DCSIMG
 
 

Wade Davis Movies

2008  
 
This history of hallucinogenic substances examines their origin, discovery and uses, and also explores the work of ethnobotanist Richard Evans Schultes (1915-2001) and his pioneering studies of the uses of hallucinogenic plants in various cultures. Among those commenting are physician Andrew Weil and musician Bob Weir. Anthropologist Wade Davis hosts the program. ~ Bill Ecklund, Rovi

 Read More

 
2008  
 
Add Grand Canyon Adventure: River at Risk to Queue Add Grand Canyon Adventure: River at Risk to top of Queue  
On the heels of the announcement that mankind has entered what some scientists call a "100 year mega-drought," the producers of Everest and Mystery of the Nile invite viewers to explore the efficient ways in which Native Americans once used the Colorado River without sacrificing the scenic land that surrounds it. Few would deny that fresh water is perhaps the world's most precious resource, yet the way things are headed we may lose that resource sooner than we think. Now, environmental activist Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. and National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence Wade Davis attempt to raise awareness about global water issues by embarking on a breathtaking river-rafting adventure down the mighty Colorado River. The Colorado Delta has dried up, yet people in seven states and two countries use the water of the Colorado River for agricultural purposes every day; many never realizing precisely where their water is coming from. Is it possible to balance the needs to man with the needs of Mother Nature? And is it realistic to think that we can provide fresh drinking water to everyone on the planet? As the viewer follows these fearless adventurers down the Colorado River, we learn about not only the history of this particular watercourse, but also how mankind may best contend with dwindling water supplies should the ominous warnings issued by environmental scientists truly come to pass. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

 Read More

Starring:
Robert Redford
 
2007  
PG  
Add The 11th Hour to Queue Add The 11th Hour to top of Queue  
Co-directors Leila Conners Petersen and Nadia Conners conduct interviews with some of the world's leading scientists and creative thinkers in a film that asks whether or not it's too late to avoid the ecological disaster that looms ominously on the horizon. In addition to exploring how the human race has arrived at this crucial point in history, conversations with 50 leading thinkers, scientists, and leaders including former Soviet prime minister Mikhail Gorbachev, world-renowned scientist Stephen Hawking, and sustainable design experts Bruce Mau and William McDonough to find out just what humankind can do about the most pressing issues of our time. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

 Read More

Starring:
Leonardo DiCaprio
 
1992  
 
National Geographic explorer-in-residence Wade Davis narrates this award-winning program in the Sacred Ways series. Davis, a Harvard-educated anthropologist and ethnobotanist, introduces viewers to the cultural beliefs and rituals practiced by the indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest coast, where masks are not simply art, but are tools for the secular world to access the realm of the spiritual and supernatural. The repression of these masks by Christian Europeans is also explored. The program was written by Davis with director Peter von Puttkamer. ~ Steve Blackburn, Rovi

 Read More

 
1987  
R  
Add The Serpent and the Rainbow to Queue Add The Serpent and the Rainbow to top of Queue  
Horror maven Wes Craven attempted a slight change of pace from his usual slasher movie milieu with this chiller loosely based on a true story. Bill Pullman stars as Dennis Alan, a Harvard researcher sent to Haiti by a pharmaceutical company to investigate the zombie legend and any possible connection it might have to a rumored drug that could be used as a new breed of powerful anaesthetic. Once on the Caribbean isle, Alan is aided by a good voodoo priest or "houngan" (Paul Winfield) and his daughter (Cathy Tyson), who runs a local clinic. Alan's search also pits him against an evil houngan, Dargent Peytraud (Zakes Mokae). Peytraud also controls the Tonton Macoute (the Haitian secret police), who are involved with soon-to-be-deposed dictator "Baby Doc" Duvalier. The Serpent and the Rainbow was based on the book of the same name by Wade Davis, an ethnobotanist whose real-life hunt for the zombie drug was credited with cracking the medical mystery behind the myth. ~ Karl Williams, Rovi

 Read More

Starring:
Bill PullmanCathy Tyson, (more)