Johnstown Flood narrated by Richard Dreyfuss

Johnstown Flood narrated by Richard Dreyfuss


Starring:Richard Dreyfuss, Patrick Jordan, Jennifer Lee Dake, Charles King (VIII)
Director: Mark Bussler
Studio: Inecom Entertainment Company
Product Type: DVD

Editorial Review:
Amazon.com
Johnstown Flood plays this 1889 disaster for all the drama and suspense of a horror movie. As he describes the factors leading up to the collapse of a dam on a Pennsylvania river, narrator Richard Dreyfuss has an almost ghoulish relish. The flood itself--in which a wall of water 50 feet tall destroyed the town of Johnstown and everything in the vicinity--is chock-full of shocking and engrossing details: personal testimonies describe an entire roundhouse of locomotives being swept away; a mother tells about setting her children afloat on driftwood from the top of her rapidly submerging house. When the debris carried by rushing water reaches a heavy stone bridge, the cataclysm only worsens, leading to a devastating fire. If most documentaries aspire to the cool objectivity of The New York Times, Johnstown Flood dives into the sensationalism of tabloid journalism, and the results are enticing, unsettling, and thoroughly entertaining. --Bret Fetzer
Description
Johnstown Flood tells a true story of heartbreak, heroism and the courage to survive. On a stormy day in May of 1889, the South Fork Dam explodes, unleashing a 45-foot wall of water. Fiercely thrashing at frightening speeds, the flood devastates the 14-mile valley between the Conemaugh Lake and Johnstown, Pennsylvania under the force of a 20-million-ton tidal wave. Johnstown Flood depicts this tragic event which claims more than 2,200 lives and wipes out 99 entire families and is still considered to be one of the worst disasters in American history. Horrified survivors watch as the bustling industrial city of Johnstown is instantly reduced into a wasteland. The deadly torrent overcomes terror-stricken townspeople who are tragically lost in the flood. As the waters recede, people from all over the world rally around the survivors to help victims regain all that is lost. "A fascinating look at a national disaster and its aftermath. Well worth watching." - Home Media Retailing "Beautifully narrated by Richard Dreyfuss. Brings the story alive with first-hand accounts." - Sophia Choi, CNN Headline News
Johnstown Flood narrated by Richard Dreyfuss
Average customer rating: 3 out of 5 stars
  • An educator's opinion
  • The Johnstown Flood
  • blows
  • Riddled with Errors
  • Revels in gore
 Johnstown Flood narrated by Richard Dreyfuss
Starring: Richard Dreyfuss , Patrick Jordan , Jennifer Lee Dake , Charles King (VIII) , and Matt Hutchinson (III)
Director: Mark Bussler
Manufacturer: Inecom Entertainment Company
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00009PSE2
Release Date: 2003-08-26

Amazon.com

Johnstown Flood plays this 1889 disaster for all the drama and suspense of a horror movie. As he describes the factors leading up to the collapse of a dam on a Pennsylvania river, narrator Richard Dreyfuss has an almost ghoulish relish. The flood itself--in which a wall of water 50 feet tall destroyed the town of Johnstown and everything in the vicinity--is chock-full of shocking and engrossing details: personal testimonies describe an entire roundhouse of locomotives being swept away; a mother tells about setting her children afloat on driftwood from the top of her rapidly submerging house. When the debris carried by rushing water reaches a heavy stone bridge, the cataclysm only worsens, leading to a devastating fire. If most documentaries aspire to the cool objectivity of The New York Times, Johnstown Flood dives into the sensationalism of tabloid journalism, and the results are enticing, unsettling, and thoroughly entertaining. --Bret Fetzer

Product Description

Narrated by Richard Dreyfuss, "Johnstown Flood" tells the true story of one of the worst disasters in American history. On a stormy day in May of 1889, the South Fork Dam explodes. An entire lake is unleashed as a roaring 45-foot wall of water into the heavily populated valley below. The disaster claimed the lives of more than 2,200 people as the rushing tidal wave and debris tore through the town of Johnstown, crashed into the indestructible stone railroad bridge and flooded the valley. Fires erupted, countless buildings were destroyed and pandemonium and looting ensued. Out of a great tragedy came stories of heroism and a triumphant recovery spearheaded by Clara Barton and the American Red Cross. "Johnstown Flood" was written from first-hand accounts of those who survived the tragic event. Special Features include a 20-minute documentary with Richard Burkert, Executive Director of the Johnstown Area Heritage Association, a feature-length historical commentary track with Richard Burkert and "The Johnstown Flood," an 1889 piano illustration by Alberto Rivieri, performed by Patricia Prattis Jennings exclusively for the DVD.

Customer Reviews:

3 out of 5 stars An educator's opinion .......2007-03-18

As an educator, I found the Johnstown Flood, narrated by Richard Dreyfuss, a bit slow and lacking of substance. The characters dressed up in Victorian attire were interesting, however they lacked believability. The short scenes of bubbling water looked like they were filmed from a kitchen sink. The few shots, of what were obviously Niagara Falls, were a poor attempt to show the magnitude of the dam's destruction/socially, politically and emotionally on the people of Johnstown. I preferred the museum's DVD on the Johnstown Flood which didn't stray from the facts. I will say, however, that when I allowed my students to choose between the two DVD's they overwhelminingly preferred the Dreyfuss-narrated version. It seems they were overtaken by the shots of Niagara Falls, and the scenes of dead corpses being robbed. (get more bang for your buck and stick with the museum version)

5 out of 5 stars The Johnstown Flood.......2006-11-07

This is an excellent presentation of the facts concerning the great flood which destroyed much of Johnstown, PA, with excellent use of visual materials. It is complimentary to the Flood Museum located there and provides additional materials not publicly exhibited. I can wholeheartedly recommend this title to everyone. The only question I have is, why has no one has made a movie (like the various Titanic movies) on this dramatic event in American history?

1 out of 5 stars blows.......2006-10-20

I waited a long time to see this video. I couldn't find it anywhere and now
I know why. I paid a few bucks to watch it on google video and it just sucks. A previous viewer said it is meant to be "amateurish" and I think the film makers succeeded on that count. There were however a couple of nice shots of Niagara Falls (standing in for the flood).

1 out of 5 stars Riddled with Errors.......2006-03-31

The real story of the Johnstown Flood is so dramatic and overpowering that you are tempted not to believe all of it. The event is that extraordinary. So why would a documentary try to improve the story by embellishing the facts?

Some examples: There was no "Paul Revere" horse rider warning people of the flood. The dam never resembled a "sprinkler" -- the water poured over the top which quickly undermined the entire structure. The train whistle warning in Mineral Point was not ignored. Fundamental factual errors plague this DVD from beginning to end.

Even if the staggering number of inaccuracies does not put you off, the sappy dialog, poor acting, endless stock footage of waves on the beach, and the inexplicable dearth of source materials should.

If you are interested in the story of the Johnstown Flood read David McCullough's excellent book. You will be amazed. If you buy this DVD the real tragedy will be what you missed out on -- the real story of the nearly incomprehensible human tragedy of the Johnstown Flood.

1 out of 5 stars Revels in gore.......2005-02-25

This documentary feels like it was made by an undegrad film student. Some of the recreations of the flood on what is obviously a limited budget are a noble effort. The panning and scanning over pictures is ok, but doing the same with drawings gets a little tedious and is distracting. The film misses a crucial element of the story: the culpiblility of the wealthy patrons of the hunting club that built the dam and failed to maintain it properly. Actors (acting students from a local college?) look too young for their roles and are overly dramatic. I grew up in Western Pennsylvania, went to school for a while in Johnstown. I have yet to see any actor capture the mood and tone of people of Western PA... and I wish someone would.

What bothered me most were the repeated details about the gore of the incident. The documentary takes pleasure and spends far too much time describing the carnage. For example, it devotes about 10 minutes recounting a story, most likely fictional, about a guy who gets caught robbing corpses.

Read the David McCullough book.

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