The 42 members of the Choir of Hard Knocks have been invited by the Sydney Opera House to perform in the Concert Hall. For most of the Choir, it will be their first time on a plane and their first visit to Sydney.

Taking such a disparate group on the road is a risky venture and this time the stakes are even higher. But the Choir and their organisers are determined to make it a performance of a lifetime.

SPECIAL FEATURE:
The complete Opera House concert Choir of Hard Knocks: Live in Concert - winner of the 2008 Helpmann Award for Best Special Live Event.

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The astonishing true story of a zoo born lion who found himself in the pet department of Harrods, then the cellar of an antique shop in Chelsea, and ultimately the wilds of Africa, as seen on YouTube!

Motivated by compassion and a sense of justice, the internationally respected team of Virginia McKenna, Bill Travers and George Adamson set about returning Christian the Lion to his natural habitat in Africa. This film, first seen as a cinema release, charts the complete story from fashionable antique shop, to Bill Travers and Virginia McKenna's home in the Surrey hills to a life with wild lions in Africa, under the watchful eye of lion man George Adamson, proving that even after four generations in captivity, wild lions are born to be free. We also meet lions Super-Cub, Boy, Katania, Juma, Jessica, Mona, Lisa, Butch of Holland and Mary of Israel.

Be prepared for laughter and tears in this of heart-break, joy and ultimate triumph over adversity. Christian: The Lion at World's End is simply one of the greatest wildlife films you are ever likely to see, now digitally remastered

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Since the Notorious B.I.G. introduced the hip-hop world to his group, Junior M.A.F.I.A., the group has been plagued with endless controversy. After the death of the Notorious B.I.G., the M.A.F.I.A. was left to carry the torch of their infamous leader while dealing with the conspiracy of his death. Torn apart by emotion, lies and betrayal, the M.A.F.I.A. remained silent and until now never told their story. The film answers questions fans have been asking for years such as:

What really happened the night of March 9th, 1997? What is the story behind contract and money disputes regarding Lance "Un" Rivera? What's behind all the criminal charges, multiple arrests, alleged shoot-outs and lawsuits?

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Witness America's greatest dramas and most pivotal turning point in this gripping historical film. Hailed as a masterpiece and landmark in historical storytelling, Ken Burn's epic documentary, The Civil War, brings to life America's most destructive and defining conflict.
Featuring over 16,000 startling archival photographs and innumerable period paintings, battlefield tours, newsreel footage of veterans and music from the period. The Civil War charts all the major campaigns and battles.

Volume 1THE CAUSEThis episode begins with a searing indictment of slavery and a dramatic depiction of the causes of the war. It asks the burning questions of Union and States' rights, freedom and slavery and features key events such as John Brown's raid at Harper's Ferry and the election of Abraham Lincoln in 1860. It culminates with the stunning Union defeat at Manassas.

A VERY BLOODY AFFAIR1862 saw the birth of modern warfare and the transformation of Lincoln's war to preserve the Union into a war to emancipate the slaves. Episode two follows Union General George McClellan's ill-fated campaign and covers a battle of ironclad ships, Grant's exploits at the Battle of Shiloh and the rumours of Europe's readiness to recognise the Confederacy.

FOREVER FREEConvinced by July 1862 that emancipation was morally and militarily crucial to the future of the Union, Lincoln must wait for a victory to issue his proclamation. In September 1862 General Lee invades the northern state of Maryland and at Antietam creek the bloodiest day of the war takes place, followed by the brightest -the emancipation of the slaves.

Volume 2SIMPLY MURDERBeginning with the Union disaster at Fredericksburg, this episode chronicles the crucial events of the spring of 1863 including; Lee's brilliant victory at Chancellorsville and the death of Stonewall Jackson, the emergence of fierce Northern opposition to Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation, and the increasing desperation of the Confederate home front.

THE UNIVERSE OF BATTLEIn three days in 1863, 150,000 soldiers under Lee and Union General George Meadfight to the death in the gentle Pennsylvania countryside at Gettysburg. Black troops join the fighting, Vicksburg falls and there are bloody battles at Chickamauga and Chauanooga. Lincoln's Gettysburg address brilliantly conveys why the Union is fighting the war.

VALLEY OF THE SHADOW OF DEATHA biographical comparison of Lee and Grant precedes the chronicle of the extraordinary series of battles the two generals fought in Virginia in 1864.In just 30 days, their two armies lose more men then both sides together lost in the war's three previous years. As the horrendous casualty figures increase, Lincoln's chances for re-election dim, and with them the possibility of Union victory.

Volume 3MOST HALLOWED GROUNDOpinion in the North has turned strongly against the war and Lincoln desperately needs decisive victories for both his Presidency and the Union to survive the election of 1864. Sherman's and Sheridan's victories at Atlanta and Shenandoah help swing the election in Lincoln's favour. Lee's Virginia estate becomes Arlington National Cemetery, the Union's most hallowed ground.

WAR IS ALL HELLIn 1865 Sherman makes his brilliant March to the Sea engulfing the heart of the South in flames, spelling the end of the Confederacy. Petersburg and Richmond finally fall and Lee's tattered army flees westward to Appomatox Court House where the dramatic surrender of Lee to Grant takes place. John Wilkes Booth dreams of vengeance for the South.

THE BETTER ANGELS OF OUR NATUREThe final episode relates the bitter sweet aftermath of Lee's surrender and narrates the shocking assassination of Lincoln just five days later, his funeral and the capture of John Wilkes Booth. The series concludes by recounting the fates of the series' major characters and by considering the consequences and meaning of the war.

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DIGIPAK 4 DISCS.
In 1966 BBC Television embarked on its most ambitious documentary series to date. The eminent art historian Lord Clark was commissioned to write and present an epic examination of Western European culture, defining what he considered to be the crucial phases of its development. Civilisation: A Personal View by Lord Clark would be more than two years in the making, with filming in over 100 locations across 13 countries. The lavish series was hailed as a masterpiece when it was first transmitted in the UK in 1969. From the fall of the Roman Empire to the Industrial Revolution and beyond, Clarke's compelling narrative is accompanied by breathtaking colour photography of Europe's greatest landmarks. This 'history of ideas as illustrated by art and music' remains the benchmark for the numerous programmes it inspired. Includes a specially written 36 page illustrated booklet of viewing notes to accompany this DVD.

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A comprehensive series detailing the great air battles of the Second World War as they have never been told. Featuring rarely seen aerial combat footage of all the major combat aircraft types from World War II.

Special Features: The Bluff Is Called = Blitzkrieg The Plunge Into Reality - The Battles of France and Britain Hitler's Biggest Gamble - The Russian Front Wings Of The Rising Sun - The Pacific War The African Tutorial - The Mediterranean Theatre Germany's Third And Last Chance - The Battle Of The Atlantic

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The real story that inspired Scarface and Miami Vice

Miami, once a modest, coastal, melting pot city, was transformed almost overnight into a glitzy metropolis when it became the main point of entry for cocaine into the USA. Chronicling the drug influx of the 70s and 80s and the resulting gang wars and violence Cocaine Cowboys is an eye-opening profile of the Miami underworld.

Featuring candid interviews with key figures on both sides of the law, Cocaine Cowboys is a picture of a city over run by drugs and warring gangs. Taking centre stage are ex drug dealers/smugglers Jon Roberts and Mickey Munday, who lay out the structure behind the production, import and sale of cocaine, as well as providing their own reminiscences on the excessive heyday of Miami's vice.

When the drug business boomed Miami banks almost ran out of space to store cash deposits violence inevitably followed. An inside perspective is provided by Jorge Rivi Alaya, a convicted former hitman for Griselda Blanco, the notoriously bloodthirsty Colombian godmother

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This is the story of Australia and New Zealand at war as never seen before. For the first time, only original colour footage is used to paint a vividly detailed picture of these closely allied nations, from the build up to World War Two to the end of the Vietnam Conflict.

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COMIC BOOK CONFIDENTIAL is the definitive look into the history and evolution of the comic book!
From the simple funny pages of the 1930's to the social revolutionary underground magazines of the 60's to the critically acclaimed satire of the 80's and beyond, COMIC BOOK CONFIDENTIAL is a hilarious and fascinating film for both the comic-curious and hard core fans alike.
Featuring rare and hysterical archival footage from Government propaganda films calling for the burning of comic books, pop-culture documentarian Ron Mann brings us exclusive interviews with twenty-two of the most significant artists and writers working in the world of comic books, graphic novels and strip-art, offering a thoroughly entertaining and informative chronology of the mediums turbulent history.
Boasting unique state-of-the-art animation techniques, and a special introduction by Kevin Smith (Chasing Amy, Dare Devil, Dogma, Clerks, Mallrats), COMIC BOOK CONFIDENTIAL finally provides the definitive exploration of an art form that continues to inspire today's film and television makers while influencing major global pop-culture phenomenon.

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Take a journey to worlds beyond your imagination.

The Planets: (2 Disc Set)
Different Worlds: A look at space travel and the latest planetary explorations.

Terra Firma: The story of the pioneering missions to our neighbouring worlds.

Giants: Uncovers the secrets surroundings the massive planets in out Solar System.

Moon: The answer to one of the greatest mysteries of the Solar System why does Earth have a moon?

Star: The latest scientific advances bring us a new perspective on the Sun.

Atmosphere: A fantastic voyage through the skies of the Solar System.

Life: A look at the latest robotic explorations explorations of other plants.

Destiny: How are the planets going to evolve over the next four billion years

The Sun / The Moon:
The Moon: Our most ancient ancestors were fascinated by the moon and used its changing phases as a way of telling the time before calendars or the written word. Almost every ancient society with a system of gods and goddesses included the moon as its pantheon. The Moon's Gravity causes the tides and this twice daily reminder of the Moon's immense power led people to wonder if it also had an effect on human behavior. The Moon race in the 1960's advanced our understanding of the Moon hugely and the programme provides an insight into the significance of this exciting period in space history. Blending archive footage and photography from the Apollo missions, NASA and the European space agency with interviews from a variety of experts, this documentary is a revealing look at mankind's fascination with our moon and many others.

The Sun: This programme explores the past, present and future of the Sun's importance to our world. We are in a golden age of solar science. Scientists are making remarkable discoveries about the inferno at the Sun's core and the magnetic chaos of its surface. The Sun asks experts whether the strengthening of the Sun's magnetic field could explain global warming and whether humans can protect themselves from the effects. Could the Sun's power be harnessed to meet the world's spiralling energy needs. It releases more energy every second than humans will use in the next million years. It's responsible for us being here in the first place. And, it just may be our hope for the future.

Space Odyssey - Voyage To The Planets:
Space Odyssey reveals the danger and spectacle of what it would be like for astronauts to land on and explore the other planets in the solar system. The series is a ten year journey flying to the outer reaches of the solar system. Along the way the team of astronauts rendezvous with an incoming comet, before visiting most of our neighbouring planets to carry out a series of fascinating but potentially lethal experiments.

Space Race:
This is the shocking but true story behind one of the most exciting and exhilarating times in history. It begins in the bloody throes of the Second World War and spans through to the moon landings, revealing the ruthless, brilliant scientists who played their crucial part in the space race and the desperate levels of human endurance required to lead the field. The race to create the most powerful rocket; to land astronauts on the moon; the pioneering experiments and catastrophic risks which cost untold riches and ended scores of lives can be traced back to the rivalry between two recklessly daring scientific leaders: the charismatic ex-Nazi Wernher von Braun in the American team, and the enigmatic Soviet project leader, known mysteriously as 'The Chief Designer'. A gripping story of betrayal and soaring ambition is chronicled as this dramatic 20 year story unfolds.

Space:
Space is a six part series that looks at some interesting aspects of space and our place within it. It is hosted by Sam Neill, The science included in this series is mostly at the popular level although with a little extra depth in places. The graphics used are really spectacular. According to the short making of documentary, they were done right here in Australia. The outside footage was shot in New Zealand, the graphics done in Australia and the production in England in the BBC studios.

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Ep 1 - Spanning the harbour had been the dream of Sydneysiders since the earliest European settlement, but it took the vision and determination of two very different men to make it happen. James Bradfield and Jack Lang. Their personal stories and the story of the bridge interweave in ways that forged modern Australia. The bridge provoked and amplified political crises that saw Britain and Australia lock horns, and tensions on the Depression-hit streets of Sydney erupt in the threat of an uprising. In these tumultuous times, exactly 75 years ago, a battle for the soul of Australia was waged, out of which a new, more self-conscious nation emerged, with an internationally recognised icon to reflect its new confidence.Ep 2- A Wire Through the Heart - An epic survival adventure, a love story, and the forbidding red heart of Australia - these elemental images are powerfully drawn together in the story of how John Stuart crossed the continent and in his wake Charles Todd, who built the telegraph line that finally ended Australia's isolation. Stuart was one of the few survivors of the unbelievable hardships of the interior, partly because unlike others, he trusted the knowledge offered by indigenous Australians. Stuart's success was built on by Todd who finally connected Australia up to the 'Victorian internet'. Along the way he founded a town to honour the wife he loved so much - Alice.Ep 3 - In Australia water is like gold, and in this episode, gold and water combine in the epic story of how they helped give birth to modern Australia. It tells the story of Cy O'Connor and the building of his monumental 570-kilometre pipeline from Perth to Kalgoorlie. It made Western Australia rich and attracted new settlers from the east who pushed WA's entrenched interests into support for a commonwealth they had resisted for years. The future of WA and the nation rested on this massively ambitious technological achievement, which cost O'Connor his life.

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Filmed over 4 years by internationally acclaimed underwater cinematographer Richard Fitzpatrick and set to a captivating film score by composer Ashton Ward. Be held spellbound by the beauty of the annual mass coral spawning and unique undersea rituals of the coral reef.

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Cosmos remains one of the best-known and best-loved descriptions of our universe. Seen by over 700 million viewers in 60 countries, this multi Emmy Award winning series is arguably the most popular and stunningly influential science programme ever produced.

Through a combination of special effects and Dr Carl Sagan’s enthusiastic narration every fantastic episode is an awe-inspiring cosmic journey that appeals to a mass audience. Cosmos covers a range of intriguing and fascinating topics including the origins of life, the search for life on Mars, the infernal composition of the atmosphere of Venus and the “greenhouse effect”, the lives of stars, interstellar travel and the effects of attaining the speed of light and the danger of mankind technologically self-destructing.

This classic landmark television series has been digitally remastered, restored and enhanced and provides a grand overview of the universe and our place within it.

Episodes:
1. The Shores of the Cosmic Ocean
2. One Voice in the Cosmic Fugue
3. The Harmony of the Worlds
4. Heaven and Hell
5. Blues for a Red Planet
6. Travellers Tales
7. The Backbone of Night
8. Travels in Space and Time
9. The Lives of the Stars
10. The Edge of Forever
11. The Persistence of Memory
12. Encyclopaedia Gallactica
13. Who Speaks for Earth?

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A Love Story Stranger Than Fiction

Crazy Love tells the astonishing story of the obsessive roller coaster relationship of Burt and Linda Pugach, which has spanned half a century and fascinated millions of people worldwide.

Set against the backdrop of New York City through the 1950s, 60s and 70s, Crazy Love dives into the murky recesses of the human heart to capture the Pugachs extraordinary story.

Perversely fascinating and luridly entertaining, stranger than fiction and strangely familiar, it is unlikely there will be a more riveting love story ever told.

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Can you ever go back

This is the story of the last American defector in North Korea, James Joseph Dresnok. It's a story of defection, kidnap, love, and political intrigue, all set and captured in the most secret and inaccessible country on earth, North Korea.

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The sport of basketball is a window into other worlds, a celebration of culture and identity. Basketball presence over the past 50 years has exploded across all seven continents and onto thousands of courts. This game has transcended borders and nationalities to become a reflection of how we live our lives; regardless of where we play the game or what language we speak. The films use of spoken word poetry in place of traditional narration is designed to keep the storytelling connected, flowing, dancing - like the game itself.
The complicated chore of interlocking verse with meaning and rhyme was achieved by some of the greatest young spoken word poets in America who contributed to the script, and their words are powerfully delivered by one of hip-hop greatest pioneers, Chuck D of Public Enemy.

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