This BBC documentary examines the life and career of Colombian drug trafficker Pablo Escobar - as seen through eyes of his infamous pet hippos.
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Terry Wogan looks at the life of writer PG Wodehouse. In exploring the extraordinarily long career of his literary hero, Terry employs rarely seen archive material and is joined by Stephen Fry, Griff Rhys Jones, Joanna Lumley and a series of expert contributors in a documentary which addresses Wodehouse's longstanding appeal.
It has been said that ten thousand years from now, only one name will still be remembered - that of Neil Armstrong. But in the four decades since he first set foot on the moon, Armstrong has become increasingly reclusive. Andrew Smith, author of the best-selling book Moondust, journeys across America to try and discover the real Neil Armstrong. He tracks down the people who knew Armstrong, from his closest childhood friend to fellow astronauts and Houston technicians, and even the barber who sold his hair, in a wry and sideways look at the reluctant hero of the greatest event of the twentieth century. sideways look at the reluctant hero of the greatest event of the twentieth century.
H.P. Lovecraft was the forefather of modern horror fiction having inspired such writers as Stephen King, Robert Bloch and Neil Gaiman. The influence of his Cthulhu mythos can be seen in film (Re-Animator, Hellboy, and Alien), games (The Call of Cthulhu role playing enterprise), music (Metallica, Iron Maiden) and pop culture in general. But what led an Old World, xenophobic gentleman to create one of literature's most far-reaching mythologies? What attracts even the minds of the 21st century to these stories of unspeakable abominations and cosmic gods? LOVECRAFT: FEAR OF THE UNKNOWN is a chronicle of the life, work and mind that created these weird tales as told by many of today's luminaries of dark fantasy including John Carpenter, Guillermo Del Toro, Neil Gaiman, Stuart Gordon , Caitlin Kiernan, and Peter Straub.
Garry Kasparov is arguably the greatest chess player who has ever lived. In 1997 he played a chess match against IBM’s computer Deep Blue. Kasparov lost the match. This film shows the match and the events surrounding it from Kasparov’s perspective. It delves into the psychological aspects of the game, paranoia surrounding it and suspicions that have arisen around IBM’s true tactics. It consists of interviews with Kasparov, his manager, chess experts, and members of the IBM Deep Blue team, as well as original footage of the match itself. The good parts of the movie is that you have interviews with Kasparov and the IBM team. Kasparov is a charming guy. The IBM team are open and friendly. The movie shows both the bad and good sides of Kasparov, who displays dignity and his temper when he is being pushed around by IBM. The Deep Blue team are interesting, but the IBM company does not come off well. They milk the match for all advertising they could get. The movie keeps touting that it was ...
The Doors - When You're Strange - This is a documental film about the legendary american band The Doors. Narrated by Johnny Depp. A chronological look at The Doors, focusing on lead singer, Jim Morrison (1943-1971), from the formation of the band in 1965, it's first gigs, and first album, to Morrison's death, after years of alcohol and drug use. Along the journey, we see archival footage of rehearsals, performances, and private moments including a Miami concert resulting in Morrison's arrest and trial for indecency. His love of the spotlight, his desire to be a poet, and his alcohol-fueled mood swings lead to a back and forth between public and private desires, successes, and failures. The band's music plays throughout.
Spike Lee calls the shots as he takes you up close and personal with Kobe Bryant the NBA’s most valuable player of 2008. Experience unlimited access as 30 cameras follow Kobe’s every move in the single most important match up of the 2007-08 season. Bryant was mic’ed so viewers cab hear every word, Kobe puts his leadership skills to the ultimate test as the LA Lakers take on the San Antonio Spurs for the Western Conference title lead. From locker room prep and strategy talks to the dynamic action of the big game itself, Kobe Doin’ Work is the NBA superstar as you’ve never seen him before, insense, uncensored and totally real!
This RTE documentary covers the life and career of Irish American philanthropist Chuck Feeney - a man who made billions of dollars operating duty free stores around the world. He is also one of the greatest philanthropists of all time - with his money funding projects in Northern Ireland, the Irish Republic, South Africa, Vietnam and Australia. He played a role in the Northern Ireland peace process and has given millions of dollars of his own money towards improving the lives of the people of Northern Ireland.
Thierry's own account of his Arsenal career. Includes all 226 record breaking goals. One of the greatest ever players to pull on an Arsenal shirt, Thierry Henry scored 226 goals-a club record-and made an outstanding contribution during one of Arsenal's most successful eras. Encapsulating a magical time in Henry's career this DVD features exclusive interviews with the man himself and fellow Arsenal greats, highlights from stand-out games and every single Arsenal goal scored by the legend, Thierry Henry.
Choke follows freestyle fighting champion Rickson Gracie as he prepares to defend his title in the Vale Tudo Freestyle Fighting Championship in Tokyo. Choke is a behind-the-scenes look at the world of no-rules fighting. The fight ends when someone quits or is knocked unconscious. Don't look to the referee for help. If you get into trouble, your opponent will break your elbow, knee you in the head, or choke you out. This isn't ancient Greece or Rome. This is Rio de Janeiro, Tokyo, or New York. The time is now. Welcome to the world of no-holds-barred freestyle fighting...the fastest growing "sport" in the United States, Brazil, and Japan. CHOKE follows undisputed World Freestyle Fighting Champion Rickson Gracie as he prepares to defend his title in a one-night, single elimination tournament where the winner will fight 3 separate fights over five hours. The World Cup finals of hand-to-hand combat.
In 1985, two adventurous young mountaineers, Joe Simpson and Simon Yates, set off to climb the treacherous west face of the Siula Grande in the Peruvian Andes. They were experienced climbers, and climbed “Alpine-style,” climbing the mountain in “one great push,” without setting up ropes or base camps ahead of time. After dealing with a snowstorm and some dangerous climbing over powder formations, they reached the summit (about 21,000 feet) on the third day. The climb down proved to be far more difficult. Simpson fell and broke his leg badly. Yates decided to try to lower Simpson down the mountain, one 300-foot section of rope at a time. The climbers had run out of gas to melt snow, so they couldn’t risk stopping as night came, and a violent snowstorm began. Their plodding, painful journey hit a snag when Yates inadvertently lowered Simpson over the edge of a cliff. In the storm, the men couldn’t hear each other’s cries, and, Yates, uncertain as to Simpson’s position, and gradually sl...
The first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic, Amelia Earhart was one of America's first celebrities. After only a few years as a pilot she became the best-known female flier in America, not only for her daring and determination, but also for her striking looks and outspoken personality. Amelia even had an uncanny resemblance to Charles Lindbergh, the most famous man in America at the time, that publicists seized upon nicknaming her :Lady Lindy." Three weeks short of her 40th birthday, Earhart disappeared over the Pacific Ocean, and her story became legend.
Since becoming ruler of Iraq in 1979, Saddam Hussein has become infamous around the world for his instability, his warmongering, and his brutal policies against the people of Kuwait, the Kurds, his own citizens, and even his own family. But filmmaker Joel Soler offers us an unusual look at the ruler in Uncle Saddam, suggesting that beneath his dangerous exterior, Hussein is a fool, a braggart, and a rube. Dominated by news footage smuggled out of Iraq, Uncle Saddam shows several sides to Hussein little known to observers in the West -- a man obsessed with hygiene who demands that visitors kiss his armpits, a leader paranoid enough to hire a man to taste his food before every meal, a megalomaniac who commissioned a genealogist to "prove" he is a distant relative of Mohammed, a lord of over 20 official palaces even though he rules only 20 million people, and a true sportsman who has discovered a novel way of fishing with grenades. The narration for Uncle Saddam was written by S...
A study, mostly chronological, of the life of Nick Drake (1948-1974). Gabrielle, his older sister, tells us of her brother's birth in Burma, childhood in Warwickshire, life at Cambridge and in London, then back to his parents' home in Tanworth. His parents describe his habits and personality. Two friends and the producer, arranger, sound engineer, and photographer for his three albums comment. His mother, a musician and poet, is an early influence. His quiet folk style made his one tour a disaster. His lack of success and gradual withdrawal end with his death at 26. Eleven of his recordings play on the soundtrack, usually as we see his room, a city, or the Warwickshire countryside.
Robert Evans' rise from second-string actor (who really was discovered while lounging by the pool at the Beverly Hills Hotel) to head of one of Hollywood's biggest movie studios is told from the viewpoint of Evans himself in this documentary, adapted from his autobiography (and featuring Evans' own narration). In 1957, Evans had already achieved success in the garment business when actress Norma Shearer spotting him at poolside and suggested he should play her late husband, legendary producer Irving Thalberg, in the movie Man of a Thousand Faces. While Evans knew he wasn't cut out to be an actor, he discovered he liked the movie business, and after becoming a film industry executive, Evans was named head of production at Paramount in the late '60s. Under Evans' leadership, Paramount produced such classics as Rosemary's Baby, Love Story, and The Godfather. He also married actress Ali McGraw; however, McGraw left Evans for Steve McQueen after they starred tog...