Search - The Alamo Documentary on DVD

Investigates the Alamo as no other documentary has done!

Info32545 | California | 04/20/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This documentary explores the history and pop culture as no other has done before: it explores how the Alamo became a cultural icon, and tours Alamo collections (including some rare John Wayne memorabilia!). There is also a re-enactment battle scene, which I found rather interesting as I may not ever get a chance to see it in person.
This DVD is a rather fascinating look at things about the Alamo that you never knew before. There is an introduction by Frank Thompson, noted Alamo authority!"

Remember the Alamo - forget this DVD

K. Gittins | CA USA | 05/28/2006

(2 out of 5 stars)

"The main problem with this 75-minute documentary is it does not give a sense of the historical "big picture".

It starts off with historians and museum curators telling us what was wrong with all the movies made about the Alamo and the depiction of the characters in them, then wanders around the subject of the battle itself. However, it fails to present a decent time-line of history, and leaves you wondering what all the fuss was about.

Extras include the 40-minute 1937 movie called "Remember the Alamo", which at least gives a little historical perspective on the subject. Also is a 5-minute piece about weapons and uniforms described by an unusually dressed (in real life) man from the main documentary. Finally there is a trailer from John Wayne's 1960 version of "The Alamo".

There must be better presentations of the subject, though the inexpensive price makes this DVD not a total waste as a second source of information."

One of the worst documentaries I have ever seen

Rebekah Lee | Okinawa, Japan | 01/26/2008

(1 out of 5 stars)

"I rented this documentary to learn more of the Alamo and history behind it. As with other documentaries I have seen, I expected this to give a thorough history, events leading up to the famous battle, and go in depth about details concerning it. Never have I watched a documentary that was more ambiguous. This was poorly filmed, poorly directed, and has poor content. Davy Crockett memorabilia, a thorough review of movies made about the Alamo, and actual reenactments done in TX (wherein the narrator cannot be heard over the gunshots, and those reenacting are interviewed about why they participated etc.), make up the bulk of this movie. There is more said about John Wayne and other portrayals of Davy Crockett than of the real man and circumstances themselves. Yes, there is a little bit of history given throughout and at the tail end, and a mention of the battle of Behar, but very little said about the Alamo. In other words, if you tried showing this to someone with no prior knowledge of the Alamo they would not, at the conclusion, be able to tell you what happened there except very broad facts of people and places involved. Do not waste your time or money on this. The only upside is that this documentary is only an hour and fifteen minutes, so you can't waste too much time on it if you do watch it."

Good for a college classroom

K. Meyer | Las Cruces, NM | 01/30/2010

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I use this documentary in my classroom to talk about the mythology of Texas: how Texas is viewed by other parts of the country, how the ideas of individualism and courage are mythologized by the battle of the Alamo, and how Texas itself is affected by these legends and images. Granted it is not the best documentary ever made, but the movie clips, memorabilia, and re-enactment scenes are great for getting as sense of how the Alamo is such a strong part of creating the myth of American exceptionalism."