Life 1999

Friends, enemies, acquaintances, and family of porn star John Holmes recall their experiences with him, from his childhood to his eventual death from AIDS in 1988.

This exclusive video collection is jam-packed with the gritty best from noted New York filmmaker Richard Kern. His sexually-charged work has been alternately dismissed as “violent” and “offensive” by the mainstream press, but embraced by the underground as the perverse standard. Says Kern, “I've tried it all: crime thrills, drug thrills, sex thrills. Nowadays, I get most of my thrills by offending people with my films. I don't even have to be there. I can sit far away and think, “Someone's watching my video right now and thinking, Yeeughh!”

To many who see them, the legacies of the ancients are beyond understanding: Strange creatures, exotic spirits, mysterious gods, architectural marvels. Researchers still debate their origin and meaning. They appear unearthly, alien, leading some to believe the knowledge of the ancients arrived from another world. What strange forces were at work here? Did alien gods instruct our ancestors or is there another explanation hidden in history? Other clues, strewn through human antiquity, may yet reveal the real ancient astronauts.

There were only very few artists, whos life was as fascinating as their art. One of them is Vincent van Gogh. Moreover there were only a few painters, who reflected their personal mood in their pictures as headstrong van Gogh. His unrest, his problematic friendship to Gauguin, the desperation for acknowledgement. All these questions are treated by vn Gogh in his open and surprisingly brilliant and affecting letters from Arles in the Provence to his brother Theo.

Rome was just another city until it discovered the secrets of warfare. Once they perfected the art of combat, the Romans exerted their influence from Asia to the Atlantic, from Africa to England. Actor Joseph Campanella narrates this fascinating, authoritative look at the Roman Legions, their battles, commanders, tactics and legacy. From its establishment in 300 BC to the crushing defeat at the hands of the German chief Akininis in 9 AD, THE ROMAN WAR MACHINE examines every aspect of this legendary fighting force.

Based on Dava Sobel's extraordinary novel, this four part TV production is a magnificent drama. Academy Award winner Jeremy Irons stars in this sweeping adaption of Sobel's best-selling book which tells a time spanning parallel story of high seas adventure and political intrigue in the race to discover the life-or-death secret of LONGITUDE.

"Napoleon's Obsession: The Quest for Egypt" details the real facts behind a little-known account in Napoleon's illustrious military career. Those who do know of the French leader's invasion of Egypt, and the so-called Battle of the Pyramids, may have fallen victim to one of the best public relations campaigns in history. As we learn in this documentary, hosted by renown Egyptologist Bob Brier, Bonaparte's attempt to conquer Eqypt was nothing short of an exercise in vanity.

This is the 1999 UK (ITV) series narrated by John Thaw. The Second World War In Colour is a three-part documentary which reveals hours of previously unseen colour film of World War II.

In the jianghu, there is a mysterious clan of unknown origin who practise a strange religion. In every generation, a girl will be chosen from within the clan to serve as their "Sacred Maiden", who must then take a vow of celibacy. The mother of the girl who has been selected to be the "Sacred Maiden" does not want her daughter to spend the rest of her life in solitude. She notices Chu Liuxiang and thinks he might be an ideal spouse for her daughter, so she sets up an elaborate plan to lure him into taking a series of challenges to assess his suitability.

After 1986, a restricted zone was erected at a radius of 30km around Chernobyl. More than 100.000 people have been evacuated from there, but some have remained or returned. "Pripyat" follows four protagonists who live or work in this zone.