Arthur C. Clarke's Mysterious Universe

Product Description Clarke and his team of highly respected scientific experts travel the globe seeking the truth behind mythical creatures, ancient legends and hair-raising rituals. Is it possible for the soul to leave the body for a glimpse of Heaven - or Hell? Are crop circles hard evidence of extra-terrestrials, hoaxes...or both? Is the "face" seen on new NASA photos of Mars a natural weather phenomenon or an indication that we are not alone? Amazon.com The subject matter--such phenomena as near-death experiences, zombies, crop circles, alien abductions, and hauntings--is potentially fascinating, but the truth is that this lengthy documentary offers little more than hoaxes, hearsay, and hogwash provided by kooks, cranks, and quacks. Arthur C. Clarke, author of 2001: A Space Odyssey, hosts six segments, each roughly 25 minutes long, that purport to explain the seemingly unexplainable. But nothing is documented, let alone proved; "My son is a zombie!" is about as scientific as it gets (indeed, the program itself seems determined to debunk some of the more hoary legends). All of which would be fine if the programs were at least entertaining; heck, a reenactment here and there would have been preferable to watching Brits with bad teeth (it's a Yorkskire Television production) droning on about the astonishing things they swear they witnessed decades ago. Stick with The X-Files. --Sam Graham