Sometime in the mid 1980s, I was exposed to Monty Python. It was, of course, Monty Python and the Holy Grail, which of course stunted my growth and imprinted itself upon my brain to the point where Python lines began creeping into every day conversation. My parents were appalled. Neither could stand the humorous antics of these men dressed up in costumes banging coconuts together to make clip-clopping noises.
Yes, it’s true. I’m a Monty Python addict. But nothing really prepared me for the depth of Monty Python: Almost The Truth. As a Monty Python fan, I learned things I had never known before in each and every episode. Because of this, I will recommend to all of my closest friends (most of them Python fans) that they must watch the series on A&E and pick up the DVD set.
But I’m getting ahead of myself here. So why is this such a ground-breaking documentary series? Because, like all great documentaries, it presents information that you may or may not have heard before in such a way as to make you think about things more deeply. I never knew how the Monty Python troupe came together or what they did before. It simply wasn’t something I considered prior to watching this series.
Starting with Episode 1, we learn the humble beginnings of each member of the troupe and how they found their funny bones on their own or in pairs before eventually finding their way together for Monty Python’s Flying Circus. By the time you get to Episode 4, you realize that not only are they very funny and talented, but they’ve all gone through some rough times as artists and people. And by Episode 6, you come to find that they’ve all found ways to move beyond Python and find their own ways in the world.
Some of the startling facts that I learned from Monty Python: Almost The Truth:
Terry Gilliam had a life before Python in the magazine business.
Monty Python and the Holy Grail was financed by a bunch of big name bands in the 1970s, including Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, and Jethro Tull.
Graham Chapman was an amazingly functional alcoholic. I always knew he had alcohol issues in the Flying Circus days, but I didn’t realize how much.
Documentaries are often long, dreary, boring affairs. But Monty Python: Almost The Truth couldn’t be further from the norm. All the way through I felt entertained and educated.
When you arrive at Disc 3, you find a collection of sketches, extended interviews, interview outtakes, and the Terry Gilliam Picture Gallery. Among the sketches are three of my favorites – “The Parrot Sketch,” “Ministry of Silly Walks,” and “The Cheese Shop.” The fact that these guys could sit down and write lines like “He’s off the twig! He’s kicked the bucket, He’s shuffled off his mortal coil, run down the curtain and joined the bleedin’ choir invisible!! THIS IS AN EX-PARROT!!”, the absolutely insane list of cheeses from around the world that is somehow made funny by the fact that the proprietor of the cheese shop has no cheese at all, and then the simple yet odd physical comedy of John Cleese doing his silly walk… It makes me laugh just to think of any of them.
As I said at the beginning, this collection is a must have for any serious Monty Python fan. Rush to your favorite retailer and pick up your copy of Monty Python: Almost The Truth today. You won’t be sorry!
–Fitz
p.s. Pick up this and other Monty Python DVDs below!
Though I’ve never been to Yellowstone, it’s hard to ignore its beauty, let alone its importance to conservation efforts around the world. Yellowstone was the first National Park established by the U.S. Congress in 1872. It spans an area nearly 3,500 square miles at nearly 8,000 feet above sea level and is crisscrossed with geysers, rivers, forests, and Yellowstone Lake. Home to nearly 60 species of mammals – wolves, lynx, elk, grizzly bears, moose, pronghorn, and many others – Yellowstone attracts nearly 2 million visitors every year.
Yellowstone: Battle for Life should encourage many more visitors to take the journey. Narrated by Peter Firth, this documentary from BBC Earth contains three hour-long episodes that focus on nearly an entire year in the park, as well as some cool extras.
The series starts in “Winter” and introduces viewers to this harsh, frozen world dominated by the Druid Peak wolves and stalwart buffalo herds in the park. The longer the winter goes, the weaker the animals in the park become, making them easier targets for the wolves. And at the end of winter, the bears emerge from hibernation, hungry and eager to find any food hidden under the snow and ice.
One of the amazing scenes in this episode was of a red foxhunting mice. As the mice would move beneath the snow, the fox would listen from above – cautiously and quietly moving close enough for an aerobatic dive to get at its dinner. Simply beautiful.
From Winter we move to “Summer”, which encompasses Spring and the beginning of Summer in Yellowstone. As life returns to the park. Grizzly bear moms and their cubs are on the hunt for shoots, berries, and fish to fill empty bellies. But they are not alone – male bears are also on the prowl and are a danger to her cubs. As the Spring thaw begins, bison move down to pastures soon to become lush and green once more.
And when “Autumn” arrives, Winter isn’t far behind. Male elk begin their battles for supremacy before retreating to warmer valleys to wait again until Spring. However, what really caught me off guard was the footage of the beavers working in the ponds along riverbanks building their dams and storing food for winter.
In addition to the three episodes, there are three extras that tell stories of some of the people who keep Yellowstone going. One about the man who clears snow off the many man-made structures in the park for five months out of the year. One about the folks who watch the geysers erupt in an attempt to both document the events for scientific study, but to also inform park guests about likely eruption times. And the last is about a man who swims in the Yellowstone River and is passionate about making sure the indigenous cutthroat trout of the region win their battle against the lake trout imported for sport fishing in the region.
As always, the BBC has done an amazing job capturing the breathtaking beauty of Yellowstone. Add to that the depth of the information provided through narration and the music by E dward Butt, and you have an engrossing and entertaining documentary. At times, with the amazing flyover footage of the park, I almost felt like I was watching a feature film.
If you are a fan of nature documentaries, especially the latest series of great shows such as Planet Earth, Earth, and Nature’s Most Amazing Events, Yellowstone: Battle for Life should be at the top of your list. Be sure to check it out at your local rental or retail video store.
–Fitz
p.s. Pick up this and other great nature documentaries from Amazon below!
On September 1, 2009, Walt Disney Studios released Earth on DVD. Originally released on big screens this past April 2009 on Earth Day, this is a wildlife documentary in movie theaters the likes of which has never been seen before. And that may be a good thing now that there’s a race against time as world climate changes threaten habitats around the globe. We have entered an age where documentary filmmakers have unprecedented technology at their disposal that grants us never-before seen close-up footage of animals in the wild. And this is a great time for Disney to get back into the nature documentary game.
Earth paired filmmakers Alastair Fothergill (The Blue Planet) and Mark Linfield (Planet Earth) with the latest camera equipment to bring stories of polar bears, humpback whales, elephants, and more to the big screen. Add to that the fact that Disney had James Earl Jones narrate this 90-minute feature and you make compelling visuals that much more compelling to viewers. DisneyNature is a new motion picture label that follows in the footsteps of past Academy award-winning movie series True Life Adventures from Disney such as The Living Desert (Best Documentary, Features, 1953) and The Vanishing Prairie (Best Documentary, Features; 1954).
We wanted to see this when it was at the theater, but schedules never worked out to get there. As such, my family and I were excited to see this movie on DVD. And it didn’t disappoint.
The filmmakers did a remarkable job of getting footage from multiple continents and oceans to bring us a complete story with some simply shocking video. When you see a Great White Shark leap from the ocean to nearly swallow a seal whole – not once, but twice – it leaves a lasting impression. So does the footage of the cheetah streaking across the African savanah after a young antelope. And the stories of the animals involved in daily life-and-death struggles are absolutely compelling.
The stories told focus on a polar bear mother and her cubs, a humpbacked whale and her baby, and a group of elephants. The distances these animals have to go to survive is simply astounding, as are some of the environmental difficulties they now face. With global warming, the Arctic ice pack disappears faster and faster each year, forcing polar bears to go to great lengths to find food to eat for themselves and their young. The whales traversed 4,000 miles from the tropics to their feeding grounds near Antarctica. And the elephants navigating across the Kalahari Desert in the dry season to finally arrive at the Okavango Delta and the seasonal flood that turns the area green and teeming with life.
These aren’t the only stories in the film, just the main threads through which everything else is woven. My daughters also loved the footage of the mandarin ducklings falling from a great height to land safely in the leaves on the forest floor and the baboon troupe moving across the flooded plains of the Okavango.
As with all Disney documentaries, they do their best to avoid showing actual bloodshed. As such, you see the cheetah catch the antelope and sink her teeth into its throat as the footage ends. And you see a group of lions surround and attack an elephant, but don’t see the brutal end except for a few drops of blood on the ground in the morning sun. This is a documentary meant for family consumption and I think even Walt Disney himself would have been proud of how it turned out.
In addition to the 90-minute movie itself, there is also the “Earth Diaries: The Making Of earth The Movie” feature. Here you get to hear the tales from the filmmakers themselves – from the cameraman who had an appendicitis emergency while filming in the Antarctic to the cameraman who had a new high-speed high-definition camera at his disposal to capture a cheetah on the attack and Great Whites leaping off the shore of South Africa. These dedicated men and women risked their lives to capture the footage for the film and deserve some serious recognition for their efforts.
Overall, DisneyNature: Earth is an amazing acomplishment. I can’t wait until Earth Day 2010 when we see DisneyNature: Oceans hit the big screens! If you are looking for a great nature documentary to share with your family, DisneyNature: Earth is a perfect way to spend an evening. Look for it at your favorite retailer!
–Fitz
p.s. Be sure to pick up this and other nature documentaries from Amazon below!
Somehow, I managed to miss all of the episodes of The Universe when they aired on the History Channel initially. So when I sat down to watch the 12 episodes on The Universe: The Complete Season Three DVD collection, I found my inner “space geek” like I was as a child.
The Universe focuses on the sciences pertaining to our knowledge and understanding of the universe. This includes everything from traveling at light speed to distant galaxies and the potential of a “multiverse” of parallel universes to the possibility of planetary devastation due to an asteroid or comet strike and the many possible shapes and purposes of life on other worlds. Watching with my family, we were glued to the screen for each and every episode, learning from of the greatest minds in the space sciences.
Each episode uses a combination of interviews, narration, and computer imagery and animation to explain a topic, providing an incredible glimpse into the probable and the possible in terms of manned or robotic space exploration, theoretical physics, and the profound beauty, complexity, and simplicity of the stars.
Among the episodes I found the most interesting were “Parallel Universes” and “Alien Faces.”
“Parallel Universes” touches upon the prevailing theories of multiple universes. One theory is that the universe is simply so huge that there must be a duplicate of our own solar system somewhere else, right down to the individuals on planet earth. Another theory is that other universes exist in the same physical location as ours, but in different dimensions. (This was a theory recently explored on the TV seriesFringe on FOX this past year.) And then there’s a theory that all of these other universes exist in a “multiverse” of possibilities.
In “Alien Faces” we go on a fictional safari into deep space in the future where we’ve discovered planets capable of sustaining life like we’ve never seen before. From artificial robot-like species to animals and plants adapted to high-gravity or water worlds, artists and scientists created an amazing array of computer animation to show us some imaginative and amazing creatures in these alien habitats. Among our favorites were the insect who started its life in the water, built a cocoon under water and then uses a balloon to rise to the surface and drift to dry land elsewhere.
But not all episodes flowed as well for me from beginning to end.
For example, “Sex in Space” is a sensational headline to get you to watch an episode about reproduction in space and space tourism. The content of the episode for the most part was great, discussing the difficulties that reproductive systems that have developed in an environment with gravity would face entering a microgravity environment. And the discussion of space tourism and a planned space cruise ship was interesting, since it focused on the commercial space race instead of government-sponsored space travel. But couldn’t they have come up with a better title?
Overall, I think The Universe is an amazing series for space junkies like myself. It’s great to once again become swept up in the enthusiasm and optimism of human travel in space and our ever-expanding knowledge of the universe around us. If you’re interested in any of the space sciences, I’d encourage you to pick up The Universe: The Complete Season Three to learn some of the current thinking about space travel and beyond!
–Fitz
p.s. Click on the images below to pick up your own copy of The Universe on DVD at Amazon:
How many stone monuments do you think are in the British Isles? Any guesses? What would you say if you learned that there were nearly 1,000 stone circles in the U.K.? What if I told you that if you added the other monuments, such as stone rows, long barrows, cairns, standing stones, and so on, you’d end up with tens of thousands of monuments?
I was shocked too. The popular media has made us think that Stonehenge is the only big stone monument in the Isles, but there’s obviously much more than that.
With Standing with Stones, writer and presenter Rupert Soskin hopes to share his knowledge and fondness for these mysterious places. A renowned naturalist and writer, Soskin has been exploring the stone monuments most of his life and has a few theories to share. But even with his theories and those he relates from other archaeologists, anthropologists, and historians — we just don’t know enough about these sites to tell how they were used or why they were built.
Some of the monuments have astronomical significance, built to predict the winter and summer solstices or the position of the sun, moon, and stars. Others are remnants of objects used by the Romans to measure distance, like the London Stone which has been used to denote the center of London for measurements. But most of them are complete unknowns.
Throughout the documentary, Soskin takes viewers on a tour of more than 100 monuments scattered across England, Wales, Scotland, Ireland, and the smaller islands of the U.K. It took Soskin and documentarian Michael Bott more than two years, living in a camper-van for a month at a time, as they traveled thousands of miles recording footage.
Was the journey worth it? Definitely. Whereas nature documentaries such as Planet Earth have stunning high definition video of living creatures inhabiting the planet, Soskin and Bott somehow managed to capture the amazing natural beauty of these stone sites in a way I don’t think I’ve ever seen before. Breathtaking shots of landscapes dotted with these neolithic, bronze, or iron-age monuments left me wanting to hop on a plane and visit them myself.
And Soskin’s presentation weaves humor, humility, and intelligence together as he provides some context for these sites. It’s obvious that he has a passion for them and wants to share it. And he does a wonderful job as our congenial, informative tour guide.
That said, it’s the cinematography that sticks with me. Yes, I listened and learned quite a bit about these many sites I’d never even heard of. But the brilliant shots in daylight, fog, or even the dead of night are simply amazing.
When you add in cool computer-generated graphics of the theories discussed, including how some of the sites may have looked before the stones were removed for other purposes along with the entertaining presentation and beautiful high definition video, you have an amazing experience lasting more than two hours.
My only complaint about the DVD is the gaps between chapters of the documentary itself. I don’t know if it was my DVD player or the way the disc was made, but there were gaps of a few seconds where the picture would go black as it loaded the next chapter.
In addition to the documentary itself, you get quite a large number of extras.
The “Interview” included provides a great deal of background from Soskin and Bott on the making of the film. The project has been in the works since 2001 and the duo discuss how it came to be and their goals for the film.
The “Outtakes” feature includes a number of bloopers caught while filming. Soskin, like any other narrator or actor, sometimes takes several tries before getting a line right. It’s obvious his sense of humor helps him through those rough patches.
Some “Unseen Footage” shows some of the clips cut from the film while they shot it. It was very interesting to see the camera work and how weather affected their shots.
The “Original TV Pilot Film” that was made in 2001 is included on the DVD. Originally the Soskin and Bott’s idea was for a number of short segments on television. But after they shot the first 10 minute film, they decided that it was untenable due to schedules and weather. Instead, the duo took it upon themselves to write, shoot, and edit the film.
Also included is a short trailer for the film, a slide show with 72 slides covering the making of the film, and commentary from Soskin and Bott.
If you’ve ever wanted to know more about some of the stone monument mysteries of the British Isles, Standing with Stones is a great way to learn more. In addition, the high definition video provides a beautiful way to tour parts of the U.K. without actually getting a plane ticket!
For more information about the film, be sure to check out the Standing with Stones website.
–Fitz
p.s. Pick up your copy of the DVD and the companion book at Amazon:
How do you define the term “culture” when it applies to a people? It is so much more than a set of traditions or language. It also is the embodiment of a way of life by a group of people. In a time where change to the environment and societal perceptions at large affect us at a monumental rate, we stand to lose many of these other ways of life at an alarming pace.
In Light at the Edge of the World, host Wade Davis introduces us to four disparate cultures separated not only by physical distance, but philosophical differences as well, and how they are affected by these changes. Davis’ main warning is that once a culture is gone, it will never return. But in some instances, groups of indigenous people are rising to the challenge and embracing their beliefs and traditions even in the face of such long odds of survival.
The Light at the Edge of the World series explores these cultures in four parts: “Arctic: Hunters of the Northern Ice,” “Himalayas: The Science of the Mind,” “Peru: Sacred Geography,” and “Polynesia: The Wayfinders.” The series was the winner of the 2008 New York Festival Silver Award, Magazine Format; and the 2008 Telluride Mountain Film Festival “Spirit Place” Award. I think it deserved both and so much more. In a world where some people doubt the effects of global warning, how can we let these fascinating cultures simply fade into the past?
In the early 1950s, there were 6,000 languages spoken by the world’s people. Now more than half of those are not being taught to the next generation, which means that in a single generation, we’re losing the cultural legacy of more than half of the world’s people.
In “Arctic: Hunters of the Northern Ice,” Davis joins a band of Inuits as they hunt for polar bears in the frozen northeast between Canada and Greenland. Igloolik, Nunavut is the home, and serves as the start of a hunting trip on the shores of Baffin Bay, more than 100km into the ice. They must travel further and further from home to find the polar bears that used to be plentiful.
Even though the Inuit adapted to the rapid change in the area since missionaries appeared in the 1950s and now use snowmobiles instead of dogs, adaptation is rarely easy. But even with the societal change, it’s impossible to miss the effects of global warming when the ice they once counted on is not where it should be. They do the best they can and try to keep their traditions alive, but fewer and fewer of the younger generations want to learn the old ways, and eventually they may disappear forever.
My favorite episode of the series was definitely “Himalayas: The Science of the Mind.” I have always been fascinated by Buddhist philosophies and to explore not only their philosophy, but their way of life, even as displaced as they are from their monasteries in Tibet. Buddhism spread from India to China and its goal is simple: help reduce the suffering in the world. To do this, practitioners encourage people to stay on the path to enlightenment (Dharma) to rise beyond the suffering in the world.
Buddhism is also under investigation in the scientific world as a way to literally change the shape of the mind. Devout practitioners focus on compassion and kindness to spread true happiness to themselves and those around them. It is a philosophy but also a spiritual practice grounded in contemplation. They have measured the minds of practicing monks and have seen the difference between a mind schooled in meditation and serenity and a western mind and quite literally the brain patterns are totally different.
Davis himself explored the realm of meditation as well during his stay in Nepal, visiting with a number of Rinpoche (spiritual leaders). You can see that he was truly affected by simply being in the presence of these calm, spiritually aware people who have achieved enlightenment. In one part of the documentary, his tears seem quite genuine as he deals with trying to still his mind. I have read other accounts of people meeting with Rinpoche or the Dalai Lama who have felt overwhelmed in a similar way.
In “Peru: Sacred Geography” Davis travels to the Andes in South America where he introduces us to a culture influenced not only by the beliefs of their Incan ancestors, but by the Spanish culture and Catholic religion that infused their society when they were invaded in the 1500s. Their current culture is an interesting mix of the two. Even in the modern age, they still honor the spirits of the mountains around them (known as Apu), and hold religious ceremonies to not only celebrate the gods in hopes of encouraging good seasons of planting, happy marriages, and so on, but also to spread their cultural heritage with the other groups in the area from Bolivia and Ecuador as well.
The last segment, “Polynesia: The Wayfinders,” focused on a group in Hawaii trying to reengage with their Polynesian ability to understand the ocean. “Wayfinding” is an ancient skill used to understand the ocean and weather to navigate without a compass or sextant. Nainoa Thompson, a Hawaiian native, learned the skill from his grandfather Mau Piailug and built a double-hulled voyaging canoe, the Hokule’a. Nainoa and his crew have sailed as far as Easter Island (3,000km from Hawaii) using these ancient “Wayfinding” techniques and are teaching others how to do the same in an attempt to keep their culture from disappearing completely.
Davis has a way of letting the cultures themselves speak to the audience using amazing photography, maps, history, and first-hand accounts, but he also injects some of his own understanding of anthropology, archaeology, and ethnobotany, to help pull these various sources together in a meaningful way. I wish this series was required viewing in high schools across the country to try and make the next generation(s) understand what is at stake if we do nothing.
To quote Edmund Burke, “It is necessary only for the good man to do nothing for evil to triumph.” Perhaps it’s time for the good people of the world to step up before we lose more of the human resources to global changes.
Unfortunately, there were no extras on the DVD, just some previews for other Smithsonian television series: Stories from the Vaults, Women in Science, America’s War Stories, and Nick Baker’s Weird Creatures.
That said, I have to say this has to be one of the best anthropology-themed series I have seen to date. If you are interested in some of the world’s disappearing cultures, be sure to check out Light at the Edge of the World.
–Fitz
p.s. Pick this up at Amazon! Here is the DVD and here’s the book:
Do you like bugs? Creepy crawly slugs? How about frogs? When you were a kid, you probably either gravitated towards these things (I know I did) or ran away from them screaming. And a joint project between Smithsonian Networks and Infinity Entertainment Group wants to remind you of those days.
Critter Quest! introduces us to host Peter Schriemer as he explores nature in three episodes of this series from the Smithsonian Channel. Peter lives in a much wetter climate than I do (in Michigan) and you could tell from all the entertaining critters he found just strolling around the yard. But he goes beyond his yard to explore the broader scope of nature a bit of a time, gradually introducing concepts in a kid-friendly way.
This series is definitely aimed at kids. Not only do you learn about various species and bugs (such as the pill bug or rolly poly, which was one of my favorite bugs to find as a kid), but different concepts such as echolocation and migration are explained. In one episode, you are even shown how to create indoor habitats for these critters so you can bring them inside if you are so inclined. My daughters were riveted to each of the episodes included.
In “Creepy Crawlers Everywhere,” Peter introduces himself and explores his back yard looking for various creepy crawlies. During the episode, we learn about the click beetle, slugs, a tree frog, and a jumping spider. I learned that slugs make their own slime, which is what enables them to glide over surfaces (and requires that you wash your hands after handling them).
“Season of Change” explains the many ways animals get ready for the winter. Some creatures forage, such as squirrels, spending the ever shorter days before winter stashing food where they can get to it during the colder months. Some go into hibernation, such as frogs and turtles, choosing to go into a deep sleep when food is scarce. And then Peter talks about the many birds who migrate to warmer climates to find more food. He had a chance to interact closely with a Red Tailed Hawk, which is great because they’re one of the raptors we have even around my house in Colorado.
And then in “The Wild Side of D.C.,” we’re introduced to the many animals who live in Washington D.C. (beyond the political animals that migrate there several times a year). Peter was able to explore a part of the Smithsonian Institution and show us a huge millipede they have in a collection there, as well as the many Canadian Geese, squirrels, ducks, and other animals who live in the urban landscape.
Critter Quest! is an award-winning series on the Smithsonian Network, including a Silver Parent’s Choice Foundation Award, the 2008 Cine Golden Eagle Award, and an American Conservation Film Festival Award for “Children’s Programming.” I think it’s definitely earned those awards and we would love to see additional episodes in the series.
That said, the lack of extras my only disappointment with the DVD. It only includes three short episodes of the series and no additional material. There are previews for other series, such as Stories from the Vaults, but I would have liked to have seen some additional resources for parents or children about the many topics covered.
However, I know I found Peter an engaging young host and the series worked well for my kids, keeping them interested for all three episodes.
If you like nature programs and are looking for some new options for your own children or a school, I think Critter Quest! is a great addition to your DVD library.
On December 21, 2012, the Mayan calendar ends, according to anthropologists and archaeologists. A new cycle will begin at that point. And, whether you’re a skeptic or believer, scientist or historian, there are some interesting facts in the new documentary – 2012: Science or Superstition.
Several authors and scientists discuss the many aspects of the end of the Mayan calendar. Astronomers discuss the rise in frequency of sunspot activity. Anthropologists discuss the techniques the ancients used to predict star patterns across lifetimes and how they traveled various planes of consciousness. And the viewer is exposed to multiple points of view, facts, and conjecture.
Ultimately it’s up to the viewer to decide what they believe. I find myself squarely in the skeptics camp for this one.
It’s interesting to go to the bookstore and see all the titles published around the topic of 2012. Doing a quick search of the term “2012″ on Amazon brought up 50 different books and DVDs from a variety of authors and sources, including a Complete Idiot’s Guide to 2012 published in October 2008.
Hollywood has jumped on the bandwagon as well. There’s an upcoming movie based on Whitley Strieber’s latest novel – 2012: The War for Souls is rumored to be in the works with Michael Bay involved as producer or director. And Roland Emmerich has a movie called 2012 slated to come out in November 2009 starring John Cusack as a researcher trying to counteract the events foretold by the end of the Mayan calendar.
Disinformation, the company producing the documentary, attempted to highlight multiple views of the subject matter and interview experts from a variety of disciplines – often conflicting ones – to provide as balanced a view as possible about what 2012 means. The documentary discusses a number of possibilities for what may occur, but doesn’t come out and say that they will happen. The fact that the producers came at the topic from a multitude of viewpoints and scientific pursuits is very helpful to the viewer who becomes hooked by the idea. The documentary provides a jumping off place for viewers to do their own research and come up with their own conclusions.
Some of the people interviewed for the documentary have very interesting backgrounds as well.
Dr. Anthony F. Aveni is a professor of astronomy and anthropology at Colgate University. He helped create the field of archaeoastronomy, and is one of the founders of Mesoamerican Archaeoastronomy. In particular, his research focuses on the astronomical history of the Maya Indians.
Robert Bauval is the author of a number of books discussing the relationship of the stars and ancient cultures, especially in ancient Egypt. His first book, The Orion Mystery, proposed that the layout of the three Giza Pyramids was intended to mirror the layout of three stars in Orion’s Belt. Other books by Bauval include The Message of the Sphinx, Secret Chamber, and The Egypt Code.
Walter Cruttenden is the Director of the Binary Research Institute and proposed an alternate view of history where the sun is one of two stars affecting the orbit of our solar system. This binary orbit theory may in fact be the reason for the repeating cycles of Golden and Dark Ages in mankind’s long history.
Many others were interviewed, including:
Archaeologist Benito Venegas Duran, working to preserve and research the historical and anthropological heritage of Mexico.
Graham Hancock, another author of such bestsellers as The Sign and The Seal, Fingerprints of the Gods, and other books.
John Major Jenkins, a researcher dedicated to reconstructing Mayan cosmology and philosophy.
Lawrence E. Joseph, a physicist and writer who has written many books and magazine articles.
Jim Marrs, a conspiracy author of such bestsellers as Alien Agenda, Rule by Secrecy, and Crossfire: the Plot that Killed Kennedy. Crossfire was used as the basis for Oliver Stone’s movie JFK.
And many others
I found 2012: Science or Superstition to be interesting and engaging, but I’m still a skeptic. In 2012, I’ll be 42 years old — as Douglas Adams said, 42 is the ultimate answer to the ultimate question of life, the universe, and everything. Perhaps the Mayans knew something we don’t? Perhaps we’ll find out on December 21, 2012.
If you’re interested in the Mayan calendar and the phenomenon of 2012, I’d recommend you take a look at 2012: Science or Superstition. It’s good to get information from a number of sources before Hollywood gets a hold of it!
Check out 2012DVD.com for additional information about the documentary and a trailer.
–Fitz
p.s. Check out some of the books on 2012 at Amazon!
Yes, it’s true. I’m a Monty Python addict. But nothing really prepared me for the depth of Monty Python: Almost The Truth. As a Monty Python fan, I learned things I had never known before in each and every episode. Because of this, I will recommend to all of my closest friends (most of them Python fans) that they must watch the series on A&E and pick up the DVD set.
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