Plot: What’s it about?
We have all heard tales of near death experiences, in situations from being lost at sea to trapped in a cave-in to shark encounters. The stories show how even in extreme danger, there is the chance to survive, through endurance, courage, and of course, some luck. In I Shouldn’t Be Alive, those type of life and death situations are chronicled in great detail, to take us inside these harrowing predicaments. In each episode of I Shouldn’t Be Alive, a real life brush with death is explored, through personal accounts and vivid recreations. The interviews are with the actual people who endured and survived, so we’re told first hand about these incredible experiences. The recreations take us as close to the edge as we can get, with well produced and effective segments that add so much. These episodes take us inside situations no one should be able to survive, but these people did, so prepare to feel chills as you watch I Shouldn’t Be Alive.
The Discovery Channel has some great shows, but until now, I never checked out I Shouldn’t Be Alive. Now I wish I would have watched from the start, as this show is great. I am not always a fan of the “triumph of the human spirit” type programs, but the real life encounters here shouldn’t be missed. As we’re able to hear from the actual survivors, the show provides first hand insight and that is what makes the show this great. Its one thing to hear powerful stories like these, but when you hear from the people who endured them, it adds so much weight. Then to bolster the interviews, I Shouldn’t Be Alive provides effective recreations to give us a glimpse at what it was like to be there. The recreations don’t have Hollywood production values, but they’re well made and help give some perspective, so they do what they’re intended to. This four disc collection has twenty episodes, with some incredible stories and a nice variety of riveting situations. Once I started watching I Shouldn’t Be Alive, I couldn’t stop, so without hesitation, I give this release a high recommendation.
Video: How does it look?
The episodes are presented in 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen. These episodes look great, with no compression artifacts or other issues to contend with. The interview segments look clean and sharp, as expected. The recreations have a more film-like texture, of course and still look impressive. The colors run the spectrum, as some scenes are dark and others more bright, but whatever the needs of the segment, the transfer is up to the task. I never saw this show on broadcast, but I have to think these slick anamorphic transfers are a nice improvement.
Audio: How does it sound?
The audio here is rather basic, as the series is more about dialogue than music or brash sound effects. So if you’ve seen a show of this kind before, you should know what to expect, a track that is clean and effective, but unmemorable. We need to focus on the people and their dialogue, not the surround channels. The dialogue is smooth and always clear here, so no vocals wind up muffled or drowned out by other elements. All in all, a solid soundtrack and in the case of I Shouldn’t Be Alive, that’s all we need.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This release includes no bonus materials.
