Vegetarian Myths Movie Reviews

The fiery crash of the Hindenburg and the sinking of the Titanic are two of the most unforgettable disasters of the twentieth century, and this video does an excellent job of recounting the facts of these cases. First, however, it describes the loss of the British airship R101, a disaster easily assigned to incompetence and bad judgment on the part of the British government's overzealous efforts to beat Germany at the airship game. The Hindenburg was Germany's 129th zeppelin, and its crash in 1937 accounted for the first passengers ever killed since the service began in 1900. A lot of fascinating details about the airship are presented (I actually enjoyed the short history of zeppelins as much as the coverage of the disaster), although I still have a hard time believing people would choose to fly in one of the behemoths no matter how luxurious the trip was. The focus is, of course, on the crash, and naturally we get to hear much of radio reporter Herb Morrison's live description of it. It really is a hard and painful thing to watch, yet one can't help but be awed by the speed in which the doomed airship went up in flames, crashing down as a hulk of its former self a mere 32 seconds after the fire ignited. The video gives voice to several theories as to what happened, including charges of espionage by anti-Nazi groups, but it acknowledges the fact that the truth will most likely never be known with certainty.

The Titanic segment does a commendable job of communicating facts, dropping in several fascinating tidbits, and never sensationalizing the story. It begins by giving an account of the building and early troubles of Titanic's sister ship Olympic, a subject which is not as familiar to most people. Everyone basically knows the story of the Titanic, but I must say that no matter how many times I hear the facts I am always amazed at the unbelievable amount of incompetence that doomed the great ocean liner. This video covers Captain Smith's less than sterling history with the seemingly cursed Olympic and his disregard of numerous ice warnings on that fateful night, and it also points an accusing finger at the cowardly Bruce Ismay who pushed Captain Smith to travel at full speed despite travel conditions. It details a few of the heartwarming stories of bravery and self-sacrifice by those who stayed on board the boat as it sank, men such as Benjamin Guggenheim who donned formal attire to die as a gentleman and the incredibly wealthy John Jacob Astor who saw his wife into a lifeboat before stepping back to meet his fate. It is the human aspects of the disaster as much as the physical act of the collision and sinking of the boat that makes this such a universally compelling story. The only caveat I would offer has to do with the simulated sinking of the boat. I believe we know for sure now that the Titanic did break into two parts before it went to its watery grave, but this video shows it going down whole. I think even the most knowledgeable Titanic buff will find this video interesting and worthwhile. Offering quality documentaries on the tragic losses of both the Hindenburg and the Titanic, this video is one of the very best in the Mysteries and Myths of the Twentieth Century series.

For those who are a fan of Enya, then you're going to want this three videotape collection. The Celts was a BBC production from 1987, and the music from Enya's debut is featured here (as well as an original version of "The Longships" that never appeared on album, but was later re-recorded for Watermark). But what really matters here is this is a useful series documenting Celtic history, with its beginnings in the Austrian Alps and spreading everywhere up to Ireland all the way eastwards to Turkey. And while most people associate Celtic with Irish and Scottish, the documentary goes out of the way to let everyone be aware of Breton, Welsh, and other culture. I do like the episode regarding about Celtic religion and spirituality, how it made a transition from Paganism to Christianity. They even state how many of the Pagan rituals never really disappeared even during the rise of Christianity. It's not without its flaws. For one thing, there are a few boring spots (like the one with a school teacher lecturing the kids about the Celts, and the kids seem absolutely bored). Don't expect digital, DVD quality picture. Although from the late '80s, it has that '70s-style grainy footage quality, and it obviously looks like it wasn't made during the last few years. But despite some flaws, and the fact I find some uneven spots, this three videotape set is still worth having.

I teach ancient history and am thoroughly delighted with this video series. The history is rich yet not boring or dry. The music of Enya makes the experience even more delighful. I will use this as a resource for years to come.

I have watched this set MANY, MANY times since I got it 2 years ago. I never get tired of it. I turn it on whenever I'm bored with TV. It has given me insight into some of the things I've read about the Celts, historically and fictionally. Enya's music is wonderful, as always. This is a must have for any Celt or ancient British Isles enthusiast!

Your five your old child could have wrote it. This is what I don't like about Imax films. They try to tell a story but it is so elementry you wonder what is the purpose. If you can not tell a interesting story why try. Niagra is certainly a beautiful place; but the movie would have been better serve if they went the educational,historical,adventure or eye candy route. Instead we are treated to a story a seconed grader would appreciate at the expense of some beautiful photography.

In the IMAX tradition, this is a beautiful presentation. I have seen Niagara-Miracles,Myths,& Magic at the IMAX theater in Niagara Falls and now own this spectacular film on DVD. Kieth Merrill admittedly stays true to his title and provides not only the spectacular and dramatic views of the falls and rapids below, but tells the story of the rich history of the region. It is an attempt to provide a snapshot of the region and its people in this well done film. Each tale unwinds a different, but significant part of the history that makes the Niagara so enchanting. The video transfer is average with quite a bit of film artifact, but this does not significantly detract from the overall picture. The audio is Dolby and well done, though somewhat less spectacular than other IMAX DVDs (MacGillivray features in particular). The 'Making of...' added feature is of fair video quality with much film artifact. The commentary is very brief by Merrill and does not add much to the overall featurette. My three most favorite sequences (all factually true) are the child over the falls, Miss Taylor over the falls, and the delivery of the steamboat down river(no models used in this one). Dramatic cinematography is used with carefully designed props and nice acting to make these events very realistic. I felt as if I have witnessed them for myself! This feature will be much better appreciated by those who have experienced some of Niagara for themselves, as no film will ever capture its scale and majesty. Newcomers will have a nice introduction to the beauty and hopefully will be able to experience the magic in person.

a little bit disappointed! But great sound!! I visited several times the niagara fall. I personally expected the scenery of the fall like an airview on a helicopter. but this film is mainly consists of several "dramatized" chapters. My mother never been to there, so I want to show her the beautiful sceneray, and what I expected was the realism of the scenary, but what a great mistake I made when I choose 'IMAX" which has been destined to be 'a story teller' for kids in vacation season! Plus, it was taken pictured wholy from the American side of the great Niaagara fall. In short, never from the Canadian side of the fall!. What else should I say anymore. Still waiting for another great scenery dvd title, I am afraid that people do not convert just simple tourist video into new dvd tile which would be greatly popular.

This two disc set,which has recently been reduced in price, contains four episodes from the A & E documentary series: "Ancient Mysteries - Myths and Legends", introduced and narrated by Leonard Nimoy.
All the four episodes are stereophonic and about 45~6 minutes in length, and as usual with A & E product, does not contain sub-titles.
The four episodes are:
Camelot ( 1995 - 45'56" ) Good, but with no mention of Avalon.
The Quest for the Holy Grail ( 1995 - 44'48" ) Good, and actually mentions the bloodline of Christ.
Atlantis: The Lost Civilization ( 1995 - 45'58" ) Very good, but glosses over Atlantis' predecessor Lemuria.
Dragons ( 1997 - 45'28" ) Okay + ; missed mentioning how something this supposedly large and heavier than air could fly... ( Internal gas chambers in their bodies similar to an internal hot air ballon, plus hollow bones to lessen weight ).

...worthwhile for your video library - obviously this title was originally published before dual layer dvd's became the norm....

This is one DVD set that I wish I had rented first. There is almost no new information to be had. If you want a quick overview of the stories, this one is for you. If you want in-depth investigative reporting on these subjects. Don't bother. I would have rather have gotten the IN SEARCH OF... series. At least they attempted to come to some sort of conclusions.

This is a very good set to own for those of you who love watching the Discovery Channel. Each of the discs contain four 30-minute or so episodes, unfortunately with minimal add-ons (a text summary and a brief "test your knowledge" interactive question and answer portion). Don't expect any DTS-quality sound either. Still, I give 4 stars to this collection for both its very interesting and thought-provoking content as well as it's relatively cheap price. I've read countless articles on the Loch Ness monster, for instance, and I still learned something new from this set!

my friend got this and this DVD is a total joke! dont waste your money or time on it!!