One of the late Lorne Greene's last projects was his "NewWilderness" wildlife series. Greene, an avid outdoorsman, served ashost, narrator and executive producer for this Emmy-winning project.
What separates the Greene series from such other nature videosas the National Geographic programs or the PBS "Nature" series isGreene's focus on modern survival skills. His "New Wilderness" is aworld changed by pollution, deforestation and spreading humanpopulations. The ways in which animals manage to adapt to ecologicalstress make fascinating subject matter.
Twelve "New Wilderness" tapes (Prism, $14.95 each) have beenreleased. Twelve more are due in stores within the next year. VideoScan took a look at three of the latest releases: "Huntress," "A LoveStory: The Canada Goose" and "Tales of the Snow Monkey."
I would have been more enthralled with these videotapes had theylasted an hour rather than 30 minutes. Athough the photography isspectacular, and Greene's commentary often is poetic, the shows havean abrupt, choppy feel. If Greene was worried about his audience'sattention span, he misjudged video viewers. Fans of wildlifeprogramming are willing to sit still for 60-minute specials - andthey get more out of fully detailed programming.
"A Love Story: The Canada Goose" works best in this constrictedtime frame. This tape chronicles the near destruction and rapidrepopulation of the giant fowl.
Humans have a soft spot for animals that mate for life and takeloving care of their young. The geese fit the bill on both counts.Their elegant mating rituals lead to permanent "marriages." And whenthe couples become parents, they share the responsibility of raisingyoung goslings.
There is more than romance in this tape, however. Overhuntingalmost wiped out Canada geese, until environmentalists andenlightened hunters worked together to help the geese re-establishthemselves in the North American wetlands. Greene's tone throughoutthis indictment is stern but fatherly, as if he means to say: "Let'sjust not let this happen again." Rating: (STAR) (STAR) (STAR)
CAT NIPS: "Huntress" is like a size 8 foot jammed into a size 6shoe. Maybe the subject matter looks tidier in undersize packaging,but things would be more comfortable if "Huntress" could stretch outa little. For this tape, Greene takes his audience to the ColoradoRockies, where mountain lions (or cougars) still rule the mountains.
The heroine of "Huntress" is a 1-year-old cougar who has tolearn independence the hard way. Her pregnant mother drives her outof the den. The confused yearling then has to learn to live thesolitary existence of all female mountain lions.
Finding her own territory takes almost a year, but the seasonspass like lightning on this video. Eventually the cougar takes amate and has kittens of her own. But this touching development seemstacked on as an afterthought.
The photography is awe-inspiring, but "Huntress" suffers fromsevere down-scaling. Rating: (STAR) (STAR)
GOING APE: "Tales of the Snow Monkey" walks somewhere betweenthe touching sentimentality of the goose tape and the pell-mell rushof "Huntress." This tape features the Japanese snow monkey, whichhas survived changes on its overpopulated island in surprising ways.
In the north, the monkeys live in virtual mountaintop isolation,but in the south of Japan, snow monkeys have become crafty beggarswho beguile tourists into providing food.
Monkeyshines always make for enjoyable viewing, and Greene'sgood-hearted tape provides comic scenes galore. But a lack ofsubstantial historical background can leave American audienceswondering about the vaunted place the monkeys have in Japaneseculture. Rating: (STAR) (STAR) 1/2
"Lorne Greene's New Wilderness" tapes are available at videostores and from Prism Entertainment, 1888 Century Park East, Suite1000, Los Angeles, Calif. 90067 (1-213-277-3270).
NEW RELEASES: Tapes out this week include: "The Last InnocentMan" (Lorimar Home Video, $79.95), starring Ed Harris in an HBOmurder-trial drama; "The Quick and the Dead" (Lorimar, $79.95); anHBO Western with Sam Elliott, Tom Conti and Kate Capshaw; "Heaven"(Pacific Arts Video, $79.95), an after-life documentary by DianeKeaton; "Blood Rage" (Prism, $79.95), a horror film with LouiseLasser; "Amazing Grace and Chuck" (HBO Video, $79.95), an anti-nuketale with Jamie Lee Curtis and Gregory Peck; "8 Sesame StreetStories" (Golden Book Video, $19.95); "Bon Jovi: Slippery When Wet,the Videos" (Polygram Music Video, $19.95), featuring the popularrock band; "Mission Kills" (Media Home Entertainment, $79.95), agun-running adventure set in Latin America, and "Metallica: The$19.98 Home Vid - Cliff 'Em All" (Elektra Entertainment, $19.98),featuring the heavy-metal band.
Videotape release dates change often. It pays to check withyour local video store before ordering.
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