Tyson

The Tragedy of Mike Tyson
James Toback, the director of "Tyson," has commented in interviews promoting this film that he sees Mike Tyson as "a classically tragic figure." The story, as presented here, of how he transformed himself from a lispy voiced overweight kid, who was regularly bullied while growing up in one of the toughest neighbourhoods in America, to a fighter, who at his peak was among the most dominant heavyweight champions ever, to the middle-aged man shown as he is today, his face wrinkled and his belly soft, his fortunes squandered, and his sense of self publicly shamed innumerable times for various outrageous acts both in and out of the ring, is a tragedy in it's truest sense.

Toback has been friends with the former heavyweight champion for several years and it shows as Tyson unguardedly reveals to the camera the damaged contradictive person that exists behind the popular image of his merely being some kind of brutal animal. Other than the numerous segments of archival television...

Amazing!
I was fortunate to attend an early screening of this film. This movie is incredible. If you ever had any opinion of Mike Tyson, this movie will change it- good or bad. He talks about every single aspect of his life and there is nothing from his amazing or disturbing past that goes untouched...

I am not an animal
In the classic book The Art of War, written over 2,000 years ago, Sun Tzu said: "The battle is won or lost before it's even begun."

In this movie, Tyson's public and private battles, successes and failures, wins and losses, show the truth of this saying.

Through it all, Tyson talks to camera, and his speaking style mirrors the relentlessness he showed as one of the greatest fighters ever.

As you watch the story gets more gripping, and it's easy to be amazed and perhaps a little horrified by both his blinding speed and ferocity as a fighter.

I can remember a coworker asking me one time, after watching Tyson demolish someone in half a round, if I would fight him for $4 million. I said no way. "But you would get $4 million." I said if it was Ali I know he wouldn't kill me, so I might risk it because he wouldn't kill me, but with Tyson you would have no such assurance.

In life as in boxing, Tyson pulls no punches, and it's odd, and...

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Dexter: The Third Season

Another killer season
"Dexter" never disappoints! As a big fan of the show, I was concerned how Season 3 would play out now that one of my favorite characters, James Doakes, is out of the picture. I never should have worried, because the third season of "Dexter" was just as fabulous as the first two. This season mainly focuses on Dexter's (Michael C. Hall) personal relationships. He's working through some major issues with his deceased father, Harry (James Remar), and his relationship with Rita (Julie Benz) takes a surprising turn when she announces that she's pregnant with Dexter's child. All of these emotions cause Dexter to turn to an unlikely person...Assistant District Attorney Miguel Prado (Jimmy Smits), who takes a liking to Dexter and makes it his personal mission to become Dexter's BFF. No one is more surprised by this than Dexter, who discovers that he has more in common with Miguel than he possibly imagined. For the first time in his life, Dexter has a friend whom he can rely on and share (some)...

A Different Kind of CSI
I finally took advantage of getting what I pay for with my cable company. Prior to Season 3 of Dexter, I watched the first two seasons on DVD (Season One & Season Two). I used to send all this money to my cable company for subscribing to Showtime, and Dexter was never part of my regular TV viewing until 2008. Color me stupid. What was I missing out on?...Only the absolute best show on TV.

How good is it? Let's put it this way...I'm actually glad that I hadn't seen this until DVD, because my wife and I were able to watch the first two seasons in weeks versus like 3 months PER regular season on Showtime. We often watched three episodes in one night on the DVD sets. Alas, I couldn't wait for Season 3's release on DVD, so it was one episode of Dexter, one week at a time for Season 3.

So certainly one of the good things about...

Dexter, Part 3
Dexter is, hands down, the most brilliantly written television series I have ever watched. The pacing is downright perfection, the story telling and weaving is an absolute powerhouse of entertainment. Plus, the dialogue is nothing short of utterly amazing.

The cast is something that award shows lust for. Michael C. Hall was always brilliant on Six Feet Under - The Complete Series Gift Set. Since episode one he has proven that he can make a totally different character (than the interally conflicted gay brother who owns a funeral home w/his family.) He truly is an actor in the caliber of DeNiro or Nicholson, in my opinion.

The rest of the cast is amazing too. Jennifer Carpenter Quarantine (+ BD Live) [Blu-ray] is often called the weak link (by my wife and almost every woman I know for some reason,) however I disagree,...

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Torchwood: Children of Earth

Best Torchwood series yet! Spoiler free!
For the first two series Torchwood was your standard solve the horrible situation of the week series but that all changed with series three. First and foremost, the bigggest difference is that there are only five episodes instead of the usual 12 but that is because all five episodes comprise one mini-series mega event where the BBC showed one episode each weeknight during a single week as opposed to one show a week. Those are the minor technical differences and here are the stylistic differences.

Previous incarnations of Torchwood were a mix of frivolity, political thriller, and science fiction while series three puts the political thriller aspect front and center with the jokes and scifi taking supporting roles. The tone is emotionally taut, psychologically upsetting, and decidedly dark--all perfect motifs for a show designed only for adults. If you are wanting a Dr. Who style trip into the imagination where you get a bit scared but return with a smile on your face this is...

The darkest, sharpest series of 2009
Russell T. Davies, freed from the restraints of the family-friendly brief of DOCTOR WHO, takes full control of TORCHWOOD and fulfills the spin-off series' more adult, tragic and even political agenda.

This is Davies creating a show with the safety wheels off. Where the previous two seasons often promised the characters would be pushed to their limits, this season really means it this time. A mysterious, seemingly unbeatable alien race makes contact with Earth by controlling and manipulating every child in the world, their demands as unfathomable as their threat to the human race, and the politicians are driven to both cover their own skins while committing a monstrous act in the name of the greater good. The question is whether Captain Jack Harkness and Torchwood are up to the challenge of averting a worldwide tragedy without losing their lives and their souls, and how much they're willing to sacrifice. Davies uses the medium of Science Fiction to explore issues of...

Best Torchwood to date!!
Torchwood: Children of Earth [Blu-ray] For fans of the Torchwood series, "Children of Earth" will surely be a bringer of hope of things to come. It's just the three of them now, Jack, Gwen and Ianto against a race of alien drug addicts who crave human children as their drug of choice.
Torchwood enlists the help of a simple (or so we are led to believe), office secretary named Lois Habiba to infiltrate the government and it's "deal" with the aliens known as the 456, to hand over 10% of the Earths population of children. Fans of the series will remember the famous contact lenses that act as a web cam with additional applications. Miss Habiba finally puts them on and knowing if caught, she could be tried for treason, goes ahead with Torchwood's plan to help save the children.
The five part mini-series is very exciting and as usual so brilliant in the way creators of the show bring so much humanity...

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Armchair Thriller: Set 1

4 CHILLING PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLERS & MYSTERIES
"ARMCHAIR THRILLER SET 1" is a set of four separate stories, each as long as full-length theater movies or more, and full of bewildering suspense. One might call them "doctor drama" as they have to do with crime and mystery while dealing with suspects with less than a normal psychological temperament. But then, in a British mystery setting, what is normal.

The series is dated to 1978 simply because that is the date when it was originally aired. It is not intended to be a period mystery set, but it is rather fun in seeing avocado green dial telephones, 70's furnishings and wallpaper, and technology such as reel-to-reel tape recordings, and a 33rpm record music center.

Other than the occasional hair style, each suspense/mystery is as contemporary enjoyable as any 21st century production. Acorn Media deserves a pat on the back for making this set available to a new generation and continent.

Episode details:
...1...DYING DAY...100 minutes. A loner...

Great Little Mysteries
These are very well written mysteries. They are guaranteed to keep you watching. Each story is broken down in 24 minute parts and each time I told myself I would only watch 1 part, I found myself unable to wait for the next part. Very well acted and fast paced enough to keep you interested. Highly recommended.

Enthusiastically recommended to the attention of mystery buffs
It's no secret that British television produces some of the finest mystery/suspense entertainment in the world. Case in point -- "Armchair Thriller", originally aired in the United States as part of the PBS 'Mystery!' television series. Showcasing four mystery stories ('Dying Day'; 'The Limbo Connection'; 'Rachel in Danger'; and 'The Victim'), "Armchair Thriller" offers truly flawless productions and has a total running time of 487 minutes. Replete with memorable characters, set designs, and BBC's usual high standards of performances, "Armchair Thriller" truly lives up to its title and is enthusiastically recommended to the attention of mystery buffs, and will make very welcome and popular addition to community library DVD collections.

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Doc Martin: Series 2

A FUNNY BRITISH TV SERIES FROM 2005-06
What makes this British Drama TV series so funny? What's so funny about a surgeon who is mentally and physically indisposed at the sight of blood? Why do you find yourself laughing at the sight of the townsfolk in this serene, beautiful little seaside Cornwall town of Portwenn? It is what happened with most scenes, in all 9 episodes of this 3 DVD series. In almost every scene, I'd lift my eyebrows to the Mrs (we watched together), she'd pick up a corner of her mouth, and we'd both begin laughing.

We thoroughly enjoyed the stories and the quirky British people of this small town. Doc Martin (Martin Clunes) and his stern, grumpy, all-business, rude, and seeming heartless bedside manner, just adds to the hilarity--as he fails to see any of the joy in the village. The medical conditions he is faced to address are often as hilarious as the character that complains of the symptoms. Mix with that a love triangle the Doc in involved in, but fails to acknowledge, and you have a...

Great British series
I have this entire series and can strongly recommend it to anyone who enjoys and admires the quirky, subtle humor of our British cousins. Very much in the style of "Hamish Macbeth", another stellar series, "Doc Martin" takes place in picturesque Cornwall and while the scenery is a star in it's own right, the acting is just as brilliant and understated. Martin Clunes, especially, plays the brilliant fish-out-of-water surgeon to perfection. Other standouts are Stewart Wright as the charmingly sincere and clueless town Constable and Caroline Catz as the schoolteacher who loves Martin but is constantly frustrated by his rude and difficult demeanor. The town of Portwenn is populated by an odd, neckbrace-wearing pharmacist, a father and son handyman team (much like Lachie and Lachie Jr. of "Hamish Macbeth", and a receptionist that defies description. If you think Will Ferrell movies are funny, you're probably not going to like or appreciate "Doc Martin", but if you enjoy subtle,...

mystery lover
I am a great fan of British TV and this series..1 and 2 is one of the best I've ever seen. It is quirky, different, the Cornish scenery is wonderful and even the sound track is loud and clear. A delightful surprise and I highly recommend the series. Can't wait for #3 to be released.

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The Beast: Season One

Tea: Definitly a Full Cup!
Overall this show 'wowed' me a lot more then I ever thought it would, though I was never sold on the title they chose. Surprisingly good, despite some new comers and a gritty underbelly. I believe this is the last work Patrick Swayze did, before his death from cancer, September 14, 2009.
Mr. Swayze made his acting debut in the 1983 movie 'The Outsiders' directed by Francis Ford Coppola, which also starred several other beginners, including Tom Cruise, Emilio Estevez, Rob Lowe, Diane Lane, and Matt Dillon among others. For those interested in more about Mr. Swayze, his book is coming out September 29, 2009, aptly titled 'The Time of My Life'.
The show, Season 1, which contains thirteen episodes, originally aired on January 15, 2009, on the A&E Channel, is about a veteran FBI agent (Swayze) who gets a new partner (Travis Fimmel), and is not too excited about it. The new 'wet behind the ears' partner soon learns that his veteran partner is probably working on both sides of...

SWAYZE IN FULL FORM
It wasn't long ago that the world was made aware of Patrick Swayze's battle with cancer. Once made public, everyone speculated that he would never act again. Thank goodness someone had the decency to side up with Swayze and give him the chance with the TV show THE BEAST.

Swayze stars as FBI undercover agent Charles Barker. Barker is an agent who gets the job done no matter what it takes. If the rules need bent a little then so be it. But the scum of the Earth are the villains he tracks down and Barker makes no bones about the way he thinks they should be handled.

As the series begins we are also introduced to Ellis Dove (Travis Fimmell), a young agent just starting out in the undercover world. Ellis is being trained by Barker and Barker doesn't go easy on him. Within minutes of the shows start, he actually shoots him in the chest...twice! Sure, he's wearing a Kevlar vest but it can't feel good. Truth be told, Ellis was about to blow his cover which would have...

Brilliant but Cancelled list gets one show longer
The Beast was an excellent show. It was colorful, salty, adventurous. Excellent, fully committed acting all around. Patrick Swayze and Travis Fimmel hit their stride early and had great chemistry. Half a season is better than none. But it doesn't make me feel better.

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Cracker: The Complete Series

Ignore the Naysayers
This American adaptation of the British series CRACKER has been much, and unfairly, maligned for not being as good as its UK antecedent, but I think closer to the truth is people are upset at it simply not *being* the UK CRACKER, in the sense that it's not a direct parallel. But then, it isn't supposed to be. Nor should it have been. Headwriter/show runner James Sadwith did an excellent job of transposing creator Jimmy McGovern's British series to an American key. The tone is similar but not slavish, and while certain key characters are of course Americanized versions of the originals, other characters in the ensemble are new or composite; this is CRACKER reimagined comprehensively within an American sensibility. (And to emphasize how well the show delivers on its own terms, this was my first exposure to CRACKER; I delved into the UK original -- which is also extraordinary -- long after. Never through that initiation did I feel as if I were being shortchanged, nor was I confused as to...

Cracker Doesn't Disappoint
Almost as riveting as the British version. Some episodes are unique; probably created for an American audience and culture. Definitely worth the price.

Not Quite as good as the original
Robert Pastori is not Robbie Coltrane. Even Mr. Coltrane's guest appearance in on of the latter espisodes would not hvae saved this series. This collection is only for a completest. But if you are making a decision I would buy the BBC series.

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These Old Broads

These old broads are terrific!
When you have stars of this caliber, who needs a real plot? They do terrific send ups of themselves and the result is a funny, funny film. The fact that Reynolds and Taylor got together on screen makes the experience even more memorable.

Don't go in expecting Shakespeare ... but sit back and enjoy the inside jokes and the incredible talent of four of the living legends of Hollywood.

More of these "old broads", please
This film is a great chance to see these wonderful actresses(Taylor, Reynolds,MacLane) acting again! It is a farce from the beginning to the end, and you can tell these women let go and really had fun with it! I would love to see all three of these women in another film soon, especially Ms Taylor. They have so much to offer all of us! They really Don't make "STARS" like this anymore. And I for one, find that terribly sad!

Actually, it is a lot of fun
It is interesting to read the rather divergent reviews of this TV movie here. Personally, I loved it, having been a long-time fan of all of the ladies. Not nearly enough of Liz in the film, sure, but Debbie has some great wisecracks and Joan not only looks amazing (hardly surprising she just married someone her son's age), but displays a genuine talent for comedy.

If anything, I was disappointed with Shirley's storyline and the unnecessary "gay son" aspect. Also, aside from the headliners, some key supporting players are sadly lacklustre.

However, it is what it is - sort of an updated "Golden Girls" set in Hollywood rather than Miami.

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Richard Petty's Audio Scrapbook

Fantastic. A must for Petty fans and fans of NASCAR history.
4 CDs
Running time: approximately 4 hours

Richard Petty sits down with his cousin and long-time crew chief Dale Inman (the only crew chief to win 8 championships) for a retrospective on their legendary careers with Barney Hall, the famed radio voice of NASCAR for 40 years on MRN.

Barney begins the interview by having the two cousins tell about their early lives in rural North Carolina. They tell about how they got involved in Lee Petty's racing operation as part-time garage help after school and how, once Richard turned 21, they were able to start racing themselves. The give and take between these two cousins, and more importantly, friends makes this a fun trip down memory lane.

As the interview moves along Richard's career bits of audio from races are included as well as interviews with Richard's wife, Linda, Junior Johnson, Bobby Allison and David Pearson. Pearson's comments are especially poignant as Petty and Pearson recount a some of their...

Fantastic. A must for Petty fans and fans of NASCAR history.
4 CDs
Running time: approximately 4 hours

Richard Petty sits down with his cousin and long-time crew chief Dale Inman (the only crew chief to win 8 championships) for a retrospective on their legendary careers with Barney Hall, the famed radio voice of NASCAR for 40 years on MRN.

Barney begins the interview by having the two cousins tell about their early lives in rural North Carolina. They tell about how they got involved in Lee Petty's racing operation as part-time garage help after school and how, once Richard turned 21, they were able to start racing themselves. The give and take between these two cousins, and more importantly, friends makes this a fun trip down memory lane.

As the interview moves along Richard's career bits of audio from races are included as well as interviews with Richard's wife, Linda, Junior Johnson, Bobby Allison and David Pearson. Pearson's comments are especially poignant as Petty and Pearson recount a some of their...



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Dexter: Seasons 1 - 3

A serial killer you .... root for!?
Dexter is a show on Showtime about Dexter Morgan, a Forensic Blood-Spatter spealist with the Miami PD. He's also has a very dark secret.. that he is a serial killer.. and he works for the police, a perfect cover!

---Without spoiling anything plot related here is a quick synopsis for anyone looking for a good reason to watch this.---

An adopted child from a young age, Dexter and his sister grew up with their loving foster father, who also happened to be an accomplished detective. His father, being a cop and all, sensed something different about Dexter, his desire to hurt things, small animals, ect, his detachment from the world, and lack of emotion toward anything. A smart detective, he recognized this for it was, that his son was heading down the road of a murderer. He does what any loving father would do of course... teach his son everything he knows, and how to get away with it. Realizing that Dexter's path would lead him only to the electric chair, he...

Stop rating based on price...
We all know good and well that the prices on Amazon fluctuate frequently. You just have to watch and wait for the best deal. Therefore your review should not be based on the price because that just makes it look bad and makes the star ratings pointless if they are all about price. For the record I got this from Amazon and not a seller for 53.99. The day after I ordered it, it was back up to 67. Point proven. Otherwise I will go ahead and rate the product. I love this show, it's amazing. The set is only the individual season sets packaged together, but it's still great. They are actual boxes, none of the cardboard slide in and out cases or anything else. I know it's not a Fox dvd set, but if you have ever bought any of those the boxes are like that. Examples would be Buffy, Angel, or Prison Break. I always like to know those types of things. I would definitely recommend this product to fellow Dexter lovers!

A Different Kind of CSI
I finally took advantage of getting what I pay for with my cable company. Prior to Season 3 of Dexter, I watched the first two seasons on DVD (Season One & Season Two). I used to send all this money to my cable company for subscribing to Showtime, and Dexter was never part of my regular TV viewing until 2008. Color me stupid. What was I missing out on?...Only the absolute best show on TV.

How good is it? Let's put it this way...I'm actually glad that I hadn't seen this until DVD, because my wife and I were able to watch the first two seasons in weeks versus like 3 months PER regular season on Showtime. We often watched three episodes in one night on the DVD sets. Alas, I couldn't wait for Season 3's release on DVD, so it was one episode of Dexter, one week at a time for Season 3.

So certainly one of the good things about...

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The Adventures of Tintin, Vols. 1-5

C'est Magnifique!
I ordered The Adventures of Tintin from Amazon, but I got Les Adventures De Tintin. Not to worry. These DVDs include an English language audio track. I suspect there is no set labelled in English, since this beautiful creation comes courtesy of Nelvana studios in Ontario, Canada. But this box set is an embarrassment of riches; American DVDs should be packaged so well! Within the box are five DVDs, each with their own slipcases, with two episodes per DVD.

As Tintin fans know who may have caught these shows in their brief run on TV, Nelvana has done everything right. Somehow the characters seem right out of Herge's popular comics, which have sold over 200 million copies worldwide. Nelvana wisely refrained from updating the stories, so the first episode, "Destination Moon" takes place before the lunar landings, retaining the period feel of Herge's comic. This blue box containing vols. 1-5 has a companion red box with vols. 6-10. With the two boxes side by side the DVD jackets...

Best DVDs ever!
I got both Tintin DVD sets for Christmas and I LOVE LOVE LOVE them! I think I've seen each DVD, both in English and in French (it comes with both) at least 3 or 4 times.

Anyone who knows anything about the history of Tintin knows that he evolves all the time. The books we buy today are not the books that were originally published, are not the original strips that were first published in the Belgian Catholic newspaper in which Tintin was born. Everytime Tintin was changed, he was refined- he became less naive, more politically aware, more worldly (as opposed to Belgian). Whether you think this is a good or bad thing is up to you.

While these DVDs are not identical to the comic strips, I appreciate them for a few reasons. First, they're good, clean entertainment. They bring Tintin to life in a wonderful way. Plus, they're a great way to practice my French. You can watch these in English or French with English or French subtitles.

When I visited...

Something great from the past.
As a child growing up in Great Britain, I watched all episodes of Tintin during the sixties. Now I have bought this boxed set so that my children can see the show that I enjoyed so much. Now I see that the cartoons have been shortened. In 'Destination Moon,' Tintin and the others were supposed to travel to the moon in a rocket called XM1. But some bad guys took off in it, so Tintin and the others followed in a rocket called XM2. I clearly remember that, even after four decades. Somehow, that part was cut out. Even still, my children love the show as much as I did, so I give it five stars.

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Donald in Mathmagic Land

Wonderful movie; very educational and fun at the same time.
When I was little, I watched this movie so many times that, even now, I can talk along with the movie the whole time. This movie focuses on the non-arithmetic aspects of math. My dad, a math professor and Physics PhD, really likes this movie. He shows it on the first day of every class he teaches. This movie really started my love of math. It shows that, in the words of Donald himself, "Mathematics is a lot more than two times two!" This is a great buy at almost any price.

This sticks in your head!
I can still remember seeing this film in class when I was 10 (1983-1984), and that they covered at one point how to use the diamonds on the sides of pool tables to calculate your shots! So many times since I would think back to this movie whenever I played pool, wishing I could remember the exact formula. That's how interesting it made math! It's still in my head 20 years later!

Start the school year off right!
I couldn't start the school year without showing this DVD. I have used my VHS copy for many years and kept thinking that one day the tape would break right in the middle of the viewing. I've been waiting a long time for this to come out in the DVD format. PLUS, the DVD comes with a teacher's guide and some Internet links for further investigation. This is Disney at its best! My VHS copy of this will be retired to my Disney archives.

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iCarly: Season 2, Vol. 1

Status Quo (greatness)
If you liked the first 2 DVDS, this one will not dissapoint.

Disc 1:
iSaw Him First 4.5 Stars
iStage an Intervention 5 stars
iOwe You 5 Stars
iHurt Lewbert 5 Stars
i Go To Japan 5 Stars+

Disc 2:
i Pie 5 stars
i Christmas 2 stars
iKiss 5 stars
i Give away a car 4 stars
iRocked the Vote 4.5 Stars
i Meet fRed 5 stars

ICarly:Season 2 volume 1 Review
I picked this rating because this dvd was okay and i am glad that it is in my collection, but there's one episode on disc two that doesn't play smoothly anymore i wish it would but still anyone who likes watching icarly should get this for fun.

Thrilled with it!
Bought this for my niece who's been asking for it since last Christmas. She was absolutely thrilled to receive it.

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The Art of Crochet: 4 Kids

creative fun for kids and teens
Now here's a DVD that will perform as advertised - Entertain, Educate and Inspire young people through crochet. There are three different ways to learn how to Crochet on this DVD. The first is with an animated yodeling Alpaca and his crocheting sister ( they're really funny!) the second is with a 9 year old crochet whiz kid Ryan Anderson -- kids learning from their peers is a great way to go. And the last is a lesson in how to make granny squares from Instructor Marcy Hamilton, a happy cute woman who's surrounded by animated animals.

This is instructional DVD at it's highest quality. Your child will learn to crochet from this DVD in a matter of hours. You will pick up a trick or two as well from this easy, easy instruction. The projects ( Wild West Scarf and Granny squares) will provide hours of fun for kids, will increase their math and motor skills and give them a great sense of achievement, having made something really useful.

I totally recommend this DVD,...

Kid Friendly
I purchased Art of Crochet : 4 Kids for my grand-daughter to learn crochet because I can't be there to teach her personally. She loves it because the lessons are given by children. She has learned a lot from this kid friendly video.

Age Appropriate Teaching Videos
The video was perfect for the 8yr old child for whom it was chosen. I cannot be there with her as she learns so she needs to be able to have a teaching media which goes slowly. This is great because it is children teaching children.

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Alaska, The Tracy Arm Experience ~ Visit Animals, Glaciers, Whales, Bears, Eagles and more in this Alaska travel movie video DVD

Not what I expected from the other GLOWING reviews!
I have an excursion booked for a cruise this coming summer to see this beautiful place first hand. I discovered a link to this product on the NCL review page for the excursion (Here: [...] ). Actually the link was to another site, and then a link from there to here.

Back to this short video... After reading the reviews on here I must say that my sights were set VERY high for this product. While I did enjoy the footage, I feel that some of the other reviews are essentially padding the product. It appears that many of them are clustered around a few dates, and paint everything as "captivating". It is not "captivating" - the video quality is fair/good - but just know that this does not approach "documentary" quality - more like a spliced together home movie with several nice shots.

I found it interesting that several of the reviewers also shared reviews of a few other products. I sense some behind the scenes manipulation.

I am OK with paying the $1.99 to...

beautiful and exciting video
Great video, well worth buying. I've been searching for videos about Alaska so I could decide if I wanted to travel there or not, and this video was the best I've found by a long shot! The glaciers and iceberg views were stunning and the wildlife videos were very entertaining! If you're interested in the amazing views offered by Alaska, this is a great video to buy.

incredible
absolutely stunning film. it captures the beauty and magic of Alaska effortlessly. This is a great movie, and i highly recommend it to anyone and everyone, regardless of whether you've been to Alaska or not. I guarantee you will not find a movie like this anywhere else. this film is full of incredible footage of calving glaciers, bears, whales, and eagles that you just can't find anywhere else. It is very evident that Adam has a great understanding and appreciation for Alaska.

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The Last Starfighter (25th Anniversary Edition) [Blu-ray]

Transfer of classic movie with average PQ and AQ on Blu-ray
Has it really been 25 years since this movie was released?
That was my first thought when I heard this movie was being released on Blu-ray. My second thought was that my ever burgeoning Blu-ray collection would be increasing by at least one more movie in August.
I will discuss the plot later in this review but I am suspecting that most customers checking this Blu-ray catalog item out on Amazon are perhaps more interested in the Picture and Audio and the special features.
I have never seen the HD-DVD but have read that the HD-DVD transfer was simply horrible and was bracing myself to be disappointed with the quality of the Blu-ray release.
While the transfer is a far cry from anything that anyone would cite as reference quality with a lot of the scenes suffering a smoky look at times, the colors are OK with some distinct black and white levels, but on other occasions muted too much. Still it is an improvment over the previous DVD release, though it''s questionable...

Blu-Ray even looks better than previous HD-DVD release
The Last Starfighter is essentially a space opera hinged on the fantasy that video game skills will save the day. Obviously this movie was made for the young teen crowd (essentially 13 yr old boys with Ataris/ Intelivisions/ColecoVisions/etc) and has its share of action and comedy that, like most space operas in the 80's, has more than one similarity to Star Wars (but then again Star Wars was a homage to the classic space operas of the golden age of television). So it's not high caliber sci-fi, but it's not B-movie fodder either.

The story is pretty simple: Evil leader of evil aliens wants to attack good aliens, so in walks a single hero who is the last hope for freedom. That's about it. The movie doesn't deviate too far from this premise other than to further flesh out the fish-out-of-water scenario of an 80's Earthling thrust into space (as well as a little fun with an alien in 80's Earth) as well as the inner battle of said Earthling to stay and fight for a Star League...

"You have been recruited by the Star League!"
In 1984, Lorimar Film Entertainment and Universal Pictures joined forces to create a very engaging and entertaining sci-fi film entitled "The Last Starfighter". Directed by Nick Castle, the story begins in the dreary and dusty "Starlite Starbrite" trailer park where the teenager Alex Rogan (Lance Guest) lives with his mother Jane Rogan (Barbara Bosson) and his inquisitive little brother Louis Rogan (Chris Hebert). Alex has very little free time for himself as he has become the de facto trailer park maintenance man, repairing various problems in neighbors' trailers. He would like to go to college and leave the trailer park behind, but his mother's meager wages make that impossible. His girlfriend Maggie Gordon (Catherine Mary Stewart) also lives in the trailer park. When not with Maggie, Alex's favorite enjoys playing a videogame called Starfighter located next to the trailer park's office. Alex becomes very skilled at beating the videogame to the delight of...

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Everybody Hates Chris: The Complete Series

run like your life depends on it and GET THESE DVD'S
I LOOOOVE EVERYBODY HATES CHRIS. I was a avid viewer during the 1st season in 2005, and I would watch it every week. I recently started to watch again, so you can imagine how I feel knowing that the show recently underwent cancellation. To take something so PERFECT off of television fills me with sadness and frustration! So, let me put my emotions aside for a bit to explain one of the greatest shows to ever hit the airwaves!

The show revolves around the everyday life of Chris, who is a 12-year-old seventh grade student in the series' first episode. Chris is one of the few "normal" characters on the show, surrounded by a collection of interesting characters that, in his point of view, act as if they dislike him. Chris lives in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, a low-income community and attends an all-white school, where students and teachers alike pick on him. If things go well for Chris throughout an episode, half of the time they will backfire on him by the end. If a...

Chris Makes it Funky!
The coolest show ever! This sitcom set in Brooklyn in the eighties will have the whole family laughing. Narrated by Chris Rock and inspired by his own childhood, Chris, played by Tyler James Williams spotlights the catastrophes, misfortunes and triumphs of growing up. Constantly at cross purposes with his loving but dysfunctional family, Chris finds that being a kid isn't easy. Every character in the show is wonderfully authentic and original and each problem Chris encounters is one that kids today will relate to. Chris Rocks' hilarious narration delivers bursts of precisely executed humor into each exceptional episode. Enjoy!

Too bad new episodes are not on TV.
I did not watch this series during its run as a TV series. It is so funny. Chris Rock's narration really adds to it. An advantage of having the complete set is being to watch it whenever I want. My whole family loves the show.

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How the Earth Was Made: Complete Season One

Re: Aspect Ratio
I can confirm that the aspect ratio on this set is 4:3 and the picture is letterboxed (and there are 4 disks, not 7). What a shame that this superb series would be released with such rotten visual quality when the original was broadcast in full high definition. Why on Earth would they do this? If you have an old 4:3 TV you will be happy with these, but the visual presentation on a high def TV will be a severe disappointment. The quality of information in this series is absolutely superb (unequivocal five stars) but the quality of the DVD presentation is terrible (one star) so an average of 3 stars from me. To repeat, the series itself is superb, the very best set of programs about geology I have ever seen. The information presentation is excellent and the visual presentation of the original broadcast was equally excellent and would be here also if they had just used a 16:9 aspect ratio. It is beyond understanding why they would treat this fine series in such a fashion when there was...

Aspect Ratio
Has anyone seen it on these DVDs who can say whether it's widescreen or surrounded with black bars?
I have the original single episode from 2007 on one DVD in 1:33:1 from "Best of the History Channel, Vol. III 2007 Premier Collection (10 DVD Set)".
I watched the "How the Earth Was Made" series this year (2009) on the History Channel in HD widescreen. This listing now says it is 1:33:1 (I preordered it and it was sent before I knew what its aspect ratio was -amazon is often wrong in that respect, for instance: this listing says 7 discs but there are 4. No biggee.).
It's a good series, but loses its appeal in such a small picture on a large screen and zooming it causes pixelation and stretched picture (the earth, sun, etc. are oblong, people's faces are distended). The box does not say its aspect ratio at all. I returned it based on the listing here. I didn't want to open the box because of Amazon's return policy -my period of return was due and there were no reviews...

The Earth as we have never seen before
With a number of dangers threatening our planet, more people are keen to know about it and its origins. Understanding its origins may help us to protect it for future generations. The Earth is a constantly changing, evolving planetary body.
How the Earth Was Made steps in to fill this knowledge vacuum and does its job admirably. The visuals - both actual and graphics - look nothing short of stunning and several scientists do provide valuable insights on each site featured in the programs. My only complaint is that there is some repetition involved, but this must have been dictated by the commercial breaks on television. Still, it can be annoying when you view it through a commercially purchased DVD. I am sure that this series will be even more stunning on blu-ray.
The History Channel must be congratulated on a marathon effort that takes viewers right around the world, although there is some bias towards North America. Nevertheless, those sites (such as Great Lakes, New York)...

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Total Drama Island: The Complete Season 1

Insanely Great! For Children & Kids Of All Ages! Including grown-up ones!
This animated series is the funniest thing on TV!

Interesting characters, intriguing plot, fun art style.

A great gift for anybody from a kid to a college student!

Why Cartoon Network is wasting airtime on shoddy live-action shows when great animation like this can be had from Canada (oh bless you, Great White North!) baffles me.
Totally baffles me. :D

From the same people who brought you 6teen.
The Hipster gives it a Big Thumbs UP!

A rare example of a kid's show with crossover appeal
Ok so I am a cartoon geek, so I may like this stuff too much. But I also grew up in the 90s (I'm 21 now), the age of such classics as Tiny Toons, Batman, Rocko, Ren and stimpy, Dexter's Lab, etc. Don't forget Looney Tunes repeats.

These were shows that genuinely worked for kids and older audiences, which in the realm of animation is very rare. So while I may be a little biased towards 90s stuff, I haven't found a show that was quite up to snuff in this past decade. The rare exception is Total Drama Island.

Initially skeptical (the producers' forerunning show 6teen was HOPELESSLY generic), I warmed up to it via Cartoon Network repeats and found it surprisingly accessible and entertaining. It basically follows the exploits of various teens competing for cash money while stuck for a god forsaken summer camp in rural Northern Ontario. The basic setup lampoons Survivor with a little bit of Fear Factor mixed in there. The reality show spoofery is used to great effect...

Like tire brakes, would be left better uncut.
What we have here is a classic example of censorship gone wrong. The damage is minimal, but still noticeable. CN does a good job with certain dubbed words but sometimes jokes fall flat if tampered with. Don't get me wrong this is still a excellent show. Original, funny, and delivered very well. The DVD box set is nice for a great price. But at this price we would expect it to be uncut and left alone with it's original dialogue. This is the only problem I had with the DVD. If it weren't for that, then this would be a 5 out of 5 dvd. Cartoon Network should realize nobody likes dubs, especially bad dubs.

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The 5 Deadly Venoms

5 Deadly Venoms - The film which knocked Kung-Fu fans out!!!
Shaw Brothers Movie Studios director, Chang Cheh's 1978 tour-de-force Kung Fu extravaganza. This film set the stage for nearly 20+ more movies starring the 'Venoms' to follow in an attempt to quench the world-wide thirst of fans of this, the first 'Venoms' movie. Long out of print and only found in the possession of private Kung-Fu film collectors, the current commercially available VHS of 'The 5 Deadly Venoms' by EPI, is struck from a good quality master print, and is uncut and formatted in LBX (letterbox), which is a real treat to Kung Fu movie fans. The story centers around the last student of the dying master of 'The Poison Clan', who is sent out to find the last 5 secret members of the clan, all of whom have trained in a special 'Poison' technique. Some of the clan members have gone bad, and the student must locate and destroy them with the help of good members, if he can find them! The script, acting, choreography, costumes, and sets are fantastic. This film combines...

4 Stars for the Movie 2 for the DVD!
First of all let me tell you how good is this Kung Fu classic. The story is good, about 5 Venoms who live a secret life and are trying to be found by the Poison Clan's master. I think we should all have this fun kung fu flick in our collection but! They have to come out with a better DVD. This DVD has no special features, no original language track, and the image quality has not been restored at all, they didn't even try! So unless you must have it, wait for a better print.

I Had Five Pupils
You can add me to the nostalgia group, having seen this movie as an 11 year old in 1981 on a Saturday afternoon matinee. I was quite thrilled to find the DVD a few days ago, having eschewed the then difficult to find VHS version. DVD quality is pretty poor, but they were of course hampered going from a disintegrating master. Ghosting and screen artifacts abound, but hey, that's really secondary to anyone who's been searching for this title for some time. While formulaic in the genre sense, [dying master tells pupil to avenge him / right a wrong using every ounce of technique] the story is carried out in a much more sublime whodunit, as a teasing mystery with spurts of action. The last of the Poison Clan practitioners [dying of course] commands young pupil to find the hidden money cache of an earlier teacher before his boundlessly corrupt former students do. Centipede, Snake, Scorpion, Lizard, and Toad already have a head start on our last pupil who hasn't mastered any one of the...

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Duplicity

Smart screenplay, Superbly entertaining, Great chemistry!
The one thing I regret about this film is that I didn't get the opportunity to see it in a theater. I'm truly puzzled by the negative reviews on Amazon.

This isn't a film to watch while you're doing something else; fixing dinner, checking your emails, etc. The screenplay was brilliant and it kept me on the edge of my seat. I never lost interest, not for one moment. Clive and Julia have terrific chemistry and I loved the dialogue.

This film plays to an intelligent audience and it keeps you on your toes. I've watched so many films where the ending is predictable. There was nothing predictable about "Duplicity". It may have you feeling that you've nailed it, only to turn around and pull the rug out from under your feet.

I'm very selective about the films I actually choose to purchase. When I finished watching this last night, I knew I had to have my own copy and I want one with all of the bells and whistles, including interviews with the Director,...

Love Clive Owen But Not In This Film
I found this film very confusing. I realize it is an elaborate spy vs. spy in a corporate espionage matter. One spy is Julia Roberts and the other is Clive Owen. At first it seems like she is the one with the upper hand as she rolls him after one wild night. Then the scene shifts and he has gotten one over on her. They leap in and out of bed at various points because they are wildly attracted to one another.

It didn't work for me. If sparks were jumping between these two, if love and lust were in the air between them, I couldn't sense it. So there were two things we were supposed to care about: would Julia and Clive get together and, secondly, which of their clients would win in the spy war? More than an hour into this film, I realized I did not care about the resolution of either issue. I stopped watching it, I was that bored.

I am not a huge fan of Julia Roberts although I think she is talented. She just rarely does it for me as a romantic interest...

sexy, suspenseful, funny and smart spy caper
Duplicity is the latest movie written and directed by Tony Gilroy (I loved Michael Clayton). I will tell you only the barest of details because if ever there is a movie you should nothing about it is this one: Julia Roberts and Clive Owen are spies. This film is a sexy, suspenseful, funny and smart spy caper. I loved it throughout, and I loved it even more when it finished. Go watch it now.

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Ghost Adventures: Season One

A Good Scare for Your Money
I used to be a diehard Ghost Hunters fan. Well, now that Ghost Hunters are boring, aging, and faking evidence, I got interested again in watching Ghost Adventures. What these three guys achieve as far as REAL evidence, energetic film making, and giving us a more satisfying back story to each haunted location, is far above and beyond what Ghost Hunters is dredging out these days. I like the way Zak provokes "only the bad entities" and ultimately gets results. Their reactions to their interactions with the spirit world are genuine and fun to watch. These guys are the real deal and unlike GH, they scream and run sometimes, and you know what? So would I!!! That's why I love them. I love that they take more time to show us the history of the locations and they are very respectful of the people they interview. It just adds so much more to the show and to our experience. Try not to be moved by "Redbone", the ex-inmate of Moundsville Penitentiary, who couldn't wait to take the boys...

Season One
As this is their first season, it's a little rough around the edges but you can see them develop, become better at presenting their investigations and collecting observable phenomnena. Their enthusiasm for the investigations and finding what is really out there is entertaining.
Zak's aggressive approach to stir up emotional energy is quite successful at times.
Some of the episodes have some hard proof of paranormal activity - I find them very interesting, but it's my field of passion/study also.

Short and sweet loved it!
I am a big fan of these ghost hunter type things, but I would have to put this show on the top of my list.. it doesn't have the medium, i like that added touch, but I love it how this show just gets right into it, Zac is crazy with some of the stuff he says,but he doesn't run from an expereince and stays and plays it through.. ( a pet hate from other ghost investigation shows).
They also give you the history behind things and get a background... just love it and can't wait for more!!! :)

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thirtysomething: The Complete First Season

Original Soundtrack Intact
The L.A. Times has reported that all music rights have apparently cleared, which means that the dvd of this landmark series, unlike Northern Exposure, will retain the spirit of the original with its original soundtrack intact. Other pluses are the creation of a new master copy (ensuring excellent visual quality) and extensive bonus features, including commentary and interviews. Each subsequent season will be released at six month intervals. All great news for fans who have patiently awaited this release for almost 20 years.

Looks like they're doing it right
This show changed the way I watch television. I began taping episodes when I realized that the shows tie together almost like an enormous miniseries, and the quality is so dense that the episodes deserve many repeat viewings, like good movies do. "thirtysomething" deserves a high-quality DVD format, and it has always been puzzling to fans that this astoundingly no-brainer fact has not motivated a DVD release until now. I'll be snapping up my copy as soon as it is released, and I expect that it will be worth every penny. I wanted to learn more details about the special features included, so, thanks to a tip from another reviewer, I looked up the L A Times April 29, 2009 article "The years roll back--we're thirtysomething again" for more information. Here are some essential factoids gleaned from the article that Amazon has not yet posted:

The Season 1 DVD set will include interviews and commentaries by cast members Ken Olin (Michael), Mel Harris (Hope), Timothy Busfield...

I'm overjoyed and now where's the reunion episode?
Twenty years later, and this remains one of my favoite all-time shows. It got a lot of flack at the time for being about a bunch of self-absorbed yuppies, but that was just those who watched for fifteen minutes and saw some character whine about something. In truth, it was a well written, compelling, and poignant series with a top-notch cast that really hit the mark portraying family and friendships and the rocky roads we encounter in this thing called life. I was only in high school and early college when it came out, but now that I'm in my late thirties (yikes!) I have often remembered episodes that touched upon experiences I was having over the years, sometimes funny and sometimes painful. I loved all the characters for different reasons, but I was always drawn to Melissa Steadman, the eternally single, wise-cracking cousin of Michael. Now that I'm married with a baby, I would probably relate just as much to Hope or Nancy. Anyway, I look forward to finding out who strikes me...

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The Swan Princess

One of my all-time favorites
I'd just like to say that, as a 16 year old, I STILL sit down and watch this movie. As do all of my freinds -we're getting ready to go off to college and wondering how in the world we'll afford DVD players to watch this movie.

The real reason I'm reviewing is because there's a particular review that totally bashes this movie that rather infuriated me. I would like to state here and now that this is a children's movie, and therefore of course it has holes in it. But I've noticed that a lot of things in real life have holes in them as well; nothing is perfect. And I'm also appalled that a mother who watched this movie through to make sure it was all right for her kids even suggested that the evil villain kill Odette and marry her double. Why didn't the villain of Barbie's Swan Lake just kill the Prince instead of bothering to leave him alive? That whole CHILDREN'S MOVIE thing comes to mind...

Personally, I love just about every song in this movie. I find all the...

A Classic Fairytale
This classic fairytale story is based on possibly the most famous ballet of all time - Swan Lake. It is loosely based however, and follows the traditional Disney pattern of storytelling with romance, adventure, slapstick, musical numbers animal sidekicks, and of course with love conquering all.

Princess Odette (Michelle Nicastro)and Prince Derek (Howard McGillin) are betrothed from an early age by their parents in the hopes that their two kingdoms will be united. The only problem is - the two can't stand each other. However, unlike most other romance movies where the hero and heroine go through many trials before realising they're in love, Odette and Derek fall for each other within the opening five minutes of the film as they grow from child to adult during the opening song. However, due to Derek's claims that Odette's beauty is the only thing that matters to him, Odette rejects his marriage proposal and she and her father return home to their kingdom. They do not get far however -...

An excellent musical cartoon along the lines of Swan Lake
Princess Odette and Prince Derek have been urged since childhood to wed and unite their kingdoms by their nosey parents, only truly learning disdain for one another. When Odette's father is killed by a mysterious shape-shifting beast and Odette is kidnapped, Derek must search and train for a fight against an unknown power for the hand of his true love. The songs are enticing and the animation, while not-quite Disney quality, is still engrossing. John Cleese voices one of Odette's nature-friends, which is always a bonus.

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Live at the Orange Peel and Tennessee Theatre

Captures the Crow ...
This DVD is amazing. It truly captures the energy and enthusiasm of an Old Crow show. The quality of filming and editing is also incredible. The pacing of the film allows you to feel as if you are at the show. This is a definite must have for an OCMS fan and it is a should have for anyone who loves good ol' cosmic American music.

Old Crow Medicine Show "Live at the Orange Peel" & "Live at the Tennessee Theatre" = 100% Outstanding Southern Country Rock!!!!!
This is an excellent new DVD release, by the "Old Crow Medicine Show". It was filmed at the "Orange Peel" in Asheville, NC,on December 4,2008; and the "Tennessee Theatre" in Knoxville, TN on December 5, 2008. This band can rock, "Country Style". I was fortunate to get to see them live at the 2005 New Orleans, Jazz Festival, and I saw first hand, this band rocks!!! Its kinda like what the late/great Gram Parsons called "Cosmic American Music", or "Alternative Country", "Americana" or just plain ole "Southern Country Rock". It's GREAT MUSIC!!!!

The line-up consists of the follows:
Kevin Haynes - GuitJo(yes that's correct, its a cross between a guitar & banjo), & vocals.
Morgan Jahnig - Upright Bass
Gill Landry - Slide Guitar, Banjo, Vocals
Ketch Secor - Vocals, Violin, Harmonica, Guitar, Banjo
Willie Watson - Vocals, Guitar, Violin

The song set is as follows:
1. Hard to Love
2. Down Home Girl
3. Trials & Troubles
4. I...

AWESOME!
Amazing show from Old Crow Medicine Show! If you like Old Crow you'll love this performance! Check this out! Have a good day!

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Simon & Simon: Season Three

Bring on the rest Amazon!
Like the rest of the reviewers, I grew up on Simon and Simon. Loved watching it. The characters of Rick and AJ were terrific and loved the supporting cast Mom Simon, Downtown Brown, Myron Fowler and Janet Fowler. Would have loved to have a dog like Marlow. Even now when I hear the theme music it brings a smile to my face cause I know good television is fixing to hit the screen from my dvd player. So Amazon how bout you joining the rest of us and get seasons 4 - 9 released? I'll buy em! I would rather spend 35.00-40.00 dollars on good television entertainment than watch the majority of tv. shows today.

This is where it gets going!
Season 3 of Simon & Simon is where the show really hit it's stride. 1983 was a great year and this show captures the time perfectly. For fans of the 80s, don't forget you get the added bonus of a Whiz Kids crossover episode (starring Matthew Laborteaux etc).

All that and the assurance that Shout Factory will do yet another stellar job on great dvd quality and artwork! Perfect summer viewing and perfect nostalgia.

The Simon Brothers and Downtown Brown...Unbeatable!
There is something nearly magical about being 'on top of your game', and "Simon & Simon: Season Three" was truly at it's peak. Not only were stars Jameson Parker (as sweet-tempered, preppy A.J.) and Gerald McRaney (as gonzo Vietnam vet, Rick), superb, and Mary Carver, as their long-suffering but loving mom, Cecilia, given real opportunities to shine (and let's not forget Marlowe, Rick's scene-stealing big ol' mutt), but the arrival of Tim Reid, as funny, street-savvy Det. 'Downtown' Brown, provided the missing element the show needed; a likable authority figure to tell the boys their clients are guilty and their theories, crazy, then join in the adventures to catch the real villains ('deputizing' them, regularly!). While he doesn't arrive until the seventh episode, the chemistry is spontaneous, and by the end of the first appearance, he's 'family'!

For those who followed the series faithfully, some slight but noticeable 'tweaking' is evident; Rick's 'Nam backstory is beefed...

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