What happens when correspondents from a controversial New York magazine scour the Earth's darkest corners? You'll find out during The Vice Guide to Travel (2006), a series of short, biting and memorable documentaries culled from around the globe. Led by founders Suroosh Alvi, Shane Smith and Gavin McInnes, the Vice crew have embarked on this dangerous adventure "so that you never, ever have to go for yourself as long as you live". After watching their visits to the world's largest illegal gun market (seen above), discover a failed Aryan utopia in Paraguay (below left) and search through the radioactive remains of Chernobyl (below right), your couch will feel comfier than ever.

Seven short documentaries comprise the main content of The Vice Guide to Travel---and at roughly six to eight minutes apiece, it's not a long trip but it's certainly still worth taking. One highlight includes a trip to the underemployed, overcrowded favelas of Rio, including coverage of a rave-like party funded by local drug dealers. Another follows correspondent David Choe through the Pygmy villages and jungles of the Congo, searching high and low for "the world's last dinosaurs". You'll also visit the PLO Boy Scouts of Beirut, practically brain-washed from birth to believe in the glories of martyrdom. The trip to Chernobyl is probably the most visually arresting of the bunch, as the crew travel through abandoned buildings and snowy, radiation-drenched landmarks with a geiger counter.

From an outsider's perspective, those who enjoy uninterrupted documentaries may not enjoy The Vice Guide to Travel. The hosts are very much front and center, offering plenty of off-handed comments and loose attempts at translation. I found some of their comments to a bit condescending, often outright snubbing some of the locals (not that a few didn't deserve it, of course). If there's one other minor flaw to the overall package, it's a slight lack of cohesion, at least in the way it's been presented here. Viewers can simply pick and choose their destination, though an introduction---or even a group chat with the participants, either before or after their excursions---would've added to the overall experience.

Arriving on DVD with a compact but lavish presentation, The Vice Guide to Travel is every bit a written journal as it is a collection of films. An accompanying hardbound book (included with this release) provides a series of interesting essays by members of the crew, many of which hadn't been filmed for obvious reasons. Together, they provide an interesting "you are there" dynamic to the presentation, though the actual distance from the events is much appreciated. Language, nudity, and adult subject matter ensure that The Vice Guide to Travel isn't for all audiences, but those willing to dive right in should walk away satisfied. Let's take a closer look, shall we?

Presented in its original 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen aspect ratio, The Vice Guide to Travel features a pleasing transfer that gets the job done. This was obviously recorded "on the fly" and doesn't feature fancy lighting and careful compositions, yet each short feature boasts a natural color palette and very few digital problems. Nighttime scenes are often murky and flat, though they're few and far-between.

The 2.0 Dolby Digital Surround mix keeps most on-screen activity anchored towards the front channels; dialogue is clean and clear, while the excellent soundtrack often gets a chance to "move around". Only German, Spanish, French and Italian subtitles are available for the main feature, though a few scenes feature burned-in English subtitles. Unfortunately, no Closed Captioning has been provided.

"The Black Lips in Uganda" (1:55) follows Black Lips frontman Cole Alexander shooting footage for a music video, and "The Gypsies of Sofia" (1:26) provides a brief glimpse of a dilapidated Bulgarian neighborhood. Closing things out is brief chat with "Jesco White" (3:44), a "mountain dancer" with a strong opinion on a variety of subjects. Also, keep your eyes peeled for an Easter Egg featuring more of Mr. White. The lack of audio commentaries or additional interviews with the crew was a minor disappointment, but a disappointment nonetheless.

Odd, disjointed and extremely entertaining, The Vice Guide to Travel offers a skewed tour of the world's darkest corners. Though some of the commentary may be a bit heavy-handed for some viewers, the strong visuals and interesting subjet matter more than makes up for it. The DVD presentation is well-rounded and appropriate, offering a handful of interesting bonus features and a truly exceptional packaging job. Overall, it's a truly one-of-a-kind release that most documentary fans should really enjoy. Don't let The Vice Guide to Travel pass you by! Highly Recommended.