Thanks to cinematic wizardry, computers can whip up killer twisters and special effects can transform molehills into exploding volcanoes. But why watch these man-made disasters when you can witness our planet ravaged by the real thing?
National Geographic Video, taking its cue from Hollywood, taps into the public’s fascination with the awesome fury and power of nature with three new-to-video documentaries.
Stacy Keach narrates “Volcano Nature’s Inferno,” a kick-ash, inside look at some of the world’s most explosive volcanoes, including Mt. Pinatubo in the Philippines and Mt. Unzen in Japan. In addition to dramatic footage of volcanoes in action, this program also follows the lava chasers whose research tries to forecast eruptions. (star) (star)1/2
“Killer Wave – Power of the Tsunami” explores one of nature’s least-understood forces, which threatens coastlines around the world and has in the past century taken the lives of 50,000 people. From Hawaii and California to Japan, witness how these freak waves have left devastation in their wake. (star) (star) (star)1/2
Former Band member Robbie Robertson narrates “Asteroids – Deadly Impact.” Once the stuff of science fiction, the possibility of a cataclysmic asteroid crash is, according to geologist Eugene Shoemaker and his wife and collaborator Carolyn, a real threat. After Earth’s close encounter with an asteroid in 1989, and another that smashed into Jupiter in 1994, their once-dismissed theories are gaining acceptance. (star) (star) (star)1/2
These National Geographic Videos, distributed by Warner Home Video, retail for $19.98 each; two previously released “National Geographic” disaster documentaries, “Nature’s Fury” and “Cyclone!,” also are available (at retail outlets, or you can call Movies Unlimited at 800-4-MOVIES).