The Beauty Of Ireland (Special Interest)
Picture: C+
Sound: C+ Extras: C+ Main Programs: B-
People just love to see footage of other lands and the
DVDs of such “visits” continue to inspire releases and sales. American Home Treasure’s The Beauty Of
Ireland collects five programs about the great land, with four main parts
devoted to specific locations (Dublin, Kerry, Donegal, Cork) and the hour-long Touch
Of Ireland that is here to cover the rest as much as can be done in an
hour.
The four main parts are about a half-hour each, offering
some well-written, historical, if sometimes overly talky voice-over
narration. Having seen so many such
titles lately showing off their digital HD shooting, it becomes apparent a
certain sense of intimacy shown throughout has been somewhat lost in the new
productions. No matter what the format,
Ireland offers some of the most beautiful scenery on earth. All the shows are throughout considering
their length and they add up to a nicer set than you might expect.
The full frame 1.33 X 1 image looks like it was shot in
the PAL format, but looks good for it.
The color and light in Ireland makes even video shoots look good. The Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo may not have
any surrounds, but is smooth enough, with the narrating voice of Pat Starr
never sounding too forward or off. The
bonus hour is the only extras, but that is about three hours of Ireland on one
DVD, which should make all interested very happy.
- Nicholas Sheffo
