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The Planets
Actor(s): Planets
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Binding: VHS Tape
EAN: 9780767020558
Format(s): Box setColorNTSC
ISBN: 0767020553
Label: A&E Home Video
Language(s): English Original Language
List Price: $99.95
Manufacturer: A&E Home Video
Number Of Items: 8
Package Dimensions:
Height: 4.3"
Width: 7.6"
Length: 4.3"
Weight: 2.95 lbs.
Product Group: Video
Publisher: A&E Home Video
Release Date: 1999-11-30
Running Time: 400minutes
Studio: A&E Home Video
Theatrical Release Date: 1999
UPC: 733961174625
Editorial Reviews
Description:
From the first grainy photos of the moon to the interplanetary expeditions that have unlocked the secrets of the solar system, this is an unprecedented celebration of the beauty of space and the technology that lets us explore it.
Amazon.com:
Where did it all begin? How did the universe give birth to the sun and its family of planets that form our solar system? How is a bubbling atomic reactor in space the source of warmth and light for life as we know it? Why will Mars be the first planet we colonize? What is the long-term fate of the planets in our solar system? Are we alone? The Planets is an entertaining, comprehensive, and informative A&E documentary series that sets out to answer many of life's most physically existential questions. This series combines scientific history of early scientists, rich knowledge from the leading minds in modern astronomy, and extraordinary image technology to tell the story of our solar system, from its beginnings to the present and beyond. The topics of the eight-volumes are: "Different Worlds," "Terra Firma," "Giants," Moon," "Star," "Atmosphere," "Life Beyond the Sun," and "Destiny." From the sweltering rocky surface of Mercury to the violent stormy skies of Jupiter to the cold, mysterious land of Pluto, The Planets is a fascinating exploration of discovery and adventure for anyone who has looked up into space on a starry night in total amazement. --Rob Bracco
Customer Reviews Average rating - 4.5
Rating - 4 Date: 2008-11-30
Content: In a nutshell, this set is an in-depth, informative and very interesting look at our solar system. So what more could you wan't? Well...a little more, maybe. I recently watched a documentary called "Roving Mars" - which chronicles the missions of two robotic probes sent there. RM is a perfect example of a fantastic documentary for several reasons: The narrative is well written and inspiring, the narrator(s) are great, the computer-generated graphics are absolutely mind-blowing (and spot-on accurate in every detail BTW), and the score written for the film works with it to really captivate and move you. Unfortunately, all of the things I just mentioned are a tad bit lacking in "The Planets." The narrative is pretty much "just the facts" - which are good facts, to be sure. Still, the narrative reminds me of the type heard in those 60's and 70's movies shown in grade school (I'm 48). As far as the narrator, she comes across as simply someone hired to read an informative script (there are other, more ispired "talking heads" throughout). The graphics vary from great down to slightly "dated." Not to shabby, but nothing compared to the stuff offered in "Roving Mars" (if you're into asronomy and haven't seen RM, trust me, you need to pick it up). I guess I was just hoping to have the kind of documentary I would want to watch repeatedly, and for me that says it all. I have quite a few space documentaries, such as RM, Nova's "To the Moon," and David Sington's "In the Shadow of the Moon" to name a few, and I enjoy watching those again and again. Once I was done with "The Planets" however, I had the feeling it might be a while before I watched it again. But hey, I'm a tough critic and most people will likely enjoy this just fine. My advice would be to get a used copy and save a few bucks. Do check out the other films I mentioned. Cheers and Clear Skies!
Summary: Very good...though not quite as "stellar" as some other astronomy documentaries I've seen.
Rating - 5 Date: 2008-06-17
Content: not much of a creative writer so i will give a blunt review of this dvd. i purely reccomend it. if youre a scientist or some astrophysicist then id say dont buy it. youre not going to learn anything new. if youre casually interested in astronomy then by all means grab it asap.
Summary: Great for the average person...
Rating - 4 Date: 2007-02-25
Content: This DVD set of "The Planets" has some fine technology with impressive graphics which take you on a life-like tour of the solar system. The narrator does a fine job, though she's no Carl Sagan. I had enjoyed it about as "The Astronomers" with Richard Chamberlain because, like that other series, you see first hand what the scientists have studied and discovered. The visuals add much realism to what they are explaining, something which the viewer will appreciate. Many of those techniques, unfortunately, were not available when Sagan made his "Cosmos" series. But Sagan, who was a much more lively teacher than any of the other astronomers on "The Planets", appears only briefly in a couple of clips made years before the series was made. And when the other scientists appear so often you sometimes wish that they would talk less about and show us more of the celestial wonders that they marvel at. Still, if can you look behind them, there is much to impress you on the screen.
I haven't seen the original BBC version, although that would require a different DVD player. It looks like the BBC tailored this version for American viewers, which is understandable since they wanted sell the series to A & E, an American cable network. However, as is true of more recent documentaries such as "Planet Earth" (the BBC version), the documentaries seem better because they aren't restricted to the format of the U.S. cable industry. The BBC's audience in Britain may be quite different in its tastes than those who watch the cable networks here in America. So perhaps to our disadvantage, there is less in the American edition about astronomy in other other parts of the world such as Russia and even Great Britain. I would have liked to have seen Patrick Moore from "The Sky at Night", one of Britain's leading astronomers, but I don't recall that he ever made an appearance. Perhaps he is on the original BBC version.
Summary: Good Visual Tour of the Solar System
Rating - 5 Date: 2007-02-16
Content: An all inclusive look at our solar system. Perfect for upper elementary students. Presented in plain language with lots of graphics, it is a great tool to teach students about the solar system.
Summary: The Planets
Rating - 5 Date: 2005-12-21
Content: Most texts of Earth Science have chapters devoted to the Terrestrial and Gas Giants.... these texts are sterile and produce no memory recall in Freshman Students (or anyone else for that matter). I have experimented with this entire series regarding both recall and interest of students (Freshman). The theory of accretion as a means of forming our Moon as well as the planets of the solar system are clearly explained in a disovery format. The history of planet exploration is greeted with enthusiasm.
The fascination of the moons of the Gas Giants allow students to realize that IO is the most geologically active body in our solar system...Students are amazed at the ability of thermophiles to travel from planet to planet on meteorites, thus being able to populate other bodies in our solar system. They are also fascinated, but"sickened" by the disovery that someone's germs in the lens cap of one of the Moon rovers could be grown when back on earth.
Students are amazed at the concept that most of our solar system is geologically active.... not necessarily in the terms of what we know on earth, but in the presence of water, nitrogen, and sulfur as the active components.
Although it is not necessarily intended for this to suplant the text it certainly does accelerate recall and learning and stimulates student interest. I can easily say to my classes... "Do you remember the Volcanism on IO? or,... do you remember the theory of accretion that aided the formation of the solar system." They instantly say yes. Together with the Amazing Earth (review forthcoming)these multimedia gems complete a well rounded basis for Earth Science instruction. Combining this with hands-on activities, set's the stage for curiosity.
Summary: "The Planets" Bring the Solar System Alive
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