The Uninvited (Criterion Collection)

YOU CAN ALMOST SMELL THE MIMOSA!
Based upon Dorothy Macardle's 1942 novel "Uneasy Freehold" THE UNINVITED is a wonderful and unique film which keeps the viewer mesmorized throughout. On the last day of their vacation in May, 1937, Rick and Pam Fitzgerald (brother and sister!) find an empty house on the seaside which they purchase for a ridiculously low price. Naturally, the place has "disturbances" in the form of two spectres,one of which just happens to be the daughter of the previous owner, Commander Beech (Donald Crisp).The other ghost is the spirit of Carmel Casada an artist's model. The commander's grand-daughter, Stella Merideth makes friends with the Fitzgeralds and she is ecstatic about visiting them in the childhood home she loves dearly. Gail Russell is luminous as the moonstruck Stella; this was her second film and her lack of acting experience is actually an advantage-her eerie lustre and shy, naive demeanor suit her role perfectly. There is a great sequence involving a...

Its about time!
Finally, one of the best, and most awaited ghost/haunted house stories is given the million dollar treatment by Criterion. This 1944 film had me sneaking upstairs (against explicit instructions by my parents to "go directly to bed") to watch the late show with a blanket nearby for the scary parts. Honestly its not really scary, no mater what my 12 year old self still thinks, but it's one of the creepiest and well produced supernatural movies from Hollywood.

Ray Milland (Rick) is the perfectly suave leading man who falls in love with the beautiful Gail Russell, (Stella) a young 20 year old daughter of the mystery spirit who maybe haunting "Windward House", that sits perched upon a tall cliff on the haunted Cornish coast in England. [Oh, yeah, very Gothic!] Milland and his sister (Ruth Hussey) buy the house while on vacation at a heavily discounted price from the stern Commander Beech (Donald Crisp). His granddaughter, Stella, becomes upset with the sale until she is...

A Good Old Fashioned Ghost Story Effectively Told
Neatly playing light-hearted daytime fun against unsettling nighttime hauntings, THE UNINVITED is very much a traditional ghost story. When Ray Milland and sister Ruth Hussey buy a house on the Cornwall coast the purchase seems ideal--particularly as Milland is attracted to the seller's granddaughter, beautiful Gail Russell. But once settled in, Milland and Hussey soon find they are not quite alone in their new home.

The film is particularly notable for an "every day ordinary" style: there are no manipulative camera angles or unexpected editing tricks; there is no foreshadowing soundtrack; there are precious few special effects--and by refusing to use such time-honored elements, the story's ghostly elements seem all the more disturbing by comparison. The strong cast, which also includes Donald Crisp, Alan Napier, Cornelia Otis Skinner, is first rate and plays expertly, and Lewis Allen directs with restraint but never allows the pace to drag. THE UNINVITED is not a...

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Ghostbusters Double Feature Gift Set (Ghostbusters / Ghostbusters 2 + Commemorative Book)

Good DVD and a better story.
I received the DVD a few days earlier than expected, and in an unexpected way.

There was a knock on the door, it was maybe 2 in the morning. I don't really remember. I slowly got out of bed and peeked through the doorhole to see who it could possibly be.

It was Bill effing Murray. Dressed up as a ghostbuster. When I opened the door, he clicked a remote to turn on a stereo boombox he had with him. Ghostbusters theme blaring, he starts dancing. 70's disco style.

After "WHO YOU GONNA CALL," he held the DVD case up to my face and paused the song. I was silent, he lowered the case and put it in my face again.

"Ghostbusters?" I asked.

He started the music again, put the dvd down on my doormat, took the boombox and danced away.

I opened up the DVD case when I got back inside, and on the INSIDE of the SHRINK WRAPPED DVD CASE, I kid you not there was a note that read

"No one will ever believe you. No one buys DVDs...

Cheap as heck and the transfer is upgraded!
Well, this isn't packed with special features, but it's sure worth more than two stars. After all, what do you expect for a double-feature (each film is in its own thin-pak case) plus episodes of the cartoon (which it will be great to reminisce while watching, by the way) and a scrapbook at such a low price?

The real treat that home theater enthusiasts and most people with eyes will appreciate is that the transfers have been remastered and are marvelous-looking. That alone makes this a good companion to the old discs (KEEP THE OLD RELEASES because the video commentary from the first Ghostbusters DVD isn't on this new one and the neither are theatrical trailers). e-mail me for a link to comparison pics of the transfer upgrades! Worth an upgrade for home theater enthusiasts and fans of the cartoon (and fans of cool gimmick packaging, too, I guess!).

Widescreen/Fullscreen box misprint
The outside box does say that GB is in fullscreen and GB2 is in widescreen. However, that is a misprint. Originally they did intend to release it this way, but the backlash was so severe that they reversed this (stupid) decision. I guess the box artwork was already printed by this point. Rest assured that the actual movies are BOTH in widescreen and there is not even a fullscreen option. The inside boxes do both indicate widescreen.

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Grateful Dead: All the Years Combine: The DVD Collection (14-DVD Box Set)

Could be best music DVD box set ever!
This is the most amazing box set to come out on DVD in the history of music! I know how that sounds but I can not believe what you get for the Price. Except for two of the Discs I already owned everything else in the box and I still think it's great. P,us at this price if i had bought the two discs on their own it would come to almost the same amount. For those of you who were ticked off that very little of this box set was still avalible on their own you get it all at a greatly reduced price. I paid almost $40 for the Winterland DVD and close to $50 for the DVD of the Grateful Dead movie. Even the vault series discs were expensive when they came out. This is what you get:

The Grateful Dead movie which was originally released in theaters. This was shot on film so it looks great. The audio improvements are nothing short of incredible.

Closing Of Winterland which was originally a TV broadcast. Again amazing sound. Nice mix. Three sets of music plus the Blues...

Fantastic box set, lots of content for a low price!
This is a gorgeous set that combines basically all the previously released DVDs in to one giant box set for a disgustingly low price. You get all the bonus material fully intact from the original DVD releases, a full disc of new bonus stuff, and So Far for the first time on DVD. The bottom line here is that many of these DVDs have been out of print for years --- copies have been hard to find and often pricey. I think if you get this box set along with Crimson, White, & Indigo and Rocking The Cradle you've got 99% of their entire official video catalog.

Why don't they release more stuff on blu-ray?
People keep asking this question over and over. Most of the footage they have of the band was shot in lower quality / lower resolution analog tape as opposed to a higher resolution film or digital video (which didn't exist yet). The Grateful Dead Movie was shot on a high quality film stock converted to high definiton and it was shot in a full wide screen format. That's...

Perfect for someone who's late to the party...
I've always had a healthy respect for Jerry Garcia and the Grateful Dead, but I'm one of the people that was born in the 1960's and came to know them by way of their brief appearance in the Billboard Top 100 with "Touch of Grey" (and to a lesser extent "Hell In a Bucket") and the subsequent MTV video featuring the dancing skeleton puppets. Their brief rennaissance, which began in 1987 and fizzled by 1992 (after which time Jerry turned his attention to his acoustic side projects with David Grisman-a large percentage of which were released posthumously) left many of us wanting more but not really knowing where to look. I DID listen to the nationally syndicated radio show "The Grateful Dead Hour" at one point, but this stopped airing in Chicago some time ago and is only available as a webcast I believe.

My generation are much more familiar with Phish,which zoomed in to fill the void after Jerry Garcia's death in 1995, as well as other jam bands such as String Cheese...

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The First Week (#1) The First Program (Black & White, 1967)

Mister Rogers: Still relevant to today.
When Mister Rogers was removed from the daily feeds of our local PBS station and replaced with drivel, I was upset. My four year old was just as upset, but kept watching repeats of the few episodes we had saved on tape. While I have been trying to collect other "Mister Rogers" episodes since that time, they were hard to come by and resulted in attempts by me to "ration" new episodes. When I discovered seven volumes of Mister Rogers at Amazon on demand, I was thrilled. The smile on my daughter's face when she saw the first episode was priceless.

The children of today's society desperately need a quiet, gentle, and calming figure in their crazy lives: Mister Rogers is one of the few TV personalities capable of filling that role.
In a world of television programs that are over-stimulating and age inappropriate, Mister Rogers was and continues to be an oasis. He teaches quietly, gently, and with a unique perspective on childhood fears and emotions. He does not just...

Thank you for returning this wonderful show for our children!!
I am so glad to see that Mr. Roger's Neighborhood is available again. I had looked forward, for years, to sharing his show with my children and was upset to learn that PBS had discontinued airing the program. I will be purchasing Amazon Prime just for access to the show. I am so grateful to Amazon for bringing back this classic-timeless show of gentle words, kindness and positive moral lessons which are not reflected in any other show I have found on Television these days. Thank you, once again, Amazon. To any who are interested, this is a link to Fred Roger's testimony before the US Congress that planned on cutting PBS Funding in half. His 7 min. testimony saved PBS. It needs to be heard again! [...]

Can I give it 10 stars??
Why can't we find something, anything, like Mr. Rogers Neighborhood today?? Anyone who has kids of the appropriate age group (3-7ish) should have them sit down and watch a few episodes....this is children's television at its best!

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Timecop [HD]

Enjoyable despite inconsistencies (but full-screen?)
Apart from the _Terminator_ series, there haven't been all that many SF time-travel action thrillers. There have been time-travel _movies_, but they're generally not action flicks. (_Somewhere in Time_, for example, is primarily a romance, and the brilliant _12 Monkeys_ isn't about "action.") Of course there's Nicholas Meyer's excellent _Time After Time_, which isn't as well known as it should be.

And there's this one. It's not (just) a Van Damme vehicle, though it works well enough for fans of the Muscles from Brussels. It's also a fairly well constructed and enjoyable SF movie.

SF readers be warned: it does _not_ have the logical tightness of Robert A. Heinlein's early time-travel stories ('By His Bootstraps', 'All You Zombies'), or even of the first _Terminator_ film. But as Heinlein found in later life, an unalterable past/future just doesn't make for very exciting drama. (As of _The Cat Who Walks Through Walls_, RAH was officially allowing the past, and...

How did you get here?
Time Cop DVD

Jean-Claude Van Damme stars as a time-traveling law enforcement officer whose mission is to prevent and/or apprehend anybody from traveling back in time for their own personal gains. You know that as soon as humans invent Time-Travel someone will be abusing the invention.

Highly recommended for fans of Jean-Claude Van Damme and the book The Time Machine (Signet Classics)

Gunner March, 2008

Awful pan and scan version!
For a film that was shot in full anamorphic Panavision 2.35:1 by a very good director/cinematographer I find it very weird that Universal would only release this in cropped format. Many other people have expressed their disappointment in other reviews about this but I must let you know that the R2 version IS in widescreen. If you must by this film then get the UK Region 2 version. The Dolby 5.1 soundtrack remains the same but the movie is shown in it's correct OAR. And that is what matters most.

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Prelude To A Storm

What you would expect
A Typical Power Ranger. My kids love it but not for me. Very silly with karate moves and fun villains.

Great videos
I like it when they morph and I like the opening sequence. This is a nice selection in the Amazon library.

Great action!
Keeps my 4 year old grandson quiet until it's over! Happy this is one of the selections for Amazon Prime!

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Taken (Two-Disc Extended Cut) [Blu-ray]

Great film - see the movie for its own sake
When I was a soldier stationed in Germany in the 1970s there was a raid on a Turkish-owned bar on the outskirts of Frankfurt A/M. German Polizei and US CID (US Army Criminal Investigation Division) broke up a white slavery ring that had been operating out of the bar for some time. The bar was a way-point in the transportation route of young European girls (preferably blonde) who had been kidnapped throughout Europe and were being smuggled to be sold in the harems and brothels of the Middle and Far East. The police found some twenty girls in the basement of the bar, some from as far away as Denmark and the Netherlands, waiting to be shipped further down the pipeline.

The German police and Interpol had been watching the bar for some time and were hoping to trace the route farther down the track to take down the ringleaders. The white slavers made the mistake of kidnapping the daughter of a US Army colonel whom they thought was a German national. The Colonel learned about the...

Besson you've done it again!
This is a review for the 2 disc version:
Taken blew me away. It's a tight, well written action flick. Luc Besson wrote and produced this and the character building of Bryan (Neeson) reminds me a lot of "The Cleaner" in Leon: The Professional, which was an earlier work of Besson's. The action reminds me of the Bourne series but more satisfying in a way than Bourne. The first 30 minutes is awkward. But a lot of what Besson writes is awkward, but charmingly awkward. The extended cut is the European cut. They decided the American audience couldn't handle some of the scenes. There is NO nudity in this film at all and none in the extended cut.

But what you get on the 2-disc version and not on the 1-disc is the following:
"The Making of 'Taken'" (18:22) - a featurette of the making of.
"Avant Premiere" (4:37) - video of the premier night in Paris
"Inside Action: Side by Side Comparisons" (11:05) - what it says
Plus, two tracks of commentary.
The...

Let God sort 'em out...
This is one of those great action movies where the hero isn't burdened by doubt, ineptitude, or guilt. He knows what he has to do and he does it coolly and ruthlessly! What he does is kill bad guys... Lots and lots of bad guys of all nationalities, races, and creeds who deserve what they get. Very efficient and ecumenical...

I lost count, but Liam Neeson must have killed about 50 bad guys in this one. And they keep on spawning so he has more to kill. I haven't seen one hero take on so many bad guys who keep on reproducing since Steven Segal made "Hard to Kill"...

The action is non-stop and the retribution is very satisfying. There is a lot of violence, but this is not an explicit blood and gore film. Just good old Hollywood movie violence that hits you at the gut level. "Taken" is a nice vicarious vigilante thrill for all the rest of us who must play by the rules. Liam Neeson does an excellent job! Highly recommended for action fans...

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Dolphin Tale

WONDERFUL!! Will walk away feeling this movie..
Just wanted to take a moment out to say a few words about this film. I do not go to movie theaters much due to their costs ever rising. I usually wait for dvd anymore. This one we actually did go see on the big screen. My 5 yr old wanted to see it. I took her and my mother to go see it and we ALL loved it. It will make you laugh, and cheer and even get teary eyed. It is not super depressing like some animal films. Instead it shows hope, courage, faith and perseverance and how people can come together and make things happen through trials. Great cast, cute movie. Best part is it is based on a true story. so cool. We will be buying this one when it comes out for sure!! I highly recommend this movie to anyone, kids or no kids..

An inspirational, feel good movie for the entire family!
My husband and I took our first-grader to watch this beautiful, uplifting movie this past weekend and had the most wonderful time. When the movie ended, the audience broke out in spontaneous applause, that's how much this movie affected all of us. Dolphin Tale is the story of overcoming the odds, of love between family and love among friends, and of courage and resilience.

Set in Clearwater, Florida and inspired by a true story (yes, there is a real Winter the Dolphin!), the story centers on a young boy Sawyer (Nathan Gamble in a finely nuanced performance) who is portrayed as being despondent at the beginning of the movie - he is sad that his cousin,Kyle (Austin Stowell) a champion swimmer is going away to serve the country as a soldier. Kyle is Sawyer's role model and mentor, and the closest thing he has to a 'dad' figure given his own father left the family when he was very young. Sawyer's mom, Lorraine (Ashely Judd) tries her best to cope and provide for Sawyer, but she...

A well-crafted tale that everyone can enjoy
Dolphin Tale is, first and foremost, a great family movie. What I mean by that is that everyone - kids and adults alike - can enjoy it and never feel either bored or like they're being talked down to. A lot of craftsmanship went into the making of this movie and it shows, mainly in how seamlessly it flows and how well everything fits together.

The movie centers around the true story of Winter, a young bottlenose dolphin found on a beach in coastal Florida whose tail was injured and ended up having to be amputated. The humans taking care of Winter ultimately had to create a prosthetic tail in order for her to survive, and in the process she became an inspiration to many, from children who were born missing a limb to veterans who had lost limbs in Iraq and Afghanistan.

In Dolphin Tale, the plot begins with Sawyer (Nathan Gamble), a young boy who's been withdrawn ever since his father left the family five years earlier and who's having to deal with his older cousin...

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Human Planet

Humans vs. nature, another fascinating BBC series
This review is based on the UK Blu-Ray release and, so far, there seems to be no reason to believe that the US version will be any different.

If you have seen the BBC's superb previous flagship series 'Life', then I can summarize this as being the human version of that series by way of Planet Earth: A collection of exotic and sensational footage of humans, some living in various cities or villages around the world, but most of them at the fringes of civilization, all having to meet nature's challenges using ingenuity, daring and downright unusual or dangerous solutions. This includes dealings with environmental dangers, human extents to find or hunt for food in the most extreme environments, various extreme forms of human dwellings and adaptations, and the many types of relationships between humans and animals ranging from exploitative, to practical survival tactics or pest-control, the religious, the conservationist, etc. The structure of these 8 episodes is modeled after...

The Human Planet - The most remarkable species of all.
It was Mark Twain who is usually credited with originating the maxim that "the only two certainties in life are death and taxes" He was wrong since Twain never had the benefit of the wonders of the BBC Natural History Unit. Their certainty appears to be the complete inability to construct a bad series and in achieving the consistant feat of producing the most wonderful and lavish programmes which throughly inform and educate at the same time. This latest series is a variant on a theme since the "Human Planet" looks at us as a species particularly our behaviour in subsistence and fundamentally dangerous environments (with the exception of the last episode "Cities") where humans are most challenged by nature, eco systems or competition with other mammals and animals.

The Human Planet is a series packed with what television producers describe as the "gawp factor". It is beautifully filmed and the intriguing "Behind the Lens" segments to every programme show the scale of the...

The DVDs are much more than you saw on TV
After watching it on Discovery, there are three reasons I bought this DVD:

1. It is surprisingly raw for American TV. Normally Americans prefer to watch cute people eat dirty things, rather than watching dirty people eat cute things. Audiences complain when people living in harsh conditions kill whales to survive. Not everyone wants to be confronted with the messier, complicated reality when they can find solace in a simplified television narrative. That this show has the temerity and honesty to require a parental a advisory for "disturbing content and indigenous nudity" instantly wins a place in my heart.

2. This series presents what I believe is our best way forward with the environment. It shows an alternative to our conquer or be conquered conflict with nature. The idea that man can live as part of nature rather than as either as it's master or at its mercy is ultimately the key to our own survival. The key is not to absent ourselves from nature, but...

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Adore

Variations on the Oedipal Complex
The audience is polarized in response to this astonishingly refreshing and brilliant little film: some are completely disgusted with the theme of `aberrant love' while other are awash in the courageous work by director Anne Fontaine, Fontaine and Christopher Hampton's adaptation of Doris Lessing's short story `The Grandmothers', and the acting by two of our finest actresses on the screen. Knowing that it is both loved and hated depending on the degree of appreciation for experimental film should be the driving force as to whether or not to take advantage witnessing this brave new film.

In New South Wales, Roz (Robin Wright), her husband Harold (Ben Mendelsohn) and their son Tom (James Frecheville) live near the beach. Lil, (Naomi Watts) who is a widow, lives nearby with her son Ian (Xavier Samuel). Roz and Lil are best friends, and so are Tom and Ian. Harold applies for and is offered a job in Sydney without telling Roz. He expects Roz to move to Sydney with him, however,...

Surprsingly Enjoyable
This was at times odd, uncomfortable, and disturbing..but yet strangely enjoyable to watch. It draws you in and tosses you around a bit. At first, I was appalled at the "crossed lines" and seemingly lack of good judgement and self control, but then as the story continued I got use to the idea of it all, and came to the conclusion that there is nothing inherently wrong with four people who want nothing more than to love, be loved, and experience an intense connection with another. This movie wouldn't have worked had it not been for the strong performances, especially by the two actresses, who would be beautiful at any age.

Absolutely fantastic!
Man, this movie keeps you guessing, builds great tension, and has some of the best moments I've seen all year. There is no nudity and nearly no violence, but that doesn't stop it from being an absolute thrill ride. America made movies like this once upon a time, but at least Australia and other foreign countries can still produce good, edgy, thoughtful drama.

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The Tomorrow Boys

Almost Perfect! But not quite.
85 Snazzes on the 100 Point Snazz-o-Scale.

This is a very good Jimmy Neutron DVD Collection.
-First, about Jimmy Neutron, in case you don't know. Jimmy is a Boy Genius, a cartoon from Nickelodeon. He invents all kinds of wonderful devices, from a simple Hovercar, to a Shrink Ray to Books On Gum (Something Amazon should explore.) Adventures and silliness always follow! Jimmy is often accompanied by his friends, Sheen and Carl, his best buddies; his robotic pet dog, Goddard; and two girls and love interests named Cindy and Libby. (Jimmy with Cindy, Sheen with Libby. Carl? Check out the last episode in this collection.) The animation is simply superb; three dimensional computer graphics with astonishing attention to detail, reflections, shadows, mirrors, and moving backgrounds. It's not Pixar, but it sure isn't the Fairly Oddparents either. Better still, every episode is at least funny, and at most fall-on-the-floor hilarious.
-The Collection is very good. Though I...

Good DVD even though they need season sets.
Great DVD but JN needs season sets. Episode summaries:

Disc 1:
Lights! Camera! Danger!: Jimmy, Carl, Sheen, Cindy and Libby join a movie with a demanding director (Professor Calatimous in disguise) where he wants them to do death-defying stunts that can easily kill them.
Crouching Jimmy, Hidden Sheen: Libby is taken by ninjas and Sheen must learn karate and save her.
The Incredible Shrinking Town: Jimmy shrinks the whole town of Retroville.
One of Us/Vanishing Act: Jimmy hears of a new young children show called "The Happy Show Show", which is about an elderly lady. Soon, everyone loves it, but Jimmy and Cindy learn it's hypnotized everyone and that the elderly lady is an alien./Jimmy spends time with a magician.
Fundemonium: Hugh makes a fortune creating a brand of children's toys, but the Nanobots soon get inside them and control them to destroy Retroville.

Disc 2:
The Tomorrow Boys: Traveling into the future, Jimmy, Carl and Sheen...

jimmy neutron
I like most all of there movies there cool and have some intelligence to them these are some of the good ones of jimmy neutron

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Christmas Classics Box Set (Miracle on 34th Street / Jingle All the Way / Home Alone / A Christmas Carol)

Great bargain, but a mixed bag.
This is a great bargain. Don't get me wrong! I would buy this again if it got lost. Can't beat the price for 4 good Christmas flicks.

Although I do wish they had included a newer edition of HOME ALONE in here. This one is the older letterboxed edition that is not enhanced for widescreen TVs. If your DVD player/TV/projector has the picture zoom option like mine, you can escape the problem with the black frame all around the picture on a widescreen TV, but the resolution/picture quality is still poor, of course.

JINGLE ALL THE WAY was the same thing, despite the deceptive cover which stated that the movie on the DVD was included in both Full Frame and Anamorphic Widescreen versions. Not so! The same crippled leterboxed frame.

No complaints about either the MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET, which is presented here in beautiful Anamorphic Widescreen, or A CHRISTMAS CAROL, which, as a made for TV movie, is presented in Full Frame, maintaining the original aspect...

What A Bargain
Shop around and you will see this set generally sells for around $32. Any one of the movies easily sells for $9.99. The movies themselves are all great. "Home Alone" most people are familiar with Macauley Caulkin causing havoc on burglars. In "Jingle All the Way", Arnold Schwarzenegger goes nuts trying to buy a kid a hot new toy. George C. Scott is excellent as Ebenezer Scrooge in another version of "A Christmas Carol". The remake of "Miracle on 34th Street" is good as well. I had two of these but for this price I bought the set so I could get the other two and then give two away or donate two to a good cause.

Great addition to the holiday collection on DVD
Great condition. Prompt service. Wonderful price. We will really enjoy these DVD editions when Christmas rolls around again. (DVD takes up so much less room than our old clunky VHS versions!)

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Shrek the Musical

You Can Put This Ogre On Broadway, But You Can't Take Him Out Of The Swamp
While generally I'm opposed to the trend of turning every movie into a big theater production, some certainly lend themselves to the format better than others. It's a symbol of our times, a Broadway production is so expensive and so risky, they want those seats pre-sold with a familiar brand. That's the same reason we get so many carbon copy sequels and remakes in the cineplexes! Whatever happened to actual creativity? When I watched the original "Shrek" at the movies, I thought it was one of the five very best films of the year (that was the year the Academy created the Best Animation category and gave "Shrek" the award, but I've always maintained it should have been up for Best Picture as well). It was smart AND slyly subversive, pleasing for the kids at face value and a treat for adults in its scathing satire and wit. Needless to say, I wasn't thrilled with the many sequels that followed (although most were serviceable) and I groaned when I heard the green ogre was going to...

Review of BD -The original cast production preserved - for generations to come. Great score too!
When Dreamworks first released the original CGI film, SHREK, it gave Disney's animation studio a run for their money. It even poked fun at Disney characters. It took the position that adults could enjoy some double-entendre humor while the kids would love the graphics. SHREK spawned two sequels too! Then Dreamworks decided (like Disney with "Beauty and the Beast" to conquer Broadway by creating - and producing - a musical version of the film. The 2009 show got nine Tony noms (no wins) and played successfully in NY. A whopping 17 songs (in a two-hour show) were composed by Pulitzer Prize winner David Lindsay-Abaire and Jeanine Tesori to keep the show going. The music is - in my opinion - a combination of Alan Menken's score for "Little Shop of Horrors" and Marc Shaiman's for "Hairspray". A lot of fun.

So, with Dreamworks being a FILM company, they decided to film a live performance with the ORIGINAL Broadway Cast (before they left the company). And that resulted in this 2012...

Fabulous musical adaptation
I owned the audio CD well before this DVD came out, so I was very familiar with all of the songs. The play is delightful. It's tough to put a cartoon into a live musical play, but like the Lion King, this one was really successful. All of the principles are fabulous in their roles. Pinocchio hits some amazing soprano notes. Donkey is just as funny if not funnier than Eddie Murphy. The background stories and some of the extra items that were added to the original Shrek story fleshed out the characters even more and gave you more of a reason to love them. Even Farquod has a back story. Would love to know Donkey's back story, but some other time I suppose.

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The Lake Nose Monster: Parts 1 & 2 [HD]

Phineas and Ferb Rock!!
Everything about Phineas and Ferb is five-star amazing. It is the most watched children's cartoon ever, by adults. Okay, there was no good way to phrase that sentence. It is popular with both my girls and their grandmothers and everyone in between.

To give the video a one-star review because you didn't understand the download rules is unfair.

I wrote this review just to balance things out a little. Now if a few other people could chime in with some five-star reviews, perhaps we could get this rating up to where it belongs!!

Great Show
This is one of the few shows we as parents enjoy as much as the kids. We appreciate that while it is a TV show, it's encouraging of kids to get outside, use their imaginations, and do things. The kids are respectful to their parents (a HUGE plus in our opinion!). Parents, you'll find that you can enjoy this show as much as your children.

Phineas and Ferb Is the best :)
Phineas and Ferb is fun for all ages Disney show. This episode is about. First, Candace is at the end of the world because her boyfriend,Jeremy Johnson, cancels their date so the boys try to cheer here up. Dr. Doofensmirtz is trying to make Agent P trying to look bad by making robot copies of him to do evil things. Next Candace is trying to make to a concert but the tickets are sold out ,but she has a chance by being a Fireside girl and having to earn 50 patches in one day. Dr Doffensmirtz is trying to destroy the bridge to the cupcake factory so he can lose weight. Find out what happens.

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All In

Love this show!
This show is very funny, especially for viewers around the age of 30. Most of the jokes revolve around the transition from a college-like lifestyle to adulthood. There is a lot of awkward, silly humor, which is my cup of tea.

I love this show.
I think this show really caught its footing mid season 1 and from their has sky rocketed into something really entertaining. In my opinion Nick makes the show and now that he has been coupled with Jess in more scenes I feel as if the show can only get better. Watch it, you'll like it!

Fantastic show, paying for ads is ridiculous!
The show is very funny, and always brightens my day. I'm irritated that we pay for the episode, and THEN pay for commercials?!That's why I started streaming in the first place!

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Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (Two-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo in Blu-ray Packaging)

A New Benchmark In Transfer Quality For BLU RAY
Little prepares you for the print on this - it's simply extraordinary.

It's been frame-by-frame restored using the Lowry Digital Restoration Process which was used on all 20 of the Bond films, the three Godfather movies, the original Star Wars Trilogy, the Indiana Jones films and even the transfer of Avatar (all to much acclaim).

But this 2010 Blu Ray/DVD Combination pack reissue of 1968's "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" has to be a benchmark - even for them.

After the excellent 2DVD set issued a few years back, I didn't think that much more improvement could be wrenched out of the negative, but it has been. This transfer is practically faultless - BEAUTIFUL to look at for the whole duration of the movie. Directed with style and flair by Ken Hughes and filmed in 70mm Super Panavision Technicolor - it's a sumptuous feast of colours - you see their period clothes anew, the details in the inventions inside Caractacus Pott's hillside home, the uncluttered...

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Not So Special Edition
Well...after all the waiting, it's finally landed. I wish I could say that it's truly scrumptious, but in truth, from the ashes of disaster (the previous DVD release) grow the roses of mediocrity. Like so many DVD "special editions" of late (A Christmas Story, Willy Wonka, etc), this one is a bit short on the "special".

The film itself is presented in two formats on the first disc. Both widescreen and pan & scan. The widescreen transfer is just slightly wider than the laserdisc release and the colors seem to me to be about the same, though my laserdisc is rotting and the colors are a bit compromised. It might be worth getting for the widescreen alone if you don't already have at that aspect ratio. Also on disc one is the "sing along" feature and a preview of the musical which only succeeds in demonstrating how fat Michael Ball is.

Disc two (home of the real disappointments) has a conversation type "documentary" with Dick Van Dyke (and ONLY Dick Van Dyke) where he reminisces...

Still a fun film but a disappointed in this DVD release
This is one of the last big budget fantasy musicals before these films became just too expensive to produce. But Dick Van Dyke was at his zenith here and Sally Ann Howes was marvelous as well. Note that Ian Fleming wrote the original story and as a tribute there were two Bond actors in the cast. Gert Frobe as the King and Desmond Llewyn as Mr. Coggin. But I was very dissappointed to see this DVD released in the Pan and Scan format. I really don't understand why MGM/UA remastered the film in the THX process and used a clean beautiful video transfer and doesn't present the film in its original widescreen format. At one-third of the film is missing and its really difficult to watch this now considering I had owned the widescreen laserdisc of this film.

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Road House [HD]

Bad action has rarely been so good
Forget "Dirty Dancing": Patrick Swayze's career peaked in this and the similarly underrated "Point Break." It doesn't quite reach the stratospheric heights (or is it depths?) of Arnold Schwarzenegger's deservedly legendary "Commando," but "Road House" is still the stuff of which B-movie legend is made. Starring Swayze as the head bouncer at a rowdy Southern bar called the Double Deuce, "Road House" derives its appeal largely from the ingenious idea of having a bunch of rednecks for villains. You get to see Swayze's Dalton, perhaps the only Mercedes-driving, philosophy-majoring bouncer in history, take on a seemingly endless succession of slack-jawed inbred troglodytes as he tames the Double Deuce and ensures victory for truth, justice, and the American way.

The Double Deuce is one of the those bars where it seems half the patrons are on parole, but that doesn't stop them from throwing fists at the proverbial drop of a hat. I've always believed that bar fights held vast, untapped...

Nothing like a quick stop @ the Roadhouse
To avoid any confusion, by rating this movie 5 stars I am NOT suggesting that it is in the same league as GLADIATOR, THE LORD OF THE RINGS (trilogy), GONE WITH THE WIND or any other top-calibre flick. However, this film doesn't try to compete with the likes of top-rated movies, and that's the beauty of it.

The story is based on a top-notch bar bouncer (Patrick Swayze) who is compelled to call in his old mentor (Sam Elliot) for an especially tough project. Instead of just busting heads and throwing hoodlums out of the bar, these guys end up having to save the whole town!

This is a B-movie all the way. In my opinion, it COULD be the greatest B-movie of all time. In short, despite being stupid it is also immensely entertaining. The plot is contrived. There are aspects of it that are way, way beyond being remotely believable. It seems the whole movie was inspired by pushing the envelope on the concept of the bar brawl.

Despite its limited plot, the...

Great movie, bad packaging
At this point, I'm sure pretty much everyone has seen the movie so I won't go into the details about why this movie is so fun and rewatchable. Overall, this is a good blu-ray release as far as content. The blu-ray is bare bones, however this release includes the DVD that has all of the extras from the last DVD release(yes, it has Kevin Smith's and Scott Mosier's commentary track).

Now for the bad. The packaging is awful. The case looks like a normal blu-ray blue plastic case until you remove one of the discs and reveal the spaces or holes in the plastic. And the best part? The holes are right where the disc is resting in the case, which means if any blunt or sharp object hits the case, it will go through the thin plasic sleeve cover and the paper cover and damage the disc. I imagine amazon will have a lot of damage returns with this one since they are sending it in a bubble lined envelope (it really needs to be shipped in a box). My blu-ray cover was punctured in...

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The Parent Trap Two-Movie Collection (The Parent Trap / The Parent Trap II)

Twice the "Trap", twice the fun!
Disney's THE PARENT TRAP remains one of the studio's most fondly-remembered hits. With Hayley Mills, Maureen O'Hara and Brian Keith leading the perfectly-realised cast, the movie has become a favourite of generations.

In THE PARENT TRAP, Sharon and Susan discover while at summer camp that the reason why they look so similar is that they were twins, separated shortly after their parents' split! The girls resolve to reunite their feuding parents by switching places and forcing them to meet once the switch is discovered. However, the twins don't count on "pluck-faced child-bride" Vicky (Joanna Barnes), who is quickly winning the heart of Mitch (Brian Keith)! A brief but quite eventful camping trip should solve the problem...!

In 1985, the Disney Channel made THE PARENT TRAP II, which brought Hayley Mills back to Disney for the first time since 1965, to reprise her roles of mischevious twins Sharon and Susan.

In the delightful first sequel, Sharon's...

Double Trouble Double Pleasure
I am a Disney phile. I love classic Disney fare.

The Parent Trap was a great follow up after Pollyanna for child star Hayley Mills. This 1961 classic used split screen better than ever. The supporting cast of Brian Keith (five years before he become Uncle Bill on Family Affair- when does that reach DVD?), Maureen O'Hara And Leo G. Carroll (Four years before he became a part of U.N.C.L.E-as in the man from!) works so well with the twin Mills's Sharon and Susan.

Most of the extra features from the Vault Disney version is here... except for the audio comments from Ms Mills and Direction David Swift. Unless you need the comments, the DVD is fine without it.

Twenty years later, Disney did a sequel, Parent Trap II. This wonderful comedy of errors happened so DISNEY-ish and works so well on many levels. Nikki and her friend Mary try to bring Mary's father together with Sharon. Enter Nikki's married aunt Susan to help Nikki and mary with their problem and...

FINALLY!
My beloved Parent Trap 2 on dvd after many long yrs of waiting.
I cant wait until they put PT3 and Hawaiin Honeymoon on DVD too!

Sharon and Susan are all grown up and have families of thier own.
Sharon has just gone through a divorce and wants to move to New York City w/ her daughter.
While at Summer school her daughter meets a friend and their antics are funny. Her friend's mom died a while back and they are trying to get their parents together so Sharon wont have to move.

Not as good as the original PT but still fun to watch.
PLEASE PLEASE make PT3 and Hawaiian Honeymoon available soon.

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Africa [Blu-ray]

One of the finest things ever created in the history of film
The title for this review seems a bit much, but let me quickly explain why it's not hyperbole or meaningless oversell. I help at my friends video store, which hosts a giant collection of Blu-ray features. I own many, but I should specify the only Blu-Rays I purchase, mostly due to replay-ability, are nature documentaries. My modest collection boasts over 75 Blu-ray nature documentaries: BBC, Nat-Geo, Discovery and other independent sources. I've been collecting nature Blu-rays since the evening I installed a compatible drive in my computer. The PC is linked via 1080p HDMI connection to a large LCD screen. The reason I'm telling you this personal information is so you know I'm serious about the genre. I'm critical. It takes a lot to blow me away since I've viewed so many astonishing, eye-popping nature documentaries over the years. Other people collect guns, stamps or shoes. Well, I collect nature documentaries.

This is, without question, the best nature documentary ever...

Once again, surprisingly superb
I've been watching nature documentaries for decades now, so I approach these newer ones with weary skepticism, especially since the wave of glossy 'remake-upgrades' started by Planet Earth. In this specific case, the topic is the wildlife of Africa, which has been covered in almost every major BBC documentary so far, as well as hundreds of other docs, and it has also been the focus of the very good 'Wild Africa' series (also by the BBC).

The one detail with 'Africa' that gave me hope was that it was produced by Mike Gunton, producer of arguably the best of the new breed of documentaries: 'Life'.

I am happy to report that this one is just as good as Life, if not better.

The approach here is to find footage of surprising, educational and entertaining animal behaviour not seen before and film it in dramedy style as with Life. In addition, the documentary masterfully combines summary information on the natural history and climate to provide a complete...

Another Incredible BBC Nature Documentary!!!!
Africa is the latest incredible nature documentary from the producers who brought us Planet Earth, Life, Frozen Planet, and Human Planet. Africa is narrated by the great Sir David Attenborough. Unfortunately the Discovery Channel airing of Africa used a different narrator. This Blu-Ray is the original uncut broadcast with Attenborough. The Discovery Channel cut out scenes for commercials during the hour long broadcast when it aired.

Africa is a 6 part series which includes: Kalahari, Savannah, Congo, Cape, Sahara, and The Future. Each episode is stunning. From forest elephants to kick-boxing frogs, the animals of Africa come to life in stunning high definition. The cinematography in Africa is amazing. This is definitely one of the best BBC nature documentaries to date. This Blu-Ray is a must have for anyone who enjoys nature.

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Beauty and The Obese

No Problems Here...
I haven't had any problems at all with my two discs. They play just fine and look fine.

My only beef would be the change in the animation & writting after episode 4. It became way to 'cutesy' and less crass. No more exposed breasts get shown, no more truely funny innuendos. I felt like I was watching a saturday morning fluffy cartoon.

Now I understand why it got cancelled. Someone screwed with it and screwed it up.

It is worth buying for the orginial first 4 episodes tho.

Double meanings and LOTS of inneundo
I don't know what happened with the other reviewers, but my DVD's played with no problem and nothing was pixelated out. The only censoring I found was a couple of words were "beeped" out and I think that was part of the script. The series itself was a fun parody of comic characters and sexual innuendo. This isn't a kid's cartoon, but lots of R rated humor for adults.

Funny raunchy cartoon!
I saw this DVD by chance and it looked so crazy that I just had to check it out. The show turned out to be better than what I expected and less sleazy, with some gratuitous topless stuff at the strip club and rampant bathroom humor throughout the series. It's primarily a superhero/spy spoof, sort of in the style of Austin Powers. Stan Lee developed the show and one of the directors is Kevin Altieri, who worked on Batman: The Animated Series, so there's automatically a certain level of quality brought to the show. The animation and designs are very well done, on par with Batman. The artists also do a great job caricaturing many different types of people. Stripperella herself comes across as a dorky likeable character and is well-acted by Pamela Anderson. The villains are over-the-top parodies of megalomaniacs you see over and over in comic books and James Bond movies. Many characters are funny, like the strip club employees, the siamese twins, and especially the spy agency...

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Civil War Pickings [HD]

Please do NOT buy this item!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This is the biggest FAKE I have EVER seen! The History Channel tries to make you think that this is season 3. Don't be fooled! If you have Netflix, then you can watch this "Volume 3" right now and not have to wait until June 5, 2012. On Netflix it states that the episodes featured here are Season 2 Episode: 9-16. The REAL season 2 has 28 episodes not 8. It's honestly pathetic!!! Think about it, if you pay $14.99 for this DVD, you are paying almost $2 an episode. That's absolutely CRAZY when you can pay $7.99 for Netflix and get every epidisode of Season 1 and 2 PLUS everything else you can watch. Please show the History Channel that WE are not going to take this crap. Go to their website and write to them that you want EVERY episode in the season and you don't appreciate them getting OUR money by LYING and TRICKING us into believe we are getting the real deal!

Great for Family watching
This show for the most part is G rated; there are a few comments that are more PG 13, but it is so hard to find family friendly shows and this is better than most. I also like the fact that it is a fun way for kids to learn some history while being entertained. All in all we enjoy this show and have watched every episode!

Good Show
I had to counter the 1 star review... if you dont like the price, then buy somewhere else. (yes it's high) But for those who dont worship at the altar of apple, the price isn't too bad if you consider the total lack of a cable bill. I just buy seasons of the shows I like and avoid the overpriced cable bill.

Now, about the show... it quickly became one of my favorites. The duo travel around the country finding "mantiques". Whats not to like when they pick old motorcycles, antique bicycles, rusty signs.

Def a guy show.

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The Phantom of the Opera at the Royal Albert Hall

The closest thing to being at a live production
I just got back from watching this exact performance at my local theatre, and I must admit, I am most impressed.

I was frightened that this might not be a staging at all, but more along the lines of a "concert in costume" much like the dissapointment I felt when I saw the Les Miserable's concert on Public TV.

Fear not. This production is pretty dead on to the staging that appears in the shows that I have watched live, and considering this was filmed "live" and simulcast, it is truly a sight to behold.

While this performance can't even compare to "being there" it is far removed than the sterile affair put on the screen by Joel Schumaker. Don't get me wrong. There is plenty of things I like about the movie, (like the spine tingling opening sequence, or the red hot sexuality of Point of No Return). But this by far is the most accurate "filming" I have seen of any ALW production.

Unlike Joseph, JC Superstar and CATS, which were "staged"...

Stunning concert and quite possibility the definitive Phantom
For the 25th anniversary of Phantom Andrew and Cameron did a fully staged concert version of pretty much the whole show at London's Royal Albert Hall complete with minor set piece and fully costumed with a cast and orchestra of over 200. (More complete then the movie just a like cut here or there NOTHING to really get excited over.) This version is nothing short of incredible. Now fans of Sarah and Michael DON'T KILL ME, please. I saw this in the theater for the live broadcast and was amazed by the performances in this. Ramin Karimloo and Sierra Boggess, who co-starred in the "Phantom" sequel "Love Never Dies" in London, reunited for the special production and with amazing chemistry. Having grown up on the OLC recording and owning about a half a dozen others I've never grown to really like the piece outside of the original cast. Maybe it's nostalgia for it or just the way others have sung it but this time I was blown away. Never in my life have I cried at this show until now. Ramin's...

A Masterpiece
The DVD will contained the live streaming held on October 2, 2011 at the Royal Albert Hall. I had the privilege of seeing it in the theater in the U.S. on 10/2/11 and once again on 10/5/11 as a rebroadcasted Encore performance. I'm so excited that I'll be able to watch it again and again. The taping of the show and cinematography were spectacular. You by no means feel like you are in a seat in the audience watching it from may rows in front of the stage. No, you are up close, on stage, beholding closeups of the various performers play their iconic roles to perfection. You see the costumes like you've never seen them before, the rage and hurt in the Phantom's eyes, the conflict and yearning of Christine for two men. The performances of Ramin Karimloo (Phantom), Sierra Boggess (Christine), and Hadley Fraser (Raoul) are nothing less than brilliant, as well as the rest of the cast. If you love Phantom on stage, you'll love this DVD. The after performance reprisals of the Phantom...

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Sweet Home Alabama

Never forget who you are...
I was a bit hesitant to watch this film at first because romantic-love-triangle-comedies all end the same way. Plus before the movie started, the audience was packed with high school teenagers with their cellphones. (They could litterally fiddle around with them for hours while looking seemingly busy.) But my mom insisted and I obliged. Anyways, the movie turned out to be pretty sweet and heartwarming.

Melanie Carmichael (aka Melanie Smooter), played by Reese Witherspoon, is an up-and-coming New York City fashion designer who has just been proposed to by Andrew (Patrick Dempsey), the mayor's son. (Quite an impressive proposal I might add, with the Tiffany store open just for them.) There's only one problem, she's still legally married to Jake (Josh Lucas) in Alabama. That's where the real story begins. Melanie drives back to her hometown and nags Jake to sign the divorce papers. He drags his feet while Melanie gets some time to get reacquainted with his family and friends,...

Reese Witherspoon is 'Sweet' in 'Alabama'
Witherspoon gives another strong, leading performance that proves she can make just about any movie look good. She stars as Melanie, a New York fashion designer whose dream is about come true. She's proposed to by New York's most successful and eligable bachelor, who also happens to be the mayor's son. Before she can say for sure, she quickly travels back home to country-side Alabama, to try and get a divorce out of her high-school sweetheart Jake (Josh Lucas). The film was better than I expected. It was pretty funny and heartwarming, while Reese gives a sweet performance in SWEET HOME ALABAMA. It's kind of a chick-flick, but proved high for a comedy on my standards. If you're in the mood for something light and funny, sweet and entertaining, "Alabama" is worth seeing.

Sweet Home Alabama
Reese Witherspoon was wonderful as Melanie Carmichael! She plays the displaced southerner very well. Josh Lucas was the perfect counterpart portraying the southern hick. They have known and loved each other since they were kids, but of course life interferes, and that is where this movie starts. The town and residents are a typical stereotype, but it doesn't even matter because the film was that good. The writing and supporting cast are priceless. I do have to give special mention to Candice Bergen. She is at her best when she plays those dry roles.

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Barney Miller: The Complete Series

Shout! Factory Release of a Classic Series
UPDATE: Because my "review" keeps popping up first, here's a real one now. Hope it helps. (I'll leave an edited potion of my original post at the end.)

Got an early Christmas gift this month. Essentially raised on Barney Miller, I had a couple of lost weekends after the complete series landed on my porch. Here's what I got on Shout's treatment of my favorite series....

The First Three Seasons--Unfortunately, Shout! Factory used what Sony created for their season sets; other than the packaging, they're the exact same discs, menus and all. That means the first season still looks woeful and that two of its episodes (Ramon and The Bureaucrat) are the syndicated cuts. However, Shout has included a complete version of Ramon with the extras (Harris in drag!). The video quality of that version is pretty bad, which should indicate the kind of job Shout faced in getting complete episodes. Which brings me to....

Completeness of Episodes--I wish I could say that...

One of the Best Sitcoms Ever, Great DVD set
Looks like I am the first reviewer here on Amazon to have actually viewed these discs, so hopefully people will find my initial reactions useful.

So much has been said about the series itself I won't repeat any of it here. Just be assured that Barney Miller is one of the best written, best acted sitcoms (or any TV series for that matter) ever. I've seen every episode multiple times and have been collecting recordings of this show on commercially available VHS tapes, broadcast sources, and DVDs for many years. So I was very glad to see Shout Factory pick up the baton where Sony left off and release the show as it should have been from the beginning, as a complete series set.

I have not seen all the episodes in this set yet, but the ones I have seen run about 25 minutes instead of the 22-minute syndicated versions most often seen on TV since the show's original run. The picture quality is great for a TV series shot on video in the 1970s. About as good as it...

Clearing up the confusion: this set is a good thing
There's a lot of confusion in some of the low rated reviews that is based on a lack of information. No one is pulling bait and switch. Sony released the first three seasons then stopped. Shout! Factory has picked up the rights and is releasing this set. In the past they have also released the remaining seasons in individual season format for shows they picked up like this.

This set, beyond the creative packaging contains:

* All eight seasons on 25 discs
* Newly-produced and never-before-seen bonus features
* 32 page commemorative book
* New interviews with the cast (Linden, Gail, Vigoda)
* Original unaired pilot
* Writers' commentary on select episodes
* Entire first season of Fish (the Abe Vigoda spin-off).

The original news is here: [...]

Amazon is offering this at 30% off! This is an incredible deal, and beyond the best news fans of Barney Miller could have hoped for. Emmy- and Gold Globe-winning,...

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Grown Ups

Love this movie
I loved this movie. The casting was great. All the characters were lovable and it reminded me of how I grew up as a kid. I thought it was definitely entertaining for people of all ages but especially those of us that grew up in a time where there were no computers, no cell phones, and we had to come up with our own games to entertain us. (without getting killed)It's an enjoyable, entertaining movie with a happy ending and it promotes spending time together as a family and the importance of good friends. What more could you ask for?? I highly recommend this movie. I saw it twice and I can't wait to see it again.

Funny, pleasant and enjoyable
I desperately wanted to enjoy Kevin James in Paul Blart: Mall Cop. I still believe it was only his lack of a strong supporting cast that kept it from being truly funny and was also what made it woefully thin on laughs. This is thankfully not the case with Grown Ups. Here Kevin James is well supported by an excellent comedy team and it works very well. My wife reluctantly went with me to see Grown Ups saying that she didn't like "slapstick comedies". Well, she laughed much more than I have heard laugh her in a very long time and she came away saying that she really enjoyed the film. The film has done very well at the box office despite many negative reviews (as did Paul Blart: Mall Cop) and it does seem to be much more popular with filmgoers than film critics. I personally think it is a much better and much funnier film than Couples Retreat. It is hard to think of Kevin James as any character other than his The King of Queens "Doug Heffernan" and David Spade really just seems to be...

uneven but with more positives than negatives
***1/2

When it comes to mainstream Hollywood comedies, we've all too often found that the quality of a cast is in inverse proportion to the quality of the film (i.e., "He's Just Not That Into You"). That being the case, I had expected "Grown Ups" - which features the likes of Adam Sandler, Salma Hayek, Kevin James, Maria Bello, Chris Rock, Maya Rudolph, David Spade and Steve Buscemi in starring roles - to be a real cinematic turkey. Imagine my shock, then, when the movie turned out to be, for the most part at least (and we'll get to the qualifiers in a moment), a surprisingly genial, laid-back and likable movie that generates a decent number of laughs without breaking too much of a sweat.

That is a particularly noteworthy achievement given that Sandler, not exactly known for either subtlety or restraint, is not only the star of the film but co-author of the screenplay as well (along with Fred Wolf). But somehow Sandler and company (the movie was directed by...

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Galaxy Quest [Blu-ray]

Stunning parody.
Those are the best two words to describe Galaxy Quest. Another good phrase would be "one of the best movies Dreamworks has produced so far".

It's been a long time since I've seen a parody film hit its intended targets with such accuracy and finesse. The movie deals with the crew of the Protector, a spaceship that exists only in reruns of the strangely familiar early 80's ensemble SF TV show Galaxy Quest. Exiled to mall shows and science-fiction fan conventions, they live out their days signing autographs for fanatical, show-quoting groupies until they're propositioned by some rather distinctive "fans" for a very special mission...

What ensues is an incredibly fun skewering of the whole Star Trek experience, effortlessly bouncing from knowing parody to rollicking action to heartfelt emotion. And it's all headed by a top-flight cast led by Tim Allen as Jason Nesmith/Commander Peter Quincy Taggart. Aiding and abeting him is his flouncy blonde...

"By Grabthar's hammer, you shall be avenged!"
In December of 1999, director Dean Parisot unleashed what is arguably the funniest sci-fi/comedy film of all time, "Galaxy Quest", which focuses upon the dissatisfied lives of five actors who had starred in a long-cancelled sci-fi television series of the same name. Jason Nesmith (Tim Allen) played ship's captain Commander Peter Quincey Taggart. Gwen DeMarco (Sigourney Weaver, who is no stranger to sci-fi with her roles in the "Alien" films) played Lt. Madison. Alexander Dane (Alan Rickman, also known for his roles as Hans Gruber in the 1988 film "Die Hard" and Professor Snape in the two "Harry Potter" films) played Dr. Lazarus. Fred Kwan (Tony Shalhoub) played ship's engineer Tech Sgt. Chen and Tommy Webber (Daryl Mitchell) played ship's pilot Laredo. Following the cancellation of the TV series, none of the actors had found descent acting jobs. Instead, they were relegated to appearing occasionally as their former "Galaxy Quest" characters at fan conventions and infrequent...

Deluxe Edition: The definitive version to get on DVD and a great 10th Year Anniversary tribute release!
In 1999, "Galaxy Quest" was a film that surprised many sci fi fans when it was released to theaters. At first, many people were not sure if it would be a parody to "STAR TREK" but in the end, the film was actually paying homage to the popular television series.

The film is directed by television director David Parisot (who directed shows such as "Curb Your Enthusiasm", "Monk", "ER" and many other series) and is based on a story by David Howard and a screenplay co-written with Ric McElvin ("Men in Black II" , "Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events" and "Addicted to Love", etc.).

The film has received praise from Star Trek alumni such as George Takei, Jonathan Frakes, Patrick Stewart and Will Wheaton and has received nearly all positive reviews from film critics upon its release in theaters back in 1999.

VIDEO & AUDIO:

"Galaxy Quest - Deluxe Edition" has been digitally remastered for this DELUXE EDITION/10th Year release. I haven't...

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Of Moose and Men

It draws you in and keeps you returning for more.
This show draws you into the life of this family like no other reality show. Their day to day life is interesting and the personalities are very diverse.

A different way to live
Excellent example how people can do without the modern conveniences of every day life. The seasons are shorter and they have to take advantage of everyday they get to gather food and if necessary, build other structures they need. They also have to improvise in order to make life a little bit easier. With a baby on the way I can't imagine how they manage to get to a doctor or get their supplies in that they use, i.e. gas, paper products they must have to leave their homes at some point in time unfortunately that is not shown and it would be interesting to know. Wouldn't miss a show

I love Alaska the Last Frontier
Alaska the Last Frontier continues to be a very enjoyable revealing look at the self sustaining lifestyle of the Kilcher family. The setting has magnificent scenery and even the hunting and fishing scenes while at times graphic they are tempered by the explaination of the need for survival. The open view of the self sustaining lifestyle and all that it takes to maintain is very educational to me, and I find it very entertaining.

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Veggietales: Pistachio

I Laughed Until I Stopped
One of the best Veggie Tales ever! The animation was top-notch, the humor was better then usual (I laughed out-loud many times) and the lesson was excellent for children. The importants of listening to wise parents and in this case a father in a child's life. The retelling of Pinocchio was a great storyline for the Big Idea group and they didn't disappoint with a very clever rendition. I liked how they skirted around the whole fairy thing with Madame Blueberry. Very cute. Kahlil (the caterpillar named Cricket) steals the show with his humor and loyalty. The Silly Songs With Larry was a good one with the Office Supply song done as a obscure Broadway musical. Qwerty gets an upgrade but Bob still rolls his eyes.

My four year old loved the entire DVD. I highly recommend it too.

1 Star = Pathetic
2 Stars = Fair
3 Stars = Good
4 Stars = Excellent
5 Stars = Life changing

Not their best work
While I wouldn't be as harsh as some reviewers, this is certainly not the best effort they've made. The story is fine and the message is fine, it's just not that creative or done with the excellence you might expect. I enjoyed this more than my wife (she would probably give it only 2 stars).

Another Classic Veggie Tale DVD to add to the Family Collection
This DVD brilliantly merges the classic Pinnochio story with the bible parable of the lost sheep. Along with the lesson on honesty, it helps children realize that parents ask them to do things out of love. The Silly Songs and Italian brothers will have your kids laughing and singing along. Loved it and so did the kids!

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An Arlington Home for a Couple [HD]

It's all fake, people
After watching about 30 episodes of "House Hunters" (not back to back, of course) I began to suspect something was up.

The "should we choose this house or that" conversations seemed stilted and often the buyers chose a house that made no sense at all, given their stated wants and needs.

Well, guess what. It's all staged.

I'm not going to give away how it's done. Enter "house hunters" and "fake" in any search engine. You'll see.

I gave it two stars because it is mildly entertaining. But I won't watch any more eps.

House Hunter
I love House Hunters. Not just because I get to peek inside of houses with the prospective buyers - but because it is some of the best entertainment on TV.

house hunters
love this show would like to see more and others like it, like designed to sell, first time home buyers.

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Fender Presents: Getting Started on Acoustic Guitar -- A Guide for Beginners

Best DVD for Beginners
This DVD has clear instruction, starts with the basics, gets a beginner launched correctly. No other DVD I've seen has looped backing tracks. The professional drums and bass (not midi imitations) allow you to play with a "band," and they loop, so you can work on a chord progression or solo technique over and over until you get it. I have tried the other DVDs - I unfortunately own them - and I can tell you that this one (and it's electric counterpart) are the most professional, effective, well-presented beginning guitar lessons available on DVD.

Nicely done and worth buying
This DVD, as well as the electric guitar version, are among the most well-produced and pleasant to watch videos on the subject (A lot of the other instructional videos I have seen are poorly produced and photographed). There is over three hours of material, much more than most videos. Keith Wyatt is an excellent instructor and communicator and I enjoy his presentations. While I agree with a previous reviewer that this video is no substitute for guitar method instruction, it is an excellent tool for getting new players started playing songs, and is much more fun than using typical guitar method books which include a lot of playing scales and the other not very enjoyable exercises. This DVD is well worth the price!

Definitely Gets You Started!
I am a guitar lover, and I play a little bit for fun. Before I bought this DVD, I knew about 25 chords, and I played rhythm guitar by ear. Not only was I looking for something to help me hone my skills, but I needed a beginning instructional DVD for my children. I play an Ibanez PF Acoustic-Electric, and my kids share a 3/4 Fender Acoustic. My 3 oldest children, were 14, 12, and 9 when they started using this DVD. They all play piano, and want to be able to keep up with me on the guitar.

This DVD got them off to a very good start. Keith Wyatt is an excellent teacher. His style is well-paced and clear. He covers a lot of little details without talking too much or overwhelming the student. He makes it look very easy, which can be frustrating, but anyone can apply his techniques with practice. He actually demonstrates most of the lessons on electric guitar, but it's all good. The first menu has a lesson on tuning, and gives the pitches for you to match.

He teaches...

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The Long, Long Trailer

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away....
Watching the Lucille Ball/Desi Arnaz film "The Long, Long Trailer" some 50+ years after it was made, is a rather surreal experience. By 1953, The "Baby Boom" was indeed booming, tract housing was all over the place like crab grass, trailer parks multiplied like jackrabbits, and Americans were inundated with the wonders of "space age" technology. Big, flashy-looking cars, refrigerators, TV sets, "streamlined" furniture, and snazzy clothes were the things that everyone wanted to have. It was as if America wanted to wipe away its gritty, unglamourous past and face the space age all polished and waxed and Simonized. To see Eisenhower's America as depicted by MGM in better-than-real-life Technicolor and filmed largely on MGM's backlot (interspersed with location photography of Yosemite Park,etc) I feel like I'm watching home movies that were shot in a suburb of a distant planet! "The Long, Long Trailer" was made to capitalize on the overwhelming popularity of TV's "I Love Lucy", which...

SOOO Funny
We watch this wonderful movie once a year, just for the pleasure of anticipating each perfect scene. Directed by Vincent Minelli, and perfectly acted by Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, this comedy takes us through the engagement and honeymoon of a young couple starting out life in an "up to date" way, in a trailer. Each cameo appearance by marvelous second and third banana studio people whose faces any movie buff will recognize is very enjoyable, too. There are two several scenes that are our favorites. 1) Tacy (Lucille B.) fixes dinner in a moving trailer (HAH) 2) Nicky (Desi A.) freaks out trying to get his golf clubs to fit in the trailer; 3) Tacy and Nicky try to get over the high passes in Colorado with a rock-filled trailer); 4) a mechanic explains why trailer brakes are soo important. This film is just too magical to believe. You have to see it.

the Short version of the Long Long Trailer
I looked forward to seeing this classic because we had recently purchased an RV and I remembered how hilarious the T.V. movie had seemed when I saw it as a child. Several of the key elements for humor where there...the rock collection, running over the flower beds, etc. But I recalled other parts of the movie that were not on this DVD.
There was alot more character and story development in the original version shown on T.V. I remember Spagehtti going all over the place...not in this DVD; and when Lucy (Tacey) was in the trailer with a sprained ankle, there was more in the sequence than shown (Marjorie Maine had a lot more speaking parts). Overall, it was fun seeing the highlights again, but I wish the entire movie had been shown. I'm wondering why they deleted some of it.

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Ron White: You Can't Fix Stupid

The Tater is Still Hot
If you love Ron White, like I do, your only disappointment with this DVD will be that his stand-up here just isn't long enough. It IS hilarious, in his usual uncompromising way, and definitely left me wanting more. One nice addition on the DVD, though, is a pretty good "Behind the Scenes" bonus feature on which he talks about how he came to be a stand-up comedian. It's not as good as the stand-up, but it's fun to see.

I was also happy to see that the material is 99% new. My wife and I both love the "Drunk in Public," "They Call Me Tater Salad," and "All The Way to the Crash Site" stories, and other stuff, but it's good to see newer material that hasn't been played to death on cable yet. "Squirrel Man" is a great addition, as is the title bit.

If you're unfamiliar with Ron White, I suggest you check out some of his earlier stuff BEFORE buying or renting this DVD. He tends to make fun of his own life, friends, and family A LOT in his act, so you'll understand...

I thought this DVD was hysterical!!
I watched it by myself and was laughing so hard that I had to pause it several times so I could finish laughing and catch my breath. The next day my sides were sore from laughing so hard. LOVE IT!!!

Ron White delivers yet again!
I laughed so hard watching 'Behavioral Problems' that I about fell out of my chair! Jeff Foxworthy said on one of the 'Blue Collar Comedy Tour' shows that the best and funniest material the comedians get is from the things that happen to them in real life. Several of Ron White's real life stories here are so similar to things in our own day to day lives that not only can we relate, but his way of telling the stories, with his delivery, quickness, and ohh some of those faces he makes tie this all together into one major non-stop laugh-fest that you'll still laugh about days later thinking about some of the stories. This is very much ADULT comedy and the jokes get a bit more and more adult as it goes on. Even though adult language isn't a 'big hit' with me, Ron's way of telling the stories has every naughty word in 'just the right places' to where you'll totally be splitting a gut laughing. Be careful if you watch this DVD late at night though, as you'll surely wake up your household...

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DuckTales - Volume 2

Volume Two coming along with Golden Suns
So after plenty of lobbying and the internet community speaking out, DuckTales' Pilot, Treasure of the Golden Suns is making its way onto DVD, one Volume too late, but certainly nonetheless, great news. Not in its original movie format, but the 5 parts that went out into syndication after the first run of season one. Disc One includes, Treasure of The Golden Suns (Split into 5 parts), Back to the Klondike, Horse Scents and Scrooge's Pet. Disc Two includes The Firefly Fruit Contest episodes (1-4), Merit-Time Adventure, The Golden Fleecing, Ducks of the West and The Time Teasers. Disc three finished the set with Back Out in the Outback, Raiders of the Lost Harp, The Right Duck, Scroogerello, Double-O-Duck, Luck o' the Dcuks, Duckworths Revolt and the 2 story episode Magica's Magic Mirror and Take Me Out of the Ballgame.

'Looking for something that the entire family can enjoy?
As a child of the fifties, I grew up reading comic books. Though I was more a fan of the superhero variety, I occasionally read the "lighter" titles, which included such fare as "Archie" and Carl Banks' "Uncle Scrooge." It is the latter that served as the basis for the series from which this compilation is culled.

Premiering as a weekday show in 1987, "Disney's DuckTales" brought a new dimension to television animation. Though primarily geared for a young audience, the show had enough in jokes and historical/pop culture references to appeal to the children's parents. Well done parodies of "Star Trek," the "Indiana Jones" series, John Wayne, the Kentucky Derby, James Bond, fairy tales and world mythology, and even primetime's biggest soap opera, "Dallas," can be found among this 24-episode collection.

The highlight, of course, is "Treasure of the Golden Suns," the five-part pilot that introduces Uncle Scrooge and tells how he became guardian to nephew Donald's...

If you like Indiana Jones, you'll love DuckTales!
DuckTales is not necessarily a children's show. It's actually a very entertaining show for all ages. Thank goodness the first collection was popular enough to produce a second. DuckTales was one of the best cartoons ever made. So far I own both collections, collection one of Chip n' Dale, and the Talespin DVD set. I'm also looking forward to a collection of Real Ghostbusters seasons but that's a whole other studio. Thank you Disney for bringing this show back. I'm hoping that the third collection will be out sometime next year (with Bubba and Gizmo Duck) and I hope the movie will be released on DVD soon. The only thing I wish the folks at Disney could find is some behind the scenes footage or have an interview video with the developers of the show. This show brings back so many childhood memories. The copyright date of 1987 seems like ages ago. Disney should really bring shows like this back into the market.

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Fastwalkers

Yikes
This one absolutely does not earn five stars. Here's why:

Its attempts to portray itself as a serious documentary left me scratching my head. While it includes interviews from well-known and respected UFO investigators, self-proclaimed abductees, and military personnel, the film is pieced together in a way that seems at best amateurish.

The reenactments are the high point of the filmmakers' additions to the documentary. But it doesn't take an expert to notice the interviews seem to be spliced together in ways that make little sense; choppy cuts from one topic to another draw the audience's attention to the inconsistent sound levels in a way that's distracting (sometimes the film's soundtrack drowns out the narration, and sometimes it stops abruptly in the middle of an interview, etc).

If your film is loaded with explosive information to which you feel the public should have access, don't just count on the interviews to tell the story. You have to...

Most annoying soundtrack ever!
Twice I've tried to watch this documentary which has good content, but for some reason the director chose to have annoying, repetitive and shrill techno music playing over the interviews, rendering the speakers almost inaudible in comparison. a very frustrating experience.
EDIT: I watched it on my tv instead of on my laptop and was able to adjust the sound so you could actually hear what the speakers are saying. It's actually a very good documentary, with many credible witnesses and pieces of evidence. I still found the soundtrack obtrusive, and the host hilariously stiff on camera, but other than that, one of the best UFO docs I've seen.

Devolves into drivel
Steven Greer is to be commended for producing some very interesting documentaries about UFO's. This one starts out as being somewhat interesting because we see some great UFO videos for the first half hour. I personally don't get tired of watching these.

But later on, we have some author comparing the UFO phenomenon with Genesis. Again. We tiresomely hear, again, that UFO's have been sighted for thousands of years on earth, and again, the mindless Bible quotes that supposedly prove that our Biblical ancestors witnessed UFO's. At this point it becomes
a sedative for me. How disappointing this was.

There are a couple of very believable U.S. Navy pilots describing encounters with UFO's that tailed their jets. There are several retired military bigshots who know about the UFO coverup. This part is compelling.

Then we get the authors who want to sell their books, and they expound on a variety of crackpot theories mixed with religiosity without...

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VeggieTales: Sumo of the Opera

Hilarious Entry in the Series
The latest episode of everyone's favorite vegetables is packed full.

First up is "Going Up," a "silent" film starring the three Veggie Stooges working to deliver a very heavy piano up a very tall flight of stairs.

Next up is our silly song, the hilarious "School House Polka." Where do they get these great ideas?

Then comes a new segment. "Lufti's Fanciful Flanographs" features the story of St. Patrick. I found this retelling rather funny myself.

Finally comes the title feature. Larry takes the main role of The Italian Scallion, a sumo wrestler who never takes anything seriously. Will he follow through when he challenges Apollo Gourd to a championship match?

All this is held together by Bob trying to convince Larry, via phone, to go to the charity event he's supposed to be at.

While the last couple of episodes have been great, they've had fewer laugh out loud moments in them do to the nature of the stories they were...

Another Excellent Story
This VeggieTales release is another winner. With four excellent segments, this show has enough variety to win over lots of different tastes.

"Going Up" is a spoof of Laurel and Hardy mixed with The Three Stooges, and while this has some dialogue (not in the actual story, but in the special dialogue cards that go with it), the original "unrestored" version that was going to be part of the show before it was changed is included as a bonus DVD feature.

"Schoolhouse Polka" is a pretty good Silly Song, though not as good as some other recent greats like "Sport Utility Vehicle" and "Belly Button." It's also kind of short. A good segment, nonetheless.

"St. Patrick's Day" tells the story of Saint Patrick in a mix of 2-D and 3-D animation, within the context of a flannelgraph. It's a great story on church history and it's very funny to boot.

The main segment, "Sumo of the Opera," is wonderful with a great color palette, excellent animation, and a...

They Seem Like the Veggies to Me.
Despite the fact that Veggies Tales and Big Idea are now owned by a larger company, the creativity and Biblical messages haven't stopped coming. THE SUMO OF THE OPERA is the latest episode to be released in the Veggie Tales series.

The entire episode revolves around a message of perseverance. Larry isn't on the show because he's supposed to be delivering some toys to some kids. However, he's gotten lost and is about ready to give up when he calls Bob asking for help. What follows are several films aimed at trying to keep Larry from giving up with what he set out to do.

The first short in the episode is a "silent" film called "Going Up". The short film is kind of a tribute to the Three Stooges and involves a trio of vegetables (who look like the Stooges) trying to deliver a piano up a mountain of stairs. The film is introduced by a hand-puppet in the shape of a cucumber which is operated by Khalil.

The second short on the tape is the usual Silly...

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