The Re Inventors Volume 1
June 1st 2010 11:49
Original Creative Writing:
Warren Day
DVD Review
The Re Inventors Volume 1
The Re Inventors are Matt Hunter and Jeremy MacPherson who delve through original patent designs from history's lost inventions to build them, test them, and try to make them work.
MacPherson is a historian who has worked in the film industry as a special effects artist. He teams up with Matt Hunter, a carpenter who has previously tinkered in his backyard with inventions of his own. Combined they provide a sound balance between historical accuracy and their desire for success.
You may find yourself thinking it's a case of the Myth Busters on a time warp back through the centuries but these guys offer a great deal of interesting information along the way.
Inventions date back to the late 1800's so due to the age of the patents, they often have nothing more to go by than a hand drawn picture to illustrate the construction. While this leaves some scope for interpretation in the construction process, historian Jeremy ensures accuracy by insisting on period correct materials, even if detrimental to the success of the project.
This is normally met with objection from Matt who just wants to make it work. The guys use modern tools and equipment to build today what was conceived so long ago and test whether these inventions could not only work, but have some credence for yesteryear or possibly even today.
Volume 1 includes six episodes, one invention per episode, ranging from a water based survival suit to a flying car. As well as the single focus patent per episode, they also include a quick side project, usually more outrageous and almost doomed for failure from the get go. In both cases, patents vary from the practical to the simply outrageous.
Sometimes the journey is greater than the destination and in this case, the historical information may provide more interest than whether a particular contraption works or not.
Each 20 minute episode includes a thorough insight into the past context of the invention, including re-enactments of circumstances where the invention would be used. For instance, the survival suit was designed for passengers who had to jump ship in case of an accident, such as Titanic.
As such, scenes similar to those we saw in Titanic were recreated for inclusion and these are coupled with sped up footage of an artist drawing historical depictions of related scenarios.
One irritating aspect of any such TV based series is their compelling need to recap progress to date after each advertisement break. This is annoying enough when watched with ads and only compounded when not edited out for the ad-free DVD format.
Similarly, when watching one episode after another, it can become repetitious without the week or more break between them so you may be bored if you watch the whole volume in one sitting.
However, if you are so interested in the nature of the show or the subject at hand you may be able to tolerate these aspects and these guys offer plenty of interesting information along the way.
Naturally, it gets interesting when it comes time to test their contraptions with varying levels of success but almost always with a level of fun and astonishment.
Warren Day
The Re Inventors Volume 1
The Re Inventors are Matt Hunter and Jeremy MacPherson who delve through original patent designs from history's lost inventions to build them, test them, and try to make them work.
You may find yourself thinking it's a case of the Myth Busters on a time warp back through the centuries but these guys offer a great deal of interesting information along the way.
Inventions date back to the late 1800's so due to the age of the patents, they often have nothing more to go by than a hand drawn picture to illustrate the construction. While this leaves some scope for interpretation in the construction process, historian Jeremy ensures accuracy by insisting on period correct materials, even if detrimental to the success of the project.
This is normally met with objection from Matt who just wants to make it work. The guys use modern tools and equipment to build today what was conceived so long ago and test whether these inventions could not only work, but have some credence for yesteryear or possibly even today.
Volume 1 includes six episodes, one invention per episode, ranging from a water based survival suit to a flying car. As well as the single focus patent per episode, they also include a quick side project, usually more outrageous and almost doomed for failure from the get go. In both cases, patents vary from the practical to the simply outrageous.
Sometimes the journey is greater than the destination and in this case, the historical information may provide more interest than whether a particular contraption works or not.
Each 20 minute episode includes a thorough insight into the past context of the invention, including re-enactments of circumstances where the invention would be used. For instance, the survival suit was designed for passengers who had to jump ship in case of an accident, such as Titanic.
As such, scenes similar to those we saw in Titanic were recreated for inclusion and these are coupled with sped up footage of an artist drawing historical depictions of related scenarios.
One irritating aspect of any such TV based series is their compelling need to recap progress to date after each advertisement break. This is annoying enough when watched with ads and only compounded when not edited out for the ad-free DVD format.
Similarly, when watching one episode after another, it can become repetitious without the week or more break between them so you may be bored if you watch the whole volume in one sitting.
However, if you are so interested in the nature of the show or the subject at hand you may be able to tolerate these aspects and these guys offer plenty of interesting information along the way.
Naturally, it gets interesting when it comes time to test their contraptions with varying levels of success but almost always with a level of fun and astonishment.
Warren Day
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