Documenting History

Though documentaries get short shrift in theaters, the genre is alive and well on home video. Here’s a look at the current crop of documentaries available.

New from Kino is the compelling “Mein Krieg” (My Private War), which looks at World War II through the eyes of six young German soldiers, each of whom carried a camera on the Russian assault of 1942. Their movies, in black and white and color, are remarkably well preserved, but are not for the faint of heart. The interviews with the veterans are consistently gripping.

“Fire on the Mountain” (First Run, $30) is a terrific, award-winning documentary about the men of the U.S. Army’s 10th Mountain Division--the only mountain warfare division during WWII. The film, directed by Beth and George Gage, features touching interviews with the 30 survivors of the division, which was made up of world-class skiers, mountaineers and climbers. Also included is fascinating archival footage of the men in training and on the battlefield in Europe. To order, call (800) 488-6652.

Also from First Run is “War Stories Our Mothers Never Told Us” ($30), a poignant documentary consisting of heartfelt interviews with seven New Zealand women of different classes, races and cultural backgrounds who talk about the experience the global conflict had on their loves and lives. Directed by Gaylene Preston, this award winner also interweaves archival clips and popular songs from that era with the interviews. To order, call (800) 488-6652.

William Shatner narrates “Trinity and Beyond/The Atomic Bomb Movie” (Goldhil, $25), an interesting chronicle of the history of nuclear weapon development testing from 1945-63. The documentary benefits greatly from its use of previously unreleased and classified government footage, including scenes of bombs being suspended by balloons, exploding under the ocean and being shot from a cannon.

For fans of the occult, there’s “Strictly Supernatural” (WinStar Entertainment, $30), a fun three-volume set covering “Astrology,” “Tarot” and “Seance.” Veteran actor Christopher Lee supplies the narration.

“Firestorm: Air Attack” (Bonholtzer Productions, $20) focuses on the men and their aircraft battling the Calabasas-Malibu fire. The tape features footage of Super Scoopers, L.A. Fire Air-Tac Bell Helicopters, Erikson Sky Crane, DC-10s and the National Guard C-130s in action. To order, call (213) 681-5647.

For comedy fans there’s Reader’s Digest Video & Television’s “What Made America Laugh” ($40), a two-hour overview of the kings of comedy from the 1930s, ‘40s and ‘50s. There are some neat archival clips of such funny folk as Bob Hope, George Burns, Jonathan Winters, Lucille Ball, Desi Arnaz and Martin and Lewis, but the documentary ultimately doesn’t offer any new insights. And how come Ernie Kovacs isn’t even mentioned? To order, call (888) RD-VIDEO.

“The Astronomers” (MPI, $15 each, $80 for the set) is the acclaimed 1991 PBS series exploring the lives and work of scientists who study the universe. Richard Chamberlain narrates.

American Home Entertainment’s “Champions Forever Collector’s Edition” ($20) is an entertaining look at five of the greatest heavyweight boxing champions of recent history: Muhammad Ali, George Foreman, Joe Frazier, Ken Norton and Larry Holmes. The documentary features footage from each champ’s career, plus interviews. An added attraction is the “Dinner With the Champs” short in which Reggie Jackson hosts a freewheeling dinner with the five boxers. To order, call (800) 422-6484.

If you want to relive the U.S. women’s gymnastics team’s Olympic victory last year, you’ll love “Atlanta’s Magnificent Seven” (HPG video, $20), a chronicle of Kerri Strug and company’s quest for gold in Atlanta. Included on the tape are interviews with the team and behind-the-scenes footage. To order, call (800) 785-5599.