Natural Disasters

I was very disappointed in this DVD. It appears that the directors gathered some stock footage of the recent tsunami (and other types of disasters) that had both English and foreign language commentaries. When the foreign language commentators (probably from a news report in the native country) finished their monologues, an English translator then provided his interpretation. After awhile, this 'doublespeak' became quite tiresome. Also, there was absolutely no in-depth analysis of why these events happened. Or what can be done to help prevent them (if anything). There was no mention of hurricanes or cyclones in the flooding section of the DVD. Did you know that floods occur because too much rain falls and the rivers rise out of their banks? That is about the level of superficial scientific analysis in this DVD. Save your money and watch the National Geographic TV channel for better disaster coverage and analysis.

This DVD set is interesting. Some of the episodes are original footage from the 50's 60's, 70's and 80's. The older ones are b/w (obviously) and the sound quality is not all that swell, but definitely worth the price.Item arrives new and quick...thanks!!...Brian

Excellent seller, exactly what I wanted. Fast shipping. thank you.

:)

"The Ultimate collection of Natural Disasters in 21 century" does an excellent job of presenting the details and comprehensive coverage of the devastation that unfolded out many countries all over the world. It is a great educational DVD, which features simple discussions of scientific material one topic at a time for kids and parents, too. It also examines the full spectrum of cataclysmic possibilities, why they happen and what they affect. Via intensive live-action footage viewers learn key facts about hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, avalanches, volcanoes, and more. Fair, balanced and well done.

It is a bargain to get so many historical films in one package. Many are old and scratched, but if you are looking for such films you will be glad to get them at a good price. They are bits of history that cannot be replaced by current events, they cannot compete for the modern quality of photography and special effects that we see in disaster films today. That is not the point. They were made for instruction, not entertainment.

I was expecting to see exciting footage of actual disasters, but instead was presented with a miasma of gratuitous special effects, e.g., "the earth" that looked suspiciously like a beach ball, and images that quickly zoomed into a "paintings on the wall" motif. I thought the filler part of the video was overdone. Sorry.

Basically U. S government documentaries from agencies such as FEMA, DOD, NOAA, NASA etc that recount the major disasters of the 20th century. A compelling look back in time at the destruction of our planet and environment by the forces of nature as documented from films preserved in the National Archives.