If The Oil Runs Out (2006)

The demand for energy has risen relentlessly over the last 150 years in line with industrial development and population growth. And as economies of developing countries like China and India continue to grow, it is predicted demand will rise by a further 50% by 2030. President Bush has already warned the United States that it is too reliant on oil, often from “unstable” countries, and that it must find alternatives.
Geologists are searching in Arctic Alaska, around the Falkland Islands and under the oceans for the last remaining sizable reserves of oil. But what will happen if the fuel crisis is not resolved?
Blending drama and documentary, the IF series returns with a film investigating a scenario many experts fear will come true. When the cheap oil we depend on starts to run out, we may not be able to take anything for granted any more.

You can watch ALL 6 Parts here

We don't OWN or HOST the video, if the link fails their is nothing we can do about it sorry

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Life After People (2009)

Life after people... A Dark look at the world once we vanish. This series isn't about us, its about our world. A world we have shaped & damaged over time. This series (1 & 2) show the world without us as life goes on.. just not our lives unfortunately.

From nuclear disaster, to overgrown streets & buildings, its all falling apart without us around to fix it up, but then this is Life After People... so sit back and watch what happens to the world when we stop messing with it... and to think... for a long time after we are gone.. things we built are still causing damage.

I will add some screen shots at some stage in case the videos removed by the company hosting it.

 

You can watch the complete Series 1 & 2 here

We don't OWN or HOST the video, if the link fails their is nothing we can do about it sorry

Zoo Animals out on their hunt & they don't understand that whole 

"be on your way.. this is my territory"

Infact they would rather eat you than argue with you.. and i am sure that after a while...

You may resort to eating them to..

These sort of series were all the rage leading up towards the so called ill fated 2012 and the so called Apocalypse.  Their was even shows such as BBC's 6 part mini series  "If The Oil Runs Out" and the National Geographic "The Earth Stops Spinning" to give us all varied ways of thinking just how bad things could go down & also how lucky we are...

  Seams odd how fast things can slide....

The Original Documentary:
UPC: 733961110906
ASIN: B001O1FS24
DVD Release Date: March 18, 2008
Run Time: 94 minutes.

The Complete First Season
UPC: 733961155303
ASIN: B002T4S41C
DVD Release Date: October 27, 2009
Run Time: 470 minutes.


The Complete Second Season
UPC: 733961221626
ASIN: B003P9WI4E
DVD Release Date: July 27, 2010.
Run Time: 425 minutes.

If you like this series, check out the National Geographic Aftermath Population Zero


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Aftermath Population Zero (2008)

Imagine if one minute from now, every single person on Earth disappeared. All 6.6 billion of us. What would happen to the world without humans?
How long would it be before our nuclear power plants erupted, skyscrapers crumbled and satellites dropped from the sky?
What would become of the household pets and farm animals? And could an ecosystem plagued with years of pollution ever recover?

 In the style of the History Channel’s Life After People series, Aftermath features what scientists and others speculate the earth, animal life, and plant life might be like if humanity no longer existed, as well as the effect that humanity’s disappearance would have on the artifacts of civilization.

You can watch the complete Documentary here

We don't OWN or HOST the video, if the link fails their is nothing we can do about it sorry

 I think the great thing about this show is the alternative aspect to the End Of Man scenario, I mean when you think about it, you tend to imagine having the world to your self, being able to have anything you want, go anywhere live as a king....

But in this series you can imagine the world with you and maybe 2 or 3 others & this is the world you would be bringing future generations into. A World with NO engineers or skilled help...

So considering the nuclear horrors, and the chemicals in the air, chances are the first 3 to 6 years living on the earth alone would probably be hell for a long time, a long dangerous time. After which the evolution of wild life, mold spores & fungus, the world without humans could be Toxic & Deadly

Then theirs the animals to consider, on top of the erratic & toxic weather

So get your boat, and your life vest, snake bite anti venom kit, boiled water & take a quest for food and try to get from   A to B   safely, without being irradiated, bitten, starved or frozen, In a world where nothing is predictable, and as the sun sets and the night life ventures out looking for food... you may want to make sure.. your not on the menu...

Because when it comes to survival, for many a species... you are clearly going to be lunch...

City's overgrown, snakes in the grass, spiders hanging on their webs, everything taking back over the world as it was before we were here.
Also imagine the oxygen content over time, could our lungs cope with such a pure air content?
Will The Acid Rain Ever Stop?
Will The Rain Be Radio Active Forever?
When we vanish & things go offline, the clock will start on many time bombs....

Posters:

This truly is a great program, yet its been slammed in most reviews, the C.G.I isn't bad to neither considering this is a Tv Channel Production (not a Hollywood block buster) But then a lot of people write slamming reviews just to make them selves feel better & look as though they no what would happen if we all just vanished.  The majority of this documentary is FACT, its far far far from FICTION, so i am unsure how anyone can actually take time out to watch it & then complain about it.

Note:
The Narrator does sound like "the candy man", and also
Ben from the 1990 "all new night of the living dead"
but its actually not


Please remember to RATE this Documentary below the blog post, add your recommendation tick to help others, also please follow my blog.... 

The Day of The Triffids (1981)

British DVD Cover

This was one of the best things ide ever seen when i watched this, I had kinda missed the whole "The Professionals" thing the first time around & that was about half way through the series when i was granted being old enough to watch it lol.

But, The Day of The Triffids i got to see from beginning to the end, and i loved it, was kinda gutted when it finished tbh.

As a kid i never got to watch much Tv, my folks had that "Children should be seen and not heard... or even not seen tbh"

So with that really bad philosophy... Movies, Tv and Music was pretty limited during my childhood, which is a shame really because one day i just realized i could play the piano, yeah i know.. how random...


But you no spending time on your own with not much to do as a kid really does build your imagination & your creativity.  It pushed the boundaries of "their is no such thing as board" and  if you can close your eyes and just imagine walking to your front door and opening it and looking round and you can't see anyone...  well you wouldn't with your eyes shut.. mmmm mind the cat.... and you forgot to get dressed, curtains are twitching... Also Remember please don't read my blog while your naked.....

I can truly enjoy watching this just as much as just closing my eyes and listening to the BBC radio versions, I think the Audio Isn't bad, but the Radio Broadcast has more voices to it making it more enjoyable than just someone reading it out to you.

So anyways.. Imagine your bill, last night most of the world were watching a comet flying close to the earth and making the sky look all wonderful... meanwhile everyone's retinas get impacted like no one could of imagined... Add that to the Killer Plants that also walk they were growing & farming them for oil....
Hell.. who needs Zombies when you got Killer Triffids on the streets....
Luckily bill had already hurt his eyes sometime before this solar event, so his eyes were protected from the meteor shower.

Opening scene, As bill lays in a hospital bed unable to sleep, he decides to take that opportunity to tell the Triffid Story. His friend wanted him to make a note of how things began with triffid farming & the origin of the species.
Back then many people used to send a tape rather than writing a letter, yet oddly today with the technology of Computers & Email, most people would never think of hitting record & just sending an MP3.. I mean why type it?  Bill soon finds it hard to concentrate when he realizes just how quiet it is around him and how silent it is outside.  While hes trying to figure out the time when the local clock tower chimes its bells, at which point Bill realizes the nurses should of been in with breakfast by now, yet their is total silence everywhere, and pushing his call button and shouting for the nurse brings no one or any sound.

After turning on the radio, all stations are off the air,
Being worried at the total silence he decides to remove his bandages in the hopes he can see (they were meant to be removed today anyway he though, so why not) Upon removing them he finds that he can actually see & leaves his room to go find out whats happening.
Then out of nowhere a male voice speaks and bill realizes that its his doctor and he is blind, just like everyone else in the hospital, in fact just like most people in the whole of the world..

When he steps outside the streets seam empty and then he spots a young girl playing in a car, when she sees him she runs into her home & he quickly follows her, because shes the only other person he's seen who can see.   Inside he meets her father who is blind (lucky for the little girl she was sent to bed and missed the light show)  Its at that point the revelation comes that anyone watching this thing last night is now blind. When he finishes his drink, he leaves them to go outside and see just how bad things are.

Outside he is faced with a world of angry people and scared people. Those who are blind are shouting for help and trying to capture sighted people. Along his way through the city he sees nothing but chaos and realizes that this really is it and its really happening, also probably wishing he was still in the hospital with his eyes covered telling his triffid story..... Triffids.... he'd almost forgot about them but now realizes it wont be long before the electricity goes off which at that point.. the triffids will break down the fences and escape..

Bill Masen played by John Duttine...

After wandering round he hears a woman screaming and struggling so he heads off to help her, when he's confronted by a blind man who has her tied to by the wrist to his wrist. Bill helps her escape and they both head to a pub to get a drink.  He learns that the reason she can see is that last night she went to bed early and had taken 2 sleeping pills, so when she awoke today, she was faced with the same world that bill was. They end up spending the night in a high end show flat, yet unable to sleep with all the noise outside when they notice a light in the distance, someone sending a signal. 

They plan to head towards the location of the light in the morning.

Jo Payton, played by Emma Relph...

They make it to the location of the light they saw to find a gathering of sighted people getting ready to gather supplies before they leave the city before any diseases or anything happens. Given a gun and a shopping list they head out to gather anything they can in 2 army trucks to help with the move.
He also picks up some Anti Triffid supplies, but when he gets back the people in charge are not happy with it taking up space in one of the trucks, and as usual the people in charge fail to listen to the people in the know...

Their are a couple of sighted people who believe those who can see should be chained up to people who can't see and be used like a servant... and should do so..Until this imaginary help arrives to take over... little do these people realize that this is a Global Crisis and every country has suffered the same fate, help isn't coming... It never will.

When the people who are leaving town tomorrow head off for an early night an American sets up a fake fire and while sighted people try to evacuate the building their captured and taken away. Next day they are introduced to....

 Jack Coker played by Maurice Colbourne

Jacks plan is to pair off 1 sighted with 7 or 8 blind and have them set up around the town in hotels and such until help arrives, which means Bill and Jo are separated and shipped off to alternate locations.

As bill gets to know the people hes helping life becomes a little easier. After loosing a couple of them to a nutter with a gun bills finally released from his handcuffs, yet still stays with them to help.
Over time though it appears that the blindness is followed by a sickness and is starting to kill them off one by one, just before bill leaves he hands one of the last of them some pills to ease the suffering and then decides to head off to try and find Jo, but instead runs right into the guy who took him away from Jo....

 Jack turns up at the town hall while Bill is already their looking for any clues as to where they were leaving to before the night of the raid, in hopes that Jo may of done the same. Jack says he turned up to make his peace with them and now regrets not getting out of town before any sickness began, sadly its to late now for those who have died but all's bill wants to do now is find Joe, so off they travel in two army trucks to the location that they left written on the board inside the town hall.... Bill finds shes not their and jack doesn't like her way of thinking so they both leave.

Everywhere they go over time appears to be a lost cause and lots of death, whether it be Triffid or Sickness related seams irrelevant. As the world around them is getting more and more covered in Triffids, more and more people are dying of the illness or being stung & eaten by the triffids.
Jack decides that searching for others is to late and heads back to the manor to make sure they are more prepared than they were when he left. Bill decides to head onward looking for Jo and realizes just where she could be (a place she mentioned that night in the show flat) now Bill just has to find it...
As the series rolls on over the 6 episodes, roughly 30 minuets each, we get a much better glimpse into a triffid world compared to the 1952 Movie, and this 1981 series is as close to the book "visually" as i have seen to date..

Will he find Joe..  Will they beat the triffids, will they be able to fight off the scavengers and low lives when the food starts to run low... watch the classic series to find out....


NOTE: 01
The BBC Released this on DVD with a cool little 12 Page Collectors Booklet,
the UK Region 2 PAL DVD UPC Code is   5014503145224  and it has all 6 Episodes on 1 Disc
Searching online for the red code should list most the company's that sell it....

NOTE: 02
Besides the radio BBC radio broadcast versions & AudioBooks, this is about as close to the original book "Visually" as it gets. Although it was re-made as a Two Part mini series in 2009 using CGI and a bigger budget... I personally still prefer the radio broadcast versions and this 1981 series.

NOTE: 03
I only know of 3 radio broadcast versions from the BBC
One is a 6 Part Series adapted for radio by Giles Cooper and each part was approx 30 mins each
(it featured)  Patrick Barr / Monica Grey

The other version adapted for radio was by Lance Dan was just a Two Part version,
part1 = 47 mins, part 2 = 57 mins, first transmitted on BBC Wales Radio

NOTE: 04
Their is a sort of sequel to John Wyndham's original story by Simon Clark, but its only ever been released as a Book called "The Night of the Triffids" and their IS an Audio, Tape Cassette, Audio book available for this sequel to, Steven Pacey (Author, Reader) :D

NOTE: 05
On the internet this has been pirated in 3 Parts (that was because each part was an hour each) and you will find most "people" selling this illegally are selling that version with the UK Gold Tv channel logo on.
You can buy this as a Genuine BBC DVD really cheep on Amazon, so i would avoid the pirate releases, also be sure to try and get the edition with the little 20 page booklet & remember, this was mass produced, its not a rarity that you should have to pay through the nose for...

Some Menu Shots From The Official DVD Release

DVD Main Menu

DVD Episode Selection

Subtitles Choice

 Some Desk Top Wallpapers 1024x768

Some Promo Photos

  
UK UPC: 5014503145224
USA UPC:
UK ASIN:  B0006GVKE8
USA ASIN:  B000TSTEO6


Also don't forget to check out the 2009 Two Part Re-Make  here

Day of the Triffids FaceBook Fan Page here

An audio editor in the UK took music "his own music" and dubbed it over a section of the "Night Of The Triffids" the sequel book, It's over on YouTube, he also added sound effects and ambiance, making the 2001 Audio story sound so much cooler, and it gave it a hint of the 1981 series style...
  It can be heard here

Also another guy on YouTube did a Video Review that isn't to bad, here

Please remember to RATE this Series below the blog post, add your recommendation tick to help others, also please follow my blog....

The Day of The Triffids (2009)

British DVD Cover

A more up to date modern take on John Wyndham's classic novel. Again this is a BBC production of the Triffid Invasion story and is based in England during the disaster.

As this was the Latest Version of this story at the time of writing this blog post, i have tried to also chart its history at the bottom of the post.

With the use of CGI, this version of the tail shows the triffids with a lot more movement than whats been done before and with more modern editing and visual effects gives this production a very modern look and feel to it.

The soundtrack composed by Alan D. Boyd fits this version of the story prity well and also brings this old classic more into the modern day with an all new moody thriller feel to it. His official Soundcloud Page features some of the music you can listen to free, as does his YouTube Channel Enjoy the links, hes prity good.

Now where were we.. o yes the series.. Well its more like a Movie to be honest, only its just under 3 hours long when watched in full. Aired in 2009 it was later released on the 1st of Febuary in 2010 on DVD, with a special feature "the making of"    It would of been nice to see a Special Edition of this released with more material, including the full soundtrack and a companion book. Maybe in the future they will, but i doubt it. Besides you can hear most the best bits of music on the composers 2 pages, so its not a total loss, also on YouTube (officially on the BBC YT Channel) Are the official BBC Teaser Trailers that were used to publicize the upcoming show.

Security Breach - The Day Of The Triffids - Day One Preview - BBC One
Skies Ablaze - The Day Of The Triffids - Day One Preview - BBC One 
Plane Crash - The Day Of The Triffids - Day One Preview - BBC One 

 I assume these two should of been listed as Day Two Preview (but their not)

Jo escapes Torrence - The Day of The Triffids Preview - BBC One
Genetic Mutation - The Day of The Triffids Preview - BBC One

I guess they realized just because its in two parts didn't mean it was over a period of 2 days :P

Clearly putting them directly on the DVD as extras would of been wasted space, but with today's technology, those trailers could of been on the disk using hidden chapter points that pointed to the scenes within the whole thing and then just the BBC Screen splashed at the end of the selected playback points...
..... the BBC need to remember fans love their Extras.

 Eddie Izzard oddly starred in this and played a really good part (i say that like im surprised) well i was to be honest, i find his comedy about 70% funny & that's being nice, its probably more like 62%.  That said.. ive only seen one stand up show & he was rambling and rather nervous, it had its funny moments.  His acting in this was spot on for the character he played and if you like him then its worth a watch just for that. In the 1981 six part series the character was just just credited as "Red-Haired Man" on imdb, but in the 2009 two part series he was named as Torrence.
...Originally played by Gary Olsen in the 1981 Series.

I was surprised to see they had Jason Priestly in this playing the role of Jack Coker, an American who is determined to get the sighted to help the blind.
As the great Pink Floyd once sung "it is the english way" and Jason being an American cut off from his own country & his own people. He felt truly at a loss at how the British with sight just deserted their own people who were blind. Prity much the same way the 80's character played it.

....Originally played by Maurice Colbourne in the 1981 series.

 Its a shame it was only in two parts because in the 1981 series when jacks off elsewhere no one really knows what he was up to, but i think the BBC wanted this version to be broken down and put together as a faster paced series which is understandable with the attention span of a high majority of today's audience.

Dougray Scott plays Bill Masen the triffid farm scientist, and the only one who realizes how big a threat the triffids will become if no one acts fast to stop them. Typically that hero character who is ignored by whoever is in charge, that is untill that point where its all to late for the human race.. then not only do they change their mind and want help but also expect advise, after knowingly letting millions of people die...

Bill's character in the 2009 release varies a lot compared to the 1981 portrayal of the character.

One difference for example, his father is still alive, also it was his mother who was stung by a triffid

when he was a child, and she died from it. He's blocked out most of that memory over the years,

yet when he realizes why and how he survived through a disturbing flashback,  it may just save him again...

....Originally played by John Duttine in the 1981 Series.

 

Joely Richardson plays the role of Jo "Josella" Playton in the 2009 version and again has a big change of character compared to the 1981 release.
Jo is a BBC radio presenter who has finally been allowed out the studio to cover a story for BBC Television and is her first real big break since radio.
She has no idea whats to come, but luckily for her she gets sent to Interview people waiting on underground train stations to go home rather than standing on the streets or roof tops like the many millions of others around the world to see natures fantastic light show as the comet passes by the earth in close proximity. Shes on the underground train platform when the majority of the world watching the skies goes blind.
...Originally played by Emma Relph in the 1981 Series.

 Brian Cox plays Bills father, Dennis Masen, who is also a triffid expert who has been working alone for years on triffids trying to communicate with them since before they killed his wife and even more so since then. He has been studying the triffids language for years and also has a triffid in captivity which is getting stronger and becoming more intelligent every day.  ..This character is not used in the 1981 Series.

 

Back Of Box:

A modern day adaptation of John Wyndham's best selling iconic novel, which brings his terrifying creation of carnivorous plant species to life in a CGI extravaganza, supported by a sensational all-star cast that includes Dougray Scott, Joely Richardson, Brian Cox, Eddie Izzard, vanessa Redgrave and Jason Priestley.
In this electrifying thriller, social order collapses as humanity faces a double catastrophe. The majority of the people have been blinded by a freak solar storm leaving them at the mercy of opportunists who still have sight.
Meanwhile the triffids (a sentient plantform) are evolving and advancing on the towns in search of human prey. In the face of human annihilation, it is down to a select few to take a stand against mankind's deadliest adversary, a foe with a fatal sting and an unquenchable taste for human flesh.

UPC Code:  5706102299162

UK UPC: 5706102299162
USA UPC:
UK ASIN:  B002YPT7QM   /  B003UZDR70
USA ASIN:  B0047WU1YW   /   B004VT39K4

Lets look back at the history of this story:

The Day Of The Triffids (The Original John Wyndham Book-Novel, 1951)
The Day Of The Triffids (BBC Radio Production, ?? Part Series, 1953)
The Day Of The Triffids (BBC Radio Production, 6 Part Series, 30 minuets each, 1957)
The Day Of The Triffids (BBC Radio Production, 6 Part Series, 1968)
The Day Of The Triffids (The First Movie a British Film, 1962)
The Day Of The Triffids (BBC Radio Production, ?? Part Series,  1971)
The Day Of The Triffids (BBC Radio Production, ?? Part Series, 1973)
The Day Of The Triffids (BBC Radio Production, ?? Part Series, 1980)  
The Day Of The Triffids (BBC Television Production, 6 Part Series, 1981)
The Day Of The Triffids (BBC World Service, 2 Part Series, 60 minuets each, 2001)
The Night of the Triffids (The Sequel Book-Novel by Simon Clark,  2001)
The Night of the Triffids (Audio Book, read by Stephen Pacey 12 Hours 30 minuets total, 2002) 
The Day Of The Triffids (BBC Radio 7, 17-part unabridged, by Roger May, 2004) 
The Day Of The Triffids (BBC Television Production, 2 Part Series, 90 minuets each, 2009)
The Day Of The Triffids (BBC Audiobooks, 17-part, Read by Samuel West, 2011)

An audio editor in the UK took music from the 2009 series and dubbed it over a section of the "Night Of The Triffids" sequel book over on youtube, also added sound effects and ambiance, making the 2001 Audio story sound so much cooler, it can be heard here

An animation artist in the UK created 5 Triffid based videos for part of his uni studies in 2007, the 5 videos can be seen here (look for Triffid in the video names, and click more at the bottom to see the rest)

Day of the Triffids FaceBook Fan Page here

Check out the Info on the Six Part 1981 Series Here

Please remember to RATE this Series below the blog post, add your recommendation tick to help others, also please follow my blog...