Archive for January, 2010

MicroCosmos

Utilizing special macroscopic photographic techniques, filmmakers Claude Nuridsany and Marie Perennou created this fascinating and visually spectacular look at the hidden worlds in the life cycle of an ordinary meadow in France. When seen through the lens of Nuridsany and Perennou’s cameras, insects become gigantic beasts, blades of grass turn into towering monuments, and raindrops form puddles that resemble vast oceans.

Posted by Sarah on January 26th, 2010 No Comments

Grizzly Man

For 13 years, Timothy Treadwell spent his summers on the Alaskan Peninsula, living among wild bears and, for the last five years, videotaping his life there. His winters were spent touring elementary schools and making television appearances, in an effort to educate people about the plight of the animals he loved. This continued until October 5, 2003, when Treadwell and his girlfriend were attacked and killed by a bear.

Posted by Sarah on January 26th, 2010 No Comments

Nova: Everest – The Death Zone

“Because it is there” is the reason so many men and women have risked death to climb Mount Everest, the tallest mountain on earth. NOVA follows a scientific investigation of high-altitude physiology in Everest: The Death Zone, which examines the biological and psychological changes experienced by a group of climbers during their ascent. Jodie Foster’s narration accompanies the team as the NOVA photographers capture the stark, alien beauty of the mountain; the drama reaches a crescendo on the descent as it becomes unclear whether or not an ill climber will make it.

Posted by Sarah on January 26th, 2010 No Comments

The Private Life of a Cat

A male cat courts a female cat and they raise a family together. We see the kittens being born and nurtured by mother, while an interested and proud dad lends his support. Beautifully photographed and executed. With subtitles, no dialog, and a refreshing absence of human beings on screen. Very touchingly realized by Alexander Hammid, whose collaborations with Maya Deren I had prior acquaintance with, and also highly recommend.

Posted by Sarah on January 26th, 2010 No Comments

Monsters, Madness and Mayhem

This set features five documentaries on monsters, witches, and other strange phenomena.

Titles include Witches, Devil, Creatures, Halloween and Superstition which attempts to trace the origins of the darkest of all holidays.

Witches, demons, werewolves, superstitions and the history of Halloween are all covered in this examination of the supernatural.

Since the very dawn of human consciousness, mankind has been wracked by fear.

Fear of the enemy, fear of the powerful forces of nature, fear of everything that cannot be simply explained.

Posted by Sarah on January 26th, 2010 No Comments

Jack the Ripper

Jack the Ripper is a pseudonym given to an unidentified serial killer active in the largely impoverished districts in and around Whitechapel, London, in late 1888. The name originated in a letter by someone claiming to be the murderer that was disseminated in the media. The letter is widely considered to be a hoax, and may have been written by a journalist in a deliberate attempt to heighten interest in the story.

Posted by Sarah on January 26th, 2010 No Comments

DMT: The Spirit Molecule

The Spirit Molecule weaves an account of Dr. Rick Strassman’s groundbreaking DMT research through a multifaceted approach to this intriguing hallucinogen found in the human brain and hundreds of plants. Utilizing interviews with a variety of experts to explain their thoughts and experiences with DMT within their respective fields, and discussions with Strassman’s research volunteers brings to life the awesome effects of this compound, and far-reaching theories regarding its role in human consciousness.

Posted by Sarah on January 26th, 2010 No Comments

Evolution of Life On Other Planets: Even the Gods Have Gods

A comprehensive review of scientific findings, published in prestigious scientific journals, is presented to explain how life from other planets evolved on Earth. These first Earthlings (archae, bacteria, and cyanobacteria) contained the genes and the genetic information for altering the environment, the “evolution” of multicellular eukaryotes, and the metamorphosis of all subsequent species.

Posted by Sarah on January 26th, 2010 No Comments

Who Built Stonehenge?

Stonehenge, located on the Salisbury Plain in Southern England, has long been associated with Druids, a group of wise men present in England more than 2000 years ago. Still today at Summer Solstice, the longest day of the year, Druid celebrations are held at Stonehenge. But were they the actual designers?

Posted by Sarah on January 26th, 2010 No Comments

Cracking the Maya Code

This one-hour program is divided into five chapters. The Forgotten Maya Temples. In 1774, Spanish explorer Jose Calderon rediscovers the temples of Palenque and the ancient hieroglyphs of the Maya, a people whose culture was decimated by the Spanish conquistadors.

A Hidden History. Toiling away in the basement of Harvard’s Peabody Museum, archeologist Tatiana Proskouriakoff discovers that Maya monuments contain a decipherable history rather than mere pictures and symbols.

Posted by Sarah on January 26th, 2010 No Comments