Julia Cort Movies

For millions of marathon runners worldwide, Patriots Day looms steadily and prominently on the horizon; such is the pivotal day when untold numbers journey to Boston, Massachusetts to participate in the legendary, 26.2 mile Boston Marathon. As produced by WGBH - Boston public television and directed by Daniel McCabe, the documentary NOVA: The Marathon Challenge cross-cuts between the lives of 13 Boston Marathon trainees as they psych themselves up for the "big run" during the 2007 event; the program undertakes an unusual approach, however, by specifically honing in on the underdogs - participants who are less than fit (and who lead sedentary lifestyles), but who nevertheless determine to whip their bodies into top shape for the said event despite the many obstacles and challenges that stand in their way. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide

Follow EELS frontman Mark Oliver Everett on his quest to comprehend the theory of parallel universes while unraveling the remarkable life story of his iconoclastic father Hugh -- creator of the radical quantum physics theory -- in this installment of the popular PBS series Nova. Dubbed "one of the most important scientists of the 20th century" by Scientific American, Hugh Everett III proposed the controversial Many Worlds Theory back in 1957. The basis of that theory is the idea that parallel universes are constantly spinning off from reality as we know it. Though generally ignored at the time, that theory has gone on to become not just a popular topic of study among respected physicists, but the inspiration for such popular films, television shows, and books as Star Trek and The Golden Compass. As a young boy growing up, Mark never understood why his father was so distant. It wasn't that Hugh didn't care about his family, just that his brain was constantly swirling with ideas and concepts, and that anything that pulled him out of his own thoughts was considered something of a distraction. Now the last surviving member of his troubled family, Mark interviews his father's old college friends, colleagues, and admirers -- including MIT physicist Max Tegmark -- in an emotional journey to not only better understand the man he barely knew in life, but also to gain a greater understanding of the ideas that still inspire physicists to this very day. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

When the bombs start falling and the war machines start rolling, the sheer chaos experienced by military medics can put the stress of even the busiest inner-city emergency room to shame. As the Iraq war rages and the doctors, nurses, and staff of the 10th and 21st CaSH units leap into action, the barrage of chemical and biological attack victims soon gives way to an unexpected influx of patient overflow from devastated Iraqi hospitals. As the constant influx of victims grows increasingly heavy and the medical supplies and manpower stretch to near the breaking point, the staff of the CaSH are forced to make the life or death decisions that could shadow them for the rest of their professional careers. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

This volume of the PBS series NOVA investigates the past, present, and future of the water problem in Venice, Italy. Under the real and constant threat of sinking, this historic city of famous art and architecture is involved in conflicting methods of dealing with the high levels of water. The program discusses the geography and reasons behind the flooding, as well as measures other countries have taken to prevent their own sinking problems. The conclusion offers a debate about the effects of the mobile floodgate development and other means of controlling rising sea levels. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide

The much-anticipated sequencing of the human genome made global headlines in July 2000, as scientists culminated a ten-year attempt to decode the genetic makeup of human bodies. In a two-hour Nova special, Cracking the Code of Life, viewers follow this race to finish one of the most exciting chapters in the history of science. While this remarkable achievement may have profound implications on the prevention and treatment of disease, it also opens up new areas of concern. Genetic manipulation may indeed eradicate previously incurable disorders, but will our expectations propel us to a need for flawless humans? ~ Alice Day, All Movie Guide

This Nova program grapples with the truly big questions of science -- what is the universe's structure, what lies beyond the limits of our "sight," and how can we predict the ultimate fate of the universe? The film uses as its main focal point a recent discovery that space is not only expanding but actually accelerating outward. Two competing teams of scientists discuss the meaning of this phenomenon, as well as the methodology that they use to make such discoveries -- tasks like measuring the brightness and the "redshift" of supernovae, as well as irregularities in the microwave background radiation. The program uses high-definition 3-D simulations to demonstrate leading theories (such as the theories of inflation and of "dark energy") about the behavior and fate of matter in the universe. ~ Sarah Welsh, All Movie Guide

Who built the enigmatic Stonehenge and for what purpose? Explore the answers with a visit to one of the world's most mysterious architectural structures in the history/archeology documentary Nova: Secrets of Lost Empires -- Stonehenge. Archeologist Julian Richards, stonemason Roger Hopkins, and engineer Mark Whitby analyze the massive 4,500-year-old monument by constructing a small-scale version using Stone Age techniques. With ropes and sledges, the men and a group of volunteers chip away at ancient mysteries and engineering practices in the 60-minute film. Other tapes in the Nova: Secrets of Lost Empires series include: Nova: Secrets of Lost Empires -- Inca, Nova: Secrets of Lost Empires -- Pyramid, Nova: Secrets of Lost Empires -- Colosseum, and Nova: Secrets of Lost Empires -- Obelisk. ~ Kathleen Wildasin, All Movie Guide

This television documentary shows a technique aimed at countering the effects of a specific type of congestive heart failure, a condition where the patient's heart grows abnormally large and loses the ability to pump enough blood through the body. A Brazilian doctor, Dr. Randas Batista, came up with the technique of slicing off a piece of the left ventricle so that the heart would actually be smaller and therefore become more efficient. He did so because drug treatment and heart transplants were too expensive for the Brazilians. But could he convince the American medical establishment that this radical process works? The methods are tried on patients using the advanced monitoring systems and science found in England and the U.S. to determine whether they work and, if so, which patients would be the best candidates for success. ~ Thomas Carpenter, All Movie Guide