The American 1998

PBS American Masters - Leonard Bernstein: Reaching for the Note (1998)
DVDRip | 704x536 | .MKV/AVC @ 1563 Kbps | 1h 57mn | 1.45 GiB
Audio: English AC3 192 kbps, 2 channels | Subs: None
Genre: Documentary

The definitive look at the outstanding life and career of Leonard Bernstein, world-renowned composer, conductor, pianist and educator. This film and moving celebration conveys a fully rounded portrait of Bernstein's complex life–from his debut conducting performance for the New York Philharmonic in 1943 to his historic and electrifying performance at the fall of the Berlin Wall; from his Broadway experiences to his finale at Tanglewood. Filled with archival footage including concert films, home movies and clips from Broadway hits West Side Story and On the Town, the film showcases the many talents of Bernstein.

Shanachie Entertainment - Charles Mingus: Triumph of the Underdog (1998)
DVDRip | 720x544 | .MKV/AVC @ 1802 Kbps | 1h 17mn | Audio: English AC3 192 kbps, 2 channels | Subs: None | 1.09 GiB
Genre: Documentary | Biography

The first comprehensive documentary of Afro-American jazz bassist, bandleader and composer Charles Mingus. Mingus led a tumultuous life filled with trauma and frustration, joy and creativity. Not light enough to be considered white and not dark enough to fit into the black community, he was an outcast in American society who charted his own path. Likewise, his legacy as a 20th Century composer reaches far beyond conventional jazz idioms. Mingus apprenticed with people like Duke Ellington, Lionel Hampton and Charlie Parker before going out on his own and becoming a musical force for more than a decade. When interest in his music waned at the height of the rock era in the mid-1960s, and one of his closest collaborators Eric Dolphy died, he was institutionalized due to psychological problems. Upon his return to the music scene, he began playing more concerts and his sales zoomed. This golden period of recognition ended when he contracted Lou Gehrig's disease and his music began to deteriorate. He died in 1979.

This film follows two Belgrade youths on their rise to gangster legends in a decaying society.

HC Foot Soldier - The Axis (1998)
DVDRip | 720x544 | .AVI/DivX @ 2360 Kbps | 47mn 35s | Audio: English AC3 256 kbps, 2 channels | Subs: None | 895 MiB
Genre: Documentary

They fought for the losing side in the greatest conflict in history. Allied propaganda painted them as killing machines, willing to fight to the death for the master race or their emperor. But what is the truth about the Axis' soldiers? FOOT SOLDIER: THE AXIS is a penetrating look at the men who fought for Hitler, Mussolini and Emperor Hirohito. Rare films show their training exercises and the brutal reality of some of history's bloodiest engagements. Get an up-close view of what it was like to fight for Rommel in Africa, to endure the bitter cold of the Eastern Front, and to battle American Marines at Okinawa and Iwo Jima through extensive documents and testimony from the men who were there. Like no other program available, FOOT SOLDIER: THE AXIS is a unique portrait of the men who fought and died for the enemy during World War II.

Titanic: Answers from the Abyss (1998)
DVDRip | 696x522 | .MKV/AVC @ 1962 Kbps | 49mn 39s+ 55mn 16s | Audio: English AAC 128 kbps, 2 channels | Subs: None | 1.38 GiB
Genre: Documentary

Two DVDs Running time approx. Titanic: Answers From the Abyss lets you tag along with a group of American, British, Canadian, and French scientists as they conduct an extensive forensic examination of the wreck of the Titanic. Originally aired by the Discovery Channel in 1999, this is a documentary well worth seeking out. The expedition's goal was to find answers to several mysteries surrounding the sinking of the Titanic in April 1912. First, they wanted to learn the extent of the damage caused by the collision with the iceberg. Second, they wanted to know how and why the ship broke apart. Finally, they hoped to figure out why the bow of the ship remains largely intact while the stern section exhibits a great amount of damage. As part of the mission, they took extensive film of both sections, using that to generate a photomosaic that better reveals the look and condition of the ship today.