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Documentary DVDs

National Geographic: The Wildlife Collection

Sales Rank:9993
List Price: $39.98
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MPAA Rating: NR (Not Rated)

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Includes: Eternal Enemies, In Search of the Jaguar, Last Stand of the Great Bear, and Whales in Crisis.

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The History Channel Presents The Crusades - Crescent & The Cross

Sales Rank:1781
List Price: $29.95
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MPAA Rating: NR (Not Rated)

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The Christian invaders were regarded as infidels. The Arabs were scorned as lawless pagans. The Westerners saw their quest as literally a sanctified crusade, while the Muslims launched their own holy war, called a jihad, in retaliation. Sound familiar? It should, because although the events depicted in the History Channel's The Crusades - Crescent & The Cross took place nearly a thousand years ago, they are but a distant mirror to what's going on in the Middle East right now. This two-part, three-hour program, released here on two discs (the second includes over an hour of bonus material), impressively details all three Crusades, starting in the late 11th Century, when Pope Urban II dispatched a huge force to reclaim Jerusalem, which had been under Muslim control for some 400 years. For the knights and others who made the journey, it was a noble spiritual quest, not to mention an escape from Europe's petty wars and famines; in the end, the fact that many of them were greedy butchers who murdered Muslims, Jews, and even other Christians indiscriminately (sometimes even eating the flesh of the vanquished) detracted not at all from their conviction that they were acting in the name of God. Of course, so were the Muslims, who, after the bloody first crusade succeeded in seizing the holy city, mounted a massive counterattack under leaders like Nur al-din and his son Saladin, who managed to take back Jerusalem (from whence Mohammed was said to have ascended to heaven) and hold on to it through the failed second and third crusades, the latter led by England's Richard the Lionheart.

All of this is presented by way of techniques that will be recognizable to History Channel buffs. They include modern-day historians, who re-trace the routes of the crusaders and examine the ancient sites where the action took place, as well as actors who portray characters of the time (chroniclers, knights, and others); numerous re-enactments, aided by excellent cinematography and skillful use of CGI (whereby a few dozen extras could be made to look like many thousands), vividly illustrate the battles and other events that took place during this roughly 200-year period. Add to that a bonus documentary about the Knights Templar (the soldier-monks in charge of protecting the Kingdom of Jerusalem) and a decent "making of" documentary, and you have an absorbing, enlightening look at events that prove one thing above all: the more things change, the more they stay the same. --Sam Graham

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Taxi To the Dark Side

Sales Rank:2446
List Price: $27.98
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MPAA Rating: R (Restricted)

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Alex Gibney
Brian Keith Allen
Moazzam Begg
Willie Brand
George W. Bush

Among the slew of documentaries inspired by the post-9/11 war, arguably none is more important than Alex Gibney's Taxi to the Dark Side. The story it has to tell, with compelling thoroughness and no recourse to rhetoric, should be as disturbing to Americans supporting the war as it is to opponents. In December 2002, Dilawar, a young rural Afghan cabdriver, was accused of helping to plan a rocket attack on a U.S. base, clamped into prison at Bagram, and subjected to physical torture so relentless that he died after two days of it. But Dilawar was innocent--and he'd been denounced by the real culprit, who thereby took the heat off himself and won points with U.S. forces by giving them "a bad guy." Dilawar was the first fatal victim of Vice President Dick Cheney's devotion to "working the dark side"--torturing, humiliating, and otherwise abusing prisoners in the "Global War on Terror." His story, developed in horrific detail with testimony from the soldiers who tortured him, and also from two New York Times investigative reporters, becomes a prism for slanting light onto the "dark side" policy and the mindset behind it. The program at Bagram was deemed such a success that it served as the model for Abu Graibh the following year in Iraq, and both prisons became pipelines to the detainee facility at Guantánamo, Cuba.

The film's impact is powerful and complex. We come to see the very soldiers who broke Dilawar's body and spirit as victims, too--and patsies of a policy that, from Cheney and Attorney General Alberto Gonzales on down, ignored the Geneva Convention and shrouded itself (and commanding officers) in "a fog of ambiguity" while the grunts took the fall. A lot of these grunts testify here, and the accumulation of their individual perspectives on a shared tragedy is devastating. The latter half of the film features penetrating commentary from critics of torture as a policy (Senator John McCain was still one at the time), all of whom agree that it doesn't work and it only damages us. And for Theatre of the Absurd, there's a PR tour of (a discrete portion of) the Guantánamo facility, which turns out to be kinda like summer camp: "They get ice cream on Sundays." Finally, Taxi to the Dark Side isn't about torture or politics or the justness or unjustness of the war in Afghanistan and Iraq. Gibney is entirely correct when he says, "It's really about the American character and whether we have become something rather different from what we imagine ourselves to be." He's asking; he doesn't want it to be true. --Richard T. Jameson

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Planet B-Boy

Sales Rank:3216
List Price: $19.95
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MPAA Rating: NR (Not Rated)

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Gamblerz
Ichigeki
Knucklehead Zoo
Last For One
Phase T

With compelling characters and vibrant dance sequences, Planet B-Boy is set in the International world of B-boying the urban dance more commonly known as break dancing. Weaving between the vivid backdrops of Osaka, Paris, Seoul and Las Vegas, unforgettable images frame the intimate stories of dancers who struggle for their dreams despite being misunderstood by larger society and even their own families.

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Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations Collection 3

Sales Rank:1910
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MPAA Rating: NR (Not Rated)

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Battle 360 - Season 1 (History Channel) (Steelbook)

Sales Rank:7136
List Price: $39.95
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MPAA Rating: NR (Not Rated)

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It would be an understatement say that Battle 360: Season 1 has substantial appeal for World War II and naval history "enthusiasts." Considering the depth and thoroughness of the program and the sheer volume of data and information on hand--and with ten episodes, each more than 50 minutes long, there's very little that’s not covered--it’s likely that experts, fanatics, and obsessives will be well satisfied too. Using a combination of extensive computer-generated imagery (CGI), charts, graphics, statistics, file footage, photos, interviews with military men both past and present, and more, the program focuses on the Pacific Theater, where the United States and its allies battled Japan for the three and half years between Pearl Harbor in December 1941 and the end of the war in August 1945. At the center of virtually every battle during that span was the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise. Launched in 1936, this Yorktown class vessel, also known as "a fighting city of steel" and "the Lucky E" (for its ability to avoid major catastrophe, at least for the most part), carried 96 planes, a huge amount of weaponry, and a crew whose average was an astonishing 19 years old. Proceeding chronologically, the series details such major conflicts as Midway (when the U.S. disabled no less than four Japanese carriers), Guadalcanal (when the Enterprise suffered serious damage while helping to thwart the enemy’s plans to invade Australia), and Leyte Gulf ("the largest naval battle in the history of mankind"), finishing with the Japanese’s last-gasp use of kamikaze pilots to attack the U.S. fleet. Much of this is genuinely gripping, as the episodes provide literally minute-by-minute accounts of every encounter and the size, speed, function, and firepower of every vessel and aircraft on both sides. But there are notable drawbacks as well, starting with the fact that for all of its detail, we see almost nothing of the Enterprise’s interior or descriptions of daily life on board the enormous vessel. There’s also the issue of how much CGI you can take; although there is some film footage (which may or may not be from the specific skirmish being described), the computer work, while generally pretty convincing, is pervasive and rather like a video game without a controller. What’s more, each episode is kinetic almost to distraction, with a ceaseless flow of pounding music and sound effects, flashing graphics, and macho voice-over detailing the action. On the other hand, the reminiscences of those who were actually there are often very moving, not to mention a welcome surcease from the high-tech assault of the rest of the show. Bonus material is limited--a few additional scenes--but the steel box it all comes in is pretty cool. --Sam Graham

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Toot & Puddle: I'll Be Home for Christmas

Sales Rank:10811
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MPAA Rating: NR (Not Rated)

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Friendship, sharing, and tradition are part of what make the holidays special, so pig friends Toot and Puddle are determined to spend the Christmas holiday together, even though Toot has been invited to attend his Great-Great Aunt's 100th birthday bash in Scotland on December 22. Promising to return home to Woodcock Pocket by Christmas Eve, Toot sets off for Edinburgh leaving Puddle at home to meet their cousin Opal and prepare for Christmas. Toot thoroughly enjoys his Scottish experiences; donning an authentic Scottish kilt, caroling, visiting with this Great-Great Aunt Peggy, and helping his bagpipe-playing Uncle find good homes for a litter of puppies. Meanwhile, Puddle and Opal enjoy their time together making ornaments, baking, picking out a Christmas tree, and getting everything ready for the big holiday. When snowstorms hit in Edinburgh and Woodcock Pocket, it looks like Toot may not be able to make it home by Christmas Eve after all. Can a lucky nut, a little magic, and a mysterious traveler help? Based on the Holly Hobbie book "Toot & Puddle: I'll Be Home for Christmas," this animated production brings classic Holly Hobbie characters Toot and Puddle to life in an effective Christmas tale that celebrates friendship and togetherness. (Ages 3 to 7) --Tami Horiuchi

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Mother Earth Blu-ray 5-Pack (IMAX) [Blu-ray]

Sales Rank:8356
List Price: $69.99
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This 5- disc Mother Earth Blu-ray edition will take you on an amazing journey of beauty and wonder as never experienced before. Filmed on location throughout the globe for large formated IMAX theaters, the imagery of these 5 discs is unlike anything you have seen before. With the exceptional clarity and sound that only IMAX can deliver. Each title is independently produced to provide viewers with an up close and personal experience with our Mother Earth. Providing an understanding of our beautiful planet and the need to preserve it.

Titles included in this 10-Disc collection are
Africa, The Serengeti
Alaska, Spirit of the Wild
Antarctica, An Adventure of a Different Nature
Ocean Oasis
Australia, Land Beyond Time

These films were originally filmed for IMAX© and other large format theaters throughout the world. This video version of the film has been digitally masters and transferred using the original large format film elements and was produced to the highest standards in the industry. The sound components have been specially mixed and mastered to produce the finest quality Dolby Surround soundtrack, fully compatible with both stereo and mono audio systems.

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National Geographic - Inside the Living Body

Sales Rank:4347
List Price: $19.98
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MPAA Rating: NR (Not Rated)

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Director(s):

Kirk Simon
Karen Goodman

Actor(s):

National Geographic provides a whole new perspective on the extraordinary processes involved in human life with this primarily internal look at the human life cycle from conception through old age. Thanks to amazing technological advances like camera pills and high-definition endoscopes, physicians and scientists can now obtain actual camera footage and images of body processes as well as create elaborate computer simulations to aid in the research and understanding of how the human body works. This 95-minute exploration of the human body and its processes follows human life from fetal development through the amazing changes demanded of virtually every organ in the hours after birth, childhood, adolescence, adulthood, and old age. It explores the senses and how they work, brain development, digestion, blood circulation, cell division, the hardening and replenishing of bone, puberty, sexuality, childbirth, changes inherent in the aging process, the virtual shutting down of the body at death, and much more. The fascinating camera footage includes everything from the digestive process of food from the mouth through the esophagus, stomach, small intestines, large intestines, and then to excretion; to blood flow through the heart, veins, and capillaries; and the accumulation of fat in the abdomen and intestines. While the squeamish might proclaim the graphic footage gross, it is incredible, fascinating, and educational. Significant time is also devoted to detailing life choices like exercise, drinking, smoking, listening to loud music, and stress and how those choices can directly affect our bodily functions and overall health. This 2002 presentation is an informative, graphic look at the amazing human body and how it works. --Tami

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Deadliest Catch - Season 3

Sales Rank:9680
List Price: $29.99
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MPAA Rating: NR (Not Rated)

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Mike Rowe
Chris 'Chilly' Anderson
Jake Anderson
Matt Bradley
Keith Colburn

Venture into the dark waters of the Bering Sea with eight crab fishing boats and their crews through the world's two most difficult and dangerous fishing seasons. Captain Sig Hansen of the Northwestern returns to match his skills against his old rival, Phil Harris of the Cornelia Marie, and a new challenger, rookie captain Blake Painter of the Maverick. With rough waters and fierce weather, the captains and their crews will be pushed to their limits of mental and physical endurance in their search for the elusive red king crab and opilio crab. Experience the extraordinary daring, skill and endurance required for this time-honored trade in these 11 episodes, and enjoy bonus behind-the-scenes footage capturing the difficulty of day-to-day filming on the rugged seas.

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