Secrets of War - Vietnam - A War Unwanted

Way better than expected
Military history buffs like myself will really like this DVD about the Vietnam War. I learned things I didn't know about the War that surprised me. With Charlton Heston narrating I expected a 'hawk version' of events as in "We(the US)didn't lose the War we just weren't allowed to win it" which may very well be true. But instead, the documentary was very well balanced in its presentation of both sides of the war and it showed the ignorance and arrogance of the Gov'ts on both sides of the conflict. The DVD has no CC/subtitles but one great thing about 'Chuck Heston', he is an awesome speaker on film! I highly recommend this DVD and the other ones in the Secrets of War series.

Well done, better than a typical war movie
I had seen other videos on the war and they were mostly standard videos from the American perspective with the addition of a few personal stories from troops. This has a section on Ho's life and you get a very interesting story from his side too.

You can get all 65 Episodes For a Little More
Just a heads up, you can get the complete run of this show (65 episodes covering a lot more then just Vietnam) for about twice the price of this 5 episode set.

Click to Editorial Reviews

National Parks Exploration Series - National Parks: An Eagle's View [Blu-ray]

national parks ...an eagles view blu ray
this is very well done very informative but not VERY long 1hr 4M. OTHERWISE good program starting on the east coast and meandering across the states to the west coast when they were parks then elevated to NATIONAL PARKS.all very well but i think they should be a little longer minimum 90 mins the cuz (they lost a star for length)

Not the best aerial HD video
I have to ask whether this was shot by professionals. Many of the scenes look hazy, as if the video was shot through the aircraft windows. And that's because it obviously was shot through the aircraft windows. Worse, this is the shakiest aerial video I have seen.
The narration is fine, except for a couple of factual errors. For example, Rocky Mountain National Park only has one "Fourteener" peak, not a great concentration of them as the script states. David Arkenstone's music is fine throughout.
Despite the faults, the scenic beauty depicted in this video may please some viewers. For better HD quality, check out the PBS "Visions Of___" and "Over___" series.

The First of the Series?
Howdy;

I really don't know if this was the first in the series, but it does make for a good introduction of what follows.

As for the claim that the shots were shaky, it was shot from planes and 'choppers that are prone to wind currents. To me, it would seem odd if it didn't shake.

The video is sharp, clear and bright. It make my 47" LED like a window in the plane. The Narration by Alphonse Keasley is interesting and informative. The music is super great and David Arkenstone catches the moment of each scene.

The price of this and all the others of this series is great for what you get. Running time is about 64 minutes.

BTW, two more (Acadia and Death Valley) are being released on September 10, 2013. I WILL BE GETTING THEM AS WELL!

What can I say, I'm just a plain and simple Mountain Man and I love my home theater. Hope this helps out.

L8R daze...

Click to Editorial Reviews

The United States Military: A History of Heroes - BD [Blu-ray]

Well worth your time and money.
There was a clear and consistent effort to be as accurate and authentic as possible in the creation of this DVD series. The historical recreations are intense, mixed with allot of great original historical footage and also modern-day HD footage of our military in action around the globe. All layered and detailed with great care in the special effects and historical truth and authenticity along with the powerful voice of narrator Coby Batty and other voice actors help to bring these stories of our branches of the military (and even the coast guard) to life.





Click to Editorial Reviews

JFK - A New World Order - Commemorative Documentary Series - BD/DVD Combo [Blu-ray]

JFK - A NEW WORLD ORDER
PROS.... A good amount of unseen photos and usually unseen segments of famous speeches (*unseen meaning "I" haven't seen them in any previous docs I have seen and I have seen quite a few, but not all). Good overview of the administration.
CONS....too few interviewee's (only 3 in whole series) and those that are did have a remote connection to firsthand knowledge of the events... not the most dynamic or engaging doc on this subject... not too fussy about the narrator....very little pre-presidential coverage...reuses same stills/footage throughout series. Not crazy about the actual title of the series itself.
If you have seen many previous Kennedy docs then this might be a disappointment. If you have little knowledge of the Kennedy administration then it is informative. If you are going to have only one or very few Kennedy docs in your possession, there are better ones out there to pick from.
*The bonus disc is worth the price of purchase: it contains:
- a vintage...

Wrong Info on Amazon Website
I thoroughly enjoyed the 8 segments (27 minutes each for a total of 215 minutes) of JFK's private and political life. However, the info on the Amazon website stated that the length of this dvd was 583 minutes, which, I discovered later, turned out to be incorrect, as it contained only 215 minutes, meaning that 368 minutes were missing! I contacted Amazon & explained this & was able to return my dvd & was not charged for it.(Thank you, Amazon!) I will reorder the combination dvd/blue ray which DOES include the missing minutes. The extra info that totals up to 583 minutes is described ONLY on the dvd/blue ray site. When I ordered the dvd version, none of this info was there, which led me to assume that the 8 segments themselves would total 583 minutes. This info needs very much to be corrected! For anyone interested in seeing all 583 minutes, order the dvd/blue ray combination. The dvd does not have even half the minutes of the blue ray version. I'm so disappointed that dvds are now...

Not The Best
With all the attention being paid to the 50th anniversary of JFK's passing, many products will be on the market. This Blu-ray did have an interesting supplementary section, including a Secret Service re-creation film and scenes of the funeral. The main body of the Blu-ray was very disappointing - utilizing very poor period video and lacklustre commentary. A very poor effort.

Click to Editorial Reviews

In the Cut & Trapped - BD Double Feature [Blu-ray]

OK for the price
I shamelessly purchased this twofer for the nude scenes of Meg Ryan in the "In the Cut" half of this two pack, hoping the bluRay processing would clarify some of the murkiness of those scenes. To its credit it is Jan Campion's unrated version but it seems her vision was to purposely film these...and in fact much of the indoor scenes of this movie in subdued lighting. I actually enjoyed the other feature - Trapped (with Charlize Theron) -more although neither movie showcased the actors at their best. That said, the BluRay treatment did offer a decent picture with clear dialogue.

good price for double feature But.....
I was somewhat disappointed with "in the cut". not what I expected. not for kids. quite a bit more sex than I expected. so that one gets about two and a half stars from me. Now, TRAPPED, gets 4 and a half. great suspense movie. there you have kevin bacon, as the bad guy again, he does bad guys good. suspense. drama, Only reason, I bought this Blue Ray, is because is the ONLY way you can get TRAPPED in Blue Ray!!. I had it in DVD already.

Both movies are OK
Both movies are OK, but I love Charlize Theron, and these movies are both in the bluray format, and make rounding-out additions to my new bluray library.

Click to Editorial Reviews

Physical Evidence & The Anderson Tapes - BD Double Feature [Blu-ray]

a couple of pretty good films.... tremendous value!
Okay,
these may both be 3 star movies... I enjoyed Physical Evidence (maybe its just that I find Theresa Russell extremely watchable) and any Sidney Lumet movie with Sean Connery and Dyan Cannon can't be all bad. I picked up this blu ray that has BOTH films for under $5! I can't rate this purchase as anything less than a five star value guilty pleasure. Other reviews on the individual films will tell you plot points and include spoilers if you are interested in movie reviews. I wish to review the product which is a cheap blu ray with a couple of pretty good films with very reasonable transfers that benefit from the upgrade to HD.

By the Numbers
Physical Evidence PHYSICAL EVIDENCE directed by Michael Crichton is strictly by the numbers. I always find Burt Reynolds interesting, as is Ned Beatty. But Crichton and company can't rise above the mundane production values. In THE ANDERSON TAPES, directed by Sidney Lumet, Sean Connery turns in an excellent and memorable performance in this excellent thriller competently acted, well scripted and neatly directed about a heist where everything is not what it appears to be. This film is full of great characters and suspense. And it is the excellent cast that makes this film timeless. Martin Balsam is way over the top with his character, but it really works. Ralph Meeker, Dyan Cannon, Alan King, Val Avery, Garrett Morris, Dick Anthony Williams and even Margaret Hamilton are all on hand. Look for Christopher Walken's distinctive face and creepy performance in his film debut. It will keep you on the edge of your seat. Quincy Jones composed a great score for this one.



Click to Editorial Reviews