Documentary DVDs

Interviews and profiles Robert S. McNamara, former Secretary of Defense under Presidents Kennedy and Johnson, during the Cuban Missile Crisis and the Vietnam War.
Genre: Documentary
Rating: PG13
Release Date: 1-MAY-2007
Media Type: DVD

INSIDE THE VIETNAM WAR (DVD MOVIE)

This classic HBO documentary features reenactments of actual letters written by soldiers during the Vietnam war. In each case, a famous celebrity voice (Martin Sheen, Michael J. Fox, Robin Williams, and others) reads the letters to us.

Educational Media Network-Winner, Golden Apple 1999 Biarritz International Festival of Audiovisual Programming-Winner, Silver FIPA 1999 San Francisco International Film Festival-Winner, Golden Spire 1998 International Documentary Association- Winner IDA Award 1997 Amsterdam International Documentary Film Festival-Winner, Special Jury Award As a young boy, Dieter Dengler watched as Allied planes destroyed his village. From that instant, he knew that he wanted to fly. So at 18, he moved to America, enlisted in the Navy, and was promptly shipped off to Vietnam. During one of his first missions, however, Dengler was shot down over Laos and taken prisoner. Despite torture and starvation-at one point he weighed 85 pounds-he escaped, and after a harrowing journey through the jungle on foot, returned home. Today, even comfort and success cannot dispel the demons of his past. In this remarkable, award- winning documentary, director Werner Herzog returns to the jungle with Dengler, to tell an incredible tale of courage and survival against impossible odds. Includes a 5x7 Theatrical Poster Replica

Features: Widescreen Presentation enhanced for 16x9 TVs Production Notes Werner Herzog Bio

NOTE: The American Experience producers responsible for the Vietnam series recently re-edited the original 13-part Vietnam series. The editing was undertaken to remove outdated information and to create a more cohesive story for viewers. WGBH Boston Video has reduced the purchase price for the Vietnam series to $79.95 to reflect the shorter running time.

A six-year project from conception to completion, this eleven-hour DVD collection carefully analyzes the costs and consequences of this controversial but intriguing war. From the first episode to the last, it provides a detailed visual and oral account of the war that changed a generation and continues to color American thinking on many military and foreign policy issues.

Special DVD features include: link to the American ExperienceWeb site; scene selections; and closed captions.

On four DVD9 discs. Region coding: All regions. Audio: Dolby stereo. Screen format: 4 x 3 full frame.

At a total cost of more than 3.1 million lives, the Vietnam conflict is, to date, America s longest and most controversial war. It also marked the first time TV journalists ventured out to the frontlines to bring the spectacle of combat into American living rooms. Across the nation, Americans watched, captivated by the surprise Tet Offensive and the slow-motion tragedy of the 77-day Battle of Khe Sanh, and witnessed the courage and skill of American soldiers at decisive engagements like Ia Drang Valley, Con Thien, and Dak To.

Now THE HISTORY CHANNEL presents a comprehensive 2-disc set that profiles the decision-makers and chronicles each key event in the Vietnam war, from the advisors arrival in 1959 to the airlift from the roof of the American Embassy in 1975. Archival footage and interviews with historians and veterans reveal the military and political strategies in play, and CBS News archives take viewers to the frontlines to witness the daily struggles of American servicemen and women.

For decades, the war in Vietnam was the central drama on the stage of Southeast Asia. It was an intensely publicized war, the first television war that came roaring into the living rooms of America every night. Walter Cronkite tells the story of the long and divisive conflict as seen through the eyes of CBS News. Dan Rather, Morley Safer and Ed Bradley report the stories of American courage, failed programs, an elusive enemy and ultimately an end to a tragic war. It is all graphically shown in these superb CBS documentaries which tell the story of the most divisive war in American history and its effect on those who fought it.

Originally broadcast on NBC, the 9 complete hour-long shows included in this set feature Hope’s classic comedy stand-up and wonderfully entertaining sketches and musical performances with celebrity guests including Racquel Welch, Phyllis Diller, Neil Armstrong, Jim Nabors, Lola Falana and many more. While providing quality entertainment for the troops and to families across the nation, these specials also documented the history of one of the most turbulent times in America. Each show is narrated by Hope and includes information about his ambitious tours through Thailand, Taiwan and Guam as well as touching interviews with the soldiers he met along the way.

Hope’s holiday salute to the troops became an instant favorite with television audiences. The 1965 special won an Emmy Award® and the special from 1970 is still ranked among the 15 highest-rated television programs to date. Bob Hope will always be remembered for his dedication to the armed forces. Back in 1941 he began the custom of traveling the world to uplift the spirit of American troops stationed over seas. This custom became tradition the Christmas of ‘48 when Bob, with wife Dolores, flew to Europe to entertain Americans involved with the Berlin airlift.

Always at the top of his game on the road, his devotion endured through the sixties and seventies, when American Troops were deployed to Vietnam. This 3-disc set captures Hope’s most memorable moments as he performed for the troops from 1964 - 1972.

A courageous and startling film, Peter Davis' landmark documentary Hearts and Minds unflinchingly confronts the United States' involvement in Vietnam. Using a wealth of sources-from interviews to newsreels to documentary footage of the conflict at home and abroad-Davis constructs a powerfully affecting portrait of the disastrous effects of war. Explosive, persuasive, and shocking, Hearts and Minds is an overwhelming emotional experience and the controversial winner of the 1974 Academy Award® for Best Documentary.

Easily the most timely and resonant film about the soldiers on the front lines of antiwar resistance, the award-winning breakout theatrical hit SIR! NO SIR! Tells an almost entirely forgotten story of the military men and women who helped force the U.S. government to end the Vietnam War. Contrary to the popular image of long-haired hippies spitting on returning soldiers, SIR! NO SIR! vividly demonstrates that GIs were the heart and soul of the anti-war movement. Poignantly narrated by a diverse cast of veteran GI resisters who recall the ferocious days of peace marches and stiff jail sentences, SIR! NO SIR! pulls no punches in its raw depiction of the power of people, especially those in uniform. Directed by David Zeiger, SIR! NO SIR! is "powerful stuff, offering us not only a new look at the past, but to the unavoidably relevant insights into the present" (New York Daily News).