Review – The Alien Time Machine: Encounters From Another Dimension (DVD)

Title: The Alien Time Machine: Encounters From Another Dimension
Interviewer: Karen Frandsen
Director: Ian Pleasance
Genre: Documentary, UFOs, Aliens, Paranormal
Production Company: Reality Films by Eerie Investigations

Fasten your seatbelt. And get ready for a ride that might take you to the far reaches of ancient Egypt or even the constellation of Orion.

Sounds like the latest summer blockbuster? Well, not exactly. But The Alien Time Machine calls to mind H. G. Wells’ classic science fiction novel The Time Machine and, perhaps, the UK TV series, Dr. Who.

When The Alien Time Machine first arrived in the mail I chuckled a little. Not because I rule out the possibility of ETs and time travel–I certainly don’t. But more because anyone not inspired by New Age cosmologies or the imaginary universes of sci-fi would probably write this DVD off as far-fetched and flaky.

I mean, if I were to say there’s a UK author, a certain Terry Le Riche Walters, who doesn’t just believe in paranormal possibilities but claims he’s actually traveled through time and met ETs, what would most people think?

Concerning the idea of psychological time travel, however, open-minded, educated folks might stop to consider the possibility that during guided meditation we might get a glimpse of deep genetic memories or undergo an experience appearing to transcend space and time.

But The Alien Time Machine takes this one step further. It contains footage of an alleged, fully functional time machine situated in an elderly gentleman’s home in Bath during the late 1990s.

The scenes of the purported Bath Time Machine evoke memories of some kind of 1960s disco or British fantasy film. Jim Morrison or maybe Simon Templar would have loved this place. And the supposed machine, itself, generates some kind of mysterious slipstream, caught live on video. Believe in this segment of the film or not, it’s definitely an engaging moment in the history of documentary, docudrama or docufiction, whatever the case may be.

Also memorable is Le Riche Walters’ candid account of encountering human looking ETs and boarding some kind of alien craft, where he apparently underwent a high-tech operation that cured his back pain.

Interviewer Karen Frandsen skillfully teases out more intriguing stories and frank opinions from this most unusual or, more correctly, regular fellow who claims to possess a range of extraordinary abilities, from premonitions to reading others’ thoughts.

DVD extras include highlights from Gardiner’s World, an alternative TV show advocating global transformation through interviews with everyday people offering valuable insights that lie just beyond mainstream mores.

Altogether, The Alien Time Machine might seem weird or hokey to anybody unfamiliar with New Age thinking and the expansive worldviews of sci-fi. But this smart and seemingly unscripted DVD compels us to reevaluate current beliefs about reality, imagination and the possible.

–MC

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Review – Birds Of Norfolk: A Bird Watchers Dream (DVD)

This review also appears at Earthpages.org

Title: Birds Of Norfolk: A Bird Watchers Dream
Genre: Documentary, Nature, Bird Watching
Extras: Photo Gallery
Production Company: Reality Films

I’ve seen a lot of nature films so wasn’t expecting too much while placing The Birds of Norfolk into my DVD player. But this film, well, this one is different. Superb, actually.

The narration is lively and detailed with a fantastic soundtrack ranging from classical standards to tasteful, relaxing pop. Excellent maps illustrate exactly where each chapter is filmed along the breathtaking shores of the North Sea at Norfolk, UK.

But what makes this film stand out is its awesome cinematography. Directed by Robert and Jill Wilson, who also run a photo processing shop in Norwich, the cameras use state of the art telephoto lenses. The close-ups are crisp and clean, with vibrant color and outstanding depth of field.

Bird watchers, ornithologists and anyone loving nature will delight in this production. Not only does it offer sweeping, full color landscape shots of the beautiful beaches, marshes and farmland around Norfolk and the North Sea, but its coverage of indigenous and migrant birds and other wildlife is astounding.

Get ready to see sleepy seals, poisonous snakes, hungry squirrels, and high fliers from all over the world, to include the US, Canada, Africa, Siberia and Japan. Birds clearly know no national boundaries. And a host of enthusiastic bird watchers gather regularly at Norfolk to witness this dazzling diversity of species.

How ironic that I watched this in the midst of the BP Oil Spill. Although I already know that innocent birds soaked in oil is horrendous, this film just brought it all home and yet, thankfully, was something of an ideological antidote to that tragedy. It gave me hope to be reminded that some people really do care.

The Birds of Norfolk celebrates the grandeur and mystique of our natural environment and underscores the importance of not only conserving but actively nurturing the biosphere. We also learn how local ecological initiatives have, in some cases, cleaned up habitats and actually restored endangered bird populations. And that’s a wonderful thing.

This inspiring film depicts the exact opposite of the gloom and doom scenario now unfolding in the Gulf of Mexico. In a world with many wondering if we’ll make it through the 21st century, The Birds of Norfolk is nothing short of a revelation and certainly a wake up call to protect and appreciate this magnificent creation called Earth.

–MC

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