Customer Reviews

Egypt - Beyond The Pyramids [VHS]

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Egypt Beyond the Pyramids takes you into a world of the past. From Queen Hatshepsut's Deir el Bahari and the Great Temple at Karnak to Sety I's temple at Abydos and Ramsses the Great's family mausoleum , this video will entrap you in awe at the both the structures and the people who built them.

In the first hour, the film offers a close look at Sety I's magnificent temple which contains a hieroglyphic list of all the kings of egypt till Sety I's reign. From there we explore Queen Hatshepsut temples and their reconstruction.

A visual treat awaits in the second hour with the exploration of the Ramesseum and KV5 - the private mausolem for the family of the Pharaoh in the Valley of Kings. Having over 60 chambers, the KV5 is one of the most magnificent sites shown in the film.

The next two hours give a in-depth look at the people who built it all - the common people. At the city of Mendes, old skeletal bodies are discovered while Deir el Medina shows an amazing sight of a craftsmen city.

The life of the common person - what food they ate, how they dressed, marriage and status of women - all is discussed in this segment.

Finally, the film delves into last important part of the lives of ancient Egyptians - death and beyond death. We get a look at the Book of the Dead and it's role in the soceity.

Most of the first two segments provide a visual feast capturing the magnificent structures. The next two segments don't measure up in terms of footage, but compensate with a look into the actual daily lives of the people.

Highly recommended if you are interested in the egyptian civilization apart from the Pyramids.

When I first saw this DVD in Best Buy, I had to pick it up. And I was not disappointed at all. This CD explores aspects of Egyptian life that are rarely covered by popular media (AKA pyramids). You learn more about the culture and the daily life of Egyptians from here than from other sources. The presentation is definitely a production with an actor as the narrator, but he does a great job. The visuals are excellent and if you're interested in Egyptian history you will not be disappointed with this DVD. Included is a "making of" section that's pretty interesting -- including some outtakes.

This four-part documentary serves either as a great introduction to Egyptology, or as an interesting look at some recent developments in the field. Though the series is numbered somewhat oddly (the third and fourth installments serve more as an introduction into Egyptian belief and culture, while the first two are more in-depth), it covers adequately a broad range of topics, and handles its subject manner well. Far from being just another picumentary of the Pyramids and Sphinx (hence the title), this film provides a beautiful and satisfying look at the wonders of Egypt while providing detailed related information.

All in all, this is an excellent film. The section on KV5 was especially fascinating. In fact, the only thing I have to complain about was having to watch Peter Woodward put on Egyptian makeup in one of the episodes. This shouldn't be enough to drive you away, however; this is a great and informative film.

Egypt - Beyond the Pyramids is an exciting adventure that explores Egypt's past. As host, Peter Woodward joins in the expeditions by interviewing archaeologists, excavating graves, squeezing into narrow crevices, and even dressing up as an Egyptian. His commentary is engaging and insightful. Instead of the usual scenes of crumbling ruins, computer animation gives a more lively and detailed view of the way the Egyptians lived---both rich and poor alike.

This series is great fun to watch and quite informative. The cinimatography is superb and of course, Peter Woodward... He really makes it work. He is definitely into Egypt and his enthusiasm really makes the series come alive. The music overlays in this series is also very good and well produced.

From the Valley of the Kings, to Giza and everything in between, "Egypt - Beyond the Pyramids" seems to take great pride in bringing us viewers into the ancient world of Egypt without ever leaving our living rooms... of course it will inspire you to leave your living room too!

I went to Egypt in 2000, and seeing Peter Woodward narrating in the busy streets of Cairo was just as I remembered... about the only thing missing is the strong smells of herbs, spices, kebab, humid Nile air, nargila smoke, smog, and donkey doo-doo in the Cairene streets!! Oddly pleasant believe it or not! You really do get to see a lot of Egypt in these DVDs! Go get it then go to it!

The programmes are a good guide to some relatively recent discoveries in Egypt, which tend not to get air time otherwise. The photography is excellent and the subject matter interesting and well chosen. The Tomb of the Sons of Ramesses II, the boat graves of Abydos, the "Golden Mummies" of the Ptolemaic period, the restoration of Hatshepsut's mortuary temple etc. I would easily have given the DVDs 5 stars, but the narrative by Peter Woodward is a too theatrical and exaggerated in places, and it becomes a little wearing after a while. It didn't need to be quite so hammed up in order to maintain interest - contrast it, for example, with the more "natural" account given by Dr Kent Weeks of his discovery and continuing excavation of the tomb of the sons of Ramessess II (KV5) which is fascinating without being exaggerated. However, this is a small criticism for an otherwise excellent production.

Egypt: Beyond the Pyramids, a two-DVD set, will enthrall both connoisseurs and neophytes. Superb photography, expert comments of Egyptologists, computer animation, and, last but not least, British actor Peter Woodward make this series stand out among the productions dedicated to Ancient Egypt. Woodward makes Ancient Egypt accessible to a wide audience by keeping his coverage both erudite and entertaining.

In Volume I, Woodward first guides his audience through sites such as Karnak's Great Temple, Queen Hatshepsut's Deir el-Bahri, and the Temple of Abydos. Woodward complements his comments with the insights of Egyptologists to bring back to life these sites in all their splendor. Woodward then explores KV5, the largest tomb in the Valley of the Kings, under the guidance of Kent Weeks. KV5 still has some secrets to reveal to Weeks and his team because of the enormous task that the clearing of the mausoleum represents.

In Volume II, Woodward first digs into the daily life of Ancient Egyptians. Woodward walks on site in the company of Egyptologists who provide viewers with a glimpse in the daily activities of ordinary Egyptians during the Antiquity. To the credit of the authors of this production, the life of ancient Egyptian women gets unusually extensive coverage. Woodward then delves into the spiritual beliefs of Ancient Egypt, which continue to fascinate. The quest for immortality is inseparable from human nature.

To summarize, Egypt: Beyond the Pyramids ranks among the best productions ever made for a broad audience. This production is an invitation extended to spectators to go (back) to Egypt and to view these splendors and their creators for themselves.

I have been absolutely in love with Egyptology since I was like 10 years old and got even more fascinated with it as I got older. Egypt: Beyond the Pyramids is really beyond words, I love it! And As a big extra bonus, seeing Peter Woodward hosting made me real happy because I am a BIG fan of him. I listen and watch him forever. All in all, I recommend this to anyone who loves anything about Egypt and Peter woodward as a bonus :)

The host of the series, Peter Woodward, is not a scholar but an actor. The series suggests that Ramses II's first son may have died when God slaughtered all the firstborn sons in Egypt at the time of the Exodus. Rather than giving a balanced account of facts and arguments, this series allows hyperbole to run rampant. I watched this and learned a lot because I knew almost nothing about Egypt to begin with, but I don't really trust a lot of the information I have been given, and am looking for a series that gives a more scholarly treatment of the subject.

This is a great history collection. All you've wanted to know about the pyramids and more!