The 11th Hour (DVD)

by Thom Hartmann

How bad are things? Worse than you ever could have imagined.

How good can they become? Better than you ever could have imagined.

Al Gore's film is about global warming and the life of Al Gore. Leonardo DiCaprio's new movie, "The 11th Hour," is about Everything.

This movie moves seamlessly from the global environmental crisis to species loss, to crises in energy, trash, and toxins. The breadth is breathtaking.

The nearly overwhelming first half of the movie builds a compelling case that the world is, indeed, in its Eleventh Hour - just short of the blackness and end of midnight, when the human race itself could face extinction.

And then comes the second half of the movie, which explores the causes of these problems -- most found embedded deeply within our culture itself -- and a wide range of possible solutions.

Leonardo DiCaprio is a master filmmaker, brilliant narrator, and brings to life information that would -- without the startling imagery, his compelling voice, and a relentless pacing worthy of Scorsese -- otherwise simply be overwhelming.

Throughout the movie -- check the website - you meet a wide array of "experts" in a startling variety of disciplines, from Stephen Hawking to Mikhail Gorbachev to ... er ... me.

If you're interested in the future of the planet (in the present, really, too), if you know somebody who's skeptical that we're facing a crisis, or if you want to share with others an amazing, engaging, action-packed thriller of a movie, buy a copy of "The 11th Hour."

And get an extra few copies (they're inexpensive) for holiday and birthday gifts, to share at your office or workplace and to give to friends and neighbors.