CINEMA CYCLE
(Cardio Workout And Reviewing Movies At The Same Time)
DATE VIEWED: 12/04/2015
TITLE: Connections (Episodes 1 & 2)
FORMAT: DVD
TIME RIDDEN / FILM LENGTH: 1 hour 39 minutes
DISTANCE RIDDEN WHILE VIEWING: 25.2 miles
TOTAL CINEMA MILES LOGGED: 3606.8 miles
SYNOPSIS: (from Wikipedia)
"The Trigger Effect" details the world's present dependence on complex technological networks through a detailed narrative of New York City and the power blackout of 1965. Agricultural technology is traced to its origins in ancient Egypt and the invention of the plough. The segment ends in Kuwait where, because of oil, society leapt from traditional patterns to advanced technology in a period of only about 30 years.
Death in the Morning" examines the standardization of precious metal with the touchstone in the ancient world. This innovation stimulated trade from Greece to Persia, ultimately causing the construction of a huge commercial center and library at Alexandria which included Ptolemy's star tables. This wealth of astronomical knowledge aided navigators during the age of discovery 14 centuries later following the introduction of lateen sails and sternpost rudders. Mariners discovered that the compass's magnetized needle did not actually point directly north. Investigations into the nature of magnetism by Gilbert led to the discovery of electricity by way of the sulfur ball of von Guericke. Further interest in atmospheric electricity at the Ben Nevis weather station led to Wilson's cloud chamber which in turn allowed development of both Watson-Watt's radar and (by way of Rutherford's insights) nuclear weaponry.
CONCEPT IN RELATION TO THE VIEWER: How we have evolved as a culture and a species. Science and invention go back 4000 years, not just 50.
PROS AND CONS: The only con I can think regarding this series is the condition of the transfer to video. The colors and the audio on this collection could be a bit better. Since it was ‘filmed’ and not shot with digital video the age of the production shows a bit.
That said, nothing can fault the content or the way it is presented. After having seen this series before, I am continually blown away by how lavish and detailed this documentary is, especially for its day.
Working backwards from the finished product, this had to be written by James Burke, and then plotted out so that scenes could be reenacted in history or shooting locations had to be coordinated. A staggering concept when you are trying to show all the relationships to the inventions that have come to rule our world.
This film is a part of my LaserDisc Collection.
Clicking on the title will take you to the Internet Movie Database (IMDB) entry for this film.
This film was viewed while exercising on my recumbent cycle. A summary of my time spent working out on my journey through movie-land can be found on Strava.com.
No comments:
Post a Comment