Amazon.com

The third season of Monarch of the Glen, the delightful BBC-1 comedy, finds the fortunes of Glenbogle estate--jewel of the Scottish Highlands but a financial disaster--in a period of transition. On the one hand, Glenbogle's once-reluctant laird (i.e, family head and overseer of vast holdings), the former trend-setting restaurateur Archie MacDonald (Alastair MacKenzie), has settled into his leadership role for good. Archie's cantankerous, old-school aristocratic father, Hector (Richard Briers), is finally resigned to Archie's ambitious plans to save Glenbogle from bankruptcy by turning the MacDonalds' ancient castle into a tourist attraction. The estate's longtime staff--sexy Lexie (Dawn Steele), housekeeper and cook, grizzled gamekeeper Golly (Alexander Morton) and boyish handyman Duncan (Hamish Clark)--are more like family to the MacDonalds than ever.

On the other hand, change is in the air. While it took two seasons for Archie to win the heart of land-rights activist Katrina Finlay (Lorraine Pilkington), it takes less than half the first episode of series 3 to lose her to an important political job in London. That leaves Archie's door open to a new relationship with an attractive adversary, a role instantly filled by the arrival of Stella Moon (Alexandra Gilbreath), a bank executive sent to seize control of Glenbogle's operations. For much of series 3, Stella is at such odds with the MacDonalds' free-spending ways that she antagonizes everyone (except Archie's enchanting mother, Molly, played by Susan Hampshire), resulting in a staff strike and the arrest of Hector himself for stealing salmon from his own river. In time, however, lonely Stella is swayed by the MacDonalds' loyalty and eccentric passions, while Archie's steadfastness and decency stir deeper feelings. Lexie, meanwhile, already in love with Archie, mounts her strongest campaign yet to win his affections. As always, the lives and loves of Monarch's supporting players prove exceptionally interesting and colorful. Series 3 introduces Golly's long-estranged daughter and Duncan's beautiful French pen-pal (who thinks Duncan is Glenbogle's laird), as well as a cad whose romantic pursuit of Lexie is tied to a dastardly plot to develop MacDonald land. The challenges never end for Archie and company, but the bonds between these wonderful characters grow deeper and sweeter. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Not getting better, but still the Glen
I can't say that the series improved in year three, but it was still entertaining.I'm angry that Katrina's leaving was taken so flippantly.I find that the story lines seemed redundant, too.I like the character Archie, but I think they spend so much time making him seem an idiot, or at least very naive, that he lacks depth.Well, if you're caught, you're caught.I will continue watching.

Hated it - what happened to Katrina.
I loved Seasons 1 and 2 - absolutely loved them.BUT, after waiting for two season to see Archie and Katrina finally get together and then have her, out of the blue, leave the show was too much.What the hell was that all about. All of a sudden she gets this dream job offer that we've never heard of and she's gone.No farewells, no goodbye party, nothing.It's almost as if she never existed.Certainly none of the characters seems to care.Yet we are supposed to believe that she loved Archie and Glenbogle?Bah, humbug.Actually, to be fair, I only watched the first episode.When I realized that she had been written out of the show I didn't watch, nor will I watch any more episodes.

Monarch of the Glen, series 1 &2
This series is beyond a doubt, one of the most unusual and delightful series we have witnessed. Is is just a joy. I have asked for series 3, and as soon as series 4 is available, I'll order that. Just a wonderful production.

Finally!!!!
Please...please...please give us the rest of this awesome series!!Thanks for Series Three!!

YAY!
You've made the boglie population (in this neck of the woods) very happy with finally releasing Series 3...when do we expect to be able to order Series 4?;) If you love, Series 1 and 2, you'll love Series 3!:) ... Read more

Album Description

Import only NTSC/Region 1 DVD. Megan Follows, Tony Award-winner Colleen Dewhurst & Academy Award-nominee Richard Farnsworth give unparalleled performances in this critically-acclaimed motion picture, based on the international best-selling novel. Filmed amidst the spectacular scenery of Prince Edward Island, Canada, this Emmy Award-winning production follows the provocative life drama of orphan Anne Shirley (Follows), from her struggles as an adolescent to her triumphs as a young woman. A delicate epic full of wit, style & emotional power. Special features include behind-the-scenes clips, missing scenes, director's commentary, cast bios, previews, Megan Follows' audition. production stills & scene index. 1995. ... Read more

Reviews (231)

Excellent film!
This is a terrific adaptation of the classic L.M. Montgomery coming of age story. It centers on young Anne Shirley, a strong willed, independent orphan who is adopted by siblings Marilla and Matthew Cuthbert. They originally wanted to adopt a boy to help out at their farm, but instead received a surprise when Anne arrived at the train station. Anne's adventures growing up are both funny and heart-warming. This is a fantastic movie that will please youngsters and adults alike, as there is something here for everyone! Megan Follows is excellent as Anne Shirley, Colleen Dewhurst is wonderful as the stern but loving Marilla and Richard Farnsworth is great as gentle Matthew. The supporting cast also give splendid performances. Highly recommended!

Timeless memories of a Canadian childhood
I can still remember the excitement I felt when I first saw Anne of Green Gables almost fifteen years ago. It accurately and lovingly captures the thrills of childhood, of breathless anticipation, the joys of friendship, and the final moment when we must bid our childhood goodbye and take our place in the grownup world. The performances are flawless and capture the original flavour of each of the characters from the book. Megan Follows IS Anne Shirley, Shuyler Grant is a kindred Diana Barry, and Colleen Dewhurst is the stern Marilla Cuthbert who finds her heart unexpectedly embracing the joys of motherhood.

Everything about Anne of Green Gables is done with the utmost love and respect in regard to the original novel by Lucy Maud Montgomery. Anne is every child, with her eyes open to the world, her thirst for knowledge, her immediate trust, her quest for adventure, and most of all her imagination. Megan Follows captures the timeless appeal of the orphaned Anne with spirit, grace, and wit. Her humorous mishaps, personal struggles, and her newfound love for the Cuthberts as well as her love for Avonlea make her an enduring heroine throughout the ages. Who knows? After seeing this film you may discover that you are a kindred spirit as well!

its a classic!!!
What can i say, I LOVE this movie. I grew up watching this one and Anne of Avonlea(now the sequel) I also read the books when i was young. I still enjoy watching them as an adult. I just wish i had a daughter to watch it with and enjoy with me. (we have two wonderful boys and most likely wont have any more) The characters fit the roles perfectly and are excellent. You just fall in love with them all.

DVD QUALITY GREAT ! I can see the print of the wallpaper
After watching this often on vhs I bought a DVD and I noticed the difference right away! You can see the print of fabrics, wallpaper, and details of everything much better. This is a wonderful story and the music is beautiful. All the actors are excellent. Great movie for little girls with red hair! Its not easy growing up with red hair. I love the way Anne is portrayed in this movie. There is a black and white version made in the 1930's and its okay. This movie also shows a girl taking her education seriously. The only thing I didn't like was that Gilbert is a little too much the lovesick fool. I think most guys would have given up on her, she was very mean to him.

A Favorite For Any Generation
This series has always been in my heart and always will be. I can always see myself in Anne Shirley, just as I'm sure every other young girl will. Kevin Sullivan did a beautiful job of bringing to life the works of Lucy M. Montgomery's series of Anne of Green Gables. I loved this movie the first time I saw it on television on PBS and I was thrilled to finally find it on DVD. Anne Shirley is a young orphan girl with a huge imagination, daydreams, and a huge talker. She's transferred from home to home and then back to the orphanage until she is finally picked to live in a town called Avonlea. She lives with a family Marilla & Mathew Cuthbert (played by: Colleen Dewhurst & Richard Farnsworth). After worrying she wouldn't be adopted because she's not a boy she warms their hearts and starts a new life with them. And she then soon meets her bosom friend Diana Barry (Schuyler Grant) and of course Gilbert Blythe (Jonathan Crombie). We follow the lives of these characters that Anne meets along the way. This series is for any young girl or for any girl at any age to enjoy and the entire family. The fun part is you can also see parts of the cast that end up being in Kevin Sullivan's production of Road to Avonlea. But this series is wonderful, charming, and full of adventures. The supporting cast is quite amazing as well they include: Rachel Lynde (Patricia Hamilton), Miss Stacy (Marilyn Lightstone), & Aunt Josephine (Charmion King) just to name a few of my favorites. This movie is also about life and the human heart that we see through Anne's eye's. The DVD is full of tons of great stuff such as Megan Follow's audition, a small behind the scene's moments, missing scene's, & tons more. So I do highly recommend this film for everyone. ... Read more

Description

Feature-Length Audio Commentary
The creators of Episode I give you insight into the film like no one else can. Hear from: writer/director George Lucas, Producer Rick McCallum, sound designer and film co-editor Ben Burtt, ILM animation director Rob Coleman and ILM visual effects supervisors John Knoll, Dennis Muren and Scott Squires.

"The Beginning"
Making Episode I Documentary Film
Culled from over 600 hours of behind-the-scenes footage, this all-new hour-long documentary film takes you inside Lucasfilm and Industrial Light & Magic during the making of The Phantom Menace. Sit in on the film's production process including: pre-production, casting, principal photography, editing, rough-cut reviews, visual effects meetings and other events that few people have had access to before.

Exclusive Deleted Scenes and Documentary
All-new documentary featuring George Lucas, Rick McCallum and guests discussing the painstaking process every director must go through in determining what scenes make the final cut.View seven exclusive deleted sequences that were created specifically for this DVD and learn why they were eliminated from the final version of the film.

Multi-Angle Animatics
Discover the amazing techniques used to create two memorable sequences (Submarine and Podrace Lap 1) from storyboards to animatics to final composites.

Featurettes
Five mini-documentaries give you an insider's look at The Phantom Menace's Storyline, Design, Costumes, Visual Effects and Fight sequences through behind-the-scenes footage and interviews with the cast and filmmakers.

Web Documentaries
Originally released on starwars.com during the production of Episode I, this award-winning twelve-part web documentary series gives you a fly-on-the-wall perspective into the making of the film as it was happening.

Exclusive Production Photo Gallery
Scroll through a never-before-seen gallery of candid cast and crew shots, each with captions.

"Duel of the Fates" Music Video
One of the most popular music videos during its release in May 1999, the "Duel of the Fates" video intertwines live footage of John Williams conducting the London Symphony Orchestra with behind-the-scenes clips and dramatic footage featured in Episode I.

Posters and Print Campaign
Examine the Episode I theatrical posters (Teaser and Launch) and the International Outdoor advertising used to support the release of Episode I around the world.

Trailers and TV Spots
Watch the theatrical teaser and launch trailers, plus seven TV spots (including the five original "Tone Poems" along with "The Saga Begins" and "All Over Again").

"Star Wars: Starfighter-The Making of a Game" from LucasArts
This featurette offers insight into the making of the popular flight action combat game along with information on other Star Wars games from LucasArts.

Exclusive DVD-ROM Content
Your Episode I DVD is a key that unlocks exclusive Star Wars content only available through a special DVD-ROM website. ... Read more

Reviews (2449)

5 stars for DVD quality, 3 stars for the movie
I'm reviewing only the DVD, and not the movie itself, which was a bit of a stinker, in my opinion. Well produced, beautifully filmed, but very poorly written.

Anyway - this is an awesome and incredibly well done DVD. Lots and lots of extras. Great commentary by Lucas, the producer, the sound man, etc. Interview with the composer. Lots and lots and LOTS of background materials on the making of the film, and the entire process of putting it together from initial writing to final production, and the making of the DVD itself.

The image of the movie is *very* crisp and clean. The deleted scenes are a nice addition to the movie. I am very impressed (and surprised, to be cynical about it) that Lucas has given us the full-featured DVD the first time out, and not offered us one scaled down DVD version, only to offer us a better version in a year, and then the full-scale one a year after that, like he's constantly done with the VHS versions of his movies. Thank you, Lucas, for taking care of your fans this time, and not trying to pad your pockets a few times before giving the fans what they *really* want.

Quality-wise, this is absolutely one of the most loaded, best-featured DVDs I have in my collection.

(as a p.s. - after hearing Lucas' commentary, and talking about some things coming up in the next movies, I have realized that a few things I criticized about this movie actually make sense oin terms of the upcoming story-line. However, I still think that, overall, the writing for this movie was only a cut above old b-movies)

OK Movie, Great DVD
The Phantom Menace was probably the most heavily anticipated movie in history. It was the prequel to the original Star Wars series and George Lucas was taking the helm as director for the first time since Star Wars in 1977. The film was hyped incessantly and, of course, the final product failed to live up to the expectations. The Phantom Menace is not a bad film. It actually is absolutely amazing to look at and the special effects are incredible. The problem with the film is the plot. It seems disjointed as it bounces around from scene to scene. It seems that Mr. Lucas was to preoccupied with getting the film to look right than the actual story (which is what made the first Star Wars so great). Many people weren't happy with the casting of several roles, especially Ewan MacGregor as Obi Won Kenobi, but he does a decent job in an undeveloped role. Liam Neeson is commanding as Qui Gon Jin and Natalie Portman is quite good as Queen Amadala. The biggest complaint that most people had with the film was with the character of Jar Jar Binks and I won't disagree with most of what's been said about the annoying character. Mr. Lucas has previously shunned the DVD arena (American Graffiti is the only one of his films to appear in the format), but he goes about this release with a vengeance. The extras, including seven deleted scenes, are worth buying this DVD alone. Mr. Lucas spent an additional four million dollars on them and the money is well spent.

prequel?
in this one,there is a council of jedis who rule everything and keep the peace.yoda,ben,some black dude and on like that.a younger ben finds a little kid-who is called anakan and later vadar.that kid wins his freedom with bens help in a very cool pod race.ben recognizes the force in the little one and decides to train him as a jedi.the bad guy is darth maul who has a double bladed light saber-very cool.hes the coolest looking character yet.i think peple came down too hard on jar-jar.hes a dork but there have been a lot worse.the kids will like it.it is the 4th part but the first episode.everybody should go see this one because just anybody will like it.anakans mom was pretty nice if she cleaned herself up.this movie isnt as good as the tv says but they blow everything all out of proportion anyway.this movie is abselutely incredible though.i think the black dude may be in the matrix too.its good too.the special effects are good.after this there is one more.then there is an animated short film.there is also another one on the way next summer.

To Lucas: Eye of the Tiger, Man!!
To quote the famous lines by Apollo Creed from Rocky III, "You lost for all the wrong reasons, you lost your edge. Eye of the tiger, man!"
A good analogy when you think of it...

When Lucas made the first trilogy he was a relativly unknown up-and-comming writer/director full of desire and well, "hunger" to make his mark. That drive lead to the masterpieces of pop culture we know as ANH and ESB. By ROTJ his edge was already waning but thankfully it was the last one... or so we thought.

By the time TPM came out he lost it completely and produced a quite mediocre if at best ordinary film. Living like a king for the past 20+ years made him not "hungry and full of desire" but fat and content. He lost his edge.

Peter Jackson's LOTR Trilogy is so much better than Lucas' last 2 efforts for this same reason. Jackson has the "eye of the tiger"!

Lucas HAS to get his edge back. Most agree AOTC is better than TPM but not by much. Will episode 3 prove that Lucas got it back??

If only reality played out like the fantasy of Rocky III and Lucas brings home a REAL winner....

What drug was George Lucas on?
I love Star Wars, Empire Strikes Back, and Return of the Jedi. I think that George Lucas should have stopped there. The two movies: The Phantom Menace and the Attack of the Clones....SUCK! What was George Lucas thinking? Jar Jar Binks needs to tossed off the face of the earth, and Hayden Christansen (while hot), needs to take some acting lessons. Not enough special effects in the world could make me want to see the third release. Poor acting and writing have made me want to run for cover! Where's the FORCE when you need it? ... Read more

Amazon.com

Season 2 of I Love Lucy includes two of the most famous half-hours in television history. "Job Switching," originally broadcast mid-September of 1952, is the crazy, battle-of-the-sexes episode in which husbands Ricky Ricardo (Desi Arnaz) and Fred Mertz (William Frawley) trade roles with wives Lucy (Lucille Ball) and Ethel (Vivian Vance), culminating in the men making a shambles of domestic chores while Lucy and Ethel take disastrous work at a chocolate factory. That's right: This is the show where the ladies have a Chaplinesque experience with a too-fast factory conveyor belt, forcing them to hide candies in their mouths, in their hats, and down their blouses lest a tough forewoman fire them for incompetence. A half-century later, the scene is still so fresh and funny it would grace any current sitcom. "Lucy Goes to the Hospital," which received an amazing 71.7 rating on January 19, 1953, is the historic episode featuring the birth of Little Ricky and a load of wonderful slapstick. Other television series (The Dick Van Dyke Show) and movies (Nine Months) have tried to top Lucy's time-to-go-to-the-hospital shenanigans, but there's nothing like the sight of Ricky and Fred falling all over themselves or Ricky showing up at the maternity ward (direct from a voodoo-themed show at the Tropicana) in witch doctor makeup.

The other 31 episodes included in I Love Lucy: The Compete Second Season have choice moments, too. "Lucy Becomes a Sculptress" finds the ever-ambitious redhead falling for empty flattery at an art-supply store and commencing an ill-advised career working in clay. Ricky agrees to bless this new endeavor if an art critic says she has talent, but Lucy tries to increase her chances by posing as a bust of herself--resulting in mayhem, of course. The usual running themes in I Love Lucy--Lucy's misguided desire to be a part of Ricky's musical career, and her penchant for disguising herself to investigate something--are all over The Complete Second Season. "Ricky Loses His Voice" is a delightful piece in which Ricky's laryngitis inspires Lucy, the Mertzes, and an aging chorus line to put on a Tropicana spectacle, and "Ricky Has Labor Pains" finds Lucy and Ethel going undercover as male reporters to find out what happens at a stag party.Lots to enjoy here, and the special features include bloopers, information about the guest cast, and snippets from Ball's radio show. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (4)

I Love Lucy is the best!
I'm sixteen but I absolutly love I love Lucy. I started watching them when the DVD's for the first season came out. I am so excited to be getting the next season all at once and at half the price of season one. Season Two has some of my favorite episodes like Job Switching, Lucy is Enceinte, and Lucy Goes to the Hospital

Here are 32 More Reasons We Love Lucy ...
THE sitcom of all sitcoms -- the one show where you could watch many episodes 1,463 times (as most of us have) -- and they'd still be funny as hell, the Queen Mother of all sitcoms finally gets its 2nd-season release on August 31st - at a MUCH more reasonable price than season one, thank God!! This is classic Lucy, while the gang was still in New York and Lucy was very much still trying to get into the act.

Here's how Season 2 breaks down, in all its glory:

1. The Anniversary Present - Ricky enlists the aid of a beautiful neighbor to buy Lucy pearls for their anniversary ... and Lucy thinks he's having an affair!

2. The Handcuff - The Ricardos get cuffed together before Ricky has to do a big show.

3. The Operetta - Lucy's women's club stages an operetta, "The Pleasant Peasant," with Lucy writing a post-dated check to pay for everything (Lucy as the Queen of the Gypsies ... HYSTERICAL!!)

4. Job Switching - THE famous "candy factory" job episode!

5. The Saxophone - Lucy pretends to have another love to keep Ricky from going on the road with his band.

6. Vacation from Marriage - The Ricardos and Mertzes take a break from their in-a-rut marriages ... and find they are miserable.

7. The Courtroom - The Ricardos & Mertzes end up in court over a busted television.

8. Redecorating - Lucy is desperate to win a home-decorating contest.

9. Ricky Loses His Voice - Lucy takes over the show at the Tropicana when Ricky gets laryngitis.

10. Sales Resistance - Ricky demands Lucy ... a sucker for any sales pitch ... return a vacuum cleaner she was talked into buying.

11. The Inferiority Complex - Lucy feels inferior when no one laughs at her jokes or wants to play bridge with her.

12. The Club Election - Lucy and Ethel's campaigning against each other for the Wednesday Afternoon Fine Arts League presidency gets way out of hand.

13. The Black Eye - No one believes Lucy really got her black eye from Ricky tossing a book to her.

14. Lucy Changes Her Mind - When Ricky complains that Lucy never finishes anything, Lucy reconnects with an old beau to get even.

15. Lucy is Enceinte - the beautiful, exceptional episode where Lucy struggles to find the right time to tell Ricky she's going to have a baby (touching ending!).

16. Pregnant Women are Unpredictable - Lucy feels neglected when Ricky seems to give all his attention to the upcoming baby.

17. Lucy's Showbiz Swan Song - Lucy fails to get into Ricky's Gay Nineties Review ... until she sneaks in on the barbershop quartet number.

18. Lucy Hires an English Tutor - Hans Conreid guests (hysterically) as an English tutor Lucy hires so that the baby will be surrounded by adults who speak properly.

19. Ricky Has Labor Pains - Ricky develops his own labor pains when jealous of the baby's attention; Lucy has Fred throw him a Daddy Shower that turns more into a stag party ...

20. Lucy Becomes a Sculptress - Lucy takes up sculpting so the baby will learn about and appreciate art.

21. Lucy Goes to the Hospital - The episode that beat out President Eisenhower's inauguration in the ratings; Lucy gives birth to Little Ricky.

22. No Children Allowed - A crotchety neighbor, Mrs. Trumble (in her first appearance on the show), complains about the baby's crying ... as babies are not allowed in the building leases!

23. Lucy Hires a Maid - Exhausted with caring for the baby, Lucy is talked into hiring a maid, who turns out to be a cantankerous biddy Lucy nor Ricky then have the nerve to fire!

24. The Indian Show - Baby or no, Lucy is going to get into the act at an Indian-themed show at the Tropicana.

25. Lucy's Last Birthday - A sad Lucy thinks everyone has forgotten her birthday ... and her (TRIVIA: This was the one and only time the lyrics to the "I Love Lucy" song were heard).

26. The Ricardos Change Apartments - Lucy convinces Ricky they need a bigger apartment, now that Little Ricky has arrived.

27. Lucy is Matchmaker - Lucy causes the usual disaster by trying to match a friend of friend of the Mertzes ... a lingerie salesman who thinks Lucy is hitting on him!

28. Lucy Wants New Furniture - Lucy buys new furniture without Ricky's consent, and tries hiding it until she can work up the nerve to tell him.

29. The Camping Trip - Lucy decides to pursue some of Ricky's interests, to show they have more in common.

30. Ricky's Life Story - Ricky's big feature in "Life" magazine resurrects Lucy's desire for a show biz career.

31. Ricky and Fred are TV Fans - Ricky and Fred are so glued to the TV for a fight, the girls leave the apartment, nearly get arrested -- and the men never even knew they were gone!

32. Never Do Business With Friends - An argument ensues when the Ricardos sell their old washing machine to the Mertzes ... and it breaks down.

At half the price of Season 1 (which needs serious re-boxing), Season 2 of "I Love Lucy" is not only affordable -- but necessary to anyone collecting classic comedy, as it has some of the best episodes of the entire series! Get yours fast -- and lets hope they sell well enough to make Paramount push out Season 3 right away!

Better format, better price, same dvd quality
Season 1 episodes on dvd have picture and sound quality that are unbeatable. The packaging, unfortunately, was done in a way to jack the price way up. Now we have season 2 in a more concise format, half the price, and most likely the same superior restoration and fun extras. This is the season with the chocolate factory episode, the baby episodes, and a lot of other hidden gems. Let's hope this one sells so well that we don't have too long for the rest of the seasons on dvd!

Lucy Ricky Fred & Ethel They Were The Best Ever.
I Have been watching Lucy for 42 years now. At least once a day. If she is on it doesn't matter what else is on WE watch Lucy! Some could say it's a cult. I say it is a time that I would like to have seen more of being born in 1960, I just missed the real deal. I cannot wait for the Second and All the other seasons. Does that sound good. I love Desi & Lucy JRS. too. They made me cry in their 50th anniversary special.
Anyway Enjoy The Show...... Rickrocksem ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Wonderful Series!
I haven't read the series yet, but being very fond of historical dramas involving period-wear, uniforms, and swordsmanship, I gave this a try. My curiosity was originally piqued by the mentions of Sharpe surrounding Sean's character in Lord of the Rings. So after discovering it was a completely me series to watch, I went hunting for the dvds. Even Ebay was selling them for around $200 a pop, so I went the smart route and went through amazon.uk, where you'll save about $150 if you have a multi-region dvd player as they are Region 2. I was NOT disappointed.

Sharpe may be a low budget series by some accounts, but it delights regardless. In fact, that very aspect lends a particular earthiness and a more authentic feel to the series. The stories are good and the historical aspects wonderful. The folk songs of John Tam were particularly delightful and I fully plan on getting the soundtrack. I came to love all the Chosen Men and wanted to fight for them when snobbery or betrayal reared their ugly heads. Harper is both reliable sidekick and comic relief with his wit and good Irish sensibility. Sean Bean IS Sharpe, he truly makes you believe in the rough'n'ready soldier, capable of doing what needs to be done, yet completely honorable, often showing he is a better man than those considered his 'betters'.

It will truly be wonderful to now go find the novels and hear in my head Sean's rich voice as Sharpe, the lovely brogue of Sgt. Harper, and the myriad of other accents involved. I would definitely recommend this series if you enjoy period-piece dramas, military/historical dramas, or just a helluva good time with action, adventure, and a dash of romance.

Through Flanders, Portugal, and Spain
Expensive? Sure. But if you're not impatient, you'll find a good price. Is the wooden crate important? No, of course not. But you'll probably love it even if it doesn't fit on your DVD shelf.

Price and production values are not what Shape's about. There are heroes and terrible villians, high lords and lowlifes, horseguard and rifemen, buffoons and ballads. It's about the stories! Wonderful stories you'll enjoy seeing again and again. Follow Sharp's climb through the ranks, through dangerous, impossible missions, and you'll end up caring about every ragtag rifleman in his company, even Isaih Tongue. And every time you hear these lyrics, you'll be so glad you bought it:

Ore the Fields, and Ore the Maine
Thru Flanders Portugal, and Spain,
King George commands, and we obey.
Over the hills and far away

Too little, for too much $$, and way too late.
I am a big fan of the entire Napoleonic historical fiction genre, and of the Sharpe's book series in particular. (I actually saw the entire film series before I cracked one of the books.)

These movies are LOW budget TV efforts, but they do allow you to put a face, or a uniform, or a tactic in a new perspective, and to understand a little more about history. Sean Bean is a perfect choice for Sharpe. He manages to convey just the right mix of jaded, seen-it-all expert, with the fish out of water bumpkin, and then layers on a "screw-you-guys,-I'll-do-it-anyway" vibe to top it all off.

The movies deviate significantly and unnecessarily on many of the major plot points. Sharpe's Gold in particular is a dissappointment, doing away with the books plot entirely and substituting something that plays like a bad, back-fitted Star Trek episode.

However, my big complaint is with the pricing point for the series. There are 14 installments (the 15th DVD is apparently a montage-type review of the whole series) of about 9-100 minutes each of low-budget, TV-quality viewing, or only about 23 hours. Plus these movies are already pretty old. I don't think you can name another similar vintage TV offering that is asking for this kind of cash/hour. (Heck, the Monty Python set has older material, twice as much stuff, almost the same number of DVD's and all for only about 60% of the price).

The set fails to even be a bargain compared to buying disks individually. This is a drawback for people who have already purchased just one or two of the movies individually (and most of the fans of the series already have). I don't think I'd be out of line to suggest that this set shouldn't be more than 150-175$US.

I'll put a plug here in opposition to creative packaging. If I can't fit it on my DVD shelves, it gets thrown away. Spare the stupid crate, and save us all $10.00 and some wasted effort.

Still, these movies manage to be worth watching if you are in any way interested or even curious in the era, and I do recommend watching them, but I can't honestly say that they're worth this price.

FANTASTIC!!
Ok, so some of you guys who read the books first, were disapointed with this miniseries. GET OVER IT!

As a person who was introduced to Sharpe via these movies, I have to say they are absolutely FANTASTIC! Sean Bean IS Sharpe! They are a great way to get to know the period, the characters, and the history. The cast is fantastic, the costumes are authentic, and yes the production is low budget, but so what. That "BBC Charm" is part of the over all effect, and adds to that dirty, desperate, rag-tag feel that was authentic of the British army at that time. A big buget "Lord of the Rings" production isn't always the way to go, and would have harmed more then helped in this case. Film brings many pluses, that books can't. For example, the many songs and accents which only a cast of top british, irish, french, spanish, etc can provide.

These movies have produced a fantatical Sharpe fan in me, and if they can do that, then they are definately worthy of the Sharpe name.

"Over the hills and faraway..."

BBC production
This is a BBC TV mini series based somewhat loosely on Bernard Cornwall's Sharpe's series of Napoleonic war fictional history. This is not a large budget Hollywood production on the lines of Lord of the Rings. If that's understood and you enjoy war fictional history I'm sure you will find it an entertaining series. Perhaps the best way to characterize the series is as a play shot in locations over eastern Europe. Despite the minimal budget, the cast of actors do well in portraying life in Wellington's army. Sean Bean as the main character "Richard Sharpe" makes an especially convincing portrayal. ... Read more

Amazon.com

By getting nominated for Academy Awards in both the Foreign Language Film and Best Song categories, Les Choristes (The Chorus) made a rare (for a European film) double impression at the 2004 Oscars. This sentimental tale follows the arrival of a new teacher at a remote boys school in 1949 France (the war is a largely unspoken but ghostly presence). With disciplinary problems rampant, and the policies of the old-fashioned headmaster not helping, Monsieur Mathieu decides to introduce choral singing as a way to bridge the gap with his students. You don't need a crystal ball to figure out where this will go, although the movie uses its atmospheric location and lush vocal arrangements well. Bald, dumpy Gerard Jugnot provides a refreshingly offbeat hero (though securely in the traditions of the My Most Memorable Teacher movie); he's sort of a younger Philippe Noiret. Director Christophe Barratier works in the winsome-cute mode that makes a certain kind of French movie into an overly sweet bon bon, although at least this bon bon sings. --Robert Horton ... Read more

Reviews (20)

'Music that soothes the savage beast...'
LES CHORISTES (THE CHORUS) is director Christophe Berratier's first foray into the realm of full-length films and his adaptation of the 1945 film LA CAGE AUX ROSSINGNOLS written by Georges Chaperot and René Wheeler serves to introduce his talents as a master storyteller well.This tale of how music can alter the lives of even most renegade of boys is warm, sensitive, and satisfying on every level.

The story opens with the reunion of two men who were classmates at Fond de l'Etang, a boarding school for troubled boys in France in 1949.Pepinot (Didier Flammand) arrives at the door of consummate symphony conductor Pierre Morhange (Jacques Perrin) with a journal written by their beloved teacher Clement Mathieu , now dead, and the two read the journal, recalling their shared childhood experiences at Fond de l'Etang.

1949 and the Fond de l'Etang is a dreary jail-like, rundown place run by the cruel disciplinarian headmaster Rachin (François Berléand).Clément Mathieu (Gérard Jugnot) is an older, bald, failed musician who seeks employment as a prefect in the school and immediately is forced to confront the rigors of the school's harsh discipline with the still flagrantly wild boys.Mathieu slowly wins the confidence of his boys by standing up to the cruel Rachin and when he is near his wits' end as to how to transform his class, he hears a boy sing and decides to use his musical talent to change these boys' lives.Two of the chief problem children are the angry but vocally gifted Pierre Morhange (Jean-Baptiste Maunier) and Leclerc (Théodul Carré-Cassaigne) and Mathieu coaxes them into the inner circle of his newly developing chorus.The other child who is without talent but for whom Mathieu empathizes when the child waits every Saturday for someone to claim him at the gates is Pepinot (Maxence Perrin) who Mathieu assigns as his assistant chorus master!

Through a series of incidents including the cruelty of Rachin, the appearance of Violette Morhange (Pierre's poor working mother who cannot afford to feed him), the success of the chorus in the eyes of the Countess (Carol Weiss) who acts as benefactor to the school, andsome evil doings of the more difficult children, Mathieu's Chorus becomes a symbol for how problem children can bond in mutual need to the enrichment music provides.Rachin cannot tolerate Mathieu's success and fires him without allowing him to say a farewell to his beloved choristers.The manner in which this is portrayed is most touching and spiritually enriching and serves to resolve the mystery of Mathieu's departure to the adult Morhange and Pepinot as they finish the journal.

Simple story, told before, but superbly acted and performed.The music is by Jean-Philippe Rameau with original songs by director Barratier and Bruno Coulais, all beautifully sung by Les Petits Chanteurs de Saint-Marc with young actor Jean-Baptiste Maunier singing his own solos.The cinematography is in the capable hands of Jean-Jacques Bouhon, Dominique Gentil, and Carlo Varini.In French with English subtitles. Highly recommended little jewel of a film!Grady Harp, May 05

Touching French Drama: Beautifully Told and Beautifully Sung
'The Chorus' became a huge hit in France in 2004, and there's a good reason for that.Despite some obvious flaws, the film is moving and uplifting as any good music is, and anyone who likes films like 'Dead Poets Society' will surely love this one too.

The theme of the film is nothing new, but quite universal.A middle-aged music teacher Matthew is sent to a school.The setting is post-war France, and we find the educational environment there is worse than Matthew expected -- the pupils are rebellious and the headmaster is strict.To adjust to the new situation, Matthew, himself a failed musician, thinks of organizing the kids into a chorus group.

That's it, and the story of the film is certainly predictable.The boys at first make a fool of the new teacher, and then starts to listen, revealing their brilliant singing voices.Among them, one handsome and quiet boy Morhange (newcomer Jean-Baptiste Maunier who really sings here) turns out the best singer, who is given the solo part.

The film (written and directed by first-timer Christophe Barratier) goes smooth, and for some critics, goes too smoothly.In fact, some accused the film of being too sentimental.Maybe so.But I for one think that the film is made with honest heart, with humanities enough to convince the sincerity of the filmmakers and actors.Sentimental or not, what really counts is good acting, good story, good characters, and good music.And the good music is as moving as the story itself.What else do you want?

Jacques Perrin appears as grown-up Morhange (in the same way he did in 'Cinema Paradiso'), and he is also one of the producers of the film.The little boy 'Pepinot' (waiting for Saturdays to come) is played by Maxence Perrin, his real-life son.The chorus part is supplied by Les Petits Chanteurs de Saint-Marc.

So you want to see a good film?Here's the one for you.I don't say it's perfect.But I can assure you that you will be won over and immensely moved in the end.

One of the best movies ever!
Fact is that this is a truly incredible, moving film.
I am not a fan of European movies, however, this movie is extremely well done. Is never boring, it is sentimentally rich and the music is fantastic.

It is certainly not a new topic: The music teacher that changes the lives of bad students. We have seen that with Mr. Holland Opus or Sister Act. But the truth is that this movie makes the others so secondary, that you really have to see it yourself. I saw it today while on vacation in Mexico city and decided to order the DVD immediately.

Most uplifting, you can't help but be moved.
I was fortunate to catch this film this past weekend and was enthralled. The reviews were mixed and I'm glad that I ignored the so-called 'Critics' who were less than flattering in their reviews of this wonderful film. From the start of the film to it's uplifting ending, the acting was superb. But the main highlight was the music, and the emerging joy and hope in the children as they discover something so wonderful within themselves. By all means, get the film and also the wonderful soundtrack. You won't be sorry.

Yes! Choral music cures the soul!
Well, I'm a choral conductor myself and I specialized in children's choirs so this film touched the deepest fibers in my soul. I watched it (cried it) the first time a week ago and I've seen it 3 more times since that. Yes, as a choral conductorI've witnessed, I've promotedI`ve seen the miracle of choral music doing what many other aspects of "education" just can't do today. Why would that be? It may sound harsh, but many schools and many fields of "education" have turned into plain business all around, just preocupied with "manufacturing" consumers for the market world, as John Holt once said, no matter how this is acieved. Obviously, we're talking here about 1949: the post war times of this story, we all know,were very hard, sick with so many missconceptions about "discipline" and "order". But this globalized times with new nazis like Mr. Bush, Blair or Berlusconi are not so different. Children feel all that violence and , deep within them, they resent it. Art, on the contrary,and choral music in particular, was then and still is nowa deep language of the soul and no kid is alien to it as long as a true artist helps him discover it. This is obviously, the very foundation behind Europe's old and solid choral culture. So, this is what Mr. Mathew does with this group of lonely and abandoned kids so abused by the hard, stupid ways of Mr. Rachin. They come to discover their true souls through the power of music. As an artist, Mr Mathew knows this and goes for it with love and faith.
The story is beautifully put to screen, somehow reminding us of the classic films by Truffaut. The Saint Marc kids chorus is an A-1 group with a lovely head voice sound and, not only Rameaus piece, but all selections by Bruno Coulais are lovely.
It goes without saying that as a musician I'm really pleased to know that today's kids may have a chance of enjoying a film such as this one. Our actual choristers will remain with us, strongly motivated. And we may receive new ones!
I give this picture, and the sound track 6 stars each!
Don't miss it. ... Read more

Amazon.com

The epic sci-fi series Babylon 5 was a unique experiment in the history of television. It was effectively a novel for television in five seasons, consisting of 110 episodes with a clear beginning, middle, and end. The first season introduces the main characters, headed this year by Commander Jeffery Sinclair (Michael O'Hare) and Security Chief Michael Garibaldi (Jerry Doyle), and familiarizes the audience with the unique environment of a five-mile-long space station in the year 2257. The first episode, "Midnight on the Firing Line," plays at a breathless pace, introducing Commander Susan Ivanova (Claudia Christian) and establishing the conflict between the Narn and Centauri races as represented by their ambassadors, G'Kar (Andreas Katsulas) and Londo Mollari (Peter Jurasik). B5 hits warp speed with a run of exceptional episodes building to the season finale. The two-part "Voice in the Wilderness" has Mars breaking into open revolt against Earth and thediscovery of a "Great Machine" on the dead world Epsilon 3. Referencing 1950s sci-fi classic Forbidden Planet, the story leads to the superb time-travel-based "Babylon Squared." Season finale "Chrysalis" proves more than just the usual television cliffhanger, placing Minbari ambassador Delenn in conflict with her ruling Grey Council and forcing on her a decision that laid the groundwork for Babylon 5's eventually becoming a great love story.

Delenn's future love interest, Captain John Sheridan (Bruce Boxleitner) arrived on Babylon 5 in the first episode of season 2, "Points of Departure." The show marked the handing over of command of B5 to Sheridan from Commander Jeffery Sinclair, actor Michael O'Hare becoming a victim of studio politicians who wanted a bigger star in the leading role. "Revelations" explains that Sheridan's wife, Anna, died during an archaeological survey of the world Z'ha'dum, the name being just one of many references to Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings (the bridge at Khazad-Dum). "The Coming of Shadows" proved to be Babylon 5's finest hour to date, and in "In the Shadow of Z'ha'dum," Sheridan learns that Morden was on the ship on which Anna died. Three exceptional shows conclude the season. The Narn-Centauri war escalates in "The Long, Twilight Struggle," Sheridan faces a most unusual ordeal in "Comes the Inquisitor," and in "The Fall of Night" all hope of peace is shattered as a nerve-racking assassination attempt reveals a startling secret about Ambassador Kosh.

"Matters of Honor" launched Babylon 5's third season with the introduction of the White Star, a spacecraft added to enable more of the action to take place away from the station. Also introduced was Marcus Cole (Jason Carter)--in another nod to The Lord of the Rings, a Ranger not so far removed from Tolkien's Strider. A third of the way through the season "Messages from Earth," "Point of No Return," and "Severed Dreams" prove pivotal, changing the nature of the story in a way previously unimaginable on network TV. Earth slides into dictatorship, the fascistic Nightwatch takes control of off-world security, and Sheridan take decisive action by declaring Babylon 5 independent."Interludes and Examinations" presented the death of a major supporting character, while the two-part "War Without End" reached apocalyptic dimensions in a complex tale resolving the destiny of Sinclair and the fate of Babylon 4, resolving a 1,000-year-old paradox and presenting a vision of a very dark future for Sheridan and Delenn. All this was trumped by the monumental "Z'ha'dum." In the preceding "Shadow Dancing" Anna Sheridan (Melissa Gilbert, Bruce Boxleitner's real-life wife) returned from the dead, no longer entirely human. In the mythologically resonant climax Anna invited Sheridan back to the Shadow homeworld with no hope of survival. Just as in The Lord of the Rings Gandalf fell into the abyss at Khazad-Dum, so Sheridan took a comparable leap into the unknown on an alien world.

Season 4 began on a high point with the Centauri Prime in the grip of the insane Emperor Cartagia (Wortham Krimmer) and a run of six shows leading to the climax of the war against the Shadows in "Into the Fire." If this colossal narrative was resolved a little too easily and the ultimate aim of the Shadows turned out to be a tad disappointing, it still proved to be the most powerful slice of space opera to ever grace the small screen. In the aftermath the sheer scale dropped back a little but the pace never slowed as the rest of the season played out in one relentless cycle of conspiracy, betrayal and conflict, Babylon 5 siding with the rebel Mars colony against the totalitarian Earth.On an unstoppable wave fuelled by roller-coaster plot twists and spectacular action shows from "No Surrender, No Retreat"--when Sheridan avows to overthrow EarthGov--to "Rising Star"--when the aim is realized--Babylon 5 achieved a consistent excellence rare in television.

The final season found Claudia Christian departed and Ivanova replaced by Captain Elizabeth Lochley (Tracy Scoggins), who in a soap-opera twist turned out to be Sheridan's first wife. Sheridan was promoted to President of the Interstellar Alliance and the action moved to a group of telepaths seeking sanctuary from the PSI-Corp on B5. Meanwhile the aftermath of the Shadow War was explored, and as usual the season picked up toward the end, with a string of fine political episodes. The final episode, "Sleeping in Light," was directed by J. Michael Straczynski and made an epilogue to the series. Set 20 years later, after all the sound and fury this quiet, elegiac tale is the apotheosis of the love story that proved the balance to the tragedy of the preceding darkness. A personal story resolved against a background of the epic, at once transcendent, deeply human, and profoundly optimistic, "Sleeping in Light" is as moving as any hour in the history of television drama and a thoroughly satisfying conclusion to one of the greatest series ever made. --Gary S. Dalkin ... Read more

Reviews (13)

BEST SHOW EVER. "A novel for TV" that lasts 100+ hours!
Yes, Babylon 5 is the best sci-fi show ever produced. No doubt in my mind. It simply is.

Season 1 starts slowly. Mainly because the show was not written by J. Michael Straczynski (series creator) but by outside help. Result: Lousy B-movie scripts. Only 5-6 episodes are truly good.

But then Seasons 2-5 arrive, and the series truly shines. This is the CORE of the Babylon 5 story. J.Michael Straczynski took the reins and wrote ~95% of the show. AND IT SHOWS. Seasons 2-5 start with battles, end with battles, and have plenty of drama in the middle. A new race called "The Shadows" starts pulling strings, manipulating the characters, and ultimately spinning off a war. And just when you think all is dark and dreary and depressing... all hell turns loose! The drama just builds and builds and builds.

And then we have... THE GRAND FINALE TO THE NOVEL FOR TV: Set 20 years in the future, this single episode will bring tears to your eyes, because it shows the death of the hero: President Sheridan. As series creator J.Michael Straczynski wrote:

"The sad truth is that we die. That is not a happy ending, not a sad ending, simply a fact. The question is what we accomplish during the days and months and years preceding; do we leave the world a better place or a worse place? If we have left the world around us a better place, as these characters did, then it's a happy ending. - - - - - Ultimately, for me, the end of B5 is neither a sad ending nor a happy ending; I'd say it was a graceful ending, a dignified ending, an ending that said individuals can effect profound change, if they are willing to put their own lives and happiness on the line; not happy, not sad, but a testament to the idea that you have used your time here well."

"What interests me, what I wanted to do with making this show, was in large measure to examine the issues and emotions and events that precede a war... the effects of the war itself... and the aftermath of the war. The war is hardware; the people are at the center of the story." Well said Mr. Straczynski, and thank you for creating this wonderful show. Like a classic novel, Babylon 5 reaches beyond mere entertainment. Thank you.

The BEST S/F Series Ever Aired!
J. Michael Straczynski (jms) created the space station Babylon 5 and spent years getting it produced and on the air. It premiered about the same time ST: Deep Space Nine did, and for a while, fans compared the two. It was almost "apples & oranges" time, but it was tried.

As a long-time Trek fan, I was surprised when I first saw the pilot ("The Gathering") in 1993. I was absolutely stunned. Why Babylon 5, not just Babylon Station? Well, #s 1 - 4 were sabotaged & destroyed; # 4 disappeared after going on-line. (Disappeared? It's 5 MILES LONG, for crying out loud!) Word was that this would be an on-going, progressive five year story arc, the likes of which hadn't been done before on US television. Risky. Okay, jms had my attention. I couldn't wait for the series. When it finally did air, I (being cynical of tv production in general) figured it wasn't going to stay as good. It didn't. It steadily got better.

I repeat, I speak as a long time Trek fan (beginning with the original series - skip Voyager, I did). B5 is one of the best televison series ever produced. Note I did not say "science fiction series." (It is THE best s/f series ever put up to the audience.) I introduced several non s/f fans to the series, as a dramatic series and they all loved it. (So much for "only for space opera hounds.") The story arc freed Straczynski (he wrote 90% of the scripts) from having to make everything "come right" in a 45 minute time slot, and off it went.

Crowd scenes were, well, crowded, with humans of all types and aliens as extras wandering through scenes. (The aliens, by the way, are much more than odd skin colours, strange noses and "hair.") The station wasn't pristeen, the population wasn't always picture perfect. We have shysters, homeless, personal problems, espionage, humour, betrayal, relationships, and deaths (being in the opening credits did not guarantee survival, and it didn't always happen at the end of a season). Opening credits and theme music changed every year. One character's very appearance even changed dramatically. The plotlines are tight, and the threads are woven into five years of shows. The special effects are believable. (Yes, you could "hear" space battles, but hey, cut them some slack - NASA asked for plans of the Starfuries for reference for future space station repair vehicles.) B5 was the first show to rely on CGI effects, born out of budget necessity. More than once, watching the show, I found myself pounding the furniture with excitement - and we won't go into (here) what I did during series finale "Sleeping in Light."

Sinclair, Sheridan, Ivanova, Garibaldi, G'Kar, Londo, Lennier, Vir, Na'Toth, Talia, and Lyta came into our home as people with problems. The characters grew and changed and made choices and dealt with the consequences of those choices for good or bad. G'Kar (Andreas Katsulas) put it best: no one on Babylon 5 is exactly what they appear. Keep a score card handy: this week's ally may be next month's enemy. There is no clear deliniation of good guys and bad guys - mostly it's all shades of grey. Acting (with the exception of one season five regular) is superb.

Action, yes. Yet one of the most moving episodes is a one-on-one battle of wits and nerve between two characters in a single room. Wars - some with aliens, some between alien races, and some with just us humans - start & end. There are four ambassadors from alien races on board, with a League of Non-Aligned Worlds to complete the roster. Telepaths of all races (except the Narns) add more colour. Intrigue, smuggling, dealing, double-dealing, romance, all leavened with humourous touches throughout - what more could you ask!

For the first four years, the hardest part of being a B5 fan was FINDING it. (Our local station played ping-pong with its time slot.) To own uncut, widescreen versions on DVD of the whole story arc was a dream we had. Thank heavens, it's one dream which became reality.

If you have seen B5, welcome back. If you haven't, welcome aboard. However, Babylon 5 is a whole complete story, with a beginning, a middle, and an end. View it that way. Start with the pilot ("The Gathering," not included in this set but available) and then move to Season One. Enjoy. This is a unique series.

An unforgettable cult series
The TV series "Babylon 5"(1994 - 1999), a Warner and TNT production created by J. Michel Straczynski, was inspired in hindu-asiatics religions and explore Arcthurians legends.
"The Gathering", the series pilot, was shown in 1993 and the first episode almost a year later. The series had 110 episodes during five seasons and 5 movies were produced.
Babylon 5 adventures begins in the year 2258 and ends in 2263. The space station,with 8 kilometres length, has 250 thousand inhabitants of different places of the Universe and a defensive military force.
The first three Space Stations were destroyed by sabotage and the fourth vanished mysteriosly on space. The Fifth Station, the only one remained, was built by Earth Aliance with the support of many alien races, including The Minbari Federation and The Centauri Republic.
Babylon 5 was idealized to be a Diplomatic port where the discussions and agreements between the races could take place in a neutral zone.
The first season opening summarizes very well the series essence: "It was the dawn of the third age of mankind, ten years after the Earth/Minbari war. The Babylon Project was a dream given form. Its goal, to prevent another war by creating a place where humans and aliens could work out their differences peacefully. It's a port of call - home away from home for diplomats, hustlers, entrepreneurs, and wanderers. Humans and aliens wrapped in two million, five hundred thousand tons of spinning metal, all alone in the night. It can be a dangerous place, but it's our last best hope for peace. This is the story of the last of the Babylon stations. The year is 2258. The name of the place is Babylon 5".
An unforgettable cult series. (...)

Unique and brilliant series - worth collecting all episodes!
Unlike most other television series, where you know the main characters will be the same at the end of each show, B5 has episodes that move the show along a huge "arc" of a story. Although it may be nice to pick the best bits out of other science fiction series like Star Trek for your home, there is a lot of value in having the COMPLETE collection of Babylon 5 (or more!). Not *just* for the sake of having the "whole story" though: this is one of the consistently best written and thoughtful television series ever, sci-fi perfection; even the "worst" episodes are clever.

Along with "The Prisoner", this is one of the "must have" TV series for any collector, a thought-provoking brilliant work of art. As with Blake's 7 you don't know who will be left at the end of each episode. Like Quinn Martin (Invaders, Fugitive, 12 O'Clock High), JMS keeps it all perfectly-paced exciting entertainment. As with the Onedin Line and serious British sagas, the overall story and character development is what makes tv worth watching for me. Pay special attention to Vir's development - I think his character is in many ways a metaphor for the show and mankind in general. Also be prepared to find more in the details of shows even after rewatching episodes, and tributes to others (and even LOTR) in names and ship designs.

The Amazon pricing for the 5-series collection is noticeably less than the individual series or any combination of other multi-season collections (which seem to be more than buying the individual series). You will probably want to also get the pilot episode too.

The very best, all in one neat package
All the wonderful writing, all the beautifully realized effects, all the real-world physics, and all the satisfyingly three-dimensional characters can now be had in one easy to purchase box set. Lucky you! Those of us who count ourselves B5 fans waited breathlessly for each year to come out, hoping that WB would see fit to bring them all out (like the series itself, there were often such questions). We sent off our $70-$90 for each year, and hoped the product would be worth the hard-earned bucks. They were. I don't know from 16:9 this or anisotropic that, I only know that these fill the screen with beautiful, vibrant color, and exceptional sound quality. And to top it all off, the boxes for each year are quite attractive in their own right. And now, you can get the entire treasure trove for a one time price that's less than I paid for all five over the years, and you get the joy of getting them all at once! If I didn't have them already, I'd be feverishly poking in credit card digits right now. You should, too. This is a wonderful opportunity to see TV done right; this may well be the best show ever, of any type, period. Buy now, and avoid the rush. You'll be glad you did. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

Each of the snazzy 25-minute installments from the most popular Japanese animated TV series of 1998 is a satisfying adventure tale about a futuristic hipster bounty hunter. This is an elegant action-comedy anime, with smoothly integrated CGI space-flight elements, gorgeous graphics, blues harmonica and sax riffs on the soundtrack, and a no-sweat post-Tarantino attitude. Despite occasional eruptions of gun-fu Asian-action violence, and some intimations of heavy-duty drug use (in the first of 26 episodes, one especially noxious narcotic is administered as an aerosol spray straight onto the user's eyeballs), the tone is surprisingly convivial. None of the generic tough elements are grim or mean-spirited. Lanky antihero Spike Spiegel is a planet-hopping freelance hunter with an ex-cop sidekick named Jet, a loopy fellow hunter named Faye, a teenage computer hack, and a genetically enhanced Welsh corgi assistant in tow. The emphasis is on clever twists of plot in an episodic short-story format with as many wisecracks as punches being thrown. Unrated (suitable for ages 13 and older): violence, nudity, profanity, alcohol and tobacco use, occasional ethnic stereotypes. --David Chute ... Read more

Reviews (336)

best anime ever
An interesting twist on traditional anime, Cowboy Bebop is at once fresh, original, and wildly entertaining. It injects new life into a classic genre.

I first discovered this series on Cartoon Network's adult swim late-night block, and quickly began to really like it. The fight scenes are beautifully animated, the 26 episodes (each of which stands on its own) are well written and perfectly paced.

Speaking of which, the episode structure is very unlike most anime, where you have to see every episode or you don't understand it at all. The episodes in Bebop are all tied together with a common theme: Spike Spiegel and company travel throughout space in the near future, looking for bounty, their own backstories unraveling bit by bit. This formula works very well.

Bebop also conveys an atmosphere that sometimes changes but is always well done with each episode. It is, for the most part, either gritty and violent (Episode 5: Ballad of Fallen Angels) or goofy and sometimes laugh out loud funny (Episode 12: Toys in the Attic). Director Watanabe is great at really drawing the viewer in so that often you forget about what else is happening around you.

Bebop is not without flaws, however. Sometimes the episodes seem to have filler or are WAY too slow paced. This is mainly only a problem with Episode 20: Boogie Woogie Feng Shui. Half the episode is almost all dialogue, with hardly any real movement. It just doesn't feel like the rest of the series.

That one very small shortcoming aside, however, Bebop is amazing, and well worth it whether you enjoy anime or not. This is something anyone can appreciate.

You've got to see this...
The future isn't always bright and happy, but at least its presented in a spectacular series like Cowboy Bebop. Following the crew of the Bebop, each episode takes on new challenges everytime and new feelings. Moods for each episode is never consistent, as they change from action-packed (Gateway Shuffle) to somber (Speak Like A Child) to sadistic (Pierrot La Fou) to comedic (Mushroom Samba). Each episode has its own unique flavor, which will satisfy all types of people.

The main character is Spike Spiegel, an ex-member of a crime syndicate and a bounty hunter. With his tall, lanky, slacker-look about him, he easily throws people off guard when they first meet him. His cool demenor and level-headedness are an excellent cover for a master of hand-to-hand and ranged combat, as well as being quite skilled in piloting his starship, Swordfish II.

The lead female character, Faye Valentine, is very similar in many respects to Spike, which causes some friction throughout the series as they both hunt for bounties. Although she may look like she is in her early 20s, Faye was suspended in a cryo-genic freeze for 54 years following a space accident. Her past is a mystery (Episodes 15, 18, and 24), but she keeps her cool and is confident and daring all at once. If Spike is ever in the middle of a fight, she'll usually wander in to help. While she is definitely a sexy woman, her charms tend to work on every man other than Spike and Jet. In addition, she has her own little starship, Redtail, which she uses to get herself out of whatever trouble she finds.

Jet Black is a former member of ISSP (InterStellar Space Police) on Ganymede, where he shortly retired after losing his left arm. He is partnered with Spike as a bounty hunter, and is the captain of the Bebop and his own personal ship, the Hammerhead. However, most of the time, Spike is on the frontlines while Jet provides support through information or backup.

Ed's real name is Edward Wong Hau Pepelu Tivrusky 4th, but Ed is 13 year old female who is an expert computer hacker commonly known as "Radical Edward." Although she may sound serious, this couldn't be further from the truth. She may be extremely intelligent and a prodigy, but don't let her wacky antics and crazy talk fool you. She may not be able to take life too seriously quite yet, but she is a force with which to be reckoned.

Ein is a Welsh Corgi dog who was apart of an experiment at an early age. Consequently, he's smarter than the average dog now, and when Ed joins the crew of the Bebop, they're instant friends. Often times found eating, sleeping, or accompanying Ed, he's the one character that no one argues with (except for Faye).

The year is 2071 A.D., and mankind has spread throughout the Sol system after a tragic accident on Earth. The crew of the Bebop hunt down criminals for bounties, all the while, trying to survive the harshness of space. Spike and Jet are the original crew members of the Bebop, and while Ein, Faye, and Ed become apart of the "family," conflicting pasts and perspectives often times drive each of them away to solve their problems, but they always come back for one reason or another.

The plot? Excellent. The characters? Great. The animation? Great. The series? Flawless.

An additional note, I'm not positive, but I do believe that all of the music (with exception for the beginning and ending tracks) are never repeated. You'll watch TV and anime series, and often times, you'll find a particular piece of music being repeated for certain situations to help clue you into the mood for that scene. However, in Cowboy Bebop, that isn't so. For one episode, you'll have a unique set of music tracks that are never repeated throughout the rest of the series. For example, the music track "Ballad of a Fallen Angel" is never repeated outside of the cathedral scene in the episode "Ballad of Fallen Angels."

I can't think of anything else that I was more pleased with after buying than Cowboy Bebop. : )

Note- I'm reviewing the bootleg
Although it may be unAmerican, and surely it's a rip-off from potential money going to Bandai, (...)I was really worried about what I'd be receiving. The truth is, the package was awesome- the DVD quality if FANTASTIC (there's a little digital blurring during a ship-flight scene), and the dub is exactly the original American dub seen on Adult Swim (the English subtitles disagree somewhat). There are even a few special features, including music videos and such- nothing important really. I'm a little hesitant, as some may have had different experiences... I'll say that the copy I got is 3-CD, from Singapore, in a brown/gray cardboard-flip case that has Spike in a subway or something, standing next to a blonde woman. The inside has a bit of art as well. It's not the cover, with the black on top and bottom and all the characters, shown on Amazon.
Your experience my differ, and granted, this set isn't exactly perfect, with a little digital blurring. But for 30 dollars, my experience, at least, was an awesome deal.

The GREATEST anime series of all time
This is the best anime series I've ever seen and I've seen alot of them including movies. When it comes to anime there is a few names people know. Akira, Macross, Ghost In The Shell, Trigun, Ninja Scroll. Cowboy Bebop is right up there. I love this anime because it is real and it doesn't pull any punches. It is classic yet new age. It's a sci-fi space thing yet it's like a western yet like an epic. It is everything that is good. I own the Limited Edition Box and the 3 disc Hong Kong import. The story is based on 5 characters who all have their own interesting backgrounds and somehow life as it happens has these five come together. Spike Spiegel and Jet Black are bounty hunters using a commercial fishing ship(spaceship this is the future) as their mode of transportation. In this bounty hunting is very lucritive as there is even a tv show that updates them on new bounties. Along the way they meet three other characters that join the crew at Spike's displeasure and Jet's indifference. There is far too much for me write of in the epic of anime greatness. I really felt like I knew and shared in their journey by the end. All this and probably one of the best soundtracks ever produced. Eclectic is the word...it is a jazzy, blues inspired rock techno organism of music that plays well with the story. All I say is rent, buy or borrow and watch this is you are an anime fan and you have not yet, for some God awful reason, seen this. Now the nice collection you see with the entire series is not the Limited 7 disc set which includes the soundtrack...if you find the big box it will be at least $200 dollars but probably more than that as it is a limited numbered to 15,000. The 3 disc collection containing all 26 episodes is the import Hong Kong version which can be played here. This is usually around $30 dollars or so. It has great video and sound quality and doesn't suck compared to the U.S. releases as some would say. Either way it is a great series and all anime fans should have this one.

Pure Masterpiece...
Cowboy Bebop. The jazzy series that has anything I could possible want in an anime. This is the kind of thing you'd like to watch after you invite a few friends over to spend the night, play Nintendo, talk about boobs, indulge all the junk-food you have, and then watch this late at night. It's one of those movies like Young Frankenstein that is funny in a way that makes you think. Not like sooo much bubblegum-anime on the market today that just tries to be funny by making bad puns, and saying retarded things. I enjoy the factor that the cast of characters is such a dysfunctional motley assort of people. The story is as good as I expected it to be, I like every bit of the storyline and how it sometimes purposly went out of context.
I like how it went like a duality of two faces: Sweet, and Sorrow. First the Sweet lures you into the story and makes you happy. Then when your inside, The Sorrow stabs you with a knife making you sad.... (My analogies rock!). This anime is for everybody, even (some) adults like it! I'm going to buy the soundtrack when I get enough money, It's like Hellsing which has a kick-ass soundtrack! Jazzy and up-beat. Yet melodic and sadening. The ending ephisode is heart wrenching to me atleast.
This anime is for everyone and anyone! Get it, you won't be dissapointed! ... Read more

Amazon.com

Pooh's Heffalump Movie introduces a lovable new character to the Hundred Acre Wood. When mysterious noises spook Pooh, Piglet, and the others, Rabbit explains that everyone will have to band together to track down the dreaded Heffalump. Well, everyone, that is, except Roo, who's too small for the task. Not surprisingly, it's Roo who makes first contact, and he quickly finds out that first impressions aren't always true. You can see the Big Messages coming from a mile off (Xenophobia is bad! Don't underestimate little kids!), and one moment of mischief curiously passes without even requiring an apology. But kids will be charmed by the Heffalump and may even connect with the empowerment/maturity themes. Among the voice cast, Jim Cummings does knockout impressions of Sterling Holloway and Paul Winchell as the voices of Pooh and Tigger, respectively, and Carly Simon's songs are at their best when she sings them herself.--David Horiuchi ... Read more

Reviews (23)

LOVE THIS MOVIE!
I liked this movie! I read the review A roo movie and i liked it. I love this movie!

A Roo Movie
This is the most adorable movie. And the first theater movie we took our daughter to...I had to buy this one as a keepsake. Amazing after not seeing this what these little ones remember...we couldn't get her away from watching it!!!
I realy think the title should have been "A Roo Movie"!!!
If your little one likes Pooh this is a must have!!!
I bought ours at Walmart as a combo with a Pooh CD ROM/coloring book and a DVD Sample of Little Einsteins for under $20.00

Great Toddler Movie!
This is the first movie we took our 3 year old to and she loved it.Usually movies have something that seems a little too scary for the little ones, but this one didn't.Nothing too intense or too serious.A great addition to the other Pooh classics.

Pooh's Heffalump Movie
I took my 4 year old daughter and 4 year old nephew to see this movie. It was incredible, the best Pooh movie I've seen in a long time. The kids sat through the whole thing very well and really enjoyed it. It had some very valuable lessons.

One of the best Disney movies ever...
This is an awesome movie! Disney has really out done themselves with this Winnie the Pooh movie. This is my favorite out all of them. Why? 1.It adds 2 new characters to the One-Hundred Acre Wood which I was hopin the tigger movie would do. 2.It teaches alot of great lessons. 3.Lumpy is the cutest character ever! Im 13 and I enjoyed this movie. Other 13 year olds will say "Hes done seeing that movie" but even when I turn 110, I will Love Winnie the Pooh. Lets hope the next movie will be even better! ... Read more

Description

LIMITED EDITION BOX SET CONTAINS: • Vol. 1: First Move; Vol. 2: Positional Play; Vol. 3: Discovered Attack; Vol. 4: Breakthrough; Vol. 5: Grand Stream; Vol. 6: Queen Delphine; Vol. 7: Sealed Move – IN A COLLECTOR'S BOX! • Limited edition mouse pad (OUTSIDE THE BOX) • Limited edition figurine (OUTSIDE THE BOX)

Set consists of the following titles:

LAST EXILE: VOLUME 1: FIRST MOVE

Japan's top anime creators bring a richly romantic action/adventure fantasy in an imaginary planet where retro-futuristic sky vehicles permeate the skies.Against this lavish background are the lives of young and heroic van ship sky porters – Claus and Lavie – who are forced to take on the mission to deliver a mysterious girl, Alvis, to the battle ship Silvana.Before they know it, they become entangled in an aerial adventure between two countries griped in an eternal war of magnificent air battleships. DVD EXTRAS:  Non-Credit Opening  Original Japanese Opening  Promotion Trailer  Staff Interview (Mahiro Maeda)  Art Gallery  Pioneer Previews
LAST EXILE: POSITIONAL PLAY: VOL. 2 Claus and Lavie deliver Alvis to the airship Silvana's captain, Alex Row.But much to Claus' anger, Alex Row accepts Alvis inhumanely into the Silvana and leaves the duo and their damaged ship behind.Claus and Lavie fly to the Silvana to retrieve Alvis, but the airship is savagely attacked by Guild-controlled, star-shaped vessels.Claus and Lavie are forced to take on the attackers with a borrowed Silvana vanship.The Silvana is severely damaged.Dio Eraclea of the Guild flagship notices Claus' unusual flying talents and vows to have a duel with him. More than ever, Claus and Lavie realize they are wrapped up in the mysterious conspiracies of war controlled by the omnipotent Guild. DVD SPECIAL FEATURES:  Non-Credit Ending  Original Japanese Ending  Commercial Collections  Art Gallery  Geneon Animation Previews
LAST EXILE: DISCOVERED ATTACK: VOL. 3 Claus and Lavie participate in an eight-hour endurance vanship race, and are joined by Dio Eraclea who tries to befriend Claus.Tatiana also participates in the race, but she is actually on a secret mission under Alex Row's direction.In the meantime, Alex row bids for the mysterious "Exile Dorr" at a black market auction, but he is forced to withdraw from the bidding by the Guild.The Exile Door ends up in the hands of Delphine, the supreme leader of the Guild.And it becomes increasingly apparent that Alvis Hamilton is the key to the Exile. DVD SPECIAL FEATURES:  LAST EXILE Exhibition in Tokyo, Art Gallery and Geneon Animation Previews
LAST EXILE: BREAKTHROUGH: VOL. 4 Claus and Tatiana are thrown together to fly a vanship to defend Silvana from a massive attack orchestrated by Anatoray, and Tatiana begins to confide in Claus when the two make an emergency landing.Sophia, who is revealed to be of royal lineage, leaves Silvana, and inherits a leading role in the Anatoray army. And Claus discovers through an old photograph the secret relationship between his vanship, his and Lavie's deceased fathers, Captain Alex Row and the Grand Stream, all of which leads us closer to the meaning of the Exile. DVD SPECIAL FEATURES:  LAST EXILE Exhibition in Tokyo  Art Gallery  GENEON Animation Previews
LAST EXILE: GRAND STREAM: VOLUME 5 Claus and Lavie's fathers died attempting to cross the Grand Stream to deliver a message from Anatoray to Disith. Empress Sophia obtains a copy of the original message and discovers it suggested the two empires join forces to defeat the Guild and obtain peace in the skies!However, to defeat the Guild, one must take possession of the Exile, so Empress Sophia plans to command the Silvana to cross the turbulent Grand Stream to locate the Exile.Can they accomplish this dangerous feat within the critical six days? DVD SPECIAL FEATURES:  Textless Opening Version  Art Gallery  Geneon Animation Previews
LAST EXILE: QUEEN DELPHINE: VOL. 6 Claus and Dio return to the Silvana from their vanship expedition to search for the Exile, only to find that the Silvana has been hijacked by the Guild. Delphine takes Alvis, Claus and Alex Row hostage and transports them to the Guild ship.Delphine attempts to lure Alex to provide all the mysterions open Exile gateway. Dio is declared the official successor of his sister Delphine after he is forced to partake of a series of rite of passage ceremonies. DVD SPECIAL FEATURES:

 Art Gallery and Geneon Animation Previews
LAST EXILE: SEALED MOVE: VOL. 7 With Luciola's help, Claus, Alvis and Dio escape the Guild ship while Delphine continues to hold Alex Row hostage and tortures him.Anatoray and Disith continue to wage an all-out war against the Guild and many sacrifice their lives attempting to prevent Delphine from gaining complete control of the Exile. Under Sophia's orders, Claus, Lavie and Alvis fly through the Grand Stream toward the Exile to complete their final mission in this heart-pounding conclusion! DVD SPECIAL FEATURES:  Geneon Previews ... Read more

Amazon.com

When you start watching Racing Stripes, you may not be prepared for how unbelievably cute a young zebra is. A travelling circus accidently abandons an adorably helpless zebra in the middle of Kentucky on a stormy night. Fortunately, the wee zebra is found by Nolan Walsh (Bruce Greenwood, The Sweet Hereafter), a brilliant horse trainer who's given up his calling after a riding accident that killed his wife. His daughter Channing (Hayden Panettiere, Raising Helen) names the zebra Stripes and, before you know it, Stripes has grown to young adulthood and is aching to race at a nearby track. Thus begins a fairly formulaic triumph-over-adversity tale combined with talking animals--but Racing Stripes understands its formula and executes it without any pretensions. It doesn't hit the bullsey