Monday, September 5, 2011

River Monsters Season 3 DVD Review




Discover Channel has always been one of my favorite stations. Their educational series are fun and exciting for kids and parents alike.  My son has recently become obsessed with the strange creatures of the oceans and rivers. So he was definitely excited to have the chance to watch River Monsters: Season 3 from Animal Planet.  This series brings you the real life drama of the underwater world. The two disc DVD provides hours of nail biting entertainment. You can experience real life creatures from the deep that might be the basis of legends like the Loch Ness Monster. Below you can check out the trailer and read a little more information about what you can find on this amazing DVD set.

Jeremy Wade, biologist and extreme angler, is back with more investigations into the murky world of fishermen's tales. Jeremy investigates tales of frighteningly large and dangerous river monsters that have attacked and even killed humans.




DISC #1:

Episode 2) The Mutilator: Jeremy Wade travels to Papua New Guinea to investigate a spate of bizarre deaths on the Sepik River. One of the world's last great unexplored rivers, the Sepik cuts through the heart of an island renowned for cannibalism, macabre rituals, head hunters and bitter tribal conflict.

Episode 1) Flesh Ripper: Angler Jeremy Wade is on the trail of a mysterious man-eater described over two hundred years ago by a famous explorer. Is the eight-foot beast in question a mere legend, or could it be the same, flesh-and-blood creature that has attacked divers, seized a child, and devoured sheep alive? New Zealand's freshwaters have been a safe place for swimmers, yet as Jeremy finds out, its remote rivers and deep lakes provide refuge for an ancient and slippery predator that can stay hidden for more than a century. To flush one out, he must put himself on the menu.

Episode 7) Silent Assassin: Jeremy Wade travels to the Paraná River in the remote north east corner of Argentina to investigate the death of a young girl, and once there he discovers a second death. The people who live along this river bank fear the creature they call 'River Dog'. This is a new species to Jeremy, a river monster that somehow got under his radar. This creature is not armed with bone crunching jaws or razor sharp teeth but a razor-sharp blade tipped with tissue destroying venom. But perhaps most bizarre of all is that this monster lives 500 miles from the sea in totally freshwater. His discovery is not only the most alien of all river monsters it is also the largest totally freshwater river monster Jeremy has ever caught.

Episode 4) Chainsaw Predator: Angler Jeremy Wade heads to a remote river in the Australian outback to try and catch the rare but fearsome Freshwater Sawfish. This shadowy predator is reputed to reach eighteen feet long and attack boats - but does the fact that it could slash Jeremy to shreds make it a killer? And why is this bizarre-looking sea monster swimming hundreds of miles inland? In a quest that begins twenty years ago in the Amazon and ends on the banks of a shark-infested river, Jeremy roams into an ancient and beguiling landscape where he encounters Aborigines, scientists, and a real-life 'Crocodile Dundee', before finally confronting the disturbing truth.

Episode 5) Electric Executioner: Extreme angler Jeremy Wade travels to Brazil's 'wild west' in search of a river monster that has killed three cowboys. The search for the culprit sends him deep into prospecting and cattle country, where people fear for his life and he discovers the shocking truth about a fish he's never caught before. He has to combat all his fears to catch this monster and after a long chase, Jeremy finally corners his elusive prey in the most unexpected place. All he has to do then is catch it, without getting killed.

DISC #2:

Episode 3) Cold Blooded Horror: Having never been to Japan before, Jeremy Wade is entering new territory in more ways than one. The River Monsters here are like no others he has ever encountered before, from the devastating earthquake causing catfish, the Namazu, to the sinister child-snatching killer called the Kappa. But can our EXTREME FISHERMAN uncover the truth behind these legends? Can he catch a monster in the rivers of Japan that reveals the reality behind these horrific tales? He is about to find out.

Episode 6) Jungle Killer: Jeremy Wade sets out to discover the true river monster of South America, Piranha get all the press but is there a more fearsome predator lurking in its rivers? Tipped off by an attack on a diver by a single fish, Jeremy soon discovers that there is a real monster to find. With conditions against him, lightning storms threatening him and his crew, the last pieces of the puzzle are put in place by the local Amerindian tribe, Jeremy finally heads deeper and deeper into the remote jungles of Suriname, to come face to face with a Jungle Killer like no other. Tribal Fishing with Jeremy Wade: Jeremy Wade has to survive alongside some of the world's best fishermen, using spears, bows and arrows and even spiders webs to catch his prey. The tribe live on a tropical island paradise in the south pacific, and claim to have a special relationship with sharks. None ever been killed by a shark, although they swim and fish in some of the most shark infested waters on the planet. As Jeremy throws himself into tribal life, learning to fish and live as they do, he faces a tough challenge to be accepted, and comes closer than ever to one of the world's ultimate predators. River Monsters the Lost Reel: Long before becoming the host of River Monsters, Jeremy Wade, biologist and extreme angler, searched for the world's most monstrous and bizarre fish well off the public radar. Originally filmed a decade ago, these programs follow a younger Jeremy Wade as he treks through remote waters in South America and India, in search of freshwater monsters. This long-lost footage, never before seen by US audiences, captures some of the biggest moments in Jeremy's life. Cameras roll as he lands a prehistoric giant for the first time, and as he's blasted in the chest by a living missile. And in the most shocking scene of all, Jeremy and his crew are seen helpless inside a tiny plane as it crashes into the Amazon.

Episode #1: Amazon

Episode #2: India

DISC #3

BONUS:

Man vs. Fish- Ep. 1) Mako Shark: On the high seas of New Zealand, Matt Watson and his crew confront the most spectacular and unpredictable shark of all - the mako shark. It's man versus man-eater. Matt's mission is to test the mako's intelligence, power, aggression and speed-and there is only one way to do this. He needs to throw himself into the water to encounter the dangerous predator face to face. His chance comes quicker than expected when a mako shark gets tangled in a fishing line and Matt has to cut it loose. Later, Matt is confronted by a mako and then also a blue shark. Finally, in an ultimate showdown, Matt battles a razor-sharp-toothed mako from a tiny plastic raft as he attempts to tag it. The mako bites the raft and Matt has to swim for his life to get to safety. Additional stories from other anglers include: catching salmon sharks from a kayak and a giant tiger shark from the beach.

Ep. 2) Catfish: Expert ocean stunt fisherman Matt Watson is transplanted from his native high seas of New Zealand to the muddy waters of Oklahoma. Here, he faces a new challenge - combating biting river beasts barehanded. It's man versus giant river monsters. Matt meets Lee McFarlin, undisputed King of Catfish Noodling. Lee knows exactly what it takes to wrestle these legendary river monsters and there's only one way to do it. Matt dives into the murky waters, reaches into dark holes, nooks and crannies and blindly feels for his opponents - with his bare hands. Struck with beginners luck, Matt catches some small specimen and explains their unique physical traits and hunting methods. Then, Matt and Lee demonstrate classic noodling techniques of blocking, biting and controlling inside a pool. Back in the muddy river, Matt spontaneously comes up with his own noodling technique - using live bait, strapped around his hand! His ingenuity works and he successfully wrestles a giant flathead catfish to the surface. Now, he's only left with the ultimate challenge of noodling… at night. And there are other catfish anglers featured catching a giant Piraiba in the Amazon and a monster Jau from high atop cliffs at raging river waters.

Ep. 3) Marlin: Expert ocean stunt fisherman Matt Watson embarks on a wild journey across the South Pacific Ocean. His mission? Catching and tagging a massive marlin… from a jet ski! Sporting a spear-shaped bill, the marlin is a mighty opponent. But catching one from a jet ski is the ultimate challenge. In New Zealand, killer whales crash Matt's party and he's nearly dragged into the water. Then, Mother Nature's wrath comes head on when Matt is forced to battle fierce storms, ride 15-ft waves, and then deal with broken equipment. Pressing on, Matt continues his quest 1,000 miles further north along the Gold Coast of Australia. Here, he dodges thrashing tails of humpback whales and is driven away by another storm. Finally, another 1,000 miles away - near the Island of Vanuatu - Matt gets lucky… He comes face-to-face with a marlin and takes the plunge to tag and release the ultimate ocean warrior. And there are two other daring anglers … catching a giant arapaima in Thailand and an enormous halibut from a kayak in Alaska.

Ep. 4) Tiger Shark: Matt sets out on a mission in Australia's Great Barrier Reef to catch and tag the most indiscriminate killer of the deep sea - the tiger shark. But to secure the cutting edge satellite tags, Matt must wrestle the tiger and drill holes into its dorsal fin.

Ep. 5) Dogtooth Tuna: Matt Watson journeys thousands of miles from his home in New Zealand to the remote island of Gaua, Vanuatu in the South Pacific. His challenge: fish like a native. Matt visits a village so small it doesn't even have a name, where fishing means survival. Traveling by luxury fishing boat to the island, Matt uses high tech gear one last time to catch fish as gifts for the islanders. Upon arrival, he's given the royal treatment, welcomed by the chief and many islanders. Before he can fish like a native, Matt needs an authentic dugout canoe. He gets a lesson in making these handcrafted vessels from the men of the village. Matt's first challenge is to catch some bait fish using nothing but a hook, a hand line and a makeshift lure crafted out of strips of the chief's t-shirt. He'll need this kind of live bait to bring in a really big fish for the villagers. Once he's got his bait, he heads miles off shore in his little dugout canoe. But in order to land a giant dog tooth tuna, Matt must first battle with highly aggressive sharks that are his constant competition for food. Braving sweltering heat, treacherous seas, and a sinking canoe in shark-infested waters, Matt refuses to give up. Will he catch a dog tooth big enough to feed the entire village? And half way around the world two other daring anglers do battle… catching a fish with teeth like a tiger on the Congo river: the Goliath tiger fish, and a record setting marlin off the coast of Australia with a fishing line as thin a hair.

If you are interesting in purchasing this exciting DVD set for yourself, it will be available in retailers nationwide beginning on September 20th.  You can also find it online in the Discovery Store for the low price of only $29.95.


***Please note that I received no form of monetary compensation for this post. I did receive a sample of the product to try in order to write a fair and honest review. The opinions expressed in this review are my own and were not influenced in any way. *** 

1 comments:

Terra Heck said...

River Monsters is one of my favorite shows. My husband likes it too. May have to get this so we can watch it when we want.