Search - Stargaze II - Visions of the Universe on DVD


Stargaze II - Visions of the Universe
Stargaze II - Visions of the Universe
Genres: Music Video & Concerts, Documentary
NR     2004     1hr 5min

Studio: Wea-des Moines Video Release Date: 05/11/2004
     
     
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Movie Details

Genres: Music Video & Concerts, Documentary
Sub-Genres: DTS, New Age, Space Exploration
Studio: DVD International
Format: DVD - Color,Widescreen - Digital Video Transfer
DVD Release Date: 05/11/2004
Release Year: 2004
Run Time: 1hr 5min
Screens: Color,Widescreen
Number of Discs: 1
SwapaDVD Credits: 1
Total Copies: 1
Members Wishing: 0
MPAA Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Languages: English

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Movie Reviews

Awesome but not easy to get information
David Ward | Salt Lake City, UT United States | 07/06/2004
(4 out of 5 stars)

"First things first. The images are spectacular! The music is better! But no narration? I know we all complained about the Stargaze I narration being bland (me included), but damn! What a major pain in the a** to flip back and fourth in the menu to get information on the image being shown. The text is great, but they could of gotten Patrick Stewart to do it or someone that does not put you to sleep. I like to hear about I'm seeing. Even that being said the pics are worth 4 stars. Those 3D images are kind of silly, but acceptable. We need stargaze III with narration please. GO HUBBLE!!! Go to www.space.com !"
See for yourself why the Hubble Space Telescope is called th
Stephen Pletko | London, Ontario, Canada | 03/04/2006
(4 out of 5 stars)

"+++++

As in the first StarGaze, this program presents astronomical images taken by the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). However, images taken from other sources (examples: CHANDRA X-ray telescope, Spitzer space telescope, and the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory, SOHO) are also included. All images are accompanied by New Age music. (A different New Age band is used from that of the first StarGaze.)

Before I say anything else, the images presented in this program are magnificent, awe-inspiring, and jaw dropping. These images should be seen by every Earthling so everybody can experience the extraordinary beauty of the universe.

The main menu for this program is as follows:

1. Play
2. Chapters or scenes (there are 12 chapters)
3. What's that?
4. StarGaze II HD (read the on-screen instructions for this option)
5. Audio and Subtitle Selection
6. Credits (for all images and music presented)

The first item in this menu to go to is "5. Audio and Subtitle Selection". The only subtitle language selection available is English. Turning this on enables the name of the celestial object to be displayed on the bottom of the screen. (It's important to have this on. I'll explain *why later.) For audio background selection, you have two choices. Choose the one that works for your DVD player. (For those people who do not like New Age music, it is possible thus not to have any music by selecting the choice that does not work for your DVD player.)

This program has no narration. Instead when you come to an image, you press the menu button on your remote that brings you to an information screen about the image. (*This is why it's important to have the English subtitles on since they alert you to a new image.) After you've read the information screen, you get back to the main program by pressing the menu button again and the program resumes. All this is explained in the "3. What's that?" part of the main menu. (For those with poor eyesight, I suggest moving close to your screen as the printed information for each image is quite small.) So the idea is to do this "menu-information screen-menu" routine for every image in this program. Sound easy? It is. However, there's a **problem with this that I'll explain below.

The information screen for each image has three sections:

(i) Still image of the object in question
(ii) Five facts about the object: (a) its position (b) constellation its in (c) its distance from Earth (d) the instrument used to take its image and (e) a credit for the image. (I feel facts a and b were unnecessary.)
(iii) A detailed description of the image.

All of this takes time to read.

The fantastic images in the program can be divided into three parts:

(I) Covers chapters (1 to 5) and lasts just over 25 minutes. There are nearly 70 images for this part. Here there are visuals of deep space that include nebulae, distant galaxies, galactic clusters, and other exotic objects. These are static images but the camera keeps moving across them giving the illusion of movement.
(II) Covers chapter 6 and lasts nearly 5 minutes. Here you get composites of the solar system's planets (including Pluto and its moon) as well as a comet, meteorites, and the sun. A 3-D look is created which I found acceptable but some people may find this strange.
(III) Covers chapter (7 to 12) and lasts about 30 minutes. There are more than 85 images in this part. The same types of objects as in part one are imaged but with different instruments to reveal greater detail. Some new objects are also presented.

For those keeping track, there are over 170 images in this program. This brings up the **problem alluded to above. There are just too many information screens to access and read! In fact, I found it impossible (without getting bored stiff and having my eyesight going) to access them all in one sitting. Instead I viewed this program over twelve sittings (one sitting per chapter).

Finally, I think the way to get around the above problem was to have narration that abbreviated the information given on the information screens for each object. You could still have the detailed information screen for each image available as an option.

In conclusion, barring the one problem mentioned above, this is an incredible visual, audio, and educational delight, demonstrating just an infinitesimally small number of cosmic wonders that are in our vast universe!!!

**** 1/2

(2004; 1 hr; wide screen; 12 chapters)

+++++
"
Stargaze II....a better sequel
David Ward | 06/16/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)

"SGII delivers where SG1 didn't and that is in the informative department, and a higher quality of footage.Now, you can see more information about what you are exactly looking at by accessing the image detail screens, which give you more then what the subtitles use to give you.Gone is the dull narration. The music is much better on this one and the imagery is just simply AMAZING! The newer images from hubble are very colorful and it makes you wonder just how things are formed and how the heck that got there. The animations are improved with wide pan shots so you can see more of the celestial objects.It's a great title if you are into astronomy, or like having some really cool eyecandy that is more then just a screen-saver. You aren't getting Discovery channel movie here, but more educational/eye candy entertainment. It's very relaxing and enjoyable. Go in knowing with what you are getting and I don't think you'll be disappointed."
Visions of the Universe...your not kidding!
Clinton S. Jeffrey | Melbourne, Victoria. Australia. | 09/15/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)

"Just received, via UPS Express (4 days) I'm in Australia - Melbourne most impressed, the DVD of "Stargaze II" in short, Unbelievable, move over Carl Sagan and your ship of the imagination this DVD puts a different meaning to the "Hitchhikers Guide to the Universe" literally, this is brilliantly put together as is the musical backing with the low bass my Sub woofer was working really well on, but what makes this DVD particularly good is the written references to each image giving all details about what you are looking at, but the imagery is fantastic, who needs a telescope!
Just joking..."