Product Description

The magic of ancient Greek civilization comes to life in a giant screen adventure! From the Academy Award-nominated producers of Everest, comes a dynamic tale of science, archeological adventure and discovery. Greece: Secrets of the Past takes you to the dawn of democracy and the birthplace of Western Civilization on a quest to uncover the buried secrets of one of the world's most enlightened societies. With stunning aerial photography that captures the breathtaking, azure vistas of the Greek Isles, the film is at once a modern detective story and a sweeping archeological journey back in time. On a scale never before attempted, state-of-the-art CGI recreates the massive eruption that blew Santorini sky-high and to explore the wonder of the Parthenon before it was reduced to ruins. Narrated by Nia Vardalos (star of My Big Fat Greek Wedding) and with a musical score that will move and inspire, this epic journey of discovery reveals a land of beauty and mystery that ultimately changed history.

BONUS FEATURES: Making-Of Featurette / Video Montage

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #16738 in DVD
• Brand: Image Entertainment
• Released on: 2006-09-19
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Aspect ratio: 1.66:1
• Formats: Color, Dolby, DVD, Widescreen, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .20 pounds
• Running time: 40 minutes

Features

• The magic of ancient Greek civilization comes to life in a giant screen adventure! From the Academy Award-nominated producers of Everest, comes a dynamic tale of science, archeological adventure and discovery. Greece: Secrets of the Past takes you to the dawn of democracy and the birthplace of Western Civilization on a quest to uncover the buried secrets of one of the world's most enlightened

Customer Reviews

The Parthenon as in Pericles day!
I bought this IMAX DVD mainly for the special effects of the Parthenon fully resorted and in it's full glory. I wasn't disappointed! The musical score brought life to the flawless video quality that is the hallmark of all IMAX DVD's.
The narrative nicely ties in the elements of the story with the voice of Nia Vardalos (My Big Fat Greek Wedding) bringing the story to life.

The highlights are the volcanic eruption of Santorini in 1646BC and of course the Parthenon. I could try to describe what they have done with the latest computing power but you'll have to get the DVD to see what I'm talking about. I also found fascinating (I'm a Greek History buff) was the piece of pottery they found that had Pedicles name written on it. This was used for his ostracism in 430, 3 years into the war with Sparta and 1 year before his death. Also equally fascinating are the restored art work from a building that was buried in the Santorini eruption. What is surprising was the drawing of a ship showing how advanced the Greeks were in the 1600BC's!

For the layperson and history buff's this is 45 minutes of the past coming to life.

Greece Revealed Through Eye Candy
The producers of Greece Secrets of the Past transport their audience mainly to both Santorini and Athens. They provide some background information about Ancient Greece so that a modern audience can better relate to the achievements of Ancient Greeks. The aerial photography is simply stunning, especially when the film is viewed on an IMAX screen. The producers use computer-generated imagery with great dexterity to restore the Parthenon and Goddess Athena in all their greatness as contemporaries could admire them on the acropolis in the fifth century BCE. As a narrator, Nia Vardalos makes this journey entertaining. However, Greece Secrets of the Past is ultimately just eye candy compared to Secrets of Archeaology, a six-DVD set about 27 archeological sites. Secrets of Archeaology contains among other destinations several unforgettable journeys to the most remarkable sites of Ancient Greece.

Very well done
I just returned from living in Athens for four years and wanted something to remember Greece by. This is a wonderful video. It takes you there to the sites on Santorini and around Greece. The aerial vantage adds to the beauty. It is what I remember and want to remember.