DVD Collectors Online

Vanishing of the Bees, a review by Antares

Vanishing of the Bees (2009) 4/5 - A first rate documentary dealing with an issue that could have cataclysmic ramifications for our species. Back in the mid-nineties in France, hundreds of commercial apiarists started to notice that whole colonies of bees suddenly disappeared overnight. Fast forward ten years and now the epidemic has become apparent around the world. So what does it mean, well, in a nutshell, if something is killing off vast quantities of honeybees, then vast amounts of vegetables and fruits aren't going to be pollenized, and in the long run will create massive food shortages around the globe. At first, scientists are completely baffled as to what is causing what has become known globally as Colony Collapse Disorder. In the beginning it was felt that mites or disease was causing the epidemic, but this turned out to be false. All the while, beekeepers were losing over 30% of their bee populations each year. After a global summit was held in Paris a few years ago, it was deemed that the use of systemic pesticides was the culprit behind the epidemic. Systemic pesticides are not sprayed upon the plant, they are coated on the seed and grow into the plant's botanical structure. Therefore, it doesn't rinse off and becomes part of the plant's genetic makeup. Honeybees who gather the pollen from these plants, become disoriented and if they find their way back to the colony, inadvertently infest the rest of the colony when doing their "waggle dance", the method bees use to tell other bees in the colony as to the whereabouts of a potential food source.

The Europeans are making headway against this problem by banning the use of these systemic pesticides, but here in our country, commercial apiarists are butting heads against the agricultural industry and their deep lobbying pockets. If systemic pesticides are banned, it makes their monoculture super farms less profitable. If you care for your children or grand children's future, you may want to check this documentary out. At the rate that this epidemic is reducing the pollinating bee business, in less than a decade we could be paying over $10 for an apple or $25 for a small can of smokehouse almonds. We can't live without bees. That my friends is a FACT.

(From Antares' Short Summations on March 16th, 2012)

Privilege, a review by dfmorgan

Privilege

Year: 1967
Director: Peter Watkins
Cast: Paul Jones, Jean Shrimpton, William Job
Overview: Steven Shorter, the biggest pop star of his day, is loved by millions, his endorsement influencing the actions of the masses. But, in reality, he is a puppet whose popularity is carefully managed by government-backed handlers keen to keep the country's youth under control. Starring Manfred Mann lead singer Paul Jones and iconic Sixties supermodel Jean Shrimpton, Privilege is remastered in High Definition and made available in the UK for the first time since its original cinema release.

Watched: 19th Feb. 2011
My Thoughts: A film I remember seeing in the '60s but not too much about. The lead role of Steven Shorter, a pop star adored by the masses, is played by Paul Jones who had been the voice and front man of the pop group Manfred Mann. The film is made as a pseudo-documentary set in the near future, then of the 1970s. Steven is heavily contolled by his management team who in turn are sponsored by various government departments who believe that contolling Steven Shorter allows them to control the teenage mass.

Parallels with this film can probably be drawn today with they way that media, in all forms but especially the populist press, seem to have the power to make or break people with relative ease.

My Rating:  



(From Dave's DVD/Blu-ray Reviews on February 20th, 2011)

Dead Like Me: The Complete First Season, a review by addicted2dvd

Dead Like Me: The Complete First Season You're about to be collected. "Winningly eccentric" (LA Daily News) and "insistently irreverent" (People), this groundbreaking, original series delivers you into a realm of shockingly funny characters and twisted narratives you'll find completely "addictive" (NY Daily News)! When an errant toilet seat from the falling Mir Space Station puts an abrupt end to her life, George (Ellen Muth) discovers that death is nothing like she thought it would be. Recruited to collect the souls of others as they die, she suddenly finds herself an unwilling participant in a line of work she never knew existed: Grim Reaping! Episodes: 01. Pilot 02. Dead Girl Walking 03. Curious George 04. Reapercussions 05. Reaping Havoc 06. My Room 07. Reaper Madness 08. A Cook 09. Sunday Mornings 10. Business Unfinished 11. The Bicycle Thief 12. Nighthawks 13. Vacation 14. Rest In Peace

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Stars:
Ellen Muth as George Lass
Laura Harris as Daisy Adair
Callum Blue as Mason
Jasmine Guy as Roxy Harvey
Cynthia Stevenson as Joy Lass




(From Addicted2dvd's Random TV Series Watched on January 22nd, 2013)