The Universe: An Amazing Journey From the Sun to the Most Distant Galaxies
by Tim Tully
Canada
DVD Cover Information
Director: Tim TullyBrand: Universe Productions
DVD: Region Code 0
Audio: English (Original Language); Spanish (Original Language)
Format: Anamorphic, Dolby, Surround Sound, Widescreen
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Audience Rating: Unrated
Studio: Universe Productions
Movie Reviews of The Universe: An Amazing Journey From the Sun to the Most Distant Galaxies
Movie Review: ENDURING CLASSIC
Summary: 5 Stars
I bought this DVD a couple of years ago and I came here to buy another copy for a gift. I saw a couple of negative reviews and I was frankly amazed. One reviewer negatively compared Tim Tully's The Universe to the History Channel's recent production in ways that are laughable. He faults Tully's video for not having a depth of information comparable to the History Channel's. The History Channel program has more than a 700-minute running time to cover the material Tully does in 60. If the History Channel had not been able to get into greater depth with over ten times the running time, theirs would be one sorry video. Tully's is short, theirs is long. Don't criticize a horse for not being a duck. They are different. Anyway, not everyone wants to spend ten hours watching an astronomy video.
The reviewer's criticism of the music here is telling. Any one person's subjective response to music can't really be argued with. But to compare this score to "generic loops" makes you wonder if this reviewer was maybe listening to Star Gaze. An objective person who is actually able to listen will hear that this music is a rich and complex post-modern orchestral piece that employs easily a dozen different themes and motifs suggesting the different qualities of the different classes of astronomical objects. These themes recur throughout the movie in many, many variations, like in a good symphony. Several specific musical elements phrases, orchestration, and harmonic content, to name a few-- allow variations of the different motifs to appear in different forms and contexts and unify the many elements. The themes play off one another while hanging together in a complex and cohesive whole. These observations are simply factual and anyone who's ever analyzed a complex piece of music would realize that. This is clearly a well-thought-out and executed score. Everyone has an opinion, and mine is that ?technicalities aside--this score is dramatic and powerful; I think it hits exactly the right tone for the astronomical material it complements, and is subtle bit spectacular on a surround system, with or without the narration.
Concerning production quality: it is easy to see that the respective budgets of these two programs must have been astronomically different. Just look at the credits for Tully's program and you'll see there were about four people involved, while the History Channel's personnel list probably hits three figures. Huge corporate productions certainly have their value, but small-studio labors of love have theirs too. It's also notable that Tully's came out about six years before the History Channel's, and it's my bet that Tully's was an inspiration and road map for the later program.
Summary of The Universe: An Amazing Journey From the Sun to the Most Distant Galaxies
The Universe is a spellbinding DVD journey from the Sun to the farthest galaxies.Featuring incredible NASA images and original orchestral music, The Universe is a never-before-seen guided tour of the cosmos in widescreen anamorphic video and 5.1 Dolby Digital surround sound.
Using images from SOHO, Hubble, TRACE and other orbiting space telescopes, The Universe is a dynamic excursion through over 200 magnificent astronomical objects. Beginning with video of the sun's broiling corona, the program proceeds through the solar system, traveling to the stars and nebulae of the Milky Way, and to galaxies as much as 14 billion light-years away.
The Universe is a mind-expanding trip into eternity. The viewer seems to travel through space, seeing grand panoramas, probing close-ups, and breathtaking vistas, all in full color.
An original score by Paul D. Lehrman and Tim Tully provides The Universe with a rich, Surround Sound tapestry combining symphonic and electronic timbres into a timeless musical experience. Renowned astronomers Alex Filippenko and Karel Schrijver offer insights into the world of contemporary astronomy.
A clear, concise narration names each object as it comes into view, giving its distance from Earth and the data astronomers derive from it. The overall effect is to bring the vast expanse of the cosmos into a clear overview.
The narration can be turned off so the viewer hears only the score: a rich suite of motifs, that weave through an array of variations, mixed in 5.1 surround sound, to take full advantage of the technology. A combination of ambient effects and instrumental placement richly evokes a feeling of being immersed in space with the flowing images of The Universe.
A VHS version is also available without DVD-specific features.
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