Customer Reviews

Visions of England

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I have found the Visions of England an elegant sojourn. I was taken aback by the beautiful cinematography. I spent several years studying and lecturing at Oxford University (Christ Church College), and this DVD does justice to the landscape of this magnificent isle. What stunning visual photography in the form of both the previous Italy and Greece dvd's. For the armchair tourist, this dvd will enthrall all of the senses.

I bought this dvd as a treat for myself - I absolutely love England. It's hard to go wrong with the natural beauty of England. The dvd is quite relaxing and enjoyable. The voiceover can be a bit tiresome - she's a bit overly grandiose in her delivery. The visuals - mostly by airplane - aren't quite as stirring as the "Visions of Germany - Along the Rhine" was - that one really was enchanting and the voiceover was more informative. This is still a very nice hour spent enjoying the natural beauty and history uniquely shown by helicopter and airplane along with lovely background music. It would make a great gift for someone who misses their home in England or just loves England like I do.

I loved watching this on OPB! It was after I traveled there so I was excited to see where exactally I was and what it looked like from above. I personally loved the soundtrack to this. The soft classical music was great. I also loved the narrator. She had a lovely soothing accent. I looked online a long time ago to see if I could purchase it and the only way was to donate $90 to the Oregon Public Broadcasting network. But now I can!!

This is the movie I always wanted someone to make--a flyover of some of the most beautiful places in England. The photography is wonderful and lets you soar to views you won't otherwise get to experience. The only thing that would improve the concept is to be able to drop down inside these landmarks for a few minutes along the way. If I had never been to England, this film would be the inspiration to go. Instead it is the inspiration to return.

Much like most of you out there I first became acquainted with the `Vision Series' of aerial travelogue features on PBS television. Whenever I came upon one while channel surfing I'd immediately put the remote down and sit back and relax. It wasn't long before I decided these programs were something I'd never tire of watching and needed to be added to my private DVD collection.

Released in '05, `Visions of England' is the third production in the series. As with the previous two (Greece and Italy) immediately the audience is whisked away high above the maddening crowd to view an England, both urban and rural, in breathtaking fashion. The music is beautifully in sync with the visuals as is the narration. A treat to be enjoyed by the traveler in all of us.

Scene Index
1. Opening, Dover, Martello Tower, Town of Battle, Bodiam Castle [6:49]
2. Eastbourne, Palace Pier, Royal Pavilion, Isle of Wight, Carisbrooke Castle, Osborne House, Southampton, Salisbury Cathedral, Winchester Cathedral, Stonehenge [7:57]
3. Stourhead, Uffington White Horse, Hadrian's Wall, Fountains Abbey, Bempton Cliffs, Flamborough Lighthouse, Humber Bridge, York, Castle Howard [8:46]
4. Blackpool, Liverpool, Queen Square, Severn Road Bridge, Exmoor National Park, Dunster Castle, Cheddar, Wells Cathedral, Bath [7:35]
5. Newmarket, Cotswolds, Cambridge, Kings College, Stratford-Upon-Avon, Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Blenheim Palace, Oxford, London [9:46]
6. Thames River, London Eyes, Houses of Parliament, Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, Marble Arch, British Museum, Admiralty Arch, Trafalgar Square, Piccadilly Circus, Baker Street [5:03]
7. Prince Albert Memorial, Royal Albert Hall, Covent Garden, Hyde Park, Kensington Palace, Kew Gardens, Regent's Park, Tower Bridge, Tower of London, Globe Theatre, Westminster Abbey, Harrods [5:00]
8. Royal Naval College, Royal Observatory, Thames Flood Barrier, Canterbury, Channel Tunnel [4:10]
9. Credits [:46]

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Beautiful footage, just as you'd expect. But entirely too short. There's so much more to England than what was shown, even with the bonus footage. Also, I think that England in all 4 seasons would've made it even more interesting, visually. If you want a truly 5-star experience of the "Visions" DVDs, try the one of Greece. Much more to it than this one!

Fantastic DVD! The aerial photography and background music are breathtaking. The person who said the narration was bad is nuts. Only weakness in this series of DVDs is that they never show you a map, so you can see where in the country you are. But due to the overall quality of the DVD, I give it a top grade. I only wish the company producing this series would hurry up and publish more discs on more places.

'Flyovers' can be thrilling experiences and "Visions of England" does not disappoint with its 'visits' to places we have enjoyed in past years ... even Longleat, and tiny Glossop & Cheddar Gorge. This DVD is filled with memories for us and happily a few magical views of places to include on the 'next' itinerary are also shown. For my taste the Bronte country and Beatrix Potter's (& Wordsworth's) Lake District deserve more attention.

The photography from a helicopter is superb. It reminds this traveler of flying into Heathrow, always glimpsing at least one recognizable landmark, be it bridge, castle, the Thames or Big Ben. Obviously, the DVD was produced with more than our pleasure in mind. Yes, I found the narration a bit "over the top" and might relegate the cutesy comments to a bus tour for 'seniors' ... but I tell myself "to each his own." My preference would be a more literary approach with quotations from literary figures, straight from their roots.

Bonus flights accompanied by appropriate music (without narration) treat viewers to "the even playing fields" of Britain, sumptuous gardens and a motor launch on Lake Windermere among other sights.

A valued 'extra' would be a booklet including an overall map with 'gps' insets and a few shots of interiors to further whet our appetites. Reviewer mcHaiku recommends watching "Visions of England" (and similar DVDs) for escapism in the truest sense but also for sensible aids to planning your future travels.

And what better time than now?

Takes me back time and again. I love England and it helps with being 'homesick' for that beautiful country.