Release Info:
Theatrical Release: 2008
DVD Release Date: August 17, 2010
Online Availability: Amazon for $22.49

He had around 300 relatives who went to the Concentration Camps, but only he survived….

This is just one of the tidbits I picked up while watching the documentary, Four Seasons Lodge. The film is about a group of Holocaust survivors who form a Jewish, vacation colony in New York’s Catskills. About 10 years after settling in New York with his family, Hymie Abramowitz, and a group of Holocaust Survivors he had met after coming to the states, formed the Four Season Lodge. This lush retreat was, at its peak, a place where up to 55 Jewish families, made up entirely of Survivors and their children, went to get away from it all. This is a place where these Polish Jews went to heal, socialize, and be understood.

At one point, there were over 100, Jewish colonies in and around the Catskills. The lush landscape and breathtaking scenery became a haven from the city. The Four Seasons Lodge was named as such to imply how Survivors could always be welcome there, no matter the season. They sought each other out, having endured tragedies those of us who are young today could never understand. With them they brought their pain and fears, but also their hopes and dreams.

When Andrew Jacobs, a reporter for the New York Times, heard about the Lodge, he considered writing a series on it. However, after meeting the people behind the story he realized that nothing could capture their unique spirits like film. He set out to make his first documentary. Unlike other documentaries about Holocaust survivors, Jacobs focused on their place at the Lodge and their life in America, after the war. While some stories about their experiences in Europe, during the Holocaust, are discussed, Jacobs strives to explore the impact being in such an atrocity did to these survivors and how they managed to move on, despite their haunting pasts that never seem to go away.

In 2005, it is the 26th anniversary at the Four Seasons Lodge. There are many people profiled. Among them are:

Hymie Abramowitz: Hymie is from Poland. He runs the Lodge and wants to sell it after 26 years. He has been voted to the board to run this place since its beginning, but he is having trouble keeping up with the upkeep of the Lodge.

Carl Potok: Carl is from Krakow, Poland. He is the President of Lodge, but he has had to resign. His wife, Cascia is very sick with Alzheimer’s disease. He just does not have the time to devote to the Lodge and agrees he should sell it. Both Carl and his wife are survivors.

Carl’s son, Marty, remembers when the Lodge was booming. They were often up til 2 or 3 AM. Now they head to bed about 10 PM.

Aron Adelman: Aron is 91 and is from Poland. Basie (I think she is his wife), says this will be Aron’s last year because he has a tumor and he almost died recently. He wanted to come to the Lodge one more time. Aron ends up at the hospital while at the Lodge.

Olga Bowman and Genia Boyman: Genia is from Austria and Ogla is from Poland (I think). The two are a family. They are very close. Every year, they live together in the bungalow. Their husbands, who are dead, were cousins. Genia has a lot of pain and does not like to talk about her experience during the Holocaust.

Lola Wenglin and Tobias Buchman: Lola and Tobias are from Poland. They were in the Concentration Camp together. They grew up together and Tobias protected Lola. They have been a couple for the past two years, brought together after their spouses died.

Tobias tells a story about how when he was working at a shop making weapons, his boss called him in to talk to him. What he told Tobias was that one bullet was worth more than a thousand Jews.

The survivors of the Holocaust sought each other out after coming to the United States. With less than 20 Jewish colonies left in the Catskills, Andrew Jacobs set out to document what may be the last year for this group of survivors and to share tales about how they became a family because they lost their families. More teens survived because little children went straight to the ovens. As one survivor says, “no psychiatrist can heal you of this.” It haunts you, but you make-believe everything is okay.

This group of Jews are unapologetic in their approach to religion, faith, sex, and expressing their anger, pain and frustration over what they have endured. Their only hope is that as they pass on and no Holocaust survivors remain left to tell their story, that we never forget them or let history repeat itself.

Documentary: 4 out of 5 stars
Replayability: 2.5 out of 5 stars
Directing: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Audio/Visual:
The visual quality for Four Seasons Lodge is presented in 1.33:1 standard, full frames. The video quality looks good. It was made in 2005 and onward, so this looks like a new film. The budget for Four Seasons Lodge wasn’t huge. It doesn’t look like a high budget film, but I really did not find any visual flaws that were distracting, to note in this DVD. This is your standard documentary picture and it works for what this documentary offers.

The audio quality for Four Seasons Lodge seems to be your run of the mill stereo track. The DVD did not say, so I am assuming it is Dolby 2.0 sound. The film features English, as well as Yiddish and Polish dialogue. The Yiddish and Polish have subtitles, but all of the rest of the dialogue is without the option of closed captioning. It is sad the hearing impaired will have to pass on this release. There was no need to volume toggle and good use of music added to the feel of the film, but this track was just run of the mill. It was standard, not phenomenal.

Visual: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Audio: 3 out of 5 stars

Bonus Features:
This was my favorite part of the disc. There are some great features that are just as important as the movie itself. The director, Andrew Jacobs, hosts a very interesting, albeit somewhat short, Making Of documentary. This explains why Jacobs made the documentary and his journey to film these survivors’ stories. There are some deleted scenes, which contain a lot more information about the personal struggles of the survivors.

There is also a Personal Stories of Survival section. Here we get to hear Hymie’s Story, which discusses his sisters horrifying death, just one of the tragedies of his tormented history. There are other tales of woe from other survivors, too. These stories are heartbreaking, but a necessity to watch. Finally, there are some Poems. All in all, these aren’t bad offerings for a documentary feature.

Bonus Features: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Bottom Line:
This is a new take on Holocaust survivors, as Andrew Jacobs looks into life after the Holocaust, for survivors who have found one another and form their own family. With so many survivors without their own families (having lost everyone in the camps), it is nice to see the camaraderie amongst this group. With this generation fading fast, Jacobs does his best to capture the spirit of a people that hope their story is not forgotten. I recommend this to anyone and everyone about the age of 16. There is some discussion of sexual subjects, so it is not recommended for anyone younger. Besides, the topic is relatively heavy for most children.

Overall Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Technorati Tags: DVD Review, Four Seasons Lodge, Holocaust, First Run Features, Poland, Jewish, Survivors, Catskills, New York, Colony, Documentary

Release Info:
DVD Release Date: April 20, 2010
Online Availability: Amazon for $20.99

Reviewing documentaries isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Some documentaries are well made and bring attention to a cause that you didn’t know existed. Other documentaries leave you wondering why they were made in the first place. Pressure Cooker is definitely in the first category rather than the last. This documentary taught me about a school that I didn’t know existed, full of kids that the world, save for one teacher, seems to have forgotten.

Wilma Stephenson is a teacher in Frankford High School in Philadelphia. She teaches culinary arts to unprivileged students. Stephenson’s class prepares the kids for a yearly cooking contest for kids from all over the state. Winners in this contest receive scholarships that will change their lives. These are scholarships that they would not be eligible for in other circumstances. Pressure Cooker is the story of Stephenson and her students. It follows the class for one year of preparation with cooking, goal setting, and life in general.

The filmmakers succeed by letting the kids in this documentary have their own voice. Pressure Cooker was edited beautifully and in a way that offered respect to the subject and the children involved. In a school where most of the kids won’t see graduation, much less senior year, these kids reach for the stars and refuse to give up hope. While Stephenson is not the only cause for this she does deserve some back patting for caring about kids that sometimes don’t even care about themselves.

Stephenson is the rock that these kids need to keep going. She offers both emotion and laughter in this serious film. She made Pressure Cooker an exciting film to watch. Her classes are inspiring and while she is hard on her students, she only expects perfection because she knows they are capable of giving it. You have a chance to see the students in class and working towards the contest, but there are plenty of moments where they are at home and telling you about what their lives out of class are like. It’s an amazing documentary and it comes highly recommended.

Storyline/Plot: 5 out of 5 stars
Replayability: 5 out of 5 stars
Directing: 5 out of 5 stars

Audio/Visual:
First Run Features tends to offer lower budget documentaries and it sometimes shows in the video and audio. This video quality is no different than most. It is not offensive, but there are some harsh moments. Overall, there are few visual defects and the quality remains stable. However, it’s not going to compare to anything higher budget, but for what here, it gets the job done nicely.

The audio is manageable at all times. The dialogue is easy to hear and everything sounds fine. This is a documentary so you don’t need a high presence of dynamic sound, which is good because you don’t receive that. The focus is on the dialogue and that works well for this type of film. Everything is easily understood and there are no significant problems to note.

Visual: 3 out of 5 stars
Audio: 4 out of 5 stars

Bonus Features:
There is not a lot here in terms of bonus content, but most documentaries fail to provide in this area, so anything is usually better than nothing. You receive some bonus scenes that were not in the movie. These don’t add a whole lot, but like the film they are still worth watching. The best part of the features though is updates on where some of the students are today and what they are doing in their current everyday lives. This is an excellent addition to Pressure Cooker that fans will enjoy.

Bonus Features: 3 out of 5 stars

Bottom Line:
Pressure Cooker is one of those documentaries that I was not expecting to see until it showed up for my review. I cannot stress how glad I am that it did show up. This is a truly amazing film. It shows the filmmakers talent and the heart of the kids that are featured is more than evident. You won’t want to miss this awesome, uplifting film. This comes highly recommended.

Overall Rating: 4.17 out of 5 stars

Technorati Tags: Pressure Cooker, DVD Review, Film Review, Documentary, Frankford High School

Release Info:
DVD Release Date: April 20, 2010
Online Availability: Amazon for $22.49

What does The Bible really say about being gay?

Religious people can answer that question in a number of different ways. Unfortunately, most of them are incredibly hateful ways that the average person doesn’t want to hear. I should start this by saying I do not believe in the Christian God. I have many friends that do and we get along just fine, but for the most part I cannot tolerate a deity that allows his worshipping Army to discriminate against others and that lack the tolerance that he appeared to offer in his own life. Still, stories and documentaries about religion interest me greatly.

One of the reasons I am interested in them is that I want to see how they play out. So many of them rely on The Bible saying one thing or another, but often they fail to truly examine the text, which is disappointing. Fish Out of Water takes an opposite approach to this. Ky Dickens, the writer and director of this project is a Christian. She’s also a lesbian. When she came out to friends in college many of them turned their backs on her. This is her rebuttal to all of the naysayers that believe that homosexuality is a condemnable sin courtesy of The Bible.

Using animation and documentary style interviews, Fish Out of Water looks at those favorite quotable passages from The Bible and seeks to debunk them and show them for what they really are. In order to do this, Dickens calls in various religion experts and theologians to give their opinion. She tries to keep it fair with some of them promoting the idea of a loving God and others speaking of fire and brimstone to all homosexuals and sinners that approve of them. The results here truly do speak for themselves though. People that watch this and leave the viewing thinking that homosexuality is still a sin need to rewatch it, and at the very least, learn some Ancient languages to read the original translations of The Bible.

It is clear that Dickens wants to show that everyone is welcome in the house of God. She does not attempt to make people look like victims, but she does show that there are people that identify as GLBT that are religious and that these people should not be discriminated against or left out.

The main passages that are picked over are definitely the most picked over to discriminate against people. These passages include Adam and Eve, Sodom and Gomorrah, the laws of Leviticus, and the letters of Paul. These go over the bulk of the “homosexuality is a sin” arguments. From Adam & Eve not Adam & Steve, to Sodomites and a man shall not lie with another man, all of the important parts are thoroughly examined. In the end, Dickens allows you to make up your own mind, but she makes it clear that your opinion will not have the ability to sway anyone’s faith.

Many will see this as controversial because it makes no attempt to repeat the same hate-speak that so many religious documentaries offer. If you ask me, the only downfall of this documentary is that it does not discuss the problems that come from this blatant discrimination due to religion.

Storyline/Plot: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Replayability: 5 out of 5 stars
Directing: 4 out of 5 stars

Audio/Visual:
The video quality here is about average for a low budget DVD. You aren’t going to be wowed by any visual spectacles but there isn’t much to complain about either. It’s a solid transfer that is free of any glaring visual distractions.

Audio offers much the same quality as the video does. It’s not too dynamic and it isn’t going to leave you in awe, but you won’t have any problems hearing anything either. The dialogue is always clear and the music and limited special effect sounds work well.

Visual: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Audio: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Bonus Features:
Like the majority of First Run Features there are some special features available on this DVD. There is not a huge amount of features, but there are a few that make them worth watching. There are some additional statements by people, comments from Dickens, and a text-based study guide. All in all, it’s not the most impressive set of bonuses, but it’s not bad for this particular disc.

Bonus Features: 3 out of 5 stars

Bottom Line:
I had not heard of Fish Out of Water until it landed on my doorstep for review. Once I read the back of the box, I watched it immediately because I wanted to know how the discussion of homosexuality and religion would translate to film. I was more than pleased. Fish Out of Water is an incredible documentary that everyone needs to watch. This comes highly recommended.

Overall Rating: 3.92 out of 5 stars

Technorati Tags: Fish Out of Water, DVD Review, Homosexuality, Leviticus, The Bible, Gays, Religion, First Run Films

Release Info:
Episodes Original Air Date: September 9, 2009-December 16, 2009
DVD Release Date: March 30, 2010
Online Availability: Amazon for $27.49

This show was so weird. I’m hoping that since they ended it with The Rapture that Nostradamus Effect will not have an encore, second season. I just couldn’t get into this show. Upon further examination of the theories presented in this series, many of these prophesies are false or never existed to begin with, which says a lot about the producers of Nostradamus Effect. Just read up on the Mayan Calendar, the most blatantly false of the claims by this show. It makes me wonder what has happened to the History Channel. I can’t condone a network that tries to pass this crap off as historically inaccurate.

Before every episode, there is a disclaimer that the show seeks neither to endorse nor deny the theories presented in this show. However, the show takes a one-sided look at the theories, with an almost sensationalized approach to them. These theories are outlandish and the entire show is wacko. I had to force myself to keep watching because otherwise, I would have turned it off and possibly chucked it out the window. I am bound to believe the unexpected, but I like to have historical proof to back up claims of shows that are attempting to pass themselves off as documentaries.

The thing I dislike the most about Nostradamus Effect and the episodes in The Complete Season One DVD set is how hokey all of them are. It feels like these shows are written by a religious conspiracy theorist. From the “Fatima’s Lost Prophecy” episode to “Hitler’s Blood Oath”, it feels as if the producers/writers were stretching to prove that the end of the world was coming. I suggest reading up on Lúcia de Jesus Rosa Santos instead of watching this episode on her story.

I do not recommend a purchase of Nostradamus Effect – The Complete Season One. I don’t even recommend you keep reading my review because it is a complete and utter waste of your time. However, for those of you who are gluttons for punishment, feel free to keep reading to find out about what’s in this set and the quality of said episodes. I would not usually discourage people from reading my website, BUT in this case, I hope you’ll thank me for putting you all first, and telling you to avoid Nostradamus Effect – The Complete Season One at all costs.

Nostradamus Effect – The Complete Season One Episode Synopsis’
There are twelve episodes in the Nostradamus Effect – The Complete Season One set. Here is a list of what is included with a brief description of each episode.

“The Third Anti-Christ?”
Original Air Date: September 9, 2009
This looks into Nostradamus’ predictions. The main focus is on three anti-Christs who will be on the Earth. The first two supposedly already existed and were Napoleon and Hitler. The third is a yet to be identified anti-Christ who will appear to be very charming, but will really have evil intentions.

“Da Vinci’s Armageddon”
Original Air Date: September 16, 2009
This looks into the paintings and other documents by Leonardo Da Vinci. Apparently, Da Vinci might have hidden messages about an apocalypse that would destroy the world.

“Extinction 2012″
Original Air Date: September 23, 2009
December 21, 2012 is apparently the day the world ends. The show claims that the Mayans and Nostradamus, as well as the Chinese, Hopi and other groups predicted this would be the day the world is going to end.

“Hitler’s Blood Oath”
Original Air Date: September 30, 2009
This looks at Hitler and the Third Reich. It looks into links between Hilter and prophecies of an apocalypse by those who predicted the end of the world. It also looks into Nazi Germany’s ties into the occult.

“The Apocalypse Code”
Original Air Date: October 7, 2009
Did Sir Isaac Newton predict the end of the world? This show examines the possibilities that Newton saw an apocalypse on the horizon.

“Son of Nostradamus”
Original Air Date: October 14, 2009
In a library at the Vatican, a mysterious manuscript full of predictions/prophecies was found in 1994. Upon further inspection, it looks like it might have been written by Nostradamus’ oldest son, Cesar.

“Secrets of the Seven Seals”
Original Air Date: October 21, 2009
The Book of Revelations is the apocalypse book in the Bible. In it, a war of seven years leads up to the final battle of good versus evil and destruction of the world, as we know it. In Revelations, the book of the Seven Seals is opened as the destruction unfolds and leads to the final judgment.

“Fatima’s Lost Prophecy”
Original Air Date: November 4, 2009
In 1917, Lúcia de Jesus Rosa Santos supposedly was visited by the Virgin Mary. She was given three visions/prophecies, one that may predict the end of the world.

“Satan’s Army”
Original Air Date: November 11, 2009
John the Apostle and the Book of Revelations predict Armageddon, and the final showdown. This looks into John’s visions of the war Satan fights against good and the coming of the four horsemen.

“Doomsday Hieroglyphs”
Original Air Date: December 2, 2009
The Ancient Egyptians, their hieroglyphic language and the Giza Plateau of Egypt might have a connection to the end of the world

“Armageddon Battle Plan”
Original Air Date: December 9, 2009
When the Dead Sea Scrolls were found, so were the War Scrolls. This episode examines the truth behind this scroll and it’s potential prophecy of the end of the world.

“Rapture”
Original Air Date: December 16, 2009
When Christ returns, the Christians will rise up to meet him. The show pretends The Rapture is true and examines signs that it is going to happen.

Storyline/Plot: 0 out of 5 stars
Replayability: 0 out of 5 stars
Acting: 2 out of 5 stars
Directing: 0 out of 5 stars

Audio/Visual:
The History Channel releases Nostradamus Effect in a basic, bare bones quality that would be more disappointing had I really took to the series. Unfortunately, if you did, this quality is not going to thrill you. It’s about what you would expect if watching it on television, but even now the quality could certainly be more impressive than this is. What you receive is a full-screen transfer that is not overly detailed and leans towards the softer side of video. Things are generally inconsistent, which is a letdown for anything that is considered newer. It’s watchable, but that does not make it pleasing.

The audio is just about what I would expect from this type of television show presentation. The audio comes to you via a Dolby Digital 2.0 presentation. It succeeds in the fact that things like volume toggling are not necessary and you can hear the dialogue and other elements with relative ease. Still, the dialogue rests mainly on the front channels and the sound effects never really pop in that pleasing way that better audio allows them to do.

Visual: 2.5 out of 5 stars
Audio: 2.5 out of 5 stars

Bonus Features:
The only bonus feature here, if you want to call it that, is available on the third disc of the set. “Strange Facts about Nostradamus” is exactly what it sounds like. It’s a textual special feature that offers a series of factoids about Nostradamus. This is the only thing that qualifies as a special feature and it’s not much.

Bonus Features: 1 out of 5 stars

Bottom Line:
The Nostradamus Effect – The Complete Season One is the worst thing I’ve seen from the History Channel. Next to typical Disney fare my nephew has made me watch, I’d have to say Nostradamus Effect is the worst television show I have seen in a long time, and that’s saying a lot. I grew up in the 80s, when television was cool, so there is a lot of crap out there on TV today. I do not recommend you purchase Nostradamus Effect – The Complete Season One. I don’t even recommend you rent this. It’s just that bad. AVOID AT ALL COSTS!!

Overall Rating: 1.14 out of 5 stars

Technorati Tags: The History Channel, DVD Review, Nostradamus, The Complete Season One, Documentary, TV on DVD

Release Info:
Theatrical Release Date: February 13, 2009
DVD Release Date: March 30, 2010
Online Availability: Amazon for $30.49

I’m big into nature. Some might even say I have the mind of an environmentalist. I’m against anything that hurts the environment or the variety of creatures that inhabit it. So, whenever a nature movie is released, I want to see it. While Disney has developed an entire nature division, Disney nature, other studios, such as Warner Bros. are just starting to put their hat into the nature arena. The latest is Under the Sea, an underwater documentary that was originally released in IMAX 3D.

Funnyman, Jim Carrey, lends his voice to this underwater documentary. Carrey keeps things fairly straight, though his occasional kidding around makes for a lighthearted look at one of the most diverse environments in the world. Some of his jokes, well most of them really, are corny, but they are forgivable, given the nature of this documentary. The camera work is absolutely breathtaking, as the colors burst from the screen, and all of the species you’d expect to see underwater, and some you won’t are represented.

I have to tell you, there was this moment where I thought a shark was going to devour a sea lion. Carrey was alluding to it, and I thought, for sure, it was going to come. First shot, the terrifying shark (I have a shark phobia, by the way, so I was already squeamish). The shark is swimming and looks to be on the hunt. Jim Carrey mentions the delicious meals sharks eat…like sea lions. He also points out statistics about the shark, including how much one weighs and how big they are. This bad boy on screen is MAMMOTH.

Shot 2, enter cute, cuddly, and adorable white sea lions. Watch them play, carefree and unaware a shark might be nearby. Pan back to the shark swimming and more alluding by Carrey. Then flash back to the sea lions. By now, I am looking between the television and Ash saying, “Baby sea lion is toast…”

BUTTT…that didn’t happen and all was well in the underwater sanctuary. I could only imagine the cries of outrage from unsuspecting parents who let their little ones watch this movie had that big-toothed shark got his way and munched down on scrumptious sea lions. Luckily, there were no midday snacks for the shark and Carrey quickly moved on to some funky looking fish called cuttlefish. Overall, despite there being sharks in this production, I enjoyed watching it and learning about new, underwater species I never knew about before. If nothing else, this movie is educational, and the cinematography is superb.

Movie: 4 out of 5 stars
Replayability: 4 out of 5 stars

Audio/Visual:
The source material for Under the Sea was created for IMAX so you can expect the best here. Even if I was not in love with the base of the narration, I was in awe of the visual aspects of this documentary. Specs include a 1.85:1 aspect ratio and 1080p resolution. Everything is presented in the richest, most lavish way possible. The colors are deep and strong, the blacks and grays are more than suitable, and the detail is simply stunning. The sea creatures and underwater life were beautiful and at times frightening. After seeing this on Blu-ray I can only imagine how gorgeous it must have been seeing it on a big screen in IMAX 3D. Even the smallest fish and rock in the sea are clearly represented in this important undertaking.

On the other hand, the audio is also presented with all of the expertise that is required to offer a top notch soundtrack. Handled with DTS-HD MA, there should not be any issue with the auditory aspects of this documentary. Multiple channels are used for sound effects (bubbling water, swimming fish, and other underwater sounds), the musical elements, and the narration of Jim Carrey.

One of my only complaints was that at times I felt that Carrey’s voice was underplayed and it made him harder to hear when other sounds were going on. At times his voice with the other sounds worked well, but occasionally I was forced to turn up or down the volume to accommodate. Overall, there is nothing but minor complaints here. Under the Sea offers a strong auditory presentation. Subtitles are available in English, Dutch, French, and Spanish.

Visual: 5 out of 5 stars
Audio: 4 out of 5 stars

Bonus Features:
Under the Sea is like many documentaries in the way that there are not very many special features offered with this Blu-ray. While a number of things could have been placed here, this set is rather bare bones. There is one standard feature entitled, Filming IMAX: Under the Sea and this is followed up by some Blu-ray exclusive webisodes, Expeditions.

Filming IMAX lasts for around seven minutes and serves as a glorified promo video. The most interesting part of this is when they delve into what filming was like (the cameras were pretty bulky). Other than that, there isn’t much worth talking about. The webisodes are exclusive to the Blu-ray and all five last for a combined total of twelve minutes. Each webisode explores various issues with filming in the different regions that were featured. Some interviews and added footage are put in each webisode to provide an interesting and welcoming feature.

Bonus Features: 1.5 out of 5 stars

Bottom Line:
While Under the Sea has its cheesy moments, there are plenty of cool things that make this IMAX feature worth watching. We seldom get to explore the vast, beautiful ecosystems that are comprised way down in the depths of the oceans. This feature does not touch too much on the sad reality; that many of the species within these coral systems are at risk of losing their home, protection, and food sources. This can lead a species to extinction. The greater goal of the wide array of nature films coming out is to show humans all the beauty nature beholds, perhaps with some small hope that we will stop abusing the environment and help keep these endangered species afloat. Under the Sea does a great job of showing what nature, under the sea, has to offer and all its hidden treasures most humans know nothing about.

Overall Rating: 3.7 out of 5 stars

Technorati Tags: Warner Brothers, Warner Home Entertainment, Jim Carrey, Under The Sea, IMAX, Movie Review, Blu-ray

Release Info:
Episodes Original Air Date: September 16, 2009-December 13, 2009
DVD Release Date: March 30, 2010
Online Availability: Amazon for $23.99

I was really excited about getting MysteryQuest: The Complete Season One. The topics covered by the first season of this show are of interest to me. I was hoping to find out more than I had known before and come to some sort of conclusion to these mysteries. What I was not expecting was to be told all these interesting scenarios and then have absolutely no conclusions made about them. The MysteryQuest viewer is left to make their own conclusions and those of us who have a little bit of conspiracy theorist in us have minds that race with potential possibilities.

I ended up being disappointed by MysteryQuest: The Complete Season One. This is the History Channel. History should be rooted in fact, and part of the goal of discovering history is uncovering those potential facts, theories if you will, and finding evidence to support them. Don’t get more wrong. Some of what was explored was very interesting. I especially enjoyed the episodes on Hilter’s Escape, the Bermuda Triangle and Atlantis. I wanted to know more about these topics and I wanted those researching them to come to some sort of solid conclusion about these topics. What the viewer ends up getting is more questions.

I also want to point out how hokey it is to include psychics on shows exploring history. The series lost ALL credibility when it put Carla Baron on its show. Just do a search on the woman and you will see her credentials as a “psychic” are more than suspicious. Does the woman even realize how insane she truly acts and sounds? I could barely get through the episode because the woman is horrible in every show she is on and she always says the same things about feeling cold and unsettled and something not being right wherever she is. Yet, she gives no conclusive evidence as to what she is supposedly feeling or seeing. It’s all very dramatic. Her presence is unwelcome in this series and made me reconsider the validity of all of the research done on this series. Way to go History Channel for making yourself and this show look uneducated and douche-y.

I wanted much more than MysteryQuest: The Complete Season One had to offer. I wanted new leads explored and I wanted to have a better understanding of possible conclusions to each scenario. I did not get that. In most cases, no real, new evidence was presented. In others, I had to question how valid the sources were and how historically accurate the research was. I do not like having to question the validity of shows I am watching from a network called the History Channel. The point of these shows is not to question, but to learn and realize. I didn’t get that from this series.

MysteryQuest: The Complete Season One Episode Synopsis’
There are ten episodes included on the MysteryQuest: The Complete Season One DVD. The series is supposedly a spinoff of the History Channel show MonsterQuest, though I have never seen that show, so cannot comment on it.

Here is a list of the episodes:

“Hitler’s Escape”: Did Hitler really commit suicide or did he escape to some hidden location, such as South America, where he lived out the rest of his days?

“Devil’s Triangle”: The Bermuda Triangle has claimed many ships, boats, and aircrafts. The Triangle is examined to see why these boats, ships, planes and their crews seem to virtually disappear into thin air.

“San Francisco Slaughter”: New forensic evidence is looked at and suspects are re-examined as MysteryQuest attempts to unveil the Zodiac Killer.

“The Lost City of Atlantis”: Investigators try to prove or disprove the existence of the Lost City of Atlantis.

“Alien Cover-Up”: Do aliens exist and have they come to our planet? Investigators look into possible military cover ups and the infamous Area 51.

“Rise of the Fourth Reich”: This explores whether ODESSA, a secret Nazi organization, and the Catholic Church helped members of the Third Reich escape. This also explores their possible hope for creating the Fourth Reich.

“Devil’s Island”: Alcatraz is supposedly haunted, and psychic, Carla Baron, wants you to know it. This also looks into the three prisoners who managed to escape, and were never heard from again.

“Jack the Ripper”: The infamous Whitechapel murders are examined with new suspects that include a woman and an American.

“Stonehenge”: Why was this massive, rock formation built in England? Investigators look into a theory involving sound waves.

“Return of the Amityville Horror”: Two homes in California believed to be haunted, in the same fashion as Amityville,are examined.

Content: 2 out of 5 stars

Audio/Visual:
The visual quality for MysteryQuest: The Complete Season One is passable, but again, it leaves some things to be desired. For a television show of this type I do not have too many complaints. This falls in the middle of what I have seen from The History Channel. There have been some much better releases, but there have certainly been worse. Occasionally, grain is present, but the coloring is good and the detail is usually fair if not better.

The audio is a fair, but never truly appealing Dolby Digital 2.0 soundtrack. I’ve said this on The History Channel sets before and I am sure I will say it again; this quality leaves a lot to be desired. The dialogue is audible, though it often rests on the front channels and the sound effects are fair considering the transfer you’re dealing with. The music is handled in a capable manner as well. Again, this is, by no means, a perfect transfer, but it will get fans through whether they love it or not.

Visual: 3 out of 5 stars
Audio: 3 out of 5 stars

Bonus Features:
There is only one bonus available in this set and it comes in the form of Additional Footage. My big problem with this is the way that the footage is presented. Rather than offering the footage in the episodes it is put in this special bonus section. It’s essentially an extension of the episode, with the exception that it’s on a different disc, making it wholly inconvenient at times. However, I will admit that some of it is actually worth watching.

Bonus Features: 1.5 out of 5 stars

Bottom Line:
I wasn’t in love with this series. If you are like me and want answers or at least more conclusive theories on these fascinating mysteries then I suggest avoiding MysteryQuest: The Complete Season One. It will only serve to make you more frustrated and compelled to want to know more. Further, if you think that self-professed psychics, especially Carol Baron, are ridiculous, the entire series will be ruined by their presence in this series. MysteryQuest: The Complete Season One is not recommended.

Overall Rating: 2.38 out of 5 stars

Technorati Tags: MysteryQuest: The Complete Season One, TV on DVD, The History Channel, A&E, Home Entertainment, Documentary, DVD Review

Release Info:
DVD Release Date: March 16, 2010
Online Availability: Amazon for $22.49

I am not a Christian, but I love to watch documentaries about religion because I am curious about how the story will be told in terms of historical content and faith-based information. Christianity: The First Two Thousand Years is a two part documentary with each section telling of a separate millennia. If you’ve already seen this on A&E you know just what to expect.

This isn’t a bad telling of the subject matter. However, if you’re at all familiar with the information you probably won’t find anything here that is new to you. If you are hoping to find a deep delving program that offers plenty of new information this isn’t going to be the one you want to see. Yes, it’s informative. Yes, it offers information in an even-handed documentary style. Sadly, it isn’t controversial at all and that is one of its failing points.

Many topics are touched on in nearly seven hours of footage. Numerous figures are discussed. Some that come to mind include St. Paul, Otto the Great, Theodora, St. Augustine, Constantine, Martin Luther, and King Henry VIII, among others. Each person is discussed along the way that conducts a story, but allows for theologians and historians to offer opinions and viewpoints where possible.

The best part of this documentary generally ends up being the people that add to the story, rather than the story itself. There are some great minds weighing in on the topics here. Professors and great thinkers from such schools as Princeton, Loyola Marymount, DePaul, and numerous other professors, and professionals that are well versed on the topic of Christianity.

The lack of controversy exists because none of the people on this DVD take the time to dispute any of the Christian tenets that are discussed here. Still, without its controversy it seems to treat the subject matter fairly. It is obvious that the goal of Christianity: The First Two Thousand Years is to present a documentary about a specific subject matter. It does that and it succeeds at a basic level for that reason.

If you already own the previously released DVDs you will probably want to save your money. While this is a decent set, you aren’t going to receive anything new and the only difference is that both parts of the set are in one collection as opposed to separate DVDs.

Storyline/Plot: 3 out of 5 stars
Replayability: 2 out of 5 stars
Directing: 3 out of 5 stars

Audio/Visual:
Like a lot of the television documentaries from the 90s, this presentation is not going to leave you breathless, but you will be able to watch it with minimal complaints. There are various image sources used here, so the result is varying quality. Minimal amounts of noise and dirt make this for a comfortable viewing experience. It’s not flawless or overly engaging, but it’s relatively clear and fine for an older documentary.

The audio track is much like the video. It’s a more consistent track, but it’s not shockingly dynamic. Still, it gets the job done. The dialogue is clear and any additional sounds are adequate. No extra language tracks or anything are presented here. It’s just Standard English with no frills.

Visual: 3 out of 5 stars
Audio: 3 out of 5 stars

Bonus Features:
You’re given a lone special feature here in the form of a Historical Timeline. This is actually pretty nice for a number of reasons. First, I wasn’t expecting any special features. Next, it gives you a good look at the various events that occur throughout the telling of this documentary. Still, they don’t offer you much at all.

Bonus Features: 2 out of 5 stars

Bottom Line:
Christianity: The First Two Thousand Years is worth watching if you’ve never seen it. That being said, I would try to catch it on television or rent it before buying it because it might not be something that you’re interested in re-watching. The downfall to this documentary is that it lacks controversy and it is a repackage in the way that it’s the second release. This documentary is filled with information most people already know when they begin watching the show.

Overall Rating: 2.67 out of 5 stars

Technorati Tags: Christianity: The First Two Thousand Years, Documentary, A&E Home Entertainment, The History Channel, Religion, Documentary, DVD Review

Throughout the week, we’ve watched quite a few movies and shows. For the week of March 8 through March 14, here is a list of what we’ve watched, and what we thought of each Netflix selection!

Camelot: This film adaptation of the Lerner & Loewe musical of the same name stars Vanessa Redgrave and Richard Harris. Dominick had seen this before (he’d also been in the musical at his high school many years ago). Ash had not. This is a classic film that follows the story of King Arthur, the king of England who created the round table and who was betrayed when his wife Guenevere fell in love/had an affair with his top knight, Lancelot. Dom loves musicals, and this is no exception. Ashtyn enjoyed it as well, though she didn’t feel she connected emotionally with all of the songs, and had a hard time watching Vanessa Redgrave, at times, due to the remarkable resemblance to her daughter, Natasha Richardson, who tragically passed away last year.

Coral Reef Adventure: Originally presented in IMAX and narrated by Liam Neeson, this stunning documentary looks at various coral reefs located around the world. Underwater explorers/filmmakers Howard and Michele Hall are invited to a Pacific island nation (Fiji, we think?) where a reef off the coast is dying. They explore the Pacific’s various reef systems to try to discover the reason for why this and other coral reefs are dying. We thought this film was absolutely stunning. This documentary raises many questions that are important, especially those concerned with human impact on the underwater world. We only wish we could have seen what efforts were made to try to save this reef.

Whale Wars: A group of self-proclaimed ‘pirates’ that are captained by the founder of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, Paul Watson, sail the seas near Antarctica attempting to deter the Japanese from hunting whales in the area. Sailing on their boat the MV Steve Irwin, the antics of the crew include throwing ‘stinky stuff’ on Japanese boats (labeled research boats) and trying to stuff up their rudders with balloon type objects. Dom thinks the entire crew is made up of douche bags. While the intent is nice, there has to be a better way to stop the hunting and killing of whales. Ashtyn found the show hilarious because the crew is so dumb.

Civil War Journal: The Conflict Begins: Four episodes about various elements of the Civil War present themselves in this documentary style, PBS-presented, television experience. Narrated by Danny Glover, the episodes feature historians, present reenactments of battles and show real life, historical documentation that helps explain what life was like leading up to and during the beginning of our nation’s bloodiest war. Dom didn’t get a chance to see this. Ashtyn thought the music was incredibly cheesy, especially during the beginning and ending sequences. However, if you can ignore this, the entire series is incredibly interesting. She especially enjoyed learning more about John Brown in episode one.

Ink: Jamin Winans developed this fantasy film, which explores what happens when we fall asleep. An independent film that could not find a distributor, when Ink hit pirating programs like Limewire and BitTorrent sites the download rate in one week was so high, 400,000, it led to better DVD and Blu-Ray sales. When Emma, a little girl living with her grandparents after the death of her mother, falls asleep, a Storyteller gives her good dreams. However, when Ink, disfigured and desperate to become an Incubus, enters her dream world and kidnaps Emma, putting her in a coma outside her dreams, the Storytellers and a blind pathfinder must team up to find her before the Incubi sacrifice and kill her. Outside dreamland, Emma’s father, John, who lost custody of the girl and has poured himself fully into his work, as a result, must decide whether to visit her and reopen the wounds caused by losing her the first time. Ink’s concept is very intriguing. This film suffered a little because of the low budget visually, but with such a great plot, and decent acting especially by independent actors, this can easily be overlooked. This was the best fictional film we saw, this week.

Hurt: Melora Walters and William Mapother star in a movie that could possibly air on the Lifetime Network. Walters is Helen, a woman who is accustomed to her privileged life, with her husband and two children, Lenore and Conrad (Jackson Rathbone). Mapother plays Helen’s brother in law, Daryl. When Helen’s husband dies in an accident and they lose their house, they go to live in what looks like a junkyard, but is really a car recycling center, with Daryl. When Helen (a former foster child) finds out her husband was going to take in a girl named Sarah, she decides to open her home to the girl, but when bad things start happening, a terrible family secret is exposed. Dominick thought this story could have been interesting and the actors were all pretty decent, but the plot was so predictable it ruined the movie. Ashtyn also felt it was very predictable, so it was hard to view this movie as a horror flick. You know what’s going to happen, which ruins the elements of scariness and surprise. The key problem was the plot.

CSA: Confederate States of America: A mockumentary exploring what would happen if the Southern states/Confederacy won the war, this is supposed to be a funny piece. When the Confederates win, an entirely new history is written for this country. That country is revealed in CSA. Initially, we felt this sounded pretty funny. The commercials littered through the mockumentary were laugh worthy, but at some point, this film takes itself way too seriously. Presented as a dry as turkey, fact filled ‘documentary’ we would have much preferred if this film kept that lighthearted, silly feel most mockumentaries have. This wasn’t even absurd enough to be absurd. In the end, it was kind of boring.

Witch Hunt: The most riveting film we watched this week, every person needs to see Witch Hunt. In the 80s, when us kids were growing up, thousands of miles away, kids only a few years older than us were being shuffled around foster homes and forced to testify against their parents in a series of infamous, child molestation trials. This documentary explores how these false charges not only ruined the lives of the many Bakersfield residents who were convicted and served time in jail for crimes they did not commit, but also how it has ruined the lives of the children who were coerced into lying about these adults. We were shocked and disheartened by this documentary. We were disgusted juries could convict these people, that the authorities who did this are still in control and that the media didn’t investigate these false accusations. Most heartbreaking is the story of John Stoll, who lost 20 years of his life to prison and the only son he had, as an effect of his false conviction.

Nine Dead: Melissa Joan Hart returns to acting in this horror/thriller film. We were interested because this received pretty good ratings on Netflix. Hart is one of nine random people who are kidnapped and end up being chained in a room together. A masked man explains that they are all here for a specific reason. They have ten minutes to figure out what that reason is. Every ten minutes, the man will come in and kill one of them. If they discover the reason every single person is there (even the dead ones) the masked man will call the police, turn himself in, and let them all go. For the most part this film is pretty good, but it is ruined by a letdown of an ending that makes the whole movie feel like a drastic waste of time. We have a much better idea for the ending of this movie, but sadly, we weren’t the filmmakers, so we have to live with what is available in this film.

Crips and Bloods: Made in America: In California, segregated housing during the civil rights era meant that racial minorities kept to themselves and formed their own social groups within their communities. To an extent, this led to the inception to America’s two most powerful gangs, the Crips and the Bloods. While other documentaries have focused specifically on how these gangs form, this documentary looks into life prior to the gangs, the race riots, and how these kids could have come to form such gangs. From there, it explores the lives of gang members and looks at those who have died from gang violence.

Stacy Peralta takes viewers into south-Central L.A. and shows how such violence spiraled out of control so quickly, turning into over 40 years of bloodshed. We found this documentary to be informative, interesting to watch and unlike others on the subject matter. Looking back at the 50s and 60s to see what these segregated black communities were like helps to shed light on how a generation of kids felt they had to turn to gangs and why kids in these areas still choose to do so today.

Technorati Tags: Documentary, Horror, Classic Film, Thriller, History, Films, Watch, Netflix, True Crime, IMAX, nature, mockumentary

Release Info:
Episodes Original Air Date: October 28, 2009
DVD Release Date: February 9, 2010
Online Availability: Amazon for $17.49

The Real Wolfman differs from a lot of History Channel shows by giving you some kind of conclusion by the end of the show. Chances are, it’s not the conclusion that you’re hoping for, but it is one that makes the most sense. Usually when I review something from The History Channel I complain that by the end of a thoroughly entertaining show I am left with nothing concrete. This time they have given something that could potentially be viewed as concrete evidence. Unfortunately, it’s the overall show that has the problem.

The legend of the Wolfman is entertaining in the way legends often are. In the 18th century there was a huge murder mystery in the Gevaudan region of France. At that time, the residents of the area believed that some type of wolf creature was murdering women and children. All in all, over one hundred victims were counted, many of whom were ripped apart or decapitated. At one point it was believed that a wolf-man or creature was responsible for this. The Real Wolfman attempts to answer the question of what happened, as best as a show like this can.

In order to solve the mystery, two men visit France to do some investigating. The men are Ken Gerhardt, a cryptozoologist and George Deuchar, a criminal profiler. A cryptozoologist researches and deals with rare animal life, so as you might imagine, from the get go Gerhardt is certain that the killer is an animal, though he doesn’t believe in the possibility of a wolf being the perpetrator. Deuchar, on the other hand, has seen the worst of the worst in human beings and because of that he is certain that the killer is a person and not an animal.

The two men couldn’t be more mismatched. They are researching a cold case with a nearly dead trail and to put it mildly they are boring. The actual story doesn’t take that long to tell, but there is a certain length to be met to make this a full length show, so you end up being subjected to unnecessary shots of the men driving in the countryside or in a reality show confession shot, talking about their findings and the other researcher. It’s mundane and boring, which is unfortunate since the story on its own is pretty interesting.

The pair visit historians in the area, as well as a museum and the local law officers, but much of the same evidence is repeated from one location to the next. In the end, the two men realize that the other will never accept his own theory and they end up offering a compromise and melding theories because that tends to be the logical answer.

So, in the end, the idea of a wolfman doesn’t seem to exist in this equation, though most logical people not involved in this particular mystery probably already knew that. The bigger problem here is that for a documentary from the History Channel this is a huge snooze. While I have not seen them, I am sure there are more entertaining documentaries that tell this particular tale.

Storyline/Plot: 2 out of 5 stars
Replayability: 1 out of 5 stars
Directing: 2 out of 5 stars

Audio/Visual:
The video quality for The Real Wolfman is presented with an aspect ratio of 1.78:1. This picture, originally created for television, is by no means perfect. The blacks have a tendency to be weak and the picture is inconsistent. Detail is never truly at a top level either. Don’t get me wrong. This is a watchable presentation, but its average television quality. It’s not spectacular and it won’t make you jump out of your seat. Of course, this type of show doesn’t call for that either, so I guess you can take it for what it’s worth.

The audio comes in with Dolby Digital Stereo, which was to be expected. Again, this is a television presentation so nothing too dynamic here. It’s basic and bare bones. No subtitles appear to be available but the French audio oddly enough offers English subtitles that you cannot turn off. The audio itself, succeeds on the watchable level. Volume toggling is not necessary and the dialogue is clear. It’s not super quality, but for what you need, it works fine.

Visual: 3 out of 5 stars
Audio: 3 out of 5 stars

Bonus Features:
As you might have expected, The Real Wolfman offers absolutely no special features.

Bonus Features: 0 out of 5 stars

Bottom Line:
If you’re looking for a truly gruesome story surrounding the work of a werewolf then you might want to look elsewhere, because this true story will leave you wanting so much more. The actual presentation feels kind of odd. The two experts are strange people and make an entirely strange pair. While this offers plenty of facts already known about this case, it only ends up being mildly entertaining. The story itself offers much more than this telling of it. With that in mind, we recommend watching this (renting it) before you buy it.

Overall Rating: 1.83 out of 5 stars

Technorati Tags: The Real Wolfman, A&E, DVD Review, Home Entertainment, The History Channel

Phyllis and Harold is an astoundingly frank journey through a disastrous 59 year old marriage. Drawing on a lifetime of her family’s home movies and interviews made over 12 years, filmmaker Cindy Kleine mixes reportage, cinema verite and animation to uncover family secrets and tell a story that could not be shown publicly as long as her father was alive.

Phyllis and Harold delves into the mystery of time passing, the nature of living a life, and the challenges of losing those we love. But it is also a loving, funny expose on the sins of suburbia. Imagine Bergman’s Scenes from a Marriage seen through the prism of I Love Lucy.

Technorati Tags: Documentary, Phyllis and Harold, Marriage, Good Times, Bad Relationships, Commitment, I Love Lucy, Reality, 59 Years