本·马尼拜格(派瑞·沈饰)是一名亚裔美国高中少年——一个极其聪明的完美主义者，背负着亚洲人的传统思想，但是过于有成就感反而成为一种井蛙之见，直接束缚了他思想的正常发展。本生活在加利福尼亚州橘县的一个保守的郊区，学校和班级都是一样的压抑，生活中除了三点一线似乎再没有其他的激情可言。就这样平淡地渡过中学时光，本毕业时是班级成绩最优秀的学生，顺利地进入到最好的常春藤联盟大学。
　　
　　在本高校生活开始的时候，他偶然帮助了达瑞克·鲁(罗格·范饰)，一个高年级致告别辞的毕业生代表——是另外一个过于有成就感的人。本在新环境里迅速结交了几个朋友，包括美丽的史蒂芬妮(卡琳·安娜·丘格饰)；还有关系最好的维吉尔(贾森·J·托宾饰)，他才华横溢却在社交上笨手笨脚；还有一个就是维吉尔的表兄韩(宋康饰)，一个丢失了灵魂、肌肉胜过大脑的家伙。但此时他发现达瑞克有些奇怪：作为班上最聪明的学生，他看上去似乎可信和亲切的背面潜藏着许多秘密。
　　
　　在与达瑞克一起的日子里，本和伙伴们意识到传统的完美学生的地位正受到威胁，于是本领导这组各怀心事的少年加入了一个郊区帮派，用双倍的恶作剧和一些小小的犯罪去缓解作为一名好学生的压力，对他们来说，偷东西和毒品交易就像考试作弊一样轻松而有成就感。可是随着时间的流逝，一切都失去了控制：性、毒品和犯罪的欲望……
　　
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　　美国2002年华裔导演贾斯汀林执导的R级独立片，是继《喜福会》之后第二部华裔班底制作的独立电影，入围圣丹斯电影节、多伦多国际电影节参赛作品，IMDB评价达到7.7分，派拉蒙一区版。明珠也出了此片，名叫《明天会更好》。
　　简介：该片80%的观众是华裔，本·麦纳伯格（派里·沈）是亚裔高中学生，他聪明伶俐、功课好、课外活动积极，几乎所有的著名大学都向他发出了接收函。他和他的好友维吉尔（詹森·J·托宾）在后院踢球，却听了有手机电话铃响，不是本也不是维吉尔的，好象是从草地中发出的，于是他们寻声向地下挖掘，挖呀挖近似疯狂，终于他们发现那响声是从泥土中，从一个尸体手中握着抓着的东西发出的。
　　
　　《Better Luck Tomorrow》，是一部完全由亞裔拍攝和演出，表現美國亞裔青少年生活的片子。電影開始前，三個亞裔青年進來向大家問好，呼籲觀眾——大部份是亞裔 ——動員自己的朋友來看。說實話，這部製作費用低廉的電影拍得相當不錯，我有些好奇為什麼沒有在媒體上見到太多的廣告。電影散場以後，我才認出來，剛才進來講話的竟然是影片中的主角。後來知道，該片經費微薄，沒有marketing的費用，只有主角在美國巡迴推廣。這不禁讓我感喟華裔在美國的艱辛和困苦。美國是個移民國家，以「大熔爐」著稱，可是美國對於外國移民的包容和友好，似乎主要體現在對歐洲和南美洲移民身上。從一百多年前中國勞工第一次踏上美洲大陸開始，這片自由土壤上的一代代華裔就自始至終為生活進行著抗爭和奮鬥。剛到美國的時候，我想作為生在美國長在美國的華裔，他們會很自然地認同自己是美國人，可是因為亞裔外貌體型上和大部份美國人的差別，在社會上他們會很容易被誤認為是「外國人」，即使他們說一口流利的英文。
　　
　　這樣的現象在文學和藝術界尤為明顯。許多從事創作的華裔人士雖然從心理和個人歷史背景上來看都是地地道道的美國人，但他們的作品卻往往被放到他們的種族背景(ethic background)裏去解讀。在這種不公平的詮釋面前，作為創作者一般有兩種態度。有的人更加努力和刻意地去洗刷自己的種族背景，力圖否認自己是華裔這個事實；也有人開始嘗試去瞭解、融入那個誕生他們祖輩的遙遠的東方文明，並且給自己定位為東西方文明的橋樑，把自己身份的特殊性從不利變成特長。比如在美國相當成功的華裔作家Amy Tan就是個典型的例子。當然這兩種態度並沒有優劣之分，每個人都有權利決定自己的生活方式，但是作為現今美國社會中的大多數華裔，在生活和工作中他們需要比一般美國人多面對一層阻隔，這是個不爭的事實。
　　
　　在這種困境下，亞裔自己的團結和努力就顯得更為重要。《Better Luck Tomorrow》的導演演員們的努力就是希望的一部分。我們應當給予這樣的努力更多的鼓勵。希望亞裔朋友都來看這部電影。

　　皮斯塔切奥（达那·卡维饰）天生就有一项特殊的本领，那就是拥有极高的模仿能力，可以轻易模仿各种类型的人，不过除此之外他好像一无是处，在爱情和事业上都很失败，三十多岁还在父亲开的意大利餐馆中做招待，还经常出错。不过不要急，傻人自有傻福，其实皮斯塔切奥的模仿能力是遗传自他的家族，他是一个神秘的易容世家的后代。在那个家族中，每个人都拥有易容的天赋，他们可以一在瞬间变成另一个人而且模仿得惟妙惟肖，这种神奇的能力使他可以随意进出各种场所而不会受到阻拦。
　　戴林伯曼是一名出狱不久的惯犯，他一直计划盗取世界上最珍贵的珠宝，为了达到自己的目的，他需要利用皮斯塔切奥的伪装能力，为此戴林绑架了皮斯塔切奥的父母。在解救自己的父母的过程中，皮斯塔切奥偶然发现了自己的特殊能力，并从祖父的口中得知了自己是易容世家的后人。在祖父及漂亮女助手詹尼弗的帮助下，皮斯塔切奥渐渐掌握了易容的技巧，并粉碎了戴林的阴谋，成功救出了父母......

　　故事发生在19世纪末的巴黎，在灯红酒绿的上流社会中，一位名为露易丝（达尼尔·达黎欧 Danielle Darrieux 饰）的贵妇显得格外耀眼。露易丝的丈夫是一名极具威信的将军，故事要从将军送给露易丝的一副耳环说起。
　　为了偿还赌债，露易丝将耳环低价卖给了一位珠宝商人，对丈 夫则谎称耳环丢失。迫于将军的名望，珠宝商人将事情的真相如实告知。将军不声不响的将耳环买了回来，转手送给了相好许久的情妇劳拉（Lia Di Leo 饰）以讨其欢心，可是没过多久，这副耳环便辗转来到了意大利外交官德纳提（维托里奥·德·西卡 Vittorio De Sica 饰）的手中并最终物归原主回到了露易丝的身边。

　　故事发生在巴黎被德军占领期间，巴蒂诺尔（杰拉尔·朱诺 Gérard Jugnot 饰）是肉铺的老板，因此生活要比那些手无寸铁的普通居民要好过一些，但也仅仅是一些而已。一天，生活在他们家楼上的一个犹太家庭遭到了德军的逮捕，洞悉这一切的巴蒂尔诺为了保护自己和自己的家庭，而选择忍气吞声坐视不管。
　　几天之后，犹太家庭之中的小儿子西蒙（儒勒·斯楚克 Jules Sitruk 饰）敲响了巴蒂诺尔家的大门，原来，他从集中营里偷跑了出来，投奔巴蒂诺尔，希望后者能够收留他。这下可为难坏了巴蒂诺尔，一方面，他十分同情西蒙的遭遇，另一方面，他深知如果收留了西蒙，将会给他带来多大的麻烦。

　　邱吉尔的政途于三十年代中期起下滑，已经退休的他虽然依旧参加国会的讨论，但不得志的他还是整日闷闷不乐，生命陷入低潮。。更雪上加霜的是，在股灾中，邱吉尔成了最大的受害者之一，财政状况十分糟糕。虽然他夜以继日地为各大报刊撰稿，也仍然填补不了财政赤字。但忙于政务的邱吉尔对帐务上的危机视而不见，这可愁坏了邱吉尔夫人，她努力地应付平时的各项开支，但她已渐渐觉得精神和体力都承受不了这么大的压力。
　　此时国际形势严峻，德国纳粹不断扩张自己的势力，希特勒的狼子野心更是日益显现。邱吉尔准确预测德国的野心侵略，为大英帝国在国际上的地位担心不已。但国会却依然持着绥靖政策，任由德国纳粹势力发展，不愿出兵干涉。更可气的是，财政大臣居然鼓动国会同意卖给德国制作飞机的发动机，丝毫没有意识到德国带来的威胁。当然，对德国问题忧心忡忡的不只是邱吉尔一个人，还有任情报机关重要领导的瑞尔夫，他也察觉到德国的狼子野心终究有一天会危害到英国。但是报国无门，瑞尔夫陷入了深深的苦闷中。
　　一次偶然的机会，在扎摩登的帮助下，邱吉尔和瑞尔夫成为了同一个战壕的兄弟，一起为保护大英帝国努力着。瑞尔夫冒险偷出的关于德国情况的详细资料为邱吉尔在国会上的演讲提供了巨大的支持，听到一组组数据，一些人开始觉醒，意识到英国即将面临灾难。但一些反对者仍然一意孤行，坚持英国应该向德国妥协，并派人威胁瑞尔夫。最终瑞尔夫顶不住来自政府的压力自杀身亡，邱吉尔对他的死表示了莫大的悲痛。为了英国，也是为了完成瑞尔夫的遗愿，邱吉尔更加努力地工作，在各大会议和电台发表演说，引起了不小的轰动。
　　功夫不赴有心人，在邱吉尔的多方奔走下，国内支持他的群众日益增多，国会同意对德国宣战。邱吉尔终于东山再起，成为了战时的英国首相，他领到了五年的第二次世界大战，并且终于于1945年5月赢得了胜利，攀上生命新高峰。
　　精彩视点：
　　本片以英国首相邱吉尔二次大战崛起前后的事迹改编。影片打破传统的叙事结构，让整个故事充满惊喜，而导演细腻地处理主角之间关系的转折，更使本片有别于一般的温情类型电影，而增添许多张力。另外，本片还极好地展现了双方面进行意志较量的精彩场面，并把推理手法与心理表现完美结合起来，采用文献资料加以艺术改造。可以说，这是一部不可多得的政治人物影片。

　　在阿斯特丽德（爱莉森•洛曼 饰）15岁那年，母亲（米歇尔•菲佛 饰）杀死了抛弃她的情人。阿斯特丽德亲眼看着母亲被捕。自从母亲被捕，她便过着孤苦伶仃的生活，与此同时她被收养了。
　　阿斯特丽德从女主人的男友身上感觉到了父爱，却被女主人认为她勾引自己的男友，向她开枪。康复后的阿斯特丽德居住进抚养院，她常被欺负，但自从被枪伤之后她便知道她需要依靠自己力量来保护自己。
　　在抚养院中，男孩保尔主动接近阿斯特丽德，他们都喜欢画画。他们的来往却得不到母亲的赞同，母亲告诉她无论如何都要靠自己走下去，不能靠男人。
　　在后来阿斯特丽德被一名女明星克莱尔（芮妮•齐薇格 饰）收养。克莱尔很珍爱经历坎坷的阿斯特丽德，可是阿斯特丽德的母亲却嫉妒她们，那次见面之后，克莱尔竟然自杀了。
　　克莱尔的死对阿斯特丽德的打击很大，她要求被一名俄罗斯女商人收养，她变得自甘堕落。这时母亲要求阿斯特丽德为她出庭作证，并从母亲嘴里知道了有关自己的身世，可是她要求母亲放她走。
　　母亲果真放她走了，母亲没有要她出庭，阿斯特丽德看着母亲走上囚车……

　　An aging gambler on a losing streak attempts to rob a casino in Monte Carlo. But someone's already tipped off the cops before he even makes a move.

　　大麻烦》是曾执导《矮子当道》(“Get Shorty”)和《黑超特警》(“Men in Black”)的导演巴里-索南费尔德(Barry Sonnenfeld)推出的最新力作。此部喜剧片有个不错的演出阵容：蒂姆-艾伦(Tim Allen)、雷妮-鲁索(Rene Russo)、斯坦利-塔茨(Stanley Tucci)、汤姆-赛兹莫尔(Tom Sizemore)、约翰尼-纳什维尔(Johnny Knoxville)、贾森-李(Jason Lee)和德怀特-“Heavy D”-迈尔斯(Dwight“Heavy D”Myers)。影片改编自普利策奖得主、幽默作家戴夫-巴里(Dave Barry)最畅销的一部小说，讲述了一个神秘的手提箱是如何将一个
　　离了婚的父亲、一个郁闷不乐的家庭主妇、两个杀手、一对街头流氓、两个情窦初开的少年以及两个联邦调查局(FBI)的特工和一只引起幻觉的蟾蜍连结在一起，并改变了他们的生活。
　　
　　蒂姆-艾伦在片中饰演埃利奥特-阿诺德(Eliot Arnold)--一位已卸任的新闻工作者和离了婚的父亲。他的儿子马特(Matt，本-福斯特饰，Ben Foster)正在与他的邻居朋友珍妮(Jenny，祖伊-德施尼尔饰，Zooey Deschanel)一起玩水枪游戏。与此同时，混乱场面来临了。二个傻乎乎的杀手斯纳克(Snake，汤姆-赛兹莫尔饰)和埃迪(Eddie，约翰尼-纳什维尔饰)出现了，他们准备暗杀珍妮名声不好的继父阿瑟-赫克(Arthur Herk，斯坦利-塔茨饰)，因为阿瑟偷了他老板的钱。然而，这两个自称“杀手”的傻瓜并没有去刺杀阿瑟，相反却去偷了一个军火商装有核武器的手提箱。
　　
　　当利奥特-阿诺德和莫妮卡警官(Monica，简尼安-加罗法洛饰，Janeane Garofalo)前去追寻斯纳克和埃迪时，一路上遇见了迈阿密当地形形色色的居民，还有一只巨大的引起幻觉的蟾蜍、一条名叫达夫妮(Daphne)的巨蟒和拦路的山羊，以及市民们熟悉的娱乐公园“假牙冒险园”(Denture Adventure)。

　　史蒂夫·艾尔文(本人饰)是澳洲的一个具有传奇性的野生动物保护者，一直为了自己的事业而奋斗不懈，顽强的与偷猎者进行体力与脑力的斗争。而这一次，他又发现一些“偷猎者”正在围剿一只野生鳄鱼。正义感十足的他勇敢出发，殊不知这些偷猎者原来有惊人的来历。他们是美国政府派来的秘密侦探，此行目的是为了一个珍贵的电子芯片。那个可怜无辜的鳄鱼就是因为误吞了它才引来这场杀身大祸的。 于是，一场各怀目的的较量在澳洲神秘的野生地带展开，同时也为我们展示了一个美丽却充满危险的澳洲风情。

　　威廉姆（凯文·克莱恩 Kevin Kline 饰）是一位恪尽职守的教师，他不仅十分热爱自己所教授的课业，同时将教书育人当做是人生的终极目标。一位名叫贝尔（埃米尔·赫斯基 Emile Hirsch 饰）的男生出现在了威廉姆的课堂上，他是参议员的儿子。尽管贝尔桀骜不驯又喜欢带头捣乱，但威廉姆依旧从他的身上看到了闪光点，他决定绝不放弃贝尔。
　　在威廉姆的努力下，贝尔的成绩提升的很快，两人之间的敌对关系也有稍稍缓解。威廉姆十分重视的凯撒知识问答大赛即将开始，贝尔在预选赛中获得了第四名的好成绩，可是，只有前三名能够进入决赛，看着手上的成绩单，威廉姆陷入了深深的沉思，此时的威廉姆并不知道，他接下来的举动将彻底改变贝尔的一生。

　　对于甜蜜的恋爱，马特（乔什·哈奈特 Josh Hartnett 饰）也曾有过梦幻的憧憬，而屡屡遭遇的失败爱情却让他对女人这种难缠又奇怪的生物彻底的死了心。在又一次残酷被甩之后，悲痛欲绝的马特做出了一个对于所有男人来说都无比沉重的决定——禁欲40天。在这不近女色的40天中，马特希望自己能潜心修炼，最终成为一个无欲则刚的优秀青年。
　　而就在禁欲的生活让马特觉得神清气爽的时候，那个名叫艾瑞卡（莎妮·索萨蒙 Shannyn Sossamon 饰）的美丽女孩来到了他的身边。虽然被艾瑞卡迷得神魂颠倒，但马特并没有忘记自己最初的誓言，更何况自己的周围有一群损友都在等着看自己的笑话。扳着手指头，马特觉得时间似乎走得越来越慢。

　　影片讲述了前CIA成员因为手握重要情报，遭到了各方势力的追杀的故事。

　　影片来自于真实的故事，小镇上的记者亚当（约翰·卡拉辛斯基 John Krasinski 饰）和绿色和平组织的一位志愿者瑞秋（德鲁·巴里摩尔 Drew Barrymore 饰）加入到了拯救北极圈灰鲸的行动中去。 两人必须联合阿拉斯加的因纽特人，对抗石油公司以及苏联和美国的军队的反对——在当时的冷战背景下，他们终于得到了世界的关注，冷战的阴影也因拯救这种濒临灭绝的动物行动而得到缓解。

　　本片为《天才雷普利》的续集。
　　在上一集中，雷普利（约翰·马尔科维奇 John Malkovich 饰）凭借自己的聪明才智从一个名不见经传的穷小子摇身变成了腰缠万贯的大亨，在和钢琴家妻子路易莎（切瑞拉·凯瑟莉 Chiara Caselli 饰）结婚后，雷普利回归了平静的生活。可是，他的狡猾和野心从未改变，当得知工匠乔纳森（多格雷·斯科特 Dougray Scott 饰）在他的背后大放厥词后，复仇的火焰在雷普利的内心中熊熊的燃烧起来。
　　当雷普利的朋友希望雷普利帮他干掉一个竞争对手时，雷普利想到了乔纳森，而经济上十分拮据的乔纳森无法抗拒那高额报酬的诱惑。雷普利的这一行为显然是造成乔纳森死亡的最主要原因，他纵然能够逃脱法网恢恢，却无法逃避来自良心的谴责，看着爱妻的背影，雷普利的心中五味杂陈。

　　几个年轻人把村子里有个小孩叫汤米是一个怪胎,长的很丑,城里的几个年轻人经常来这里欺负他,捉弄他.有一次好象把他杀死了,丢进一个井里.
　　收养汤米的老太婆是一个巫婆,她可以让汤米复活,但是她没有那样做.
　　城里的那几个人知道后为了寻求刺激,要玩那种复活.就去了巫婆的家里,我记得他们每个人都把手指割了一下.弄一滴血.他们走的时候碰到了油灯,结果老太婆的家里着火了.
　　在某一个晚上,汤米的棺材里面变红了,还响了几下.最后那几个人来这里看见汤米已经不在棺材里面了.才开始害怕.后来，汤米复活了，变成个南瓜头怪物，然后去找那些人去报仇。每次报仇之前，墙上会出现一个特殊的符号，周围就会起大风，有一次是一个农场主，他正和一个女人睡觉，然后被杀死了，女的吓成神经病，然后警方开始调查。有几个年轻人最后被追杀，其中有一个女孩被汤米逼到了井边，正要杀她时，警察把他们包围了，女孩的爸爸是警察，那个警察和汤米以前小时候在一起玩玩具火车，那个警察还救过他，最后汤米犹豫了似乎不想杀他女儿，那个警察也劝其他人不要杀汤米，可就在此时有人开枪射死了汤米，汤米掉下了那口井。

　　罗尼（比利·鲍伯·松顿 Billy Bob Thornton 饰）和戴琳（娜塔莎·理查德森 Natasha Richardson 饰）是一对婚姻遭遇了危机的夫妻，他们决定踏上前往内华达州的旅途，来挽救他们岌岌可危的感情。和两人一起上路的，还有感情状况亦同他们相似的夫妻罗伊（帕特里克·斯威兹 Patrick Swayze 饰）和坎迪（查理兹·塞隆 Charlize Theron 饰）。
　　罗尼个性大大咧咧风风火火，戴琳我行我素放荡不羁。罗伊个性豪爽直来直往，坎迪脾气火爆一点就着。这四个人走到一起，在外人看来，很显然罗尼和坎迪的个性要更加相投一点，包括他们自己也这么觉得。当罗尼和坎迪之间的氛围越来越暧昧的时候，这一趟修复情感之旅会通向何方呢？

　　小有名气的建筑师埃文·韦伯（基努·里维斯 Keanu Reeves 饰）事业有成，生活美满。他住在洛杉矶一套亲手设计的别墅中，妻子凯伦（伊格纳西·阿尔曼德 Ignacia Allamand 饰）美艳动人，一双儿女杰克（Dan Baily 饰）和莉莎（Megan Baily 饰）乖巧可爱。某个假日，凯伦驱车带着孩子们外出度假，留下埃文一人在家中工作。瓢泼大雨之夜，艾文突然听到了敲门声。来者是被淋成落汤鸡的女孩贝尔（安娜·德·阿玛斯 Ana de Armas 饰）和吉妮丝（洛伦扎·伊佐 Lorenza Izzo 饰），他们迷失方向，请求埃文提供帮助。两个女孩就像善解人意又诱惑媚人的小妖精，让埃文多少有些把持不住。
　　色字头上一把刀，世间哪有从天而降的美食和便宜……

　　一群来自爱尔兰的工人阶级妇女，开启了一场前往法国卢尔德之旅。

　　一名老年痴呆症患者，经历了50年的婚姻后，他成为了鳏夫。他的儿子在美国出生，居住在英国，和妻子遭受婚姻生活中的不幸，一起抚养女儿。当祖父决定和孙女去威尼斯完成人生中最后的旅行时，他的病情恶化，家庭观念也开始受到影响……

　　一对夫妇野营旅行时，碰见了正在行凶的罪犯，并在准备不声不响离开时绊倒了的悲惨故事……

　　这是一个破碎的家庭，酗酒的教练父亲帕迪（尼克·诺特 Nick Nolte 饰）家暴妻子，次子汤米（汤姆·哈迪 Tom Hardy 饰）与不堪忍受的母亲远赴他乡；长子布兰登（乔尔·埃哲顿 Joel Edgerton 饰）为了爱情选择留下，并认为从此可以得到父亲的器重与栽培，然而最后父子还是分道扬镳。时隔多年后，汤米带着母亲痛苦死去的悲伤记忆，以及在伊战中的惨痛经历找到父亲，要求后者再度担任自己的教练，以参加MMA的重奖大赛；几乎与此同时，昔日的职业格斗选手、如今的中学物理教师布兰登为金钱所困扰，他不能忍受自己无法为妻女提供庇护，决定重返赛场。在MMA的赛场上，这对分离多年的兄弟将再度聚首，用血与汗的交融，化释彼此的心结……

　　Agusta 109K2: Alpine Medivac Rescue
　　Straight Up's exploration of vertical flight begins with a high-impact alpine rescue amid an avalanche. The dramatic opening sequence documents the dangerous work of the Rega mountain rescue team and the invaluable role of the Agusta A109K2 helicopter in saving lives and minimizing injuries.
　　As the camera pans over beautiful vistas of the snow-covered Swiss Alps, it cuts to a cornice, as a chunk of snow breaks free, triggering an avalanche. The tranquil scene is shattered as the avalanche thunders down the mountain slopes. With terrifying speed, it heads straight for a mother and child trapped in their car, wheels spinning on the icy road.
　　The mother calls for help on her cell phone, and a second call from a snowplow prompts radio dispatch. The Rega mountain rescue team already is airborne en route to the scene, the red cross painted on the helicopter's white underbelly signaling that medical help is on the way. The mother escapes, but her son is missing. Within minutes of the helicopter landing, the rescue team dig out the car, extract the trapped boy, apply first aid, and airlift him and his mother to safety.
　　A significant mountain hazard, avalanches are responsible for many deaths each year. Time is of the essence in avalanche rescue work. A person has a 90 percent chance of survival if found within the first 15 minutes, but one's chances of survival diminish with each passing minute. Not only do helicopters provide quick access for rescue teams, they also provide a lifeline to medical care. Flying the injured to the nearest hospital as rapidly as possible is not the only type of rescue operation; often helicopters bring the hospital to the injured, who receive treatment at the scene.
　　The powerful avalanche was shot in British Columbia's Selkirk Mountains under the supervision of the Canadian Avalanche Association. The CAA controls avalanche risk for the safety of heli-skiers. To capture the avalanche head-on, avalanche expert and filmmaker Steve Krochel and David Douglas developed a quarter-inch-thick steel container for the IMAX camera, which was equipped with a triggering device and a beeper so that the camera could be found once the avalanche had swept it down the mountain.
　　The rescue was completed in Switzerland's Bernina Pass near the Italian border. Filming the Rega rescue helicopter air-to-air sequence turned into an international excursion as Douglas chased the sunlight over Italy in one direction and in Austria in another before setting down in Switzerland. In another dramatic shot, Douglas centered the red cross in the crosshairs of the camera lens as the craft descended. To facilitate this shot, Douglas dug a hole in the snow large enough to accommodate himself and the IMAX camera. Inside the hole, 3 feet below the helicopter, he filmed its takeoff.
　　According to Douglas, "The helicopter is the instrument of rapid response to natural physical and social disasters around the world, alleviating human suffering on a major scale. For the individual caught beyond the limits of training or equipment, often the last chance for survival is the hope that a helicopter will get to them in time. "
　　The Pitcairn PCA 2, "Miss Champion"
　　For centuries humans dreamed of flight. The Chinese, in the 12th century, developed a toy helicopter made from a pair of slats mounted on a stick, but serious efforts had to wait until the early 20th century. Then, after the Wright brothers' historic flight at Kitty Hawk, we dreamed of flight unfettered by the limitations of runways and airports. Yet by the early 1930s we were still at the dawn of the practical rotorcraft, which promised to give form to humanity's vision.
　　The ten year period between 1925 and 1935 was an exciting time in aviation history, but few aircraft so caught and held the public's attention, as the Autogiro. Nicknamed the "flying windmill," this strange-looking aircraft was first successfully flown in 1923 by the Spanish inventor, Juan de la Cierva, who had been working on the development of such a craft since 1919. The Autogiro fascinated the air-minded public because of its remarkable performance and high degree of safety, attracting such leaders of American aviation as Charles Lindbergh and Amelia Earhart.
　　Juan de la Cierva sold the American manufacturing rights to Harold Pitcairn in 1928. Pitcairn's Autogiro boasted a more modern fuselage with better aerodynamic qualities. It also provided prospective buyers with a choice of either a 300- or 420-horsepower engine.
　　In the film, Harold Pitcairn's son Stephen flies "Miss Champion," a 1931 model. This Autogiro, used for promotion by the Champion Spark Plug Company, is controlled like an airplane, but is lifted with blades. Although the original rotor blades have seen 1,600 hours of flight time, they are still airworthy. With a 330-horsepower Wright R 975-E engine, the Autogiro has a cruising speed of 98 mph and a top speed of 118 mph. "Miss Champion" led a National Air Tour and made the then-risky 300- mile-long flight from Miami to Havana, Cuba. (Until then, the longest over-water flight by an Autogiro had been 25 miles in length.) Later, "Miss Champion" flew nonstop over a distance of 500 miles to Chichen Itza in the Yucatan rainforest. "Miss Champion" was retired from active service in 1932 after setting a new altitude record for rotary-wing aircraft. Climbing to a height of 21,500 feet in 1932, the Autogiro surpassed the previous record set by Amelia Earhart. Today, the Autogiro is considered to be the evolutionary "missing link" from which the practical helicopter was born.
　　Forty years later Stephen Pitcairn began the formidable task of collecting and restoring examples of his father's aircraft. He tracked down "Miss Champion" and in October of 1982 began the painstaking task of restoration, using the original Pitcairn factory drawings. In the spring of 1985 "Miss Champion" flew again.
　　The Bell 47G: A Flying Lesson
　　Since Pitcairn's Autogiro, improved control systems allow the airframe to rise directly from the ground with a powered rotor. Straight Up! puts you in the pilot's seat of a Bell 47G as the basic elements of helicopter operation are demonstrated. The Bell 47G's single-rotor configuration is by far the most common type used today. Your flying lesson begins.
　　As a helicopter pilot, the pilot uses all four limbs to fly, all at the same time! With the left hand holding the collective pitch control lever, he pulls up ever so slightly, and we go straight up into a slow-motion hover. The spinning rotor blades act as small wings, but they spin so fast that they create one continuous disc of lift. When the blades change angle, or pitch collectively, the helicopter rises or falls. The pilot's right hand always holds the cyclic control, effectively tilting the whirling disc above. Point left, tilt left. Point right, tilt right. The camera then closes in on the tail rotor. Once again, the altering of the blades affects direction. The chopper spins in response to the pilot's depressing one of the two foot pedals. If he depresses the second pedal, the helicopter spins in the opposite direction.
　　The Piasecki H-21B Tandem Rotor Aircraft, "The Flying Banana"
　　The last flying H-21B helicopter in the world takes off, heads for the beach and cruises 100 feet above the Pacific surf off the coast of California. One of the earliest tandem helicopters, the H-21B represents the birth of the heavy lift helicopters and dates back to the early 1950s. Nicknamed "The Flying Banana" for its shape, the H-21B had more power and greater stability than previous helicopters. The tandem-rotor H-21B carries two sets of wooden blades situated nearly 50 feet apart but operated by one set of helicopter flight controls. The pilot must be ever vigilant, as this helicopter could rapidly invert should the pilot let go of the controls.
　　The vintage H-21B used for the film was decommissioned from the U.S. Air Force in 1972 and was restored by the California-based Classic Rotors: The Rare and Vintage Rotocraft Museum. This nonprofit museum and restoration facility, dedicated to the preservation of unique, vintage and rare rotorcraft, spent more than 10,000 hours returning the H-21B to airworthiness. Every hour flown requires 100 hours of maintenance. Classic Rotors is the only museum of its kind to maintain eight helicopters in flying condition. When its new facility in San Diego has been completed, the museum will expand its exhibits from 15 to 30 vintage rotorcraft.
　　One of the highlights of its collection is a famous relative of the H-21B. This is a V 44 (the commercial version of the H-21)-nicknamed "The Holy One"-and is the only one to land at the Vatican and be blessed by the pope. While on a 1959 demonstration tour in Europe, the helicopter and its crew had provided help to Italian communities following a devastating earthquake.
　　Future Helicopter Designs
　　One aspect of current research centers around the development of "quiet technology" that will allow helicopters to become better neighbors and to operate more stealthily in police and military operations.
　　Quiet technology advances rely on a combination of technologies, which include improved rotor blade design and the user of rotor systems with four or more blades. Replacing the tail rotor with a Coanda-effect NOTAR (NoTailRotor) system goes a long way in reducing noise, as does shrouding the tail rotor in an arrangement know as a "fan-in-fin." Other advances focus on noise-dampening air inlets and improved engine nozzles.
　　New helicopter designs are tested in the world's largest wind tunnel at the NASA Ames Flight Research Center located at Moffett Field in California. Ames was founded in 1939 as an aircraft research laboratory of the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics, which became part of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in 1958. NASA has the leading role in aerospace operations systems, which include air traffic control, flight effects on humans, and rotorcraft technology. NASA Ames scientists and engineers study robotic helicopters, high-speed hybrids, and advances in quiet technology. The center also has major responsibilities for the creation of design and development tools and for wind tunnel testing.
　　The NASA-Bell XV-15 Tilt-rotor
　　In the film, an XV-15 converts over Dallas-Fort Worth Airport. The XV-15 is an experimental rotorcraft, the parent of a new family of aircraft called "tilt-rotors." The tilt-rotor combines the hovering ability of the helicopter with the speed of a fixed-wing aircraft. The XV-15 can take off and land like a helicopter. The audience will see the engines tilting forward as the tilt-rotor becomes a high-speed plane.
　　The Bell-Boeing V-22 Osprey
　　A V-22 Osprey unwraps, emerging like a prehistoric flying dinosaur. Built primarily for the U.S. Marines, Air Force, and Navy, the V-22 Osprey has wings that pivot and rotors that fold to facilitate its storage at sea. In less than 90 seconds, you will see the V-22 complete this process. Although still classified as a tilt-rotor, it is faster, with three times the range and more than ten times the payload of its predecessor. It shows the promise of long-distance travel, without airports.
　　The Hawk 4 Gyroplane
　　Rotorcraft evolution is also in the hands of the entrepreneur, and this independent spirit is most evident in the Hawk 4 Gyroplane. While some designs produce groundbreaking changes, this aircraft brought the economy and safety of the Autogiro into the space age. A rotor is used for slow-speed flight, but at high-speed cruising all the lift is provided by the wing while the rotor has no lift. The Gyroplane shows promise as a high-speed, low-disc-loading rotorcraft.
　　The Boeing-Sikorsky RAH-66 Comanche
　　The Comanche rips and dips across the screen, set against a sunset. This prototype helicopter has stealth technology. It's smart, agile, fast and invisible to radar. It's the first helicopter to provide real-time digital data to headquarters. Seeing in the dark, sensing the forces at play around us and acting on the evidence in real time, the Comanche is a complex flying machine with a human being at its heart. Everyday, in unexpected ways, it extends our powers and puts us to work with a revolutionary tool.
　　The Comanche is the central element of the U.S. Army's future Objective Force. In addition to its complement of missiles and 20-mm cannon, the aircraft carries state-of-the-art sensors and avionics to provide battlefield commanders with so much accurate information about enemy movements. This knowledge will translate into more precise targeting, increasing the effectiveness of friendly forces beyond current capabilities.
　　The U.S. Army has defined a requirement of more than 1,200 Comanches for the Objective Force. The RAH Comanche, the army's 21st-century combat helicopter is being developed by the U.S. Army and a team of leading aerospace companies headed by the Boeing Company and Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation, a unit of United Technologies Corporation.
　　The Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk and AS 350 B2 AStar Enforce the Law
　　Events swiftly unfold as the radar plane spots an "unidentified" Cessna dropping bundles of drugs off the coast of Miami at dawn. A signal alerts the Marine and Air Branch of U.S. Customs who speed out to intercept the smugglers. Just as the drugs are transferred from boat to van, The AStar helicopter bursts over the treetops, deploying a tactical team to arrest the driver. While the smuggler's Cigarette boat attempts to escape, a Black Hawk helicopter dips down to create a giant backwash. In a stunning display of impeccable teamwork, this action forces the fleeing boat to swerve to a halt as a Customs boat cuts it off and apprehends the criminals.
　　On a typical day, the U.S. Customs Service examines 1.3 million passengers, 2,642 aircraft, 50,889 trucks/containers, 355,004 other vehicles, 588 vessels, 64,923 entries and undertakes the following enforcement actions: 64 arrests, 107 narcotic seizures, 223 other seizures, 9 currency seizures. These amount to 5,059 pounds of narcotics, $443,907 in currency, $228,803 in conveyances, $525,791 in merchandise and more than $15,800 in arms and ammunition.
　　Filmed over a period of five days off the coast of Miami, the air, land, and sea drug bust was staged by the U.S. Customs Service, which relies heavily on helicopters during such operations.
　　U.S. Customs pilot, Tom Stanton, participated in the shoot with his co-pilot Kimberly Kessel. Kessel is one of seven women U.S. Customs pilots and only one of two qualified to fly Black Hawks. Both pilots volunteered to work with the film crew. Says Kessel, a graduate of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, "They were phenomenal, ready to try anything."
　　In addition to daytime flights, Stanton flies the riskier night missions. "Flying at night is dangerous as you lose all perception of what's up or down because both the sky and ocean are black, so they just kind of run in together. There's no horizon on those dark nights," says the veteran pilot.
　　Typically he flies from 300 to 500 feet above the water at 120 to 150 knots. "Not many people fly that low, even in the daytime," says Stanton. "There's no autopilot, so it's hands on. Plus you're chasing someone. You have to be aware. It can get tense out there."
　　Stanton describes an air chase: "Once there's a target, we launch a jet with radar. The jet pilot calls the helicopter out and we link up, flying in formation. We follow the bad guy wherever he goes. If he has extended-range fuel tanks, we leapfrog and send another helicopter out to take up the chase. (The Black Hawk carries five hours of fuel.) When he gets into his landing configuration, we call the local police or sheriff to help us out." The Black Hawk, which can carry up to 14 people, typically carries 4 or 5 armed personnel, "so we instantly have a force of police officers there to get the bad guys."
　　"If it's a boat, we have Cigarette boats like the smugglers. We'll call our boat and have it intercept." Stanton flies the Black Hawk next to the boat, making it hard for the smugglers to navigate. "It intimidates them into giving up. Sometimes they do [but] sometimes we chase them for hours. Or we'll follow them into a marina and block them until our boats come. If they hit the beach, we'll call the state police or sheriff, and they set up a perimeter so the guy can't get out."
　　Stanton, who flies missions as often as once or twice a week, has been flying for 26 years, 13 of those as an army helicopter pilot before he joined U.S. Customs in Miami where he is the "standardization instructor pilot." He makes sure that everybody flies the same way, so that when they team up, the pilots easily work in tandem. Pilots fly 8-hour shifts and the operation goes on 24 hours a day, 7 days a week in areas covering both the Canadian and Mexican land borders, the Atlantic and Pacific coastlines, and the Gulf of Mexico.
　　The MD 500E Helicopter
　　A MD 500 helicopter hovers directly above 500,000-volt power lines. As it inches closer, a lightning bolt suddenly zaps out from the hot line, arcing toward the wand extended by a lineman perched on an aluminum platform that juts out from the helicopter. The "hot-line-qualified" lineman clamps onto the power lines, and helicopter backs off, leaving him to "wire walk," crawling along parallel lines to inspect the PPL power line grid, 100 feet off the ground. To reboard the helicopter, the lineman must "bond off," reversing the procedure.
　　"I don't give two hoots and a holler about flying inside a helicopter. Put me outside, that's where I want to be," says Daniel "Spider" Lockhart, AgRotors lineman. There's only three things I've been afraid of most of my life: One was electricity, one was heights and the other was women. And, I'm married too," he grins. "The safest lineman is one that is afraid of electricity. When we bond to the power lines energized at half-a-million volts, we have to bring ourselves to the same potential. That is why you see that arc jumping out to our wand as we make both the helicopter and the power line at the same potential, so that we can eliminate the flow of current," explains the veteran lineman.
　　Spider wears a protective hot suit, 75 percent Nomex for fire retardation and 25 percent stainless steel thread. "The metal thread basically means I have a cage around me that can be energized at very high voltage levels. A half-million volts pass over my body, but I can work without interference from the electricity."
　　He continues, "Watching that electricity jump out while you're energizing the helicopter is a thrill. Getting on the wire, walking the wire to do repairs is a thrill. The biggest thrill I get is from doing what I do is being able to do both together-the electrical part and the helicopter part of it, the speed at which we can do it and still be safe. There are so many things that the helicopter enables us to do as linemen, which is very rewarding."
　　The teamwork of the skilled helicopter pilots and highly trained linemen ensure that the PPL Corp. provides a constant source of electricity to its 1.3 million customers in Pennsylvania (in addition to 4.4 million in Latin America and Europe). To maintain the integrity of the transmission system to residential and commercial establishments, and to ensure the safety of the operation, the team plans and rehearses every move while on the ground before takeoff. Even so, unanticipated gusts of wind and glare from the wires can affect the pilot's depth perception, requiring total concentration during his hours at the controls. As the helicopter is isolated from the ground, the pilot and lineman, clad in protective stainless steel suits, must bond onto the transmission lines to bring themselves to the same voltage potential of the line to work safely-paralleling what a bird does when it sits on a wire.
　　Probably the most unusual place that the director rigged the camera was on the end of the platform on the MD 500, which is designed to carry the lineman as he bonds onto the half-million-volt power line. "We took away the lineman and put the camera in his place; the lineman rode behind the camera and used his wand to draw the arc of electricity right onto the camera lens. I don't think it's been done before. It blew all the electronics out of the camera a couple of times before we figured out how to do it," recalls Douglas.
　　The Boeing 234 Helicopter: Helilogging with Limited Environmental Damage
　　Floating above the forest in northern California, a 12-ton Boeing 234 helicopter selects its target with precision. Selective logging is a process where only a portion of the available timber is removed from a logging site. A single tree is lifted straight up from the forest floor, leaving the rest of the area environmentally intact. Removing such timber-very often trees that are already dead or diseased-allows the remaining trees to thrive on the additional resources of sunlight, water, and soil nutrients. Helilogging is environmentally friendly in other ways as well. First, since the logs are lifted from the ground, little soil erosion, typical of conventional logging methods, occurs. Second, in many cases the helicopter is able to use existing roads for landings, meaning no new roads need to be built into the area being logged.
　　Columbia Helicopters cuts more logs each year than any other helicopter logging company. To prepare the timber for the helicopter, the specially trained logging crew cut it into carefully weighed sections. Columbia's flight crews are among the most experienced at long-line work in the world. With speed and precision, they are able to move heavy loads of logs at the end of lines up to 350-feet long. Once the line is lowered from the Boeing 234 helicopter, steel tongs clamp the log and the entire tree is removed without disturbing the balance of nature. "It's kinda like lookin' down 25 stories and picking up a telephone pole," comments the helicopter pilot, Dave Stroupe, who deposits the timber at a nearby transfer yard. "The unique thing about this helicopter is that, when we take off from the ground, we weigh approximately 22,000 pounds. And we're rigged for about 26,000 pounds when we get low on fuel. So the load actually weighs more than the helicopter. It's exciting and harrowing all at the same time."
　　The Boeing 234s have a lift capacity of 28,000 lb, (12,727 kg), but most often carry loads between 23,000 lb, (10,454 kg) to 24,000 lb (10,909 kg) due to elevation and air temperature considerations. The company trains loggers to work with helicopters because load weight is such a dramatic part of what they do. Weight is determined, using a formula, which are a function of the volume and the type of wood. Different tree species have different weights per volume.
　　When one of the pilots suggested using the log as a platform for the camera, Douglas realized another exciting camera angle. The possibility existed that the branches could scrape off the camera as the log was hauled up. Douglas prevented this by placing the camera inside a heavy steel avalanche box, which he anchored on the end of a big log. Once the log was grappled, the helicopter hauled the protected camera right through the branches, giving the audience a breathtaking view from the perspective of the log! The U.S. Marine Corps AV-8B Harrier, AH-1W Cobra, CH-53E Super Stallion and CH-46E Sea Knight on a Military Mission
　　An AV-8B Harrier jet demonstrates its vertical landing ability followed by a force reconnaissance inservice exercise from an aircraft carrier, as Marines climb aboard the CH-53E. AH-1W Cobras and Harriers form an assault-support package, as the reconnaissance team sets out on a mission to obtain invaluable intelligence about the enemy.
　　Inside the CH-53E, the machine-gunner is at the ready as a Cobra fires three rockets. The action heats up as the IMAX camera captures the Marines fast-roping through the "hell hole" and sliding down a rope dangling from the CH-53E, landing in enemy territory. The leader of the reconnaissance team says, "By the time you get to touch rope in a live situation, you and your men feel tighter than family. Your fates are tied like the strands of a rope."
　　Two hours later the Marines have completed their mission and are ready to be evacuated. Now the enemy hunts them on the ground. Trees shake as the rescue CH-53E helicopter hovers overhead, lowering a rope to the squad, now up to their waists in water. One after the other, in a matter of seconds, the men clip themselves onto the rope. "Extraction, even more than insertion, is when you need speed. You've been awful quiet. Suddenly, you're awful loud," says Sgt. James Kenneke, the squad leader. He's first in and last out. Lifted up, like washing on a line, the squad dangles beneath the helicopter as it is escorted by Cobras, out over the Atlantic.
　　"It's a relief to get out. But there's that moment of doubt. Everything slows down while you're exposed � holding your breath for that happy ending. And when you get it, you feel on top of the world. Of course, then we've got to commute home just like everybody else," smiles Kennecke.
　　The Mi-26 and Mi-8 Deliver Humanitarian Aid
　　Sometimes, something very precious must be delivered behind enemy lines-food. Sierra Leone is a nation that has suffered years of conflict. From the food depot to the hot spot, helicopters provide an air bridge. Hoisting food and medical supplies to distressed people behind rebel-held territories, they have the ability to hop over hot zones in desperate situations.
　　The world's largest production helicopter-the Russian-made Mi-26-is the workhorse for the United Nations (UN) peacekeeping operation in war-torn Sierra Leone. The heaviest production helicopter in the world, this majestic eight-bladed craft-one of four chartered by the UN from Russia-can carry a maximum of 44,090 lb (20,040 kg) of internal payload or up to 70 troops. The Mi-26's top speed is 183 mph (295 kph) and it has a range of 304 miles (400 km).
　　In this sequence, the Mi-26 is loaded with cargo to supply UN troops protecting an isolated community in the center of rebel-held territory. The world's largest food agency, the UN World Food Program (WFP), organized a massive air campaign targeting internally displaced persons that had congregated near a clinic for malnourished children. Once rebels from the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) had surrounded the area and blocked road access, the WFP was prevented from completing a bulk distribution. Instead, they loaded up their Mi-8 and flew to the Daru clinic where the most vulnerable women and children were located.
　　"All children under five who are malnourished are given a special feeding program in Daru. And the under-five are always the first ones you target for any kind of extreme malnourished cases, because they die very quickly," says Aya Shneerson, program officer for the WFP. "Daru is a kind of an island, a safe island, surrounded by areas that are unsafe," she says, "and for that reason, it always served as a sort of magnet for the very vulnerable people coming out."
　　Another big WFP operation, Food for Peace, gives food to child ex-combatants, in an effort to attract them to disarmament and demobilization camps.
　　The heavily laden craft flew out of the capital city, Freetown, situated on the west coast of Africa between Guinea on the north and Liberia on the south. The WFP supervises a variety of feeding programs in the displacement camps, feeding 5,000 in an operation that targeted Bunbuna, Kabala and Daru in 2000.
　　Throughout the world, helicopters have saved millions of human lives. There are 777 million people in developing countries, according to the WFP. In 2001 the WFP fed 77 million hungry people (10 percent of the hungry poor) in 82 countries.
　　Diamonds, which should have brought prosperity to Sierra Leone, instead resulted in one of the modern world's most brutal insurgencies, dating back to 1991 when rebels launched a war to overthrow the government. In the ensuing years, continuous battles between the various factions-rebels, the army and the government-displaced tens of thousands of innocent civilians, resulting in hunger and famine. In 1998 UN observers documented reports of ongoing atrocities and human rights abuses. In 1999 negotiations began between the government and the rebels, and an agreement was signed in Lome to end hostilities and form a government of national unity. By 2000, the UN's expanded role resulted in the deployment of 17,500 military peacekeeping personnel to various parts of the country. Free elections in May 2002 have given hope and a fresh started in Sierra Leone.
　　The AS 350 B2 and AS 350 B3 Used for Wildlife Relocation
　　In South Africa, helicopters are helping to save the black rhino from extinction. Protected in a few remote preserves, their numbers are rising. However, should the rhinos feel overcrowded, they will fight to the death. To protect the species, some must be relocated to safe habitats, but this is easier said than done.
　　A platform dangles from a helicopter overhead. Inside another helicopter, flying low over the South African veldt, a man with a rifle takes aim at a black rhinoceros, dodging through the bushes below. The pilot concentrates on flying 5 feet above and 10 to15 feet behind the rhino. Anticipating its every move, a wildlife veterinarian pulls the trigger of his gun loaded with a tranquilizer dart, scoring a direct hit that successfully penetrates the rhino's inch-thick skin.
　　"When I am darting animals like the black rhino, there is this immense trust between myself and Piet, the pilot," says wildlife veterinarian, Dr. Douw Grobler, who specializes in immunizations and translocations. "I know exactly what he's going to do and where he's going to place me. I don't have to think. I can just concentrate on the animals. I just know he's gong to put me there in the right spot at the right time. It's almost that he senses what the animal's going to do. In that way, he can change the animal's mind with his helicopter."
　　Grobler has measured a specific drug dosage, which can keep a rhino asleep for up to two hours. Once the rhino is darted, the ground crew lands as soon as possible to undertake a multitude of tasks. They monitor the beast's vital signs, take skin and blood samples to study its basic health and to detect any nutrients that are lacking. This ensures that the habitat is healthy for long-term propagation. They also conduct pregnancy testing. Each rhino's ear is notched so that it can be identified easily from the air and ground. The tip of the second horn is removed to provide material for genetic research, and a transmitter is fitted into the rhino's horn for tracking its whereabouts. Poachers present a constant danger to the rhinos' security. Should a poacher remove the horn for export, the transmitter would trigger an alarm.
　　When two males inhabit the same territory, one must be relocated before they battle to the death. Placing a sling in position, the crew rolls the rhino aboard the platform, making sure it is fully asleep. With a lifting capability of 3,500 lb (1,590 kg), the AStar B 3 can relocate the 2,250-lb (1022-kg) rhino to an area of the sanctuary that is accessible only by helicopter.
　　The extensive research on eleven black rhinos acquired during the four-day shoot was made possible only through SK Film's financial contribution. "My field of expertise lies in the capture and relocation of African wildlife. I am extremely grateful to Straight Up! for sponsoring this incredibly important research and relocation program at the game park. Without the film, this research would not have happened," says Grobler, who organized the capture, research and relocation project, with the film's production crew. "Every animal is just so valuable," he says, "and any information that can be collected on them is worth its weight in gold."
　　The prehistoric ancestor of today's rhinos existed more than 50 million years ago. Among today's five rhino species, the black rhino, which has two horns, has suffered the most spectacular rate of decline. From a population of 65,000 in 1970 it had been hunted almost to extinction, declining to a population of 2,300 by 1992-93. Current statistics indicate that the African black rhino population has risen to 3,500 as a result of the protection of nature reserves, developed by conservancy groups, agencies and governments to facilitate breeding and relocation programs.
　　This segment of Straight Up! was filmed in one such reserve in South Africa, where black rhinos had been reintroduced in 1986. The helicopter, an irreplaceable co

　　本片改编自荷兰同名小说，讲述一个年轻男子着迷于一块从天上掉下来的石头。他一边穿越北欧的极端环境，一边在寻找、犹豫和痛苦。他只能在疯狂的边缘找到救赎。