Disappointing Blu-Ray
Andrew | MN USA | 02/09/2009
(1 out of 5 stars)
"The Over America concept is a great one for HD, but this blu-ray fails to deliver as its cons outweigh its pros.
On the plus side:
- the footage is quite remarkable considering it was shot in 1994/1995. Not being a videophile or an HD historian, I didn't even know that HD technology was available back then.
On the negative side:
- It is less than 60 mins long (amazon claims 88 mins)
- In the < 60 minutes available, there is only time to pick and choose a few areas of the country to be covered. Broad swaths of the country are ignored, including New England (except NYC), the South/Southeast, the Great Lakes (except for incidental Chicago shots), the Plains, the Rockies, and the Pacific Northwest
- Scant narration provides little information and when it does happen, it often feels like empty propaganda (is Tom Skerrit the Iraqi Information Minister for Texas?)
- Scant on-screen labels may often leave you wondering what you are looking at
- And, finally, even though relatively much time is dedicated to Chicago, we don't see Wrigley Field!?
Overall, cannot recommend this DVD"
Don't buy this movie
Will Allen III | Raleigh, NC United States | 04/30/2009
(2 out of 5 stars)
"Why not? Well, it's beautifully filmed and a great advertisement for blu-ray, but too short for the money and not that engaging throughout despite some magnificent shots."
Good for armchair tourists, but a bit lacking otherwise
buru buru piggu | New York, NY USA | 12/15/2009
(4 out of 5 stars)
"I've seen several of these "armchair tourism" Blu-rays now (like Living Landscapes HD Hawaii [Blu-ray]). Most are little more than screensavers, so I had low expectations for Over America. Unlike some of the other reviewers, based on previous experience with such titles, I wasn't expecting a history lesson, comprehensive survey of American geography or cities, or a documentary of important American places. I took the title at face value and simply wanted to enjoy seeing America in a way that I knew I would probably never be able to -- short of spending my life savings. On that point, Over America delivers and is pleasantly good. There are some aerial fantastic shots that I would never be able to otherwise experience.
You can think of it as a glorified 55-minute sampler of American life, narrated by Tom Skerritt. The video moves from east to west, starting in NYC, going to PA, then DC, Chicago, moving across the heartland, out to CA, then ending in Alaska and Hawaii. There are maybe 15-20 cities/regions profiled. The music selection can seem a bit cliche and dated. I heard cool jazz on at least 3 cities (Chicago, LA, and NY, with the requisite "New York, New York"). I suppose it's appropriate for the region portrayed, as Texas has honky tonk and New Mexico has Spanish guitar. Other parts have more mellow orchestrated music, or simply pianos. The narration isn't particularly exciting or informative though, sounding a bit like a tourist bureau infomercial or a pre-recorded guided tour like you might find in a government visitor information center like the Smithsonian or Ellis Island.
Video quality is inconsistent, with some very good shots of golden canyons and verdant cropfields and some bad hazy shots, especially during low light situations like early morning, and many instances of lens flare and a strange moiring effect from buildings windows, crops, and crowds. New York, for example, has a sort of dreary look to the daytime shots and the autumn foliage of Central Park looks rather dull. Night scenes are most problematic, with severe grain and noise in many shots. On the upside, I really loved the flyovers of the American Heartland and the endless expanses of farmland as well as the canyons.
At the current low price, this is a pretty good bargain if you just want eye candy. All the places shown are subtitled with the name of the location so you can google them later or research further. I think the price is right, and I give it credit for that. This disc is probably best for people who don't have the budget, time, or inclination to travel across this huge country, or to introduce people to the majesty of some of America's places. It's good for footage shot 20 years ago, but not a great example of the Blu-ray format."