Alone in the Wilderness 2 DVD Package

For the uninitiated few, I would suggest you get a copy of Alone in the Wilderness first, THEN watch this wonderful sequel. Although this film does successfully stand alone, Part I is just not to be missed, IMHO (In My Humble Opinion).I first saw the original Alone in the Wilderness in 2005 on our local PBS station when my husband and I were living in the mountains of New Mexico (snowy, remote, and wild, like this movie's setting). As soon as I realized Amazon carried the DVD, I got a copy. My husband has watched it repeatedly over the years; it's one of his all-time favorite films. We just received Part II today & he's seen it already. He likes it as much as the first one. Happy shopper : )Alone in the Wilderness (and this, Part II), is a narrated videolog created by the team of Bob Swerer Jr and Sr, using film footage shot by the subject himself, Dick Proenneke. Proenneke moved into the wilds of Alaska and lived there, alone, for about 35 years. And unique for the time, he set up a camera on a tripod to film snippets of himself living life in the wilderness. Hunting, building a cabin, fishing, cooking, creating furniture, hammering out his own homemade cooking utensils, constructing cache buildings, collecting foods and berries, making homemade pancake syrup, making stew, sharing space with Grizzlies, baking sourdough biscuits--you name it, Dick Proenneke filmed it and wrote about it in his personal journal.My understanding is that the Swerers took Proenneke's journal entries and used them to write some very interesting and natural sounding scripted narration for the films (after what I am sure was years of film editing) and created a unique look at an Independent American living the frontier life, told in the first person.These are REALLY, REALLY great films. They are not slick Hollywood productions--these are real moments filmed by a real person living a unique life that he notched out of the world with his very own hands.You get to see him (in Part I) build his own cabin and then, here in Part II, you see wonderful additions to the original footage (building a cache for supplies, caribou, grizzlies, fishing, cooking frontier foods, flying with his brother in a bush plane, and lots more).These are very unique films that appeal to the rugged individualist/adventurer in us all. If you loved Part I, you'll love Part II. Highly recommended!

Like most of us, you've seen this series on PBS - even before all of the recent cable/streaming Alaska this and Alaska that shows. It just amazed me how a single man could not only live in seclusion like this but also film his daily activities! Wonderful footage. I had this in my Amazon wish list for years and finally decided to buy it. Well worth it.

Great story that should never be forgotten!

This is a documentary that I came across while watching a PBS show which had ended early, and this was used as filler. I can't adequately say how amazing it is! The resourcefulness, skill, talent, and fastidiousness of Dick Proenneke was INCREDIBLE! This is a must-have for anyone who enjoys God's creation of the outdoors and is always intrigued by the skill it takes to survive, especially in one of the most unforgiving and harsh -- yet incredibly gorgeous -- Alaskan environments. This is a must see, as well as must have!

As another reviewer noted, this film stands alone perfectly well, but to gain the maximum enjoyment from viewing it, do yourself a favor and watch Alone in the Wilderness, Part I, first. It puts this latest film into context. Where Part I gave a little more of the background, and then focused on how Proenneke went about setting up his new home at Twin Lakes, Part II delves more deeply into the activities he engaged in over the years. We finally get to see how he built his raised storage shed. We see it in the first film, but nothing much is said about how it got there. In this film, we watch him construct it.To say Dick Proenneke is inspirational is a gross understatement. After watching him go about his daily life, you want to jump up and go find yourself something productive to do. Really, his ability to do so much with so little makes MacGyver look like a rank amateur. When our son was going through his challenging teen years, we had him watch Proenneke in this video journal Bob Swerer has put together. It really puts life into perspective when you see a man who fully takes responsibility for his life, and who goes out and does all the things that needed to be done, even though he undoubtedly felt many times like sitting back and coasting. From the standpoint of what it takes to live a life that is richly fulfilled, these films on Dick Proenneke should be mandatory viewing in our schools.I've lived in Alaska, and return there yearly. This film, like its predecessor, captures the beauty of the land and its animals in a way few films, documentary or otherwise ever have. Swerer has done an outstanding job of editing this old footage into a tapestry of segments that flow effortlessly together. His selected readings from the journals of Proenneke are exquisitely chosen, and compliment the film footage beautifully.Another reviewer captured the feel of this film perfectly; it is almost a Zen experience to watch. I've viewed both Parts I and II more times than I can count. I can probably quote significant portions of the narrative, and yet, like a moth to the flame, it just keeps me coming back again and again. Get this film, and Part I as well, if you don't already have it. You'll probably find it draws you back many times, as it has me.

Such a great watch and something that’s easily rewatchable. It’s amazing watching someone with such skill. Make sure you get all three.

In my world THIS is a mesmerizing Classic. Scan what you think you see. Amazing! Honing your life down & being content & able within your body & spirit.

Not sure why this specific DVD set is so expensive, but this was the cheapest price I could find. Bought as a gift for my father in law. He was very jazzed when he realized what it was. Since receiving these he has watched them 3 times.