History Channel

Texas Rising (Blu-ray)

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on September 5th, 2015

“1836, Republic of Texas. The Mexican territory is home to thousands of US settlers. Tensions rise as Comanche and Kawakawa fight to keep their lands. Outlaws roam free, and slaves are caught in the crossfire. Mexican General Santa Anna battles to reclaim the land. US President Andrew Jackson is hesitant to intervene, and Texas has no choice but to declare itself an independent nation… The Alamo in ashes, pioneers, Tejanos, Indians and soldiers have no choice: fight or die.”

Houston, we have a problem.
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Revelation: The End of Days

Posted in No Huddle by J C on March 16th, 2015

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“2,000 years ago, the Bible prophesied the return of Christ…but only after God inflicts seven years of torment on the world to test the faith of mankind.”

It’s not quite seven years long, but this two-part, three-hour TV movie — History’s latest foray into original filmmaking — is likely to test the faith (and patience) of anyone who watches it. Revelation: The End of Days is intentionally less glossy than previous network offerings like Bonnie & Clyde and Houdini because it takes a ground-level look at the apocalypse. But in scaling back to achieve that aesthetic, the result is both frustrating and amateurish.
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The World Wars (Blu-ray)

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on September 11th, 2014

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“One must regard the 30 years of strife, turmoil and suffering in Europe as part of one story. One story of a 30 years war.” – Winston Churchill

He was exactly correct, and one of only a few people of the time who had the vision to understand that concept. Before the end of World War II the first world war was known as The Great War. The idea of two separate world wars came later.
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WWII From Space (Blu-ray)

Posted in Disc Reviews by J C on May 6th, 2013

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“This is America’s war as never seen before…”

When you consider the countless documentaries, miniseries and feature films dedicated to the Second World War, you’d think the defining conflict of the 20th century has been covered from every possible angle. And you’d be wrong! History has taken to the skies with WWII From Space, a two-hour special that originally aired on the cable network in December and promised to bring viewers an unprecedented, extraterrestrial perspective of the war.
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Mankind: The Story of All of Us (Blu-ray)

Posted in Disc Reviews by J C on December 27th, 2012

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“Amidst the chaos of an unforgiving planet, most species will fail. But for one, all the pieces will fall into place and a set of keys will unlock a path for mankind to triumph. This is our story.”

The only thing missing from that bit of grandiose narration — which opens each episode of this 12-part series — is a Law & Order-style *chung, chung.* Mankind: The Story of All of Us starts with a bang (as in the “Big” one) and proceeds to give us a lively, surprisingly cinematic history lesson.
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History In 3D (Blu-ray)

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on November 20th, 2012

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Just in time for the holidays A&E puts together three of their history documentaries and send them out to you in 3D. I’m talking about the History In 3D collection, of course. This is a 3-disc set with an episode on each disc. They come in a nice box with a holograph cover to get you in the 3D mood.
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The Universe in 3D (Blu-Ray)

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on November 20th, 2012

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“In the beginning there was darkness. And then bang, giving birth to an endless expanding existence of time, space, and matter. Every day new discoveries are unlocking the mysterious, the mind-blowing, the deadly secrets of a place we call The Universe.”

The History series has lasted for six seasons to date. The show uses modern space photography, computer-generated images, and demonstrations along with respected scientists to explore the various aspects of our universe.
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Secret Access: The Presidency

Posted in Disc Reviews by Michael Durr on September 27th, 2012

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The presidential election is right around the corner. We have two candidates where either one could realistically win. We just hope that there is no funny business and that all of the voting is on the up and up. Regardless, the History Channel has produced many specials over the years that deal with different facets of the presidency. Let’s take a look at three of those specials in this 3-disc set.
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Titanic: 100 Years In 3D (Blu-ray 3D)

Posted in Disc Reviews by Bob Ross on August 31st, 2012

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I never really meant to have 3D TV in my home theater. But our Sony Blu-ray player was 3D-ready, and the receiver and monitor both needed warranty replacement about the same time. Bingo: All I needed were a couple pairs of glasses ($40 each at Amazon) and some 3D programming. Having seen almost every 3D big-screen release already, I was pretty sure the TV version would be an inferior format. I was wrong. The electronic-shutter glasses beat the heck out of those old red-and-green gimmicky glasses. They work as well as the polarized lenses at the multiplex.
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American Pickers: Volume 3

Posted in Disc Reviews by Michael Durr on June 13th, 2012

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The wife and I have spent quite a few weekends within the last year going to antique shops and malls, flea markets and basically any place where we might go through a pile of stuff to find that one special item for our collection. The search has produced many interesting items and it brings us joy to see all of the items that simply do not show up in a retail store. Today, we are reviewing American Pickers volume 3, a show that lives on the art of finding that next treasure by going through America’s backyards.
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Pawn Stars: Volume 4

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on June 12th, 2012

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“I’m Rick Harrison, and this is my pawn shop. I work here with my old man and my son, Big Hoss. Everything in here has a story … and a price. One thing I’ve learned after 21 years? You never know what is going to come through that door.”

Remember that PBS show where some old-stuff expert would come to your town and sift through a lot of junk that folks found in their basements or attics?
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Brad Meltzer’s Decoded, Season 2

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on June 12th, 2012

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“I’m Brad Meltzer. I’ve spent my life collecting stories. The best include signs, symbols, and coded messages that are hidden in plain sight. Some have become the basis for my novels. But I’ve only scratched the surface of what’s out there, and now History has given me the resources to investigate the rest. This is Decoded.”

What if I told you there was an author out there who was known for writing novels that include historical conspiracies, secret societies and buried treasures, and that this author has found a way to parlay his moderate writing success into a television series for History?
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The Universe: The Complete Season Six (Blu-ray)

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on May 16th, 2012

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Billy the Exterminator: Season 4

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on May 1st, 2012

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When I was a kid there was one summer when all of the radio stations were playing a song called Billy Don’t Be A Hero. Somehow I don’t think that Billy Bretherton was quite what they had in mind. Sure, Billy goes where most of us would be afraid to tread, but he’s also got to be the biggest crybaby sometimes. Hero or not, Billy and his brother Ricky have put in a fourth season of Billy The Exterminator, and it’s now available on DVD.
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Top Shot-Complete Season 3

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on April 26th, 2012

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“Contestants are experienced marksmen operating on a closed course. Do not attempt this at home.”

So just in case you have access to all kinds of firearms and a few spare acres to set up a range, you might want to think twice before trying to reproduce the challenges you’ll find in History’s latest reality show Top Shot. It’s part Survivor and part Big Brother with the added dimension of marksmanship. And, honestly, it’s quite a bit more compelling than either of those shows.
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Ice Road Truckers: Season 5

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on April 24th, 2012

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“At the top of the world, there’s a job only a few would dare. The Ice Road Truckers are back..”

It was the peak of the 1970’s, and CW McCall was teaching ordinary people like us about Cabover Petes with reefers on and getting by those Smokeys. The man practically started a new genre of music with the hit song Convoy. The song was so popular that the backup band used their cut to start a little project of their own. They became Mannheim Steamroller and used the cash to cut their own music.
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Planet Egypt

Posted in Disc Reviews by Michael Durr on April 18th, 2012

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Egypt has always been known as paradise on earth to its people and the many visitors it gets each year. The land is often described as a strong, fertile land with an emphasis on history and rich tradition. Personally, I find myself in a general state of knowledge about the country but wished to know more. My curiosities peaked when I received a copy of “Planet Egypt” on DVD at my doorstep thanks to the History Channel. Let us see what rich history is held inside.
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Only in America with Larry the Cable Guy: Volume Two

Posted in No Huddle by J C on April 18th, 2012

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“I love this country. So I had this idea to find out all the things that make this country great: the people, the history, the way we do things! Only in America.”

To put it mildly, I’m not exactly in Larry the Cable Guy’s target demographic. Before sitting down to watch this DVD set, my exposure to him was limited to hearing his voice in the Cars movies and recoiling in horror whenever I stumbled onto any of his straight-to-DVD “films” at Movie Stop. Heck, I don’t think I’d ever seen him with sleeves or without his trademark camo hat.
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Titanic: The Complete Story

Posted in Disc Reviews by Michael Durr on March 23rd, 2012

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Most of the people when they hear the name Titanic think of the ship that sank almost one hundred years ago to this day. Well, except for James Cameron who thinks of the oodles and oodles of dollar bills that he bathes in on a daily basis. Regardless, the people at A&E and the History Channel decided to bring us three documentaries and five hours of knowledge on perhaps the most famous ship of them all. The RMS Titantic.
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History of the World in Two Hours

Posted in No Huddle by Archive Authors on February 27th, 2012

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What takes 13.7 billion years.? The history of the world. This History Channel special takes two hours to cover everything. Of course, Earth is only 4.5 billion years old, so when we talk about the history of the world, we are really talking about the history of the universe and everything that led up to where we are now. Little things like a gigantic planetary collision which then shoots off molten debris which forms into our moon.
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Ancient Aliens: Season Three

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on February 14th, 2012

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“Millions of people around the world believe we have been visited in the past by extraterrestrial beings. What if it were true? Did ancient aliens really help to shape our history? And if so, what if there were clues left behind, something hiding in plain sight? What if we could find that evidence?”

Ever since Eric von Daniken released his speculative book and its subsequent 1970 film Chariots of the Gods, there has been an entire field of study created around something commonly called Ancient Astronaut Theory. The idea is that extraterrestrials have visited many of our ancient civilizations.
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WWII in 3D (Blu-ray 3D)

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on January 24th, 2012

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“The 2nd World War’s violent, disturbing images have been constantly replayed for decades. Sometimes it seems there is little we can see that we haven’t seen before. But buried in archives and tucked away in private collections an astonishing set of 3D films and photographs with the power to erase time and transcend space will now be seen for the first time in nearly 70 years.”

I know what you’re thinking. Like the above prologue says, it hardly seems like we can get anything new out of footage from World War II.
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King Arthur & Medieval Britain

Posted in Disc Reviews by Michael Durr on January 23rd, 2012

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King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table has always been an interesting subject for me to research and learn about. It is a story of chivalry, adventure, and fantasy. It has great characters and even though it is hard to pinpoint an actual person in history that this legend could be assigned to, nobody can neglect the impact it has had on English culture. The History Channel decided to give us a collection of specials on the subject entitled: King Arthur and Medieval Britain
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Vietnam in HD (Blu-ray)

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on December 23rd, 2011

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“This film documents the Vietnam War in the words of Americans who served there. It features home movies and rare archival footage collected during a worldwide search and now presented in HD. Many scenes are graphic in nature. Viewer discretion is advised.”

A while back History brought us one of the best war documentaries I’ve seen for television. That was called WWII In HD and put you as close to the real battlefield as any American has come since the brave soldiers who fought there so many years ago. The images were stunning and the descriptions came from the words of several people who were actually there.
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Swamp People: Season 2

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on December 20th, 2011

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“In the farthest corner of America lies the nation’s largest swamp. A hidden world where nature rules and man fights back. Welcome to the swamp.”

Leave it to History to find yet another profession that they can deliver to our living rooms and home theaters so that we can be entertained by someone else’s reality. When I first heard the title of Swamp People, I had something entirely different in mind than what I ended up with. I guess I was prepared for some hidden creature-folk who might be spotted between the swamp gas and the Spanish Moss Monster from an old Kolchak episode.
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