New York - The Center of the World (Part 8)

Starring:David Ogden Stiers, Frances Sternhagen, Robert Sean Leonard, Frank McCourt, Spalding Gray, Philip Bosco, Ron Silver, Eli Wallach, George Plimpton, Janeane Garofalo, Joan Allen, Robert A.M. Stern, Daniel Patrick Moynihan, Mike Wallace (IV), Pete Hamill, Fran Lebowitz, Robert A. Caro, Alfred Kazin, Brendan Gill, Donald Trump
Director: Lisa Ades, Ric Burns
Studio: Pbs Paramount
Product Type: DVD

American Experience: New York: The Center of the World

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American Experience: New York: The Center of the World
Starring: Bebe Neuwirth , George Plimpton , and David Ogden Stiers
Director: Ric Burns
Manufacturer: PBS Paramount
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American Experience: America 1900
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ASIN: B000BITUIE
Release Date: 2004-09-28

New York - The Center of the World (Part 8)

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A Brilliant Documentary
A moving, entertaining, ultra-informative film about The Towers.
The best documentary about The World Trade Center and 9/11

New York - The Center of the World (Part 8)
Starring: David Ogden Stiers , Joan Allen , Frank McCourt , Spalding Gray , and George Plimpton
Director: Lisa Ades , and Ric Burns
Manufacturer: Pbs Paramount
ProductGroup: DVD
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Similar Items:

New York (8 Episode PBS Boxed Set)
New York - The Center of the World (Part 8)
World Trade Center - Anatomy of the Collapse
Chicago - City of the Century
7 Days in September: A Powerful Story About 9/11

ASIN: B0002JP4TG
Release Date: 2004-09-28

Customer Reviews:

A Brilliant Documentary.......2006-09-11

This eighth installment of "New York", the Ric Burns' PBS-TV "American Experience" documentary series, is a fascinatingly-absorbing tale of the rise and fall of the iconic World Trade Center.

At just a shade under three full hours in length, "New York Episode Eight: The Center Of The World" provides the viewer with an intense, in-depth look into the planning, development, construction, and sad demise of the famous Twin Towers in Manhattan, complete with breathtaking aerial views of the behemoths during construction and after completion.

This 2003 documentary relies on new interviews, plus a wealth of archival film and video footage from the 1960s and 1970s, to skillfully and entertainingly weave the complete story of the WTC and the enormous task of creating the massive Trade Center complex.

I like the fact that Director Ric Burns doesn't rush to tell the story at a mile-a-minute pace. The saga of these great buildings evolves in a more leisurely, relaxed manner during the program.

The sheer scope of what we lost in just a few short seconds as the Towers crumbled into dust on September 11, 2001, might not be fully realized until viewing a program like this one, which provides many of the statistics and specifications for the World Trade Center's combined 220 stories.

This film also includes a detailed account of the fascinating tale of high-wire artist Philippe Petit, who walked from the top of one tower to the other (1,360 feet above the streets of New York) on August 7th, 1974. In all, Petit spent 45 minutes walking (and dancing) from one tower to the other, making a total of eight passes between the two immense structures. We get to see many spectacular pictures of Petit performing his death-defying high-wire act, which was a feat that sort of "humanized" the bulky steel Towers in the minds of many people.

The final 52 minutes of the documentary focuses on the destruction of the World Trade Center on September the eleventh, 2001. During the majority of those last fifty-plus minutes of the program, you might very well find yourself with one hand clasped over your mouth, still in near-disbelief that this awful tragedy could have possibly taken place on that sunny Tuesday morning.

No matter how many times you see those airplanes slam into those two skyscrapers, and no matter how many replays you watch of the Towers pancaking down into the street, the images of the events of 9/11, even years later, are still powerful enough to produce the inevitable "Oh My God!" type of shocked reaction. It's a tragic event of such incredible proportions that it seemingly will never grow old, and will never cease to resonate in the minds of most Americans.

You're not likely to find a more complete, detailed, and heartfelt examination of the fallen status symbols known as the "Twin Towers" than can be found within this PBS presentation. This DVD is a keepsake and a timeless reminder of not only the sadness of what America lost on September 11th, 2001, but this enriching film also serves as an uplifting reminder of what the World Trade Center stood for in its nearly 30 years of existence.

The pride and sense of accomplishment in helping to rejuvenate a decaying New York City that was felt by the many, many people who were involved in helping those Towers rise to become (at the time) the tallest buildings in the world in the early 1970s, is something that no terrorist actions can ever diminish or destroy. And that sense of pride can be felt in this magnificent documentary program.

This "PBS DVD Gold" disc features a Widescreen (1.78:1) version of the documentary, which is the way the film was framed for its original telecast on PBS. The DVD's audio comes from a crisp English Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround Stereo soundtrack.

There are also a few bonus items on the DVD:

1.) An interview with Ric Burns on the making of "The Center Of The World". (Run time of just under 8 minutes.)

2.) A Deleted Scene (Outtake) from Part 7 of Ric Burns' "New York" documentary film, involving the crash of a B-25 bomber into the Empire State Building in July 1945. (4 minutes.)

3.) Selected Interviews, featuring Ed Koch, Philippe Petit, Mario Cuomo, and others. When strung together, these various interviews last for a total of 19 minutes.

--------------

A Final Thought:

"New York Episode Eight: The Center Of The World" is a DVD that I am very proud to own, and is one that I shall treasure for many years to come.

A moving, entertaining, ultra-informative film about The Towers........2005-08-24

You've just got to buy this DVD. It's about the World Trade Center, but it's really about so much more. It gives the history of the Towers from their inception in the 50s (I believe) to the aftermath of 9/11. David Ogden Stiers (Winchester of MASH) narrates it with power and grace. People connected with New York City give their perspectives on the buildings in the most poetic of ways. There are too many to mention here, but Pete Hamill (the writer), an older gentleman who held a top position in regards to the Trade Center (I'm embarrassed I can't be more specific, the guy is a treasure), and Mario Cuomo are among the standouts.

But best of all is the French performance artist who did an electrifying tightwire show between the towers back in the 70s, which humanized these huge, cold buildings (to paraphrase Hamill from the film). This guy, whose name I would have a hard time spelling if it were in front of me, brings a love of life, New York City and especially the World Trade Center to the proceedings that makes his segment the "Center of the Center of the World." With all the French bashing going on since 9/11, this film should be seen by everyone in the United States (and the whole world for that matter). Yes, French foreign policy sometimes leaves something to be desired (sounds like the US and every other dang country), but watching this French man express his unconditional love for New York and the Towers leaves you proud to be a citizen of the planet Earth.

So go order this episode right now. It's historic, informative, entertaining, moving, educational, witty, heartwrenching, and any other positive thing you can say about a 3 hour film. PBS gets a lot of flack for their programming, but they achieved perfection with this baby.

The best documentary about The World Trade Center and 9/11.......2005-05-27

Beautifully done. Well worth owning.

Charlie Rose with Dan Bartlett; Charles Gwathmey, Steven Holl, Peter Eisenman & Richard Meier (January 8, 2003)

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Charlie Rose with Dan Bartlett; Charles Gwathmey, Steven Holl, Peter Eisenman & Richard Meier (January 8, 2003)

Manufacturer: Charlie Rose, Inc.
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Charlie Rose with Renzo Piano (February 17, 2005)
Charlie Rose with Renzo Piano; Santiago Calatrava; Rem Koolhaas (August 26, 2002)
Charlie Rose with Richard Rogers; Steven Holl (December 7, 1999)
Charlie Rose with Frank Gehry, Renzo Piano & Ada Louise Huxtable (August 5, 2005)

ASIN: B000HBL3NK
Release Date: 2006-08-15

Description

White House Communications Director Dan Bartlett on his role as adviser to George W. Bush and the president's agenda. Also, a roundtable discussion about architecture proposals for Ground Zero with architects Charles Gwathmey, Steven Holl, Peter Eisenman, and Richard Meier.

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2003 Release
New York - Center of the World
From Rise to Fall
There Is None Other
An extraordinary film

New York - The Center of the World (Part 8)
Starring: David Ogden Stiers , Frances Sternhagen , Robert Sean Leonard , Frank McCourt , and Spalding Gray
Director: Lisa Ades , and Ric Burns
Manufacturer: Pbs Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
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Similar Items:

New York (8 Episode PBS Boxed Set)
New York - The Center of the World (Part 8)
World Trade Center - In Memoriam
CNN Tribute - America Remembers - The Events of September 11th (Commemorative Edition)
102 Minutes: The Untold Story of the Fight to Survive Inside the Twin Towers

ASIN: B0000AQS6X
Release Date: 2003-09-09

Description

In this final chapter of Ric Burns's acclaimed series New York: A Documentary Film, AMERICAN EXPERIENCE presents a powerful portrait of the events leading up to and away from the fall of 2001. It chronicles the construction of the towers and explores the astonishing expansion of American economic power during the second half of the twentieth century.

Customer Reviews:

2003 Release.......2005-04-10

Why does Amazon indicate that this came out in 1999 when it's a 2003 release?

New York - Center of the World.......2005-03-09

This documentary is nearly 3 hours long and chronicles the rise & fall of the World Trade Center. The final 45 minutes is downright gut-wrenching and may be difficult for some viewers. You'll see both planes hitting both towers, spectators standing in the streets crying out in horror & disbelief as people jump from the upper floors of the buildings, and finally, the collapse of the two large skyscrapers. You'll see many different camera angles of the collapse, so that's a good thing. To me, the most shocking video clip was the one where it shows 7 people jumping from one of the buildings at the same time, almost like they were jumping in a group. That was quite disturbing as well as seeing the spectators reactions. Parents should not allow their kids to watch this. The final 45 minutes contains graphic material of the attacks and the carnage. The good news is that this DVD is very educational. I learned a lot about the history of the WTC. I've never even been to New York City, but I plan on visiting Manhatten before I die. I'm 21 years old now, so I think I have plenty of time. The bottomline is, this DVD rocks!

From Rise to Fall.......2004-02-24

Although I was only a few miles away from the WTC on that dreadful day, I was spared watching the disaster unfold. Like many New Yorkers, it took me a couple of years to even begin to look at the videos surrounding the event. The first thing I watched was Ric Burns' final episode to his NEW YORK documentary. Because I had seen the previous seven parts, and had loved them, I knew this subject would be in good hands, and it was.

What makes this documentary unique is the amount of time it spends on the political, economic, and architectural wrangling that went on before the towers went up. The story of its construction is an amazing tale all its own. Burns uses aerialist Philippe Petit's stunt back in the 70s as a kind of humanizing effect to the buildings' superhuman size. Of course, this makes the inevitable outcome even more devestating.

Mr. Burns has adroitly used an extraordinary amount of photos and footage, and the interviews bridging them are all expertly selected. Some of them were astonishingly moving. I never before thought that former Mayor Koch could be so feeling. In any event, this is a documentary that will probably make all other documentaries superfluous, with the exception of WORLD TRADE CENTER-ANATOMY OF A COLLAPSE which handles the more technical details. This is a terrific and befitting conclusion to Ric Burns' astounding documentary.

There Is None Other.......2004-01-24

There is none other than Ric Burns to tell this tale. This documentary is devestating. The footage, combined with Mr. Burns' use of silence to let the pictures tell the tale, make for a staggering monument. Mr Burns also realized that as the towers came down that morning, a new story sprung up. It is not the story of death and destruction, but of people coming together to heal a scar on the face of Mother Nature, a scar in the heart of a city, a state, a country, and its people. As enormous the event of the Twin Towers collapsing is, the story of the clean-up is an even greater story.

I think that now, years after the event, and the nation "healing" by falling back in to the old ways of bitter bipartisanship and political bickering, we need this film to remember what happned on that terrible morning.

The forces of evil pricked a sleeping giant, but boy was that a miscalculation their part!

An extraordinary film.......2003-12-26

I was there. Half a mile away. Saw the whole damn thing.

I was on the street within 2 or 3 minutes of the first plane hitting. I saw the second plane hit tower 2.

No matter what you saw on TV, you can't imagine.

It was a day of extraordinary power and emotion, fear, sorrow and loss, surreal - the knowledge that you'd seen something as profound as the JFK assination, the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Epic in scale, gobal in impact, yet inherently intimate. Your own personal disaster movie.

Even still,

This Ric Burns film is an amazing thing. It's just great. I've watched it a dozen times and I don't get tired of it - the writing, the music, the history, the wisdom - the personal feelings of a diverse and meaningful group of New Yorkers. It's historic, epic, emotional - up to the task of documenting the impact of 9/11 on New York.

It represents all the things that make New York great: ambition, literacy, reflection, humanity, wonder, perspective. The use of Philippe Petit - the French high wire man - as a linking device...was inspired.

Description

8 years before they were destroyed, the twin towers of New York City's World Trade Center survived another attack designed to topple them. MINUTE BY MINUTE, A&E's new first-person documentary series, tells the story of the fateful day that, in retrospect, was the first salvo in a conflict to come. The blast came just after noon on a February day. Some speculated that a transformer had blown up, but the truth was soon known--a van packed with explosives had detonated in the garage beneath the famous landmark. It was designed to bring the tower down, and while it failed, it turned the World Trade Center buildings into houses of horror. THE WORLD TRADE CENTER BOMBING uses extensive footage and the personal recollections of dozens of survivors to paint a moving and intimate picture of what it was like to live through the first skirmish in the war on terrorism. Some made it down 110 terrifying flights in stairways filled with smoke. Some were trapped in elevators without any knowledge of what had happened. Some learned lessons that would save their lives on September 11, 2001.

60 Minutes - Defending New York (March 19, 2006)

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60 Minutes - Defending New York (March 19, 2006)

Manufacturer: CBS
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Investigative Reports - NYPD Emergency
ABC News Presents: NYPD 24/7
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World Trade Center (Widescreen Edition)
Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room

ASIN: B000FOTA0C
Release Date: 2006-06-15

Description

It is a police department like no other: the legendary NYPD in New York City. It is 37,000 strong and larger than the standing armies of 84 countries. Now, in the aftermath of the 9/11, the NYPD has transformed itself from a traditional crime-fighting organization into one also focused on fighting terrorism. Ed Bradley reports.

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A Must See For Everyone!!!

A Dog's Life - A Dogamentary
Director: Gayle Kirschenbaum
Manufacturer: Facets
ProductGroup: DVD
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Grizzly Man
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ASIN: B0009V856Q
Release Date: 2005-11-22

Product Description

It's a story about dogs, people and love. This hilarious and poignant documentary explores the positive effects of the intense bond between dogs and humans, as told through the story of Emmy Award Winning Filmmaker Gayle Kirschenbaum and her dog Chelsea. Chelsea rigged with a "doggie cam" hits the streets of New York with Gayle, both looking for love. But the tragic events of 9/11 alter their quest and we watch Chelsea find her true calling as a therapy dog, finding love through healing others.

Customer Reviews:

A Must See For Everyone!!!.......2005-06-08

I bought this documentary on a whim, not knowing much about it, and I was surprised! The film starts out as a hilarious story about a woman, her dog, and their love lives, but when 9/11 happens everything changes. The dog becomes a pet therapist and performs miracles. There is a scene with one of the patients that will just break your heart, the way these two touch people's lives. I laughed and cried, and afterward I just felt really warm inside. Its a feel good movie that reaffirms faith in humanity and relationships.

Charlie Rose with Richard Haass; Kurt Masur; Tom Fontana (July 11, 1997)

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Charlie Rose with Richard Haass; Kurt Masur; Tom Fontana (July 11, 1997)

Manufacturer: Charlie Rose
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Description

Charlie talks about the cold war and the NATO alliance with Richard Haass of the Brookings Institute. Next, conductor of the New York Philharmonic, Kurt Masur, gets ready to lead the orchestra in a series of concerts for the Lincoln Center Festival. Finally, Tom Fontana, the producer of the television show Oz talks about the groundbreaking series that is set inside an urban prison.

Charlie Rose with Wesley Clark & Samuel Berger & Richard Holbrooke & Ephraim Sneh; Judith Miller & Steve Emerson & Thomas Clancy (September 11, 2001)

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Charlie Rose with Wesley Clark & Samuel Berger & Richard Holbrooke & Ephraim Sneh; Judith Miller & Steve Emerson & Thomas Clancy (September 11, 2001)

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Description

A panel discusses the U.S. response to the major terrorist attacks which occurred earlier at the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and Somerset, Pennsylvania. It includes: General Wesley Clark from Little Rock, Arkansas, former U.N. Ambassador Richard Holbrooke, former National Security Adviser to President Clinton, Samuel Berger, General Ephraim Sneh of Israel, Judith Miller of the New York Times, Senator John Edwards of North Carolina, terrorist analyst, Steve Emerson, and novelist Tom Clancy.

Charlie Rose with Fouad Ajami; Adam Gopnik; Bob Herbert; Garner Taylor (September 14, 2001)

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Charlie Rose with Fouad Ajami; Adam Gopnik; Bob Herbert; Garner Taylor (September 14, 2001)

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Description

In honor of the fourth day after the September 11th terrorist attacks, which was declared a national day of prayer and remembrance, Charlie Rose talks with a series of guests to put the week into perspective. Fouad Ajami, of the U.S. News & World Report and Johns Hopkins University talks about retaliating against the acts of terrorism. Next, Adam Gopnik of the New Yorker talks about the experience and human response to the events in New York. Then, Bob Herbert of the New York Times. Finally, Rev. Gardner Taylor of the Concord Baptist Church.

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