The Boundless Seas (DVD)

This acclaimed 1979 documentary explores the limitless wonders of the seven seas in the style of Jacques Cousteau. The Boundless Seas uses animation and breathtaking underwater cinematography to present our planet's most precious natural resource -- the oceans -- with a detail never seen before or since. Among its highlights are an expedition to the ocean floor by Dr. Robert Ballard (six years later, Ballard would become world-famous for discovering the RMS Titanic.) You'll meet an "incredible variety of creatures that fill the sea" like "the solitary, majestic giant manta ray." And with Steven Spielberg's Jaws (1975) only recently breaking box office records, plenty of screen time is given to that hungriest of predators, the great white shark ("Perhaps no greater monster exists to man's mind...than the shark.") The film is not merely a study of the ocean's denizens, however; it also explores the formation of the seas over the course of millions of years, and how the remnants of those geological shifts can still cause devastating tsunamis today. It concludes with incredible footage of the oceans shot by satellites in outer space. "We must learn about our ocean...and make sure we don't spoil it" is The Boundless Seas' message, one that is just as relevant today as when it was originally produced.

The Boundless Seas is hosted by Albert R. Hibbs, Ph.D. (1924-2003), a noted scientist and mathematician who helped build the United States' first Earth orbiting satellite. Later, he would become known as "the voice of NASA" for his skill at explaining the complexities of space flight in layman's terms. During the 1960s, Hibbs had hosted the Peabody Award-winning children's educational program Exploring Saturday mornings on NBC, accompanied by puppets. He was also notorious in his younger years as a professional roulette player; his monumental winnings even got him a guest shot on Groucho Marx's You Bet Your Life in 1959. "Special commentary" is credited to Fred Sadoff. The British actor was most likely chosen because of his recent role in the oceanic blockbuster The Poseidon Adventure (1972).

BONUS: Fishing on the Coast of Japan (1964): Renowned documentarian Julien Bryan presents this poetic portrait of hard-working fishermen in a small Japanese village. Bryan is most acclaimed for his work documenting life in Poland, Nazi Germany, and the Soviet Union in the years leading up to World War II, most notably Siege (1940), about the Siege of Warsaw. It was nominated for an Academy Award in 1941.

• documentary