Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea

America's largest oil spill occurred as a result of the Exxon tanker Valdez running aground shortly after midnight on March 24, 1989 in Alaska's Prince William Sound. This half-hour documentary examines the environmental effects of the spill, focusing particularly on the tragic loss of wildlife which transpired following the accident. In tracking the clean-up effort launched by Exxon in the wake of the disaster, the program interviews both company officials and area scientists as to the effectiveness of the methods used, and poses questions about the long-term prospects for the contaminated areas. While Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea is a good environmental study of a recent catastrophe, a similar and less expensive program is already available: America's Biggest Oil Spill (Aylmer Press), reviewed in our June, 1990 issue provides a more in-depth look at the incident, and costs a modest $19.95. One would have to be foolhardy indeed to spend $250 instead of $19.95 for what is essentially the same material. Our advice to companies who charge high prices is that they'd better make sure they've got a unique and creative product to justify the price tag. A standard gloss on current events or yet another substance abuse video is not going to cut the mustard in the high-priced institutional market much longer. Independent home video mavens are making better programs at affordable prices: what's going to happen when schools wake up and realize this? Although Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea is a worthy program, we cannot in good conscience recommend it, in light of its excellent and inexpensive competition. (Available from: Landmark Films, 3450 Slade Run Drive, Falls Church, VA 22042.)