Alaska: Spirit of the Wild

After watching this Oscar nominated tribute to our 49th state, you might be tempted to pack your bags and trundle your buns As Far as You Can Go Without a Passport (to borrow the title of one of Tom Bodett's books). Three words to consider before you break out the Samsonite: Fifty. Below. Zero. We're talking nippy. Which is why you might want to opt for the next best thing: this Charlton Heston narrated overview of the physical majesty, varied wildlife, and signature features (such as the Aurora Borealis and the Iditarod race) of the Last Frontier State. For forty minutes, the cameras deliver absolutely pristine footage of shearing ice banks thundering into the (very cold) drink, brown bears fishing for salmon, sea lions cavorting underwater, the northern lights blazing across the night sky, time-lapse photography of the extreme tidal fluctuations which can "drain an entire bay like a bathtub," polar bears stretching lazily in the (very cold) snow, and so on. My favorite scene had to be a sequence where a group of wily humpback whales craftily herd herring into a circle and then swim underneath them, shooting in the air with a mouthful of dinner. With the exception of a few lapses into purple alliteration ("the serenity of summer can be shattered...") or strange locutions (in describing a bear pair, Heston intones "bear hugs will lead to conception"--not only delicately omitting a few bridging steps, but possibly confusing kids who are used to hearing "Hey, come on over here and give your Uncle Frank a big ole bear hug"), Alaska: Spirit of the Wild is armchair traveler/nature enthusiast eye candy of the highest order. Highly recommended. Aud: P. (R. Pitman)