The Untold Stories

Starring:Nirvana
Studio: Chrome Dreams Video
Product Type: DVD

Description

What if Hitler had had the A-bomb? Why did Japan's submarine sneak attack on Pearl Harbor fail? Could the kamikazes have turned the tide of war in the Pacific? Now these and other compelling stories about the secret weapons, ruthless tactics, and remarkable heroism of World War II can be told.

Customer Reviews:

"What if Hitler had the A-bomb?" Great question, but this program doesn't even try to answer it (despite this DVD's packaging)........2006-08-24

This is a generally decent documentary of sorts, but it is not really what the packaging and description make it out to be. First of all, it is only 54 minutes in lenth (not 116 minutes), and it never even addresses the question "What if Hitler had the A-bomb?" Moreover, the subtitle of this DVD, "Three Secrets that changed the War," is hardly apropo since the DVD doesn't really reveal anything that was particularly not well known except for one issue. But even the less well known issue herein of Hitler's heavy water plant in Norway didn't affect the war by this program's own admission. ("Later the allies would learn that the Nazis were never close to an atomic breakthrough.") So resistance members in Norway who eventually were able to neutralize this supply of Nazi heavy water didn't really engineer something that really changed the war. Of course the story on how this was accomplished (by sinking a passenger ferry boat, after unsuccessful sabotage and bombing raids) is a fascinating one, but it is not really what this disc claims for it. Likewise, the other half of this program concerns the Japanese use of several mini-subs in their attack on Pearl Harbor and the ultimate use of kamikaze planes. The latter is anything but "an untold story of WW2" while the former was so unsuccessful that it didn't change anything regarding the outcome of the Japanese attack on Hawaii. "Hidden secrets revealed." Where? Certainly not on this (otherwise still interesing) program. So, do partake of this selection from the folks at National Geographic if such is your inclination, but don't expect the packaging/description to live up to its advertising. Actually, you be much better off in having a look at the (albeit far more expensive, but very thorough) "World at War" boxed set of over 2 dozen WW2 documentaries. Cheers to learning ever more about the Second World War.

Simple review.......2005-04-19

This DVD has 3 ideas and the stories behind them. First is about Hitler's plan to build the A-Bomb, but the story is more about what the Allies did to try to stop it. Next up is about the mini-subs that Japanese sent in to Pearl Harbor, but it doesnt really speak of how they failed. It was more concerned with the background stories and the propanda involved. Lastly, about the Kamikazes. First time I had actually send one of the planes. All three stories are interesting, and worth watching. I dont regret buying this DVD.

Average customer rating:

Certainly worth watching, but...
Inside Iraq: The Untold Stories DVD
accurate above all
Powerful film, true to life and not biased.
Gripping...

Inside Iraq: The Untold Stories DVD
Director: Mike Shiley
Manufacturer: Shidog Films
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Documentary | Genres | DVD | Video

Iraq War | Military & War | Genres | DVD | Video

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ASIN: B000DN5WUW
Release Date: 2005-11-30

Customer Reviews:

Certainly worth watching, but..........2007-06-22

Congratulations to Mike for bringing this effort to fruition. It can't have been easy. The places he goes and the way he goes to them are truly extraordinary. Anyone who has been to Iraq knows that the footage he has shot is very true to life in terms of the small village scenes, the way Iraqis communicate very well in english, even when limited by vocabulary, etc...

I'm curious what qualifies the film as "unbiased". It is not. It is biased as all films are -- one way or the other. Certainly there are degrees. For as rare as the footage that he has captured is, his anti-Bush perspective (including trying to coax a Bush-adoring Kurd to reconsider her opinion, or accidentally say something negative through mis-translation) is a small price to pay for those images. We should not pretend he is not biased, though.

The narration is simplistic and heavy-handed, but also gives the piece a fresh feel.

I can tell you from watching projects like this get filmed and troops get interviewed, the most inflammatory moments in the documentary (soldier rants, tank crushing a car, nighttime harrassment fires) are surely the most inflammatory he shot. They are terrible, and embarrassing for our nation, but they are not 'mainstream'. He likely shot hundreds or thousands of hours of video, and chose his cuts selectively. That is certainly his prerogative for the risks he endured.

Overall, this is a valuable addition to the Iraq body of work, but not an unbiased one. This is the most footage that I have found in one place that gives an accurate view of the typical moments in Iraqi life. After watching it, everyone will think more clearly and act more purposefully the next time a war debate comes up, as it will.

Inside Iraq: The Untold Stories DVD.......2007-01-20

The narration was naive and skimped on facts. Some of the footage is extraordinary but overall it is an amateur prodution at best.

accurate above all.......2007-01-04

I have been in Iraq and Afghanistan for five years now, longer than any other American. I was amazed at this work, as it strikes all the points accurately as I have seen it. I did see a little too much leaning on the side of we should not be over here, but then I do agree with him. We did have a choice, and even if it was correct at the time, I have seen way too much money poored into this part of the world for country building while the people do not need, want, or deserve it. A price of plywood for instance is out of site at a lunberyard anywhere in the states, but look at the acres of it stacked up over here mostly going for non-essential projects, and it makes you angry if you are trying to build a house. I have only one thing I did not like of the program, and I understand why he did it, but he should not have. I know of the place that one GI soldier was speaking of to go to make love, and yes, it does happen way too much. It goes in general to show a disrespect for the American soldier in general, and of course the bad apples in the crowd. I have been a believer that women should not be deployed here as I see reasons every day. But it was so hard for me to view that scene. Even married women seem to take a sort of "freedom" logic here, if they be from another country as contractors, or in the military...they all seem to hook up with somebody. That is a problem for most of us. I think anybody who wants to feel as if they know what this part of the world is like, this is a good show to view.

Powerful film, true to life and not biased........2006-08-30

Mike Shiley is an adventure traveler and all around life enthusiast that has turned his passion into his life's work and mission - and that is obvious from the moment this film starts.

In Sept 2003 he got a flack jacket, faked a press pass, and against the advise of just about everyone he knew, hopped a plane to Iraq. From the moment he arrives he's in danger. Yet alone with only his camera and the essentials, he prevails and makes friends everywhere he goes.

He spent many months making his way through the country, talking with people, hearing their stories, and filming it all. He spent time with civilians, the Iraqi military and the US Military. Everywhere he went, he got gripping footage, opinions, and a slice of life as people saw it. It was extremely real and very sad. The outcome is AMAZING.

Places and people are shown as they are - it is the first footage I've seen where I could actually begin to comprehend how life has changed since the war began and see what impact its had on the people.

Above all, this film is about people. He did not politicize or show a skewed version of things. Just the facts - and in many ways these facts speak volumes that no mainstream media, military personnel, local Iraqi or political analyst could ever match alone.

I recommend it VERY HIGHLY. Buy it now if you want to see what is really happening in Iraq.

Gripping..........2006-05-21

Mike Shiley, almost on a whim, decides to take us inside Iraq. He goes to places not normally traversed by professional journalists to get the "real" story. Most western journalists in Iraq rarely (if ever) venture outside the Green Zone. The possibility of ambush, being kidnapped and getting tortured / executed is just too great.

Enter Shiley, someone who is not a professional journalist. He takes us on a "tour" of the Iraq of today in the post-Saddam era. He introduces us to Iraqis who love us (believe it or not, there are some) as well as those who loathe us (a higher percentage, I would say).

While the DVD does not set out to bash the Bush administration, Shiley does implicity show just how badly Dubya has bungled this whole venture. If the self-appointed geniuses who work for the Bush administration would take the time to watch this film, they just MIGHT be able to make decisions that are productive. As it stands, Iraq will likely continue to be a stagnant quagmire due to the ignorance of the Bush administration and it's broken-record statement of "Stay the course."

Beyond that, we see the human side of what's going on over there. It is painful to watch in several instances. We hear about American soldiers being killed on CNN on an almost daily basis. That's bad enough, but what we don't normally hear about are all the Iraqis who are being massacred & caught in the crossfire. Typically we only hear about Iraqi casualties if there is a spectacular attack.

If you have an interest in what is REALLY going on in Iraq and wonder about the future of the Middle East, then I cannot endorse this movie highly enough.

Average customer rating:

Navy Seals: The Untold Stories
Starring: Navy Seals
Manufacturer: Platinum Disc
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

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ASIN: B0006A9IN4
Release Date: 2004-12-07

The Ultimate National Geographic World War II Collection (Untold Stories/The Battle for Midway/Pearl Harbor - Legacy of Attack)

Average customer rating:

Out of their Element?

The Ultimate National Geographic World War II Collection (Untold Stories/The Battle for Midway/Pearl Harbor - Legacy of Attack)
Starring: Peter Coyote , Bob Ballard , John Ford , Tom Brokaw , and Carl Carson
Manufacturer: Nat'l Geographic Vid
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Documentary | Genres | DVD | Video

World War II | Military & War | Genres | DVD | Video

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ASIN: B00006G8K7
Release Date: 2002-10-01

Description

Three best-selling World War II titles in a DVD collector?s set for the first time ever. Experience compelling stories of America?s most extraordinary generation of heroes! Titles are: Untold Stories of WWII, The Battle for Midway, and Pearl Harbor: Legacy of Attack.

Customer Reviews:

Out of their Element?.......2005-03-14

I was looking for some of those old National Geographic nature specials when I came upon this selection of WWII DVD's. I had a lot of respect for the quality of the National Geographic specials based on what I'd seen on TV over the years. I expected the same when I ordered this set of DVD's. I have to admit that the quality of the production is very good. It's the overall content that disappointed me.

The first DVD I watched was titled "Untold Stories of WWII". It had several sideline stories about supposedly little known developments during the war. The main subject was the Nazi Germany early-stage development towards an atomic bomb. The events primarily take place in Norway and you probably would enjoy watching the movie "Heroes of Telemark" more than this segment. There's another on the development of the other super weapons that Germany developed towards the end of the war. There's is also a segment on the Japanese mini-sub which segues into the next DVD I watched.

The second DVD of this set that I watched was "Pearl Harbor-Legacy of Attack". This and the final DVD of the series apparently grew out of the funding that the National Geographic Society provided for a couple of undersea explorations. One was the search for a Japanese mini-sub supoosedly lost during 12/7/41 and the other was for the USS Yorktown lost after the Battle for Midway. The modern day underwater searches were a questionable aspect of the Pearl Harbor and Midway DVD's. I enoy the views of sunken ships that have become technologically possible in the last decade or so. However, they did seem to detract from the recounting of the history of the two battles. There is a lot of good original films of the two battles, good narration and outstanding reminiscences by surviving veterans.

The Pearl Harbor DVD, I felt, was the most worthwhile of the three in the set. Frankly, I'd recommend that you save money and just buy that one. It gives a better overview of the battle than does the Midway DVD. The one on Midway seemed rather sporatic in its' narrative.

I'm still looking for those great National Geographic nature specials that I saw when I was growing up. I'm not sure what to make of the National Geographic's journey into the realm of history. Maybe if the underwater discoveries are put on the center stage and the rest was just used as background, I might have appreciated these videos more. As it was, the two battle DVD's seemed to be trying to tell two seperate stories simultaneously and I didn't think that worked too well.

Average customer rating:

A Good Presentation

Untold Stories Of Columbine
Starring: Darrell Scott
Manufacturer: Vision Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Documentary | Genres | DVD | Video

( U ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Rachel's Tears: The Spiritual Journey of Columbine Martyr Rachel Scott
The Journals Of Rachel Scott A Journey Of Faith At Columbine High
Investigative Reports: Columbine: Understanding Why
Chain Reaction A Call To Compassionate Revolution
Rachel Smiles: The Spiritual Legacy of Columbine Martyr Rachel Scott

ASIN: B0007Z0O1S
Release Date: 2005-03-22

Customer Reviews:

A Good Presentation.......2005-10-28

There are a few events or occasions in every generation where time seems to stop. Those old enough to remember J.F.K's assassination tend to not only remember the news reports, but remember where they were and who they were with when they heard about his death. Many people still remember how they felt when they heard that the space shuttle Challenger was destroyed just seconds after lift-off, or more recently, when they began to hear news reports about planes plowing into the World Trade Center in New York City. Another tragedy that stopped a nation, and really an entire continent, was the shootings in Columbine High School on April 20, 1999.

As with all tragedies, there arose out of Columbine stories of untold grief along with stories of great hope and rejoicing. Untold Stories on Columbine places the spotlight on just one of the young people who lost her life that day. Rachel Joy Scott was only seventeen years old but had placed her faith in God and sought to be a light in the darkness of the halls at her high school. From all accounts she was a fun, happy and vivacious young woman who was bold in sharing her faith. The DVD is a video recording of a speech her father, Darrell Scott, gave at a Baptist church in Tennessee. It also contains footage from Rachel's funeral which was broadcast worldwide on CNN.

Apparently only a couple of weeks before the shootings Rachel, true to her convictions, had witnessed to the two gunmen. Her father recounts what has become a popular but unsubstantiated account of the events surrounding her death. Rachel had already been shot twice while standing outside the school building. One of the gunmen, seeing that she was wounded, grabbed her hair and pulled her head towards him, asking "Do you still believe in God?" When she replied, "You know I do," he immediately shot her through the temple. This same affirmation of faith was attributed to Cassie Bernall (and was later disproven, despite books and songs in her honor) and to Valeen Schnurr who survived. It is entirely possible that the gunmen asked this question of multiple people. We will never know with any certainty whether Rachel's final words were a statement of her faith, but what we do know is that she was a remarkable young woman who left a legacy that has since inspired thousands or even tens of thousands of young people.

The untold stories of Columbine are not the stories of Rachel or Cassie, but of those who were stirred to follow their example in finding meaning and refuge in Christ. While many stories that arose in the aftermath of that day have long since been proven false, what no one can disprove or take away is the faith of those young women and many of the other students. We cannot know how many lives were touched and how many hearts stirred to hear of young believers who lost their lives - maybe as martyrs and maybe not - leaving behind a legacy of faith.

Darrell Scott is a natural speaker and his presentation is powerful and stirring. He shares stories from his daughter's past and relates many of her premonitions that her life was not going to last long. Equally powerful are the testimonies of Rachel's friends and family as they pour out their hearts at her funeral. The grief, still so new and fresh, is palpable. I had two concerns with the presentation. First, it seemed that he must have already given the speech hundreds of times, for it seemed to be done with little spark or emotion. Secondly, discerning viewers may find themselves squirming at times, as Scott is a Pentecostal and holds back nothing, even in front of his Baptist audience. Knowing his audience he attempts to explain his beliefs on visions, dreams and direct revelation from God, but in the end I agree with a friend he mentions in his speech who always encourages him to "show me in the Word!"

This is an interesting DVD and well worth the 80-minute investment. Whether or not Rachel Scott died with a confession of her faith upon her lips, we know from her life and from the legacy she left behind that she believed deeply in the Lord and was called home from that bloodstained field to her Savior's side. Her life and death were both a powerful testimony to the grace of God.

Average customer rating:

courtney love is why
not really so untold
the untold stories...not really that untold are they?
this dvd sucked do not buy
this video SUCKS

The Untold Stories
Starring: Nirvana
Manufacturer: Chrome Dreams Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music

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

General | Documentary | Genres | DVD | Video

( U ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

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ASIN: B00009MEFK
Release Date: 2003-06-17

Description

Nirvana, the defining sound of a generation and the trail-blazers of the grunge music movement. Through lead singer Kurt Cobain's angst ridden vocals and his group's unrelenting attitude, they became the soundtrack for disaffected youth the world over. Even after Cobain's tragic suicide they remain highly influential and immensely popular as countless new generations of fans discover their music. On 'Nirvana: The Untold Stories' we take you behind the music to discover what it took for this unlikely trio to define a musical genre. Packed with interviews this documentary takes you where the cameras never previously preyed to achieve an uncensored look at a legendary band.

Customer Reviews:

courtney love is why.......2004-07-07

I am posting this, in response to the reviewers complaing about the lack of Nirvana songs and/or video clips in this documentary:

You need to know something first! You need to understand why there isn't one Nirvana song or video clip on this DVD. It's because Courtney Love doesn't like the British guy that is doing this documentary. So, Courtney didn't authorize ANY Nirvana songs or video, to be on the DVD! If the Producers of this DVD put a Nirvana song or video in this documentary... THEY WOULD HAVE BEEN SUED BY KURT'S KILLER (Courtney... for the Nirvana Newbies out there)!

The documentary is un-authorized, by that (...)

not really so untold.......2004-03-23

All in all this is a good dvd if you don't know much about Nirvana already, though some of the facts aren't quite correct and you never see or hear nirvana...you see a few pictures but thats about it. The people interviewed don't really have much to do with Kurt or Nirvana, apart from his uncle chuck, If you just want to find out some facts about Nirvana or Kurt I suggest looking on the web, just search using google you'll get a broader veiw on everything. But it's an ok dvd, and tells you a few thing you won't find many other places and a better view of Kurts childhood and teenage years than on most websites. (If you are having trouble finding this dvd buy i at play.com they have some in stock.) So all in all i say buy it if you have a few quid/dollars spair just to give you better knowlege of Nirvana

the untold stories...not really that untold are they?.......2004-03-23

this dvd sucked do not buy.......2004-03-08

i love nirvana. this dvd is crap. No one from the band had a speaking part or even a silient video part. There is only one 5 second clip of a nirvana song in the whole movie and the woman's voice who does the comentary is super annoying. Do not buy ever even if you want to own everything nirvana. Don't even take the risk to steal this thing. It sucks sucks sucks. They should be sued for making a missleading doucumentry and using five seconds of a nirvana song without the rights they didn't even get the nirvana font correct. this sux worthless

this video SUCKS.......2004-02-29

As I said in the title, this video SUCKS! NO nirvana music AT ALL, NO footage of the band other than pictures you can easily find on the internet or in any Nirvana book...this video may be for some people who are just learning about Nirvana but it is NOT for the hardcore fans. The cover says "in-depth interviews", but what they really mean is a bunch of people trying to get their 15 minutes of fame. I was told absolutely NOTHING I didn't know. If you want to know the real Nirvana story, READ A BOOK. "Come As You Are: The Story of Nirvana" is a MUCH better resource (AND it has better pictures!). And for actual footage of the band, get "Nirvana! Live! Tonight! Sold Out!" Yes, that's a REAL Nirvana video for REAL Nirvana fans.