Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		3.0
Audio		2.5
Extras		0.0
Overall		3.0

Over California Blu-ray Movie Review

A thorough overview of the Golden State in rather good, if primitive, high definition.

Reviewed by Lindsay Mayer August 8, 2008

The Spanish explorers, unaccustomed to such temperature extremes, deemed the land hot as an oven. Hence, California - from caliente (hot) and horno (oven, or furnace) was established. Of course, the etymology of the state's name is not universally agreed upon, and the hot oven is just one theory amongst many. A historical dispute would naturally befit such a culturally significant establishment, in all of its sprawling splendor, as California.

Claiming much of the western shore of the United States, the first Europeans to explore California and its southern peninsula were Spaniards, beginning with Hernán Cortés in the 1500s. Spanish colonists remained the dominant force for some 300 years, up until U.S. conquest of the land, and a massive immigration of anglo settlers and prospectors during the notorious gold rush of the mid-1800s. In the 160 years since then, California has become a revered land of glamor. With its variety of natural habitats and perpetually sunny climate, there was something to offer for most everybody. The state become a haven for artists and entrepreneurs tired of eking out an existence on the overcrowded east coast. Borne out of these shrewd visionaries and businessmen of yesteryear was what is now one of the most recognizable icons in the world - the cinematic Mecca of Hollywood.

The snow-capped peaks of the Sierra Nevada mountain range.

Over California was filmed in 1994 in conjunction with the Japanese television network, NHK. Using preliminary high definition technology, the hour-long feature consists of magnificent bird's-eye views of many of California's major - and minor - landmarks. Divided into eight segments, Over California boasts a rather thorough coverage of the state's various regions. Beginning with The Natural North (which oddly is not available to select from on the disc's main menu), the feature moves systematically southward. The North is rife with shots of the famous redwood forests and other natural wonders, as is the Sierra Nevada, which follows. The subsequent segments of The Bay Area and Los Angeles show many of California's familiar urban creations, like the Golden Gate bridge in San Francisco and Disneyland in Anaheim. After that, the Central Valley, The Desert, and Central Coast segments showcase the state's versatility - such as the Valley's fertile farming land, the Desert's arid (and recently, more populated) glory, and the Central Coast's winding highways and rocky cliffs. Finally, Southern California depicts the many pleasant locales of San Diego, San Bernardino, and the tourism phenomenon of border towns.

Narration of the piece is provided by Jim Cissell, and is full of relevant quotes from Californian explorers and historical figures, as well as authors and poets like Mark Twain and Robert Frost. In addition, many a historical fact and figure is inserted into the feature as the majestic views sweep by in the most grand of fashion. Over California is also quite respectful of the state's Spanish heritage, mentioning by name many significant Spanish figures in the state's history, and crediting several European discoveries of major ports like San Diego and San Francisco to Spaniard explorers. Filmed as a high definition tech demonstration along with Over America for the PBS network, the feature makes for some rather good eye candy over all. It is very much an overview of the state (in more than one way), but it is succinct and educational nonetheless.

Over California Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Encoded in MPEG-2, Over California's 1080i 60Hz picture is surprisingly good for 14-year-old high definition technology. Topping out around 40 Mbps, the feature holds up well, and while its picture is certainly far from top-tier demo material, it is not the worst that has been seen on Blu-ray Disc. The chief detriment to the overall quality is the "haze" of softness touching most of the subjects' edges, due to the interlaced video. Analog 1080i was probably, however, the the best available encoding at the time of filming. Compression artifacts like macroblocking and posterization are in short supply here, as well.

Shots of icons and landscapes are adequately long enough to study the subject, which is denoted with bold subtitles. Colors are well-captured and true to life, and at times take on a surreal quality, especially in shots involving vivid sunlight or a wide expanse of ocean. Blacks seem to be a little bit soft, but whites are not so intense as to cause blooming.

Over California Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

In keeping with its budget-conscious production, Over California is recorded, and presented, in Dolby Digital 2.0. It is just as well for a release like this - consisting only of narration and a rather cheesy synthesized musical score. Still, it would be kind of novel to perhaps have a DD 5.1 (or even lossless PCM 2.0) track with the roar of the helicopter excised, and ambient sounds of ocean waves, forest wildlife, traffic, etc. added in. As in a sort of effects-only track. Being clear and informative, the title's provided stereo track is more than enough to suffice, of course.

Over California Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

There are no extra features provided with Over California, although like Over America, the disc itself comes housed in a clear blue keep case with no cover art. In its place, a cardboard slipcover encases the entire spiel, and really is a rather odd package over all. It is all in keeping with the low-key release these titles received, I suppose.

Over California Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Over California is to be commended for its early experimentation with high definition subject matter on television, as well as its intelligent and worthwhile narration. It is very much a sort of "budget eye candy," being available in some retail locations for $10 or even less. It is especially pleasant and soothing to view; after all, one can hardly go wrong with pretty pictures. This title gets a mild recommendation, especially when it can be procured at low sale price points.