Einstein

While this 90-minute documentary does give time to various events throughout Albert Einstein's life, both public and personal, the predominant focus of the program is the theory of relativity. I enjoyed that it was presented in such a way that an interested but scientific layman could understand while giving just enough context to explain Einstein's inner struggles and his opinions of science's place in the development of weapons and machines of war. Serves as a nice introduction but I would have liked another hour or two worth of information.

Conspiracy?

From Oliver Stone to the random rantings of relatives, I've always enjoyed listening to conspiracy theories. Regardless of how unprovable the claims, I've watched enough of "The X-Files" to believe that the truth is out there and we don't even know the half of it. In this three-disc set produced by the History Channel, we're treated to the expected UFO cover-ups, Pearl Harbor and the RFK, Martin Luther King, Jr. and Lincoln assassinations, along with newer material focusing on Princess Diana's death and the Oklahoma City bombing. The piece on the CIA and the Nazis is particularly unsettling.

The Founding of America

While watching this massive collection from the History Channel, particularly the "Founding Fathers" and "Founding Brothers" mini-series, I realized that despite years of U.S. History courses I knew little to nothing about the personal lives or even the personality of the men responsible for the founding of the United States of America. I found it refreshing that rather than presenting these men in a glossed-over fashion we're given a warts-and-all tribute. Those looking for more gunplay than a history lesson might be a bit disappointed. There are ample recreations of the battles but these are outnumbered by the context that surrounds them.

Also included are two feature-length films that were made by A&E: "The Crossing" starring Jeff Daniels as George Washington and "Bendedict Arnold: A Question of Honor" starring Aidan Quinn and Kelsey Grammer. While neither film matches the quality of the recent "John Adams" mini-series, they are far stronger than what you'd expect for made-for-TV film.

The Universe Collector's Set

Comprising the two complete seasons of the History Channel-produced "The Universe" and the "How the Earth Was Made" along with the BBC's eight episode series "The Planets," this 14-disc collection is exhaustive, to say the very least. Typically I'm a huge fan of BBC-produced documentaries, but in this case "The Universe," with its more diverse approach that includes a healthy dose of aliens amongst the more conventional subjects, proves to be more entertaining. While there does tend to be a dryness in the presentation, the information is also approachable, and ultimately the awe factor wins out.

Hell on Wheels

To be honest, when I sat down to watch "Hell on Wheels," a documentary about the derby girl revival in Texas, I expected it to be a promo reel that played out like a poorly produced WWE release. I was, to my surprise and pleasure, completely wrong. While there is a good amount of girl-fight-on-skates footage, the main focus of the documentary is the struggle to establish the roller derby as a viable sport by a group in Texas and the egos that tear it in two. Filled with a range of passive to aggressive characters, "Hell on Wheels" is entertaining, educational and frustratingly brilliant.