Nature:Alaska

Starring:George Page
Director: Bruce Reitherman, Nigel Cole
Studio: Questar, Inc
Product Type: DVD

Amazon.com

Grizzly Man could easily have been sensational and exploitative, but in the hands of Werner Herzog, it becomes something extraordinary. Herzog was granted exclusive access to over 100 hours of video shot by amateur naturalist, wildlife advocate and troubled loner Timothy Treadwell, who spent 13 summers in Alaska's Katmai National Park, where he grew to know and love the grizzly bears that lived there. He was also killed by one of them, in October 2003, along with his girlfriend Amie Huguenard, and that seemingly inevitable fate informs every minute of Herzog's riveting combination of Treadwell's video with his own expert filmmaking and unique vision of nature and man. Whereas Treadwell was a naïve nature-lover and social outcast whose sanity was slowly slipping away, Herzog is a pragmatic mythologist who views nature primarily in terms of "chaos, hostility, and murder," and the disparity of their vision results in a magnetic attraction that makes the sum of Grizzly Man greater than its parts. We come to admire the dreamer, the idealist, the failed actor and recovered alcoholic man-child that was Treadwell, and we equally admire the seeker of truth and wisdom that is Herzog. They belong together, in some world beyond our world, where visionaries join forces to create life after death. --Jeff Shannon

Description

In his mesmerizing new film, GRIZZLY MAN, acclaimed director Werner Herzog explores the life and death of amateur grizzly bear expert and wildlife preservationist Timothy Treadwell. Treadwell lived unarmed among the bears for thirteen summers, and filmed his adventures in the wild during his final five seasons. In October 2003, Treadwell's remains, along with those of his girlfriend, Amie Huguenard, were discovered near their campsite in Alaska's Katmai National Park and Reserve. They had been mauled and devoured by a grizzly, the first known victims of a bear attack in the pa

Customer Reviews:

Close Encounters of the Dangerous Kind.......2007-07-08

The biggest surprise of Werner Herzog's `Grizzly Man,' is the focus on the titled subject matter. The animals are important, but wisely kept as second focus in favor of Tim Treadwell. Tim was a filmmaker himself who tried to bond with grizzly bears until his tragic death when he and his girlfriend, Amy, were mauled and eaten by a grizzly in Kodiak. Now this fact is established in the first few minutes and elaborated throughout the film. Mostly, I went in believing that the film would consist of Treadwell's films mixed with commentary. However, slightly over half of the material investigates their deaths and mostly his life. The angles make this documentary so special and complete. To establish an understanding of Tim the person, there are testimonies by Tim's former lovers, family, and friends. As an investigation of his death, Herzog interviews an ecologist couple, the Park Service, and the coroner. In addition friend and Bush pilot, Willy Fulton, has a great deal to tell us about both his death and life. Everyone has something to bring to the table--even the hunters. We first have to learn about the man; then we have to see what went wrong when he dared the ghost too long and too often.

One of the best perspectives offered is from Native Alutiiq museum curator, Sven Haakanson, PhD. who says it best: "If you look at it from my culture, Timothy Treadwell crossed a boundary that we have lived with for 7,000 years. It's an unspoken boundary, an unknown boundary. But when we know we've crossed it, we pay the price." Which is certainly a refreshing departure from the usual sentiments: "He died doing what he loved best." Or having to listen to some conservatives invoking the death penalty like it was poetic justice. (Imagine a conservative taking sides with an animal instead of a human!) Herzog himself seems to invoke nature as cold-blooded. Tim also articulates the harm's way he's put himself in several times, but he balances that--or unbalances that!--with a child-like exuberance for creatures he's seemed to project himself upon. It's not that much different with pets, except Tim has a protective nature for the grizzlies like it was an extension of himself. The other revelations are meant to unearth yourselves.

'Grizzly Man' is really about a man's passion, his vulnerability, his enthusiasm, but also his disintegration. Like tracing bear paw prints, the movie does a marvelous and responsible job at reinacting a tragedy. There was a second big surprise for me: Herzog wisely leaves out the recordings that Treadwell unintentionally provided at the time of their deaths. Having seen TV news magazines that have left nothing to the imagination, it's taken me this long to see this incredible documentary. Herzog uses prudence. And prudence is sorely needed.

Sometimes you eat the Bar---& sometimes, well, the Bar eats You.......2007-07-04

Sometimes you eat the Bar---& sometimes, well, the Bar eats You., July 3, 2007
By James Stephen Garrett "Teep" (Arkham Asylum) - See all my reviews

"Grizzly Man" is the story of what happens when a Freak of Nature meets a Force of Nature.

The results aren't pretty. Tim Treadwell (the Freak) goes toe-to-toe with a young, hungry male Grizzly Bear (the Force). Bottom line: the Freak gets 187'd by the Force, who ends up using Treadwell's guts for garters (according to eyewitnesses, quite literally).

Long-haired Hippy tree-hugging dancing fools: Zero. Annoyed Alpha Male Bears: 1. The rest of us: 100!

Why? Because crazed, visionary film-maker Werner Herzog has effectively captured Treadwell's quixotic quest in his documentary "Grizzly Man", loaded it up with tons of raw footage, and served the demented---yet disconcertingly touching---story up smoking hot with his trademark fruitbat strangeness.

Herzog is a great choice to direct this one, considering the director's long-time obsession with crazy people. And Treadwell is a great subject: a naturalist! a teacher! a hiker! a conservationist! a King of the Sea!

By serving as a kind of mytic crystal revelatory channel to Treadwell's own peculiar brand of wonkish, Granola country wild-bore lunacy, Herzog's film serves as a fitting last testament to the man, additionally hooking up a kind of ephemeral shortwave radio into the craziness that---let's face it---made America what she is today.

The story is simple: Tim Treadwell---naturalist, conservationist, um, bear-itarian, crazy freaky monkey---loved the grizzly bears of Katmai National Park, in Alaska. Revered them. Adored them. Wanted to, uh, "protect them".

Think about that for a minute.

Treadwell probably tipped the scales at 150 pounds soaking wet, and a young male grizzly is looking svelte at around a ton, but Treadwell felt he needed to protect these brutes all the same. "Protect" them seems a little, well, insane, particularly when you get a shot or two of a couple of youjng male grizzlies unleashing a little jihad on each other around mating season, slapping each other in a playful ursine backhand that would leave a man's guts neatly delineated in a pile of bloody slop on the ground.

And that's when they were just playing.

Anyway, for 13 years, Treadwell spent the summer in Kamtai, ensconced in a pup-tent, fortified with some scant provisions, maybe a hand-camera & tripod-mount rig, a few camoflage do-rags, & a small army of stuffed animals. He had a stuffed bear, which gets quite a bit of air-time in "Grizzly Man", and serves as a fine example of what academics might call "foreshadowing".

He filmed himself. "Grizzly Man" is not so much the portrait of the grizzly in the wild, or a documentary about the Big Brown One's challenges in the rapidly shrinking outdoors (hey, Evolution sucks): it's really about a wild man living very close to the Edge.

Very close, until he slips over. And the joy of "Grizzly Man" is that through the film-footage and through Herzog's inspired interviews (was someone looting David Lynch's casting couch?), we get a very fine-hewn, very stark, gloriously intimate portrait of the man himself.

Treadwell let forth his barbaric yawp. He tried to bond with Nature in all Her howling Majesty. He tried to match his strength pound for pound and tooth by jowl with the furry grand eminences of the forest primeval, whose comradeship Treadwell wanted so desperately.

There is great tragedy here in watching this Holy Fool Treadwell stomp and fret and dance and rusticate amid the bears, and as the film winds down I can't help feeling Herzog's pessimistic conclusion is dead on: Nature is cold, callous, by-the-numbers. She doesn't do favors. Perhaps intelligence really *is* an evolutionary dead-end, in which we ponder how to save these beasts, this vast forest, this planet warmed, for now, by the furnace of a dying sun.

We invite them into ourselves. And they invite themselves to dinner.

JSG

A great portrait of a very strange man.........2007-06-19

Werner Herzog (who directed such classics as Aguirre wrath of god, fitzcaraldo, and the brilliant adaptation of nosferatu) has been making some fabulous documentaries in recent years.. He seems to be obsessed primarily with the bizzare.. In particular with people who have big dreams - and usually very absurd dreams.. I think Herzog, more than anything else, identifies with such people (afterall he worked in the most impossible conditions himself to create his greatest films)..
The subject of this film is Timothy treadwell a man who for a number of years actually managed to coexist with a group of giant grizzly bears..
Treadwell was an interesting often humorous figure who really meant well -but was driven over the edge by his own philosophy.. The man, as herzog claims, had a view of nature similar to walt disney.. while i think this claim may be slightly exagerated given the fact that treadwill actually did live in nature and must have had some notion of reality and the cycle of life - there is deffinately some truth to the fact that this man was slightly, shall i say, off his rocker.. As the film progresses and we learn a little about his background - we tend to wonder how much of a role drugs played in his early years.. I admit i had many laughs at treadwell's expense throughout the film - but that did not take away from the devistating notion of how he was killed..
Herzog's point of view in this movie is thought-provoking and highly subjective.. But it is his insistance on digging deeper and learning more that make this one of the most interesting documentaries i have seen..

Great documentary.......2007-06-18

This DVD describes the life and death of Timothy Treadmill. A sad yet inspiring movie. The cinematography of his interaction with animals is second to none!!

Not a documentary........2007-06-09

Looking for insight into the man so fascinated by grizzly bears that he lived among them for years? Looking for reasons why he was invited to give lectures at schools? Looking for the information about the bears this man documented?

You won't find any of that here.

This film is not a documentary, it's a personal vendetta by Werner Herzog. Think about it: If you were to film your life like a video diary, like Timothy Treadwell did, with the basic assumption that no one would see the films until after you edited them, wouldn't you get a little crazy sometimes? And then if all your raw footage went to someone else to edit, couldn't they paint just about any sort of picture they wanted about you? Timothy Treadwell supposedly had a view of the universe as full of love. Herzog sees the universe in terms of "chaos, hostility, and murder". And he apparently will go to great lengths to defend that point of view, because in this film there is nothing that explores Treadwell's point of view, but plenty of scenes selected to drive home the point that Treadwell was quite a nut case.

So, actually, we don't get to learn about the man's stated point of view, the life he lived, or the animals he filmed. What we do get reveals more about the filmmaker than about the supposed subject of the film.

Herzog is not afraid to come out and say that Treadwell "crossed the line" that Herzog believes MUST exist between humanity and nature, and Herzog does not like his lines crossed. The film is mostly dedicated to driving, hammering, pounding home the point that Treadwell's chosen lifestyle led to his death. Actually, that's about all this film is about--Treadwell is dead. Herzog even goes so far as to find a person who never knew Treadwell and gives him extended screen time to go on and on about his OPINIONS of the man he never met. This is a hatchet job masquerading as a documentary. Before I got far into the film, I was ready to scream at the screen, "We're all going to die! I want to know how he lived!"

Herzog even goes so far as to insert himself on screen, heroically listening to the audio recording of Treadwell's death and gallantly protecting everyone else from it. What else are you protecting us from, Werner? Points of view that disagree with yours?

Herzog is at his most disingenuous when he decides that since he can't "connect" with animals, no one in the audience should think that they can, either. He picks an extreme closeup of a bear, and tells the audience that no one can see anything in its "blank stare". There. Clip over, case closed, no one can ever connect on any level with an animal.

This is not a documentary, it's an anti-learning experience. Herzog's bias in making this film is so overwhelming that I still do not have any real idea of who Treadwell was. From what I can glean, he doesn't seem much different from a great number of people who also have a deep, soul-based affinity for one sort of animal or another. Yes, Treadwell made some mistakes, but those should not be used to prevent us from knowing what drove the man.

But one thing is clear: Even though Treadwell is dead, dead, dead, he died doing what his heart said he should do. How many people actually live and die according to their heart's desires?

Average customer rating:

Touring Alaska

Alaska's Inside Passage

Manufacturer: Questar
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Cruise: Alaska
Over Alaska
The America's Scenic Rail Journeys: Great Alaska Train Adventure
Video Visits: Discovering Alaska
Alaska by Cruise Ship: The Complete Guide to Cruising Alaska with Giant Pull-out Map (5th Edition)

ASIN: B000AC7PA6
Release Date: 2005-08-30

Description

Discover Alaska's true treasures along its magnificent marine highway, the Inside Passage. Navigate 1,000 miles of pristine coastline, with unforgettable stops that capture the region's rich history, fascinating wildlife, and timeless traditions. Observe coastal Indians carve totem poles in the gateway city of Ketchikan. Explore Sitka's Russian roots. Visit Petersburg, "Alaska's Little Norway" and quaint Wrangell, and recapture the pioneer era in the capital city of Juneau. Drive to America's most accessible glacier—the Mendenhall, and fly over the frozen wilderness of the Juneau Icefield. From Glacier Bay National Park to the historic gold rush town of Skagway, this award-winning program is a mesmerizing portrait of this special place in the vastness of Alaska.

Customer Reviews:

Touring Alaska.......2006-03-12

This dvd gives all the information you want to know if you are considering a visit to Alaska. If you have already been there, you can enjoy revisiting this beautiful state. I would highly recommend it.

Alaska Hunting Adventure: 700 Miles Alone by Backpack and Raft

Average customer rating:

No "Hollywood," No "BS," No Kidding
Excellent Outdoor Adventure Video
Excellent
Its like having your cake and not being able to eat it
fascinating..

Alaska Hunting Adventure: 700 Miles Alone by Backpack and Raft

Manufacturer: Buck Publishing
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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One Man's Wilderness: An Alaskan Odyssey
Hunting Hard: In Alaska! Prepare Yourself To Hunt "The Last Frontier"
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Alone in the Wilderness 2-DVD Package
H201: World's Greatest Hunting Adventures

ASIN: B0002HS5G2
Release Date: 2004-09-15

Customer Reviews:

No "Hollywood," No "BS," No Kidding.......2007-06-09

This video captures the hunt, and almost everything that goes with it, directly from the hunter's eye. There is no hype, political or environmental propaganda, no "Hollywood" narration, no "spin" of any kind and no ulterior motives.

The videographer travels hundreds of miles by foot and raft in remote North Eastern Alaska, a wild, isolated, game-rich area held in deep reverence by experienced bush residents, hunters, trappers and dreamers.

Views of of wolves, wolverines, grizzlies, sheep, moose and caribou are personal, if not always "up close."

Indeed, the best part of this video is that you see things the way you would if you were an isolated, solitary hunter in the area today, or thousands of years ago.

It's also enough to make you think that you could put together a trip like this yourself; that if you were in good physical condition, could exercise common sense (essential for solitary wilderness travel!), and if you had sufficient experience and equipment that you could hunt this country in this way.

The single complaint I have about this video is that you never see "the moment of truth." Not once do you hear the crack of Buck's hunting rifle, which looks like the venerable "get-it-done" .30-06.

I'd also have liked more shots of camp. I've spent lots of time in the outdoors and one of the best parts is setting up camp, relaxing around a camp fire and then crawling into a warm sleeping bag and falling asleep to the sound running water, wind and wild animals. There are a few shots of camp, the campfire and the tent but not many. Of course, that sort of thing can be boring to some people.

I'm going to venture that many of us are cut from the same mold as Buck, and that--whether we realize it or not--in one incarnation or another we were hunters, that hunting is woven into the double-helix of our DNA and lives in the wild, primevil instinct deep in our hearts and in the core of our souls.

This is a terrfic video. I watched it every night for the first two weeks I owned it. And I recommend it to anybody who loves hunting, remote wilderness travel, isolated living or the outdoors.

Excellent Outdoor Adventure Video.......2007-06-05

Very exciting, informative video of a journey across remote Alaska. A great primer to help get you motivated for that Alaska hunting trip.

Excellent.......2007-04-05

I would have to rate this DVD a 5 also. I have hunted Alaska all my life and although I have never gone 700 miles alone it brings back alot of memories. I generally don't buy videos because I tend to watch something only once but I have watched this 3 times the first week I had it and will watch it again and again. Definately worth the money.

Its like having your cake and not being able to eat it.......2007-03-30

I live in Alaska and I would like to say that this video is a great documentary of Alaska's remote wilderness. It shows all kinds of wildlife and fish from grizzlies to wolves. I new this was an adventure film, but i also thought i was buying a hunting video too... Before you read the next part I want you to know that I am a very ethical and responsible hunter, I only hunt to fill the freezer so my family can survive. I watch hunting videos so that i can become a more efficient and humane hunter, so please dont take offense to fact that i didnt like this film because it didnt show the guy making any kills... The adventure was good despite the fact that the guy was a little boring, but when it came to hunting there was very little footage. It didnt show hardly any stalks and it didnt show him take down any animals. Plus all he shot was caribou, when i made the purchase I was under the impression that he also bagged Dall sheep and moose. If I wanted a film that was just observing wild animals I would have saved my 20 bucks and just watched the Discovery Channel.

fascinating.........2005-07-29

Anyone who has been to Alaska would appreciate the amazing scenery, especially the shots from very remote areas that most visitors wouldn't access. the video quality is a bit rough, but understandable considering the circumstances. i do recommend this to anyone who has thoughts of hunting in AK.

Average customer rating:

Great Documentary
Packed with Facts -- MADE-UP FACTS
Don't miss this rare gem
gorgeous and safe for kids

Alaska: Spirit of the Wild

Manufacturer: Razor
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Over Alaska
IMAX Presents: Australia - Land Beyond Time
Alaska's Inside Passage
Africa the Serengeti
Whales - An Unforgettable Journey (Large Format)

ASIN: B000A0GXI8
Release Date: 2005-09-27

Customer Reviews:

Great Documentary.......2007-06-16

I thought this one was great. Disregard what old "Barbra" said. She cites Wikipedia as her official source for information. I won't even go there. She is obviously confused and probably in her senior years. This is a great fact filled documentary and I highly recommend it.

Packed with Facts -- MADE-UP FACTS.......2007-04-02

If you want to fill your kids with with misinformation about Alaska, this is the movie for you. The scriptwriter apparently flew by the seat of his pants, making stuff up as he went along.

The script says that the famous Iditarod dogsled race originated to commemorate the Gold Rush. Wrong. The Iditarod commemorates a desperate dogsled race against time to transport smallpox vaccine from Anchorage to Nome, where children where dying of the disease.

In another error-filled scene, the script refers to the fiercesome black bear. Clips are shown of wolves, foxes and even elk cowering and running for cover because of a black bear. They were probably running from the camera crew. Wikipedia describes black bears as omnivores whose diet relies most heavily on grasses, herbs, fruits, and mast. They also feed on carrion and insects such as carpenter ants, yellow jackets, bees, and termites, and raid bees nests for honey. They sometimes kill and eat small rodents. They seldom attack other animals unless cornered, threatened, or wounded.

People believe the stuff in these documentaries, especially children. Parents, beware of scriptwriters such as the one who wrote the narration for this film. He was intoxicated with his purple prose and made up his own drama when the real facts weren't conveniently at hand. This guy should be writing soaps, not nature documentaries.

A pox on this movie. Smallpox, if you like.

Don't miss this rare gem.......2006-07-15

This fine IMAX production really captures the spirit of the Alaska region, though focusing upon the animals and geological features, not the people. Not that people are not interesting (I would not mind seeing a documentary on innupiat), but it is not every day I see a polar bear for instance, so give me a break.

I have seen dumb IMAX movies before. This is not one of those duds. This is the best IMAX production I have ever seen bar none. There was one other IMAX movie about Alaskan explorers, or mountain climbers, something along those lines. It stunk. I don't even remember the title. I had paid the price of two tickets to see it. That was the last IMAX movie I ever paid to watch in the cinema.

The problem with cinema is they want to charge $5, $10, then hit you hard for snacks and drinks of lousy quality. Fine. Then the movie better be awesome. Yet ninety-five percent of movies stink. So I never go to the cinema, and hardly anyone I know ever goes to the cinema. If you are a cinema owner, this is why you are looking at bankruptcy down the road.

In a sea of dumb documentaries, this shines like a lighthouse, showing the way for all those wannabe producers struggling to navigate through the waters of film-making. Very hard-to-get footage. I am not sure how the camera crew got so near to wild predators like wolves and bears. You tell me.

gorgeous and safe for kids.......2006-04-06

This is wonderful for the family. Super shots of scenery and animals (the latter with good humor as well). Charleton Heston's narration is apt and not overdone (though the volume is a bit low as compared with the otherwise excellent music soundtrack that is Aaron Copeland-esque). A very nice intro to the glories of Alaska, it even includes a bit of history on the Gold Rush.

Average customer rating:

Sucks for the most Part
Sacred Planet
Deserves More Time And A Larger Screen
other reviews missing the main point
More than good enough

Sacred Planet
Starring: Robert Redford , Arapata McKay , Tsaan Ciqae , Mae Tui , and Cy Peck Jr.
Director: Jon Long
Manufacturer: Walt Disney Home Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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America's Heart & Soul
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Biography - Robert Redford: Hollywood Outlaw

ASIN: B0006ZXJHK
Release Date: 2005-04-05

Amazon.com

This 40-minute world travelogue made for IMAX theaters focuses on the few remaining people who still live close to the land. Narrator Robert Redford mentions we should listen to these folks since, as the movie seems to insist, they have some inner peace the rest of civilization does not (represented by sped-up clips of urban life à la Koyaanisqatsi). Certainly their worlds look lavish: the deserts America, the rain forests of Borneo, the rocky shorelines of Alaska, the plains of Africa. As IMAX documentaries go, this is one of the thinnest, and since you lose the impressive vistas from the gigantic IMAX screen (unless you have a monitor the size of a house), it works better as a diversion. Other films have stated this message more effectively and entertainingly. --Doug Thomas

Description

SACRED PLANET is a journey away from the hectic "world" we live in. Through stunning cinematography, it transports you to some of the most fascinating, exotic, and remote sites on Earth, giving you new insights into her diverse landscapes, peoples, and animals. You'll be mesmerized by the beauty of these all-but-forgotten faraway places, the majesty of the creatures who live there, and the wisdom of the elders who hold the knowledge of the past. This magical around-the-world odyssey is an awe-inspiring wonder the entire family will enjoy.

Customer Reviews:

Sucks for the most Part.......2007-04-12

This movie is nice if you want some really beautiful pictures and music. But it honestly doesn't teach you anything. I am the type that usually finds Something in a movie that is beneficial and I'm sorry but this movie doesn't have that. It's nice for background if you feel like playing a DVD in your living room and not really watching it except when you pass by.

Sacred Planet.......2005-08-23

Excellent presentation for all ages. Educational product as well as entertainment. There should be more of these for the kids so learning can be enjoyable and fun while watching some of the marvels of the world.

Deserves More Time And A Larger Screen.......2005-06-25

Originally an IMAX film, a lot of the impressive cinematography is lost on the small screen, but that doesn't mean the impact is affected. Robert Redford narrates this amazing beautifully filmed documentary on some of the world's most fantastic places and creatures. Scenes of thermal waterfalls from Thailand edit to massive glacial mouths, air-spouting whales in Alaska, flying monkeys in Asia, exotic undersea life, razor tipped snow capped peaks and more. The sound is spectacular especially in 5.1 DTS with nature sounds mixed with subtle native percussion. Although it only lasts forty minutes and the screen is smaller, the special effects of accelerated photography matched against normal paced scenes makes for an experience far too short for its greatness. One could watch this repeatedly.

other reviews missing the main point.......2005-05-15

I agree with the other reviewers that the stunning photography could have had a slower pace, and that much of it was obviously inspired by koyannisqatsi, and even moreso by the outstanding film Baraka, but I think they have missed the main point of this film, which is a chance to hear the wisdom of traditional human culture from some of the few people left who are living it. Each section of the film combines photography with a voiceover by someone from the local indigenous culture, native american, or amazon tribesman, or Thai villager, and I found this wisdom to be simple, heartfelt, and profound, a refreshing alternative to the hurried, worried life most of us lead, divorced from nature and from reality, wrapped up in self, status, and materialism. Does this make the film 'new age'? What if it does? This perspective is vanishing, as the film points out, as native peoples are assimilated into mass culture. This perspective is ancient- it provides a glimpse into the way most humans have lived and felt about their relationship with nature for many thousands of years. This perspective is also completely rational, much more rational than the way we now live, destroying other species and the environment itself in an attempt to sustain a way of life that any objective analysis shows we cannot sustain. I am not saying this as a soft hearted environmentalist- i am saying this as a professional ecologist who works a lot in developing nations. Our civilization is sick- it is destroying the environment while creating tremendous unnecessary human suffering. One of the illusions at the heart of this sickness is that the earth is here for us to exploit, and that man is separate from nature. This film gives native people a chance to tell us in their own voices how they relate to the earth. The film is never schmaltzy or melodramatic or righteous. It is straight talk from sane people immersed in an ancient culture of appreciation for life. Westerners, especially children, should be exposed to this perspective, to see that our way of life is not the only way, or even the best way, to live. The film delivers this message in a beautiful package that celebrates the beauty of natural environments. It is a perfectly enjoyable, benign, and inspiring way to spend 45 minutes.

More than good enough.......2005-05-15

I agree with previous reviewer regarding that the scenes could last longer, but nowhere is a 15 seconds fading in-out (and, in any case, it's not a blank screen); it also may seem artificial in some parts, and new-age style in others... BUT... there are many images that I've never seen in my life on any documentary (in an incredible quality). If anybody gets bored with this (only 45 mins. in any case), well, you may not be suited for documentaries. The buddhas statues in Thailand, the monkeys in Borneo, the amazing trees in many places, the canyons, the crystal-ice... There's much more to be thankful for than to be angry with. As I said in the beginning, it should have been better if the scenes lasted longer, but that does not prevent me to give this four stars.
(Excuse my poor english, not my native tongue.)

The Living Edens: Denali - Alaska's Great Wilderness

Average customer rating:

very beautiful

The Living Edens: Denali - Alaska's Great Wilderness

Manufacturer: Pbs (Direct)
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Alaska: Spirit of the Wild

ASIN: B0009E32GG
Release Date: 2005-06-07

Description

Beneath the Northern Lights on Mt. Denali, the highest mountain in North America, Bruce Reitherman braces himself against 40-below weather that cracks the face as well as the camera lens to capture this "living Eden" on film. Watch him soar above the jagged mountain peaks by ski-plane, slice his way across the tundra by dogsled, and get chased up a tree by a grizzly bear. A year of Reitherman's experience is highlighted in this program.

Customer Reviews:

very beautiful.......2006-03-17

I watched two Alaska videos this week. The first one is not impressive, and it seems to be produced in 1 week. The second one (the one I am reviewing) is from PBS, it is excellent. It does not only have beautiful scenes, but have a lot of parts about animals. It covers the four seasons of Denali. PBS did spend a lot of effort to take this video. I am very impressed.

True North: Experience the Untamed Beauty of Alaska

Average customer rating:

True North: Experience the Untamed Beauty of Alaska
Starring: True North
Manufacturer: Allumination
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | New Age | Styles | Music

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

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4-for-3 Music Video & Concerts | 4-for-3 DVD | Stores | DVD | Video

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Water Colors
Natural States
Desert Vision
Canyon Dreams
Light Dance: A Fusion of Film & Music Capturing the Essence of Light

ASIN: B000A8AWXW
Release Date: 2005-10-11

Description

Genre: Special Interest: New Age
Synopsis:
Experience the untamed beauty of Alaska through unique footage showcasing aerial, Stedicam and time-lapse photographic techniques.

Average customer rating:

Water Colors
Starring: Water Colors
Manufacturer: Allumination
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | New Age | Styles | Music

General | Music Video & Concerts | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Documentary | Genres | DVD | Video

Nature & Wildlife | Special Interests | Genres | DVD | Video

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

( W ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

4-for-3 Music Video & Concerts | 4-for-3 DVD | Stores | DVD | Video

4-for-3 All DVDs | 4-for-3 DVD | Stores | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

Natural States
Desert Vision
Canyon Dreams
True North: Experience the Untamed Beauty of Alaska
Light Dance: A Fusion of Film & Music Capturing the Essence of Light

ASIN: B000A8AWXM
Release Date: 2005-10-11

Description

Voyage on a dazzling journey through lush water worlds along the Alaskan Coast and inside the popular Yellowstone National Park. Experience icecaps, glaciers, waterfalls, geysers and more.

Animal Planet's - The Best of The Jeff Corwin Experience 5 DVD Set (Vol 1)

Average customer rating:

Animal Planet's - The Best of The Jeff Corwin Experience 5 DVD Set (Vol 1)

Manufacturer: Discovery Communications Inc.
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Nature & Wildlife | Special Interests | Genres | DVD | Video

Animal Planet's - The Best of The Jeff Corwin Experience 5 DVD Set (Vol 2)

ASIN: B000N7ZAR8

Product Description

Panama: Bridge Between the Americas Jeff's journey through the Panamanian forests lands him face-to-face with ocelots, vipers, tamarin monkeys and a mysterious, muscle-inflated creature. My Favorite Encounters Venture around the world as Jeff Corwin relives his most remarkable escapades from lizards to elephants to giant river otters and great white sharks. Alaska: Northern Exposure On this rugged frontier, Jeff attempts to locate all the animals depicted on an ancient totem pole including the reclusive and dangerous moose. Snake-tacular From deadly vipers in Brazil to the fearsome Black Mamba in Namibia, from a Black Tailed Rattlesnake in Arizona to an island filled with poisonous Sea Kraits in Borneo, Jeff searches for the ultimate s-s-s-spectacle. Into Africa Jeff explores the unparalleled terrain of Namibia, where protein-rich soils explode with flowers, bushes and grasses at a smattering of rain and where all manner of desert-adapted animals live. Tanzania: Bodies in Motion As animals flow en masse in search of water and sustenance, Jeff witnesses something rarely seen in person a cheetah taking down a gazelle and devouring it with her cubs. Extreme Encounters Witness Jeff's most extreme encounters from the first season of The Jeff Corwin Experience including a Python in Thailand, Dragons on the island of Komodo and a herd of wild Asian Elephants in Borneo. Brazil: The River Wolf and the Isle of Serpents A visit to Brazil's Pantanal wetlands region reveals a host of strange creatures who are masters of this lush and perilous world. Spain: Americano Loco From deadly serpents in Europe's most prestigious wildlife reserve to an impromptu visit by the world's most dangerous feline, this is no ordinary European vacation! Morocco: A Time Machine of Sand In the mighty Sahara, Jeff spots the strange and secretive "Fish of the Sand" which is not a fish at all, but a reptile.

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Glaciers
Fantastic DVD About Alaskan Glaciers

Glaciers: Alaska's Rivers of Ice
Starring: Jerry McFaul
Director: Bruce Molnia
Manufacturer: DVD International
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Documentary | Genres | DVD | Video

Science & Technology | Documentary | Genres | DVD | Video

Nature & Wildlife | Special Interests | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $14.99 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( G ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Over Alaska
Living Rock: Introduction to Earth's Geology
Alaska's Inside Passage
National Parks of Alaska
The Living Edens: Denali - Alaska's Great Wilderness

ASIN: B00008XEOR
Release Date: 2003-05-05

Description

They're one of Earth's greatest phenomenon - mountains of ice floating freely in our oceans. From the shattering roar of calving tidewater glaciers to the frigid world of the tiny ice worms, join the US Geological Survey as they explore the wonders of Glaciers: Alaska's Rivers of Ice. Learn about the formations of Aretes and Fjords. As well as the difference between eskers and moraines. Explore the elaborate geometry of Ogives, Cirques, and Seracs, while discovering the dramatic dynamism of jokulhaups and the overall physics behind the intense blue beauty of glacier ice.

Customer Reviews:

Glaciers.......2007-04-03

This video has great photography but the narration doesn't seem to always fit what is being shown. It is hard to watch and stay awake.

Fantastic DVD About Alaskan Glaciers.......2003-06-13

This is a wonderful DVD with astonishing video and still images about the glaciers of Alaska. It contains chapters that describe all of the different features of glaciers as well as a relaxing musical background.

After watching ths DVD, I had a much better understanding of the relationship between glaciers and changing climate.

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