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| The 11th Hour | 
 enlarge | Directors: Nadia Conners, Leila Conners Petersen
Actors: Leonardo Dicaprio, Thom Hartmann, Kenny Ausubel, James Woolsey, Wangari Maathai
Studio: Warner Home Video
Category: DVD
List Price: $4.99
Buy New: $3.40
You Save: $1.59 (32%)
Buy New/Used/Collectible from $3.00
Avg. Customer Rating:  (53 reviews)
Sales Rank: 2498
Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Dvd-video, Subtitled, Widescreen, Ntsc
Languages: English (Original Language), English (Subtitled), French (Subtitled), Spanish (Subtitled)
Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Media: DVD
Running Time: 95 minutes
Number Of Items: 1
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1
Dimensions (in): 7.8 x 6.2 x 0.1
MPN: WARD026941D
UPC: 085391183518
EAN: 0085391183518
ASIN: B00005JPXA
Release Date: April 8, 2008
Theatrical Release Date: 2007
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Customer Reviews:
 A 'must see'! We ignore films/messages like this at our own peril! May 6, 2008
This documentary on global warming, and other key environmental issues facing us (and the planet) is absolutely SUPERB! DiCaprio did a great job getting key scientists, professors, and other experts to expound on some of the key issues facing us vis a vis the environment. The moral and philosophical underpinnings of what we are doing to this planet, and what we can do to change it are not to be ignored as well. All in all, a very compelling film which EVERYONE should see! Well worth your time.
 Naive and simpleminded effort. No mention of human overpopulation. And endorcing biofuels? Seriously? May 2, 2008
5 out of 8 found this review helpful
There was no mention of the human race trying to control its spiraling population. Human overpopulation has now become the Problem more than anything else. They made a mention of there being twice as many people today as there were when Kennedy was president. Their hopes for the future of technology are just too hopeful. They put me vaguely in the mind of old science fiction novels that assumed by the year 2000 humans would have colonized Mars and all of us would me moving around via individual jet packs. Even if eventually possible, the technology they mention can only raise our carrying capacity for a very short while. (For more information about this, google Albert Bartlett. He has some amazingly entertaining video lectures that are sure to please you.) Consider that when the deer population in American woodlands increases to a certain level, hunting is encouraged by the government to reduce the deer population. The argument against animal rights groups is thus: the deer that will survive hunting season will have more food and will therefore be healthier. Since the makers of this documentary consider us part of nature, they need to realize that the planet cannot sustain more human population growth.
We NEED negative human population growth NOW.
If the human population continues to grow, there will be dire consequences. In the words of the famous Isaac Asimov, "Democracy cannot survive overpopulation. Human dignity cannot survive it. Convenience and decency cannot survive it. As you put more and more people into the world, the value of life not only declines, it disappears. It doesn't matter if someone dies. The more people there are, the less one individual matters."
Moreover, I begin to question the whole intelligence of this documentary because of their (granted very brief) endorsement of biofuels. Everyone knows that biofuels are very bad for the environment, considering how much deforestation will have to be accomplished in order to grow corn and soybean to turn into fuel. Not to mention that biofuels are driving up food prices, causing more and more people to starve.
UPDATE
I just finished watching Anderson Cooper's Planet in Peril (2 DVD set). It is fantastic and you should watch it instead of this documentary.
Best part is the Solutions (bonus features), many ideas April 30, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
The Solutions section is long, with many experts explaining various things that people and corporations are doing and could do toward restoring Earth and living sustainably hereafter. Much of it is surprising, intriguing, and fascinating. Even though most of the things proposed or described are large-scale, it gave me four ideas of things that we could do in our small community right now. That's valuable and makes this DVD worth watching for the bonus features alone.
 Fairly Effective Hollywood Scare Tactics April 28, 2008
4 out of 6 found this review helpful
That isn't to say I would personally challenge many of the alarming scientific facts presented in The 11th hour. Some are indisputable but unfortunately they are being marketed to us. This is hardcore propaganda and if it wasn't for the fact that I'm on board with its views, I may take it down a star. Nevertheless, it is probably very effective propaganda for many people who don't understand the science, never will understand, and never want to. It reminds me of the popular Michael Moore films but infused with horror instead of Moore's enjoyable comical charm. Still, The 11th Hour is another film that puts the idea of global warming awareness in danger of being dismissed as trendy in the eyes of the masses searching diligently for comfort in their minds wrought with denial. The comparisons to the 2006 Al Gore documentary on the subject, An Inconvenient Truth, are expected and actually quite interesting. Gore's film is The 11th Hour-Lite, but really it was a bit more compelling because of it.
The 11th Hour is still a decent film despite its flaws and it presents a great mix of concerned voices for change. The list includes Stephen Hawking, Mikhail Gorbachev, David Orr, Paul Hawken, James Woolsey, David Suzuki, Kenny Ausubel, and 2004 Nobel Peace Prize winner Wangari Maathai, among many others. There are moments when different people express the same point based on essentially the same evidence and there are also moments of great truth and insight. This is Leonardo DiCaprio's film and I know there are a lot of conservatives out there who I disagree with more often than not who wince when seeing DiCaprio here, but I couldn't help but catch a little bit of the fever that conservatives have when attacking Hollywood's elite with that sort of "shut up and act!" aggression. He is just an actor after all, and even though it's nice that he has a cause, it just doesn't sit well that he is narrating a film poised as a voice of authority when so many great thinkers on this very subject get less face-time. I say that not as a criticism that Leo is expressing his well-informed opinion, but that his presence seems a tad bit egotistical.
I'm conflicted though because what I liked about the 11th Hour is that it has teeth, so its propaganda label is a double edged sword for me. I like the fact that it attacks the audience into action because it does so by presenting us not just facts but scientists and other authorities backing the facts up by saying essentially the same thing; we're doomed if we don't change. Folks don't want to here that and even if things are not as dire as they're presented here, action is a necessity at this point. The most important thing that can come out of this is that people will talk and maybe read about this important subject, even if their research is a way for them to try and challenge the validity of anthropogenic global warming. Remember though, one of the film's most important points is that this is not a matter of faith, the overall subject is science and these assertions are based on observation, predictability, and above all evidence. We must all remember to let the evidence rise above the hype and the politics, no matter how boring it is to learn about or how scary it will be to understand the truth.
Mixed recommendation overall from me here, but for five dollars you really can't go wrong. Be sure to supplement your viewing with some informative literature on this material, so you are well-equipped to read between the lines.
Stellar April 27, 2008
Excellent take on the problems we face now that will take effort, intent, and money to fix.
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