Atomic Bomb Collection (Documentary Boxed Set)
Picture: C+ Sound: B- Extras: B+ Documentaries: A-
One of
the best documentary DVD sets to date is Goldhil’s Atomic Bomb Collection, which collects three outstanding works
directed and compiled by Peter Kuran, narration on all by the really underrated
William Shatner and edited by Jeff Roe. Trinity & Beyond – The Atomic Bomb
Movie in 3-D was issued in 1999 and includes a pair of red/blue 3-D
glasses, while the follow-ups of Atomic
Journey – Welcome To Ground Zero and Nukes
In Space – The Rainbow Bombs were out in 2000.
Though it
may initially seem like a joke or gimmick, Trinity
& Beyond – The Atomic Bomb Movie in 3-D is an amazing film that
captures never-before-seen footage with very important, archival, vital footage
of how the United States and other countries slowly allowed the size and
destructive ability of nuclear (not “nucular”) weapons increased until the
escalation has to make us all wonder why we did not already become a species
exterminated. Nothing quite like this
had been done before, and the previous version of this film had even lesser
footage, as Kuran explains on the commentary.
This newer version has better footage as a result.
Atomic Journey – Welcome To Ground
Zero offers footage
and tales that could not fit on the first effort, each of which runs under an
hour. This one also tends to focus on
all the tests done in Nevada and their history, including how
that history on the actual locations usually survives solely on small plaques
that have been placed in their various ground zeroes. The fact that these locations are tourists’
attractions, even if only opened twice a year, seems like two times too
many. The bombs did not go off that long
ago, so much so that visitors are advised not
to eat in the areas so nothing that could get into their food and system could
kill them. What about breathing? Tests also include other countries and other
parts of the U.S., but Nevada is sadly king in the set-off
department.
Nukes In Space – The Rainbow Bombs would first seem somewhat
obsolete to those naïve enough to believe outer space was safe from nuclear
weapons. By 2000, when this was
released, nuclear weapons platforms and related technologies were restricted by
an international ban. As of this
posting, the second President Bush has jeopardized the entire human race by
breaking the treaty to revive the insane SDI concept, the Strategic Defense
Initiative, which was horrifically dubbed “star wars” (George Lucas even sued
President Reagan and lost) so people would support it blindly. Reagan had already spent $60 Billion before
pulling the plug. As I watched, I saw
how crazy the detonations worldwide really were, made worse by going on during
the Cuban Missile Crisis! The problem with
SDI is after it magically shoots down the missiles with “flawless laser
guidance” that was never perfected, even if the system worked 100% of the time,
it NEVER explains that the fallout
would still kill every living thing on earth in any nuclear war model. It actually just cons people into accepting
nuclear weapons, the ultimate in mass destruction, but out of control as if in
the hands of renegade terrorists.
However, we are talking about the superpowers of the first world, so a
banana republic mentality sets in to nuclear policy. That only increases the chance of mass
murder. Nuclear weapons are never going
away, as they will at least be of strategic importance, but anything beyond
that is madness and this installment rounds out a very powerful trilogy of
priceless works on the nuclear era everyone needs to see.
Whether
monochrome or color, animated or live action, film or video, the aspect ratio (even
when they were supplied a 2.35 X 1 clip) was full screen 1.33 X 1 in everything
form the main programs to all the supplements.
For such a mix of footage, including amazing clips all the time on all
three DVDs, the picture quality often surprises. The sound is available in Dolby Digital 5.1
AC-3 sound that is decent for a documentary, Dolby 2.0 for simpler systems, and
another Dolby 2.0 Stereo for all three of the exceptionally informative audio
commentaries by the filmmakers. The
music scores for all three programs are also offered in 5.1 and the music by
William T. Stromberg (and with John Morgan on Nukes In Space) is on the money.
All that makes this one of the best documentary presentations for
performance on DVD yet, up there with The
History Of Soccer (reviewed elsewhere on this site).
Besides
the isolated music and commentaries already noted, each DVD has other extras,
including trailers for the other programs in the box. They all have trailers for Hollywood’s Top Secret Film Studio
(2003, their newest effort), which is not in this version of the box. Trinity
& Beyond – The Atomic Bomb Movie in 3-D has interesting 3-D footage,
but the logo offers the best 3-D of all.
Obviously, the better your video is adjusted, the better it will
look. Another great section to show how distant
the bombs were set off is the footage being shown with real-time sound delays,
as it took that long for the sound to travel, like distant lightning. It gives a key impression on how massive and
monstrous these explosions really were.
Text biographies of the filmmakers are on all three DVDs and they are
the same on each, with the only variant being certain key persons unique to
each main program being added. There are
still sections on all three as well and this first DVD has DVD-ROM nuclear
detonation list. Atomic Journey – Welcome To Ground Zero has footage you can get to
by clicking onto section of a map, which is repeated in Nukes In Space – The Rainbow Bombs for other locations. Both discs offer new videotaped tours of
their respectively explored sites and full length versions of newsreel footage
featured within the main programs. Nukes In Space – The Rainbow Bombs even
has an audio-only section of John F. Kennedy and his men discussing the Cuban
Missile Crisis.
All this
makes this a must-have for any Documentary collection and is a true labor of
love by all involved. I went through
this set very carefully and painstakingly, not knowing how to express my
admiration for what it achieved. The
DVDs are sold in this set and separately, which can be ordered at www.goldhil.com for best service. This is the kind of product not enough people
have or sales outlets carry, but should be the next boom genre for DVD. In some ways, I am still speechless, with the
kind of admiration I have for Michael Moore’s work. Yes, it is that good, that important, and far
more difficult to argue away and dismiss.
The Atomic Bomb Collection is
about one of the most important legacies that will ever be captured on film, so
catch it!
- Nicholas Sheffo
