Krakatoa

Due to the fact that scientific and public interest in natural phenomena was at an all-time high in the late 19th century, one of the greatest natural cataclysms in recorded history--the massive volcanic explosion on August 27th, 1883 that nearly obliterated the 6,000-foot high, 10-mile diameter Indonesian island of Krakatoa, located near the highly populated coastal communities of Sumatra and Java--was extremely well-documented, a boon for the makers of this PBS-aired British documentary. Krakatoa opens months before the August disaster, examining the curious portents of imminent disaster that prompted native Indonesians and Dutch settlers alike to witness and record the geological events leading up to the ultimate explosion. Bringing contemporary relevancy to the story, the Krakatoa disaster is examined in light of the aftermath of the disastrous tsunami that struck the region on December 26, 2004, with geologists and vulcanologists persuasively arguing that the destructive forces unleashed by Krakatoa are still connected to volatile geological conditions today (making another cataclysmic event a virtual certainty in the not-too-distant future). Krakatoa uses computer-generated special effects--admittedly crude by Hollywood blockbuster standards, but still impressive--to convey the sheer scale and devastation of the Krakatoa explosion, which killed 36,000 people and created sound waves that circled the planet. A riveting program chock full of amazing historical and scientific tidbits, this is recommended. Aud: H, C, P. (J. Shannon)