Monday, August 27, 2007

Young Indy update...

Well, to follow up on my earlier post about the first volume of "Young Indiana Jones" coming on DVD October 23rd, DVD Times has posted a list of the specs of what exactly will be on that first set. Here's what's been announced:

The first of three comprehensive collections, The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones Volume 1 is a 12-disc set presented in full screen with Dolby Digital English Stereo and English subtitles.

The DVD disc breakdown is as follows:


Disc One:
-- My First Adventure
While on an archeological dig in Egypt's Valley of the Kings, Indy uncovers an ancient mummy and fresh corpse. With the help of T.E. Lawrence, the legendary Lawrence of Arabia, Indy solves an intriguing murder mystery only to find himself thrust right back into danger when he is kidnapped by slave-trading brigands. Dragged on a terrifying journey across the burning sands of North Africa to the slave markets of Marrakech, Indy finds that he must rely on his courage and wits to survive the brutal ordeal.

Companion Historical Documentaries:
-- Archaeology: Unearthing Our Past
-- Howard Carter and the Tomb of Tutankhamun
-- Colonel Lawrence's War: T.E. Lawrence and Arabia
-- From Slavery to Freedom

Disc Two:
-- Passion For Life
The beautiful Masai Mara game reserve in Kenya is the locale as Indy goes on safari with former President Teddy Roosevelt. When he becomes lost in the savage African bush, Indy finds that he must fight for his life against all manner of exotic and dangerous wildlife. Exotic wildlife of another kind await him in Paris when he accompanies a young Norman Rockwell on a rollicking tour through the bohemian world of Parisian fine art. Wild parties, wilder women and artist temperament are on full display as Pablo Picasso and Edgar Degas clash over their contrasting styles of painting, while painting the town red at a gaudy late-night soiree.

Disc Three (Passion For Life bonus disc):
Companion Historical Documentaries:
-- Theodore Roosevelt and The American Century
-- Ecology: Pulse of the Planet
-- American Dreams: Norman Rockwell and the Saturday Evening Post
-- Art Rebellion: The Making of the Modern
-- Edgar Degas: Reluctant Rebel
-- Braque + Picasso: A Collaboration Cubed

Disc Four:
-- The Perils of Cupid
In beautiful Vienna, Indy falls for the lovely young daughter of soon-to-be assassinated Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria. But the course of true love does not run smoothly and he must seek advice from two of the founding fathers of psychology, Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung. Romantic complications of another kind turn up in Florence, Italy, when Indy and his mother meet the great opera composer Giacomo Puccini. Dismayed to find his lonely mother succumbing to the sensuous charms of the charismatic Puccini, Indy frantically looks for a way to reunite his parents and rekindle their love before it's too late.

Disc Five (The Perils of Cupid bonus disc):
Companion Historical Documentaries:
-- Giacomo Puccini--Music of the Heart
-- It's Opera!
-- The Archduke's Last Journey--End of an Era
-- Powder Keg--Europe 1900 to 1914
-- Sigmund Freud--Exploring the Unconscious
-- Carl Jung and the Journey of Self Discovery
-- Psychology--Charting the Human Mind

Disc Six:
-- Travels with Father
A trip to Russia takes Indy from the opulent palaces of the aristocracy to the fetid villages of the peasant class when he runs away from home after an argument with his parents. Joining up with novelist Leo Tolstoy, the two go on the road, engaging in philosophical discussions and clashing with colorful Gypsies and ferocious Cossacks. Realizing that there's no place like home, Indy rejoins his mom and dad and travels with his father to an isolated Greek monastery perched high on the peak of a mountain. The arduous journey, including a harrowing trip in a tiny cage up a thousand-foot mountainside, brings father and son closer together.

Companion Historical Documentaries:
-- Seeking Truth--The Life of Leo Tolstoy
-- Unquiet Voices--Russian Writers and the State
-- Aristotle--Creating Foundations
-- Ancient Questions--Philosophy and Our Search for Meaning

Disc Seven:
-- Journey of Radiance
A jaunt through the mystical Far East takes Indy to the Holy City of Benares where he befriends the lonely and isolated young leader of the Theosophy movement, Jiddu Krishnamurti. Surrounded by supplicants and hangers-on, Krishnamurti struggles to have faith in himself and to fulfill the destiny decreed for him by his worshippers. In the process he shows Indy just how strong the power of faith can be. Indy's mother also learns a lesson in faith and trust when she must rely on some poor Chinese villagers and their traditional medical techniques to save the life of her son who lies perilously close to death with typhoid fever.

Companion Historical Documentaries:
-- Jiddu Krishnamurti--The Reluctant Messiah
-- Annie Besant--An Unlikely Rebel
-- Medicine in the Middle Kingdom
-- Eastern Spirituality--The Road to Enlightenment

Disc Eight:
-- Spring Break Adventure
Indy and his girlfriend Nancy Stratemeyer, whose father created the Nancy Drew mystery series, visit the fascinating laboratory of inventor Thomas Edison. The two must contend with dangerous German spies as they struggle to keep Edison's top secret new invention out of the hands of hostile enemy agents. To keep him from getting into any more trouble, Indy is sent to visit his Aunt in New Mexico. While there, he is kidnapped by Pancho Villa and swept up into the Mexican Revolution. Chaotic, free-wheeling border towns, a "Wild Bunch" style train robbery and a colorful barroom encounter with a young George Patton make for thrilling entertainment in this action-packed movie.

Disc Nine (Spring Break Adventure bonus disc):
Companion Historical Documentaries:
-- Thomas Alva Edison--Lighting up the World
-- Invention and Innovation--What's Behind a Good Idea?
-- The Mystery of Edward Stratemeyer
-- Wanted: Dead or Alive--Pancho Villa and the American Invasion of Mexico
-- General John J. Pershing and his American Army
-- George S. Patton--American Achilles

Disc Ten:
-- Love's Sweet Song
Landing in Ireland right before the Easter Rebellion, Indy mixes romance and revolutionary politics when he falls for a beautiful young colleen whose brother is mixed up in the Irish resistance movement. Across the waters in England he encounters a similar problem when his love affair with a strong-willed young woman is derailed by her fervent belief in the women's suffrage movement and her need for independence. Violent street brawls, a terrifying Zeppelin raid and a seriocomic dinner party with Winston Churchill provide plenty of thrills in this exciting, romantic adventure.

Disc Eleven (Love's Sweet Song bonus disc):
Companion Historical Documentaries:
-- Easter Rising--The Poets' Rebellion
-- The Passions of William Butler Yeats
-- Sean O'Casey vs. Ireland
-- Ireland--The Power of the Poets
-- Winston Churchill--The Lion's Roar
-- Demanding the Vote--The Pankhursts and British Suffrage
-- Fighting for the Vote--Women's Suffrage in America

Disc Twelve: (Interactive Disc)
Special Features:
-- "Revolution" Interactive Game, based on Spring Break Adventure allows players to become Indy and make their own decisions based on Indy's adventures. As well as entertaining, this game has educational elements.
-- Extensive Interactive Timeline that details the history and locations of Indy's adventures and previews footage of the companion documentaries.
-- Historical Lecture: The Promise of Progress is an exploration of the people and events of the Industrial Revolution, spanning the late 19th century to the early 20th century.


It looks like I was right in predicting that the first seven segments would be on Volume 1, and this listing seems to confirm it. And the specs - sweet! I only wish that the original broadcast versions were included, though. But with all this extra material, this should be one of the top TV-on-DVD sets of the year to beat. Later!

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