History Channel

The Universe - The Complete Season One (History Channel)

This documentary miniseries which first aired on the History Channel combines astronomy and history as it presents man's continual quest to explore the outermost reaches of the universe. Satisfyingly realistic computer reconstructions allow viewers to go inside our sun skirt the event horizon of a black hole and travel to the deepest reaches of space all while giving considered attention to the age-old question: are we alone in the universe or is there life on other planets?Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: DOCUMENTARIES/A&E UPC: 733961776058 Manufacturer No: AAAE77605

Life After People (History Channel)

THE HISTORY CHANNEL and Academy Award-winning special effects studio Industrial Light and Magic (Star Wars Harry Potter) join forces to imagine the state of planet Earth years after humans disappear. Stunning visual effects show how the environment will change as dams overflow buildings crumble and fires engulf once-mighty cities. Domestic animal life will die out and new species will claim their territory. Books and photographs will be reduced to faded scraps while other signs of our existence may remain for eternity standing as the tombstones of human civilization.Through striking movie-quality special effects coupled with interviews with experts in the fields of engineering botany ecology biology geology climatology and archeology LIFE AFTER PEOPLE sheds light on the state of the world days weeks and years after humans cease to exist.System Requirements:Running Time: 94 minutesFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: TELEVISION/SERIES & SEQUELS Rating: NR UPC: 733961110906 Manufacturer No: AAAE110900

The very notion is deliciously ghoulish: What happens to earth if--or when--people suddenly vanished? The History Channel presents a dramatic, fascinating what-if scenario, part science fiction and part true natural science. "Welcome to Earth, Population: 0" is the catchy tagline, Life After People's 94 minutes are so gripping you nearly forget while you watch that you, yourself, will be gone too. It turns out that earth can go along very nicely without us. The hardest part of the special is probably in the first 15 minutes, when pet owners confront what likely will happen to their dogs (thankfully, the show follows those dogs who break out of their houses, and the prognosis for them to survive as scavengers is good). As the fictional days and weeks tick by, the process of nature's reclaiming the planet becomes less grim and more fascinating. The impact of the lack of people will be noticed right away, as most power grids shut down around the planet. The one holdout: Hoover Dam, whose hydro power lights up the American Southwest. Scientists say the dam can continue to operate on its own for months, maybe years, keeping the Vegas Strip alight. Only the eventual accumulation of quagga mussels, an invasive species, in the cooling pipes of the power plant--currently being cleaned by humans--will shut down the dam. Elsewhere, critters and plants will have their run of Manhattan and every other previously "civilized" spot. Inventive photography shows bears clambering out of subway stations, and vines pulling down brownstones, then skyscrapers. It may not be a surprise when the Eiffel Tower and Space Needle meet their eventual fates, but the scenes nonetheless provide a pleasant sting of shock. Life After People is humbling, yet exhilarating. -- A.T. Hurley

The History Channel Presents Last Stand of the 300 - The Legendary Battle at Thermopylae

The legendary battle of Thermopylae is still acknowledged today for its brilliant military maneuvers and the well-trained and fearless soldiers who fought to the death. THE HISTORY CHANNEL® presents a detailed account of this legendary battle examining the events leading up to the conflict the tactical expertise that allowed the outnumbered Greeks to stall their mighty foes and the bloody encounter itself. Find out how an army of a few hundred men overcame impossible odds and witness the conflict that altered the course of Western civilization. System Requirements:Running Time: 94 Mins.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: DOCUMENTARIES/MISC. Rating: NR UPC: 733961772111 Manufacturer No: AAE-77211

Last Stand of the 300 is an interesting 90-minute documentary from the History Channel explaining the details of the ancient Spartans' showdown with the Persian army at the battle of Thermopylae. It's long been a fascinating subject, but it hit popular culture in a big way with the 2007 feature film 300, based on the graphic novel by Frank Miller. Last Stand of the 300 helps explain the background behind the battle as well as many of the details not covered in the movie, including how the Ionian Revolt and the famed battle of Marathon led to Themopylae, the naval front led by Thermistocles, and what happened afterward. Numerous scholars and authors (including the writers of Gates of Fire and Empires at War) explain the rigorous Spartan training, military strategy, the Oracle at Delphi, the Persian technological advantage, different kinds of weaponry and vessels (the Spartan hoplon, dory, and xiphos, and the trireme), and how one of Miller's famous lines came from Herodotus ("Then we shall have our battle in the shade"). The maps are extremely helpful for showing how the geography affected the battle (one detour would have cost the Persians an extra two years of travel time), but the reenactments look kind of simple compared to the extremely stylized feature film. --David Horiuchi

The Dark Ages (The History Channel )

Join THE HISTORY CHANNEL® on an unforgettable voyage through one of the most desolate periods in human history as the rulers conflicts and cataclysmic societal breakdown of THE DARK AGES are brought to light.At its height in the second century A.D. the Roman Empire was the beacon of learning trade power and prosperity in the western world. But the once-powerful Rome--rotten to the core by the fifth century--lay open to barbarian warriors who came in wave after wave of invasion slaughtering stealing and ultimately settling. As chaos replaced culture Europe was beset by famine plague persecutions and a state of war that was so persistent it was only rarely interrupted by peace. THE DARK AGES profiles those who battled to shape the future from the warlords whose armies threatened to case the demise of European society like Alaric Charles the Hammer and Clovis; to the men and women who valiantly tended the flames of justice knowledge and innovation including Charlemagne St. Benedict Empress Theodora and other brave souls who fought for peace and enlightenment. It was in the shadows of this turbulent millennium that the seeds of modern civilization were sown.Special Feature-length Documentary The Plague ; Featurette History in the Making: The Dark Ages Runtime: 94 minsFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: DOCUMENTARIES/MISC. UPC: 733961772104 Manufacturer No: AAE-77210

The History Channel Presents The Revolution

They came of age in a new world amid intoxicating and innovative ideas about human and civil rights diverse economic systems and self-government. In a few short years these men and women would transform themselves into architects of the future through the building of a new nation unlike any that had ever come before.From the roots of the rebellion and the signing of the Declaration of Independence to victory on the battlefield at Yorktown and the adoption of The United States Constitution THE REVOLUTION tells the remarkable story of this pivotal era in history. Venturing beyond the conventional list of generals and politicians THE HISTORY CHANNEL® introduces the full range of individuals who helped shape this great conflict including some of the war s most influential unsung heroes.Through sweeping cinematic recreations intimate biographical investigations and provocative political military and economic analysis the historic ideas and themes that transformed treasonous acts against the British into noble acts of courage both on and off the battlefield come to life in this dramatic and captivating program.DVD Features: History in the Making: The Revolution Behind-the-Scenes Featurette; Interactive Menus; Scene SelectionSystem Requirements:Run Time: 600 minsFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: DOCUMENTARIES/MISC. UPC: 733961762303 Manufacturer No: AAE-76230

Dogfights -The Complete Season 2 (History Channel)

HISTORY CHANNEL - DOGFIGHTS (DVD MOVIE)

The True Story of Charlie Wilson (History Channel)

No one suspected that playboy Congressman Charlie Wilson and his partner Gust Avrakotos--an aggressive CIA agent nicknamed Dr. Dirty --would mastermind the covert arming of the Afghan Mujahideen in what became the largest and most successful campaign in CIA history.THE TRUE STORY OF CHARLIE WILSON profiles this unorthodox alliance and chronicles the epic journey the two men undertook to guarantee the success of their freedom fighters. Now THE HISTORY CHANNEL examines the unforeseen and far-reaching effects of the CIA s efforts to assist the Afghan rebels in the fight against the Soviet Union--namely the Afghan uprising against the West. Revealing the full story behind the Hollywood blockbuster Charlie Wilson s War THE TRUE STORY OF CHARLIE WILSON penetrates the inner-workings of the CIA to uncover the men and the designs that have returned to haunt America today.System Requirements:Running Time: 94 minutesFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: TELEVISION/HISTORY CHANNEL Rating: NR UPC: 733961108804 Manufacturer No: AAAE108800

Victory at Sea - The Legendary World War II Documentary (History Channel)

Considered the most influential documentary in television history VICTORY AT SEA in the words of Harper s Weekly "created a new art form." The 26 half-hour episodes were culled from over 13000 hours of footage shot by the U.S. British German and Japanese navies during World War II. Narrated by Leonard Graves and set to a score by Richard Rodgers this program offered a remarkable look at the realities of naval warfare and the extraordinary challenges faced by the Allies. From U-boat "Wolfpacks" to the epic battles at Iwo Jima and Okinawa every major naval engagement of World War II is captured in some of the most riveting combat footage ever shot.Now the complete landmark series is available on DVD for the first time. And to celebrate this 50th anniversary release television legend Peter Graves (Mission Impossible) enriches the viewing experience by framing each classic episode of this Emmy® and Peabody® award-winning series against the World War II cultural and political landscape. From U-boat "Wolfpacks" to the epic battles at Iwo Jima and Okinawa every major naval engagement of World War II is captured in some of the most riveting combat footage ever shot.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: DOCUMENTARIES/MISC. UPC: 733961709674 Manufacturer No: AAE-70967

A 26-episode World War II documentary, Victory at Sea is one of the most important series in the history of television. Made in 1952, the show was a huge success, winning many major awards and even spawning albums featuring the orchestral score by Richard Rodgers, best known for his musicals with Lorenz Hart and Oscar Hammerstein II. Produced with the full cooperation of the U.S. Navy, each 26-minute program consists of black-and-white wartime film set to a narration by Leonard Graves. The two years leading up to America's entry into the war are dismissed in episode one, while the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor gets a show of its own, the raid depicted in a brilliantly edited montage that almost certainly contains "docu-drama" footage. Each episode contains at least one powerful stand-alone sequence in the tradition of Serge Eisenstein (Battleship Potemkin), these action-suspense set-pieces giving the programs an urgent, surprisingly modern feel. Indeed, the emphasis is at least as much on entertainment as information, the factual content delivered in poetic narration, the score transforming the war into a more than usually serious Hollywood adventure. The documentaries are nothing if not wide-ranging, covering parts of the land war despite the title, and including everything from the Atlantic convoys and U-boat "Wolfpacks" to war in Alaska, the South Atlantic, and the Far East, the Pacific War, and the Fall of Japan. There is an attempt to include other nations--certainly the D-Day episode acknowledges the British far more than Saving Private Ryan--but inevitably the focus is on America's war. The very dated narration gives a fascinating insight into how America saw WWII in the early 1950s, while the dynamic cutting and often genuinely remarkable wartime footage make Victory at Sea still gripping today. Twenty years later, Granada's The World at War would become the definitive television WWII history, but this release offers a unique opportunity to see a series of great importance from the very early days of television. --Gary S. Dalkin

History Channel: Human Weapon - The Complete Season 1

System Requirements:Running Time: 752 minutesFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: TELEVISION/SERIES & SEQUELS Rating: NR UPC: 733961112634 Manufacturer No: AAAE112630

Dogfights - The Complete Season One (History Channel)

History's most thrilling aerial battles can now be experienced as never before--from inside the cockpit. Legendary aircraft like the F8 Crusader the F6F Hellcat the P40 Tomahawk and more are brought back to life as DOGFIGHTS takes viewers straight into the heat of the aerial action.The original pilots themselves narrate these battles illuminating the capabilities and histories of these magnificent aircraft the enemies they faced and the realities of life as a fighter pilot. Filled with astounding state-of-the-art CGI technology all eleven episodes of the first season of DOGFIGHTS revitalize some of the most thrilling and captivating life-or-death battles ever fought.Witness some of the most celebrated dogfights in modern history as the pilots strap back in and recall their memories of these historic engagements from Pearl Harbor to Guadalcanal North Korea to the Solomon Islands and Vietnam to the Middle East.Runtime: 517 minsFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: DOCUMENTARIES/MISC. UPC: 733961769951 Manufacturer No: AAE-76995

Detailed digital re-creations of aerial combat are the obvious highlight of Dogfights, but the greatest value of this popular History Channel series lies in its assembly of priceless interviews with veteran pilots who fought in history's most dangerous dogfights and lived to tell the tale. As an oral and visual history that will enthrall viewers of all ages, the series pays tribute to these men and their remarkable skill, and their vivid recollections ensure that this series will be discussed and studied for many years to come. Filling four DVDs, these 11 first-season episodes run about 43 minutes in length, with each episode focusing on specific dogfights where "you're in the pilot's seat" for a breathtaking study of how these potentially deadly aerial encounters began, developed, and concluded. From the biplanes of World War I to the F-15 Eagles of the U.S. and Israeli Air Forces, the series re-creates legendary dogfights with computer-generated aircraft so authentically detailed (including accurate paint-schemes and military markings) that you can even see the rivets in their fuselages. With CGI pilots nestled in their cockpits, these airplanes look and move like the real thing, and while other details such as aircraft debris, flames, explosions, and crashes are rendered in video-game quality resolution (i.e., not state-of-the-art but sufficiently impressive) the aerial activity also includes gun-tracers, rockets, and missiles that are instantly convincing. As you learn about strategic maneuvers like the "Thatch Weave" and "Rolling Scissors," the only thing missing is the G-forces you'd feel if you were actually flying the planes.

With highlights too numerous to mention individually, each episode follows a precise and logical structure, thrusting the viewer into the chaos of combat, then supplementing the visual excitement with detailed schematics and comparison charts of aircraft on both sides of battle. Each chart examines the characteristic strengths and weaknesses of the aircraft involved (from structural integrity to weapons systems, maximum speed, climbing rates, etc.), and archival footage of the actual aircraft in action is accompanied by background history and pilot testimonials. Although most of the action is taken from Pacific theater combat of World War II, dogfights from the Vietnam War (as in "The Last Gunfighter," a tribute to the F8 Crusader) and the Middle East are also included. Among the most thrilling episodes are "Long Odds" (focusing on the heroic endurance of WWII Navy Ace "Swede" Vejtasa and Medal of Honor winner Jay Zeamer) and "Hunt for the Bismarck," a riveting study of aerial supremacy over Germany's legendary battleship. As a bonus feature on disc 1, the feature-length pilot episode "Dogfights: Greatest Air Battles" was produced a year before the 2006 premiere of Dogfights and offers a more generalized history of aerial combat and flying-ace heroes. Also included is "Dogfights: The Planes," a featurette compilation of individual aircraft profiles culled from the series proper. Unfortunately, Dogfights is presented in "plain" widescreen (i.e., not enhanced for widescreen TVs), and subtitles and closed captioning are not included. These are the only drawbacks in a four-disc set that's an absolute must-have for military buffs, future "Top Gun" candidates and anyone interested in the history of aerial combat. --Jeff Shannon