Reviews

Series #1 has five episodes. They look at some of the highlights, and less visited spots in these areas. It covers the Southwest, Glacier, Zion and Bryce, Denali and Hawaii's National Parks. Each episode last a little less than an hour.

The style is easy going with lots of very good videos. The commentary is informative. There are also some quick interviews from people who either work there, or are very familiar with the area. Some episodes also look at the indigenous culture. They have a little bit of something for all kinds of travelers: luxury, back packers, rugged folks, and those looking to take it easy.

I have been all over the Southwest, Zion & Bryce and Glacier, and their coverage was good. I thought it was a bit long on the hotels which might be available in each park, but it did not come off as a ad. I did like that they did, in deed, show several of the off the beaten path destinations within each park.

The director, Bruce R. Schwartz, aptly describes this movie as the story of a man who fell through the cracks. The character Triam Lee has had to leave the reservation along the Colorado River because a dam has eliminated the fish his family depends on for food. Parker, Arizona has no available jobs, either.

Triam settles in Los Angeles, but cannot find a job in the dreary urban area he can afford. The story is based on an improv done in one of Bruce R. Schwartz's acting classes. The class project featured on of his students, Adam Silver. The improv went over so well, that Schwartz decided to make a feature length film. He based the main character's background on Adam Silver's real origins. The man who plays Silver's father was the actual Tribal Chairman for the Mojave tribe.

The film is done in a documentary /cinéma vérité/guerrilla filmaking style. It is very simply presented. It is no masterpiece, but it does provide a glimpse into the lives of some very desperate people in a land of plenty.

On a trivia note, the film is about a stabbing in MacArthur Park. While they were filming in the park, an actual stabbing took place within 150 feet of the actors.

Phil Konstantin