Flying Monsters with David Attenborough

For thousands of years, humans have believed that there were once flying monsters. But did they really exist beyond our nightmares?

220 million years ago dinosaurs were beginning their domination of Earth. But another group of reptiles was about to make an extraordinary leap: pterosaurs were taking control of the skies. The story of how and why these mysterious creatures took to the air is more fantastical than any fiction... - IMDb.

Stars :

• David Attenborough
• Douglas A. Lawson

Richard Hammond's Invisible Worlds

Richard Hammond explores the astonishing miniature universe all around us, revealing that small is not only beautiful, it can also be very, very powerful.

From seeing the microscopic changes to ice crystals that can trigger an avalanche to watching in horror the invisible aftermath of a sneeze on a commuter train and learning how the surface of an ordinary-looking plant hides an astounding secret that will make walking on the moon safer.

MSN Video.

Coral Sea Dreaming : Awaken

"Coral Sea Dreaming : Awaken" celebrates and pays tribute to the magical but fast disappearing world of coral reefs.

It was filmed in High Definition on over 2,000 dives by Emmy Award winner cameraman and Producer David Hannan over the last 8 years on the world's most beautiful reefs and features Australia's Great Barrier Reef, Western Australia's Ningaloo Reef and Papua New Guinea.

Written by Anonymous - IMDb.

The Michael Jackson : Life Of An Icon

In this documentary which has been directed by Andrew Eastel and produced by David Guest, you’ll get to hear first hand accounts from the ‘people who knew him best’ including Katherine Jackson, Tito Jackson and Rebbie Jackson and many more.

This trailer starts off with the 911 call made when Michael tragically died in 2009 and if you’re a fan of Jackson, is a must watch. It could well have you welling up by the time it ends so be warned - MegaRelease.

BBC : Human Planet

Human Planet is an 8-part British television documentary series. It is produced by the BBC with co-production from Discovery and BBC Worldwide. It describes the human species and its relationship with the natural world by showing the remarkable ways humans have adapted to life in every environment on Earth.

Announced in 2007, the production teams based at the BBC Natural History Unit in Bristol and BBC Wales spent three years shooting over 70 stories in some of the most remote locations on Earth spanning about 40 countries. Each episode of the series focuses on a different human-inhabited environment, including deserts, jungles, the Arctic, grasslands, rivers, mountains, oceans, and the urban landscape.

Narrated by John Hurt.
Source : WikiPedia

Episode 1 : Oceans – Into the Blue

• Goose Barnacle collection in northern Spain
• Sperm whale hunting in the Indonesian archipelago
• Dolphin assisted fishing in Brazil
• The origin of surfing in Hawaii
• Shark calling in Papua New Guinea
• Compressor diving in the Philippines
• Nationless Bajau people in the coral sea near Borneo

Behind the Lens : Compressor diving in the Philippines.



Episode 2 : Deserts – Life in the Furnace

• Sandstorm and cattle herding near elephants in Mali
• Fishing in Antogo lake after it has shrunk by evaporating water
• Tubu women crossing the Sahara with a camel caravan in Niger
• Camel herders in the Gobi Desert
• Moisture farming in the Atacama desert
• Underground aqueducts in Algeria
• Fertility dance of the Wodaabe in Niger

Behind the Lens : Tubu women crossing the Sahara with a camel caravan in Niger.



Episode 3 : Arctic – Life in the Deep Freeze

• Hunting Greenland sharks in Greenland
• Gathering Mussels in North-Eastern Canada
• Hunting Narwhals in Greenland
• Catching Auks in Greenland; making a Kiviak
• Herding Reindeer in Norway
• Removing Polar Bears in Churchill, Manitoba

Behind the Lens : Hunting Narwhals in Greenland.



Episode 4 : Jungles – People of the Trees

• Hunting Monkeys with the Matis in Brazil
• Hunting Tarantulas in Venezuela
• Monkey breastfeeding Awá Guajá people from eastern Amazon
• Hunting birds of paradise for plumage used to crown costumes at the Sing-sing event in Papua New Guinea
• Gathering Honey with the Bayaka in the Congo Jungle
• Transporting timber using Asian elephants in Assam, India
• Filming Uncontacted peoples in Brazil
• Building treehouses 35 metres high with the Korowai in West Papua

Behind the Lens : Building treehouses 35 metres high with the Korowai in West Papua.



Episode 5 : Mountains – Life in Thin Air

• Hunting with Golden eagles in the Altai mountains of Mongolia
• Battling Gelada monkeys in the Semien mountains of Ethiopia
• Sulphur mining the inside Ijen crater on the Indonesian island of Java
• Catching Giant Bats in the New Guinea Highlands
• Avalanche control in the Swiss Alps
• Cataract Surgery in the Himalayas, Nepal
• Tibetan sky burial

Behind the Lens : Hunting with Golden Eagles in the Altai Mountains.



Episode 6 : Grasslands – Roots of Power

• Dorobo people stealing food from a lion pride in Kenya
• Ambushing kudu in the Kalahari
• Trapping water snakes in Cambodia's flooded grasslands
• Maasai boys and a honeyguide working together to find honey
• Swarming quelea attacking rice crops in Tanzania
• Horsemanship on the Mongolian steppe
• Donga fights of Ethiopia's Suri tribesmen
• Cattle mustering by helicopter in the Australian outback

Behind the Lens : Stealing food from a lion pride in Kenya.



Episode 7 : Rivers – Friend and Foe

• Traversing the Mekong's cataracts during the monsoon
• A winter trek to school along the frozen Zanskar River
• Icebreaking with dynamite on the Rideau River in Ottawa
• Moving a house from a collapsing river bank in Bangladesh
• Preparing for the annual flood on Brazil's Rio Negro
• Fishing on the edge of Victoria Falls
• Samburu people tracking elephants to locate water below a dry river bed in northern Kenya
• Plastering the mud-walled mosque of Djenné
• The living bridges of Meghalaya

Behind the Lens : Traversing the Mekong's cataracts during the monsoon.



Episode 8 : Cities – Surviving the Urban Jungle

• Falconry in Dubai
• Elk control in Estes Park, Colorado
• Rhesus Macaque infested market in Jaipur
• Rat-catching in New York City
• Bedbug infestation in London
• Pigeon rearing in Fes
• Living with free-tailed bats in Austin, Texas
• Rescuing fawns in Rajasthan
• Life on a landfill dump in Mombasa
• Building the green city Masdar in Abu Dhabi
• Beekeeping in New York City

Behind the Lens : Collection of filming experiences from all habitats.

Ultimate Factories Rolls-Royce

National Geographic : Ultimate Factories Rolls-Royce

The Phantom is the first Rolls-Royce motorcar to be introduced since the company was acquired by BMW in 1998. Each Phantom is a unique combination of state-of-the-art technology and old-world craftsmanship, constructed with meticulous attention to detail. Manufacture of the Phantom begins in Unterhallerau, Germany, where its strong, stiff and lightweight space frame chassis is built. Each space frame and body shell assembly is then sent to BMWs factory in Dingolfing, Germany for corrosion-resistance treatment and primer paint.

How Steve Jobs Changed The World

iGenius : How Steve Jobs Changed The World

Someone once said that to follow the path that others have laid before you is a very reasonable course of action, therefore all progress is made by unreasonable men,” Savage said. “Steve Jobs was an unreasonable man. He didn’t simply give the public what they wanted, he defined entirely new ways of thinking about our lives in the digital space: productivity, creativity, music, communication, media and art. He has touched, directly and indirectly, all of our lives.

Discovery Channel hosted a special one-hour documentary titled “iGenius : How Steve Jobs Changed The World” by Adam Savage and Jamie Hyneman.

Ultimate Factories Maserati

National Geographic : Ultimate Factories Maserati

An exotic car built to push performance to the edge while blending Italian elegance is crafted inside Maserati's ultimate factory. It takes 22 days for a Maserati to be assembled and considered road ready and the Maserati GranTurismo Convertible a $135000 convertible that tops out at more than 170 mph is the new pinnacle of performance and comfort.

Home

The documentary chronicles the present day state of the Earth, its climate and how we as the dominant species have long-term repercussions on its future. A theme expressed throughout the documentary is that of linkage - how all organisms and the Earth are linked in a "delicate but crucial" natural balance with each other, and how no organism can be self-sufficient.

The first 15 minutes include footage of the beginning of the natural world, starting with single-celled algae developing at the edges of volcanic springs. By showing algae's essential role in the evolution of photosynthesis, it also explores the innumerable species of plants which all have their origins in this one-celled life form.

In the rest of the first hour of the film, the documentary takes on a more human-oriented focus, showing the agricultural revolution and its impacts, before moving on to talk about the harnessing of oil, leading to fire, industry, cities and inequality gaps like never before. It portrays the current predicament regarding cattle ranches, deforestation, food and water shortages, the use of non-renewable "fossil water", the over-quarrying crisis and the shortage of energy, namely electricity. Cities such as New York City, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Shenzhen, Mumbai, Tokyo and Dubai are used as examples of the mismanagement and wastage of energy, water and food. The recession of marshlands and glaciers are shown in vast aerial shots of Antarctica, The North Pole and Africa, while mass emigration and refugee counts are shown currently and forecast in the event that these events remains unchanged.

It is at this point that the film begins to focus on global warming and the carbon crisis. Home shows how melting glaciers, rising sea levels and changing weather patterns are ravaging the people who have least to do with climate change, but also how it soon will affect rich populous areas.

Here, about three minutes of film is given to displaying harsh facts in large white text on a black background followed by a video representation of the fact. This is followed by a positive conclusion. The documentary claims to show the "awful truths" regarding our impact on the Earth, but also what we are now doing to combat and reverse it: including renewable energy, the creation of more and more national parks, international co-operation between various nations on environmental issues and the extra education and reform being had across the globe in response to the current problems facing the earth - WikiPedia.

Stars :

• Yann Arthus-Bertrand
• Glenn Close
• Jacques Gamblin

Winged Migration

This documentary follows several species of migratory birds over a four year filming period. These birds travel several hundreds if not thousands of miles toward the equator in the autumn, and make the return journey to their higher latitude summer homes in the spring, always taking the same route, using the natural compasses of the universe, the stars, to find their way. Some species, like the arctic tern, even fly from pole to pole. These long and often torturous treks are a matter of survival, to live in a hospitable climate and find sources of food. With the exception of migratory penguins, travel over oceans is especially difficult as the birds have little refuge unless there is something floating on the water, such as a ship, on which to land. Otherwise they must continue flying until they reach land. Some will not survive the migration due to predators, including man, illness or injury...

Written by Huggo - IMDb.

Stars :

• Jacques Perrin
• Philippe Labro

The World's Biggest And Baddest Bugs

The World's Biggest And Baddest Bugs is an hour and a half long special that's been shown periodically on the Animal Planet cable channel. It was produced by Natural History New Zealand, where it parts of it were filmed, and has now arrived on Blu-ray for all you bug fanatics. But is this really something you'll want to watch over and over again?

The documentary features noted entomologist Ruud Kleinpaste (he'll be familiar to regular Animal Planet viewers as the hose of Buggin' With Ruud), who acts as both host and narrator on our journey through the wilds of the world as we uncover some of the largest insects to ever skitter across the earth. We start with some massive cockroaches that live underground in Australia and only really ever come out after rainfall, otherwise their shells will dry out thanks to the intense heat of the desert. From there we move on to check out some large dragon flies before being schooled on the different kinds of praying mantis' that live around the world and real life killer bees. Ruud also talks to us about big creepy spiders and scorpions and some pretty huge beetles and as we're taught about what makes these creatures interesting and unique we're treated to some excellent footage of the bugs running around their various environments doing their thing.

In between each 'bug specific' section, however, Ruud explains intricacies of their biology and evolution. For example, when discussing how dragon flies have evolved over centuries, he makes a point of explaining that changes in the earth's oxygen supply have mandated that these once gigantic flying insects that had wing spans of up to two feet across shrink in size. To hammer the point home, we see footage of Ruud on an exercise bike, first doing fine with an oxygen mask on and getting increasingly tired as his oxygen supply thins out. While this is all well and good and perfectly educational, footage of Ruud on an exercise bike isn't nearly as interesting or awe-inspiring as close ups of a praying mantis chowing down on some unlucky bug it's captured for lunch.

In Ruud's defense, the man absolutely knows what he's talking about when it comes to bugs and he's got a mildly infectious enthusiasm for the various creepy crawlers he lectures us on - it's just that we don't want to watch him. He's not nearly as interesting as the bugs that should make up more of the feature. Younger viewers might appreciate Ruud's explanations more than adults, who probably already know about oxygen and understand the basic evolutionary concepts that Ruud explains here, but there are times where more educated viewers might find themselves fast-forwarding through his solo segments to get to the good stuff.

The insect footage here is excellent, there's no doubt about that. You'll marvel at some of the close ups that show a fairly remarkable level of detail and let you get closer to many of these critters than you'd probably ever want to get in real life. Close up shots of giant spiders and massive beetles are very impressive and even a little frightening (particularly if you're even mildly scared of bugs!) and it's hard not to get completely engrossed in the insect footage that Animal Planet has included here. It's really good stuff and it serves to remind us just how bizarre the insect world really is. If you don't mind the Ruud footage, you'll probably really enjoy this one.

DVD Talk

The Great Wall Of China

Walk back in time to the Ming dynasty as you encounter the 4,000 milewonder of China's Great Wall and travel along the legendary Silk Road. It tells a tale of the great power of ancient dyanties, and the immense beauty possible in the fortification of borders.

Virtual Trip Guilin

Guilin is located in the southwest of Nanling Mountains, with an average elevation of 150 meters, is a typical "karst" Karst topography, all over the city hundreds of millions of years of weathering of limestone by erosion, forming a ring Shiqianfeng stand, hold the city of water, the hole the unique beauty of the landscape rocks, is the world reputation as a "Semiotic." One of the most representative sites are: Elephant Trunk Hill, Fubo, Nanxishan, Yaoshan, Solitary Beauty Peak, Seven Star Crags, Reed Flute Cave, Zengpiyan, Crown Cave, the Ming Dynasty King City, Ronghu, Cedar Lake. We are talking of the Lijiang River's most exciting period in the territory of Yangshuo, Guilin other counties also have numerous beauty waiting for us to go browsing, Dragon Ridge Terrace, Larix Lingqu, owned river rafting, river rafting five rows, Bajiaozhai , Baoding Waterfall will bring you more surprise.

Guilin is a cultural city. Two thousand years of history, it has a rich cultural heritage. After the emperor unified the country thinking, set Guilin county, cut Lingqu, communication, Xiangjiang and Lijiang. Guilin has become the Nantong area from the north of the Central Plains of the city. Song Dynasty, it has been Guangxi's political, economic and cultural center, known as "Southwest will be the government," until the new China was founded. In the long years, Guilin Qishanxiushui attracting numerous men of letters, so that they wrote many famous poems and articles, more than two thousand pieces of carved stone and wall books, in addition, history has also left here Many monuments and sites. These unique landscape, Guilin has been the "Mountain-like reading of history, see the mountains, such as about art," the praise. Anti-Japanese War, Guilin, a famous cultural city in China, a large number of patriotic writers and artists gathered here to write a new chapter in Japanese culture. Long history of this ancient and beautiful land gave birth to a rich culture.

For thousands of years, Guilin tourism has been one of the treasure. Now, a center of Guilin, including the scenic surrounding 12 counties has been formed. There is vast green forests, magnificent rugged mountainous valleys, rapids Pentium Xiquan waterfalls, terraced mountains Wonderful world... In a magical land, live in the Zhuang, Yao, Miao, Dong, Mulam, hair is difficult and a dozen other ethnic minorities. Big natural scenery in Guilin, ethnic customs, history and culture, deeply attracted foreign tourists and heads of state pour in, linger.

US-hole stone forest of osmanthus picturesque scenery that the Semiotic Green mountains, hills, odd holes, rock beauty, laurel forest, that of Guilin.

Nature's Journey

Escape to a mysterious inner universe where nature and imagination meet to form a realm of extraordinary beauty.

Let Nature’s Journey unleash a brand new sensory experience in a genre-bending mix of location filming, subtle computer-generated imagery, exotic musical soundscapes and artistic graphic enhancements that draws you deep into the magical heart of our planet Earth.

Produced in high definition by video artist John Banks and featuring a 96/24 soundtrack by Michael Stearns, the ambience release Nature's Journey carries the viewer on a soothing and relaxing tour of computer-generated geographic vistas - painted in high-definition mode by digital artist John Banks - that are coupled with on-location footage of picturesque landscapes.

The Aquarium

The world's largest aquarium with 8 million gallons of fresh and marine water, and more than 100,000 animals representing 500 species from around the globe.

Species film made by Japanese filmmakers, in all its glory will show us the inhabitants of the world's largest aquarium "Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta (GA). Capacity of its huge reservoir of more than 30 million liters. The "free float" on its open spaces have already sent 100 thousand inhabitants of water depths. The shape of the aquarium like the huge cruise ship, divided into 60 separate chambers. The largest of them settled two whale sharks that have been in the spotlight. Aquarium in Atlanta, grabbed the palm of the Japanese aquarium on the island of Okinawa, which was considered until now the largest.

Atlanta, in southern New York and known as the birthplace of CNN and Coca-Cola as well known. Megalopolis with the sea to sea to the front door appeared. Georgia Aquarium. Open since 2005 to the present day, more than five million people have visited the world's attention. All 30 million liters in the tank of water, more than 500 species, 12 million of fish, and the current state of the world's largest largest.

The shooting of the Georgia Aquarium's full cooperation, opening and closing ago after a successful unmanned included in the state. If it were a giant hog the aquarium as if the sense of flavors. High-definition cameras (SR recording) technology, everything from shooting to editing to a high-definition, and the aquarium to reproduce the "sea mystery world" while the beauty of a beautiful, high-quality products. The music is Mozart, Wagner, and none of the classical masterpieces.

The Buddha

This documentary for PBS by award-winning filmmaker David Grubin and narrated by Richard Gere, tells the story of the Buddha's life, a journey especially relevant to our own bewildering times of violent change and spiritual confusion.

It features the work of some of the world's greatest artists and sculptors, who across two millennia, have depicted the Buddha's life in art rich in beauty and complexity.

Hear insights into the ancient narrative by contemporary Buddhists, including Pulitzer Prize winning poet WS Merwin and His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

Join the conversation and learn more about meditation, the history of Buddhism, and how to incorporate the Buddha's teachings on compassion and mindfulness into daily life.

Galápagos

The inspiration for Darwin's theory of evolution, the Galápagos Islands are a living laboratory, a geological conveyor belt that has given birth to and seen the death of many species of plants and animals. As the western islands rise up from the sea offering a chance of life, the eastern islands sink back beneath the waves guaranteeing only death. Between the two are the middle islands; fertile, lush land in its prime that contains an incredible diversity of life. Nowhere else on the Earth are the twin processes of creation and extinction of species so starkly apparent... see it all unfold before your eyes in this stunning series filmed entirely in high definition from the BBC.

Episode 01 : Born Of Fire

Natural-history series exploring the Galapagos Islands, which lie 1,000 kilometres off the coast of South America. This programme examines the fascinating stages of the islands' lives and how a variety of creatures have found ways to survive, including marine iguanas, sea-going lizards and giant tortoises.

Episode 02 : Islands That Changed The World

From flightless cormorants hunting underwater to giant tortoises courting on the rim of an active volcano, a look at the hidden side of Galapagos, revealing why it is such a fascinating showcase for evolution.

Episode 03 : Forces Of Change

Animals and plants in the Galapagos have evolved the most surprising ways to cope with the profound geological and climatic forces.

Speed Of Life

Speed of Life is based is put high-speed photography of everyday life of animals in their natural environment. The film is primarily interested in the interaction of predator-prey and hunting footage looks really cool! Each film is dedicated to a specific region. In spirit it resembles the well-known TV series Life (Life), but in this series, the main emphasis on the complexity of imprinting process itself predator attacks on prey, and high-speed photography allows us to consider it in unprecedented detail.

Speed Of Life 2010 EP01 : Hunters Of East Africa


Speed Of Life 2010 EP02 : Central American Killers


Speed Of Life 2010 EP03 : Predators Of The Southwest

Baraka

Without words, cameras show us the world, with an emphasis not on "where," but on "what's there."

It begins with morning, natural landscapes and people at prayer: volcanoes, water falls, veldts, and forests; several hundred monks do a monkey chant. Indigenous peoples apply body paint; whole villages dance. The film moves to destruction of nature via logging, blasting, and strip mining. Images of poverty, rapid urban life, and factories give way to war, concentration camps, and mass graves. Ancient ruins come into view, and then a sacred river where pilgrims bathe and funeral pyres burn. Prayer and nature return. A monk rings a huge bell; stars wheel across the sky.

Written by jhailey@hotmail.com - IMDb.