Mountain

Noted cinematographer Peter Roberts, creator of the exceptional nature programs Eagles and Loons (4* reviews in our April, 1990 issue), tackles the subject of mountains in his latest offering. Using Washington's Mt. Rainier as a model, the video contains no narration, relying on the natural sounds of running brooks, wildlife, and raging winds. In addition to the natural sounds, the soundtrack features music by Windham Hill artist Scott Cossu and Van Manakas. Similar to the Eagles and Loons tapes, the Mountain tape is handsomely packaged with a book-like overleaf which contains "video notes," time-coded to the visual sequences in the video. Mountain goats, male Black-tail (Mule) deer, Clark's nutcracker, and the endangered Spotted Owl are just a few of the species of wildlife seen in their natural habitat in the program, and the plant life offers a wide variety of shape and color to the rugged contours of the mountain. Shot over the period of a year, viewers see the mountain in each of its seasons. Though not as engaging as Eagles and Loons (primarily because shots of a mountain are, by nature, much more static, than shots of eagles and loons), Mountain is nevertheless a beautiful production that is sure to find a large audience among library patrons. Highly recommended. (Available from: Peter Roberts Productions, 121 Fifth Ave. N., Suite 117-B, Edmonds, WA 98020-3163; 1-800-7353298.)