas City. The ensuing destruction is utterly horrific, but a few manage to survive to struggle vainly with rising radiation levels and the slow, inevitable collapse of society. As a protest vehicle, The Day After is a triumph--its scenes of nuclear devastation remain the most powerful statements against nuclear armament ever depicted. It's buoyed by strong direction from Nicholas Meyer, who previously specialized in fantasy (Time After Time), and a capable cast who weather the material with grim determination. Edward Hume's script occasionally stumbles into sudsy territory, but the end result compares with equally moving British efforts like The War Game and Threads. The original network broadcast ran 120 minutes (edited from three hours); this is the 126-minute European theatrical cut. --Paul Gaita

Description

The countdown has begun! Against the real-life backdrop of the U.S. deployment of WMDs in Europe during the escalating Cold War, this "dramatically involving [and] agonizingly graphic film" (The Hollywood Reporter) about nuclear holocaust detonated a direct hit into the heartland of America.Starring Jason Robards, JoBeth Williams, Steven Guttenberg, John Cullum and John Lithgow, this "controversial, potent drama" (Leonard Maltin) remains "one of the most talked-about programs in history"(Newsweek)! When Cold War tensions reach the ultimate boiling point, the inhabitants of a small town in Kansas learnalong with the rest of Americathat they have fewer than 30 minutes before 300 Soviet warheads begin to appear overhead! Can anyone survive this ultimate nightmare...or the nuclear winter that is sure to follow?

Customer Reviews:

A MUST-SEE CLASSIC.......2007-06-21

This is one of my all-time favorite movies in this genre. Although it was made for TV, it has all the class and eternal significance of any nuclear war or end time movie. I think everyone should own a copy and allow their family to digest it. And for those interested in the end times, I also highly recommend the book Mysteries of the Universe... its shocking. www.XtremeRealityCheck.com Mysteries of the Universe: A Revolutionary Commentary on UFOs, Aliens, Angels, Pyramids, Bible Codes, Reincarnation, the Antichrist...

Frightening Thought.......2007-06-11

Hello. I remember all the "buzz" about this show when it first appeared on television in 1983. At the time, I was prolly at work and also didn't have a VCR then. Now that I have seen it in its entirety, it is an absolutely frightening experience. Now, the dangers of nuclear war are more relevant: India and Pakistan have it... North Korea has it...Iran it trying to get it... Israel has it... the list goes on... The acting in "The Day After" is awesome. Jason Robards is amazing. I was pleasantly surprised by Steven Guttenberg. He's known mainly for those "Police Academy" movies, but he gave an fantastic performance. That sequence where you first see several closeup shots of the Kansas City skyline is ominous, because you kind of have an idea of what will happen next. I can see "The Day After" being remade, to take advantage of our modern technological advances. All in all, the film serves as a reminder that there will never be any winners in a nuclear conflict.

A wickedly entertaining 80's propaganda film.......2007-05-22

Just happening to catch this little gem from the 80's recently on cable, all the memories flood back from the original airing on ABC when I thought: "So, what's the big deal?!".

Having known someone who saw the film in a preview in Lawrence, KS and having been told about the people in the audience sobbing hysterically, I was expecting so much more that I got when I finally had the opportunity to see it for myself. It is only the context of history that now lays bare the hilariously tacky overacting and absurdly ridiculous plot that obliterates Kansas City, but spares the ICBM fields from any strikes, which in reality would have been the converse (in other words-Buh Bye, Lawrence). Not to mention the embrace of the idea of a local skirmish culminating in a 'bolt from the blue' nuclear attack on the US.

All the bunny huggin' liberals writing the glowing reviews of this film also bring me back to the 80's, when the very same no-nukes crowd went absolutely crazy during Reagan's brinksmanship with the (now FORMER) USSR.

This is a quite dramatic, and suspenseful film nonetheless, but to me represents the zenith of the 80's anti-nuclear movement with a masterfully executed attempt at affecting public opinion through production of a straight propaganda piece. Contextually, a great historical snapshot of the opposing side of the strident debate about deployment of the Pershing II in Europe, the MX missle, the 'leaked' planning studies for the aftermath of WWIII, and Reagan's hardline position against the Soviets, all of which scared the bejesus out of the aforementioned bunny huggers.

Of course, with twenty years now in the rearview mirror, the USSR fallen, Reagan vindicated, and after a massive nuclear build-down, it only serves as punctuation to this film, a nice little postscript of historical perspective to complete the circle begun in 1983.

Highly recommended.

the day after.......2007-05-12

I remember viewing this movie back in the 80's. The movie still scares me today. With all the wars and fighting going on. World War 3 is still a high possibility. Nobody is ready, not even myself. This movie is a must see for everyone. A Very realistic Nucular War movie.

When we are in the eye of the hurricane, for many people will be an unthinkable stage!.......2007-05-07

The day after is an awful reminder about the unavoidable question. What if ? . The lethal consequences of a supposed nuclear attack and the complex process of reconstruction, moral, spiritual, physical; a crude and devastating portrait about that mere possibility. A issue in which most of people prefer to overlook.

Aftermath: Unanswered Questions from 9/11

Average customer rating:

Mandatory viewing!
Good additional material to 9/11 Mysteries
Aftermath: Unanswered Questions from 9/11
UNanswered Questions answers a few of mine
Another Good Film

Aftermath: Unanswered Questions from 9/11

Manufacturer: Disinformation
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Similar Items:

9/11: Press For Truth
National Geographic - Inside 9/11 (Commemorative Edition)
Terrorstorm - A History of Government Sponsored Terrorism
Iraq for Sale: The War Profiteers
Painful Deceptions

ASIN: B0009ZBVPO
Release Date: 2005-08-30

Description

With the increasing controversy surrounding the federal probe into the September 11 terrorist attacks, GNN decided to pre-empt the government and produce its own version of a `truth commission' with AFTERMATH: Unanswered Question from 9/11.

What did the Bush administration know and when? Should airlines have been more prepared for 9/11? What ties did the US government have, if any, with the terrorists?

AfterMath delves into the troubling span of issues that have arisen since the attacks on 9/11, including:

- the negligence of military officials in reacting to the hijackings, - proven links between the hijackers, Pakistani intelligence (ISI) and the CIA - the role of oil in the Eurasian conflict, - the impact of post-911 legislation on American civil liberties.

The film poses questions that continue to overshadow and critically challenge the administration's official version of the story, and is a must see for those who continue to question the terrible and as yet unexplained events of that day.

Extras Over 90 minutes bonus footage Extended interview clips Live panel discussion featuring George Soros, Mike Ruppert, Nafeez Ahmed and more!

Narration and original score by hip-hop legend Paris.

Customer Reviews:

Mandatory viewing!.......2007-07-06

It is essential to watch not just the movie, but the special features on this DVD; all of them. While there is a lot more information out in the world and on the Internet regarding 9/11 and the truth that dare not speak its name, much of it is concentrated on this DVD. From here, with computer links, one can explore as far and wide as the eye (and heart) can see.

We all should be asking these questions - and it is upon us as American citizens to be demanding answers, while our citizenship still means anything at all!

Fahrenheit 9/11 (Dol)

Good additional material to 9/11 Mysteries.......2007-03-18

This is interesting, but the most convincing 9/11 conspiracy documentary was 9/11 mysteries.

Aftermath: Unanswered Questions from 9/11.......2007-02-06

First I want to say that the shipping and service was first rate. This movie was OK, but it was not the movie I thought I was ordering. That is no fault of the seller. There is another that is more informative that I still have not located. This one is good as a warm-up to one I saw at a friends home. This movie is thought provoking, but it is a toned down version of the other whose title I am not sure of.

UNanswered Questions answers a few of mine.......2007-01-19

It was pretty good. What was there was pretty truthfull, there just wasn't anything really knew for me.

Another Good Film .......2006-10-25

The Hunt for Truth in matters that have been distorted is not a hard thing to do. Just take your head out of the sand and look. Truth stands out clear from error! There are a number of films out that are telling the "real deal" of 911 and aftermath. My prayer this Ramadan is that everyone wakes up! Stop believing everything that is on the nightly news for Gods Sake. This goes for my emotional brick throwing brother and sisters in Iraq as well. Helloooo we are all being used.

Average customer rating:

PBS special: one of the best
5 stars
The Depths of Darkness
A Great Documentary
The shame of the "civilized world" exposed.

Frontline: Ghosts of Rwanda

Manufacturer: PBS Paramount
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ASIN: B0007TKI06
Release Date: 2005-05-10

Description

FRONTLINE marks the 10th anniversary of the Rwandan genocide with a documentary chronicling one of the worst atrocities of the 20th century. In addition to interviews with key government officials and diplomats, the two-hour documentary offers eyewitness accounts of the genocide from those who experienced it firsthand. FRONTLINE illustrates the failures that enabled the slaughter of 800,000 people to occur unchallenged by the global community.

Customer Reviews:

PBS special: one of the best.......2007-06-01

I teach a genocide and hate awareness class. As a teacher, this documentary outstrips other videos concerning the atrocities in Rwanda. So many of our kids have seen Hotel Rwanda. Not that it is bad, but it was edited by the director to not be as graphic as it could have been, and many of the key characters were changed, such as Gen. Dallaire into Nick Nolte's character.
The Ghosts of Rwanda interview many key people, from Dallaire to Kofi Annan, to the only American left in Rwanda to Hutu farmers who participated in the killings. It is the most indepth coverage that I can find. I would recommend it to anyone wanting information on the Rwandan genocide.

5 stars.......2007-05-13

If you want to see the Rwandan genocide from an international perspective with interviews ranging from Kofe Annan to Madeline Albright I highly reccomend this documentary. Graphic at times, but always poignant.

The Depths of Darkness.......2007-03-19

This 2 hour Frontline special probes into the depths of darkness in humanity, not just the Hutu's and Tutsi's, but also the UN, the international community and its leaders. I was shocked and dismayed by some of the cold callous acts perpetrated by western governments during Rwanda's hour of need. I use "hour of need" of course as a figment of speech, since this atrocity took place over 100 days.

This video clearly documents the events of the Rwandan Genocide. It interviews key players in the international community as well as those who participated in, and were victims of the Genocide. For the most part, the video shows the Genocide from an outside perspective. It volleys back and forth between all of the killing in Rwanda and the international communities response. The footage of death is deeply saddening. I was only uplifted by the few stories of individuals who risked their lives to save some.

I would have loved to see them make this into a three part special since it does not give the background into the area or the history that led up to such a tension, nor does it explore the colonial legacy that the Rwandans inherited. I was also disappointed that it didn't cover the events that took place after the RPF won the civil war. Understandably, they could not cover all aspects in one film, but and introduction and a follow-up would really help paint a fuller picture of events. Overall, I highly recommend this video, it is hard to watch, but it definitely opened up my eyes to the plight of so many people in Rwanda.

A Great Documentary.......2007-02-11

I watched this documentary on PBS and I must say that it is one of the best ones I have seen in my whole life. And it is extremely disturbing too, because it sadly reminds us of what the human being is still capable of. The murder of almost one million lives in a couple of weeks was a shame for the whole mankind. The international community did nothing to stop the killings, the UN was as always deplorable and the soi-disant civilised world, i.e. the USA, France, UK, Belgium, Germany et alii, did not mind to intervene for political reasons, although at the time the USA had the marines in nearby Burundi. The Clinton administration and Kofi Annan(at the time chief of the peace keeping operations) did absolutely nothing concrete but uttering stupid, useless rhetorical and technical speeches. Not to mention the shameful, coward stance of the Belgian government that panicked and withdrew its troops and citizens. The real heroes were a bunch of canadian and african troops that did their very best to protect the remaining tutsis and moderate hutus and therefore deserve our biggest praises for all their efforts. Again, it is one more appalling moment in the human history. It seems we never learn. Among the scenes that shocked me forever are the sad images of dead bodies being drifted away in a rwandan river and of a little girl, nowadays a lady, being found alive among the dead bodies of her family. This DVD provides a wonderful opportunity to think over the sordid and noxious nature of European colonialism in Africa, after all, Rwanda was a Belgian colony and the Belgian fomented the apartheid between the Tutsis and Hutus through, among other things, the use of ID cards stating their ethnicity. It also shows the dangers of hands-off policies when intervention is morally and rightly justified and required. This is a must-have DVD. Please, let us not allow another Rwanda to happen again...

The shame of the "civilized world" exposed........2007-02-06

A gripping and honest account of the role that the UN, Europe and USA have had in the Rwanda genocide with the cowardliness of their politics more marketing oriented than interested in the humanitarian cause. Any one thinking about voting for the Clintons again should see this, to grasp the real level of leadership they can produce under heat. Not to mention Kofi Annan (Nobel prize winner ???) a real butcher in diplomat's clothes.

Nine Innings From Ground Zero: The 2001 World Series

Average customer rating:

remember 9/11
The World Series the Yankees SHOULD have won...
parochial and myopic
I Still Get Tears In My Eyes...
Hate the Yankees....but love them as human beings.

Nine Innings From Ground Zero: The 2001 World Series
Starring: Bobby Valentine (II) , Luis Gonzalez , Liza Minnelli , Mariano Rivera , and Curtis Sliwa
Manufacturer: Hbo Home Video
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ASIN: B0007939LG
Release Date: 2005-03-29

Amazon.com

In the days following terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in 2001, sports might have seemed trivial and irrelevant. But Nine Innings from Ground Zero demonstrates how New Yorkers, in fact, embraced baseball with a cathartic passion, turning Yankees and Mets games into spontaneous rituals of grief and showcases for resilience and the restoration of normalcy. Off the field, both teams found a way to comfort the city to the extent they could, visiting firefighters and relatives of the dead; the Yankees' Derek Jeter personally reached out to the young daughter of one of the pilots killed by hijackers. The Yankees' ride to the World Series that year is covered extensively here, and the team's up-and-down dramas playing against Phoenix coincide with such off-field horrors as an anthrax scare and more warnings of terrorism. Outstanding game footage and interwoven analysis of baseball action and real-world events make Nine Innings unique. --Tom Keogh

Description

The tragedy and horror of the 9/11 attacks triggered a host of changes in America, including a reassessment of the role of sports and its accompanying hero-worship. Batting averages and home run totals were no longer paramount, particularly in New York, but in the fall of 2001 baseball played a significant role in the city's recovery efforts. Nine Innings from Ground Zero revisits that remarkable and inspiring phenomenon.

Customer Reviews:

remember 9/11.......2007-05-17

the main reason i bought this video is because the price finally dropped. i happened to be at this - my first- world series. i watched games three and four in yankee stadium after making the long trek out from colorado in late october. i'm very experiential and had to visit ground zero. every time i'm in nyc i visit the same corner. jeter's november heroics are memorable and by kim's meltdown. he never really recovered from those home runs. kim was just traded from the colorado rockies to the marlins. unfortunately, the yankees lost that one on a luis gonzalez's bloop single off mariano rivera, but there was nothing like watching president bush throw out the first pitch, the wtc flag unfurled over yankee stadium and lee greenwood singing.

The World Series the Yankees SHOULD have won..........2006-11-22

Being a Yankees fan, it always baffles me that the Yankees lost the World Series of 2001. If there ever, EVER was a year they deserved to win, 2001 was it.

I enjoyed the footage of the series as well as the interviews with the team and the family members who were impacted by the series. This documentary will make you laugh and cry. Above all, it will make you remember...

parochial and myopic.......2006-06-20

One of the most monumental events in the history of American sports, the 2001 World Series is perhaps more worthy than any other sports topic of a comprehensive, informed and inspired film document. This film is not that document.

The premise of the filmmakers is that the New York Yankees, because they chose to play after September 11 rather than abandoning the season, should be regarded as saints. They then maintain that it was the patriotic duty of the Yankees' opponents to roll over and lose in order to improve the moods of their non-playing interview subjects (all New Yorkers). Meanwhile, the players responsible for the most courageous and inspiring performance in baseball history are cast as villains, and the city that experienced the greatest moment of sports-inspired civic pride in American history is ignored.

Here are three reasons why this World Series will be talked about in 2051 that were barely, if it all, talked about in this movie:

1. There has never been a greater contrast in the backgrounds of the two participants in a professional sports championship: the most celebrated, decorated team in American sports history against one that was only playing its fourth season. The Yankees were fielding teams when Arizona was not even a state! I would make the argument that not only was this the most important event in Arizona SPORTS history, but by way of having so little traditionally defined history, this was the biggest thing ever to happen in Arizona period!

2. By virtue of becoming the first pitcher to win three games in one series since Mickey Lolich, Randy Johnson became the unchallenged star of the series. The most spectacular pitching performer since Nolan Ryan, this series marked his transformation from star to legend. While it's unfortunate that he did not make himself available for interviews that is no reason to be giving him passing mentions instead of prominent ones.

3. There is no more magical moment in sports than a bottom-of-the-ninth come from behind rally by the home team to win the seventh game of a World Series. What will place this in the realm of the greatest sports legends is that it occurred in the context of a blown save by the greatest relief pitcher in the history of the game.

For Pete's (and Pinnacle Peak's) sake let's all hope that fans from both of these cities someday get the film about this series that they deserve.

I Still Get Tears In My Eyes..........2006-04-09

First of all, I am not a Yankees fan, nor am I a Yankees hater.

This film, although a wee bit heavy handed at times, still brings tears to my eyes...five years since 9/11. It is wonderful to see how a simple game of baseball helped in a small way heal a devastated city and country.

What I liked is that it did not focus on the terrorists or the attack as so much as the healing. It was a film about resolve, not vengeance.

The interviews with the families of the victims were prominently featured, as they should. The ballplayer interviews were to add to the feeling, but the film clearly focused on the famlilies. This ensured that the viewer knew what was truly important.

Although as an Oakland A's fan, I get to relive the moment when Jeremy Giambi should have slid over and over again, I love that I have this in my DVD collection.

*note - as a DVD there are no special features...it's the documentary and that's it...

Hate the Yankees....but love them as human beings........2005-11-23

Being a west-coast sports fan,I have always hated the Yankees. I don't know what got me into buying this dvd but I must say that I am glad I did. This documentary is the story about the city of New York and one of their most beloved sports teams getting by one of the most horrific events in both New York and American History...9/11. If this tragedy was the illness,then the love of Yankee baseball was the cure. While watching "Nine innings from ground zero",my hate towards this team was put aside while watching it as I got to see the side of Yankee stars that one doesn't see off the field. From the young girl who met Derek Jeter after he learned through her letter that she lost her father in the towers...to the firefighters who put on a smile thanks to a surprise visit from Yankee players...to the group of family members of 9/11 victims who got to attend the world series,I was deeply moved by this documentary. We,the sports fans,are so used to hearing stories about too many sport stars who get in trouble with the law or stars who complain about a 7 to 8 figure contract not being enough,that we seem to forget about the few out there who have alot of good in them. The documentary even has an interview with President George Bush that I am glad was included. I don't care if the war in Iraq is right or wrong nor do I care what party he is. It is a proud moment watching the leader of your country throw out the first pitch at the 2001 World Series while the crowd chants...U-S-A...U-S-A!!! I believe this first pitch is the most memorable one on film to date. After watching Nine innings...,am I still a Yankee hater? Yeah,but I love them for bringing hope and smiles to the people of New York. This dvd is recommended to both the sports fan and non-sports fan. All will not be disappointed. "It's a hit"!

Average customer rating:

A Compelling HBO Drama and International Cast that deserved its Golden Globle nominations
An Ambitious HBO Miniseries Becomes A Misguided And Offensive Telepic About Everything Except Thailand

Tsunami - The Aftermath
Starring: Tim Roth , Chiwetel Ejiofor , Sophie Okonedo , Hugh Bonneville , and Gina McKee
Director: Bharat Nalluri
Manufacturer: Hbo Home Video
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ASIN: B000MV8ZZY
Release Date: 2007-04-24

Amazon.com

A co-production of HBO and the BBC, Tsunami: The Aftermath puts a human face on the epic-scale disaster that struck the coasts of Thailand on December 26, 2004. The catastrophic aftermath of the history-making tsunami is impressively re-created as an otherworldly coastal zone of death and destruction, complete with such eerie sights as boats lodged into resort-hotel balconies and entire villages flattened by nature's wrath, but the real strength of this three-hour TV drama lies in its interwoven plot and characters (tourists and natives alike) whose lives were deeply and permanently changed in the wake of disaster. As directed by Bharat Nalluri and written by Abi Morgan, this well-made film drew justified criticism for weakening a factual disaster with fictional characters, but the story was so thoroughly researched (including interviews with survivors, etc.) that its very real human drama serves as an entry-point for viewer and characters alike to grapple with the almost unfathomable scale of the tsunami's destruction. Chiwetel Ejiofor (Inside Man, Children of Men) leads a large and excellent cast as Ian, a British tourist desperately searching for his missing 4-year-old daughter amidst the ruins of a devastated resort; he proceeds to help a young Thai waiter named Than (Samrit Machielsen) and is reunited with his wife (played by Hotel Rwanda Oscar® nominee Sophie Okonedo), who wrestles with her own issues of guilt and estrangement. Their parental anguish becomes the film's wrenching heart and soul.

The story also follows several other characters including a jaded journalist (Tim Roth) investigating official mishandling of the tsunami threat; another tourist (Gina McKee) coping with her husband's death and a severely injured son; and a devoted aid worker (Toni Collette) who cuts through bureaucratic nonsense to help those in need. Through these excellent performances, Tsunami: The Aftermath gains strength as an engrossing study of tenacity, compassion, and survival amidst chaos. Would a real-life docudrama have been more dramatically effective? Perhaps, but as a worthy alternative, Tsunami brings complex humanity to a tragic event that can't be neatly summarized with statistics, interviews, and round-the-clock coverage on CNN. --Jeff Shannon

Description

A tale of personal loss, survival and hope, this HBO mini-series focuses on the harrowing aftermath of the tsunami that devastated the coast of Thailand on December 26, 2004. Filmed on location in Thailand, Tsunami, The Aftermath follows a group of characters whose lives are irrevocably transformed by the cataclysmic natural disaster. Among those whose stories are followed are: a young couple searching for their child; a Thai survivor who loses his family and tries to prevent developers from seizing the land his village is built on; an Englishwoman whose husband and son are missing; an ambitious reporter; a relief worker; an overwhelmed British official whose faith in the system is torn apart; and a leading Thai meteorologist, whose earlier report detailing the inevitability of a tsunami hitting the affected area was ignored.

Customer Reviews:

A Compelling HBO Drama and International Cast that deserved its Golden Globle nominations .......2007-04-22

This HBO miniseries brings together a series of subplots and characters that converge on the plight of a British tourist couple (Ejiofor and Okonedo)and their missing child in the aftermath of the tsunami that struck Thailand in 2004. Despite its use of fictional characters, I thought the strategy was well designed to humanize the devastation on a personal level, and to reach a largely non-Thai audience. It tries to illuminate the bureaucracy, culture clashes and chaos inherent in an international resort area after such a catastrophy.

Unfortunately, corruption and opportunism are also characteristics that accommpany mass catastrophic events. One need only to review the legacy of hurricane Katrina to understand perhaps, the driving motivations of the director (Bharat Nalluri) and writer (Abi Morgan)to show this underbelly of a tragedy. This film was not intended to be a compilation of survivor true-stories or a celebration of recovery efforts, for that perhaps a documentary format would be more appropriate. Rather, I would say this film attempts to draw on the grit of moral character (or lack thereof) in all people regardless of country, in the aftermath of natural disasters. Criticism of this film because its story line doesn't rally around neatly resolved and uplifting experiences tied with a nice bow, is unfair - The film does show hope and courage in the face of great loss; it just also dares to show the dark side.

I believe Thai characters illuminated the good as well as the bad to be found in this tragedy. The young waiter, Than (Machielsen) felt compassion and duty/honor bound to place the welfare of his tourist charges' safety first in the midst of their suffering for their missing daughter and lack of rational decision making without him. He returns to his own village later, understanding that their fate will not have been changed by abandoning others in need. In this regard, Than's actions are heroic and compassionate rather than subservient to the people he gives assistance to.

The culture clash of non-Thai tourists with Thai monks who have been disposing of the bodies routinely according to religious and cultural norms illuminates the non-understanding that occurs in such an international event - would we be so ready to relegate Thai monks as wrong headed if such an event occurred in Israel - where Jewish faith demands burial within 24 hours?

Tim Roth as the investigative journalist, follows leads that can potentially right wrongs by bringing them to light. The corruption of local officials and hotel conglomerates turning the tragedy into opportunity, is offensive because it is all too often a reality that money speaks louder than morality and human suffering when left unchallenged. Roth also discovers the work of a Thai academic and meteorologist whose research could have saved lives -

Far from targeting Thailand negatively, this film shows the good and the bad, the confusion and frustrations, the bureaucratic mix ups that arise in the wake of human suffering on such a massive scale. This film was compelling and deserved its Golden Globe nominations.

An Ambitious HBO Miniseries Becomes A Misguided And Offensive Telepic About Everything Except Thailand.......2007-02-25

HBO Pictures has a pretty good track record when it comes to their Made For TV films. In recent years, their productions have dominated at the Emmy Awards and all but extinguished the network TV movie as a commercially viable enterprise. In that spirit, I really looked forward to the ambitious miniseries "Tsunami-The Aftermath." Headlined with an all star international cast including Oscar nominees Toni Collette, Sophie Okonedo, Tim Roth--this two part film also features Chiwetel Ejiofor, Gina McKee, and Hugh Bonneville. On the surface, "Tsunami" has all the necessary ingredients for riveting and important drama. Attempting to put the epic 2004 Tsunami disaster that struck the coast of Thailand into perspective and highlight the political climate, the heroism, the rescue effort, and the personal stories of those affected--this fictionalization has a lot of material to draw from and a lot of ground to cover. But even though this film garnered many nominations at this year's Golden Globes--I actually found it to be one of the more offensive pictures I've seen in recent memory.

I'm not saying that the film is not well made, far from it. The cinematography, the effects, the performances--again this miniseries has a lot going for it. But what I found completely misguided was its complete lack of concern or respect for the people of Thailand. Exactly one character, Samrit Machielsen, represents the entire plight of the Thai population. The rest of the film centers on British and Americans who happened to have had their vacations disturbed. This could be a legitimate topic, but the film continually manages to put the Thai people in a subservient or even negative light. For example, Machielson plays a bus person at a local resort. After the tsunami strikes, he is relegated to assisting Chiwetel Ejiofor search for his missing daughter. He continually tries to help Ejiofor and get him to safety--even though his entire village and his family have been devastated. That's right, he returns home only after he has placated the tourists.

In another subplot, Tim Roth plays an investigative journalist. One would think he'd be documenting the horrors of the crisis, but he spends half the film exposing how the Thai officials are mishandling the cleanup efforts. When Thai monks are disposing of the dead bodies as per their customs and for public health, they are cast as heartless villains with no concern for people finding their loved ones. Later on, it's hotel conglomerates that are the villains snatching up land to rebuild thanks to corrupt Thai officials. Both of these plots are heavy-handed, overstated, and ridiculously inappropriate. It's as if the film assumes everyone lost something of value--except, of course, Thailand itself. Thailand needs to be saved from itself--how much more offensive can this film be? Thank goodness there are white people like Toni Collette who can single-handedly spearhead all the relief efforts.

Part One so misses its mark in the direct aftermath of the tsunami--I'd rate this half at 1 star. Really, I was so annoyed and angered. Part Two is better because some of the personal stories are more fully explored. I'd rate it at about 3 stars--which isn't too bad as we had almost decided not to bother with this part. Most of the film's performances are effective. However, nothing could have prepared me for how distasteful and disrespectful I found the tone of this piece to be. Far from honoring the survivors or the dead, far from elucidating the facts of the tragedy --"Tsunami" is far more intent of casting blame and aspersions. A total disappointment. KGHarris, 02/07.

CNN Tribute - America Remembers - The Events of September 11th (Commemorative Edition)

Average customer rating:

Accurate, Detailed & Comprehensive 9/11 Report Before, During & After Event
wake me up when 9/11/01 ends
Touching, But Thats All
Let The Media Blind You From The Truth
"how do we explain this to our kids"

CNN Tribute - America Remembers - The Events of September 11th (Commemorative Edition)
Starring: Larry King , Judy Woodruff , Paula Zahn , and Wolf Blitzer
Manufacturer: Warner Bros / Wea
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Biography | Documentary | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Documentary | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $7.49 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

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( C ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

9/11 - The Filmmakers' Commemorative Edition
In Memoriam - New York City, 9/11/01
WTC 9/11/01 Day of Disaster
7 Days in September: A Powerful Story About 9/11
National Geographic - Inside 9/11 (Commemorative Edition)

ASIN: B0000A02UG
Release Date: 2003-08-05

Customer Reviews:

Accurate, Detailed & Comprehensive 9/11 Report Before, During & After Event.......2006-12-10

This is the most footage you're going to get before, during & after 9/11.

There is enough information in this journalistic video to realize there are people raising their children to believe it is divine to kill themselves in order to destroy America.

Terrorists attacked the World Trade Center in 1993 and 2001. Eight years. It's only been five years since 9/11 ... are we prepared for another attack?

Katrina should be another big lesson-learned that America doesn't have the infrastructure to help everyone in a disaster. Terrorists know this, now.

What can you do to prepare and protect yourself & your family, today?

Watch this video with your family and friends. Talk about it. Ask questions of one another. Take action for readiness. Stay motivated!

wake me up when 9/11/01 ends.......2006-11-08

I love the cnn tells us about september 11 2001 and I felt sad when the world trade center fell but my brother told me they are going to rebuild the towers

Touching, But Thats All.......2006-08-07

To start of this is probably of the better 9-11 tribute DVD's. But, if that is all true, we need better ones. The first 45 minuites are very well done and deserves applause for it's stories and good information. But the rest is all just about are reaction to 9-11. This DVD is great, but if you wanted more information on the events of 9-11 you will fell hungry.

Let The Media Blind You From The Truth.......2006-05-25

I am on a mission. I am out to find un doctored video of what happen that day. In this edition of America Remembers is media hog wash. All of the impacts of the planes have been removed so that the victims and the american people are blinded by what really hit those towers.

Although they show 1 to 2 impacts of planes, this stripped down version of the real events hides the truth.

In this dvd no reports of the hundreds of eye witness accounts that reveal many explosions going on at the twin towers before and after the "planes" hit.

There is so much left out of the dvd that i decided to compare it to the first dvd.

The differences clearly show that a lot more needed to be edited before the public figures out, what really happened that day.

This dvd is a one sided slap in the face to victims and Americans in general.

Everyone that reads this should call or write cnn and tell them we want the original dvd. Not this government version of events of mass murder.

"how do we explain this to our kids".......2006-05-04

like many people i know where and what i was doing when the events of 9/11/2001 took place!never before has such an event happened to us and i hope it never does again! now we are left to tell and teach our sons and daughters about this day and what it did to change the world. this documentary is a fine example of what t.v. news can do when it wants,a far balanced record of the worst attack ever done on american soil.when i talk to my boys about this day i will use this dvd to help them understand how big this day really was.
the best thing about this is the times you can see the reporters choke up or just cry,nice to know that even they aren't that jaded. belongs in every collection.

Average customer rating:

poor quality
Global Warming
One to watch!
Mesmerizing! ...but picture looks blurred for an IMAX flick
Awesome footage

Fires Of Kuwait (IMAX)
Starring: Rip Torn
Director: David Douglas
Manufacturer: Imax
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Biography | Documentary | Genres | DVD | Video

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DVDs as Low as $7.49 | The Big DVD Sale | Stores | DVD | Video

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( F ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

Ring of Fire - IMAX
The Secret of Life on Earth (IMAX)
IMAX Presents: Australia - Land Beyond Time
Galapagos (IMAX)
The Discoverers (IMAX) (2-Disc WMVHD Edition)

ASIN: B00005MEPL
Release Date: 2001-08-28

Description

After Saddam Hussein had the Kuwait Oil wells lit up, teams from all over the world fought those fires for months. Man's emergency creativity can be seen at it's best as they had to save the oil resources, as well as reduce air pollution.

DVD Features:
Documentary:Behind-the-Scenes Featurette on the making of the film and interviews with the filmmakers
Theatrical Trailer

Customer Reviews:

poor quality.......2007-06-28

Loved the content but the picture quality was worse than VHS. Viewing this video on a large plasma was pretty dreadful. Give me the HD version with improved picture and I'd give this 5 stars.

Global Warming.......2007-06-08

As Saddam's Iraqi army retreated from Kuwait during the Gulf War, his troops set fire to the oil fields, leaving them burning uncontrollably at a rate of over five million barrels of oil per day. If left alone these fields would have continued burning for over one hundred years dumping polluting soot and environmentally damaging byproducts into the atmosphere. This film captures the extraordinary scale of the situation and the complicated task and methods employed to extinguish these fires.

One to watch!.......2007-03-21

It's amazing how modern engineering and people can get things done, especially something like the fires in Kuwait after the 1st Gulf War.
The scenario is horrible, but the stories of the people that were there and helped getting the job done are very inspiring.

Mesmerizing! ...but picture looks blurred for an IMAX flick.......2006-03-10

When I had ordered this movie, I was expecting an unmatchable quality that all IMAX films provide, with an overabundance of never-imagined realities of our surroundings. I'm a fan of the IMAX experience. This is why my recent purchase and viewing of FIRES OF KUWAIT was somewhat disappointing. The picture looked blurry to me. Not in certain areas, but continuously. Everything was enormously amazing to see, but we kept saying that we wished the focus was more sharp and clear. Oh... the horror....Maybe we shouldn't.

Awesome footage.......2006-01-12

Watched the Imax DVD last night.
The footage is amazing, but quality of
the picture is very poor. Could not
read the final commentary as the words
were out of focus. This is a great
pity. I have rated it 3 stars due
to the poor quality of the transfer.
Also sound at times was not the best.
Will watch it again sometime though.
It is an awesome sight seeing these
oil wells burning.

Average customer rating:

Worth every penny for Aftermath alone
you will be affected.... for the rest of your life.
vomit.
Review applies to Aftermath only
Despite the gore, these films are boring...

Aftermath/Genesis
Starring: Ángel Tarris , Pep Tosar , Xevi Collellmir , Jordi Tarrida , and Trae Houlihan
Director: Nacho Cerdà
Manufacturer: Unearthed
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Horror | Genres | DVD | Video

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( A ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Cannibal Holocaust
Street Trash
Men Behind The Sun
Anthropophagus - The Grim Reaper
I Stand Alone

ASIN: B0009IW8DK
Release Date: 2005-08-23

Description

Aftermath: A woman dies tragically in an automobile accident but the true horror awaits her after death. What happens to the body after the spirit has moved on and the corpse is at the mercy of those who manhandle the dead? What manner of creature is it that tears our bodies apart only to put them back together again? Whether we like it or not, we are all at the mercy of the coroners knife and the abuse and indignities we suffer are strictly up to him. Genesis: A sculptor is traumatized by the death of his wife in a car accident. He builds a sculpture in her memory. As the lifelike sculpture begins to bleed through the cracks of clay, the sculptor's flesh mutates and crumbles away.

Customer Reviews:

Worth every penny for Aftermath alone.......2007-06-18

If you appreciate purely gore films then Aftermath is for you!!! I keep reading reviews that "it is too predictable" or "it wasn't long enough" but gore does not need length to be effective, and as far as being predictable, Amazon spells out the whole 30 minutes for you in the plot summary. These people are most likely not into just pure gore. There is no dialogue just a classical score and it worked perfectly. Plenty of gore to go around in this 30 minute blood bath. What better setting for a gore film than a coroner's lab? My only problem with the film is that the necrophilia scene in my opinion could have been more explicit. If you enjoy such quality film making as the the Guinea Pig Collection (the gorier films such as Flower of Flesh and Blood, Mermaid in a Manhole, etc.) then this film is for you.
Genesis was intersting, the Awakening was simply put, a student film, but I purchased this for Aftermath alone.

you will be affected.... for the rest of your life........2007-05-15

i went and saw this movie a cople of years ago,i went to a cinema that plays weird movies to see nekromantik and they had a special screening for
this movie called afthermath.I had never heard of this movie and was...
very pleased with this movie ! 1st, this movie has no dialogue, the musique
is classical (not my type) but very good.Mr Cerda is a very good filmaker,
the movie is like 30 minutes but its ok that way.The gore in this movie
is something you will never forget ! and wath this guy does to the cadavre
at the end....... you wont beleave your eyes !!!! This came out in like in 1997 and the dvd , almost 10 years latter is worth every penny !! Plenty of xtra, pakaging is a+, go buy it now !!!!!!

vomit........2007-05-04

I often hear people praise Aftermath for it's inovation and originality. I just can't see it. Yes the makeup is pretty good for it's budget and for that I'll give the devil his due but the movie is just plan tasteless and sickening. you are probably thinking. "Well it's tasteless and sickening. perfect qualities for a horror film!" yes and no. I agree that a horror movie should make your skin crawl and make you feel uncomforable, but aftermath is a film depicting perverse violence against women. Not really something that I get my jollies watching. The whole film is about a mortician who uses his subjects as sex toys and violates them with surgical tools. When he's gone he cuts them up and feed them to his dog. End cut release. End of film. no dialog just a barebones plot and very discusing imagery. I lover horror flicks but this just went too far and it did it in a very non graceful manner. More of a nuff film than a horror flick. If you like seeing women violated and humiluated that this is your movie. otherwise give it a pass.

Review applies to Aftermath only.......2007-03-02

Well what can I say?Nacho Cerda's only reason to make this is to shock and offend and he pulls it off great.The only thing I would complain about would be the length.Worth the money if you're a gore-hound like me.

Despite the gore, these films are boring..........2006-11-23

I was looking forward to these films after hearing so much about them. My advice is not to waste your time. Luckily, they are only 30 minutes apiece. There is a student film on here called The Awakening, but I was so bored and disappointed by the first two films I skipped it. Aftermath is the film that most people talk about. It starts out well, with some good atmosphere and excellent camera work, but then goes downhill from there. It's actually very boring, despite the intense gore. It's rather predictable that the morgue attendant would be a necrophiliac. Nacho Cerda, the filmmaker, just went out of his way to shock people. I have seen tons of "hardcore" cinema, and this stuff didn't bother me. There was no real soul or art to the film, which makes it just an exercise in style, and a rather tedious one at that. If you want to see an artistic film about a morgue, watch Stan Brakhage's The Act of Seeing With One's Own Eyes. Brakhage films actual autopsies, and there is a strange, mystical, even spiritual quality to Brakhage's film. That is nowhere to be found here. The other film, Genesis, doesn't fare much better. Genesis starts out to be another exercise in style, with some really obvious acting by the lead actor. There are several lame dream sequences here, and it gets pretty dull very fast. The ending isn't too bad, but the first 25 minutes or so of Genesis are just an ordeal to sit through. A rather disappointing evening.

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Thomas And Friends - Engines To The Rescue

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Stargate S.G. 1 - Series 6 - Vol. 27