Ice Age Columbus ~ Who Were the First Americans? Review

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(More customer reviews)It may not please the Amerindian or casino lobbies:-) but this documentary offers proof -- and dramatization with excellent actors and script -- of the now decade-old and revolutionary theory that white Europeans arrived in North American very long ago, perhaps 5,000 years before the Siberian Asiatics did over their Alaskan land bridge, and thus that Europeans are (also) Native Americans. This is the "Solutrean" theory, named after Solutré in France. Arrowheads and spear heads from Solutré and other areas of Ice Age France were discovered only in the 1990s in Virginia, and this opened a Pandora's Box of further politically incorrect questions.
This is part of a continuum of new knowledge that got kick-started by the discovery, also in the 1990s, of "Kennewick Man"'s skeleton inland from Portland, Oregon, who, many scientist insist, was almost certainly a white European -- or rather a "European-American" from 10,000 B.C. (Indians demanded that his skeleton be immediately given to them -- for proper Indian burial as per federal law or so it could not be studied?)
Whatever one's leanings, this drama-documentary provides a gripping education regarding Ice Age life for Europeans, the harshness of life then, the huge and dangerous animals they faced and hunted (mammoths) or ran from (saber-tooths) and the incredible character and innovativeness needed to survive a transatlantic journey 17,000 years ago. One learns to truly care for the individuals whom fate first sent over the ocean, and this is based on a minimalist script without any hokey Hollywoodism, fine acting (especially by the actress playing "Zia") and interviews with recognized anthropological experts of the Stone Age and ancient North America.
They admit that they themselves were dumbfounded to find unmistakable ancient French hunting implements and other signs of European life in Virginia, all of which through carbon-dating make it certain that Europeans also are Native Americans. This film is touching in many places, rough and realistic but not overly violent, and very highly recommended for the general public, both macho men and the many women interested in the Jean Auel-type sagas, and for serious scholars of serious prehistory.

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Traditional history tells us that European settlers discovered America about the time of the Renaissance. But revolutionary new archaeological data and the latest DNA research reveal that Europeans visited our shores far earlier - some 17,000 years before Columbus was even born.Filmed in glorious high definition, this two-hour, epic drama follows an intrepid family of stone age hunters as they trek from their homeland in southwestern France, cross 3,000 miles of ocean and eventually make their first permanent settlement in what is today the northeastern U.S. Along the way, they overcome starvation and storms with the help of a revolutionary weapons technology they would later bequeath to the native peoples of the Americas. But awaiting the pioneers' arrival is a stark, empty continent, filled with a plethora of bizarre and lethal animals - all brought to life by brilliant computer animation. Firmly rooted in the latest scientific discoveries, it's a compelling vision of the greatest migration in human history.

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Dances with Wolves - Extended Cut (Two-Disc Collector's Edition) (1990) Review

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(More customer reviews)When Dances With Wolves first came out, I had some doubts about seeing it. All of my life I had seen movies that either presented my tribe (the "Sioux" or more accurately the "Lakota") as a bunch of savages, or used non-Native American actors to portray "Indian" roles. The book, Dances with Wolves was dumb (they were Comanches???). The movie surprised me. If it hadn't been for Kevin Costner's acting, I would give this five stars. He did a great job of directing the movie, but he came across as a total idiot in the movie ( in my opinion). What I liked most about the film was the accuracy, and use of the language (which was my first tongue), as well as the Native American cast. The extended version is even better, filling in a few gaps, and expanding on a few scenes that needed it. Overall, a very good movie; I can't count how many times I have seen it.

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A "truly spectacular" (The New York Times) film that combines action, romance and breathtaking adventure, Dances With Wolves is "a cinematic masterpiece" (American Movie Classics) that is nothing short of "a triumph" (Roger Ebert)!Sent to protect a US outpost on the desolate frontier, Lt. John Dunbar (Kevin Costner) finds himself alone in the vast wilderness. Befriending the very people he's sent to protect the outpost from, the Sioux Indians, Dunbar slowly comes to revere those he once feared. But when the encroaching US Army threatens to overrun the Sioux, he is forced to make a choiceone that will forever change his destiny and that of a proud and defiant nation.

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Last of the Dogmen (1995) Review

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(More customer reviews)This review refers to the HBO DVD edition of "Last Of The Dogmen"...
"Last of the Dogmen" is a beautiful story that takes my breath away everytime I watch it. It's one of those films that even if you start out viewing it alone, pretty soon, you'll find the rest of the family gathered around simply because one glimpse of the scenery,one paragraph of the dialouge,one look at the story and it's got a hold on you.
It's a modern Western, with all the romantic adventure of one that may take place 100 years ago. Lewis Gates(Tom Berenger) is a bounty hunter hired to track three deadly criminals who have escaped deep into the "Oxbow" of the Montana wilderness. As he follows their trail, he begins to uncover a 100 year old mystery. One of the clues is an arrow that could only have been used by a tribe of Cheyennes that existed over a century ago.
He can't let go of what the possibilities may be and convinces the beautiful Dr Lillian Sloan(Barbara Hershey), expert in Native American culture, that there may be something incredible out there. Their search begins as they try to uncover the past, and what they find is a way of life too beautiful to be spoiled by modern day man and it is up to them to save it!
It's just an incredibly beautiful film that interweaves the search for the past with Gates' own ghosts from his past. The friendships formed,the evolving romance, the cinematogrpahy, the musical score, and the heartwarming story all combined for a wonderful film.
Even "Zip" the dog(played by "Zip"), will be tugging at your heart.Berenger and Hershey worked beautifully together, and Steve Reevis and other American Indian actors were not only wonderful but lent a great deal of realism and authenticity to the film...Bravo!
The DVD presents a wonderful widescreen picture, taking in all the majesty of the Rockies. The DD5.1 is very good. The sounds of nature and the modern day sounds of helicopters and such, are quite a contrast to behold in surround sound.The DVD also has some nice features. It may be viewed with the sound in either the Theatrical version, or the Director version. Both are in DD5.1, and the main difference I found was that the Theatrical version has the captivating narration by Wilfred Brimley,and the Director's version does not. There is the option of Director(Tab Murphy) commentary, and it also provides subtitles in English, French and Spanish for those needing them.There are other features that include, cast bios and costume sketches as well.
If you liked "Dances With Wolves", give this one a try. I can not say enough good things about it. If you have already seen it, you will enjoy it again on this DVD. It's for Western lovers, adventure lovers, romance lovers and anyone who just wants to get lost in a good story for a couple of hours.It is rated PG(there is some violence and mild langauge)
Happy trails and enjoy.....Laurie
also recommended:
Public Eye [VHS](Barbara Hershey)
Great American Western V.11, The(4 films - stories of the American Indian)

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Modern bounty hunter Lewis Gates is hired to track down three dangerous fugitives who have escaped into the Montana wilderness. When the fugitives are found murdered, Gates has a mystery on his hands. Accompanied by anthropologist Lillian Sloane, Gates ventures further into the mountains and discovers an isolated settlement inhabited by a Native American tribe thought to have been wiped out by white settlers a century earlier. The two gradually begin to gain acceptance within the tribe, but when Gates' vengeful ex father-in-law, Sheriff Deegan, leads a posse into the mountains, Gates and Sloane must prevent the tribe from being massacred a second time. Written by Ronos

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Dead Man (1996) Review

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(More customer reviews)How unfair is it that Tim Keogh of the Amazon.Com organization gets to lead off the list of reviews for this movie by stating - "This disappointment from Jim Jarmusch stars Johnny Depp in a mystery Western about a 19th-century accountant named William Blake, who spends his last coin getting to a hellish mud town in Texas and ends up penniless and doom struck in the wilderness." I don't know if Tim was busy stuffing his face with popcorn but he makes three erroneous statements in this first line of his totally off-base review.
1) This movie is not a mystery! 2) Johnny Depp spends his last coin buying whiskey. 3) The "hellish mud town" of Machine is on the West Coast - not Texas. (After all, it would take a while to ride by horseback from Texas to British Columbia where the Coastal Indian Tribes were located).
You may be asking yourself why I take issue with such mundane details? The answer is obvious - to prove the point that Tim Keogh wasn't even watching this movie, and therefore, has no right to review it. Simply put, Dead Man is a cinematic masterpiece! Jim Jarmusch has made a number of strong movies, but Dead Man surpasses the others as a brilliant work of art.
You can see by reading the other reviews that support for Dead Man borders on fanatical. There are few movies that I have watched repeatedly but I continue to see this one over and over again. Everything about the film is different from the conventions of Hollywood mass consumption "fast-film". The story unfolds in a slow and methodical manner and requires much attention on the part of the viewer. If you invest in it, Dead Man will repay you many times over.
If you liked Forrest Gump and The Sixth Sense then you can go see another mindless mainstream movie with Tim Keogh and the majority of the ignorant American public. If you need more than that . . . buy Dead Man. I'll bet you watch it more than once!

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Johnny Depp (CHOCOLAT) delivers a remarkable performance in this highly acclaimed tale of adventure and intrigue in the wild, wild west! A young man in search of a fresh start, William Blake (Depp) embarks on an exciting journey to a new town ... never realizing the danger that lies ahead. But when a heated love triangle ends in double murder, Blake finds himself a wanted man, running scared -- until a mysterious loner teaches him to face the dangers that follow a "dead man." With an outstanding supporting cast including Gabriel Byrne (THE USUAL SUSPECTS) and Robert Mitchum (CAPE FEAR), and a sizzling soundtrack, DEAD MAN is another motion picture triumph from filmmaker Jim Jarmusch.

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Valhalla Rising (2010) Review

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(More customer reviews)A peculiar though fascinating art house excursion, the 2009 film "Valhalla Rising" is a symbolic viking adventure about the discovery of the new world. To understand this film's aura, it should be noted it makes Terrence Malick's similarly-themed The New World feel like a summer blockbuster romp. Danish writer/director Nicolas Winding Refn has carved a bold name for himself with such challenging works as Pusher Trilogy and Bronson (Widescreen Edition), and this expedition into the muddy and bloody age of 1000 AD continues his refusal of convention.
There is nothing pleasant about Refn's nightmarish world (filmed on location in Scotland) where men wear sodden rags, tromp through mud and wage wet battles to the death. An oppressive fog covers all, and scarred men stare quietly into space desperately searching for definition. Small campfires provide little warmth, and what few women are seen are naked and chained together as slaves. Harsh does not begin to scratch the surface of Refn's haunting imagery (aided by Morten Søborg's brilliant cinematography and a fascinating musical score of Peter Kyed and Peter Peter). Danish actor Mads Mikkelsen displays unique presence as a one-eyed viking, appropriately named One Eye. He's evidently a captive, residing in a wooden cage and carefully fed like a lion by the orphaned blond boy Are (Maarten Stevenson). On a regular basis, he's dragged from his prison, chained to a post and forced to fight to the death versus combatants while weary warlords sit nearby and wager the outcome. There are no cheers for his victories, punctuated by the sounds of crushed skulls and broken bones.
One Eye eventually kills his captors and, with the boy gingerly trailing, silently travels cross country where they encounter a meager band of warriors who have converted to Christianity. They are preparing for a Crusade to Jerusalem, and reluctantly recruit One Eye, whose warrior legend precedes him. Soon, trapped on a meager long ship within a mysterious mist, they become hopelessly lost and depressed. The mists finally part, and before them is the ominous but sunny, tree-covered land of the new world. Quietly hiking through tall grasses, they encounter signs of Native Americans, including burial scaffolds and ghost-like arrows thumping into the bodies of unlucky comrades. These desperate vikings plant a tall, wooden cross in the virgin soil, utterly convinced they've arrived in Hell. Through it all, One Eye, with his boy sidekick in tow, silently leads the way through this mysterious world, disturbing even to him.
"Valhalla Rising" includes multiple dream sequences drenched in red, long continuous shots of wind-blown landscapes and ultimately, scenes of men sitting on rocks for minutes at a time staring into the void of quiet space. These are not spirited warriors by any stretch of the imagination, but terrified souls lost within the tides of worlds far more powerful than their swords. "Valhalla Rising" is a vision quest gone mad, completely lacking in the romantic conventions one expects from this period. Think The Vikings, or to a far lessor extent Pathfinder and the all-but-forgotten Lee Majors' B-flick The Norseman, where lusty vikings fight slow-motion battle sequences against tribes of fierce Native Americans. You'll get none of that here.
There are multiple inspirations Refn appears to be channeling, including Roman Polanski's Macbeth, the already-mentioned Malick, Werner Herzog's Aguirre, the Wrath of God and, perhaps most apparent of all, the experimental works of Kenneth Anger (The Films of Kenneth Anger, Vol. 2) including his famous film Lucifer Rising [VHS].
I have always respected Anger's purposefully obscure films, where story is sacrificed for experimental, dream-like imagery. This is the true promised land of Refin's brutal journey. With a larger budget, he's taken Anger a step further, though fueled by equally potent doses of LSD. The minimum amount of dialog, usually raising more questions than answering, further carves a moody land of mystery and death. Insisting upon multiple interpretations, "Valhalla Rising" is an example of an incredibly gifted filmmaker reworking the tired conventions of period adventure, cutting through the surface, and pulling out the bloody results beneath.

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Acclaimed Danish director Nicholas Winding Refn follows his worldwide smash Pusher trilogy and the widely praised Bronson with his most daring film yet. Valhalla Rising is a brutally beautiful Viking film with international star Mads Mikkelsen ( Casino Royale, Clash Of The Titans ) as One Eye, a chained prisoner forced to fight to the death for the entertainment of his captors. When One Eye escapes, he stumbles upon a group of warriors headed to the Crusades. But fate has something else in store, as the men drift into the New World, where savages stalk them one by one in increasingly violent ways. Is One Eye an avenging angel or just the guiltiest of them all? The answers can be found in this ruthless, hallucinatory, one of a kind journey.

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Historic Travel US Wild West Reaching Out To New Horizons (2005) Review

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(More customer reviews)Documentaries come and go and obviously some are better than others. This collection has five different documentaries in it, all of them relating one way or another to the American West.
While most of them are good, but not exceptional, the one about the lives of Native Americans on reservations is phenominal and worth the price of the set on its own.
You get a really good sense of just how taken advantage of these people were, and how they fought to preserve their heritage and dignity in the face of incredible odds.
The piece is very well balanced and shows you both sides of the story, which is rare in movies about this subject matter.

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Few places on earth evoke as much excitement and nostalgia as does the West. Introduced to the world largely by Hollywood, this little known part of the country normally conjures images of guntroting cowboys, barren deserts, rugged mountains with fascinating canyons and amazingly crafted mesas and wild Indians whooping down rock-strewn slopes on their saddle less mustangs. there is, however, much more to the west than 'Indians and cowboys' and this fascinating 2-DVD set from a2zcds portrays the little known history, culture and natural resources of western United States, as never before!

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