Search - Monsterquest - Complete Season 1 (History Channel) (Steelbook) on DVD

A must-have for monster enthusiasts

Eric Palmer | Raleigh, NC, USA | 04/26/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"If you are one of those people who often wonders what might be roaming the woods behind your house, what might be lurking beneath the surface of the lake, or what made that bump in the night then I suggest watching one of these thirteen episodes before going to bed. This series is an overview of many of our local cryptozoological mysteries (Bigfoot, Champ, the Skunk Ape, etc). Several details set this series apart from many other such documentaries aired on television. First off, unlike National Geographic's "Is It Real?", this series doesn't try so hard to discredit the evidence. Also, unlike Sci Fi Channel's "Destination Truth", not all rumors and stories are accepted as fact. This series falls nicely in between, with a rational and scientific approach. Second, and more importantly, this series contains startalling new evidence that will make you gasp such as a digitally-enhanced close-up of the face of Roger Patterson's Bigfoot, recordings of sonic clicks coming from Lake Champalin (home of Champ), and the first ever video footage of a live giant squid!!

Each episode contains a computer-animated image of the creature based on eyewitness descriptions, dramatic reinactments of very recent sightings (some occuring in 2004), and equal voice time for believers and skeptics. Also in each episode, you get to follow a team of experts as they set out on their own expedition using old and new research methods to track the legendary beasts and uncover DNA evidence. Overall, I highly recomend this DVD for anyone who might be interested in the unknown, and I also believe those majoring in biology and zoology will get a kick out of it too. But mostly I recommend it to anyone who enjoys seeing the unusual."

Things That Go Bump in the Night--or the Mind?

William Holmes | Portland, OR USA | 07/27/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

""Monster Quest" is one of life's guilty pleasures. Each episode features high production values, good narration and a spooky story. The series clearly leans toward the "monsters are real!" side of the spectrum, but it presents the views of skeptics as well (albeit in a pretty perfunctory way).



Each hour creates an entertaining atmosphere of mystery, but the show is honest in reporting negative results. The camera traps that are set to take pictures of elusive beasts yield lovely shots of deer, horses, cows, cars and even eagles, but (so far, at least) never a Sasquatch, skunk ape, or dog man. DNA testing shows that the mutant monster dog is not a dire wolf--it's a big feral dog. The footprint of an elusive orang pendek (hypothesized to be a relict specimen of homo floresiensis) turns out to belong to a bear. And a clever experiment with high speed photography does a good job of refuting the theory that "rods" captured on ordinary video cameras are creatures from another dimension.



Whether you think of monsters as real or as folklore, this show will do nicely if you just want to sit back and enjoy a spooky, interesting story for an hour or so.

"

A complete season

Legionjoe | Somewhere in the lower 48 or Canada | 07/14/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"After being gone for nearly a year; I was finally able to see all of the programs episodes. Alot of them deal with the same equipment and the effectiveness is spotty, yet promising. At least someone is taking a professional and scientific approach to trying to find conclusive evidence of these mysterious creatures and happenstances. More or less the series is an updated version of an older TV series. If you're into the strange and spooky, this can help shed some more onfo on those subjects."

Not enough variety

MTL | San Francisco, CA USA | 04/18/2009

(3 out of 5 stars)

"I have always enjoyed watching shows that dealt with cryptozoology and the unexlpained. I purchased two episodes of MonsterQuest season two on PSN (giant killer snakes and giant octopus) and found it enjoyable to watch with good production value. I bought the box set of MonsterQuest season 1&2 and I'm disappointed with season one. The show does a good job of using modern science to prove and/or disprove the "monster" of myth and stories. The show uses CG and reenactments to tell the stories of eye witnesses. Narration and the overall presentation of the shows were good, unfortunately most of the "monsters" from season one were uninteresting. Five of the episodes were about bigfoot from different continents. Two were about mutant dogs and black mountain lions which I didn't find interesting at all. Unlike in the '90s, shows like this are rare in today's TV programming. MonsterQuest season one showed potential but fell short of being entertaining due to the lack quality "monsters"."