NOVA - In the Path of a Killer Volcano

I had this DVD on video tape and my player ate it so I had to discard it, so I purchased the DVD and watch the whole thing and what do I find?, curse words bleeped out.............ARE YOU KIDDING ME?, this is a DVD about a Volcanic eruption of one of the most violent volcanos since Mt. St. Helens and they edit the swearing?.......I know it's a trivial thing and I shouldn't complain but really now, if they are gonna do that, they should sell two versions like they do for CD's.....I mean the cussing in this Documentary isn't all that bad to begin with, it probably cost more to bleep them out than it did to just put it on DVD in the first place.Now that I'm done whining, aside from this minor glich, this documentary covers the 1991 Eruption of Mt Pinatubo in the Phillapines(sp), it is very interesting and definitely in my DVD library of volcano DVD's.It does not disappoint. Hal Holbrook does a fine Narration.

I am a teacher of Earth and Environmental Science and have the VHS version of this fabulous documentary. It excels at highlighting the science of volcanology as well as the real world decisions that the seismologists/volcanologists from the U.S. Geologists had to deal with. It profiles a few scientists who quickly became my heroes after watching this including John Ewert, Rick Hoblitt, and Dave Harlow (among others). I will be purchasing the DVD version of this when it is released. It is a must have if you want to impress upon your students 1) how truly awesome volcanoes are and 2) how important scientific research is in helping to save lives. The DVD version of this should be fantastic. I think that you'll find that it is a real nail biter!

Volcanoes have always interested me. Having visited active volcanoes in the Philippines, Guatemala, Alaska, Central and South America, I decided to buy this dvd as it shows some of my visited volcanoes as I had hoped to (but didn't), see them .Vulcanology has always fascinated me and this dvd shows Nature in her angry moods. If you are interested in volcanoes, then this dvd is for you.

Although I wish it covered more photos/film of the actual major eruption, it does bring back memories. It doesn't totally represent what we went through, it does give a good idea to those that didn't experience it.

For someone who was there, this video was a great representation of what we went through. From not knowing what if something big was going to happen to seeing the, "Big One" blow was shown as it should have been. Too many people in the U.S. had no clue what was occurring in the Philippines and the dangers we faced on a daily basis. This should be a part of not only Geology by History as well. A nice book to complement the video is, "GI Joe Doesn't Live Here Anymore" by Thomas C. Utts.

This would have gotten five stars if it was in original condition. Someone has edited out all profanity. It's not like it originally had a lot of gratuitous swearing, just the occasional "S**t or D**n, but the words were needed for emphasis and the missing sounds are a distraction. It would have been nice if the product description had contained "Edited". This is still a great documentary for all and a must have for anyone stationed at Clark.

Great documentary. Happens in real time and displays the power of Mother Nature.

I used the VHS version of this film for years in a freshman geology class as part of the volcanism chapter presentation.The DVD version is a great disappointment. Much of the converted photographyis fuzzy/out of focus/whatever else applies. The attempt to protect young ears from the occasional "damn" or othernot perfectly "pure" word has been accomplished without constructive results. The film was great..it is now,in my opinion, a disaster. If you remember or own the VHS version, it will be a waste to purchase the DVD version

Without question, one of the best documentaries on an active volcanic eruption that I have seen. The story follows the buildup and eruption of Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines, including the evacuation and closure of Clark Air Force Base. The footage is some of the best of a violent eruption, that we only had glimpses of during news casts in North America. The DVD takes you from the first rumblings of Pinatubo right up to the massive eruption (biggest in 80 years), and the aftermath as torrential rains turned ash into mudflows. Real time interviews, and multiple angle photography of the eruption are brilliantly put together to tell this story. This purchase was money well spent.

Keeps you on the edge of your seat

Well shot and full of facts ,not enough lava