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List Price: $49.99 | | Label: Image Entertainment
Salesrank: 110147
Released: October 31, 2000 |
| Our Price: $44.99 |
| Used Price: $32.66 |
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MPAA Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Media: DVD |
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Editorial Review:
Five fascinating large-screen IMAX format films, each with extensive behind-the-scenes "making of" footage, in one box! "The Discoverers" (1994, 72 min.) - From the earliest voyages that mapped the Earth to today's launches into space, this film examines our desire to expand the boundaries of knowledge. "Dolphins" (2000, 77 min.) - Brimming with details about the complex lives of these fascinating animals, this ocean adventure film takes you into the very heart of the world of Dolphins. "The Living Sea" (1995, 77 min.) - Come face to face with life-sized humpback whales, thousands of golden jellyfish and giant clams. Go 3,000 feet down to view strange creatures which live where sunlight never penetrates deep down. "The Magic of Flight" (1996, 81 min.) - Relive the first flight of the Wright Brothers, soar with the world-famous Blue Angels and more in this technological thrill ride with some of the most amazing airborne footage ever captured on film. "Stormchasers" (1995, 67 min.) - Join storm-chasing meteorologists who put themselves in the heart of extreme weather conditions--hurricanes, monsoons, and tornadoes--in order to understand how they form.
Description of Macgillivray Freeman Films - The Big Picture Collection (Large Format):
This The Big Picture Box contains five IMAX documentaries:
The Discoverers
Originally filmed in IMAX format, The Discoverers features some astoundingly spectacular footage all centering around the act of discovery. The story of the great navigator Ferdinand Magellan's search for a passage to the Pacific is presented with film of spectacular sunsets and scenery, and a visit to a re-creation of Sir Isaac Newton's laboratory while he refracts light with lamps and prisms is equally beautiful. The various vignettes, which range from a child and her father discovering paintings of bison painted on cave ceilings thousands of years ago to a scientist on a team analyzing data sent back from a probe sent to the planet Venus, don't proceed in a linear path. But that's the whole idea. The production was inspired by the Pulitzer Prize-winning book The Discoverers by Daniel J. Boorstin, and the goal was to put the viewer alongside those who explore the unknown as they experience the joyous moments of discovery. There is some serious science presented in the course of the film, but fear not, it's all done in a highly entertaining manner. Simply sit back and immerse yourself in the utterly gorgeous cinematography. --Robert J. McNamara
The Living Sea
The films from IMAX have come to be known for their cutting-edge cinematography. They don't disappoint with The Living Sea, an Academy Award-nominated documentary exploring exotic marine locales. Using dizzying aerial and time-lapse footage, they provide underwater imagery usually accessible only while wearing fins and a mask. From heavy-surf Coast Guard drills off the coast of Oregon to jellyfish in Palau to North Atlantic humpback whales, veteran IMAX cameraman and director Greg MacGillivray takes viewers on a vivid journey into some of the world's most breathtaking environments and shows us some of the rarest and strangest marine life. Ten years from conception to finished product, this documentary's intended message is the importance of protecting the "world ocean" by displaying its wild beauty and diversity.
The Living Sea does an excellent job of showcasing the more visually satisfying aspects of the sea (standout footage includes schools of jellyfish performing a graceful migratory dance and a giant cuttlefish changing brilliant colors for the purpose of camouflage), although ultimately it fails to shed much light on the hows, whys, and urgency of marine conservation. However, despite the short running time (unfortunately characteristic of IMAX productions) and a soundtrack that only true Sting fans will fully appreciate, this film proves to be a remarkable treat for the eyes and is sure to elicit heartfelt oohs and aahs from anyone who loves the sea. --Ed Noble
Dolphins
Believe it or not, an IMAX film can make the transition to video perfectly well. It might not be three stories tall, but Dolphins is still a lovely, larger-than-life exploration of these strangely intelligent creatures. Visit the Bahamas, Argentina, and beyond to see different varieties (like the graceful duskies) play and hunt. Pierce Brosnan's narration and Sting's music fill the water with sound and add counterpoint to the dolphin's shrill cries; the film is an overwhelming experience even in the living room. Two short features follow the main attraction: see behind-the-scenes footage of the making of Dolphins as the enormous IMAX camera follows the sleek, gorgeous beasts, and learn some hard facts about marine science including how dolphins fit into their complex environment and why their numbers are at risk. Few nature films bear repeat viewing as well as this one--new details leap out at the audience each time. --Rob Lightner
Magic of Flight
Fly with the U.S. Navy's elite Blue Angels demonstration squadron in the breathtaking documentary The Magic of Flight, which explains the basic principles of what enables airplanes (and birds) to fly, what creates lift, how planes maneuver, how planes land again. Going back to the Wright Brothers' experiments at Kitty Hawk, the documentary explores how the intrepid bicycle makers ruminated on the elements of flight for many an hour before even attempting to assemble their first aircraft. The Blue Angels put into action the discoveries made by the Wright Brothers, as they make their selections, train, and perform.
Pilots push their high-performance fighter planes through difficult but graceful maneuvers for amazed audiences, demonstrating where the state of the art really lies for 21st-century flying. For all the skills of the pilots, however, the most astonishing part of the video would have to be the camera work, with cameras mounted on the planes' bellies, noses, and cockpits to give an up-close view of what the machines are really capable of doing. Planes fly an arm's length apart during maneuvers where the slightest misstep would mean certain catastrophe. The Magic of Flight does indeed go a long way toward capturing the wonder of flying, with spectacular camera work, editing, and production. --Jerry Renshaw
Stormchasers
The power of tornadoes, hurricanes, hailstorms, and other severe weather serve as a reminder that, despite technological advances, there are elements of nature that still have us at their mercy. Stormchasers follows the meteorologists who put their lives in danger to chart and research severe storms. Scientists drive hundreds of miles per day to chase down tornadoes in the Midwest, lingering until the last possible second when they actually encounter a twister. Weather Service personnel send an airplane through the middle of Hurricane Emily, with everything that can be shaken loose inside the plane tethered down for the rough ride. The "making of" segment of Stormchasers documents the crew's hair-raising experiences as they placed themselves directly in the path of danger and doubted their own sanity for doing so. Interestingly, the filmmakers were forced to manufacture a monsoon when shooting in India; the results were convincing indeed. Originally shot in large format for IMAX theaters, Stormchasers gives the formation of menacing storms a beautifully lyrical quality and goes a long way toward explaining the weather phenomena that shape our lives. --Jerry Renshaw
Macgillivray Freeman Films - The Big Picture Collection (Large Format) Reviews:
amazing 
2007-07-20 - Hi, I'm from Argentina,this is a high quality product, the movies are very good, I recomend this product to anyone.I have a DLP and my family enjoyed the movies so much.
This is Why I have a Home Theater System...
2001-08-25 - IMAX quality at its very best! These five masterpieces directed by MacGillivray are beautifully done documentaries that the whole family will certainly enjoy. The collection of DOLPHINS, THE LIVING SEA, THE MAGIC OF FLIGHT, STORMCHASERS, and THE DISCOVERERS provides something for everyone. If you enjoy nature, life and technology, you will love them all. Just as fabulous as each feature, each disc includes 'The Making of...' sequence that is as captivating than the feature itself! The many hours of filming to get the perfect shots are evident form the behind the scenes action. Many of the feature shots required technologic advances that had to be developed to capture the images. The commentary by Greg MacGillivray is both humorous and interesting. Other extras only add to the family value of this collection. I viewed this series on a 36 inch Sony 'WEGA' TV using the Onkyo DR-S2.0 DVD Receiver. DTS and Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound are both available on these discs. I have tried both and recommend the same, as there are differences in the audio. I have no particular preference as both are superior. The audio is simply spectacular with narrators like Selleck, Streep, Brosnan, and Holbrook. Especially spectacular is the music in The Living Sea that was provided by Sting. The music is worth playing alone!! The picture is 4:3 format with little artifact from the original film. While never being able to reproduce the Imax scale, these crisp, detailed images have more resoultion than you home screen can handle. A superior collection of extraordinary documentaries with many extras. Toddlers, teens, and adults will enjoy watching these discs and certainly these will be a treat on your home theater system.
imax and dvd: AWESOME
2000-10-23 - Wow, this dvd is one of the greatest. I've always enjoyed imax movies and now i can watch them whenever i want on dvd. This dvd has five movies on it;"The Living Sea," "The Discoverers," "Stormchasers," "The Magic of Flight," and "Dolphins: The Ride." All of these movies are great, but my favorites are "The Living Sea," and "dolphins:the ride" The first, "the living seas" takes you on a tour through the ocean. Through stunning pictures and breath taking sound it shows you the world of those creatures that live under the sea. This movie is a true great, and one of the best imax films. My next favorite is "stormchasers" this movie takes you to the great plains and shows you the twister. It follows groups of ordinary people doing unordinary things, chasing tornados. And finally my last favorite is "dolpins: the ride" Ive always loved dolpins, but imax and the voice of pierce brosnan help make this documentary a true master piece. I highly recommend this dvd. It is truly wonderful and a great addition to your dvd collection.
