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| Available at Amazon.com |
A monster can be seen as being one of many different things to countless people. Some could hear the word monster and automatically picture a grotesque beast with a hairy body and fangs that is right out of the film reels of horror flicks. A monster could also be something that is not scary at all but merely enormous in size and therefore referred to by the appropriate word. Others may hear the word and think back to the olden days of black and white pictures or comic books that showcased such great creatures as Frankenstein, the Mummy, Wolf-Man, Dracula, or my favorite, the Creature From The Black Lagoon. It’s those types of memories and creative minds that keep the well wishers hunting and searching.
Monster Quest is a series that takes a look at all those legends, questions, and supposed myths that have plagued civilizations for centuries. How real is Bigfoot? Do little green men come down from outer space to pick up human test subjects? Is Nessie a peaceful creature that simply wants to swim around her lagoon and not be bothered? All of those questions and so many more make people wonder if the stories they’ve been hearing since they were children are true. The series’ creators decided to not only take those different phenomenons and showcase them, but also research them. I mean, it’s not like there hasn’t been a number of television shows giving viewers information and the history of Bigfoot, but how many of them have actually taken you on the search for it?
When it comes to “monsters,” most often we are there to listen to eyewitness accounts of people who may or may not have seen them. The cool thing about Monster Quest is that it takes real experts on its episodes’ subjects and lets them give their true feelings and knowledge. Most of them don’t proclaim to have seen the things they know so much about which makes it all seem so much more real if you can understand that. Because they aren’t boasting of constant sightings and clues left behind, it makes their vast education of the creatures so much more valid because the truth is still out there somewhere waiting to be found.
A lot of the monsters that are the focus of different episodes are many you have heard of before, and some that may be brand new to you. Bigfoot, the Loch Ness Monster, and a werewolf are very common to anyone who has ever watched television or picked up a newspaper. But how many of you have actually heard of Birdzilla or wondered if there are real Hobbits out there? Not exactly something you’d associate with the term “monster” now, but it is all related. And then there is even a great episode on the giant squid which makes me recall the fantastic special I had watched on the Discovery Channel about a scientist who had been searching for the beast for years. Not everything shown in Monster Quest may be real, but at least they’re given the chance to be.
Episodes
Disc One:
America’s Loch Ness Monster
Sasquatch Attack?
Giant Squid Found?
Birdzilla
Disc Two:
Bigfoot
Mutant Canines
Lions In The Backyard
Disc Three:
Gigantic Killer Fish
Swamp Beast
Russia’s Killer Apeman
Disc Four:
Unidentified Flying Creatures
The Real Hobbit
American Werewolf
The episodes are shown in 1.78:1 Widescreen format and all looks good from the interviews, to the news footage, to all of the computer generated imagery for the stories. Some of the colors are a bit dull and could be a bit brighter at times, but nothing is too harsh.
The episodes are heard in Stereo Sound and the mostly dialogue driven series comes through just fine.
Behind The Scenes – This lone featurette runs over fifteen minutes and includes some extra footage from different episodes. It’s very easy to determine which episodes the footage is from because you know what monster is being discussed. Some of the stuff is really simple and not much to care about, but there are a few moments that are worth checking out and rather cool.
I’ve been a long time horror film and monster fan since my childhood days. The “Universal Movie Monsters” are classic greats and I sincerely hope that a season of Monster Quest will be devoted entirely to them. Nothing would be more awesome then seeing researchers and guides trudging through swamps for the Creature or climbing high peaks to find Castle Dracula. Still, the monsters that were chosen for season one at least, keep things very entertaining and extremely informative. It’s great not just seeing people gush over knowing that these creatures are real and do exist, but that some of the experts want to be absolutely sure. They get some good signs here and there, but even end up disproving them after a little lab testing and more research. That, my friends, is dedication and being realistic.
People of all ages can enjoy Monster Quest because it is not actually scary so the little ones won’t want to run and hide. Adults though will get the full effect of the series by understanding what is actually going on and what researchers are doing to prove it. The one special feature is short, but it gives a good look behind the scenes of a series that is pretty much a contradiction of itself. Here we have the History Channel discussing creatures and things that may not actually have a real history. That right there screams entertainment to me and I’m looking forward to season two.
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A&E Home Video presents Monster Quest: The Complete Season One. Directed by: Michael Stiller, Jared Christie, Beth Pacunas, and more. Starring: Stan Bernard (Narrator). Running time: 611 minutes on 4 discs. Rating: PG. Released on DVD: May 27, 2008. Available at Amazon.com
About Danny Cox
