lucky-16

The documentary presents an original theory about "Guns, Germs and Steel". The series graphically portray several episodes strongly supporting the theory, and defend the theory against common criticism.

I was deeply puzzled to find user comments complaining about lack of new information in these series. They say documentary presents information which is taught in middle school. Indeed, it does. In fact, I greatly enjoyed the original look at the information which I have known since middle school and the unexpected analysis.

So, if you like knowing WHY things work, if you have taken apart the telephone trying to determine how it worked, if you have gone to the farm to see how farm works and how cows are milked, you will enjoy this series. A definite recommendation.

A wonderful example of prewar Soviet cinematography has been recently released on DVD in Russia. The story is based on a well known folk tale about a magical pike. The movie uses details from other fairy tales to add the flavor. The digital restoration makes this beautiful black and white movie enjoyable to watch. Acting is very spirited, yet do not expect modern "professional" acting nor 21-st century digital effects. Have your imagination run wild watching the magically propelled wood stove.

Unfortunately, the DVD has only original Russian track. Neither translation nor subtitles are available.

The first series in the "Legend" miniseries could have been a powerful adaptation of one of my favorite books. After all, our expectations were set by the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy with achieved a superb adaptation of a very tough and very famous set of books. The budget of the "Legends" is noticeably lower than that of the "Rings", and it shows. The quality of acting is somewhat lower. The characters are significantly shallower than those described in the book. The sets are OK, but the computer graphics is outright pathetic. With the book dedicated to magic, the potential was superb, the even a big screen cheaper movie like "Harry Potter" found more impressive graphics than the "Legends".

These are OK mini-series, and I will definitely watch the second part. For now, 6/10 for trying.