Once upon a time, space exploration was actually a popular subject our society. I recall reading about NASA in textbooks, weekly readers, and Scholastic books back when I was in elementary school in the late '80s and early '90s. While there are a few companies (Space X) trying to figure out how to get us to the Mars, NASA doesn't get very much mainstream attention these days ever since the government retired the shuttle program.

Personally, space exploration has always been an interesting subject for me and I enjoy reading anything on the subject as well as watching documentaries, such as the Space Station (Space Station 3D) and NASA: A Journey Through Space. Both of these documentaries were released to Blu-rays earlier this year by Mill Creek Entertainment. (FYI: Space Station was released on 4K ULTRA HD Blu-ray!)




Space Station was the first 3D live-action IMAX film to be shot in space. Produced and directed by Toni Myers, the 47-minute film was original released to IMAX screens in 2002 and grossed over $127 million.

Tom Cruise narrates this documentary about the high-flying laboratory ISS (International Space Station) that's 220 miles above the Earth and moves at a speed of 17,500 MPH.  Highlights include the station's in-orbit construction and glimpses of crew members as they work.

Special Features include:

• Director's Audio Commentary
• Adventures in Space - Interviews with Tom Cruise, Director Toni Myers, and the Astronauts aboard.
• Astronaut-Guided Tour of ISS
• Expedition 7: An Audio Visual Tour of the ISS
• STS-108: An Audio Visual Tour onboard Endeavor to the ISS

The 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray comes with a Digital Code that only be redeemed on the movieSPREE website or app.

Mill Creek Entertainment; Amazon

Now available on 4K Ultra HD  + Blu-ray + Digital from Mill Creek Entertainment is the 2013 IMAX documentary Journey to the South Pacific (G; 40 minutes; $34.98). The 4K disc features IMAX Enhanced, which means it has a clearer & brighter picture; heart-pounding DTS audio; and more of the picture fills the screen.

Directed by Greg MacGillivray and featuring a narration by actress Cate Blanchett, Journey to the South Pacific takes us (a.k.a. - the viewers) to the tropical islands of remote West Papua, where we are introduced to a young island boy named Jawi Mayor who is joining the "floating classroom" on the 100-foot trawler called the Kalabia.

Along with his uncle (a teacher) and other students, Jawi swims under the sea to show us the most diverse marine ecosystem on Earth. Under the sea the cameras capture the endangered Pacific leatherback turtle, 40-foot-long whale sharks, and many different fish species.

Special Features include:

• Trailer
• Making-Of Featurette
• Webisodes
• Film, Sweat, and Tears
• The Floating Classroom
• Last Stand of Leatherback Turtle
• Swimming with Whale Shark
• Music of West Papua

Final Thoughts

Mill Creek Entertainment; Amazon

I hate to admit this, but I've never seen to an IMAX film on the big screen. I know the AMC theatre in the city has IMAX screens, but the price for a ticket is too expensive for me.

If you own a 4K television, then you are in luck as you can now own the 2016 IMAX documentary "A Beautiful Planet" on 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray + Digital combo pack (G; $34.98) from Mill Creek Entertainment, which is the first of two releases (the other title is Journey To The South Pacific) to be released with IMAX Enhanced immersive image, sound, & scale.

The 47-minute documentary is written, produced, and directed by Toni Myers. Narrated by Jennifer Lawrence, A Beautiful Planet puts the cameras in the hands of astronauts (Scott Kelly, Samantha Cristoforetti, Barry "Butch" Wilmore, Terry Virts, Anton Shkaplerov,  Kjell Lindgren, and Kimiya Yui) who are aboard the International Space Station (ISS). With the use of IMAX cameras, the astronauts shows us what Earth looks like from space. 

Special Features include:

• An Extraordinary Vision
• IMAX: Astronaut Filmmakers
• ABP Computing

Final Thoughts

Mill Creek Entertainment; Amazon

Just like many other comic books fans, I was heartbroken when the legendary Stan Lee passed away last month. Shortly after learning about his death it dawned on me that I own a copy of the DVD "Stan Lee & Kevin Smith Save the World!" which was released by Mill Creek Entertainment in 2017.

The DVD includes:

An Evening with Kevin Smith (2002; Not Rated; 234 minutes) - Director/Actor Kevin Smith appeared at several American universities in 2001 and 2002 to answer questions from college students about film making. He also shares stories with them.

An Evening with Kevin Smith 2: Evening Harder (2006; Not Rated; 239 minutes) - Split into parts by cities, Kevin Smith heads to Toronto and London for a Q&A with his fans, where he talks about his films.

Stan Lee's Mutants, Monsters and Marvels (2002; Not Rated; 95 minutes) - Filmed in February 2002, Kevin Smith talks in-depth to comic book legend Stan Lee at a comic book store in Santa Monica, California, where Stan Lee discusses creating Spider-Man, The X-Men, The Fantasy Four, and other superheroes. The documentary is presented in two parts and features rare photos and iconic images.

Final Thoughts

Not Rated; 10 hours 55 minutes; $14.98

I think I might have mentioned a time or two on here about my love for old horror movies, especially the ones made by Hammer Films. Well, with that being said, you can probably guess why I was excited when I learned that Mill Creek Entertainment would be releasing the 26-part documentary series "100 Years Of Horror" hosted by the late, great horror-icon Christopher Lee.

Originally released back 1996, "100 Years Of Horror" chronicles the history of horror movies from the early 1900s to the late 1970s. I'm not for sure why it was called "100 Years" when the producers skipped over the the films from the 1980s. Most of the movie clips featured are from the classic Universal monster flicks, Hammer Films, and other low-budget creature films. It features interviews with Boris Karloff, Bela Lugosi, Lon Chaney Jr., Vincent Price, Peter Cushing, and Claude Rains. Additionally, there are interviews with Bela Lugosi, Jr.; Boris Karloff's daughter, Sarah Karloff; and Claude Rains' daughter, Jessica Rains.

The series was produced, written and directed by Ted Newsom, who created BBC's Flesh And Blood-The Hammer Heritage Of Horror.

The episodes on the 3-disc set are:

Not Rated; 592 minutes; $14.98; Amazon

Halloween is only two months away, which means there will be an overload of horror films and Halloween-themed documentaries all over the cable channels.

Now available to own on DVD from Mill Creek Entertainment is "Ghost Encounters: 8-Part Documentary Collection" on a 2-disc set.

The 8-Documentaries are:

Haunted North America: Witches, Ghosts, and Demons (85 minutes) - showcasing ghosts stories from around the country, such as the haunting halls of the Faitmont Algonquin Resort and the lighthouse keeper ghost at Gibralter Point.

Ghost Hunt: Paranormal Encounter at Burlington Count Prison (70 minutes) - A group of "ghost hunters" investigate the strange paranormal sightings at the Burlington County Prison.

Paranormal Prisons: Portal to Hell on Earth (62 minutes) - A documentary about  5 haunted prisons - Moundsville, WV, Ottowa Youth Hostel, Cornwall, Isle of Demons, and Fort Henry.

Paranormal Rosslyn Chapel: Haunted Portal of Spirits and Ghosts (60 minutes) - A documentary examining all the mysterious behind Rosslyn Chapel.