Product Details

• Actors: Various
• Directors: Chris Perkel, Georgie Roland
• Format: AC-3, Color, Dolby, DVD, NTSC, Surround Sound, Widescreen
• Language: English
• Region: All Regions
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: CINEVOLVE
• DVD Release Date: May 19, 2009
• Run Time: 71 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B00208GJ14
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #85,313 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Studio: Cinevolve Studios Release Date: 05/19/2009 Run time: 71 minutes

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars "So-So" at best ... an objective critique ..., July 31, 2009

By 

R. Plazek (Cleveland, Ohio USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: TOWN THAT WAS, THE (DVD)

First the "pros" of this DVD ... excellent footage is included of the town (or lack thereof), the re-routed PA Route 61, the damage the fire continues to do, and the scenery around the area. Watching the elderly mayor of Centralia and one of the last remaining residents gives a good feel for how attached some people were to the town and why they still will not leave. The home movies from the 1960's that are briefly shown on the DVD add character and a real personality to the town that has a way of getting lost when you just read about the history of the town.

Now the "cons" of this DVD ... I have two complaints. First, the video is very shaky for extended periods of time. For a professionally recorded and edited DVD, the camera operator(s) really should have used a tripod! I found myself looking away from the screen a few times because of the shaky camerawork. The second complaint is that the story of Centralia is told through the eyes of one of the very few remaining residents. Nothing against him, mind you. He did a good job of explaining his family roots and what makes him stay on in a town that no longer has any ownership of property. However, to be honest about it -- I wanted to see more of a visual history of the town and the mine fire. The producer(s)/writer(s) spent too much camera time on one person. While his story is interesting and I am not knocking him, I would have enjoyed seeing a lot more fully-factual information in it.

Lastly, having read the book "The Day the Earth Caved In" as well as currently reading "Unseen Danger", the DVD missed a lot of key parts of the story: how did the fire truly begin? Who is Todd Domboski? (he is shown in the DVD without an explanation of who he is and how he directly relates to the panic of 1981) Also ... who supported the town being kept intact? Who was firebombed for supporting the town being relocated? How did the residents end up fighting with each other over staying in the town or leaving? What did the majority of the residents decide was best for the town? What public officials were involved in the total bungling of the fire suppression projects? Did the state and federal governments have an alternate motive for vacating the residents of the town?

All and all, the production of this DVD is not bad, but I would have liked to have seen a lot more history of the town and the fire, as well as more interviews with past and present residents. The remaining resident they interviewed should have been a chapter on the DVD but not the main focus. For $20.00+, I think the DVD should be marketed with a better description of what the disc actually has on it. It is honestly mostly about one remaining resident, as well as the elderly mayor and two former residents.

If you're looking for a full "history" of the town and the mine fire, this DVD is NOT the place to start your quest for knowledge. If you're familiar with the story already (as I was), then this DVD is worthy viewing. $20.00+ for it is a bit pricey. The DVD fails as a good history of the town and mine fire, but it does succeed in bringing people into the story of Centralia. It helps you understand better that people made up Centralia, not just buildings and historic information. I don't mean to knock or degrade this DVD, but 70 minutes of a small number of people and not a lot of history make $20.00 seem kind of steep for the DVD.

Thank you for reading this.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Truly amazing!, June 17, 2009

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B. Cancel - See all my reviews
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This review is from: TOWN THAT WAS, THE (DVD)

I have actually taken a trip up to Centralia a few months ago, to see basically a massive meadow with smoldering hillsides. Once you see this video, you get to see what WAS there, and how that strange place was once a massive and thriving town. It is truly amazing.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The last guy in town, June 21, 2009

By 

Carolyn - See all my reviews

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This review is from: TOWN THAT WAS, THE (DVD)

Recent local news says that the last resident finally moved out. This is an excellent account of a small town, lost to a man made disaster and the few loyal people who hung on until the very end. Covers Pennsylvania history, coal mining history. Answered all of the questions that came to my mind over the years since I first heard about it. Well done independent film.