A week of haunted history touring its away across a nation to prepare for Halloween, these four ghostly programs visit the local site of apparition sightings, telling the tales that have been handed down of tormented souls who continue to walk the earth - in America's backyards. NEW ENGLAND (October 26): The arrival of the pilgrims, the Salem Witch trials, the War of Independence - Some believe this remarkable history set the stage for extraordinary hauntings. A heartbroken girl wanders the grounds of a Connecticut homestead, searching for her one true love… the spirit of a murderer strolls through the bar he owned 150 years ago… witnesses spot the image of a witch reportedly tortured on the grounds of the Joshua Ward House…a family of specters inhabits the legendary House of Seven Gables. NEW ORLEANS (October 27): The "Big Easy" is the definitive party town, setting records for alcohol consumption during Mardi Gras. But there is another form of "spirit" for which New Orleans is known. A voodoo queen lurks the grounds of her Gothic cemetery plot. a highly respected socialite reminds others of her secret, malicious past. [+]

How does our brain work? Scientists don't have all the answers, but The Brain: Our Universe Within presents what is known in a way that even us non-brain surgeons can understand. Produced by the Discovery Channel and hosted by David Suzuki, The Brain takes viewers on a five-part journey (spread over three videotapes) exploring the evolution of the human brain, how different parts of the brain perform certain functions, how chemicals affect our behavior and emotions, and the ways the brain can compensate for certain deficiencies. It uses computer animation to explain the roles of cells, neurons, endorphins, the cerebral cortex, the hippocampus, and the hypothalamus in transmitting, receiving, and storing information. Most interesting, though, are the real-life examples of people who've endured Alzheimer's disease, strokes, autism, and various disorders and the effects those conditions have had on their lives (and the ways their brains have responded). In one case, a young boy with severe epilepsy had the left half of his brain removed, leaving him unable to speak or move the right half of his body. However, after just three years, he'd regained most of his speech and movement-his brain had learned to work around the problem. There's also a fascinating look at a man who suffered brain damage and in turn lost all short-term memory-he uses a tape machine and takes detailed notes to record his every move. (As Suzuki notes, "Jeremy keeps his memory in a box behind the couch. ") While The Brain suffers from occasional lapses of cheesiness (in one segment about memory, Suzuki can't find his car), it gives an interesting, informative look at the body's most mysterious organ and should get those electric signals in your brain moving. -Andy Boynton.

This fascinating three-volume documentary series reveals beautiful works of Russian art, from ancient icon paintings to magnificent architecture, literature, and cinema rarely seen by Western eyes. More than this, though, it shows how Russian art and culture have throughout history reflected the soul of the Russian people and continues to define the Russian experience. Political, social, and spiritual themes heavily influence Russian art, and in turn these artistic offerings have had profound effects on the way Russia sees itself. Now that Russia has reached yet another turning point on its turbulent road to stability, the question seems to be how its art and culture will respond to the fading of communism and the freedom of expression that comes with democracy. Narrator James N. Billington suggests that the changes will show, as upheaval in Russia has always shown, the resilience of Russia's artistic community and its determination to find and express its voice to the world. Broad in scope and enlightening in its study of historical and current art trends, this series is a must-see for anyone interested in the Russian culture-it's a work that future generations will surely revisit for its insightful perspective. -Ed Noble For more than a millennium, political upheaval and outside forces have shaped Russia's culture. Now, as the dream of democracy unfolds, how will the Russian people redefine themselves? This magnificent three-part series illuminates the hearts, minds, and many faces of Russia by exploring her arts and culture. The Face of Russia is a remarkable journey across history, encompassing Russia's grand architecture, icon paintings, music, literature, and cinema. [+]

Covering the entire 20th century in one video series is an ambitious project, but one that Peter Jennings and ABC News are up to. In The Century: America's Time, a 12-part documentary on six videotapes that is a companion to the book of the same name, Jennings guides us through a century of technology and advancement like no other. As he says in his introduction to episode 1, "Seeds of Change," "Unlike previous centuries where leadership was defined by royalty and other rulers, the 20th century more than any other was shaped by the will and actions of the common man. " The series is a sweeping presentation of the United States of the 1900s and tries to encompass a mind-boggling amount of history. And while at moments the videos may leave you longing for more, Jennings does an excellent job of creating smooth segues between disparate pieces. The first episode, for instance, begins with the influx of immigrants at the turn of the century and touches on Jim Crow laws, moving pictures, planes, Henry Ford, the sinking of the USS Maine, child labor, suffragettes, the Panama Canal, imperialism, and more, right up to the beginning of World War I. The archival footage is stunning and interviews with historians, veterans, journalists, POWs, politicians, authors, celebrities, and common people help bring the past to life again. Mickey Spillane discusses the speakeasies of the 1920s; Dennis Hopper talks about Easy Rider in the '60s; Tom Wolfe reads from The Bonfire of the Vanities for the episode on the '80s. Eudora Welty, E. L. [+]

A shrink-wrapped VHS four-pack that includes a copy of William Friedkin (WHE71240), Lawrence Kasdan (WHE71241), Terry Gilliam (WHE71242) and Spike Lee (WHE71243).

The BBC's landmark series on marine wildlife continues with this pair of uncommonly beautiful episodes. "Seasonal Seas" focuses on the explosion of life that accompanies every annual blooming of plankton, numbering in the countless billions and captured here with brilliant microphotography. The plankton provide a seasonal feast for a stunning variety of creatures, including the gigantic basking shark, sea otters, immense swarms of jellyfish, bat rays, and dancing Australian squid. In massive kelp forests, we witness such delightful sights as white-sided dolphin playing a game of "pass the seaweed. " In "Coral Seas" miles-long reefs of living coral are explored, from deep within (requiring brief computer animation) to the surrounding environs, where you'll see white-tipped sharks in a feeding frenzy while beautiful harlequin shrimp wrestle with a starfish. "Tidal Seas" explores the myriad life forms that thrive when lunar gravity pulls the oceans offshore. These include surfing snails, diving osprey, breeding stingray, and bottlenose dolphin digging for razorfish in the shallow tidal flats. In a delightful time-lapse sequence, sand bubbler crabs clean an entire beach for food, leaving millions of filtered sand balls in their paths. "Coasts" is easily the most brutal episode, but no less mesmerizing. Here we witness the battles of elephant seals, the tenacity of Galapagos iguanas, and the mating rituals of the walrus. [+]

Given the difficulty of living up to such an ambitious title, American Cinema, a nine-hour public television overview of the movies, is a remarkably entertaining, informative, and informed introduction to movies in the U. S. , from the silent era to the Sundance generation. Divided into 10 self-contained episodes, the series begins by looking at the practical magic of movies. "The Hollywood Style" and "The Star" examine the underpinnings of filmmaking and star making in carefully chosen examples and contrasts: the changing Hollywood style from Casablanca to Chinatown, the studio-controlled career of Joan Crawford compared to modern star Julia Roberts. Later episodes single out specific genres for study ("Romantic Comedy," "Film Noir," "The Western," and "The Combat Film") and chart the changing face of Hollywood from "The Studio System" to "Film in the Television Age" to "The Film School Generation," concluding with the American independent explosion in "The Edge of Hollywood. " A rich array of illustrative film clips and interviews with directors and stars as well as commentary by historians and critics invigorate this whirlwind tour through the dream factory. It's a smartly written project and a solid introduction to American movies that, for all its generality, creates absorbing and entertaining film history. -Sean Axmaker.

Produced by the UK-based UFO Magazine and narrated by its editor Graham W. Birdsall, each volume of `UFOs: Hard Evidence' features exclusive interviews with many of the best-known figures in international UFO research. This documentary features striking UFO footage from the UK and overseas; in-depth case studies; and a plethora of topical UFO-related features. Informative throughout, `UFOs: Hard Evidence' cuts to the chase and serves up a myriad of newsworthy topics that broadcasters elsewhere consider too hot to handle.

The most successful public-television miniseries in American history, the 11-hour Civil War didn't just captivate a nation, reteaching to us our history in narrative terms; it actually also invented a new film language taken from its creator. When people describe documentaries using the "Ken Burns approach," its style is understood: voice-over narrators reading letters and documents dramatically and stating the writer's name at their conclusion, fresh live footage of places juxtaposed with still images (photographs, paintings, maps, prints), anecdotal interviews, and romantic musical scores taken from the era he depicts. The Civil War uses all of these devices to evoke atmosphere and resurrect an event that many knew only from stale history books. While Burns is a historian, a researcher, and a documentarian, he's above all a gifted storyteller, and it's his narrative powers that give this chronicle its beauty, overwhelming emotion, and devastating horror. Using the words of old letters, eloquently read by a variety of celebrities, the stories of historians like Shelby Foote and rare, stained photos, Burns allows us not only to relearn and finally understand our history, but also to feel and experience it. -Dave McCoy Hailed as a documentary masterpiece without parallel, Ken Burns' filmed chronicle of America's most terrible and destructive conflict will hold you in thrall as it portrays the strategies and action of the war's famous battles, and tells the stories of illustrious generals and ordinary field soldiers, politicians and rogues, heroes and a beleaguered President. Winner of two Emmy Awards, the series begins by looking at the fateful causes of the war that led to the firing on Fort Sumter, to the devastating battles of Shiloh, Antietam and Gettysburg, climaxing with Lee's surrender and the assassination of President Lincoln. Vivid photographic imagery and narration by many of today's most acclaimed performers highlight this epic program. Titles are: "The Cause of 1862," "A Very Bloody Affair 1862," "Forever Free 1862," "Simply Murder 1863," "The Universe of Battle 1863," "Valley of the Shadow of Death 1864," "Most Hallowed Ground 1864," "War Is All Hell 1865," and "The Better Angles of Our Nature 1865. ".