Customer Reviews

Twisters - Nature's Fury (2 Tape Set) [VHS]

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I use this when teaching meteorology classes. I love the fact that the videos are shown in "raw" form with minimal commentary and editing, and there are a wide variety of videos that show lots of different severe weather events. This allows students to focus on what they are seeing, and provides a good way for me to add comments in class.

A downside would be that there isn't much in the way of educational items otherwise, no snazzy soundtrack, or other bells and whistles. But if you just want tornado videos without all the other fluff usually included, this is great for you. And a great value, too.

There's nothing like good ol' fashioned VHS tapes and I was only too happy to pick up this two-tape set in a local thrift shop. The set was obviously released to capitalize on the success and interest in the 1996 hit movie, "Twisters," starring Helen Hunt.

Tape one is the more scientific of the two videos, giving detailed scientific explanations regarding the formation of tornadoes while tape two is a compliation of both amateur and professional video shot of tornadoes, including the second twister ever captured on moving video (in the early-1950's). Minus the sometimes annoying amateurish commentary and pleas to get in the basement from hysterical wives and hearing the mixed reactions from children spanning from natural curiosity to fear (that was, and remains, justified), these videos give a glimpse into both the beauty and danger of tornadoes (and, editorial time, it makes one wonder why people choose to live in a part of the country where you have to keep building houses every so often after a tornado demolishes nearly everything you own. Once or twice is one thing, but not when it keeps happening every few years).

The most interesting piece of video that was both fascinating and frightening was one from the early-1990's in which a TV crew and a few others got caught under an underpass while a funnel cloud moved directly over them. Hearing that swirling wind and seeing the concrete seemingly move and almost get pulled up by the wind was surreal. I'm genuinely surprised all those people made it out from that underpass in one piece - video camera especially!

In all, this is an interesting and educational set to view a few times. - Donna Di Giacomo