Discovery Movies

 

 

Ride into Aqaba with Lawrence of Arabia. Stand with Patton as his tanks lead the Allied breakout from the coast of Normandy. Patrol the nighttime jungles of Vietnam... A CENTURY OF WARFARE explores the pivotal battles, profiles the commanders and chronicles the myriad ways in which war has shaped the modern world. The 26 hour-long episodes in this monumental set feature an encyclopedic collection of archival film dating back to 1896, creating an unforgettable visual record of every major military engagement from the precursors of World War I to the liberation of Kuwait. THE HISTORY CHANNEL is proud to present this epic, landmark series, now available in its entirety and presented on DVD for the first time ever.

Monster Garage, a documentary where Jesse James transforms items like lawnmowers into vehicles capable of traveling over 100 miles an hour, arrives on DVD with a standard full-frame transfer. The English soundtrack is rendered in Dolby Digital Stereo. There are no supplemental materials of any consequence, but those with an interest in the subject matter should find this DVD worthwhile. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide

For 4,400 years after its completion as a monument to the "Pharoah du Jour," the Great Pyramid of Giza in Egypt was the tallest structure in the world, dwarfed only when the Eiffel Tower went up in 1889. This ambitious, computer-generated cable documentary special meticulously recreated the conception and construction of the Pyramid, as seen through the eyes of Nakht, a young man from a tiny village along the Nile who, along with thousands of others in the region, was "conscripted" to work on the project. In addition to showing the remarkably sophisticated methods by which the workers built the monument from millions of tons of stone, the special also offered irresistible "humanizing" details, such as Nakh's amazement that the workers were considerately clothed, fed, and sheltered by the overseers. The computerized special effects were created by the same team responsible for "rebuilding" Rome in the 2000 theatrical feature Gladiator. Based on a book by Jonathan Stamp and Kevin Jackson, Building the Great Pyramid was seen in the U.S. courtesy of the Discovery Channel. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Shot from hundreds of miles above the earth, this DVD is set to Aboriginal music and features a unique view of the Australian landscape. It includes 80 minutes worth of unique digital video footage of the Great Barrier Reef, New Zealand, and other Australian landmarks as photographed from a space shuttle's point-of-view. ~ Tracie Cooper, Rovi

This video combines computer animation with live-action footage to show how dinosaurs might have looked striding over the landscapes of the United States. Each portion of the U.S. is profiled to show what it looked like millions of years ago and what animals strode that particular portion of the continent. Through the use of animation, viewers will watch these mighty beasts hunt, eat, and raise their young. Also, they will catch up on the latest information about dinosaur physiology and anatomy. ~ Rob Ferrier, Rovi

Through the use of extensive computer animation, this video offers an update on the construction of the International Space Station some 220 miles above the surface of the earth. The only major international program of its type, the implications of the station are immeasurably important to the viability of human habitation in space. This glance into the possible future of the human race is hosted by Liam Neeson. ~ Rob Ferrier, Rovi