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The Mystery of the Sphinx
The Mystery of the Sphinx
Actor: Charlton Heston
Genres: Educational, Documentary, Animation
NR     2003


     
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Movie Details

Actor: Charlton Heston
Genres: Educational, Documentary, Animation
Sub-Genres: Educational, Documentary, Animation
Studio: Goldhill Home Media
Format: DVD - Color
DVD Release Date: 06/24/2003
Release Year: 2003
Screens: Color
Number of Discs: 1
SwapaDVD Credits: 1
Total Copies: 0
Members Wishing: 0
MPAA Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Languages: English
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Member Movie Reviews

Damian M. (ratchet)
Reviewed on 3/11/2009...
A lot of interesting information about the Great Sphinx. And the controversy between Egytologists and geologists about its age. Legitimate points on both sides, but a seemingly very immature attitude from the Egytologist when presented with reems of data reviewed by hundreds of geologists. Then it gets loony with the face on Mars thingy.

Movie Reviews

Mystery of the Sphinx lives on.
L. Ferraro | Australia | 02/17/2004
(4 out of 5 stars)

"Hosted by Charlton Heston, it explores the possibility that the Sphinx maybe older than expected. John Anthony West examines that water erosion on the Sphinx can pre-date it to 10,000 years old?. Other mysteries such as how they moved 200 ton stone blocks to build the pyramids, the secret chambers under the Sphinx and the links to the pyramids that are suggested on Mars. Entertaining viewing, recommended. Made in 1993 televised on NBC.Transfer is very good, very clear picture. One flaw at 13.00 to 14.00 minutes where there is a line at the top of the screen that is very faint but noticeable for 1 minute duration, besides that, the rest of the picture is fine. Audio is 5.1 Dolby Digital, sound is very clear. Extras none. Running time 94 minutes. Menu is a plain screen with the chapter listing. Transfer 4/5, Audio 5/5, Extras 0/5."
Answering Questions about a Most Famous Monument!!
Stephen Pletko | London, Ontario, Canada | 11/11/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)

"+++++

The information presented in this program is based on the seventeen years of research of an Egyptologist and a geologist. It is hosted by the legendary Charlton Heston.

Experts of what is called "The Sphinx Project" (five people make up this "scientific team") re-examine the Great Sphinx of Egypt. They show that what orthodox Egyptologists claim about the Sphinx cannot be true. Experts other than those of the Sphinx project also give brief comments. There are even rebuttals by opposing experts as to what is claimed by the Sphinx project.

Areas covered in this program include archaeology, Egyptology, geology, mathematics, seismology, paleoclimatology, engineering, and even forensics. All scientific concepts are explained with the aid of computer simulation and animation.

To see how all this new information presented fits together, there is a fantastic computer graphic sequence near the end of the program to illustrate the possible life history of the Sphinx.

Here are some of the questions answered about the Sphinx:

(1) Is the Sphinx older than thought?
(2) How were the huge 200 ton blocks used to build it put in place?
(3) Is there more to the Sphinx than can be seen?
(4) Is the face of the Sphinx really who it is thought?
(5) Is the head of it really the original head?

In this program, there is no mention of UFOs or LGM (little green men). This program presents a serious scientific investigation.

The DVD itself is practically perfect in picture and sound quality. There are no extras.

Finally, to determine what the Sphinx is staring at, I recommend viewing the excellent video "Heaven's Mirror" (1998) hosted by Graham Hancock.

In conclusion, this program answers mysteries about the Sphinx. If you're like me and like mysteries, then you can't miss this program!!

(1993; 50 min; made for TV; full screen)

+++++
"
The Lion's Share of Attention
Holy Olio | Grand Rapids, MI USA | 04/26/2007
(4 out of 5 stars)

"This DVD edition contains the expanded edition -- the NBC broadcast, plus additional footage not aired. Somewhere around here I have both editions on VHS, but rather than an extensive comparison of the differences between the editions, this review will concentrate on the contents of this one.

This video presents the views of John Anthony West and Dr. Robert M. Schoch vis a vis the dating of the Great Sphinx of Giza, along with three critics of that view, as well as some waldorf salads on the side, if you get my meaning.

The video is well produced, the transfer to DVD was well done, and this extended version is divided into bands which are handy ways to skip the irrelevant or distasteful. Charleton Heston does a creditable job as narrator and host, part of the time with a bit of a twinkle in his eye.

The story unfolds. West's discovery is described, then West himself tells how he found he was on the right track, and searched for a geologist who would actually study the problem at the site and then publicly state his findings. That geologist turned out to be Dr. Robert M. Schoch. Step by step they build their case, using the geology of the Sphinx and environs, as well as the mudbrick monuments at Saqqara (which I think had just been reopened to the public at the time this was filmed), the Inventory Stele, the Dream Stele, NYPD forensics, paleoclimatology, and a seismic experiment permitted by the Egyptian Antiquities Authority. The late Boris Said, who was involved in the production, can be seen swinging the sledgehammer, and later bonking a chunk of broken obelisk.

There's a decent amount of footage of James F. Romano (who died untimely at age 56, in 2003, years after this was filmed), in which he makes some good sound bytes, but also heaps abuse on the whole idea of a predynastic Sphinx. At one point his words are used to help make the case, which I found amusing -- he states that the idea that Egyptian sculpture is perfectly symmetrical is "absolutely wrong", and that the Egyptians noticed subtle differences in the real and included them in their images. This is followed by a comparison between a known likeness of Khafre and the head of the Sphinx and how they don't match. I love that part.

James J. Hurtak has a few brief appearances, none of which detract much from the program, and in fact add some humor. If you take James J. Hurtak seriously in this, I'm just glad I don't know you. He isn't credited on the DVD box as being a member of The Scientific Team (those names are West, Schoch, Dr. Thomas Dobecki, Professor John Kutback, and Detective Frank Domingo), for which I'm thankful. Hurtak may have originated the notion that there are artificial structures on Mars, a view he has promulgated since circa 1971.

Richard Hoagland has an easy-to-skip band near the end of this edition. West does an intro, seeming to give his imprimatur to what Hoagland is about to say. Much of this footage is from Hoagland's talk at the UN building (he didn't appear there under UN or any other official auspices, and his Angstrom Medal has all the significance of a casino poker chip). Hoagland first states that the "Face on Mars" has 95 per cent symmetry, then shows that each half, when mirrored against itself, yields a different image -- which means, to any reasonable person, that there isn't any symmetry at all. It's a heads-he-wins-tails-we-lose kind of approach. I am mystified as to where the money comes from to support such a cockeyed delusional system.

The Face on Mars was an artifact -- an artifact of the low resolution of the Viking orbiter's cameras. The original images of the Face consist of about three dozen pixels each. The newer (1990s) images of Cydonia show what most people already figured -- that the "Face" is just an unremarkable, natural formation. More to the point, the so-called Monuments of Mars don't have any bearing on the Great Sphinx of Giza. The silly detour into this [...] is a detriment to the entire presentation. This is easily skipped, or may even produce no little amusement. It should not create an impediment to your purchase and enjoyment of this disk.

West can be amusing (his reference in this video to "smart old us with our hydrogen bombs and striped toothpaste" for example), but on his website sometimes comes off as childish and hostile. This video appears to be West at his best.

Schoch's final words in this video include his opposition to the idea that extraterrestrials had anything to do with the Sphinx. He has made his case for water erosion and a predynastic date for the Sphinx, while only (and wisely) following West up to a point. Although it is mentioned a few times, I didn't think that enough emphasis was given to the obvious fact that the head has been recarved. In any case, I recommend this video to adults who will watch carefully, as well as children, provided their viewing of it is supervised."