The Series:

Claiming to be a 'crash course in all things dog,' Animal Planet's Dogs 101 has been entertaining and enlightening viewers for a solid four seasons now - and there's a good reason for that: a lot of people love dogs. It's more than just tapping into this that makes the show work, however. Yes, there is a certain segment of the dog loving populace that would probably watch this show if it were nothing more than a bunch of cute and cuddly canines prancing around the park or walking around city sidewalks but in order to attract a larger viewership and actually make a show worth watching the producers behind the show delve into what makes each breed of dog unique. As anyone who has had any interaction with more than one dog knows, breed specific traits and behaviors can and do play a huge role in how we interact with our four legged friends and, just as importantly, how they...Read the entire review

THE SERIES:

Let's cut to the chase: if you're reading this, you are probably, like me, a "cat person," or at least someone enamored enough of our feline friends to consider watching a five-episode documentary series on the subject (or re-watching it, if you happened to catch it during its initial run on the Animal Planet channel, which originally produced and broadcast it), so the only real question to answer regarding whether or not Cats 101 is for you is, to what extent does it gratify your admittedly compulsive kitty-love? Is it up to the task of widening and enriching your grasp of our remarkably appealing feline friends, which is its ostensible reason for existing? Or, if not, does it at least meet its obligation to pack as much cattitude...Read the entire review

July 31st, 2011! I'm writing this review on a day I'm sure plenty of you have had marked on your calendars for months now...the launch of this year's Shark Week, an annual tradition on the Discovery Channel for nearly a quarter of a century now. Before the first Shark Week in 1987, most people's knowledge of sharks was limited to what they'd heard in sensationalized newscasts or saw on the big screen in Jaws. Shark Week sets out to demystify these mighty creatures of the deep blue sea, honoring their strength and ferocity while also documenting that they're not bloodthirsty man-eaters by nature...that sharks are an integral part of the food chain that

Read the entire review ]]> DVD Video http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/read.php?ID=44724 Mon, 22 Nov 2010 18:35:30 PST Highly Recommended "This is one very wet, very cold maximum security prison." "Bottom line: if you really want to go for crab, you know, sometimes you got to go barbaric." The most emotionally involving season of the series so far. Discovery has released Deadliest Catch: Season 6, a five-disc, 16-episode collection that looks at the 2009's king crab and 2010's opilio seasons for the now-world famous Northwestern, Time Bandit, Wizard, and Cornelia Marie crabbing boats, documenting the sorrow and inspiration, as well, engendered by the death of the series' most popular captain, Phil Harris. Hours and hours of bonus footage, interviews, and After the Catch episodes gives the series' fans a complete look at this particularly intense season. Read the entire review ]]> Blu-ray http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/read.php?ID=43442 Wed, 28 Jul 2010 14:58:01 PDT Recommended The Movie: For whatever reason, people seem to be fascinated with sharks. There's something sinister about them, their eyes look soulless and their reputation as some of the world's deadliest killing machines obviously gives them a truly ominous vibe. At the same time, they're also rather beautiful in their own strange way. This fascination has lead to an onslaught of programming geared towards these creepy creatures, which has been airing now for two decades semi-regularly on The Discovery Channel. Image has packaged up six 'Shark Week' programs and slapped them onto a pair of DVDs, and thus we have the Shark Week: Jaws Of Steel collection. Here's a look at what this latest collection includes... DISC ONE: Blood In The Water: (80:67) Spielberg's Jaws were inspired by some actual shark attacks that took place in 1916 off the coast of New Jer...Read the entire review ]]> DVD Video http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/read.php?ID=41317 Tue, 30 Mar 2010 15:45:31 PDT Recommended All that, so a guy can stuff his face at Red Lobster ? Discovery Channel has released Deadliest Catch: Season 5, a 5-disc, 17-episode collection that covers our now-famous "real men in danger" Bering Sea captains' and crews' 2008 king crab and 2009 opilio crab seasons. With the sixth season premiere of the hit reality series Deadliest Catch coming up in April, and with the recent death of (arguably) the show's most popular captain, Phil Harris, making headlines all over the world this past January (one would assume this will be dealt with in the new season), I would expect viewer interest in the series to peak. I've followed it from the first season, and while Deadliest Catch: Season 5 may not be the strongest offering of the show, it's still worthwhile reality TV viewing. Plenty of extras for fans of the series makes this an attractive buy. Read the entire review ]]> DVD Video http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/read.php?ID=41300 Tue, 23 Mar 2010 20:03:58 PDT Rent It The Movie: Extreme Bodies had a short lived run on the Discovery Channel and while its name may give you images of muscle bound body builders or something to that effect, it really focuses on people who live with rather unusual and unorthodox physical conditions. Rather than go the 'freak show' route and exploit the people that the series investigates, the show instead introduces us to the personalities that are there behind what may, on the surface, seem very unusual. This DVD is broken up into a quartet of different segments, the first of which is Conjoined Twins. Here we meet Lori and George Schappell, two twin sisters who were joined at the head when they were born. The siblings each have their own brain and as such, have different personalities and characteristics - they are simply joined by the skull that they share. This episode shows us how these two have lived ...Read the entire review ]]> DVD Video http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/read.php?ID=38869 Wed, 03 Mar 2010 05:24:01 PST Highly Recommended Review: The Discovery Channel series "Treasure Quest" ("The Historic-est Catch"?) follows Odyssey Marine Exploration, which is an incredibly ambitious company that combs the bottom of the oceans in search of buried treasure and historic shipwrecks. The crew - made up of scientists, technicians, archeologists, engineers and many others - heads out with state-of-the-art equipment in order to try and hunt for history (and riches - not long before the show was filmed, the company managed to find a site that contained half a billion - yes, billion - in lost treasure.) The find sent the company's stock soaring (albeit briefly), but then caused it to run into trouble with nearby governments (which I have to imagine is not an uncommon problem for those in the treasure hunting business - 15 minutes into the first episode, a French navy recon plane starts aggressively and what appears to the...Read the entire review ]]> DVD Video http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/read.php?ID=42414 Sat, 27 Feb 2010 05:39:18 PST Rent It The Movie: Occasionally I'll read a survival story and marvel at the intestinal fortitude it must take to perform a task out of one's comfort zone. Consider Danny Boyle, who we last saw direct the Oscar-winning Slumdog Millionaire, is working on a film based on the ordeal of Aron Ralston, a mountain climber who was forced to amputate his own arm after it became trapped under a rock. That type of decision, your arm vs. your life, is one we only discuss as part of a party game, whereas Ralston actually had to make that call Then we have a guy like Bear Grylls, a nature--and survivalist--enthusiast who might be misguided here and there. That's not to say he's crazy; Grylls is a former British Special Forces soldier who climbed Mount Everest when he was only 23. He's an outdoorsman, or at least he's very pass...Read the entire review ]]> DVD Video http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/read.php?ID=40398 Thu, 11 Feb 2010 12:33:47 PST Recommended THE SHOW You know, I always greatly appreciated Bridget Marquardt on the Playboy reality show, "The Girls Next Door." She was the most mature (a plus in my book), the most naturally endowed (take that however you like), and perhaps the most clever Hefner concubine of the trio. I'm hardly suggesting the woman is a bespectacled Rhodes Scholar, but her ditzy blonde routine was consistently transparent, a fizzy act for the probing cameras to help secure her burgeoning Playboy legacy, along with a prized room inside the hallowed halls of the mansion. Bridget also came across as the most carefree of the "Girls Next Door" trio. While Holly hip-checked her way into alpha bunny status and Kendra was...well, so very young, Bridget established a fun-lov...Read the entire review ]]> DVD Video http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/read.php?ID=42057 Wed, 03 Feb 2010 08:55:14 PST Recommended Alien Planet: Call it 'Walking With Aliens' and you've got the gist of Alien Planet. Though I was skeptical at first, this woozy sci-fi fantasia eventually roped me in. Conceptually, it's all academic - we really have no idea what alien life might look or act like - but the producers of this Discovery Channel film have done an excellent job of coming up with, you'll pardon my language, some bizarre shit to populate their plausible planetary creation, Darwin IV. Nerds, neophytes, and the non-interested alike should all end up enjoying this episodic look at another world. As with similar CGI-based documentaries of long gone historical beasts, Alien Planet mixes full-CG environments with real-life-expert interview sequences. Stephen Hawking and others speak on the possibilities of alien life with measured enthusiasm while referring to all the creatures on Darwin IV as if they act...Read the entire review ]]> DVD Video http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/read.php?ID=41578 Sun, 10 Jan 2010 11:02:38 PST Recommended In 10 Words or Less If Jackass was about science and escape artists Reviewer's Bias* Loves: If Jackass was about science and escape artists Likes: Jonathan Goodwin, Jackass Dislikes: Seeing people in pain Hates: The Show If Johnny Knoxville gave a crap about the science behind his stunts, and he focused on getting out of trouble, instead of into it, Jackass would look a lot like One Way Out. British escape artist Jonathan Goodwin, assisted by his two American pals Mikey (on comic relief) and Terry (an engineer), explores various factors that influence safety (or as he calls them, jeopardies) and then tries to combat them in a big escape attempt. In trying to prepare for the jeopardies, ...Read the entire review ]]> DVD Video http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/read.php?ID=40237 Sat, 02 Jan 2010 07:23:14 PST Recommended What is there to say about Destroyed in Seconds (2008), a Discovery Channel reality series produced by Pilgrim Films & Television and released as a two-disc DVD set via Image Entertainment? Not much. If you like to watch things crash, implode, explode, fall over, disintegrate and/or take a beating - as this critic sometimes does - then this is for you. The 22-minute episodes, 12 in all, are spread over two single-sided discs and, amusingly, are numbered backwards from "00:12" to "00:01," like a ticking time bomb. There are no extra features, but each episode has at least several awesomely spectacular scenes of destruction. 　 For what it's worth, the series is hosted by Fox/NFL sportscaster Ron Pitts, who introduces each episode from what looks li...Read the entire review ]]> DVD Video http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/read.php?ID=39170 Fri, 18 Dec 2009 15:30:19 PST Recommended Review: "Dhani Tackles the Globe" features Cincinnati Bengals football star Dhani Jones going across the globe and visiting a different culture in each episode. While having an NFL player being the host of a Travel Channel show is not an obvious match at first, but after the opening credit discussion, it makes perfect sense. The series is a variation on the Travel Channel formula - while "Bizarre Foods" host Andrew Zimmern talks about how the best way to learn about other cultures is to experience their food, Jones discusses how the best way to learn about other cultures is to experience their games. In other words, this is sort of "Bizarre Games", although "Dhani Tackles the World" is a better title. The series is a pleasant surprise; Jones is a jazzy, loose host who doesn't have any trouble riffing off the situations that he finds himself in, starting with a trip to Englan...Read the entire review ]]> DVD Video http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/read.php?ID=39173 Tue, 24 Nov 2009 04:04:30 PST Highly Recommended The Show: The Discovery Channel is no slouch when it comes to giving sofa bound explorers a glimpse at the world. Ever since the television channel began broadcasting there has almost always been some program on that sought to educate viewers and illuminate corners of the globe that they'll never get the chance to see with their own eyes. The latest example of that is Discover: Atlas. Atlas premiered in 2006 and it has collected eleven episodes depicting places and people from around the world. The show's production took over five years and was handled entirely in high definition, meaning the content is robust and the quality of the film is very sharp. While many of Atlas's episodes have been available in the past, Discovery has released a complete collection just in time for the holiday shopping season. The Blu-ray version has been reviewed Read the entire review ]]> DVD Video http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/read.php?ID=40647 Thu, 12 Nov 2009 12:31:33 PST Recommended The Product: What is it with this latest obsession with ghost hunting? What has everyone from kid vid friendly wee-ones to moonlighting sewer repair men running around abandoned hospitals and prisons looking for poltergeists? Back when Bill Murray and the bunch made ghost busting seem a heckuva lot of fun, we didn't see dozens of TV shows spring up, each one focusing on a different brand of haunt hacker, specious scientific equipment, and an Amityville Horror pile of supposed true stories. Yet for some reasons, you can't surf the endless options of the new digital domain and NOT find someone looking to capture Caspar on video. Heck, Hollywood has even bought into the home grown conceit, giving the fad inspired Paranormal Activity a high profile platform from which to scare the bejesus out of the easily influenced and gullible. In a realm that sees Roto-Rooter technicians...Read the entire review ]]> DVD Video http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/read.php?ID=39025 Wed, 11 Nov 2009 14:33:57 PST Recommended A series that certainly must be a favorite with industrial designers and engineers, "Prototype This" follows a team of inventors (an electrical engineer, an effects wizard and a pair of PhD's, as well as other guests) as they tackle various ideas within their warehouse (or, better described as "lair") on an island in the middle of the San Francisco Bay. The back of the box notes that those featured "take on the problems on today's world..." and while some episodes do certainly take on inventions that are relevant to issues within today's society, one does tend to wonder what problem a "Backyard Water Slide Simulator" will solve, aside from possibly much shorter lines and - as noted in the episode - the repetitive nature of pre-existing waterparks. The series adds a layer of tension by only giving the group a very small amount of time (such as two weeks) to take what are often rather comp...Read the entire review ]]> Blu-ray http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/read.php?ID=38700 Mon, 09 Nov 2009 18:26:30 PST Highly Recommended The Movie: The Discovery Channel started their Discovery Atlas series of programs a few years ago and while there have been DVD and Blu-ray releases in the past, those didn't collect the entire series as this Discover Atlas - The Complete Collection does. For those unfamiliar with the series, it's a nice mix of a fairly standard travelogue combined with some human interest stories that go a long way towards enlightening us westerners to various ethnicities and cultures around the world. The series was shot over a five year period of time that took the crew pretty much completely around the world. The results are quite fascinating, and almost always visually stunning, particularly when viewed in high definition as they are on this Blu-ray release. Here's a rundown of each episode: DISC ONE: South Africa A primer in South African politics expl...Read the entire review ]]> DVD Video http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/read.php?ID=40512 Wed, 04 Nov 2009 18:49:39 PST Recommended THE PROGRAM Anyone who has ever read my review of educational programming, might have recognized I can be very critical of flash over substance. The Discovery Channel has devolved over the years into reality themed programming. It all started with "American Chopper" a show about a family of custom motorcycle designers and builders. I found the show fascinating, until the focus quickly shifted from the building element to the "drama" in the shop. I haven't watched an episode of the series (now on TLC) for a few years because frankly, I have better things to do than watch grown men bicker. "Doing Da Vinci" set off some quiet alarms from the premise alone: a group of engineers and craftsmen come together to bring some of Leonardo Da Vinci's most famous inventions to life. I was drawn to the program after having recently visited a museum exhibit titled "Da Vinci- The Genius" where m...Read the entire review ]]> DVD Video http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/read.php?ID=40214 Sat, 17 Oct 2009 20:03:06 PDT Recommended Review: In recent years, the Discovery Channel has played host to two particularly interesting shows - both very different in approach, but both dealing with how to attempt to survive in difficult conditions around the globe. While Les Stroud's "Survivorman" has unfortunately called it quits due to the wear the production was taking on the show's host, still airing is "Man Vs. Wild", which stars former UK Secret Service Forces member Bear Grylls, who managed to climb Mount Everest at 23. "Man Vs. Wild" episodes see Grylls and the production team (including cameramen) into a remote location and the mission is to survive until he can be lifted out of the area. In the meantime, the host details to the camera all of his tips as to how to survive (find food, shelter, withstand the temps, etc) in the region. The series has had quite a bit of controversy over the years, given the fact tha...Read the entire review ]]> DVD Video http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/read.php?ID=40087 Fri, 09 Oct 2009 13:39:39 PDT Rent It Review: Dave Mordal was one of the better comedians on the first and third seasons of "Last Comic Standing". Mordal is from Minnesota and has the sort of tone and feel of the guy at the small town bar in a Minnesota or Wisconsin that is pals with everyone. The comedian's dry, throwaway style combined with his low-key approach worked quite well. After being entertained by Mordal on "Last Comic", I was pleased to see that he was going to be the host of "Wreckreation Nation", a Discovery Channel series that watches Mordal as he heads to various small town oddball competitions or other unusual activities. These activities include lawnmower racing, bar stool sledding and others. When I first watched "Wreckreation", I found the series watchable but disappointing, and initially I couldn't quite figure out what wasn't clicking for me about the series. There's certainly the aspect th...Read the entire review ]]> DVD Video http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/read.php?ID=39792 Wed, 30 Sep 2009 05:08:59 PDT Highly Recommended The DVD: Don't call Anthony Bourdain a "foodie". There's too much history as a renowned New York City chef to warrant such a fad gadget moniker. And don't call him a travel expert. He's been lucky enough to circumvent the globe in search of culinary adventures, yet his passion has always been a combination of location AND lunch. But whatever you do, don't call him a TV personality. He abhors the kind of cook with benefits that advertises themselves on various specialty networks. Instead, the well known epicure and entrepreneur views himself as an edibles archeologist. Bourdain believes in the by now age old adage that to understand a culture, you must indulge in its cuisine. Centuries of heritage and food folklore can be readily found in a loaf of crusty bread or a bowl of piping hot stew. After a less than happy stint on Food Network (which saw the suits filter his fire through some ...Read the entire review ]]> DVD Video http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/read.php?ID=39769 Sun, 27 Sep 2009 13:47:01 PDT Highly Recommended First things first: Inside Planet Earth is in no way related to the BBC production of a similar name, though some of the subject matter is similar. This 2009 Discovery Channel production runs just 84 minutes, yet it covers plenty of ground in a short period of time; specifically, the ground beneath our feet. Like most nature-based documentaries, it relies heavily on scenic footage and concise, clear narration to tell its story in an entertaining and educational way. Due to the largely inaccessible areas it looks at, though, Inside Planet Earth uses a wealth of computer-rendered footage to show us how the Earth operates from the inside out. Inside Planet Earth earn...Read the entire review ]]> DVD Video http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/read.php?ID=39714 Mon, 21 Sep 2009 19:07:47 PDT Rent It The formula for "One Way Out" goes something like this: The series provides a look at the science behind the physical stunts of escapologist Jonathan Goodwin. No, wait, it's a study of the work an escape artist puts into his craft. Hold on, no, it's just a series of goofy tricks where Rube Goldbergian devices aim to pummel Goodwin and his friends. I've watched hours and hours of the Discovery Channel series and still can't quite figure out what the point is. Sure, it's plenty fun, and like most Discovery offerings, the rewatchability factor is quite high, thanks to a quick pace, fun stunts, and the undeniable charms of its stars. But just what the hell is this show about? When "One Way Out" premiered as a one-off special in April 2008, it knew precisely what it...Read the entire review ]]> DVD Video http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/read.php?ID=38330 Sat, 29 Aug 2009 04:53:44 PDT Skip It You'd think it couldn't miss, yet Crime Scene University (2008) turns out to be one of the dullest reality show on the planet. For mystery buffs and forensic science enthusiasts, to say nothing of fans of programs like CSI, its premise is almost irresistible: follow 12 Penn State University students as they try to make sense of carefully staged, realistic crime scenarios, from a possible murder-suicide to what appears to be the dumping grounds of a serial killer. And yet for a variety of reasons and against all odds Crime Scene University is unexciting and singularly uninvolving. Adapting an actual Penn State course entitled "Forensic Science 201: Crime Scene Investigation," Dr. Bob Shaler, director of the university's forensic science program and...Read the entire review ]]> DVD Video http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/read.php?ID=38305 Wed, 26 Aug 2009 05:27:30 PDT Recommended Ghost Adventures: Nothing says 'Reality TV' like the words 'ghost adventures'. If you were the kind who thought Survivor had even a remote chance of depicting how real people would act when stranded on a desert island, then Ghost Adventures is for you. On the other hand, you're probably able to get the gist that these adventures are about spooky fun and little else. What The Travel Channel's Ghost Adventures lacks in 'reality' it more than makes up for in the entertainment department, so if you are in to things that go bump in the night (whether you believe in them or not) you're certain to get a high-octane charge out of this silly, silly show. Something of a short series-length riff on The Blair Witch Project, Ghost Adventures started as a feature-length one time special on The Travel Channel in 2006. Success stepped in, demanding a series be made, and b...Read the entire review ]]> DVD Video http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/read.php?ID=38266 Mon, 24 Aug 2009 04:41:16 PDT Highly Recommended THE PROGRAM Christopher Riley. Chances are you haven't heard of him, but if you have even a passing interest in space and space travel, commit his name to memory. Dr. Riley has the distinct honor being directly responsible for two of the finest documentaries on space travel, specifically to the moon, His 2007 film "In the Shadow of the Moon" focused on the missions of the Apollo program and the men who blazed the trails into the cold darkness that lies outside our atmosphere. "Moon Machines" covers the same subject, but instead pays unspoken tribute to the brilliant minds who made the Apollo pioneers' missions possible. This six part, four and a half hour miniseries covers six vital components that made space travel possible: the Saturn V rocket, the Apollo Command Module, the Apollo guidance system, the Lunar Module, the space suit, and the Lunar Rover. The presentation of the ...Read the entire review ]]> DVD Video http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/read.php?ID=38262 Thu, 20 Aug 2009 18:13:59 PDT Highly Recommended Entertaining as hell, and a celebration of this great nation's people, too. Discovery Channel has released Wreckreation Nation with Dave Mordal, a 13-episode collection of this fun Discovery Channel reality series' first - and perhaps only? - season (it premiered in 2008, but I'm not aware of it airing this year). A salute to the "ingenious, dangerous, and dubious ways Americans kill time," Wreckreation Nation with Dave Mordal manages not only to showcase the innumerable ways Americans build and compete (and destroy) in their spare time, but it also honors the achievements of average Americans who make "excellence" a goal even in their pastimes...and even if those pastimes seem, to the non-believer, stupid as hell. Embarking on a road...Read the entire review ]]> DVD Video http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/read.php?ID=38244 Wed, 19 Aug 2009 14:05:43 PDT Rent It I'm not a big television person (except on DVD), so while I've seen episodes of several flagship programs like "Mythbusters" and "Cash Cab", there have been (and are) lots of shows on The Discovery Channel that sound great but I haven't seen. Unfortunately, I'm starting to wonder if the greatness of the ones I have seen is raising my expectations too high for the ones I haven't. So far, I've watched two Discovery programs for the first time for DVDTalk, and both of them have been slightly disappointing. The latest is "Crime Scene University", which sounds great, but takes almost half of its incredibly short run to become engrossing due to the pacing and style issues. "CSU" is a look inside a Penn State University forensics/criminal science class taught by Dr. Bob Shaler. In each episode, two teams of students (blue and gray) dive into a new crime scene set up by Shaler and his team. Using teamwork an...Read the entire review ]]> DVD Video http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/read.php?ID=37964 Tue, 21 Jul 2009 05:20:46 PDT Recommended The Show: As one gets older it's funny how their tastes change. Ten years ago if you strapped me down to make me watch a documentary, travel program, or something dealing with food I undoubtedly would have gnawed an arm off just to get away. Nowadays I can't get enough. Travel Channel and Food Network are easily the most watched channels in my household because, after all, my wife and I love to travel and eat. With that in mind it should also be no surprise that Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations is one of our staple TV shows. As far as TV hosts are concerned Tony is something of an enigma. He's a rough around the edges ex-line cook who made it big time due in large part to his book, Kitchen Confidential. He smokes, he drinks to excess, and he's willing to put an...Read the entire review ]]> DVD Video http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/read.php?ID=37928 Fri, 17 Jul 2009 12:26:28 PDT Highly Recommended Just in time for the 40th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing next week, The Discovery Channel and Image Entertainment have released the documentary mini-series Moon Machines, originally broadcast on the Discovery offshoot The Science Channel last summer. This six-part series details the monumental engineering challenges faced by the Apollo program as those involved moved toward the ultimate goal of landing on the moon. Each episode focuses on a specific topic, such as the multistage Saturn V rockets or the lunar rover, recounting the development of this incredible machinery through interviews of the engineers involved in their design and construction, along with contemporaneous film footage. The self-explanatory episodes titles are: The Saturn V Rocket The Command Module The Navigation Computer The Lu...Read the entire review ]]> Blu-ray http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/read.php?ID=37812 Mon, 06 Jul 2009 19:28:26 PDT Recommended The Movie: For whatever reason, people seem to be fascinated with sharks. There's something sinister about them, their eyes look soulless and their reputation as some of the world's deadliest killing machines obviously gives them a truly ominous vibe. At the same time, they're also rather beautiful in their own strange way. This fascination has lead to an onslaught of programming geared towards these creepy creatures, which has been airing now for two decades semi-regularly on The Discovery Channel. Image has packaged up six 'Shark Week' programs and slapped them onto a pair of DVDs, and thus we have the Shark Week: Greatest Bites collection. Past releases have been thematically linked, which made sense, but this time around the selection is more of a hodge-podge culled from various popular Discovery Channel programs such as Dirty Jobs and Mythbusters, programs that...Read the entire review ]]> DVD Video http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/read.php?ID=37803 Mon, 06 Jul 2009 05:51:25 PDT Skip It Sensing Murder: Since this 2-Disc, eleven episode set has inspired within me such a powerful rage I'm going to throw a whole bunch of disclaimers at you. I'm not a hater of the paranormal, I believe in at least the possibility, if not the probability of most of it. I think psychics and mediums can help law enforcement solve crimes - and I love the show Medium. But for Sensing Murder - a reality show about two women with paranormal abilities who help police work on unsolved murders - so many things rub me the wrong way that I have an extremely difficult time sitting through the episodes. From the grindingly formulaic nature of the show to the sheer disagreeable nature of the protagonists (not to mention the fact that - SPOILER ALERT - they never solve any frickin' crimes - END SPOILER) Sensing Murder will leave most viewers wanting to commit murder. These 42-minute episodes reveal little new...Read the entire review ]]> DVD Video http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/read.php?ID=37772 Wed, 01 Jul 2009 19:59:39 PDT Recommended The Movie: For whatever reason, people seem to be fascinated with sharks. There's something sinister about them, their eyes look soulless and their reputation as some of the world's deadliest killing machines obviously gives them a truly ominous vibe. At the same time, they're also rather beautiful in their own strange way. This fascination has lead to an onslaught of programming geared towards these creepy creatures, which has been airing now for two decades semi-regularly on The Discovery Channel. Image has packaged up six 'Shark Week' programs and slapped them onto a pair of DVDs, and thus we have the Shark Week: Greatest Bites collection. Past releases have been thematically linked, which made sense, but this time around the selection is more of a hodge-podge culled from various popular Discovery Channel programs such as Dirty Jobs and Mythbusters, programs that...Read the entire review ]]> DVD Video http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/read.php?ID=37669 Sun, 21 Jun 2009 15:46:17 PDT Rent It The Future: A 360 Degree View: The future's so bright, I gotta watch dumbed-down news magazine-style series like this one. Little's more exciting than dreaming about what may come, but having such speculation shot into your arm with 60 CCs of razzmatazz, repetition and wretched excess (especially if you're pounding through the series on DVD) dulls down that excitement considerably. What's more, the future focused on in the first disc of this collection, while certainly nifty, looks in many ways lame - it's a future in which we don't have to expend any energy or thought because everything in the world, including ourselves, is controlled by computers. Yip-f-ing-eee. Each 44-minute episode on Disc One - Nextworld - looks at 'one aspect' of life on Earth (or Mars etc.) that will be radically different in the years to come - 5 to 30 years down the road, for many of the things mentioned. Extrem...Read the entire review ]]>